Pioneer VSX-831 review – CNET
The Good The Pioneer VSX-831 offers an excellent array of features for the price, including six HDMI ports, multiroom audio with Google Cast, and a phono input. The interface is thoroughly modern and easy to use. Sound quality is everything you’d want at the price.
The Bad Some of the promised streaming features are yet to be released. The receiver is not as accomplished for music playback as it is for home theater.
The Bottom Line The Pioneer VSX-831’s plethora of features, excellent ease-of-use and fine sound quality make it one of the better AV receivers for the money.
It’s been a period of adjustment for the Pioneer brand. Two years ago, Pioneer Japan announced it was selling its AV division to competitor Onkyo. This resulted in a number of changes, including the loss of speaker designer Andrew Jones to ELAC America.
The 2016 line of gear is the first that’s been fully assimilated into Onkyo, but the VSX-831 is still recognizably a Pioneer receiver. This “Ponkyo” offers audio features that the Onkyos at the same price don’t, including an upgraded digital converter (DAC) and internet streaming features.
Although its sound quality is very goo overall, like Pioneers of the past, the VSX-831 is voiced more towards movie playback than music. That’s not a bad thing, as it’s certainly capable of exciting home theater bombast, but if you are looking for a receiver with melodic chops then you may find that Sony’s STR-DN1070 (yes, Sony!) or Marantz’s NR1506 might suit you better.
On the other hand, both cost more than this well-priced Pioneer. The VSX-831 is available now for a list price of $449.99, £449.99 in the UK and AU$999 in Australia.
Design
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The Pioneer VSX-831 offers a familiar fascia design with two main knobs — one for each source selection and volume — and a bunch of feature buttons between. Unlike Onkyo receivers and even some older Pioneers, there are no direct input buttons, sadly. Gone are the days of orange LEDs for Pioneer receiver displays. Like all its modern brethren, the VSX 831 features a pale blue LED.
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The remote is stripped down to the essentials and is very usable as a result. You could almost say it’s “good looking” for a receiver remote, but that’s about the lowest possible bar.
Speaking of low bars, the onscreen display of a receiver is not usually something to crow about, but the VSX-831 offers a full-color interface which is actually kinda fun to navigate. For us, at least.
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Features
The Pioneer VSX-831 is a 5.2 channel receiver that boasts 80 watts of power and a wealth of inputs for the money. Most impressive is the provision of six HDMI inputs, three of which offer 4K (60P) and HDCP 2.2 support.
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As you’d expect now that Pioneer is now part of Onkyo, there are some technological similarities between the two brands’ receivers. One is the FireConnect multiroom system, based on BlackFire as used in Harman Kardon products. FireConnect is a multiroom platform that offers playback across both Pioneer and Onkyo products and includes services such as TuneIn, Deezer and Tidal. The feature will be coming in a future update.
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If multiroom and cross-brand compatibility are your thing, the receiver also offers Google Cast, which will work with other brands including Sony, LG and Raumfeld, as well as Google Chromecast devices. It’s essentially Google’s answer to Apple AirPlay, but it works with both iOS and Android devices (and if you do want AirPlay, the Pioneer has that, too). If all else fails, at least you have Bluetooth. If you collect hi-res files, the AK4458 DAC is capable of reading up to 11.2MHz DSD files natively.
Blu Studio Touch review: yet another unlocked $100 phone worth a look
When it comes to the topic of reviewing a phone that carries a retail price of roughly $100, it’s easy to view them in a favorable light. How can something that doesn’t cost all that much ultimately disappoint? Surely, it’s worth the price tag, right?
As it turns out, there are instances where you can quickly identify where a phone cuts corners. Be it in the build materials, or camera quality, or half-baked interface, there are times where we’d be totally happy spending a bit more in order to get something a little better. And, as the price of unlocked phones continues to bottom out and get more competitive in the sub-$200 space, we find some brands doing better here than others.
Miami-based smartphone maker Blu gets it. As a company who consistently releases lower-cost alternatives to bigger brands, its phones are typically a great value proposition. In other words, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on its products; you often walk away with a device that justifies its cost.
The latest from Blu is its Studio Touch, a $100 unlocked smartphone that works with GSM networks such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, and MetroPCS. On paper, its hardware specifications read like a mid-range phone from 2014. But, there’s just enough here to help it stand out from those older devices.
Software
For starters, the Studio Touch runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the latest official release from Google. Yes, there’s the 7.0 Nougat stuff breathing down our neck, but it’s going to be some time before we start seeing a plethora of models rolling out with that version.
Having such a modern build of Android is a pretty big deal, particularly in the area of security. By running 6.0, the Studio Touch comes with protection against those pesky mobile threats that plague outdated phones.
Another key benefit of having Android 6.0 comes in the user interface, customization, and optimization. By that we mean stuff like Project Volta, Android Doze, and, of course, Material Design. You likely won’t find those details in that 2014 handset with similar hardware.
As it typically does, Blu has opted for a stripped down approach to Android. You’ll find very little installed on the phone that isn’t from Google. And, because it is carrier-agnostic, you won’t be looking at pre-installed apps from wireless providers or third party developers.
This is not to suggest that the phone is completely void of any additional software, though, as there are a couple of titles present. Among them are Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Apps & Games, McAfee Security, Truecaller, and Opera.
As for the Google apps, the Studio Touch comes with the usual suspects in Gmail, Chrome, Drive, Maps, Hangouts, Messenger, and Play Store, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, and YouTube. The phone is also loaded with utilitarian apps for FM Radio, SIM toolkit, videos, email, file managing, music, and a few others. There’s a little something for everyone here with a bit of overlap, but nothing aggravating to the end user.
Design
There’s nothing about the Studio Touch that jumps out at you, but we didn’t expect that going in, either. The “black” version we reviewed offered up a black face but more of a slate grey back panel.
The front side of the phone finds a 5-megapixel camera sitting just off from the top speaker, while below the screen is a fingerprint reader. Yes, you read that right. There’s a fingerprint button which can be used to secure your login and apps. It also doubles as a home button when physically pressed.
On the right side is where the power and volume buttons are located. The power button features a textured design but it’s not all that noticeable to touch. It’s the first one up the side of the phone, but, otherwise, you won’t feel the ridges when blindly looking for the button.
Around back is the 8-megapixel rear camera which is horizontally centered and just down from the top. Down near the bottom is the speaker where you’ll get your music. It’s worth noting that there is Blu branding on both the front and back of the phone but neither is gaudy or awkwardly placed.
The Studio Touch features an internal, non-removable battery; however, the back panel does pull off so that you can insert one of two microSIM cards and/or a microSD card. We found it rather strange to remove the case as it almost looks like you’re pulling the display out instead of a metal case off the back.
Props to Blu here as the aluminum metal casing gives the phone a more premium feel than one might need for this price point. It would be easy to forgo the metal material in favor of the polycarbonate stuff you find in lesser expensive phones. Cheaper doesn’t have to be mean cheaply made and Blu got that right.
The battery cover wraps around the side and comes up to the screen. Save for the very tiny little notch in the top right you would be forgiven not knowing how to remove it. A weird design choice, yes, but fortunately one you don’t have to deal with often.
Display
At 5.0-inches, we really like the pocketability and one-hand experience of the Studio Touch. We have internal debates about whether we need more or less, but it always comes down to personal choice. If your hand isn’t all that big, and you want to be able to reach the edges of your phone with one hand, this one should feel good to you.
As for the resolution, the Studio Touch gives up a 720 x 1280 pixel picture, or technically HD. Were the screen any larger we might have had a beef with this, but it’s perfectly acceptable here. For one, it helps to keep price down. Also, it doesn’t impact the battery as much as something with more pixels.
Reading text, browsing the web, and playing games was as to be expected, and we didn’t run into instances where we felt like it was lacking. Throw the phone into a Google Cardboard, though, and it becomes obvious why we tend to like 1080p and 2k resolution in our devices.
Color was accurate and balanced, but we might have liked for a brighter picture in spots. We found that we had to keep the display brightness dialed up near full more often than in other phones. Other than that, the viewing angles were great and the picture was generally quite satisfactory.
Camera
We found the camera experience to be a fairly good one, just so long as you have proper lighting. Unfortunately, low-light indoor shots proved to be a problem for the Studio Touch.
Moreover, there were cases when we found the picture to have a slight haze and/or white glow to them. Outright dark environments and situations with less than perfectly still pictures gave us trouble.
Generally speaking, we were happy to use the camera. There were very few instances where we thought, “this doesn’t work for us”. And, to be fair, even a $200 or $500 phone might have issues in some of those conditions. But, we did end up with daytime photos that could have benefited from more sharp lines and distinct edges. All things considered, for a phone that borders on the edge of $100 it is almost exactly what we would have expected.
Flickr Gallery Samples
If you are looking for a phone that has a kick-ass camera, you’ve probably already got your eye on something else, something specific. If you are in the market for a phone with a camera decent enough to snap silly or keepsake moments to share on social media, the Studio Touch more than fits the bill.
At 8-megapixels, it delivers large photos that can be cropped and retouched; imperfections can also be overcome in select instances. It may take some learning in what you can and can’t get from the Studio Touch’s camera. Don’t be in a hurry out of the gate to get rolling as you could run into a series of less-than-desirable pics.
Performance
Keeping in mind what hardware specs are, the Studio Touch delivers a decent experience. Given we spend so much time with flagship phones and cutting edge tech, we noticed how the phone struggles in areas. The quad-core processor and 1GB RAM are certainly low on the totem pole today. It’s definitely not going to run today’s best games, one of which being Pokemon Go. Indeed, the augmented reality game is built with phones of 2GB RAM in mind.
Suffice it to say, we were leery about first person shooters and driving games. Throwing on a couple of other casual games, though, weren’t a challenge for the Studio Touch. Get into social media, basic photo editing, and music and podcasts, though, and this one works as well as a phone twice its price.
We enjoyed having the fingerprint reader for security and Play Store authentication. This, and the other buttons, responded well to pressing, and gave a tactile feedback. There was no questioning whether something was pressed.
For whatever reason, Blu opted for software buttons on the screen above the fingerprint reader. There’s wasted space on both sides of the reader. While we commend Blu for integrating the added security measure, we would have loved for Blu to fully commit to hardware buttons or software keys. As it turns out, it’s more like one and a half ways of navigating.
Listening to music and speakerphone calls reminds us why we like Bluetooth speakers and headphones. After a few minutes of a playlist, we were reaching to dial down the audio. Not for being so loud or overpowering, but because it “sounded like a phone”. In other words, the range could be much better, the bass heavier, and the max volume louder.
We didn’t think we’d get anything better out of the experience, but we did ponder whether it might be worth stepping into a different phone. Our usage doesn’t call for much music via the phone’s single rear speaker, but yours might. If you play a lot of YouTube videos or expect to watch movies on it, you’ll want to toss in some headphones.
Battery, which is an internal 2500mAh power source, lasts more than a day of average use. We get the sense that we’re getting such decent life because of our conscious efforts. There aren’t any heavy hitting games that we’re playing over and over. It doesn’t hurt to have Android 6.0’s optimizations at play, either. You won’t find any Quick Charge capability here as that’s relegated to select Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Expect to put in a couple of hours to safely go from empty to full.
Conclusion
Consumers who want a phone that’s going to keep pace with top games will need to look elsewhere. It’s already not able to handle the demands of some current titles; next year’s crop are all but guaranteed to be too much for the phone. On the other hand, buyers looking for a device that keeps them connected to work and social media will be happy with the Studio Touch.
This isn’t the sort of phone that you buy to keep a teen happy, but it’s plenty for parents who don’t find themselves with a face in the screen all day. With support for two SIM cards, it’s also a good solution for people who want a home and work line in one device.
It’s getting more difficult for companies to stand out in the sub-$200 phone space. Blu, who has long positioned themselves as a less expensive hardware maker has delivered a “typical” $100 phone. It’s not outstanding, but it’s certainly not lacking. Are there corners cut? Sure. But they’re not huge cuts and there’s no place where the phone feels lopsided.
You have to set an expectation of what you should get for this sort of money. Blu didn’t set out to release a flagship phone in the Studio Touch. As such, you shouldn’t set out to do the same things your friend is doing with their high end Samsung.
As we were readying our review of the Studio Touch we learned that Blu is releasing an alternate version in September. For only $10 more, customers can double down on memory and storage, getting 2GB and 16GB, respectively. We can’t say without testing it, but that theoretically opens up the door to more games and multi-tasking.
Will it get the next major version of Android? It’s hard to say. But, ask yourself when, if ever, your $400 or $600 phone will get it, too. One of the best things about Blu is that its phones are inexpensive enough to replace when the time comes for a new, key Android release.
We’ve yet to run into a Blu phone that we couldn’t recommend for the money and certainly aren’t ready to do that with this one. If you’re in the market for an unlocked phone to pair with AT&T, T-Mobile, or any of their respective MVNO’s, the Studio Touch is one to consider. This goes double when you have to work with a smaller budget.
Dyson 360 Eye review – CNET
The Good Dyson’s 360 Eye robot vacuum systematically maps out floors, has a simple companion app for remote access, and is powerful enough to collect a lot of unwanted dirt and grime.
The Bad It costs $999/£800 and didn’t perform as well as the similarly app-enabled $700 Neato Botvac Connected or the $900 iRobot Roomba 980.
The Bottom Line The 360 Eye by Dyson is a very good robot vacuum, but competitors offer similar features and better performance for less.
The Dyson 360 Eye is a solidly recommendable robot vacuum
. Of the dozen-plus autonomous floor cleaners we’ve tested to date, it (mostly) holds its own alongside the best of the best. There’s just one not-so-tiny problem — price.
Like Dyson’s other small appliances, its first foray into the robot cleaner category is expensive…$1,000 or £800 expensive. It’s not available in Australia yet, but that price converts to about AU$1,4000. So since Neato’s $700 Botvac Connected and iRobot’s $900 Roomba 980 cost less and perform slightly better, the 360 Eye loses some of its initial appeal.
Get it, by all means. You’ll have a compact cleaning powerhouse full of sensors with a 360-degree standard-definition camera that smartly navigates a room. You’ll also have an app that lets you access your Wi-Fi-outfitted vacuum from anywhere. Just be sure to look at the competition before you buy, because other brands offer more impressive bots for less.
Getting to know Dyson’s first robot vacuum
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Reaching new heights
The first thing I noticed when I saw Dyson’s 360 Eye was that it was ridiculously tall. Shaped more like a dense 3-layer cake than its wider-flatter counterparts from iRobot and Neato, I assumed it would never clear coffee tables, chairs and other low-profile furniture.
I was wrong.
Yes, the 4.72-inch-high 360 Eye is 1.12 inches taller than the Roomba 980 and 0.82 inches taller than the Neato Botvac Connected — its two main competitors in the Wi-Fi-enabled robo-vac market. And that will certainly stop Dyson’s vacuum short in some cases. But for the most part, I had no issues with it clearing the same furniture as the other bots.
It also has that classic Dyson aesthetic going on, even though this is the brand’s first robot vacuum. Since I tend to like Dyson products from a pure design-appreciation standpoint, I like the 360 Eye’s looks, too. Specifically, it’s swathed in a glossy gray finish with bright blue accents. It even has a mini cyclone packed inside, a (revamped) legacy from its line of upright and stick vacs.
I doubly enjoyed the compact and foldable charging dock that comes with this bot, although I occasionally had to wiggle the vacuum around for its contact sensors to correctly line up with the dock so it would charge.
Check out the chart below to compare the 360 Eye’s specs against the Roomba 980 and the Neato Botvac Connected:
Comparing Wi-Fi robot vacuums
| Dyson 360 Eye | iRobot Roomba 980 | Neato Botvac Connected |
| $999 | $900 | $700 |
| 5.4 pounds | 8.7 pounds | 9 pounds |
| 9 x 4.72 x 9.5 inches (width, height, length) | 13.8 x 3.6 inches (diameter, height) | 13.2 x 3.9 x 12.7 inches (width, height, length) |
| Gray/Blue | Brown/Black/Gray | Black |
| 0.33 liters | 0.6 liters | 0.7 liters |
| Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone |
| 45 minutes | 2 hours | 2 hours in Eco mode and 90 minutes in Turbo mode |
| 2 hours 30 minutes | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| lithium-ion | lithium-ion | lithium-ion |
Navigating the robot vacuum world
Here’s what Dyson’s 360-degree camera sees.
Dyson
In addition to its digital V2 motor that Dyson says “spins at up to 78,000 revolutions per minute,” the way a robot vacuum sees rooms has a huge impact on its ability to clean.
The 360 Eye relies on infrared sensors and a 360-degree standard-definition camera that sits on the top of the vacuum to interpret its surroundings.
Dyson’s bot is very systematic about its movements, as it travels out from the dock in concentric squares throughout your entire house.
While it doesn’t follow the same parallel path as Neato and Roomba vacuums (iRobot’s older models followed a more random pattern, but the Roomba 980 is much more methodical), the 360 Eye still maps out a path that gives it a good chance of covering as much of the floor as possible.
Long-exposure shots of how Dyson’s 360 Eye (left), iRobot’s Roomba 980 (center), and Neato’s Botvac Connected (right) steer around a space.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
It doesn’t actually store and remember routes, though, since furniture and other obstacles can move between runs. Instead, it adapts to the environment on the fly.
Its 45-minute run time is a bit of bummer since competitors claim to run for roughly 2 hours before needing a charge, but it will dutifully return to its base station to charge and continue to clean the remaining rooms when it’s ready. It’s also on the loud side, so don’t expect to have a conversation in the same room where this thing is running.
Moto Mods Review: Blast, Power and Project in a snap
Modularity is the name of the game in 2016 and following on from LG’s attempt with the LG G5 and Friends, Lenovo-backed Motorola announced the Moto Z range and Moto Mods. Yet modularity comes in many forms and sizes so what do the Moto Mods offers and is this how modularity should be done?
- Moto Z and Z Force Droid Edition Review
- Deal: Best Buy lopping $200 off the Moto Z and tossing in an $80 Moto Mod free
- These are the first Moto Mods for the new Moto Z range
- Just add Mods: Moto Z/Z Force Droid Edition unboxing and first setup
We’ve spent time with the Moto Mods – well, the ones that are available right now, anyway – and have come to a rather simple conclusion: the mod system is fresh, well executed, and fun; however, they do come at quite a price. See why in our full review of the Moto Mods made for the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force.
Buy Moto Z and Moto Mods now!
JBL SoundBoost Speaker
We start off with the SoundBoost speaker, made by JBL. As is the case with all Moto Mods, there are magnets on the top and bottom of the device and all of the connectors let it interface with the Moto Z line. A large cut out for the camera optics keep the shooter from getting obstructed – and don’t worry, it doesn’t put a vignette on when using the Moto Camera.
The rest of the outer part of the unit is the speaker, sporting some large areas that are divided by a red kickstand – there are more reasons why the kickstand is a brilliant idea for the speaker but the simple fact that the device is propped up for easy viewing already makes it a very useful tool.
The inner portion of the speaker that attaches to the phones has a few more bits and pieces. An arrow design is found throughout, there are the already aforementioned magnets and connectors, and finally there are a couple of bits pertaining to the unit’s battery.
The SoundBoost speaker comes with a 1000mAh battery that can be charged through the USB-C port, while checking the battery level is as simple as hitting a button to see a green or red light. 1000mAh doesn’t sound like too much, but Moto claims that the speaker can go for up to 10 hours. In our testing, we found the SoundBoost to actually go for a very long time. 10 hours is a long duration to test a speaker, but we’re certain that it can go the distance especially if kept below full volume. After a good three hours of playing the speaker in this state, we were only down to 78%.
Which brings us to how it sounds – it should come as no surprise that this makes the sound experience on the Moto Z incredibly different. The front facing speaker on the Moto phones is decent, though it lacks a lot of richness and bass. But slap on the JBL and it all changes – there’s a great deal of volume coming from this small unit, and the kickstand points the drivers downward so that the bounce back of the audio really adds some body.
Comparisons to standalone Bluetooth speakers are inevitable, and the answer isn’t all that surprising – you’ll get a better overall soundstage from a larger unit, even ones that are around the same price of $79.99. But it’s hard not to like having such a convenient way of upping the Moto Z sound game. Especially considering its battery life, the JBL SoundBoost speaker can be one of the most sought after add-ons to the Moto Z line.
Inicipio OffGrid Power Pack
But not as much as simply having more power – and that’s where the Inicipio OffGrid Power Pack comes in handy. Simply put, this is probably the mod that Moto Z users will be clamoring for, if not for the better battery life overall, but for the wireless charging that it adds to the whole package.
The Power Pack will come in a variety of looks, thanks to Incipio, but ours was a bright white unit with a matte finish, helping to add to the phone’s grip aside from just adding a sheer amount of weight. The inner portion of the pack has a battery level check button just above the connector pins, but no USB-C port for charging.
And that’s because the Power Pack has wireless charging built-in. Not only is it the only way to charge the pack, it is also a feature then added onto the phone. Thanks to the Power Pack, one of the few features missing from the Moto Z can be added on. It would have been nice to have a USB-C fast charging port here, in case waiting around for a wireless charging pad just don’t do. But when the phone is sitting on a wireless pad most of the day, that isn’t too much of an issue.
The Power Pack works in a couple different ways – it can straight charge the phone or work in an efficiency mode that will only work to keep the phone at 80%. I used the mod as backup power when the Moto Z Force got down to single digits, and it allowed me to get back up to almost 60 percent when left alone. Under moderate to moderately heavy usage, I was able to get up to another 90 minutes of screen on time.
Related: Best wireless chargers – how they work and perform17
Incipio Power Packs will come in a number of different styles and will range in price from $59.99 to $89.99. Though we would like to say that the higher price means higher capacities, that hasn’t been confirmed yet. But this version is the $60 edition, which makes it fairly affordable for backup power and the addition of wireless charging.
Moto Insta-Share Projector
Finally, there is the Insta-Share Projector. Anyone familiar with Lenovo’s Yoga tablets might see shades of it. The projector, when slapped onto the Moto Z, emits its image out of the side and has a stiff folding stand that can angle the image to any surface. One button is found to the side of the optics, which has to be held to turn it on. The back portion has a matted finish to it, but the grills are there to allow for airflow – there are indeed fans inside to prevent overheating and it isn’t hard to hear when the unit is running.
The inner portion of the projector has the battery level button and indicator, as well as the USB-C port used to charge the 1100mAh battery. Considering the 50 lumen projection power that it outputs, an hour of battery life is understandable. It isn’t particularly ideal for long viewing sessions of even two or three Netflix episodes, but for presentations and business applications it provides just enough use.
Working the projector is as simple as slapping it onto the back of the Moto Z and holding the power button. The entire screen will then be outputted through the projector, but there are a few extra settings that can be tinkered with. Keystoning, thankfully, is done automatically so even if the projector is at a certain angle, it will be fixed to make the image easier to view. The other settings are for focus, which can be changed via a wheel on the other side of the lens, overall brightness, and finally to keep notifications only showing up on the phone’s screen and not on the projected screen. To access this menu requires just a single press of the power button.
The image that is projected can be up to 70 inches in size but is only 480p resolution. That’s 854×480, which is actually somewhat common for cheaper Pico projectors, but there are plenty of standalone units that have hit the 720p mark and beyond. And though Pico projectors are often lacking in color output, it’s very apparent when the AMOLED screen of the Moto Z is plainly in view and compared to the washed out projection.
That said, having a projector so easily accessible and effective (for particular applications) on a phone is an experience that only the Moto Z can provide – but it does come at a very high price. The Insta-Share Projector is a whopping $300, making it the most expensive of the currently available Moto Mods. That’s an incredible amount of money to put down for a peripheral that only lasts an hour and outputs the bare minimum image resolution and quality. Other Pico projectors are available for around the same price that last longer and output at least 720p resolution.
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Conclusion
There you have it – the Moto Mods. It’s great to see that the Moto Z’s new idea is actually executed very well. Though the most unique of them is also the most expensive, it’s hard not to enjoy the fact that big sound and extra battery life are available with simple snap to the back of the phone.
That brings to light one issue – these mods are only compatible with the Moto Z line, which limits their usage. Though the mods are done very well, they are not particularly required to define the Moto Z and Moto Z Force experience, and it may be easier (and more cost-effective) to get wireless or Bluetooth solutions that can be used with any device. Here’s to hoping, then, that the Moto Mods are not forever relegated to just the Moto Z – but until then, we have a good example of a step forward in smartphone technology.
- Moto Z and Z Force Droid Edition Review
- Deal: Best Buy lopping $200 off the Moto Z and tossing in an $80 Moto Mod free
- These are the first Moto Mods for the new Moto Z range
- Just add Mods: Moto Z/Z Force Droid Edition unboxing and first setup
What do you think of the Moto Mods and Motorola’s implementation of modularity? Do you plan to buy any of them for your Moto Z or Moto Z Force? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Buy Moto Z and Moto Mods now!
Xiaomi Redmi Pro Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Aloysius Low/CNET
Xiaomi is saying “yes” to dual cameras. The Chinese phonemaker’s Redmi Pro uses two camera lenses on its back to take shots with Bokeh effect, that artful look that leaves some of the image in focus and beautifully blurs the rest. It’s a feature seen in Huawei’s P9, and also in 2014’s HTC One M8.
What’s interesting here is that the lenses aren’t the same. You have a 13-megapixel Sony sensor and a 5-megapixel Samsung sensor. The Redmi Pro combines image data from both cameras to let users adjust the depth of field they get, so they have a chance to play around with the amount of blur. The effect works best when shooting portraits and closeups, setups where you want the focus on what’s in front of you.
Xiaomi did not say if the dual-camera setup had other features, such as telephoto zoom or better lowlight shots, which we’ve seen on camera modules from Israeli startup Corephotonics.
True to its name, the Pro steps up the hardware specs compared with the other Redmi phones. It has a metal body, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage and MediaTek’s Helio X25 ten-core processor. There’s 4G LTE support for two SIM cards, but you could also use one SIM card and insert a micro-SIM card. There’s a fingerprint sensor too, located below the 5.5-inch full-HD OLED display.
A basic version of the Pro will sport 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage and will use the Helio X20 processor instead.
The phone is set to launch in August 6 and will retail from a ridiculously low price of 1,499 yuan (this converts to around $225, £170 and AU$300), while the highest end version goes for 1,999 yuan (about $300, £230 or AU$400). Interestingly, it will also be sold offline at retail stores as well as Xiaomi’s normal online model. While it’s only China for now, expect to see the company launch the phone in markets like India, Hong Kong and Singapore shortly after. Check back soon for our full hands-on with the Redmi Pro.
Key specs
- 5.5-inch full-HD display
- 10-core Helio X25 processor
- 8GB RAM, 128GB onboard storage
- 4,050 mAh battery
- Silver or gold colors
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Xiaomi
While China’s Xiaomi is best known for its budget-friendly phones, the company has recently branched out into all sorts of other tech products. From action cameras to smart weighing scales to water purifiers, the $60 billion startup has been building a diverse ecosystem around its core business.
Xiaomi’s latest product, the Mi Notebook Air, isn’t quite as novel as a hoverboard or the company’s latest drone, but it does have one thing most other ultraportable laptops lack — a discrete graphics card (discrete graphics cards are typically faster than their embedded brethren). A Nvidia GeForce 940MX, to be exact.
Other specs include a 256GB solid state drive and 8GB of RAM, and if you need more space there’s an additional SATA slot available to boost storage by up to 256GB.
Unveiled at a press event here in Beijing alongside the dual-camera wielding Redmi Pro phone, the 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air was designed to fill a niche, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun said. Similar ultraportables, such as the Razer Blade Stealth, lack discrete graphics and rely on Intel’s integrated graphics to do the legwork, which means their gaming capabilities are limited. Xiaomi says you can play games like Dota 2 at 85 frames-per-second at full-HD resolution on its Notebook Air.
Clad in aluminium, the device lacks any exterior logos. It’s a very clean look. Only when you open up the laptop do you find a Mi logo. While Xiaomi is selling the Mi Notebook Air under its own branding, the laptop is actually made by a partner called Tian Mi.
Xiaomi’s making an interesting bet in the laptop segment, though. IDC Research analyst Bryan Ma isn’t too optimistic about the Chinese notebook market, saying that IDC “expects China’s consumer notebook market to contract by 10.4 percent this year versus the -7.7 percent in the US and -9.3 percent worldwide.”
Key specs
- Intel Core i5-6200U, up to 2.7GHz
- 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- 13.3-inch, full-HD (1,920×1,080-pixels)
- 309 by 210.9 by 14.8 mm; 1.28 kg (2.82 pounds)
- Type-C USB for charging, 2x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI, 3.5mm audio port
- 40Wh battery, 9.5 hours
Xiaomi also announced a 12.5-inch version of the Mi Notebook Air that is slightly thinner and lighter at 12.9 mm and 1.07 kg (2.36 pounds). The 12.5-inch will lack discrete graphics, have only a 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM and use an Intel Core-M processor. That downgrading of specs comes with an upside, however — a battery life of 11.5 hours, 2 hours longer than the 13.3-inch model.
If you’re lusting for either one of these laptops, the bad news is that Xiaomi will only officially sell the Mi Notebook Air in China. They go on sale on August 2 and will retail for 4,999 yuan (this converts to about $750, £570 and AU$1,000) and 3,499 yuan (or about $525, £400 and AU$725) respectively. Check back later for our hands-on impressions after the press event ends.
Electrolux EI24ID30QS review – CNET
The Good The $900 Electrolux EI24ID30QS reliably rids dishes of stuck-on foods. For the price, it has an appealing mix of features such as easy to use wine racks and jets that shoot directly into a water bottle or wine glass.
The Bad The EI24ID30QS isn’t as reliable when it comes to keeping off bulky foods — the filter struggled with chopped spinach and mac-and-cheese noodles. The controls can be sluggish and it doesn’t have a countdown timer or a delicate cycle.
The Bottom Line It’s not the best at anything, but the $900 Electrolux EI24ID30QS is pretty good at everything. It won’t wow you, but If you scrape the bulky stuff off of your plates, this dishwasher will easily handle the rest, making it a fine upper midrange option.
The Electrolux EI24ID30QS feels like a piece we’ve been missing from our collection of dishwashers thus far. It fits in the middle perfectly. Nothing about it is exceptional, but it’s pretty good at just about everything you’d want in a dishwasher. It has an upper mid-range $900 price. It cleans well, has a nice lineup of features, looks the part of a high-end dishwasher, and it’s easy to load and to use.
For roughly the same price, the $800 Bosch SHS63VL5UC has better cleaning performance but it’s also a pain in the butt to use and doesn’t have many features to speak of. The Electrolux EI24ID30QS does everything besides cleaning much better than that Bosch, and is a pretty good cleaner itself.
If you want the best dish cleaner for the price and don’t care about the occasional headache, go with the Bosch SHS63VL5UC. If you rinse your dishes, I’d recommend the easier to use Electrolux EI24ID30QS.
Electrolux’s average Joe dishwasher delivers…
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Blending in nicely
With unbroken stainless steel on the front and few color accents breaking up the mostly grey interior, the design of the EI24ID30QS walks a fine line between understated and boring. In a crowd of premium appliances, you’d have a hard time picking it out, but taken on its own, it looks the part of an upper echelon machine.
You can purchase the EI24ID30QS from large appliance retailers such as Best Buy, Sears and AJ Madison. As usual with large appliances, you’ll find it on sale for less than the listed $900 price. Best Buy has it for $720. You can also enter your ZIP into the Electrolux website and find retailers near you. The Electrolux EI24ID30QS isn’t available overseas.
Loading your dishes
You can clip a water bottle to these fold out jets on the upper rack.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Blue accessories adorn the mostly gray interior in a few places. The bottle wash jets on the upper rack fold out and let you clip on tall items. It’s a neat way of scraping the dirt off the hard to reach bottom of baby bottles or water bottles. The $1,200 GE PDT750SSFSS has something similar, but it’s a clever feature nonetheless and I appreciate its inclusion in a sub-$1,000 model.
The upper rack also has blue braces on its stem holders which do a great job of keeping your wine glasses in place without taking up too much room. We saw similar stem holders on the $1,100 Frigidaire FPID2497RF, which makes sense, as Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux. Great stem holders might not seem like a huge deal, but Electrolux does them better than any other brand we’ve tested.
The stem holders keep your fragile glasses secure without taking up extra room.
Chris Monroe/CNET
You can also raise and lower the upper rack. Lift it to set it in its higher position, then lift it again and release it to drop it back down. That flexibility helps you put tall dishes on either the top or bottom rack, and a couple of sets of fold down tines also help make room for larger or oddly shaped dishes. In all, the front half of two upper rack columns fold down, and the back two rows of tines on the bottom fold down.
The rest of the rack design is pretty straightforward. The EI24ID30QS doesn’t have anything tremendously helpful like a third rack or tines that change angles, but you’ll be able to load plenty of dishes without much hassle.
Selecting your cycle
The last blue color accent on the interior comes from the orbiting wheel of jets at the bottom of the tub. Between the wheel of jets, the jets beneath the upper rack, and another set of jets at the top of the tub, the Electrolux EI24ID30QS does a good job of spraying every inch of your dishes once you get your stack of dishes loaded into it.
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The wheel of jets at the bottom of the tub helps the EI24ID30QS keep missed spots to a minimum.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Select your cycle on the touch controls hidden on the upper lip. The EI24ID30QS has a standard mix of settings, including a snappy 30-minute “Fast” cycle and helpful options such as “hi temp” and “max dry.”
I’d have liked some sort of display estimating the time to completion as you select your cycle. You’ll need to hang on to the instruction manual for that info. It doesn’t have a delicate setting for fine china, which might be a problem for some. And the controls can be a little sluggish when you first start pressing buttons.
Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless review – CNET
The Good The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless is very comfortable, relatively lightweight over-ear wireless headphone that sounds very good and features impressive noise-cancellation technology. It has touch controls and delivers excellent performance as a headset. Good battery life.
The Bad It’s pricier than the Bose; while the sound quality is excellent for Bluetooth, it’s lacking that little bit of extra sparkle and definition (Sennheiser’s own Momentum II Wireless sounds better).
The Bottom Line While it doesn’t quite eclipse the less-expensive Bose, the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphone is comfortable and feature packed, and performs very well.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
When it comes to headphones, one tends to associate Bose with the “business traveler” demographic. But Sennheiser’s making a pitch to that segment of the market with its new PXC 550 Wireless, a “premium” over-ear Bluetooth headphone that also features active noise-cancellation. It’s a direct competitor to Bose’s QuietComfort 35 and costs $399, £329 or AU$630.
Sennheiser is not only touting the PXC 550’s sound quality, but its customizable sound modes (via the company’s CapTune app for iOS and Android), touch controls, long battery life (30 hours) and strong headset performance for making phone calls.
The Sennehsier PXC 550 Wireless plush ear cups offer a very comfortable fit.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Like the Bose, this is a very comfortable headphone, relatively lightweight at 8 ounces or 227 grams. Its ear cup design is different than the Bose QC35’s and it doesn’t have as wide an opening as the Bose, partially because its ear pads are puffier (those with big ears may find the pads sitting more on their ears than around them). I give Bose the comfort edge over longer listening sessions, but the Sennheiser isn’t far behind.
The headphone folds up for storage into an included carrying case and seems well built, though it doesn’t have the premium design touches of Sennheiser’s Momentum II Wireless, which has comes down in price online since its release in 2015.
What differentiates the PXC 550 from the Bose is that it has those aforementioned touch controls on the right ear cup and automatically turns on when you put the headphone on your ears. It then shuts down when you fold the headphone flat. Bluetooth pairing worked flawlessly for me, and I encountered only minimal Bluetooth streaming hiccups.
The CapTune companion app for iOS and Android allows you to tune the sound to your liking, tailoring it to the music you listen to. But to customize the sound, you either have to play files stored on your device or use the Tidal Music service. The app doesn’t support Spotify or other music streaming services at this time. However, a small button on the right ear cup allows you to toggle through a few different effect modes, including club, movie, speech or no effect. That works with anything you’re listening to.
The CapTune companion app for iOS and Android.
Sarah Tew/CNET
I found the sound quality and adaptive noise canceling very good. Bose is generally considered the gold standard when it comes to noise cancellation, and I’ve yet to find a headphone that offers superior performance in that regard. This Sennheiser comes close, offering essentially hiss-free listening, even with the highest level of noise canceling engaged (you can adjust the amount of active noise canceling).
Nintendo NES Classic Edition Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Did you hear? The Nintendo Entertainment System is back, and it’s cuter than ever.
The new NES Classic Edition (aka NES Classic Mini) is an official Nintendo product that crams 30 of the company’s most beloved games into a miniature version of the hit ’80s game system. It fits in the palm of your hand. It comes with an HDMI port so it can plug into a modern TV, and a freshly manufactured NES gamepad for that old-school feel.
And when it ships on November 11 for just $60, £50 or AU$100, it could also be an unbeatable deal: we ran the numbers, and you can’t get this many retro Nintendo games anywhere else for the money.
Surely you have some questions, yes? Here’s everything else you need to know.
Christine Cain/CNET
Can I use my old NES cartridges?
Nope! There’s no cartridge slot — according to Nintendo, the 30 games are all stored in onboard memory, and you can’t add or download any more.
But the little cartridge door opens, right?
Sadly, no. “The console does not use physical media and therefore the Chamber Lid does not open,” Nintendo told Kotaku.
How about my old NES gamepads and Zappers?
Not those either! The NES Classic Edition has a different controller port. You might recognize that port, though — it’s the same one you’ll find at the bottom of a Nintendo Wii remote. If you want to play a two-player game, you can connect a Wii Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro for player #2.
Which games come with the NES Classic Edition?
- Balloon Fight
- Bubble Bobble
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge
- Dr. Mario
- Excitebike
- Final Fantasy
- Galaga
- Ghosts ‘n Goblins
- Gradius
- Ice Climbers
- Kid Icarus
- Kirby’s Adventure
- Mega Man 2
- Metroid
- Mario Bros.
- Ninja Gaiden
- Pac-Man
- Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
- Star Tropics
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Tecmo Bowl
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Which awesome NES games don’t come with the Classic Edition?
Duck Hunt. Contra. Bionic Commando. Dragon Warrior. River City Ransom. Battletoads. A Boy and His Blob. Blaster Master. Crystalis. Castlevania III.
Nintendo’s tiny NES Classic Edition comes…
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What comes in the box?
One NES Classic gamepad, an AC adapter and an HDMI cable, as well as the console itself.
What if I want a second NES Classic gamepad for player #2 instead of using one designed for the Wii?
You’ll be able to buy a second Classic pad for $10, £8 or AU$20.
How does the new old (or old new?) gamepad feel, and how do the games look on a modern TV?
Watch this space! Nintendo hasn’t let any journalists touch the mini-NES quite yet, but we’re hoping to remedy that ASAP. Nintendo’s own video gives us some idea what the games might look like:
Can you save your game?
Yes. Nintendo told Polygon, “Each game has multiple suspend points, so you can start where you left off at a later time.”
What’s the best way to ensure I get an NES Classic Edition this holiday season?
In the UK, you can already pre-order one at Amazon. Pre-orders aren’t open yet in the US, but Best Buy seems to have a listing. In Australia, EB Games already seems to be sold out but maybe you can watch this space.
What if I just want to blow on cartridges again?
Seriously, don’t. But if you really want the old-school NES experience in a modern HDTV-compatible package and have a bucket of cash to spend, keep an eye out for an Analogue NT. It’s a thing of beauty.
2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus review – Roadshow
Jul 2016
The Good The 2017 Audi R8 has sophisticated looks that fly under the supercar radar a bit, but a screaming V10 engine that lets drivers rev to the stratosphere.
The Bad Not a lot of storage, no adaptive cruise control and the steering doesn’t offer much feedback. Oh, and it’s super-pricey.
The Bottom Line If you’ve got nearly $200,000 to drop on a car, the R8 is well worth your money.
“Tell me that’s a car with a ski rack on the roof and not a cop,” I pleaded to my pal just after demonstrating the extreme acceleration of the 2016 Audi R8 Plus. That’s the one with 10 cylinders and a whole gob of horsepower. Unfortunately, the men in blue noticed my (highly illegal) demonstration and immediately pulled me over.
Whoops.
The R8 debuted 10 — yes, 10 — years ago, at the Paris Auto Show. It’s always been an undercover supercar lacking the élan of a Ferrari or the swagger of a McLaren. Still, its 5.2-liter engine, available detuned with 540 horsepower or a full-bore 610, is a twin to the Lamborghini Huracan, thankfully without any of the harsh angles prevalent on that angry bull.
Audi
Instead, this second-generation R8 carries the tight Audi design language seen on the new TT. Smooth curves tuck into a tightly conscripted front fascia. LED headlights and tail lights are standard, and the dynamic sequential rear turn signals grab the attention of the driver behind.
But you can’t talk Audi R8 without talking about the blade. The slash of solid black from top to bottom on the profile of the R8 is no more. Instead, the body color cuts through the blade, bisecting it into two distinct parcels. I love it, but some of my colleagues at Roadshow contend that the new style line interrupts the visual flow of the rear quarter panel.
Track time
Emme Hall/Roadshow
I knew I had to get the R8 on the track to truly appreciate its mid-engine power. Thunderhill Raceway, a few hours north of Roadshow HQ, may not be the fastest track in the world, but there’s enough of a front straight to break triple digits and plenty of turns to toss the R8 around.
Upon startup, the V10 engine roared to life at a timbre that thrilled my soul. I wanted to turn it off and back on again just to hear its basso growl.
After a few warm-up laps on the two mile track, I was finally ready to let the R8 do its thing. I pushed the checkered flag button on the steering wheel to select Performance mode, which then let me drill down further to select Dry, Wet or Snow. The sky was blue and the temperature gauge read 105 degrees. Dry, it is.
Coming out of the horseshoe at turn 2 and into a downhill straight highlighted the Audi’s high-revving engine. The cylinders screamed behind me as I waited for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to upshift. The revs climbed higher and higher as I dared a quick peek at the tachometer. 6,500 rpm, then 7,000 rpms and still climbing. I started to get nervous. Will this thing ever shift? Will I blow the motor? Will Audi ever talk to me again?
All my concerns were for naught as the R8’s 5.2-liter engine is designed to rev that high. It doesn’t even hit peak horsepower until 8,250 rpm, and redline comes soon after at 8,700. Keeping on the gas is an exercise in pushing through your fear and trusting the vehicle.
Through the turns, the R8 hugged the track like I’d hug Chris Pratt should he walk into my office. That is, constantly and without interruption. In fact, with the all-wheel-drive technology I would have to work hard to get the R8 to break traction. Had I turned traction control off I might be singing a different tune, but while drifting around a corner is fun and all, it certainly isn’t the fastest way around the track. Instead the Audi stayed flat in the turns, exhibiting little body roll, letting gravity push me into the firmly bolstered (and heated!) racing seat.
AIVAnet 