Lenovo Phab2 Plus Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Lenovo Phab2 Plus has a 6.4-inch screen and a 13-megapixel dual rear camera.
Lenovo
The Lenovo Phab2 Plus does not pack Google’s Project Tango technology (found in the Phab2 Pro) but it is an affordable Android phone that brings some augmented reality tricks.
The Phab2 Plus boasts two rear 13-megapixels cameras with f/1.8 aperture and features Fujitsu Milbeaut, the advanced image processing software found in Leica cameras.
This combination allows the Phab2 Plus render a high photo quality with great detail even in situations of low light, showing high contrast, vibrant and natural colors. The technology also allows great detail in shaded areas and a blurred background that makes main objects protrude further.
Augmented reality on the Lenovo Phab2 Plus comes in the form of a special-effects mode, which allows you to add different objects and effects to photos and videos shot with the camera. This phone’s camera also lets you focus photos after they have been taken and allows you to swap the background of the scene.
Lenovo
The Lenovo Phab2 Plus adds sound technology from Dolby Atmos, promising a pleasant surround-sound experience. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD screen with a 2.5D curved glass, a fingerprint scan on the back and runs Android Marshmallow.
The Phab2 Plus runs on a MediaTek MTK-8783 octa-core processor; has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and the possibility to expand it up to 128GB through a microSD chip. Its front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor, runs radio FM and has a 4,050mAh battery that promises a full day of use on one charge.
Price and availability
The Lenovo Phab2 Plus will be sold at $299 and it will be available worldwide in September.
Lenovo
First impression
The Lenovo Phab2 Plus has everything needed to offer a pretty good experience. However, it’s huge, 6.4-inch screen makes it a little too big for an average user and its processor is sluggish when you try to use several apps at a time.
Although Lenovo promises that its double rear camera allows very good photos, this is not the first cell to allow certain features, including focus after shooting them or integrate different effects on photos. We will be putting this phone to test in order to bring you more details about its performance. The good news is that it is a phone with good specs at a relatively low price of $299.
Lenovo PHAB 2, PHAB2 Plus, PHAB2 Pro hands on
It’s a grand old party for Lenovo, who for the longest time, has been manly focused on selling its smartphones abroad –but no longer. Now the time has finally come for the company to tackle the US market, a place that’s still largely uncharted territory for them, despite having acquired Motorola back in 2014.
Anyone can manufacture and sell an Android-based smartphone, but for Lenovo, its success hinges on offering at least a couple key qualities that help to differentiate its stuff from the vast number of players already saturating the market. Thankfully, Lenovo has seemingly delivered just that. Lenovo and Google have been teasing us about what Project Tango is capable of doing for a while now, but at long last, they’ve unveiled the world’s first Tango-enabled smartphone at Lenovo TechWorld 2016.
In addition to the new Tango-powered handset, Lenovo have two other smartphones that are backed with irresistible prices and relatively few compromises considering the asking price. With the unveiling of its new PHAB 2 line, it’ll be interesting to see how much attention Lenovo will get from consumers in the US market.
Design
We have three smartphones in this new line, the Lenovo PHAB2, PHAB2 Plus, and finally, the Tango-ready PHAB2 PRO. For the most part, the trio all share the same fundamental design language. They’re big phones, really big! As the model names imply, they’re phablets meant for people who love big phones – or those who want that bridge form-factor between 7-inch tablets and today’s average sized smartphones.
Part of the reason why they’re all so large is because they’re fashioned with 6.4-inch sized screens, which is plenty of real-estate room to enjoy movies and such. Now, the main differences between them are the materials used for their chassis. Being the entry-level of the bunch, the PHAB2 has a body comprised out of mostly plastic and doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor. A step up from that, the PHAB2 Plus swaps the plastic for metal (aluminum alloy) – while adding that fingerprint sensor as well. And finally, the PHAB2 Pro looks very similar to the PHAB2 Plus, given that it also boasts a metal body, but it has a unibody design with slightly thicker separator lines on the back.
Aesthetically, we wouldn’t say that these designs are necessarily fresh, especially when it looks very much like other metallic phones we’ve seen released this year including the HTC 10, the Huawei P9, and ZTE Axon 7. We’re not drooling over them, but despite that, we’ll give them credit for going with designs that aren’t just ripped directly from Motorola.
Display
As we’ve mentioned already, all three phones boast 6.4-inch sized screens, so there’s a ton of room to enjoy content. Just like their designs, they follow the same premise with their resolutions. With that, you’re going to find a 720p IPS screen with the PHAB2, a better 1080p display with the PHAB2 Plus, and a pixel crunching Quad-HD IPS display with the PHAB2 Pro.
The resolutions directly relate to their sharpness and detail, as the PHAB2’s 720p screen is pretty light on the fine details, while the Quad HD resolution of the PHAB2 Pro looks exquisitely detailed. Not only does it have the best looking screen out of the bunch, but it features what Lenovo refers to as an “Assertive Display,” which is simply means that it can optimize the image quality depending on the ambient lighting and the kind of content that’s being shown.
Hardware
You’ve probably already caught on to the low-mid-high range theme going between these three new smartphones, so don’t be shocked to find the same approach when it comes to processing hardware. The entry-level of the bunch, the PHAB2, features a quad-core MediaTek 8735 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Next up, the PHAB2 Plus gets a small upgrade in the form of a quad-core MediaTek 8783 chip with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of saving memory. And finally, the PHAB2 Pro leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of base storage.
Thankfully, every one of these devices offers expandable storage thanks to the available microSD card slots they offer. In terms of performance, however, it’s obvious that the PHAB2 Pro has the snappiest operation thanks to the Snapdragon 820 it’s packing, which is needed for it to run many of the Tango features effectively. Conversely, the PHAB2 and PHAB2 Plus might seem like they’ve been overlooked, but don’t worry because they appear to operate relatively fine at least for those with relatively modest needs and expectations.
Camera
Now this is where things really get juicy, mainly because the PHAB2 Pro is fashioned with hardware that makes it Tango-ready. On the back, it’s hard to miss the camera modules and sensors that work hand-in-hand for Tango and the vast augmented reality experiences it’s capable of delivering. There are technically three major components that validate it being Tango-ready: a fisheye camera lens to get a wide view of the space, an RGB camera that helps in sensing what’s around the room, and an IR emitter that sends out an IR grid to measure the time of flight, or in laymen’s terms, its helps to measure distance. Needless to say, we’re really excited about this, but we’ll talk more about the Tango experiences in the next section.
As for the other two phones, they carry 13-megapixel cameras with phase detection auto-focus, but the PHAB2 Plus gets an extra jolt because it’s a dual-camera configuration for post-bokeh effects, and offers an f/2.0 aperture lens, laser auto-focus assist, and 1.34 micro pixels.
Software
Love it or hate it, all three phones are running Lenovo’s custom skin on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing depending on who you talk to, but the more compelling thing here is how the PHAB2 Pro is Tango-ready, giving us a glimpse into the future of augmented reality with our smartphones. While augmented reality is nothing new in the grand scheme of things, Google’s work with Project Tango goes the extra step by giving freedom to AR – no longer restricting it to just a static experience.
What we mean by that is that you can use the PHAB2 Pro in ways that weren’t possible before. We managed to check out some Tango demos, like an upcoming Lowe’s app that provides conceptual ideas of what your future kitchen might look like by visualizing a specific stove, refrigerator, or other appliances right where you intend on putting them in a room. It’s a neat thing if you’re a home decorator especially, since you can visualize where things will go prior to actually buying them.
Another demo was a first person shooter having us destroy these aerial drones floating around the room. Even though we’re still in the early stages of what Tango is capable of, the demo shows us how it can map a room out with its sensors – thus, allowing us to move around the room to track and destroy these aerial drones. It makes us think about the possibility of one day seeing Tango-ready phones strapped into headsets like Google Cardboard, but rather than a stationary experience, we’d be able to move around in space.
We managed to check out several other demos too, like this one demo that allowed us to play and setup dominos in the AR space, and another dinosaur experience that showcases Tango’s ability to scale appropriately as you’re moving around in space. Overall, however, the software here with the PHAB2 Pro and Tango establishes a new experience that we haven’t seen before. As more developers get on board, we can only imagine getting better, more meaningful experiences.
Conclusion so far
Tango might be the big hoopla at Lenovo Tech World, but at the same time, it’s also Lenovo’s official foray into the US smartphone market. Better yet, they’re sticking with a firm strategy with the rollout of its PHAB2 line, just because they’re all priced aggressively – $199, $299, and $499 respectively for the PHAB2, PHAB2 Plus, and PHAB2 Pro. All three will be available globally beginning in September, but most likely earlier for the US.
Price-wise, they all have their value. At $199, you’re getting a mighty big phone that should be ample for most users with the PHAB2. Going up from that, the $299 PHAB2 Plus benefits from having a metal body, a fingerprint sensor, and slightly beefed up specs. And lastly, the $499 PHAB2 Pro is still not too shabby given that it has the same specs as any contemporary flagship right now, but it’s the sole device on the market that brilliantly shows off what Tango is capable of delivering.
2016 Toyota Land Cruiser review – Roadshow
The Good The Land Cruiser is immensely capable, comfortable and more or less fully loaded in its single trim level.
The Bad Those that don’t understand the Land Cruiser’s history will have a hard time getting over the fact that a Toyota costs $84,000. That, and the third-row seats don’t really fold out of the way that well.
The Bottom Line Whether you’re rock crawling or mall crawling, the Land Cruiser is more than ready to deal with whatever you’re throwing at it, and it will do so with the aplomb of its fancier competition.
“That Toyota costs how much?!”
Toyota has built a reputation in the States for having affordable, reliable passenger cars. It’s quite the conversation starter when you roll up in a ‘Yota that starts at $83,825.
In other parts of the world, the Land Cruiser is lauded for its capability mixed with Toyota’s history of building rock-solid SUVs. It’s the preferred dune crusher in the Middle East, where oil flows precipitate into cash flows that make the Land Cruiser’s MSRP seem like a pittance.
But it’s not like the money isn’t well spent. This Toyota’s high cost of admission gives you a fully loaded utility vehicle that spares no expense on the utility side, despite the fact that many of its owners may never put a foot in the dirt. It’s basically Japan’s Range Rover, and taken in that context, it’s actually a pretty good value.
The
2016
Toyota
Land
Cruiser
can
do…
See full gallery
1 – 6 of 31
Next
Prev
Easy on the eyes, inside and out
For the 2016 model year, Toyota threw the Land Cruiser a wealth of aesthetic upgrades. The front and rear fasciae are all new, with bright LED lighting front and back. With a big, strong grille and a hefty chrome strip straddling the taillights, this vehicle exudes physical heft — as it should, with a curb weight nearing 6,000 pounds.
I’m actually quite keen on the interior. It’s well laid out and easy on the eyes.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
But, on the whole, it’s a handsome beast. It manages to look both new and old at the same time, the latter giving you a sense of reliability and ruggedness. Of course, it looks great parked outside of Saks, too, but hopefully owners will actually take this thing off-road on occasion.
The interior is a bit less premium feeling than, say, a Cadillac Escalade or a Land Rover Range Rover, but it’s no less useful and comfortable. The leather feels expensive, while certain heavy-use parts like the door handles and 4WD controls feel chunky and durable. It’s an interesting mix of capable and cushy, which describes the whole Land Cruiser experience in a nutshell. You feel less likely to break or sully something expensive than you do in the competition.
The Land Cruiser comes in a single specification, so its base price is also its fully loaded price, barring a few small additions such as rubber floor mats ($250) and a pair of wireless headphones for the second-row entertainment system ($80). Despite this, you still get blank buttons on several panels, which is annoying at this price point.
The standard third row has enough room to keep my svelte six-foot frame comfortable for about an hour. After that, leg cramps start to kick in. The seats fold up and to the side with a couple of simple latch pulls and some assistance from built-in struts. While it may be easy to move them, their stowed position means cargo capacity isn’t all it could be.
Tech-forward in some ways, tech-backward in others
If you’ve spent time in any other modern Toyota, the Land Cruiser’s giant, 9.0-inch touchscreen will be quite familiar. Even if not, Toyota’s Entune wins points for being relatively snappy, easy to navigate and quick to boot up. Pairing my iPhone took about 45 seconds. Once it’s paired, I was able to bring even more applications into the vehicle by way of Entune Apps. And while I was saddened by Toyota’s typical lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I found Siri Eyes Free to be a helpful addition in keeping my eyes on the road.
The infotainment system is attached to a 14-speaker JBL Synthesis sound system, and it’s probably the best I’ve heard from any Toyota, perhaps even besting the optional Mark Levinson systems found in Lexus models. Sounds were crisp and distortion-free almost all the way to full volume.
Sadly, with only one USB port, you won’t be charging too many phones. While the second row lacks a USB port, it does have a 12-volt outlet, an HDMI input for the rear-seat entertainment system and two 3.5mm audio jacks.
The weirdest tech omission by far — well beyond having just one USB port — is the lack of a one-touch turn signal. Nearly every modern vehicle will flash its blinker three or more times with a light tap of the turn signal stalk. Not the Land Cruiser, though. It’s about the simplest thing ever, but it’s not here.
This is one of the best audio experiences of any Toyota or Lexus.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Connected Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Smart toothbrush plus phone app with tooth-map: keeping track of where you brush.
Scott Stein/CNET
There are connected toothbrushes that track how long you brush. Philips Sonicare’s newest model also wants to build a 3D map of your mouth.
The Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Connected toothbrush, announced today, is the company’s first adult brush with an app. And it has nearly as many features as its product name has letters. In addition to Bluetooth (of course), the brush adds accelerometer and gyros plus pressure sensors to know what direction and angle the brush is facing, and how hard you’re brushing. It shows this data and maps it against a 3D tooth map on an iPhone or Android app for real-time feedback as the brushing happens. I went to check out the brush, briefly, because I was curious. But I didn’t get to brush with it.
The brush and app can handle personalized dental hygiene regimens, according to Philips. Users can customize areas to target in the connected tooth-map phone app, which will also track habits over time. The brush senses which tooth you’re near, and advises accordingly in-app. A dental hygienist could go over the personal tooth-map with the patient and address the trouble areas, and the brush would incorporate that extra coaching in the daily guidance. Extra attention to one tooth, or maybe taking it easy on the rear ones that just got crowns.
Scott Stein/CNET
Besides location sensors, Philips’ connected brush has features of the existing top-end Sonicate brush, the Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Sonic: pressure sensors with vibrating feedback, three brushing modes with different intensity levels, and a two-minute timer.
Away from a phone the toothbrush won’t handle the location-based brush guidance, but will do everything else and sync back to the phone app (it can last two weeks on a charge).
The brush costs $199.99 (equivalent to £138 UK, or AU$267), and is coming out later this summer. I didn’t get a chance to brush with one, but I watched a brief demo of how the brush recognizes location and position. I’m a pretty lax brusher, and I have no idea how my dentist would feel about this brush. Philips claims that people who have tested learned to brush better. Will it train me? I have no idea, but I’m curious. I’m just not sure I could put up with the hassle.
Pentax K-70 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Pentax
Pentax adds an affordable, weather-resistant dSLR model to its enthusiast lineup, the K-70. In many ways it’s essentially the less power-user-focused K-S2, but with a design that targets gloved-hand operation and with an updated autofocus system.
It’s slated to ship in July for a body-only price of $650. UK and Australian prices aren’t yet available, but that directly converts to £445 and AU$863.
Though it’s not a kit, Pentax also announced an updated version of its 55-300mm lens intended for the K-70 photographer, the HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm f4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE. It adds a direct-driving motor for faster operation (Pulse Motor), an electromagnetic diaphragm for smoother exposure changes during video, its HD coating to reduce flare and a more compact, water-resistant and lightweight design. It’s also scheduled to ship in July for $400 (directly converted, £275 and AU$533).
What’s new
- Hybrid autofocus. One of Pentax’s weak areas has been its Live View autofocus — the contrast autofocus that makes it possible to focus when shooting via the back LCD rather than the optical viewfinder. Although the company didn’t share any details, the new autofocus should make it possible to perform continuous autofocus while shooting video. It also is rated for being able to focus in much lower levels of light than before.
- Image processor. The new version of Pentax’s PRIME MII processor adds a stop of sensitivity — I believe it’s the first inexpensive dSLR to reach a maximum ISO sensitivity of ISO 102400 — plus a mode optimized for night and astrophotography that reduces the impact of ambient light.
My take
This looks like another great value from Pentax, with a lot of powerful features that similarly priced competitors lack for a relatively cheap price.
Comparative specs
| Canon EOS Rebel T5i EOS 700D | Nikon D5500 | Pentax K-S2 | Pentax K-70 | |
| Sensor effective resolution | 18MP CMOS | 24.2MP CMOS | 20.1MP CMOS | 24.2MP CMOS |
| Sensor size | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6 mm | 23.5 x 15.6 mm | 23.5×15.6 |
| Focal-length multiplier | 1.6x | 1.5x | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| OLPF | Yes | No | No | No |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 100 – ISO 12800/25600 (exp) | ISO 100 – ISO 25600 | ISO 100 – ISO 51200 | ISO 100 – ISO 102400 |
| Burst shooting | 5fps 6 raw/22 JPEG (without continuous AF and IS off) | 5fps 100 JPEG/raw n/a | 5.5fps 30 JPEG/9 raw (with focus fixed on first frame) | 6fps 40 JPEG/10 raw |
| Viewfinder (mag/effective mag) | Optical 95% coverage 0.85x/0.53x | Optical 95% coverage 0.82x/0.55x | Optical 100% coverage 0.95x/0.63x | Optical 100% coverage 0.95x/0.63x |
| Hot Shoe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus | 9-pt AF center cross-type | 39-pt AF 9 cross- type | 11 pt AF 9 cross type hybrid phase- and contrast-detection (SAFOX X) | 11 pt AF 9 cross type (SAFOX X) |
| AF sensitivity | -0.5 – 18 EV | -1 to 19 EV | – 3 – 18 EV | – 3 – 18 EV |
| Shutter speed | 1/4,000 to 60 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/6000 to 30 seconds; bulb; 1/180 x-sync | 1/6000 to 30 seconds; bulb to 20 minutes; 1/180 x-sync |
| Metering | 63 zones | 2,016-pixel 3D color matrix metering II | 77 segment | 77 segment |
| Metering sensitivity | 1 – 20 EV | -1 – 19 EV | 0 to 22 EV | 0 to 22 EV |
| Best video | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p, 25p, 24p; 720/60p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/60p, 25p, 24p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p, 24p, 25p; 720/50p, 60p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p, 24p, 25p; 720/50p, 60p |
| Audio | Stereo, mic input | Stereo, mic input | Stereo | Stereo, mic input |
| Manual aperture and shutter in video | Yes | Yes | Aperture only | n/a |
| Maximum best-quality recording time | 4GB | 20 minutes/29m59s | 4GB/25m | 4GB/25m |
| Clean HDMI out | No | Yes | n/a | n/a |
| IS | Optical | Optical | Sensor shift | Sensor shift |
| LCD | 3 in/7.7 cm Articulated touchscreen 1.04m dots | 3.2 in/8.2 cm Articulated touch screen 1.04m dots | 3 in/7.7 cm Articulated 921,000 dots | 3 inches/7.7 cm Articulated 921,000 dots |
| Memory slots | 1 x SDXC | 1 x SDXC | 1 x SDXC | 1 x SDXC |
| Wireless connection | No | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, NFC | Wi-Fi |
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery life (CIPA rating) | 440 shots (VF); 180 shots (LV) | 820 shots (1,230 mAh) | 410 shots (1,050 mAh) | 410 shots (1,050 mAh) |
| Size (WHD) | 5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in 150 x 99 x 79 mm | 4.9 x 3.9 x 2.8 in 124 x 97 x 70 mm | 4.4 x 3.6 x 2.9 in 123 x 91 x 73 mm | 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.9 in 126 x 93 x 74 mm |
| Body operating weight | 20.8 oz 589.7 g | 16.8 oz 476 g | 24 oz 680 g | 24.3 oz (est.) 688 g (est.) |
| Mfr. price (body only) | $650 £420 AU$720 | $700 £580 AU$850 (est.) | $530 £550 AU$1,020 | $650 |
| Release date | April 2013 | February 2015 | March 2015 | July 2016 |
2016 Lamborghini Huracán Spyder review – Roadshow
Jun 2016
The Good All the style and presence of the coupe with that much more sound and engagement.
The Bad It’s a little heavier and a bit slower. You won’t notice.
The Bottom Line One of the best supercars on the planet is made even better by the extraction of one roof. Worth the premium.
There’s a rift among supercar buyers, a division among those lucky few who drop unimaginable sums to own an exceptionally rare means of transportation. The first group are the adrenaline-seekers who crave performance, who look at horsepower and handling above all else. In the second group live those who want the lifestyle, the image and the attention associated with rolling up to the club in a car that very well may be worth more than the club itself.
The two groups tend to coexist rather peacefully, but with the new $262,350 Lamborghini Huracán Spyder, they may find themselves with more in common than just swollen bank accounts and enviously packed garages. Lamborghini’s latest drop-top ticks all the right boxes from a performance standpoint, yet still has the outrageous presence and visibility to get you noticed wherever you go. This, dear readers, is a special machine.
Lamborghini
Huracan
Spyder
on
a
misty…
See full gallery
1 – 6 of 30
Next
Prev
Converted, not compromised
The top drops in just 17 seconds, and tucks tidily out of sight.
Tim Stevens/Roadshow
There was a time when buying a convertible version of a supercar meant getting a floppy, compromised version of the original. Lopping off the roof would kill the structural integrity, and the resulting car would flex and rattle through the turns. Handling irrevocably compromised, these became the lifestyle cars, looking and sounding great while offering maximum visibility to anyone within.
Thankfully, those days are largely gone, and here’s proof. The Huracán Spyder is a soft-top version of one of my favorite supercars on the road. It looks incredible from any angle, sounds incredible at any rev, and offers enough performance to make you feel like you’re truly getting your money’s worth — even when we’re talking about an awful, awful lot of money.
For the new Spyder, the compromises are few and the benefits many. It weighs about 200 pounds more than the hardtop, accelerates from 0 to 60 two-tenths of a second slower (3.4 seconds versus 3.2 in the coupe), and will roar on up to a top speed of 201 mph. That figure, at least, is exactly the same as before.
The top itself raises or lowers in 17 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 30 mph. Yes, it’s fabric, but from the inside you hardly know it. The nondescript black headliner actually hides an advanced sandwich of materials that provide stability, noise absorption and a fair bit of insulation from the world outside.
And that’s good, because I sadly spent much of my time testing the Spyder with the top up, in the rain, in the midst of an unseasonably chaotic spring.
On the open road
Tim Stevens/Roadshow
Water falling from the heavens is generally not considered ideal conditions for evaluating a convertible. However, rain does enable some unique testing. Thanks to this atmospheric situation, I was able to determine that one can quite comfortably drive the Huracán Spyder with the top down even in gentle rain — so long as one keeps their speed up over about 40 miles per hour. Since the top can only be operated at speeds up to 30 mph, you’ll need to choose your route carefully.
One can quite comfortably drive the Huracán Spyder with the top down even in gentle rain — so long as one keeps their speed up over about 40 mph.
With the top up, the car is remarkably civilized. That is to say, as civilized as a 600-plus horsepower Italian supercar can be. There’s very limited additional wind noise vs. the hardtop, only a little extra sound from those massive 20-inch Pirelli tires crashing through puddles will remind you there’s nothing but fabric above.
Samsung SSD 750 Evo review – CNET
The Good The Samsung SSD 750 Evo is speedy and costs less than other Samsung solid-state drives. The drive includes helpful software and can use your computer’s internal memory to get a significant speed boost.
The Bad The drive is more expensive than competing SSDs, and capacity tops out at just 500GB.
The Bottom Line The Samsung 750 Evo is an moderately expensive SSD that won’t let you down in the speed department.
That’s right, that’s not a typo. You’re reading about the Samsung SSD 750 Evo, not the 850 Evo that came out almost two years ago.
The new 750 Evo is Samsung’s latest budget solid-state drive (SSD) and is actually quite different from the 850. For one, it uses an older type of memory, called 2D Planar NAND. It also has a shorter warranty period — three years. Although two years older, the 850 Evo uses a more recent 3D memory type, called 3D Vertical NAND, which delivers significantly more storage space on the same number of physically wafer bits, and it includes a five-year warranty.
PCMark storage performacne
Samsung SSD 750 Evo
4986
284.78
Samsung SSD 850 Evo
4983
276.16
Crucial MX200
4968
256.94
Transcend SSD370S
4927
210.4
SanDisk Ultra II
4922
208.55
OCZ Vector 180
4921
204.04
OCZ ACR 100 series
4948
203.72
Toshiba Q300
4894
186.68
OCZ Trion 100
4875
175.38
Legend:
Storage score
Storage bandwith (MB/s)
Note:
Longer bars mean better performance
Available in 120GB, 250GB and 500GB capacities at a current cost of $50 (£34, AU$67), $80 (£55, AU$107), and $150 (£103, AU$201), respectively, the new 750 Evo is somewhere between $4 and $10 cheaper than the 850 Evo depending on which capacity you choose. In fact, it’s currently the most affordable of Samsung’s SSDs. Compared to non-Samsung SSDs though, such as the Crucial BX200, or the SanDisk SSD Plus, it’s noticeably more expensive. But the 750 Evo makes up for its premium in speed and features. In testing, the 500GB version was the fastest among all budget drives to date. It was even slightly faster than the 250GB version of the 850 Evo in some tests, likely thanks to its newer firmware.
CNET SSD copy performance
Crucial MX200
190.3
433.49
412.46
Samsung SSD 850 Evo
182.78
114.45
205.63
Samsung SSD 850 Evo
182.78
114.45
205.63
Samsung SSD 750 Evo
180
146.45
203.67
Toshiba Q300
165.67
355.6
202.7
OCZ ACR 100
163.53
289.39
385.71
Transcend SSD370S
150.69
311.73
390.08
SanDisk Ultra II
126.49
210.21
319.23
OCZ Trion 100
124.19
185.35
352.32
Legend:
As OS drive (read and write)
As secondary drive (write only)
As secondary drive (read only)
Note:
Measured in megabytes per second. Longer bars mean better performance.
What’s more, like other Samsung drives that have come out in the last three years, the 750 Evo works with the Samsung Magician software to offer some useful customization. The most interesting among them is a feature called Real-time Accelerated Processing of I/O Data (RAPID). RAPID uses your computer’s available system memory (RAM) as an input/output cache to boost the SSD’s performance. In our testing, RAPID noticeably improved performance as long as the computer had a large amount of RAM (4GB and more.) Since most computers nowadays come with plenty of RAM (or you can add more for relatively little expense), having RAPID as kind of a turbo boost makes the drive a lot more appealing.
View full gallery
The Samsung Magician software allows users to easily customize the SSD 750 Evo.
Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET
All things considered, the 750 Evo is another excellent SSD from Samsung that will make your computer — especially one that still uses a regular hard drive — much faster. But if you’re really on a budget, some of the SSDs on this list will give you comparable performance improvement while saving you up to 25 percent of the 750’s cost. And if you want a high-capacity drive, the 850 Evo — which is available in up to 2TB capacity — is an excellent (but still expensive) alternative.
Withings Body Cardio Scale Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Withings
As a person with high cholesterol, I am constantly monitoring what I eat and how much I weigh. I use a connected smart scale that can measure a variety of helpful metrics, such as weight, muscles mass, bone mass, hydration and even heart rate. But there is no way for me to know my heart health or cholesterol levels without taking a trip to the doctor.
But that may soon change. While I still can’t measure my cholesterol levels without a finger prick, Withings claims that its new smart scale, the Body Cardio, is the first to measure cardiovascular health. The Body Cardio measures Pulse Wave Velocity, which is a measure of arterial stiffness and is said to be a key indicator of heart health. Studies have found stiffer arteries to be an indicator for having a higher risk for things like high blood pressure, stroke or heart attack.
The Body Cardio is available now from Apple stores and the Withings website for $180 (about £120, AU$240). A more affordable model that doesn’t include Pulse Wave Velocity measurements, the Withings Body, can be had for $130 (about £90, AU$175).
Withings
How does it work
For someone like me, a self-described health nut and data junkie, all of this sounds appealing, but only if it’s accurate. Pulse Wave Velocity is frequently used in clinical tests and has been found to be a reliable measurement for heart health. The Body Cardio sounds good on paper, but I personally haven’t had a chance to test it.
To determine your Pulse Wave Velocity, the scale is equipped with special sensors that are said to be able to determine the exact moment when blood is ejected from the aorta and when it reaches blood vessels in the feet. The time between the two is then compared to your height to determine your Pulse Wave Velocity, which is measured in meters per second. This is all said to take about 15 seconds from start to finish.
Now that you have this Pulse Wave Velocity number what is next? What are you supposed to do with it? That’s where the Health Mate app on Android and iOS comes in. Withings has said there will be personalized recommendations The Health Mate app on Android and iOS provide tailored recommendations along with trends to help you analyze the data and improve your overall heart health. That could include recommendations like losing weight, changing your diet, exercising more, managing stress or avoiding salt and alcohol, all of which can improve heart health.
Withings
Other measurements
The Body Cardio is equipped with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to automatically upload your information to the cloud. It can also automatically recognize up to eight different users. In addition to Pulse Wave Velocity, the Body Cardio can measure the following:
- Weight
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Body fat percentage
- Total body water percentage
- Muscle mass
- Bone mass
- Standing heart rate
We are looking to get a unit in for a review to see how the Body Cardio performs. Stay tuned.
Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam dryer review – CNET
The Good The Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam dryer offers a large 8-cubic-foot capacity to handle big laundry loads. The dryer also provides many cycle settings to treat specific garment items and fabric types with care. The Perfect Steam flaunts a stylish design too that’s quite eye-catching.
The Bad While the Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam dryer’s main display is easy to read, the dryer’s sleek secondary panel is tricky to interpret. You also can’t manually control the drum light, which turns on only when the dryer door opens.
The Bottom Line If you need an attractive dryer that tackles big loads of wet clothes and can live with confusing secondary controls, then the Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam is a solid choice.
Say hello to the $1,100 600 series Front Load Perfect Steam Dryer from Electrolux. Like a lot of modern dryers, it pairs a stylish and eye-catching design with a long list of specialty cycles. The machine also boasts a large 8-cubic-foot capacity to power through large loads and uses steam to smooth out wrinkled fabric and refresh clothing.
That said, though the Electrolux Perfect Steam is luxurious and performs adequately, its control panel could be more clearly laid out. Still, the interface on this dryer is easier to use than many GE models such as the app-connected $1,200 GE GTD86ESPJMC and $1,100 GE GFDS260EFWW, which also comes with an 8-cubic-foot drum. In the end, that usability makes the Perfect Steam the better dryer choice, especially if you prefer not to pay extra for fancy smart-home abilities.
Design
The Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam dryer comes in conservative hues of Island White (like our EFME617IW test model) and Titanium, but it’s the striking, circular LED display that helps it stand out. Evocative of stylish Nest smart thermostats, this round display sits at the center of a large control dial. It’s bright and engaging; the knob is not only easy to see from a distance but clearly legible from very wide angles, not just when you’re facing the dryer head on.
The Perfect Steam’s updated design includes a fancy circular LED screen and cycle dial.
Chris Monroe/CNET
I only wish the display could communicate more info. As it stands, most of the screen is consumed by massive digital numbers representing the estimated time remaining in the current cycle. The display will also tell you (in tiny text) when it’s time to clean the dryer’s lint filter, but that’s all.
The appliance’s secondary options and settings live on a control panel to the left of the cycle dial. Smooth and with a surface that’s flush against the front face of the machine, the panel’s capacitive keys activate at a feather-light touch and give the dryer a pleasingly sleek appearance. In practice I found the panel’s uniform, text-heavy layout tough to comprehend at a glance. A few more (and larger) symbols or icons would be a big help here.
The secondary controls are mostly text and tiny lights.
Chris Monroe/CNET
I appreciate that both the Perfect Steam EFME617S and its washing machine partner, the $1,100 Perfect Steam EFLS617S, support stackable arrangements to save space or better accommodate your laundry room floorplan. Additionally you can outfit these appliances with handy pedestal accessories ($299 per) which function as storage drawers and raise their front-loading doors to an easier-to-reach level.
Features
The Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam dryer is equipped with enough specialty cycles to properly handle everything from towels, casual wear and heavy-duty items to delicates. Nine cycles in all, the dryer also creates steam to instantly “refresh” clothes which may have been sitting in the drum or hanging in the closet too long. Called “Instant Refresh” by Electrolux, and similar to LG’s “Steam Refresh” function, the cycle takes just 10 minutes to complete. The GE GTD86ESPJMC dryer has a similar ability, but it requires a slightly longer period (16 minutes).
Jabra Halo Smart Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Jabra Halo Smart ships in late June and costs $80
Jabra
Welcome another neckband-style headphone to the world: The Jabra Halo Smart.
What’s special about it? Well, since it’s from Jabra one would hope that it works really well as a headset for making calls. And that’s exactly what Jabra is billing it as, touting its “high-quality microphones with integrated wind noise protection for enhanced in-call quality.”
It also has very good battery life. At least according to the specs, which peg it at 17 hours of talk time and up to 15 hours of music listening.
I can’t tell you how well it fits or sounds because I haven’t tried it yet, but we’ll have a full review once we get our hands on a review sample. In the meantime, here are the Halo Smart’s highlights, according to Jabra (sorry, UK and Australian readers, no word on international pricing yet):
- Jabra Halo Smart Silver Edition is available exclusively at Best Buy stores and online at http://www.bestbuy.com in late June with an MSRP of $80 (around AU$110 or £55, converted)
- Jabra Halo Smart is also available in black at Jabra.com in July
- Fits the 79 percent of users who want one set of headphones for both calls and music, but find the call experience on most music devices inadequate
- Built for calls, Jabra Halo Smart uses high-quality microphones with integrated wind noise protection for enhanced in-call quality, and subtle vibration alert to ensure calls are never missed
- Excellent sound quality thanks to 10mm speakers and Jabra’s audio capabilities
- Neckband wearing style for comfortable, all-day use and seamless switching between calls, music and media
- Extended battery life provides up to 17 hours talk time and up to 15 hours of music listening
- Dedicated Google Now or Siri button lets you use your voice for more
AIVAnet 