Roku Premiere+ review – CNET
The Good The Roku Premiere+ can access more TV shows and movies in 4K and HDR than most rival devices. It has better features for the money than Roku’s other 4K streamers, and unlike the Chromecast Ultra it actually includes a remote (and an Amazon Video app). Roku’s ecosystem offers more apps, better search and more customization than any other.
The Bad Content in 4K and HDR is still uncommon, and your HDR TV probably already has compatible apps. Unlike some of those TVs, Premiere+ doesn’t work with with Dolby Vision HDR. There’s no voice capability on the remote. Some app interfaces are less polished than on rival devices.
The Bottom Line For 4K HDR TV owners fed up of using built-in smart TV apps, the Roku Premiere+ is my top pick.
Gadgets always precede stuff you can use them with. Today, there are plenty of TVs with 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR), but TV shows and movies you can actually watch in 4K and/or HDR are rare. That’s one reason why you shouldn’t feel any rush to buy a device like the Roku Premiere+. There just isn’t enough 4K stuff to watch, HDR or otherwise, to make it a must-have — yet.
For the proud owner of a new 4K HDR TV who wants to surround it with the best compatible gadgets today, however, the Premiere+ makes the most sense out of all the choices. The Google Chromecast Ultra beats it with HDR support, boasting both HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats, but it lacks a remote and Amazon Video’s substantial library of 4K and HDR content. Android TV devices like Nvidia Shield and Xiaomi Mi Box also miss out on Amazon, while the actual Amazon Fire TV handles 4K but not HDR. And among Roku’s own 2016 4K boxes, the Premiere+ provides the best balance of features for the price.
Roku Premiere+ does 4K HDR streaming right
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You may already own other 4K streaming options, such as a 4K game console, 4K Blu-ray player or the smart TV system built into your TV. If you’re fine using those for now, feel free to skip the Premiere+. On the other hand, no other single device can match Roku’s selection of 4K and HDR apps and services, and no smart TV system is as simple to use or updated as regularly.
If you have a 4K HDR TV and want a single device to handle all of your streaming needs, Roku Premiere+ is my go-to recommendation for 2016. Here’s why.
Your premiere Premiere+ questions, answered
So what’s 4K HDR streaming anyway? New here, eh? No problem. Many Internet video services, including Netflix, Amazon Video, Vudu and YouTube, stream some of their TV shows and movies in 4K resolution, which promises higher video quality than their other streams. A few of those services offer an even smaller amount of content in high dynamic range (HDR), promising even better quality — better contrast, with more nuanced shading and brighter whites. We say “promise” for a reason: often the differences are tough to discern, even for trained eyes like ours.
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Amazon and Netflix stream in HDR on select shows and movies, often original series like “Goliath.”
Sarah Tew/CNET
Should I get it if I don’t have a 4K HDR TV? No. Unless you anticipate buying a new 4K HDR TV very soon, my advice is to get the Roku Streaming Stick or another non-4K device and save the money. If your TV has 4K but not HDR, the Roku Premiere (without the “+”) might be worth getting instead.
Why shouldn’t I just stick with my smart TV system? You can, but it might be annoying. Every 4K HDR TV we’ve seen has apps that support 4K and/or HDR. Depending on the TV you have, and what services you enjoy, you might be perfectly fine streaming without an external box. On the other hand, Roku in particular has more streaming apps that offer 4K, HDR and standard video streams, and makes those apps and streams easier to find and use. It’s also updated more often than most smart TVs, and provides a single, convenient source for all your internet video.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Why do you like Premiere+ better than the competition? The main reason is the selection of 4K HDR apps. Roku devices like the Premiere+ offer 4K from 15 apps: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, Plex, Roku Media Player, Fandango Now, UltraFlix4K, 4K Universe, Curiosity Stream, Toon Goggles, Tastemade, Smithsonian Earth, Picasa, Flickr and 500px. That’s more than any other streaming device. Roku also streams HDR from Netflix and Amazon, two of the three biggest services that offer it today. (The third, Vudu, doesn’t yet deliver HDR streams to Roku, only to smart TV systems with Dolby Vision.)
Why is it better than the Roku Premiere or Roku Ultra? Unlike the $80 Premiere, which is 4K-only, the $100 Premiere+ streams in HDR too. It also includes a better remote: you can point anywhere instead of having to aim (allowing you to stash the box out of sight), and connect headphones for private listening. Finally it adds an Ethernet port for wired connections, which can be more stable than Wi-Fi in some situations. Those extras are easily worth another $20 for most buyers.
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The three new 4K Roku boxes. Top: Premiere, Middle: Premiere Plus, Bottom: Ultra
Sarah Tew/CNET
The $130 Ultra is even better equipped than the Premiere+, adding a remote finder function, a USB port for playback of video files from connected drives and an optical digital audio output. It also has a remote you can use to search via voice (with other Rokus you have to use the phone app for that). Otherwise the two have the same features and processor, however, so we don’t think it’s worth spending another $30 for most people.
Valet Charger Power Pack 6700 mAh for Apple Watch + iPhone Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack will be available this month.
Belkin
Earlier this year Belkin launched a new, more affordable dual-charging dock, the Powerhouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone ($100). Now it’s got a new portable dual-charging that will hit stores soon: The Valet Charger (also $100), which has a built-in Magnetic Charging Module to recharge the Apple Watch, as well as USB out port for charging your iPhone — or any phone. (No word yet on international pricing, but we’ll add it as soon as we get it).
Alas, no Lightning cable is incorporated into the design (or included), but the 6700 mAh portable battery is able to charge your iPone and Watch simultaneously.
Here are the key specs:
- Built-in Magnetic Charging Module for Apple Watch
- 1A USB port
- 1x Micro-USB Cable
- MFi (Apple Watch)
- 6700 mAh battery
- 4 ft. Micro-USB Cable
In other Belkin news, the company has announced it’s developed a line a premium line of Mixit DuraTek cables built with DuPont Kevlar fiber “for extreme durability.” The cables cost $30 and will be available on belkin.com on November 15.
Belkin has a new line of tough Lightning cables coming soon.
Belkin
Roli Blocks Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
London-based technology company Roli wants to change the way people make music. And its latest creation, Blocks, is unlike any instrument you’ve seen before.
You don’t need years of lessons — or frankly, any musical experience — to create your own beats with Blocks. Packed into a simple 4-by-4-inch touchpad is an entire music studio, designed to be friendly enough for anyone to play, even if you’re intimidated at the thought of creating your own music.
Roli Blocks is a modular music studio, with each individual Block attaching magnetically to any of the four sides.
But this isn’t just for musical newbies — the system is scalable to serve as a professional tool for advanced musicians. Multiple Blocks can be attached magnetically to any of the four sides. Optional smaller control pad Block accessories have built-in buttons to change settings and build beat loops quickly during a performance.
It all starts with the Lightpad Block ($179, or £169.95). The pressure-sensitive silicone pad displays lights on a grid, with each light square representing a different note. But you don’t just tap the light squares as if they were keys on a piano. The real art in a performance lies in how you press your fingers on the pad. Dragging a finger can glide between notes, bending the pitch as you slide into the next note. You’ll also get different sounds depending on how long and hard you press down.
But what if you don’t know what notes sound good together? Simply let the lights be your guide. Blocks can be set to only light up parts of the pad that are in the same scale. Stay in the lights, and you can stay in harmony.
As someone who took piano lessons for 10 years, I found the light system one of the most interesting parts of the Blocks design. In a brief demo, I could quickly see how experimenting with corresponding lights could be a way to teach yourself musical theory without even realizing it — all while removing the fear that you’ll sound bad if you improvise.
But one can not perform with Blocks alone. You need the accompanying smartphone app, Noise, to change settings, such as the scale or instruments. The app is also the only way you’ll hear your music — there’s no audio output on Blocks. All the music is played through a phone via a Bluetooth connection.
Blocks requires the iOS app Noise, which connects over Bluetooth.
Dependency on the app is why more professional users would want to buy the extra control Block accessories, the Live Block and Loop Block, each $79 (£69.95). Those come with preset buttons to quickly switch settings. And at launch, the Noise app is only available on Apple’s iPhones or iPads, but the company says an Android app is in the works.
There’s another downside for professionals: The only way to save and share your music creation is through Roli’s online network, Noise.fm. Roli says additional sharing and saving functions are planned.
That network happens to be the key to keeping Blocks feeling fresh. At launch, 128 sounds are available to download through Noise.fm, and it’s where artists can share their tunes for others to tinker and build upon. Even well known artists including Grimes, Steve Aoki and RZA are contributing and making their own downloadable soundpacks.
Composers have been working with Roli for a few years now. Previously, Roli put a new spin on the keyboard with another silicone instrument, the Seaboard Rise. Blocks is almost a compact concept of the Seaboard Rise, replacing the pressure-sensitive keyboard-like surface with the square light grid.
Apple stores are the only retail outlet you’ll find Blocks at launch. If you’re not ready to drop $180 to experiment with this new music-touchpad system, you can try playing on the lightgrid for free through the new Noise iOS app — but only iPhones with 3D touch can perform with pressure sensitivity.
Honeywell Lyric T5 review – CNET
The Good The $150 Honeywell Lyric T5’s geofencing feature worked consistently well, it automated my Home and Away settings every time without complaint, and it sent prompt notifications alerting me to the changes.
The Bad While I like the thermostat’s general design, the font and layout of the touchscreen interface looks dated. I would like to see integrations with Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, Wink and IFTTT.
The Bottom Line Honeywell’s Siri-, Alexa-, and geofencing-enabled Lyric T5 is smart, it works well and it offers a better value than other connected thermostats.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
While Nest was busy rolling out next-gen versions of what is essentially the same $250 thermostat, Emerson, Ecobee and now Honeywell were hard at work developing connected models with major smart-home partnerships that cost significantly less money.
Honeywell’s Lyric T5 is the least expensive Wi-Fi thermostat I’ve reviewed to date at $150, a whopping 100 bucks less than Nest. It works with Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa and it has geofencing functionality. Bonus: Honeywell says its updated Lyric app offers “improved [geofencing] performance” and I have to agree. The T5’s geofencing feature worked flawlessly for me during testing.
The outdated font on the thermostat’s display may look like something straight out of the 1995 Sandra Bullock thriller “The Net,” but I like everything else about it — especially the price. Definitely consider Honeywell’s Lyric T5 if you’re on the hunt for a more affordable smart thermostat with solid performance.
Honeywell’s lower-priced Lyric T5 still talks…
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Getting started
There are dozens of different home HVAC systems, wiring arrangements and settings. Ask a professional or a DIY-savvy friend if you have any questions about your specific setup. That said, Honeywell’s Lyric T5 is really easy to install if you already have a C-wire configuration. Not sure? Check out Honeywell’s Quick Install Guide for more details.
If you already have a C-wire in place and are lucky enough not to have to drill additional holes in the wall or repaint any newly-exposed areas, you can get this thing up and running in 10-15 minutes. After that, download the Android or iOS Lyric app and either create an account or use existing credentials to log in to your account.
The app takes the pairing process step-by-step. Just pick “Lyric T5” from the “Select a device to install” page in the app and answer the questions that follow to make your way through the configuration. At one point, it will transition to selecting options on the thermostat itself — that’s where you’ll start to get a feel for the touchscreen.
Like I said in the intro, the font and general layout of the thermostat display is a little wonky. I don’t exactly dislike it, but it looks dated. I wasn’t quite sure how it worked right away, either, because a modern touchscreen combined with a screen that looks like it was ripped from the early PC days is an odd juxtaposition. But once you get used to it, it’s responsive and easy to use.
See what I mean?
Chris Monroe/CNET
The nitty-gritty
Siri voice control and geofencing in action.
Screenshots by CNET
If you want, you can stop there and simply use the app to create custom schedules for 7-day programming (you can also create schedules directly on the thermostat), adjusting the temperature on-demand anywhere you have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
LG V20 review: a premium phone that will delight audiophiles
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 fiasco has left a big gap in the market and one company that is primed to fill that space is LG, with the latest addition to their V series that was first introduced only last year. The new flagship features an all new design and build quality, while retaining some of the features that made its predecessor unique.
This year has seen the company struggle with its attempt at modularity in the LG G5 and the V20 drops this in favour of a more traditional smartphone experience. What does this smartphone bring to the table, and can LG take advantage of the opening in the high-end large display segment?
We find out, in this comprehensive LG V20 review!
Design
The LG V20 may be succeeding the V10, but the former features a complete redesign and new build that makes it more alike the company’s other flagship, the G5, instead of its predecessor. Gone are the stainless steel rails and the DuraSkin material, with LG instead favoring a mostly metal build with polycarbonate found at the top and bottom chin.
The unique look of the V10 may no longer be available, and in fact, quite a few people I know who have come across the phone have mistaken it for an HTC device, but the V20 is still a good looking smartphone nevertheless, and feels great in the hand.
Despite the change in build material though, what LG has retained is the MIL-STD 810G certification for impact and shock resistance. It’s great to see that LG has managed to keep the durability that the V series is known for, without it being obvious just by looking at it.
At first glance, it is easy to think that the LG V20 comes with a unibody construction, but that isn’t the case. There is actually a button on the lower right side that releases the catch mechanism for the metal back plate, and allows for access to the removable battery, the SIM card slot, and the microSD card slot that allows for expandable storage up to an additional 256 GB. When the back plate is in place, it sits completely flush with the body, and looks and feels just like any other metal unibody smartphone.
The build quality is absolutely fantastic, and LG really deserves to be commended for managing the always figure out a way to offer a removable battery. LG has realized that there is still a big demand for this feature, and when it comes to high-end smartphones, the company’s flagships are the only options available. LG has shown that there is a way to have a removable battery with a metal phone twice now, and it would be great to see this available again from other smartphone OEMs as well.
Taking a look around the device, the headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and single speaker unit are all found at the bottom. The power button remains on the back, but as was the case with the G5, the volume rocker has been moved to a more traditional position on the left side, which I personally prefer.
The power button and volume keys are easy to press and offer a nice tactile feel, and the former also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. There is also an IR blaster up top, which is another feature that is rarely seen nowadays, but allows for a nice way to control your TV and other peripherals.
Display
Just like its predecessor, the LG V20 also comes with two displays. The main display a 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 513 ppi. The display is bright enough to allow for easy outdoor visibility, features good viewing angles, and the high resolution means that sharpness is of no concern.
The only complaint would be that the colors aren’t quite as vibrant as I would like. That said, it’s still a pretty good looking screen, just as you would expect from a flagship smartphone.
The secondary display, which is a 2.1-inch screen with a 160 x 1040 resolution, is still at the top, and features a few improvements when compared to what was available with the V10. It is now slightly larger and brighter that makes it a bit easier to see outdoors, but not a lot has changed as far as functionality is concerned.
The secondary display shows a variety of different things like app shortcuts, recently opened apps, media controls, upcoming calendar events, your favorite contacts, and quick toggles for basic settings like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. When the screen is off, information like the time date, and battery life will be on this display. You can also set a custom signature, but because the screen is wider now, you can set signatures that are much longer, and you can also include a custom signature wallpaper to match.
The second screen isn’t an entirely necessary feature, and it something that you may not use all the time. It is nice to have however, and if you do want to use it, it will prove to be really useful. There is a lot to like about the features it provides, with one of my favorites being the app shortcuts. You can customize up to five of your most commonly used apps, and the shortcuts will also show notification badges any time you receive a new notification, which is a really nice touch.
A minor issue with the secondary display is that because it is an LCD screen, it is really easy to notice light bleed coming from it when the main screen is turned off. It’s not a deal breaker by any means, but is something that you will see, particularly when in a darker.
I do however wish that the screen was AMOLED instead of LCD because it’s really easy to notice light bleed coming from the second screen when the main display is turned off. It’s not a huge deal but it is something you will see when you’re using the phone in a darker environment.
Performance
Under the hood is what you would typically expect from a 2016 flagship, with the LG V20 also featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor that is backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. Even with LG’s somewhat heavy skin, the performance has unsurprisingly been excellent, and handles everyday tasks with no issues.
Apps open quickly, the touch responsiveness is great, and multi-tasking is very smooth. The V20 also handles gaming extremely well, and because the device is running Android 7.0 Nougat, you get to take advantage of better graphics and gaming performance with Vulkan supported games.
Hardware
As mentioned, the power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and it works extremely well. As expected, it is fast and accurate, and takes a short amount of time to set up. Unlike other smartphones that feature physical buttons with integrated fingerprint sensors, you don’t have to press the button down in order to unlock the device, which makes it feel much faster.
The LG V20 comes with a single bottom-mounted speaker, which isn’t going to be compared favorably to front-facing dual speaker setups. That said, when considering single speakers, this is certainly one of the better ones out there. The real audio experience with the V20 however is on the inside.
The LG V20 has got a quad DAC built-in, and you can find out more about the specifics here, but what this basically means is that you are going to get much higher quality audio with less distortion and noise, and much better dynamic range. As long as you have a decent pair of headphones, you are going to hear a huge difference in how your audio sounds.
Because of the built-in DAC, the device is able to power much higher impedance headphones. It makes a pretty significant difference even with streaming audio, and you also have support for lossless audio like FLAC files, and 75 stage volume control with left and right balance controls, that let you really fine tune the audio to your ears.
Read more: A closer look at the LG V20’s audio capabilities40
Something to be aware of is that the audio tuning for the LG V20 in Asian markets is done by Bang & Olufsen, while the audio tuning for the device in other markets like the US is done by LG. It’s difficult to gauge what the differences are exactly, or even if there is a difference at all, and while I haven’t heard the audio with the B&O version, I’ve had no complaints with LG’s audio tuning.
Not only is the LG V20 able to playback much higher quality audio, but it is also capable of recording it. The built-in HD Audio Recorder lets you record audio in 24-bit FLAC files, and it can handle really high inputs, which means you can capture audio in really loud and noisy environments like sporting events or concerts, without the audio clipping or sounding distorted.
The LG V20 comes with a 3,200 mAh battery, and for a phone that has two screens, a Quad DAC, and is capable of doing so many things with photos and videos, you would certainly expect a much larger battery than that. Of course, you do always have the option to swap out the battery and carry a spare around.
Despite the battery not being as big as expected, the capacity proves to be enough to allow a full day of usage that involved texting, email, social media, music streaming, a few hours of gaming, and watching videos on Youtube. There isn’t a whole lot of juice leftover however. The battery life should be good enough for most people, but don’t expect this phone to last all day if you plan on using its ivdeo and audio capabilities extremely heavily.
Camera
With this being an LG flagship, the camera experience on this is going to be a pretty big deal. The V20 comes with a dual camera setup like what is also available with the LG G5, with a 16 MP main sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and OIS, that is coupled with an 8 MP wide angle secondary sensor with a f/2.4 aperture.
As was also my experience with the G5, I absolutely love the wide angle lens on the V20. Granted, the quality is not as good as the main sensor, but the wide angle lens is just a lot of fun to use, and works perfectly in a variety of situations, such as when taking group photos or capturing landscapes.
It makes a huge difference over the standard angle of the main sensor, and not only can you fit more into the frame, but the wide angle effect just makes the shot appear to be more dynamic. Making the switch between the two cameras is also very easy. You can do so by tapping on the two icons found at the top of the camera interface, or the device will automatically make the switch for you, as you zoom in or out.
LG’s camera app is packed with features, especially when it comes to manual controls for photos and video, and it’s actually quite amazing how much they’ve been able to pack into this camera. You have granular control over every aspect, including white balance, ISO, exposure, shutter speed, and focus, just as you would on a DSLR.
One of the most useful additions to the camera is that it now has built-in focus peaking which makes it a lot easier to tell if your subject is in focus, and if you are a content creator, you will know exactly how useful focus peaking can be.
There is a plethora of of settings that you can change on the video side of things as well. You can pick between a wide variety of video resolutions, including 4K, adjust the frame rate and bit rate, add film grade effects, and record Hi-Fi audio while recording videos for improved sound quality.
The control isn’t limited to just video, but also the audio capture while shooting video, all of which you can adjust live while recording. These include built-in controls for gain, a low cut filter, a limiter, a wind noise filter, and the ability to change the direction of the microphone’s sensitivity, and you can even monitor the audio levels directly through the viewfinder.
The camera does come with optical image stabilization, but it doesn’t work very well when it comes to video recording, with casual walking also causing a lot of jerks. Smoother looking footage is possible with LG’s “Steady Record” software stabilization, which does make a significant difference, but is far from perfect. You will see some warping or the “Jello” effect, especially around the corners, and is far more noticeable when using the wide angle lens.
Having all these manual controls at your fingertips is fantastic, but if you are purely looking to shoot in Auto mode, the picture quality is good, but unfortunately not great. There is plenty of color, saturation, and sharpness to be had, and you will be satisfied with the shot the majority of the time. Dynamic range isn’t the best though, and the camera always the tendency to overexpose the shot and blow out highlights. It also doesn’t handle bright colors like red, orange, and yellow all that well.
Low light shots will show some noise, which is not unexpected, and the camera isn’t too aggressive with noise reduction, which helps preserve some sharpness and detail. The camera’s white balance is heavily influenced from surrounding light sources though, especially when using the wide angle lens. Shots will appear too cold or too warm, and just like in most shots, it doesn’t do well with properly exposing highlights.
It is pretty obvious that the real strength of the LG V20 camera lies in its manual controls, and as is the case with any camera, whether it be a smartphone or a DSLR, you will always get a much better shot if you are willing to take the time and dial in the settings yourself.
The front-facing camera is a 5 MP unit with a wide angle lens, and unlike last year, LG opted to stick with just one camera up front this time around. Even though there is only one camera, you do still have the option to switch between a wide angle and a standard angle.
LG V20 Camera Samples:
However, because only one lens is actually being used, switching to the standard angle essentially involves the image just being cropped, which deteriorates the picture quality. For the best results, it is definitely better to just keep it on the wide angle setting at all times, and if you want that close up shot, you can always just crop the image yourself after the fact.
Software
On the software side of things, the LG V20 was the very first smartphone to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, which is something that Google generally reserves for their own devices. This is definitely a big selling point for the V20 right now, given the fact that there aren’t many phones running Android 7.0 at the moment, but that is hopefully going to be short lived.
The V20 comes with all the latest Android features that were included with the update, including built-in Multi-Window support, the revamped notifications, direct reply, customizable Quick Settings toggles, and Doze on the go, just to name a few. The only Nougat feature that appears to be missing is the System UI Tuner. It is a useful feature on other devices like the Nexus devices and the Google Pixel smartphones, and is a rather surprising omission.
On top of Android 7.0 Nougat is LG’s custom skin, and it looks and feels a lot like what was found on the G5. It is still really bright, colorful, and somewhat cartoonish, and the app drawer is missing by default, but now, LG has at least made it easy to get it back. There are built-in themes available that have been made specifically for the V20, which is useful if you aren’t a fan of the default color scheme. There aren’t a lot of choices right now though, but that is something that will hopefully change in the upcoming months.
The latest version of LG’s UI is a lot cleaner than previous iterations, and a lot less intrusive as well, but it would have been nice if LG had done more with it to make it flow better with Android 7.0 Nougat. Aside from the fact that we know that it is actually running the latest version of Android, the experience remains largely the same as before, similar to what was on the LG G5.
Specifications
| Display (main) | 5.7-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi) |
| Display (secondary) | IPS Quantum display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi) |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 64GB UFS, microSD |
| Rear cameras | 16MP, f 1.8, OIS, Hybrid Auto Focus, 75-degree angle; 8MP, f 2.4, 135-degree angle |
| Front camera | 5MP, f 1.9, wide angle |
| Battery | 3,200 mAh, user removable, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Connectivity | X12 LTE (up to 600 Mbps LTE Category 12 with 3x Carrier Aggregation) / Wi-Fi (802.11 a, b, g, n, ac) / USB Type-C / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC |
| Features | Hi-Fi Video Recording Steady Record 2.0 HD Audio Recorder Studio Mode High AOP Mic 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC B&O Collaboration Finger Print Scanner |
| Dimensions | 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm |
| Colors | Titan, Silver, Pink |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the LG V20! The V20 may share some similarities with the G5, like a metal build and a dual camera setup on the back, but the former does offer and feature a whole lot more. What makes the V20 so great is that it isn’t trying to do anything too different or crazy, but instead, focuses on being a good smartphone.
The device comes with a new metal design that is great to look at, and comes without compromise in terms of durability, a big beautiful display, a very feature rich camera, and a fantastic audio experience. LG managed to do all this while still retaining staples like expandable storage and a removable battery, with latter being something you can only count on an LG phone to have in the high-end segment.
With the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 out of the picture, the LG V20 will have the entire spotlight to itself as the best big screened productivity powerhouse, and if that is what you are looking for, the LG V20 is primed to fill that Note 7 shaped void.
Gate Labs Gate Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Gate Labs
Why bother with a bunch of pesky accessories when you can have a single device do all of the heavy lifting? That’s the idea behind Gate Labs’ Gate smart lock. As a Wi-Fi deadbolt with a built-in keypad, camera, motion detector, speaker, microphone and “call” button, Gate promises to do much more than your standard app-enabled lock.
Gate is in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign, and the product has already raised more than double its original $70,000 funding goal. The $179 “Super Early Bird” price tier is sold out, but folks worldwide can still preorder Gate for $214, with shipping slated for March 2017 (roughly £175 and AU$280 at the current exchange rate). Given Gate’s projected retail price of $300, that’s still a decent discount for backers.
35 connected cameras for a safer smart home…
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While we haven’t seen a product quite like Gate, it does remind me of a fellow Indiegogo project — the ill-fated Goji Smart Lock. We wrote about Goji back in 2013 when a connected lock was a pretty revolutionary idea, let alone one with an included camera. But roughly three years later, Goji’s backers are still waiting for their product. That means Gate has the chance to be the first DIY smart lock-doorbell-camera hybrid to make it to the mass market.
So, what exactly are Gate’s claims? Check out the rundown to the right, straight from the team’s crowdfunding page. Basically, Gate Labs took cues from today’s smart locks, smart doorbells and smart security cameras and designed a single product to perform all of those functions.
Gate Labs
I like that Gate relies on a rechargeable battery rather than AAs a la August’s Smart Lock, but I do question its battery life. August runs primarily on Bluetooth LE to conserve power, but it does give you the option to add in Wi-Fi connectivity via either a Connect module or August’s Wi-Fi Doorbell Cam so you can access the lock outside of Bluetooth range as needed. Gate claims its rechargeable battery should last for up to four months, but that could easily vary depending on usage.
And, like other smart locks available today, Gate also comes with a companion app for remotely accessing your lock, the camera’s live feed and the two-way talk intercom function.
How to install the HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock
You can install August’s second-gen Smart Lock in minutes flat. Here’s how.
by Megan Wollerton
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As far as integrations with other manufacturers’ products go, Gate Labs says the lock will work with Amazon Alexa, the online retailer’s digital, voice-controlled assistant, so you can control the lock hybrid with voice commands. Gate Labs also plans to add HomeKit, Nest and IFTTT integration in the future. All of that sounds nice, but it isn’t that simple. In particular,
HomeKit
products, which are powered with Apple’s digital assistant, Siri, require a built-in chip that necessitates second-gen hardware. Most likely, that means early Gate adopters won’t have that functionality unless they buy an updated version of the lock in the future, and there’s no guarantee that Gate will make a second-generation of the lock.
We’ll track the Gate’s progress and try to get our hands on one next year. Stay tuned.
More fabulous smart lock coverage
- Have a smart lock? Yeah, it can probably be hacked
- Goji Smart Lock: The lock that knows who knocks
- Next-gen August learns new tricks, locks out the competition
- Smart lock buying guide
- Unleash your front door’s potential with these 7 smart locks
Bose QuietControl 30 review – CNET
You’ve probably seen plenty of people wearing neckband-style wireless headphones, which LG pioneered with its top-selling Tone series. But think of Bose’s upcoming QuietControl 30, which ships this September, as the ultimate neckband-style Bluetooth headphone. With impressive sound and active noise reduction, it’s the wireless successor to the QuietComfort 20 and will list for the same price: $300 (£230 or AU$400 converted).
New Bose wireless headphones
- Bose intros 4 new wireless headphones you’re going to want (hands-on)
- Bose SoundSport Wireless (hands-on): The Bluetooth sports headphone you’ve been waiting for
- Bose QuietComfort 35 (hands-on): Finally, an active noise-canceling wireless headphone from Bose
Not only is the build quality really good but the headphone fits very comfortably, with an open design. By open I mean that you don’t jam the earbud into your ear. Thanks to Bose’s Stay-Hear+ eartips, which come in three sizes, the bud sits loosely in your ear yet remains securely in place.
The only downside to an open design is that ambient sound leaks in and normally a headphone like this wouldn’t be good for noisy environments. But that’s where the noise canceling comes in. Even though the design is open, ambient noise gets muffled, and what’s a little different from Bose’s previous active noise-canceling models is that you can manually adjust the level of noise cancellation by pressing a button on the integrated remote or moving your finger up and down a slider in Bose’s free Connect app for iOS and Android devices.
Battery life is rated at 10 hours, which is decent for this type of Bluetooth headphone, and protective carrying case is included. While Bose doesn’t advertise that the headphone is sweat-resistant, it is, and this headphone is suitable for gym use and maybe even running if you don’t mind the feel of a having something around your neck while running.
Bose QuietControl 30 (pictures)
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The QC30 is designed to be used as a wireless headset and it’s a really good one. It muffles ambient sounds like wind and crowd noise so callers can hear you better — and you can hear callers better. There’s also a side-tone feature that allows you to hear your own voice in the headphones as you speak so you don’t raise your voice while talking.
In my limited listening test at Bose’s launch event for the product, I couldn’t make a definitive judgment about its sound quality (we’ll have a full review when the product ships in September), but you can expect similar performance to that of the wired QC20, which sounds very good for an in-ear noise-canceling headphone.
This isn’t the only new wireless Bluetooth noise canceling headphone in Bose’s line up. There’s also the flagship QuietComfort 35, a full-size wireless model with best-in-class noise cancellation. Given the choice between the two, my personal inclination would be to wait for this one, but the QC35 certainly has its own appeal.
The included carrying case.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The bottom line: Our quick verdict on Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL
What happens when Google designs its own phones, as Apple does with the iPhone? You get some of the best handsets money can buy, that’s what. The 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL are well-built, with fast performance, excellent cameras and great screens (especially on the larger model). No product is perfect, though, and indeed, we’ve identified a few areas where Google can improve with the inevitable second generation. In particular, we were disappointed to see that these phones are less water resistant (and arguably less stylish) than other handsets you’d find in this price range.
Speaking of the sort, these things are expensive, with starting prices of $649 and $769, respectively. That’s on par with other flagships, but for the money, we don’t want to see too many “cons” in those review cards you see below. Thankfully, the pros here vastly outweigh the few shortcomings, and both Pixel phones both earn our strong recommendation.
Huawei MediaPad M3 review – CNET
The Good The Huawei MediaPad M3 has a stylish and sturdy aluminum design. The HD screen is sharp and the fingerprint sensor is fast. It has dual Harman-Kardon speakers that are crazy-loud.
The Bad Audio sounds tinny at maximum volume.
The Bottom Line The Huawei MediaPad M3 is the best small and stylish Android alternative to the Apple iPad Mini 4.
The Huawei MediaPad M3 is like a louder, more affordable Apple iPad Mini 4, that runs Android.
The stylish, aluminum-clad tablet bears a striking resemblance to the iPad Mini 4 in design, and its performance is just as powerful, however the Huawei tablet has better speakers and cheaper pricing — for both Wi-Fi only and LTE models. It will hit the US in December for $299. AU and UK pricing has yet to be announced.
Huawei MediaPad M3 is a sleek Android alternative…
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Sight and sound
- 8.4-inch screen
- 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution IPS screen
- 359 ppi
- Harman Kardon speakers
There’s a speaker on its left and right edge.
Josh Miller/CNET
Tablets are great for media consumption (aka watching hella amounts of Netflix), so it’s no surprise that the very literally named MediaPad M3 is one of the best binge-watch-friendly models around. Its got a satisfyingly sharp screen (so streaming HD content looks great) and houses Harman Kardon-tuned speakers on its top and bottom edges (or left and right, if holding horizontally).
The speakers are surprisingly loud, crisp and clear; dialogue in movies was always at the forefront and vocals in music sounded appropriately accentuated. Additionally, with the speakers on each end of the Huawei MediaPad M3, it makes for a more immersive listening experience (even though the iPad Mini 4 also has two speakers, they’re both located on the same side of the tablet). The downsides to the Huawei tablet’s speakers are the same ones that plague all tablets: audio is tinny at maximum volume and seriously, where’s the bass?
Supremely sleek
Let’s be real: all tablets kind of look the same and how one feels in your hands can many times be the deciding factor. (I mean, it’s meant to be a handheld device after all.)
Dimensions compared
| 0.7 pound (318 grams) | 0.65-pound (298.8g) | .58-pound (265g) |
| 8.5-inches (215.mm) | 8-inches (203.2mm) | 7.8-inches (198.6mm) |
| 4.9-inches (124.2mm) | 5.3-inches (134.8mm) | 5.3-inches (134.8mm) |
| .29-inch (7.3mm) | .24-inch (6.1mm) | .22-inch (5.6mm) |
Small and sleek.
Josh Miller/CNET
The Huawei tablet’s sleek, aluminum design manages to feel solid and lightweight at the same time. With respect to the Google Pixel C, it’s one of the most posh Android models available. In comparison to the iPad Mini 4, the difference in dimensions are slight. In my opinion, both successfully balance the sleek and solid sweet spot that all tablets should aspire to.
Smooth operator
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- Huawei HiSilicon Kirin octa-core processor
- 32GB, 64GB internal storage
- 4GB RAM
- Nano-SIM card slot
- MicroSD card slot, with up to 128GB card support
The Huawei MediaPad M3 isn’t all beauty and no brains; its performance is as graceful as its design (yes, I equate brains with performance when it comes to tablets). The tablet outperformed the iPad Mini 4 and Samsung Galaxy S2 8.0 in 3DMark, making it one of the fastest Android tablets for gaming.
The bottom line: Our quick verdict on the ASUS ZenBook 3
ASUS’s latest ultraportable the ZenBook 3 is often compared to Apple’s 12-inch MacBook. And can you blame people? The laptop is even thinner and lighter than Apple’s two-pound wonder, but just as fast and with longer battery life. And it comes with a mini dock in the box, adding precisely the sort of ports you’d be missing on the MacBook (and would only have access to if you paid extra for an adapter). On paper, then, it’s precisely the computer Windows-using travelers have been looking for.
Depending on your needs, that may still be the case, but in practice we found the ZenBook 3 isn’t everything we hoped it would be. In particular, we found the keyboard and trackpad uncomfortable to use, and we had some concerns about the build quality too. It’s possible you’ll disagree with us there, but you owe it to yourself to get some hands-on time with the machine at a local store before buying, if at all possible.
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