Trianium Atomic S Battery Case for iPhone 6/6S review – CNET
The Good The inexpensive Trianium Atomic S Battery Case has a simple, unfussy design and charges your iPhone in a relatively short time.
The Bad The large opening in the back of the case is no deal breaker, but it does look jarring.
The Bottom Line Affordable and well designed, the Trianium Atomic S Battery Case is the top iPhone battery case for its price range.
With its built-in 3,100mAh battery and hard, matte exterior, Trianium’s Atomic S Battery Case conveniently charges your iPhone 6 (or 6S) and shields it from everyday bumps and drops. Retailing for $79.95 (or about £60 and AU$105 converted), it falls right in the center of the price spectrum — between Mophie’s $120 Juice Pack Plus (or £110 and AU$170 converted) and Anker’s $40 Ultra Slim Battery Case (or £30 and AU$55 converted).
However, though its price is middle-of-the-pack, its performance isn’t. For instance, it took about 2 hours on average for the case to fully charge the iPhone. This is about the time you’d expect for a full charge. Mophie’s Juice Pack Plus clocked in about 2 hours too, while the Incipio Offgrid Express (another $80 battery case) took notably longer at 2 hours and 35 minutes.
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In addition, when you charge the phone, the case’s indicator lights located on the back eventually blink off while charging (you can still tell it’s juicing your phone though by the lightning bolt battery indicator on the handset’s display). This is better-designed than Anker’s case, which has lights that stay on the whole time while charging, which can be a nuisance in a dim room.
The accessory comes in two parts: the main battery exterior and a bumper that covers the edges of the handset and snaps into the case. Compared with Incipio’s case, which had the same design structure, I had an easier time snapping on and securing this one.
Motorola Moto E3 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Motorola
I recently called Motorola’s new Moto G4 an “unbeatable Android bargain”, and already Motorola is trying to outdo itself with an even cheaper phone — the new Moto E3.
The E3 will sell in the UK for only £99, making it about £70 cheaper than the G4. US and Australian pricing and availability isn’t yet known, but that £99 price converts to roughly $130 and AU$175. We’ll update this article with more pricing information when it’s available.
So it’s extremely cheap, but it doesn’t appear to have made the sacrifices we often see in the budget end of the market. It has a 5-inch, 720p display, a quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel camera on the front.
The E3 runs the recent Android Marshmallow and has a microSD card slot to expand its storage, though Motorola hasn’t said how much it has built in. Best of all though is that it’s water-resistant like the G4. You can’t submerge it in water, but it will happily put up with a spilled drink or two.
I’m yet to see the phone in the flesh, so I’ll reserve my final judgement on this cut-down handset for the full review.
Dacor DYRP36D review – CNET
The Good The $8,999 Dacor DYRP36D’s integrated Android tablet contains useful tools such as guided cooking and explanations of the oven’s dozen baking features.
The Bad The tablet operates on an outdated Android system that has a negative impact on some apps. Its awkward placement on the oven makes it a pain to operate. And the app that lets you control the oven from a smartphone has its own problems, specifically with voice recognition.
The Bottom Line The Dacor DYRP36D’s tablet is an unnecessary addition to an otherwise solid range. Skip this appliance and use your own tablet.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Good collaborations bring out the best qualities in the parties involved: peanut butter and jelly, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, hip-hop and Alexander Hamilton. When compatible partners merge, it’s hard to imagine one without the other. I wish I could say the same about the $8,999 Dacor DYRP36D, an appliance that combines a high-end oven with an Android tablet for an unsuccessful union of connectivity and cooking.
You can watch YouTube right on this oven.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The Dacor DYRP36D, part of the appliance manufacturer’s Discovery iQ line, is an ambitious dual-fuel range. Its built-in tablet is fully functional, so you can download and access apps right on the range. The tablet also acts as the control panel for the oven, which includes a host of cooking modes and guided programs to help you perfect recipes. The range itself delivers much of what we’ve come to expect from the Dacor brand: sturdy construction and consistent cooking results. And an accompanying smartphone app makes it easy to preheat the oven and set timers over a wireless network.
But unlike the successful pairings I mentioned earlier, Dacor’s creation isn’t greater than the sum of its parts. The tablet brings the DYRP36D down. It uses a locked-in, outdated version of the Android operating system. The tablet also failed to send notifications to my phone as the user manual promised. Voice recognition on the oven’s phone app couldn’t pick up the most basic commands. And unless you just want to pull up a chair and camp out in front of your oven, using the tablet while you’re standing makes for a sore neck. Those are a lot of pain points for an appliance that costs nearly $9,000.
I appreciate Dacor’s aggressive move into the smart kitchen with its Discovery iQ ovens. But just because a company can put a tablet on an oven doesn’t mean it should. Dacor needs to give the DYRP36D and the rest of the Discovery iQ line a makeover that gives as much attention to the appliance’s tech as it does to its cooking prowess. In the meantime, you’re better off buying a range without the smarts and using your own tablet until Dacor creates a smart oven that adds value to the kitchen.
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Tablet gives you a handle on the oven
Let’s give kudos where it’s due: Dacor started incorporating Android tablets into its Discovery IQ ovens back in 2013, which makes the appliance manufacturer one of the forefathers of smart, large kitchen appliances. The inclusion of a tablet in an oven is an inevitable by-product of the smart-kitchen evolution. We’re seeing more connected small appliances that use apps to guide you through recipes. Manufacturers are including hardware like cameras in their appliances to gather more information about the food you cook, along with adding Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and near-field communication (NFC) to make it easier for your appliance to talk to your smartphone or tablet. It makes sense that companies like Dacor would skip the middle man of your own devices and just include a connected device on an appliance.
The boldness of being a trendsetter is apparent in the Dacor DYRP36D’s design and features. Like other ranges from the high-end manufacturer, this 36-inch-wide model is an all-stainless-steel beast. There are six gas burners on the cooktop that are covered with formidable cast-iron continuous grates. The 5.2-cubic-foot electric oven is average in size, but the slick soft-close door is a smart feature that makes peeking in on your food a gentle affair.
The Dacor DYRP36D is a 36-inch wide range with a gas cooktop and electric oven. The Android tablet is located beneath the cooktop.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The centerpiece of the Dacor is the 7-inch tablet, which primarily serves as the control panel for the appliance’s oven. The tablet runs on Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich), a discontinued operating system. Dacor says the range’s hardware doesn’t support updating the operating system, a limitation that is evident when you attempt to download apps that are no longer compatible with that version of Android. This includes Pinterest, which would’ve been a great app to use with the oven.
The oven controls run off of Dacor’s iQ Cooking app, which is preinstalled on the tablet. The interactive touchscreen is easy to figure out, no small feat considering that the oven has a dozen cooking modes, a connected temperature probe and guided instructions for basic recipes. The interface explains the oven’s cooking modes with helpful illustrations and brief explanations or instructions so you know exactly what heating elements are in play. You can also save settings that you use often, so you only have to hit two buttons if you often bake cookies on convection bake mode at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for example.
Unfortunately, some of those cooking-mode explanations on the tablet are in opposition to the range’s use and care manual. For example, the description for the Pure Convection cooking mode recommends lowering the temperature of a recipe when you use that setting, but the manual advises that you first reduce the cook time when you use this cook mode. These discrepancies might not faze folks who disregard any kind of instructions, but it’s enough to irk cooks who just want to get it right.
The Guided Cooking feature asks you to input information about what you’re cooking, and the oven will automatically determine the best cook settings for the dish.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Dacor’s oven controls also include Guided Cooking, a feature designed to walk you through cooking a dish. You select from a menu of dishes (such as a roasted chicken or rack of lamb), pick your desired internal temperature, enter the weight of your dish, then hit start. From there, the oven sets the temperature and cook time based on the information you entered. Note that the Dacor settings might differ from how you’d prefer to cook a recipe.
For example, I used Guided Cooking to roast a 5.5-pound chicken. During my roast chicken tests, I cook the chicken at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until it reaches an FDA-approved internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But in Guided Cooking, the oven cooked the chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and a half. The Guided Cooking chicken ended up being slightly drier than the bird I cooked during my roasting test, but it still made for an enjoyable meal. Guided Cooking is a great addition for newbies who want to eliminate as much guesswork as possible from a recipe. However, more seasoned cooks might not agree with exactly how the oven chooses to prepare your meal.
Apple iPad Mini 2 review – CNET
The Good The iPad Mini 2 has a sharp Retina screen, an ultraportable design, great battery life and it’s the most affordable tablet with access to the iOS App Store. Upgradeable to iOS 10 later this year.
The Bad Android and Amazon tablets — and even Windows laptops — are available for less. Base model includes only 16GB of non-expandable storage. It’s missing the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and split-screen feature found on newer iPads.
The Bottom Line It lacks the features and speed of a cutting-edge iPad, but the Mini 2 is still a solid tablet for basics, especially if you can buy it at a discount.
Apple iPads are synonymous with “tablet” for good reason. Their high-end designs, fast performance, simple operating system and well-stocked App Store make them the go-to choice in the category.
Or, at least, that’s how it was. The growth of tablet sales has slowed considerably in recent years, with the exception of the bargain segment. Small 8-inch Android models like the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A can be had for as little as $170, £129 or AU$279, and Amazon has cornered the budget market with its selection of “good enough” Fire tablets that start at prices as low as $50 or £50. (Amazon doesn’t typically sell hardware in Australia, but the US price converts to about AU$70.)
Apple, of course, is all about premium, high-end products. But the company’s answer to bargain shoppers is to keep some of its older products in the line at discounted prices: 2014’s iPad Air 2 and 2013’s iPad Mini 2. The latter model remains the oldest one in the current line — but, with prices starting at $269, £219 and AU$369, also the most affordable.
Despite its age, the iPad Mini 2 still has a lot to offer for buyers who don’t need the latest and greatest model.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Mini 2 is the most affordable iPad model available.
Josh Miller/CNET
The Mini 2 is slower and has fewer bells and whistles than the Mini 4.
If you’re going to get an iPad, why not the latest and greatest? The iPad Mini 4 outshines the Mini 2 with a thinner and lighter design, faster processor, better cameras, and a more vivid screen (resolutions are the same, however). And though the iPad Mini 2 supports picture-in-picture, it doesn’t have the newer features that make the iPad Mini 4 a premium tablet — the TouchID fingerprint sensor and split-screen function (currently limited to the 9.7-inch Air 2, the Mini 4, and iPad Pro).
But Mini 4 is a bad deal compared to the iPad Air 2.
All those shiny features come at a price. The iPad Mini 4 starts at $399, £319, AU$569 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, $499, £399, AU$699 for the 64GB version, and $599, £479, AU$829, for 128GB. But the larger iPad Air 2 — which is quite a bit faster — costs exactly the same, making it a far better deal.
It’s a little thicker than the newer iPad Mini 4.
Josh Miller/CNET
For basic needs, the iPad Mini 2 does a great job.
Whether it’s web surfing, email, Facebook or casual games, the Mini 2 still has more than enough power to get the job done. And the app selection on the iPad still outpaces what you’ll find on Android and Amazon tablets. The Mini 2 also doubles as a great “universal remote” for smart home products and streaming devices — something that can be left on the coffee table or in the kitchen for the whole family to share, which you wouldn’t want to do with your phone.
Nest Cam Outdoor Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Nest Cam Outdoor will be available this fall.
Nest
Nest Cam Outdoor, a $199/£150 outside-only Wi-Fi security camera, is slated to join the smart home brand’s product lineup this fall. International availability is expected to follow soon after.
Complete with a 1080p resolution, livestreaming capabilities, two-way talk, a 130-degree field of view, and night vision, Nest Cam Outdoor shares a lot of specs with the Google/Alphabet property’s existing Nest Cam, now called Nest Cam Indoor.
The team super-sized the power adapter for the outside version, though, so you’ll have roughly 25 feet of extension cord to work with. A magnetic disk is also included with your purchase, so you can create an instant base plate when it makes contact with a gutter or another obliging surface. And since the palm-sized Nest Cam Outdoor has a magnetic backing of its own, outdoor installation sounds really simple. In theory, at least. Of course, if you don’t have something magnetic handy, the team also includes a screw-in base for a more permanent installation.
In other Nest news:
- Same great Nest, now with even better looks
- CEO Tony Fadell announces he’s leaving Nest
- Nest Cam Indoor review
- A new Nest device to Protect what matters most
On the software side of things, Nest Cam Outdoor will be accessible via the same Android and iPhone apps as before. You’ll still have access to Nest Aware (the brand’s opt-in month-to-month subscription service), too — with a few changes. Nest Aware already allows for advanced features like motion and sound alerts, and continuous cloud recording, but it will add a facial-recognition feature called Person alerts with the launch of Nest Cam Outdoor.
While Person alerts won’t be able to distinguish between specific people and strangers like the ArcSoft Simplicam or the Netatmo Welcome, it is supposed to be able to tell the difference between a face and something else, like a passing car. Maxime Veron, Nest’s director of hardware product marketing, said in an interview that the Nest Cam Outdoor might be able to distinguish among more things in the future, too. Veron also confirmed that IFTTT and Works with Nest integrations will be available at launch.
No, this new security camera isn’t a huge departure for the brand. In fact, we’ve been waiting for Nest’s next piece of hardware for quite awhile. Even so, I’m intrigued by Person alerts and look forward to trying it out when Nest Cam Outdoor hits stores this fall.
2017 Ford Escape review – Roadshow
The Good With available Sync 3, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a superior suite of driver aid features, 2017 Ford Escape blows the competition away where tech is concerned. The new, smaller 1.5-liter Ecoboost engine’s performance is on par with much larger engines from the competition. For 2017, the Escape gains Sync Connect — a 4G/LTE data connection that allows remote features and monitoring.
The Bad The awkward cabin design sinks the touchscreen deep into the dashboard, where it’s hard to reach and see. The 1.5-liter turbocharged engine offers no significant power or economy advantages over the competition’s naturally aspirated 2.5 liters.
The Bottom Line The new engine option is a nice evolution, but only adds a small improvement to the already excellent 2017 Ford Escape. However, seemingly smaller tech changes, like the addition of Sync Connect, Android Auto, CarPlay and a few driver aid features, make a much larger impact.
Major changes to chassis and sheet metal used to signal a new generation of a particular model, but Ford’s 2017 Escape feels like a whole new car with just engine and tech changes. Much of its structure carries over from the previous model year, but redesigns for grille and interior, engine upgrades, driver assistance systems and new connected technology adds up to more than a simple refreshed model.
Let’s start in the engine bay. Last year’s base 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine and the 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecoboost engines persist. The larger engine is good for 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter turbo gets a 5 horsepower boost, to 275, and a 5 pound-feet torque boost, to 245. Those are pretty big numbers for a small SUV, and something to consider if you frequently fill all the seats, carry cargo and pull a trailer.
Pint-size power: New 1.5-L Ecoboost engine
In the middle is the new 1.5-liter Ecoboost option: a tiny, turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission in either front-wheel drive or on-demand all-wheel drive configurations. Even for a small SUV, that’s a pint-size power plant, but with 179 boosted horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, it’s just a tad more powerful than Ford’s and the Toyota RAV-4’s 2.5-liter engines.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
You’d think that downsizing the engine would net fuel efficiency gains; and it does…sort of. At 24 combined mpg (22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) for the all-wheel drive example that I tested, sure, the 1.5-liter Ecoboost the most efficient Escape model in Ford’s the lineup, but only just barely. Mazda’s CX-5, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V all best it across the board with their naturally-aspirated, 2.5-liter, AWD configurations.
In its favor, the smaller Ecoboost engine is a pretty good powertrain, delivering decent performance around town and on the highway. It’s amazing how, after a few miles behind the wheel, the novelty of the small engine wore off quickly and I was able to just appreciate its solid, lag-free power delivery.
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To help save fuel, Ford implements idle-stop on the new Escape, which shuts down the engine at stop lights. When editor Wayne Cunningham tested the Escape earlier this year, his highest praise for this feature was that he didn’t even register it happening, as the car quietly brought the engine back to life when he lifted a foot from the brake.
Light off-road testing
During an extended, light off-roading session at California’s Hollister State Vehicular Recreation Area, I was also able to appreciate the engine’s ability to smoothly deliver consistent torque and the all-wheel drive system’s eagerness to shuffle power from front to rear to pull the Escape over rough terrain and up some genuinely steep inclines lined with loose sand.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
The 7.8-inch ground clearance kept me from scraping the undercarriage over larger bumps, and the independent suspension did a fairly good job handing basic off-road duties; however, the Escape never really felt at home. My SE model’s $1,295 Sport Appearance package 19-inch wheels and street-oriented tires probably didn’t help much in the dirt.
A sport mode for the transmission and paddle shifter helped with on-road performance, allowing me to bypass some of the six-speed automatic transmission’s tendency to find itself in too tall a gear, but ultimately this is neither a sports car or a true off-roader, so I found myself grateful and impressed by the Escape’s modest abilities in either of these areas.
Sync 3 with CarPlay, Android Auto
My example also came equipped with a SE Technology Package, a $1,395 suite that bundles in Ford’s new Sync 3 infotainment system with apps, along with some rudimentary safety tech.
Sync 3 is a pretty good get for the Escape. I’d say it’s a must-have option that’s streets ahead of the old MyFord Touch setup. The built-in interface is quick to respond to inputs, like typing an address without stopping between each letter press, and the visuals are crisply rendered. The onboard navigation (a $795 option on top of Sync 3) also works well with features like traffic data and voice commands that don’t suck.
Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review
Buy now from Amazon
Xiaomi is all over the place in the technology world. The Chinese company first came to the scene with its MIUI firmware back in 2010, and has since moved on to creating its own Android smartphones, televisions, tablets, and so much more.
One of the most interesting products the company has in its lineup is the Mi Band. Announced in August 2014, Xiaomi’s first Mi Band wearable aimed to bring basic activity tracking to the masses thanks to its seriously low $13 price point. Now Xiaomi is back with a new, more expensive fitness tracker – the Mi Band 2.
With an OLED display and a new design, does the Mi Band 2 have what it takes to make its way to your wrist? Let’s find out.
Here is our full Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review.
Review notes: I’ve been using the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 as my main fitness tracker for 20 days. The HTC 10 has been my smartphone companion of choice for the duration of this review.
Design
Aside from the strap, the Mi Band 2 doesn’t really look anything like the original Mi Band. It still comes in the form of a dongle that fits snugly into a silicone strap, and it’s thin and light enough that you’ll forget you’re wearing it most of the day. One of my biggest problems with the first Mi Band is that it feels cheap. I mean, I know it is cheap at only $13, but the silicone strap was too plasticky for my liking. The Mi Band 2’s strap is much more rubbery and soft this time around, which I really like.
The OLED display is nice… indoors
I won’t talk too much about price just yet, but you should know that the Mi Band 2 is a bit pricier than its predecessor. It retails for around $40-$50 here in the US. Why the bump up in price? Xiaomi decided to include an OLED display this time around, which I must say is very nice most of the time. Indoor visibility is just great, but it’s pretty tough to read outdoors in the sun. In fact, trying to check the time on a run just isn’t possible at times, but I suppose having a display is better than not having one.
Xiaomi says the .42-inch display is also UV coated, scratch resistant and anti-fingerprint. I haven’t gotten any scratches on mine, but fingerprints do show up quite a bit. The display can get very smudgy and greasy.
Underneath the display sits a snazzy capacitive button that lets you filter through the current time, steps, distance, calories heart rate and battery. You can also check the time by simply lifting your wrist, though I’ve found this feature to be more laggy than what other fitness bands offer. Sometimes the time delays for about 2 seconds before showing up. This definitely won’t make or break your experience with the device, but it’s still something worth noting.
Xiaomi also says there will be more colorful band options available at a later date, but as of writing this review we’re not sure when the bands will launch.
The Mi Band 2 also comes with an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. This means you can wash your hands without taking it off, but you shouldn’t go swimming with it.
Features and performance
The Mi Band 2 does everything you’d expect from an entry-level fitness tracker. It tracks your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned and your sleep. And for the most part, it’s very good at tracking all four of those metrics.
I’ve taken the Mi Band 2 out on a few runs with the Fitbit Charge HR and Garmin vívosmart HR, and all three devices have given me similar results. In terms of step tracking, the Mi Band 2 recorded 7,055 steps taken on a run, while the Charge HR recorded 7,058. During a second workout, the Mi Band 2 recorded 5,022 steps, while the vívosmart HR recorded 5,018. Basically, if you care about step tracking and you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative to other fitness bands, the Mi Band 2 will definitely do the trick.
See also: Fitbit Charge HR vs Garmin vívosmart HR8
The device will automatically record your workouts in the Mi Fit app, which is quite convenient. It can sometimes take a minute or two to recognize when you’ve started exercising, but it still should be accurate enough for most people.
Sleep tracking is one of this device’s strongest features
There’s much more to an activity tracker than step tracking, though. The Mi Band 2 will also record your light and deep sleep, and it does a pretty good job at both. It will automatically detect when you go to sleep, so there’s no need to open the app and press a sleep now button. Once you wake up, you can check all your sleep stats in the Mi Fit app. You’ll be able to see how much light and deep sleep you experienced, how many minutes you were awake, as well as the exact times you fell asleep and woke up.
The Mi Band 2 also supports silent alarms, so you can wake up with a subtle vibration if you aren’t a fan of noisy alarm clocks.
The optical heart rate monitor is one of the Mi Band 2’s most problematic features
One of the Mi Band 2’s headlining features is its optical heart rate monitor. This is one of the most problematic features on the device – not only because readings can be far off at times, but also because it often fails to record my heart rate when I’d like it to.
To test heart rate accuracy, I’ve been comparing the Mi Band 2 with the Wahoo TICKR X heart rate monitor. Most of the time the Mi Band 2’s heart rate readings are spot on with the TICKR X, though I have noticed the Xiaomi device will sometimes be off by 15bpm or so.
You should stay away from this device if you need to keep tabs on your heart rate during a workout. The heart rate monitor isn’t continuous, and you have to stay really still in order for the device to take its readings. You can always stop running to check your heart rate, but that’s not the most convenient method for many athletes out there.
Don’t buy the Mi Band 2 if you need a reliable heart rate monitor
I need to emphasize something here. The Mi Band 2 needs to be very still if you want to check your heart rate. Like, the device struggles to take readings even when I’m sitting still at my desk. I’ve never experienced a fitness tracker that fails so often at this. On the plus side, though, its display allows you to fire up the heart rate monitor much quicker than you could with the Mi Band Pulse.
One of my favorite things about the Mi Band 2 is the Idle Alert feature. The device will give you a short vibration if you’re inactive for one hour, and you can customize what times of day this feature is turned on. I sit at a desk all day, so anything that reminds me to get up and move every once in awhile is definitely a plus.
One other neat trick it offers is notification support. Well, you won’t get full notification support here, but the device will buzz your wrist when you have an incoming text or phone call. It works most of the time, but not always. I’m not sure if this is due to a spotty Bluetooth connection or if it’s just a bug that needs fixing, but either way you shouldn’t rely on the Mi Band 2 to alert you of notifications every time.
Don’t miss: Samsung Gear Fit 2 review10
Xiaomi says the Mi Band 2 can last up to 20 days on a single charge, and that’s exactly what I’ve been able to achieve. Throughout the review period, I’ve gone on walks and runs about 4 times per week, checking my heart rate and scrolling through my daily stats multiple times per day.
It’s pretty easy to charge the Mi Band 2, as well. Just remove the dongle from the band, plug it into the proprietary charger, then hook it up to a computer.
| Display | .42-inch OLED display |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes, optical heart rate sensor |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| Water resistance | IP67 |
| GPS | No |
| Battery life | Up to 20 days 70mAh, lithium polymer |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS |
| Weight | 7g |
Software
Xiaomi’s Mi Fit companion app is sort of a mixed bag. I like some parts of it, while I can’t stand others.
Let’s start with the positives. Mi Fit is a beautiful app that displays your daily activity, sleep, weight loss, heart rate and goals on the main screen. Tapping on any one of these sections gives you more detailed information about that particular metric.
From here you’ll be able to access daily, weekly and monthly graphs showing your progress overtime. You can do this with your daily activity and sleep metrics, but for some reason the heart rate section only shows a list of readings in reverse chronological order. It doesn’t really make sense to look at your heart rate readings this way. Most people measure their heart rate to see how they’ve improved over time, but you just can’t do that with the Mi Fit app.
One other positive: Mi Fit can connect with Google Fit, WeChat and even Sina Weibo, so you’ll be able to access your results in your favorite apps if need be.
Unfortunately the list of negatives outweighs the positives here. This might not be a huge concern to most people, but I found the layout of the app just horrible. The interface is separated into three main sections: Status, Play and Profile. Status is basically your home screen, where you’ll find your daily activity. The oddly-named Play screen is where you’ll change notification options, set alarms and Idle Alerts, and also connect to third-party apps. In the profile section, you can change your activity and weight goal, connect with friends, and also access a settings menu (which pretty much only lets you change units and submit feedback).
I don’t know if it’s the Play section’s name that throws me off, or if it’s the lack of settings in the settings menu, but I still find myself, after 20 days of using this dang app, getting lost and scouring through to try and find what I’m looking for.
One of the things I like most about Fitbit’s companion app is that it makes it really easy to connect with friends and check out their progress. This isn’t the case with Mi Fit. You actually have to scan a QR code to become someone’s friend on Mi Fit. I really don’t think people are going to use this feature.
Oh, one last thing – the Mi Fit app force closes just about every other time I use it. I’ve used it on both my HTC 10 and Nexus 6P, and I couldn’t get it to stay open on either device.
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Should you buy it?
Buy now from Amazon
The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is one of the better entry-level fitness trackers in the sub-$50 price range. It’s only $40, and it can track your daily activity and sleep without a hitch. It also looks really nice and has great battery life.
The problem is, most of the other features Xiaomi included in this tracker just don’t work very well. The heart rate monitor only works when you’re completely still, the display is hard to read outside, and the Mi Fit app needs a lot of work.
You shouldn’t buy the Mi Band 2 if you’re a serious athlete or if you need something with an accurate heart rate monitor. But if you only have $40 or $50 to spend and want something that can keep tabs on your daily activity, this device might be the perfect thing for you.
Related reviews:
- Fitbit Charge HR review
- Fitbit Alta review
- Withings Go hands-on
Whirlpool WFW87HEDW review – CNET
The Good Whirlpool’s $1,199 WFW87HEDW washing machine looks sleek, has simple controls, plenty of features and very good performance.
The Bad Most of the display settings sound a different musical tone when pressed, which gets old fast. The WFW87HEDW has no app or other smart-home compatibility.
The Bottom Line The Whirlpool WFW87HEDW is a well-rounded washer that doesn’t quite match the cleaning power of Electrolux’s similarly priced EFLS617S.
Strip away a washing machine’s bonus features, like multiple specialty cycles and a related app, and you wind up with Whirlpool’s $1,199 WFW87HEDW. Like the $1,099 Electrolux EFLS617S, the WFW87HEDW is a no-frills front-load model that gets the job done.
That said, it isn’t an entry-level washer either. Complete with 10 cleaning cycles plus a steam setting, the WFW87HEDW is a solid upgrade over the most basic of front-loaders. Its premium-looking Titanium finish helps too. While it can’t quite match Electrolux’s EFLS617S in terms of performance, it’s still worth a closer look.
This Whirlpool washer gets the job done for…
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More washing machine coverage:
- Find more washer reviews here
- How we test washing machines
- 16 washers to help you clean up your laundry routine (pictures)
- Marathon wants to remove dryers from the laundry equation
The Whirlpool WFW87HEDW is a simple washer with some basic upgrades like a Steam Clean setting, a Titanium finish (it’s also available in white for $100 less), and 10 cycles. They include:
- Clean Washer
- Cold Wash
- Delicates
- Drain & Spin
- Heavy Duty
- Normal
- Quick Wash
- Sanitize
- Towels
- Whites
Its touch-style display panel is very responsive and a small screen displays the cycle time remaining in easy-to-see green LEDs. While easy to use overall, each button seems to sound a different musical tone, which I would absolutely turn off if I had this machine at home. I do like having sound associated with each button press, but I found these particularly annoying. Fortunately, they’re easy to turn off — just press and hold the Cycle Signal button on the bottom right of the panel for a few seconds and presto.
Here’s a closer look at the Whirlpool WFW87HEDW alongside its Electrolux EFLS617S competitor:
| Whirlpool WFW87HEDW | Electrolux EFLS617S |
| $1,199 | $1,099 |
| Chrome Shadow, White (for $1,099) | White, Titanium (for $1,199) |
| 4.3 cubic feet | 4.4 cubic feet |
| 10 | 9 |
| 109 kWh/yr | 85 kWh/year |
| 27 inches x 38.75 inches x 33.13 inches | 27 inches x 38 inches x 31.5 inches |
| 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited |
| 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz |
| No | No |
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Here’s how we test washing machines
It might seem simple enough — toss your dirty laundry in a washer and see how well it cleans — but testing washing machines is actually a lot more involved.
by Megan Wollerton
December 28, 2015
For the full rundown of washing machine test procedures, check out this how we test article — or watch the video to the right.
Basically, we run three identical loads. That’s a normal cycle, with normal soil, hot water, and a high spin. Each load has long fabric strips stained with sebum/skin oil (Gross? Yes. Hard to get off clothes? Double yes.), carbon black/mineral oil, blood (pig’s blood), cocoa (chocolate and milk) and aged red wine.
Philips SceneSwitch 60W Equivalent LED Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Dimmable light is a nice little luxury for modern living spaces, but it typically means hardwiring special switches into your walls or upgrading to smart bulbs with app-enabled dimming. Now, Philips thinks it has an easier solution: LED light bulbs that switch between three brightness settings each time you flip the switch.
They’re called SceneSwitch LEDs, and they’re intended to be an affordable, no-hassle means of adding dimming to just about any fixture in your home. Philips isn’t confirming pricing just yet, but an out-of-stock listing at Home Depot for a similar-looking SceneSwitch LED with a daylight setting prices a standard 60W equivalent at $9 — about AU$12 in Australia, or roughly £7 in the UK.
With the SceneSwitch LED’s plug-and-play approach, all you’ll need to do is screw one in. From there, the brightness will cycle between 100, 40 and 10 percent brightness each time you flip the switch off and then back on. Specifically, that comes out to 800, 320, and 80 lumens, or the rough equivalent of a 60W bulb, a weak 40W bulb, and an accent/mood light, respectively.
Philips
You’ll notice a subtle shift in color temperature, too, with the brightest setting in coming in at a yellowy default of 2,700 K, and the dimmest setting clocking in at an orangey 2,200K.
Essentially, it’s the same effect you’ll get with a traditional three-way incandescent. The difference is that incandescents like those use two separate filaments inside the bulb — one for the lowest setting, another for the middle setting, and both at once for the brightest setting. That requires you to use them in a special socket with an extra electrical contact. That isn’t the case with these SceneSwitch LEDs: They’ll work anywhere, with any common on/off switch.
It isn’t the first LED to offer built-in dimming trickery. The unique-looking Nanoleaf Bloom LED took a similar approach back in 2014 — it gradually fades to full brightness when you first turn it on, and by flipping the switch off and on during that fade, you can lock in a lower light setting. That bulb impressed us, but was tough to recommend at $40 each (about AU$55/£30). A similar LED that costs a lot less sounds pretty appealing to me.
In addition to the standard A-shaped, 60W-equivalent version, Philips says that spotlight and flame-shaped SceneSwitch LEDs are on the way this fall. That’ll bring candelabras, sconces and recessed lighting fixtures into play, and help shore up the “add dimming to any fixture in your home” part of the pitch.
Philips tells us to expect to start seeing the new SceneSwitch LEDs in the US on August 1, a few weeks after they’re slated to arrive in Europe and the UK. You can expect a full review just as soon as we’re able to get our hands on one.
The ‘world’s smallest 4K camera’ has big ambitions
If your sole guidance on an industry was the share price of the market leader, then you’d definitely consider it a tough 12 months for action cameras. That said, newcomer So Special Labs isn’t put off. In fact, it thinks its Mokacam GoPro rival might just be the tonic the product category needs. The 4K action camera packs a dual punch of being small and reasonably priced. At $270, it’s more than $200 cheaper than GoPro’s flagship 4K camera, and it deliberately tries to improve on its rival pain points. With all of that going for it, is the diminutive Mokacam able to compete with the biggest name in this space?
Going by the marketing, you’d think the Mokacam’s key selling point was its size. On its hugely successful Indiegogo site, the company claims three separate times that the device is the “world’s smallest 4K camera,” and that’s before you even get to the details of the product. The main website also repeats this claim throughout and boasts, “The only risk you run is not being able to find it in your bag.” Spoiler: I can confirm that it’s quite easy to find in most bags, though it is indeed on the smaller side.
The problem with the size claim is that at 45mm x 45mm x 30mm, the device isn’t that much smaller than an unadorned GoPro Hero4 (41mm x 59mm x 30mm). And depending how you measure it (if you just measure the body and ignore the lens), my ruler suggests the Mokacam might not be smaller at all. The GoPro Hero4 Session is definitely more compact than the Mokacam, but then again, it doesn’t shoot in 4K. Last, once you add the waterproof case to the Mokacam (required if it’s going to get wet), it’s actually bigger than any housed GoPro Hero4 — so I’m not sure why the company placed so much emphasis on the footprint.
The size brag seems even less necessary once you look at the spec sheet. The Mokacam has a pretty robust feature set that includes a 16-megapixel sensor (the GoPro Hero4 Black has 12); 4K video shooting at 25fps; a decent Sony sensor; and hot-swappable, magnetic batteries, plus software stabilization and motion detection. Some of these features address major pain points found in all action cameras, but a few feel specifically targeted at GoPro (battery life and the lack of image stabilization come up again and again in GoPro forums).
Mokacam wouldn’t be the first action camera that relied on unique features to stand out. Garmin’s VIRB series trades on the company’s GPS heritage, and TomTom added auto-editing, while others bet on price. The Mokacam, for its part, tries to solve genuine problems rather than create gimmicks. I already mentioned the hot-swappable magnetic 1,100 mAh batteries, for instance.
This is a genius idea that theoretically lets you record forever (at least until your memory card fills up). The magnetic back also means you can mount the Mokacam on metal surfaces directly, no accessories needed. In a similarly practical vein, the attachable LCD screen has its own battery and thus doesn’t drain the one inside the camera.
It’s not just the hardware design that’s thoughtful. The software — on both the camera and the app — also has clever features. First up is software stabilization, which I found wasn’t as smooth as the OIS found in the iPhone 6s Plus. Still, it’s better than nothing. Then there’s the motion detection. With this, you could use the Mokacam as a security camera or capture wildlife shots. Other cameras have similar features, but their inclusion here shows Mokacam’s makers are eager to please at both the hardware and software level.
Smart hardware and clever code are only as good as their delivery, though, and this is where things go a little off track for the Mokacam. Those hot-swappable batteries? A great idea and fun to snap on, but they can be knocked off during an activity (unless you’re using the case, that is). And the LCD screen? It works well enough, but the menu system isn’t intuitive. Many key features, including motion detection, are hard to find. The menu screens on the LCD are generic and look like they’d be more at home on an off-brand MP3 player from 2009. Neither of these accessories works with the optional stabilizer accessory (itself a good product, and was used in the sample video in this article).
I’d like to say that the Mokacam was also designed for ease of use. It probably was, but the reality isn’t so straightforward. It’s nice that there’s an app and an LCD screen to control the camera, but there’s barely any feedback on the camera itself. One single, tiny LED on top of the camera tells you whether the device is on, recording or taking a picture — and it’s barely visible in the waterproof case. To switch between video and photo mode, you tap a button on the side; an equally small LED provides feedback here. It’s easy to press this button by accident without realizing it. It’s also the same button that you use to activate WiFi, with a long press. Doing so dims that top LED enough so that it looks like the camera is switched off (it isn’t).
By the way, you’ll want to enable WiFi so you can use the companion app. You might wish you hadn’t bothered, though, as the software needs work. On Android, I could barely get it to run at all. I successfully connected to my phone precisely one time. The iOS version works much better but still lacks many of the menu options the LCD display provides, and it’s pretty ugly too. Other oddities include the option for 20-megapixel mode, even though the camera’s sensor has 16 megapixels, and the 4K video mode isn’t accessible here either. So unless you have the LCD (which is technically $50 extra), you’ll have to wait until the app gets updated before you can use it. Thankfully, an update is indeed in the works, the company tells me.
This is a first-generation, crowdfunded product. So I’m willing to cut it some slack if the image quality is on point. The slider below contains two versions of the same shot, one from the GoPro Hero4 Black (right) and one from the Mokacam (left). The two had near-identical settings (mostly auto). You’ll see that the Mokacam’s higher resolution results in sharper detail on the trees and other busy objects. You’ll also notice that the color is much more vivid. This may initially make the image more pleasing to the eye, but the GoPro’s color reproduction is actually much more authentic. That is to say, the Mokacam is boosting the saturation on the camera.
As for video, the results are pleasing. The general image quality is good, and there’s no screen door effect either. Colors don’t seem as amped as they do in photo mode, but there might be other factors at play. Bright backgrounds can blow out the image a touch — the cheery blue Spanish sky in the sample below seemed to come out white — and at times there’s what appears to be lens distortion. There is an option to remove that on the camera, which is a real time saver, but it’s not always practical out in the field. Overall, though, the Mokacam is good enough that, combined with price, it makes a strong case to those not willing to spend more than $300 on a camera they may only use occasionally.
Ultimately, could the Mokacam be my go-to for outdoor activities? Not right now. I love the creative thinking behind the batteries, the self-powered LCD and the ability to mount it magnetically. The camera delivers decent photos and video too. The issue for me is the usability. Simplicity is good, but visual feedback and functionality are better. Still, at $270 for a fully loaded bundle (with extra battery, LCD, waterproof case, remote and carry pouch), you might consider a few lost or accidental videos worth it.
Source: Indiegogo
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