Mini review: Our 90-second verdict on the Sony Xperia X Performance
The Xperia X Performance isn’t a bad phone, per se. It’s just that Sony’s newest flagship doesn’t bring anything new to the table. For $700, it offers fast performance (as its name suggests), and the design is water resistant, so that’s nice. Other than that, though, you’re stuck with a middling camera and occasional episodes of overheating. What’s more, it’s missing some features you’d typically expect from a device in this price range — things like a fingerprint sensor, 4K video recording and a Quad HD display. Again, it’s not a bad phone; it’s just not good enough for the price, especially with so many superior alternatives out there.
BloomSky Plus Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The BloomSky Sky2 and Storm will make up the BloomSky Plus bundle.
BloomSky
Weather-centric startup BloomSky plans to track even more of your hyperlocal climate data with its new kit, the $249 BloomSky Plus. The BloomSky Plus bundle consists of two new gadgets, the Sky2 and Storm, which combined should be capable of sensing local weather conditions. Solar-powered, the setup uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless radios to send the info it captures to home networks, cloud-based servers and ultimately a companion mobile app,
BloomSky 2.0
At the heart of the BloomSky Plus package is the Sky2, a weather station and camera system bristling with sensors that measure everything from temperature and humidity to barometric pressure. An orb about the size of a grapefruit, the Sky2’s body has a series of moisture sensors to detect rain events as they happen.
The Sky2 is almost identical to the first Sky weather station.
Fans of the original BloomSky device, the Sky, which shipped to customers in spring 2015, will find this latest station extremely similar. In fact, BloomSky says the Sky and Sky2 products are almost physically identical, with the primary difference being the Sky2’s integrated Bluetooth LTE radio. According to BloomSky the added component is meant to lean on smartphones and tablets to aid the initial configuration of the weather station and link to your home network with fewer hiccups. Hopefully this will also mean less climbing on ladders to tap the Sky2’s buttons if you place the machine on a lofty perch.
In addition to promising smoother deployments, the Sky2 will perform the same tricks as its predecessor, the most notable made possible by its onboard HD camera (1,920×1,072 pixels). During daytime hours the gizmo snaps still pictures every 3 minutes, which it them stitches together into short motion clips for your viewing pleasure.
Capture the storm
The more interesting part of the BloomSky Plus bundle is the Storm device. Tucked away inside the Storm is an anemometer designed to measure wind speed along with a weather vane for detecting wind direction from eight compass points. The Storm has a tipping-cup rain collector as well that provides an unlimited range for assessing rainfall in 0.2mm increments.
The Storm has sensors for rainfall, wind speed and direction and UV light.
BloomSky
The Storm, like the first Sky device, has a UV light sensor, and it’s equipped with its own solar panel. Without solar power, BloomSky claims the Storm’s 3.7-volt (500-mAh) rechargeable battery has one week of staying power with a full charge.
Your smart home’s eyes in the sky
The BloomSky Plus is no ordinary weather station that’s walled off from the growing universe of internet-connected objects and appliances either. BloomSky pledges that both the Sky2 and Storm will support IFTTT integration like the current Sky device. The company also claims the weather station is ready to mesh with other smart-home platforms such as Nest and SmartThings, though as of yet neither has listed BloomSky as an official partner.
See local weather around the globe in the BloomSky app.
Screenshot by Brian Bennett/CNET
Availability
BloomSky plans to launch the Sky2 and Storm along with the BloomSky Plus ($249) combo on Kickstarter July 19, and the earliest Storm units ($99) are supposed to ship to customers in late October. The same October goal applies to BloomSky Plus kits, while the Sky2 bundle ($199 including its solar panel) could arrive as soon as August. BloomSky says the products will ship globally, though prices haven’t been provided. Converted, the Storm’s price would be about £75 or AU$130, while the BloomSky Plus bundle would be about £190 or AU$330.
Fisher-Price Smart Connect 2-in-1 Projection Mobile review – CNET
The Good The Fisher-Price Smart Connect Mobile is a cool device with a lot of features. I love the idea of adding a projector to the conventional mobile.
The Bad For some parents, the $70 price tag will feel a little high for a gadget that is ultimately unnecessary — especially considering the projector has only one reel of repeating images.
The Bottom Line Although the Fisher-Price Mobile isn’t perfect, it’s a feature-rich device with a longer lifespan than most competitors in its category. For the price, it’s a solid purchase.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Buying toys for infants and toddlers is more complicated than it sounds. How much does it cost? How much clutter will it add? Will your child play with it in six months? Will they play with it at all? That’s what makes legos and blocks so special — they have a long entertainment lifespan. A conventional mobile, by contrast, often stops entertaining kids within a few months.
But Fisher-Price has a solution: a device that includes a mobile and a projector, plus a slew of extra features to sweeten the deal — all for the surprisingly affordable $70. It certainly isn’t a must-buy product, but for most parents, the Fisher-Price Smart Connect 2-in-1 Projection Mobile offers a solid long-term investment.
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The Fisher-Price Projection Mobile has it all. First off, it’s got the standard-issue lullabies and ambient sounds preprogrammed into it. It also has a dim light for checking on your child in a dark room without waking them. Plus, the mobile can spin automatically, and the projector can shoot images onto the inner dome of the mobile. The device also listens for your child’s cries, and will send you push notifications if it sounds like the kiddo is waking up.
If that sounds like a lot of features for $70, that’s because it is. And you can even control all those features and set them on timers via Bluetooth using the iOS and Android app.
OnePlus 3 Video Review
OnePlus is back this year and stronger than ever with the release of the OnePlus 3, it’s high-end flagship quality phone that ships with all the hardware you need including 64GB of storage for almost half the price of similar ranged phones. After watching, check out our full review from Daniel Treccagnoli here.
Pokemon Go Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
If you’ve been living under a rock these past few days, there’s something you need to know. A few days ago, Nintendo released a mobile app called Pokemon Go on Apple iOS and Google Android. The game integrates augmented reality and makes users travel around their local (and sometimes, not so local) area to catch small, pocketable monsters. Since its release, Pokemon Go has been a huge hit. Like, number-one-in-the-app-store-Internet-and-cultural-phenomenon huge.
But it’s not all Ho-Ohs and Butterfrees. The game is catching flack for accessing users’ full Google accounts, and if you download the game outside the Google Play Store, there’s a chance you’ll get malware instead.
To keep track about what’s going on with Pokemon Go, here’s an exhaustive (and ever growing list) of all the news coverage, how-tos, and explainers CNET has about the game.
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On what lead up to this hit:
- Pokemon Go US beta begins, battle mechanics detailed
- Pokemon Go and ‘Plus’ wearable coming next month
- Pokemon Go launches on iOS and Android
- VIDEO: Pokemon Go now on Android and iOS: CNET Update
On the TL;DR basics:
- Pokemon Go: Gyms, candy, pokeballs and everything else you need to know
- Pokemon Go: Where it’s available now – and coming soon
- VIDEO: A Crash Course On Pokémon GO: Gaming
On how to do practically everything on Pokemon Go:
- 3 pro tips for throwing Pokeballs in Pokemon Go
- How gym battles work in Pokemon Go
- Here’s exactly what you get at every Pokemon Go level
- How to get Pikachu as your starter in Pokemon Go
- VIDEO: How to throw a Pokeball in Pokemon Go
- VIDEO: Pokemon Go: What are gyms?
On its growing cultural impact:
- All the Pokemon Go news from around the world
- It took just one day for Pokemon Go to outstrip Tinder
- Pokemon Go is taking over Spotify too
- Don’t play Pokemon Go while driving a car, state says
- Woman playing Pokemon Go finds dead body
- Pokemon Go players targeted in series of armed robberies, police say
- A wild Pokemon Go appears in Asia
- Pokemon Go: Have you caught the fever? (The 3:59 Podcast, Ep. 75)
- Let the Pokemon Go pub crawls begin
- Is Pokemon Go better than a gym membership?
- VIDEO: Strange Sightings in Pokémon GO: Gaming
- VIDEO: What you look like playing Pokemon Go
On malware, personal data and other bad stuff:
- For Pokemon Go, it’s stop — at least temporarily
- Pokemon Go: Gotta catch all your personal data
- How to avoid Pokemon Go malware
- Pokemon Go can see everything in your Google account. Here’s how to stop it
On its effect on Nintendo:
- Pokemon Go pumps up Nintendo’s value by billions
- Nintendo’s stock surges after Pokemon Go rocks iOS and Android devices
- Pokemon Go is a certified hit. What’s Nintendo’s next play?
- VIDEO: Pokemon Go aftermath: Nintendo makes billions, malware spreads: CNET Update
Gear Fit 2 review – can Samsung get fitness tracking right?
The fitness segment of wearables is as crowded as ever, and even though smartwatches are trying to converge on that territory, there is still a market for active-specific devices. Samsung brought one in the form of a wrap around wearable called the Gear Fit, and then we never really saw it again. Until now – Samsung has released the Gear Fit 2 to take on the fitness trackers of the world.
Other fitness trackers:
- Fitbit Charge HR vs Garmin vivosmart HR
- Fitbit Alta Review
- Fitbit Blaze review
Does it keep up with the competition or does it get left in the dust? Is the Gear Fit 2 the best fitness tracker or should you get a dedicated unit? Find out in this, our full Samsung Gear Fit 2 review.
Buy the Gear Fit 2 now!
Design and Display
The Gear Fit 2 is a lot like the original Gear fit in terms of design – it is still a wraparound device that isn’t afraid to stray away from a more conventional watch form factor. Instead, the plastic band simply wraps around the wrist and fastens with a simple nub on one of the arms that goes into the holes on the other. Finding the right fit isn’t that difficult, as the Gear Fit 2 comes with detachable wristbands in small and large sizes, with plenty of notches to fit all manner of wrists. Though proprietary, there are other colors of these bands for those of you that like to customize your products.
Once wrapped around, this is basically a small peripheral that sports a sizeable, curved touchscreen accompanied by a couple of buttons on the right side and an optical heart rate monitor that rests on the skin. The lower button on the right returns the user to the homescreen, while the upper button is for going backwards in the Tizen UI. They are easy to find and have a good click to them.
But most of the navigation on the Gear Fit 2 is done on the 1.84 inch Super AMOLED display, which has a resolution of 432×216. Swiping from side to side brings the user to the different widgets that include shortcuts to the heart rate monitor, workouts, and trackers for water and caffeine intake. The colors on the AMOLED screen are where one would expect from Samsung, and the display is properly responsive for getting in and out of the various features.
While the display does a good job of showing workout, sleep, and heart rate information, it does have a limit when receiving notifications – often emails and long messages will be eventually cut off, ending with the ability to reply (depending on the app in question) or the option to open the notification on the paired smartphone. The display does a good job of showing its information without requiring a whole lot of squinting – but as with any wearable, it is not the most ideal place to read longer forms of text.
Overall, the Gear Fit 2 doesn’t weigh down the wrist and it is light enough to generally forget it is even there – given how easy it is to put on, removal and replacement when necessary is as easy as it can be. And in most situations, the Gear Fit 2 can handle some punishment – with a IP68 certification, it is water resistant. Though it is not specifically rated for swimming or showering, everything from hand washing splashes and full showers haven’t done any damage to the Gear Fit 2.
Hardware
The Gear Fit 2 comes with a few extra features required of a proper fitness device, and that includes GPS, Bluetooth, the heart rate monitor, and 4GB of onboard storage that can be utilized from the Gear Manager on the smartphone.
To start off, the 200mAh battery allows the Gear to go for a few days without needing to dock it into the included proprietary charger. When paired to the phone and receiving messages, a few days happens pretty easily – however, at one point I used the wearable without the Bluetooth on and it lasted plenty longer, close to 5 and a half days. When tracking workouts consistently, the device will obviously drain battery faster. Your mileage will vary – pun intended.
Samsung smartphones aren’t particularly required to enjoy the benefits of the Gear Fit 2, as the device can be paired to phones that have the Gear Manager and S Health installed. In my case, I was able to have the phone paired to the OnePlus 3, and even look at the information transferred to the phone through S Health, installed via the Play Store.
Those who listen to music during workouts can use a Spotify app on the Gear Fit 2, but that does require the phone to be in range. On the other hand, users can transfer local music files to the device via the Gear Manager and listen to music that way – simply pair a Bluetooth headset to the Gear and it will play music from the built in music player. It works quite well and provides a convenient way to bring audio along for workouts without having to rely too heavily on the smartphone. Audio prompts of how long or how far the activity has gone are routed to the headphones, as well, which is useful.
Though users can manually start workouts, one important facet of wearables today is the ability to automatically recognize activity. GPS is always on in the Gear Fit 2, used in conjunction with the accelerometer in order to track distances and possible workouts like walking, running, and hiking. When used with workouts, the GPS needs to lock onto the user and then the path of the activity will be saved for later viewing. Getting a GPS lock tended to take a little while, but once it was set, workouts were properly tracked in both the device and the smartphone’s S Health application.
Distance is one way of tracking a workout, but monitoring one’s heart rate is another option. The optical monitor also does automatic tracking, focusing on resting heart rate through measurements every 10 minutes. The lower one’s resting heart rate is, the better the person’s general fitness is – so, this is a welcome feature of the Gear Fit 2. For the most part, it is fairly accurate and gives a pretty constant look at one’s personal health.
On the other hand, using the heart rate monitor during workouts is very hit or miss. To begin with, heart rate monitoring is only available for basically cardio workouts like running. I personally prefer lifting exercises over straight cardio, so this means that the heart rate monitor is less useful for me. And even then, the accuracy of the monitor during high intensity workouts is worse – when compared to a chest-mounted monitor like ones made by Polar, the heart rate is often more than a dozen beats off of the real mark. This is often the case with heart rate monitors on wrist wearables, but it means the Gear Fit 2 is not made for those enthusiasts who micromanage their workouts.
Fitness Tracking
The Gear Fit 2, as mentioned, is able to automatically track activity, but that is also true for sleep. When registering little to no motion while sleeping, the Gear Fit 2 can tell users the ‘efficiency’ of rest. It seems to take a while for the device to register that sleep is over – likely because obvious movement first needs to happen – but a notification showing the percentage of sleep efficiency will eventually greet users in the morning. Mine was always in the nineties, which seems a little suspect, but at least movement graphs in the S Health app show a little more information.
That said, one of the more useful features of a smart wearable is missing in the Gear Fit 2 – wake up alarms. Personally I think that using vibration feedback for alarms is one of the most important features for a smartwatch – a smart fitness wearable, moreover – to have.
When walking or running around in general, the Gear Fit 2 will try to track the activity – for example, when I attended Anime Expo, the long walks to and from areas in the Convention Center made the wearable vibrate and prompt me about my current length of activity, sometimes telling me to ‘keep it up’ or keep up the pace.’ All of this tracking goes toward the overall amount S Health recommends – either one hour or the default 6000 steps.
Starting actual workouts is simple – just swipe over to the workout widget, select the type of activity, and hit start. There are a few different options for tracking, like distance, pace, or calories burned. Heart rate monitoring happens consistently during cardio movements and does not happen at all when doing other activities – setting “Other Workout” for weight lifting kept the monitor off, which I already mentioned is not ideal for me.
There are other workouts found lower on the list, including bodyweight exercises like squats and crunches. These are actually pretty useful, as the device uses the built-in meters to register movements based on the prompts displayed before starting. In one case, doing a bunch of squats required an almost crossed arm position so that the Gear Fit 2 knew when it was lowered and lifted due to the movement. This part of the fitness tracking is kind of nifty, albeit rather simplistic.
And that is, basically, the best way to describe the Gear Fit 2 in terms of a fitness tracker – like quite a few trackers made by companies that are not already entrenched in the fit world, it is best used as a way to get a glimpse into one’s daily activity.
For full fitness enthusiasts, it isn’t the most accurate tracker but comes with a number of good tools – users can even track how much water or caffeine has been consumed. To track resting heart rate and steps, the Gear Fit 2 does a pretty good job – when the activity gets more intense, usage ultimately gets a little tougher to accurately track. And for people who are already serious about fitness tracking, the Gear Fit 2 may not do enough to replace their already existing solutions.
Software
Tizen is the interface used in the Gear Fit 2, as is the case with the current Gear family of wearables. It is simple, easy to navigate, and provides a proper suite of tools. Notifications are routed to the wearable, so that users will not miss any important messages or alerts. These can be active on a per-app basis, easily changed in the Manager.
When notifications arrive, they are displayed in a scrollable block of text with some options on the bottom. The options are very limited, however, as replies to messages can only be done on either the built-in Samsung SMS messenger and Facebook Messenger. The Google Messenger app, for example, does allow reading back the conversation, but replying relies on canned responses or emoji. And as mentioned before, long form messages are eventually truncated – this isn’t a big deal for a fitness wearable, since reading full e-mails isn’t something that should be done during activity, but it is important to keep in mind.
As this is Tizen on the Gear Fit 2, the Gear Manager and Galaxy Apps systems are required to install extra applications and watchfaces on the device. Watchfaces and widgets are easy to change on the wearable, requiring just a long press on the screen in order to trigger customizations. However, when going into the actual app stores, there is a severe lack of third party applications. I was very happy to find one well-designed and functional watchface, but that’s about all I’ve found in terms of extras. Especially since the original Gear Fit was available quite a while ago, we thought there would be more developed apps.
Gallery
Conclusion
As so, there you have it. A smart wearable by Samsung that hopes to give users a better look into their daily fitness. When taken in the context of fitness trackers, the Gear Fit 2 finds itself among an incredibly crowded market filled with companies that have a lot more experience in the fit world. That said, Samsung has done a great job of adapting their mobile knowledge into the fitness space, and the Gear Fit 2 is slightly above average in terms of tracking.
It unfortunately pales in comparison to much more focused trackers, especially when it comes to heart rate during workouts, but as a way of snapshotting daily activity and consumption, this and S Health are good for the user that needs more than nothing. If you are already tracking your health with another device, the Gear Fit 2 will probably not replace what is already sitting on your wrist. But for everyone else, the appropriately priced $179.99 Gear Fit 2 is a good start that provides just enough to be useful.
Other fitness trackers:
- Fitbit Charge HR vs Garmin vivosmart HR
- Fitbit Alta Review
- Fitbit Blaze review
What do you think of the Gear Fit 2 and do you plan to buy one? Do you like fitness trackers on your wrist? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Buy the Gear Fit 2 now!
Incipio Offgrid Express for iPhone 6/6S review – CNET
The Good The Incipio Offgrid Express will fully charge the iPhone once and powers up your phone’s battery just as quickly as more expensive chargers.
The Bad The case has a few inelegant open seams that look unattractive and awkward.
The Bottom Line The Incipio Offgrid Express has some design flaws, but get this over the pricier Mophie Juice Pack.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
If you’re looking for a slim battery case to charge your iPhone on the go, but you don’t want to spend more than $100, the Incipio Offgrid Express is a good $80 option (or £60 and approximately AU$110). The accessory offers a meaty 3,000mAh battery and it can double your phone’s battery life for a good deal less than Mophie’s $120 Juice Pack Plus.
Though its battery reserves aren’t as high as the Juice Pack Plus (the Mophie sports 3,300mAh battery) and its design isn’t as clean cut, Incipio’s case does essentially the same thing and works just as well.
To use the Offgrid Express, plug the handset into the battery charger and snap the bumper around the phone’s edges to attach both pieces together. For the first few times, I had a hard time snapping the bumper into place all the way since there always seemed to be a gap at the seams. But as I kept fastening the case together throughout the day, I eventually got the hang of it.
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On the bottom right edge is a button that turns on the indicator lights so you know how much charge is left. You can also long press the button to turn the charger on and off. The case uses Micro-USB charge, which is common for iPhone battery cases. Because of this, you’ll need two different cords to charge your case and iPhone (the latter uses a proprietary eight-pin Lightning connection). If this is a big deal for you, Apple has its own Smart Battery Case that uses the eight-pin port too.
During my time with the case, I saw that it did attract some fingerprint smudges, but they’re much easier to wipe off compared to Mophie’s case. The Offgrid Express also adds extra bulk to your device, especially at the bottom. Because your headphones may not fit through the case and into the handset’s headphone jack, Incipio included a headphone port extender. In addition, a small rectangle on the left of the case is cut out to allow users access to the phone’s ring/silent switch. Given the overall thickness of the case, that means you’ll need to dig your fingers a bit deeper to toggle this on and off.
Ozmo Active Smart Cup review – CNET
The Good The $60/£45/AU$80 Ozmo Active Smart Cup looks great, its related app is easy to navigate and its simple reminders encourage you to drink more water and less caffeine.
The Bad Ozmo occasionally thinks water is coffee — and vice versa. It can’t track other caffeinated beverages like tea or soda.
The Bottom Line Ozmo’s Active Smart Cup is a neat concept whose hit-or-miss performance and limited features don’t match its high price.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The Ozmo Active Smart Cup is an intriguing concept that gets bogged down by its high price and lack of features, ultimately making it tough to recommend. Here’s the gist.
To combat dehydration, Hong-Kong-based startup Ozmo developed a $60/£45/AU$80 16-ounce Bluetooth-enabled cup available worldwide (also called Ozmo). Of course, you can put any drink under 176°F (80°C) in this sturdy-lidded drink holder, but it’s specifically designed to auto-log your water and coffee consumption via built-in sensors. Initial question: Do we really need this much help remembering to drink water?
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The Ozmo app walks you through the simple initial configuration then asks for some basic information — your age, your height and weight, and your activity level (from low to extreme). From there, it arrives at an optimal amount of water you should drink every day. Mine was 108 ounces or 13.5 cups. That seemed high, but it’s probably because I grew up with the ol’ 8 cups of water a day adage and never really questioned it.
The software also decides on a maximum daily caffeine intake for you, 21 ounces in my case — just over 2.5 cups.
Motorola Moto G4 Plus review – CNET
The Good In addition to retaining its sibling’s water-resistant body and full HD screen, the Moto G4 Plus adds a fingerprint sensor, slightly better camera, and you can select more storage and memory.
The Bad That fingerprint scanner confusingly looks like a home button, and the lack of NFC means you can’t use the phone for contactless payments.
The Bottom Line The Moto G4 Plus adds a fingerprint sensor and slightly better camera to the mix, but its cheaper sibling is still the better deal.
See manufacturer for pricing.
The Motorola Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 are extremely similar Android phones that perform far better than you’d expect for the price. In fact, these fourth-generation entries in the Moto G line effectively redefine value in the smartphone realm, moving from merely “good enough” to “amazingly good for the money.”
Both phones offer a bevy of solid features, including 5.5-inch full HD screens, capable octa-core processors and decent 3,000mAh batteries, including some notable niceties — expandable storage and water-resistant bodies — not found on current iPhone models that retail for three times as much.
The Moto G4 Plus edges ahead in the specs race with a fingerprint sensor and a better camera. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t include NFC compatibility for Android Pay purchases at real-world retailers.
For that reason, we’re more inclined to stick with the base G4 model, which costs just $199 or £169 at its base configuration. But if you value scanning your finger to unlock and zooming in to photos for more detail, the Plus may well be worth the modest price increase — an extra $50 or £30.
Read our full review of the Moto G4 for details on both phones, or continue here for a quick overview on the primary differences between the two models.
Editors’ note (July 6, 2016): This review has been corrected to reflect that the G4 Plus does not offer NFC or Android Pay, and that we recommend the cheaper Moto G4 as the better overall buy.
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What’s the price difference?
Motorola doesn’t make it easy to give a direct comparison between the US and UK markets. That’s because the phone is available in slightly different configurations at retailers (like Amazon) and the company’s own Moto Maker site (where you can configure customised versions). But the bottom line is that both phones have amazingly low starting prices for what you’re getting.
The base 16GB G4 is $199 or £169. Adding $30 or £30 gets you a 32GB version at Motorola’s website. (For the equivalent price in Australian dollars, please see the spec chart at the end of this review.)
The base 16GB version of the G4 Plus starts at $249 or £199. For £30 more (£229), those in the UK can get a 32GB version (not currently available in the US). The Plus tops out at $299 or £264 for 64GB, which also doubles the on-board RAM to 4GB from 2.
The bottom line is that the Plus adds a couple of “nice to have” features, especially if you prefer to unlock the phone with your fingerprint or like to zoom in to your photos for greater detail. But the lack of NFC and full Android Pay features makes us inclined to stick with the baseline G4 model.
What’s different between the G4 and G4 Plus?
It boils down to two main things. The G4 Plus has a larger, 16-megapixel (versus 13MP) camera and a fingerprint scanner that unlocks the phone. What the Plus also allows you to do is spec up the internal storage capacity up to 64GB, which also snags you double the RAM (4GB in total).
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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
If the fingerprint scanner had worked with point of sale Android Pay, the G4 Plus would be an easy recommendation over its less expensive twin. But its lack of NFC means you won’t be paying for cabs and Chicken McNuggets at the register.
One other problem with the fingerprint sensor is that it looks like a home button and I regularly found myself pressing it to leave an app — which does nothing, as it purely functions as a scanner.
Do I need the G4 Plus’s 16-megapixel camera?
More resolution means more pixels are crammed into the image, so fine details on shots taken with the Plus’s 16-megapixel sensor look sharper. Take a look at the comparison image below to see what that really does to an image.
Moto G4 Vs Moto G4 Plus camera resolution comparison (click to see full size)
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
More pixels don’t always make better-looking photos, though. Both phones can capture lovely scenes and are well equipped for your summer snaps. The resolution is only a benefit if you want to zoom in on details, or display them at full screen on a monitor. If you mostly look at your shots on the phone or on Instagram, the extra resolution matters less.
Yamaha YSP-2700 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Yamaha
Until recently there were only a couple of sound bars that peeked “Kilroy was here”-style over the $1,000 mark, but now we have two just from Yamaha alone. The company is following up its gargantuan YSP-5600 sound bar with a sleeker, less-costly option in the YSP-2700.
The YSP-2700 is a “7.1-channel” sound bar — with a wireless sub — that uses Yamaha’s Digital Sound Projector technology to simulate surround sound. The Yamaha uses a series of 16 drivers across the front of the unit to beam sounds around the room. In the past we’ve found the technology works better than competitors’ in providing an enveloping soundstage, even if it’s not very successful at producing rear effects.
Like models such as the Zvox’s SB500 and Definitive Technology’s W Studio series, the 37-inch-wide Yamaha YSP-2700 takes cues from the computer industry by shunning a plastic housing in favor of a solid block of aluminum.
As expected for a $1,199 (AU$1,499; not yet announced for the UK) sound bar, the connectivity includes three HDMI inputs and one output that offer 4K pass-through compatibility. The sound bar will also decode both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for users who want to be able to decode all manner of Blu-ray soundtracks.
The Yamaha includes Bluetooth streaming both from a phone and even more handily to a set of Bluetooth headphones.
As with most new products under the Yamaha banner, the YSP-2700 includes Yamaha’s multiroom Wi-Fi system called MusicCast. It offers streaming of a number of services including Pandora, Spotify and Rhapsody plus hi-res music from a networked device.
The YSP-2700 will be available in the US in September, while availability in the UK and Australia have yet to be announced.
AIVAnet 