Netatmo Healthy Home Coach Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Netatmo
Like Netatmo’s first product — the Urban Weather Station — the Netatmo Healthy Home Coach is a cylinder that sits in your home and monitors the conditions around it. Announced today and available now, the $100 Healthy Home Coach tracks the same things as the indoor module of the Urban Weather Station — air quality, humidity, temperature, and noise. But, like the name suggests, the Home Coach also offers advice based on what it senses about the conditions in your home.
According to Netatmo, the advice takes your specific family into account. For instance, if you have a baby, you’ll be told if you’re keeping your home too cold for the well being of the child. You’ll be told to ventilate rooms if the air quality is poor. And you can monitor noise levels and the rest of these measurements in real time and see their recorded history in Netatmo’s iOS or Android app.
Do you need a coach?
You’ll obviously need to tell Netatmo quite a bit about your family to get tailored advice, and I’m sure some parents will bristle at the idea that an app knows more about how to care for their child than they do. Knowing the conditions in a specific room can be quite helpful, but that’s what the indoor module of the weather station is for. Honestly, I’m not quite sure why the Healthy Home Coach is being introduced as a new product rather than a software update to the existing app.
Air quality monitors
- Elgato Eve Room
- Withings Home
- Netatmo Urban Weather Station
Still, if you just want an indoor module, the $100 Healthy Home Coach will save you money over the full $180 Urban Weather Station and maybe that’s what Netatmo is doing here — rereleasing the indoor module on its own at a discount with free advice packed in. That’s fine, and like the existing Netatmo monitor, the Home Coach works with HomeKit so you can ask Siri to check the status of your home.
Hopefully, you’ll also be able to use the Home Coach to set up triggers via Apple’s HomeKit app, so a fan automatically turns on if the air quality dips below a certain point. That’s something we’ll look for when we test it for a full review.
Outlook
You can buy the Netatmo Healthy Home Coach now via the company’s site as well as at Lowes, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Amazon. Again, it’s $100 here in the US. In the UK, you’ll be able to purchase it for £100 starting October 15 on Netatmo’s site. The Healthy Home Coach is not available in Australia for now.
At the very least, I expect the Healthy Home Coach to take accurate readings — the Urban Weather Station does. If the advice actually adds anything to the experience that a person with common sense couldn’t figure out by looking at the readings, then the $100 price could be well worth it.
ELAC Uni-Fi UF5 review – CNET
The Good The Elac Uni-Fi UF5 sounds twice as good as speakers that cost twice as much. It’s crazy value for money.
The Bad Build quality could be better, bass definition suffers with complex material compared to some other speakers, and they may need an expensive amp to perform their best.
The Bottom Line The Elac UF5 are our favorite speakers under $1,000 combining unheard-of transparency with enough kick to tempt rock and dance fans.
Speaker designer Andrew Jones is on such a winning streak right now that, if he was a professional poker player, he should be hurtling out a side door as two burly men with goatees and cummerbunds dust their hands and warn him never to come back.
Following up his uniformly excellent Elac and Pioneer speakers was never going to be easy, but the new Uni-Fi UF5 floorstanders are superb. This speaker effortlessly combines the glorious midrange of the UB5 bookshelf speakers with the “rock” tendencies of the Elac Debut. If you’re hemming and hawing about which of the Elac models to buy let there be no doubt: It should be this one.
It’s not perfect — the build quality is behind Elac’s competitors, for example — but as before it’s the sound quality that you’re paying for here. We haven’t yet found a model under two thousand bucks that can hold a candle to these.
While the Elac UB5 was almost a carbon copy of Jones’ earlier Pioneer EBS73, the UF5 is its own animal. It’s better (and cheaper!) than the EFS73 floorstander. So the Elac UF5 snatches the crown from the Pioneers to become our new king of affordable tower speakers.
Design
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Have a decent size living area? Floorstanding speakers are what we recommend. The UF5 adds three 5.25-inch aluminum woofers to the same concentric 1-inch soft dome tweeter and 4-inch aluminum midrange driver used on the UB5.
The speakers are big at 38 inches high by 10 inches deep by 8 inches wide. To help with stabilization, they come with a set of screw-on feet and are fitted with carpet-piercing spikes. There are rubber caps in the box for use with hard floors. Elac’s UF5, UC5 center channel, and UB5 bookshelf speakers have extra-beefy binding posts that work with thick audiophile cables fitted with spades or banana connectors.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
The veneer is the same vinyl the company used with previous Elac models, and it’s also the one chosen by Klipsch. It’s fine, if prone to damage, but in general the speakers’ build quality isn’t quite up to the standard of the work Jones did with Pioneer, or even Elac competitors like Bowers and Wilkins or Klipsch.
The driver surrounds are probably the weakest part of this design. While they look OK with their silver finish, they don’t quite sit flush with the front of the speaker if you run your fingers around them — they may even feel “spongy”. We noticed early on in our testing that one had even come unseated and was audibly vibrating with bassy material. Pushing the surround in with a finger stopped the noise but we don’t remember this happening with any other speakers.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
If you prefer something a little sleeker, the company will also make a Slim version of this speaker and others in the UF range. It’ll come with the choice of a satin black or white painted finish. The slim version of the UF5 is also little thinner and a touch deeper and will cost an extra $400. Despite the change of dimensions, the company says the internal volume is the same and it will sound identical.
Nubia Z11 review
Nubia is still a relatively unknown brand in the Android world, but the Chinese company has been making in-roads into the competitive European and US markets with a slew of fantastic smartphones. Nubia is hoping to continue their rise in popularity with their latest flagship offering, the Nubia Z11, which has recently been released in Europe, with an US launch imminent as well.
- Nubia Z9 review
- Hands on with the Nubia Z11
Does this high-end smartphone bring enough to the table to stand out from the crowd and can it survive in the increasingly-competitive US market? We find out, in this comprehensive Nubia Z11 review!
Design
The Nubia Z11 may not have the most eye catching or original design, but it’s still a good looking phone that features a solid build quality. The device basically features a rectangular slab design, with a full metal unibody construction that puts its build quality at par with a lot of current generation flagships.
The rounded corners and slight tapers around the back and sides make it more comfortable to hold, but because the metal body doesn’t have any sharp or flat edges to help with the grip, the phone can be a little slippery and difficult to hold onto at times.
If you’ve come across a Nubia smartphone before, you will be familiar with the red accents that the company uses with their devices to make the phone stand out a bit, such as the ring around the camera and the bright red capacitive navigation keys that are found below the display. This particular unit is the standard silver model, but there is also a black and gold dual tone version that is more flashy, and looks really good and more unique.
Taking a look around the device, the volume rocker and power button are on the right side, and are positioned well enough to be comfortably within reach of your thumb. The buttons are also made of metal, with a nice tactile feel to them. On the left is the dual SIM card slot, with the secondary SIM slot also doubling as a microSD card slot, and up top is the headphone jack and IR blaster.
An IR blaster isn’t something that is often seen with smartphones anymore, but does provide a convenient way of controlling your television and other peripherals. Finally, at the bottom is the USB Type-C port which is flanked by what appears to be dual stereo speakers. However, the dual speaker grill design is present just for the sake of symmetry, with only the right side housing a single speaker unit.
Display
The Nubia Z11 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, but unlike other competing flagships, the display resolution is 1080p instead of Quad HD, resulting in a pixel density of 403 ppi. The display gets very bright, features very saturated colors and good viewing angles, and provides plenty of sharpness. Doing anything, including reading text, watching videos, and playing games, is enjoyable, so unless you are using this device for VR, you aren’t going to easily notice the difference in resolution.
The Nubia Z11 features an eye catching display, but what makes it really stand out is that there appears to be no bezel on the left and right sides of it, something that Nubia was able to achieve by curving down the sides of the screen.
This design aspect is something you will be familiar with if you’ve used previous Nubia flagships, but it remains impressive to look at, and really makes it feel like you are holding just a screen in your hand. With the side bezels being so thin, the phone also feels a lot more compact when compared to other smartphones that feature 5.5-inch displays.
The curves on the side aren’t as drastic as what you will find with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or Galaxy Note 7, but that didn’t stop Nubia from adding some software tweaks to take advantage of these slightly curved sides.
You can perform a variety of functions, like adjusting the display brightness by sliding two fingers up and down along the edges of the display, swiping up or down from the edge to switch between apps that are running in the background, swiping repeatedly from the edge to close all recent apps, or holding along the edge and swiping inwards to quickly switch to a specific homescreen.
This feature can be really useful, but is a little awkward to use, with there also being the fact that some of them aren’t that much faster than doing things the traditional way. I also ran into a lot of issues with accidentally triggering these features by just holding the phone. Fortunately, all of them can disabled if you come across the same problems, or don’t find them particularly useful.
Performance
Under the hood, the Nubia Z11 packs a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM, which is the standard processing package across the board when considering 2016 flagships. The black and gold version of the device not only looks better, but also comes with 6 GB of RAM and double the on-board storage.
The performance has been perfectly fine with the 4 GB of RAM version of the device. Even with Nubia’s heavy skin, it’s been very fast in day to day use, and handles launching apps, browsing the web, watching videos, and playing graphically-intensive games well. The only exception to the otherwise smooth performance is when it comes to multi-tasking, with the experience feeling very slow and clunky.
There is no dedicated recent apps key, so the way to access it is via a long press of the back button. The recent apps screen itself takes a few seconds to load. The apps are laid out in a horizontal swiping view, allowing you to see only a couple of apps at the same time, and swiping back and forth to switch between apps is a lot slower in comparison to something like the card stack layout of stock Android.
Hardware
64 GB is the available on-board storage, but as mentioned, the black and gold version with 6 GB of RAM doubles that to 128 GB. Expandable storage via microSD card for an additional 256 GB is an option as well, but since this utilizes the second SIM slot, users will have to make the choice between expandable storage and dual SIM capabilities.
There is a single speaker unit that is bottom-firing, which isn’t an ideal placement. However, the speaker itself sounds fine, and doesn’t get distorted or sound tinny at the highest volume. It is on the quieter side though, and can be a little difficult to hear with the volume set at around the 50% mark or lower.
On the back of the phone is a fingerprint sensor, that has worked extremely well. It is fast and accurate, doesn’t require a lot of time to setup, and there have been no problems when using it to unlock the phone. The scanner has been very reliable, and rarely has it misread my fingerprint, which easily puts it at par with some of the best smartphone fingerprint sensors currently available in the market.
The Z11 comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, and while Nubia claims that their battery optimizations will allow up to 2 days of battery life, my experience hasn’t matched that claim. With regular usage that involves social media, surfing the web, and a couple of hours of watching videos or playing games, the device comfortably allows for a full day of use, which is fine, but nowhere near what Nubia claims the battery is capable of.
If battery life is a concern, the device comes with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, allowing you to get back to a full charge in a short amount of time.
Camera
When it comes to the camera, the Nubia Z11 may not be packing any fancy dual lens setups that we’ve been seeing with a lot of other smartphones, but you do get some rather interesting features here. Up front is an 8 MP camera, which is definitely more than good enough to take care of all your selfie needs. On the back is a 16 MP shooter, with a f/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization, and phase detection auto focus.
The camera app is straightforward and easy to use, but it does feel very iOS-like. You can swipe left or right to switch between different camera modes, and there are some built into this camera that make it unique and a lot of fun to use. For example, there is a Clone mode, that will overlap several photos to make it appear as though there are multiples of a person or object in a single shot. It does a good job of stitching these photos together for the most part, but it isn’t always perfect.
Another interesting mode is called Electronic Aperture, that lets you select an aperture from as wide a f/2.8, to as narrow as f/44. Changing the aperture will effectively change the shutter speed from as quick as 0.3 seconds to as long as 72 seconds, with the longer shutter speeds allowing you to capture some silky smooth motion blur with moving objects, while still keeping everything that is stationary in focus.
The Z11 has three types of stabilization built in to allow you to use this feature with just your hands, but in my experience, the results were still much better with a tripod, especially if you are using shutter speeds that are over a minute long.
The general picture quality is actually quite good. The shots taken are pleasantly sharp and detailed, and there’s enough color to make them pleasing to the eye, but without going overboard and looking oversaturated and unnatural. However, it does have the tendency to overexpose and blow out highlights, but this issue can be alleviated by using HDR mode.
What I like most about HDR mode with this camera is that it will automatically take a standard shot and HDR shot in one take, which can ultimately save you a lot of time, and avoid the hassle of switching back and forth between HDR and standard modes.
In low light situations, the camera tends to hunt for focus a lot, which makes the shooting experience feel a lot slower. That said, shots taken in poorly-lit environments still have a relatively good amount of detail. There isn’t a whole lot of grain or noticeable noise reduction to be seen, but there are still problems with properly exposing highlights, which is also seen with day time shots.
Software
On the software side of things, the Nubia Z11 is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, with version 4.0 of Nubia’s user interface, which drastically changes the entire Android experience. The interface is cluttered with bright and cartoon-ish icons, there are a lot of transparency effects, and there is also no app drawer.
It is jam packed with a slew of interesting features though. If you long press on the fingerprint scanner, or hold the volume down button and volume rocker, you will get the option to take a long scrollable screenshot, a standard screenshot that you can crop different shapes like hearts or circles out of, or create a recording of the screen.
My favorite feature has to do with how this phone handles split screen multi-tasking. To enter this mode, all you have do is swipe up from the bottom of the display, but instead of giving you a list of applications like you would see with other smartphones that feature split screen multi-tasking, the Nubia Z11 splits the screen into two separate desktops.
It’s a very different approach, but by doing it this way, you are able to use virtually any application you want, with the exception being the camera. That said, just because you can use any app doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. For example, apps like games can open in the split screen view, but these aren’t exactly split screen friendly. However, apps for social media, email, text, and web browsing all work just as you would expect.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD display 1080p resolution, 403 ppi |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU |
| RAM | 4/6 GB |
| Storage | 64/128 GB expandable via microSD up to an additional 256 GB |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, OIS, PDAF, dual LED flash 8 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC IR USB Type-C 1.0 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 151.8 x 72.3 x 7.5 mm 162 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
Pricing for the Nubia Z11 in the US is still to be determined, but in Europe, the device is currently priced at €499 (~$560) for the standard version, and €599 (~$673) for the black and gold edition. Hopefully these prices are not an indication of what the eventual cost in the US will be, as these will make the Nubia Z11 a rather expensive smartphone to get your hands on.
There you have it for this in-depth review of the Nubia Z11 ! The big question here is whether this smartphone is worth getting over other current generation flagships. The Z11 is a solid high-end device from Nubia, but it doesn’t necessarily offer a lot of compelling reasons to be considered a better option that its competition. Had it released in the US a lot earlier, it would have garnered a lot more attention, but at this point, there are numerous great options at different price points, and Nubia might be a little late to the party.
Ding Smart Doorbell Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Ding
You know the drill. Someone rings your doorbell when you aren’t expecting it and you immediately enter stealth mode — tiptoeing around to catch a glimpse of the person through a nearby window without them noticing you.
If it’s a solicitor, you’ll want to ignore it. But if it’s a delivery person bringing that cute sweater you ordered from Asos a day earlier than anticipated, you’ll want to answer. What to do, what to do…
A handful of enterprising startups are already working to solve this universal dilemma with the smart doorbell. A Wi-Fi-enabled gizmo you swap in where your old buzzer used to be, smart doorbells give you more ways to “screen” your front door without actually opening it.
The Ding Smart Doorbell, pre-orderable on Kickstarter beginning today for a minimum campaign contribution of $119/£92 — roughly AU$155 at the current exchange rate — is simply the latest iteration of this connected doorbell trend.
Related Links:
- Pro version of the Ring Video Doorbell swaps flexibility for refinement
- SkyBell downsizes the smart doorbell with Trim Plus
- Yale’s new doorbell lets you see who’s at the door
- You won’t have to guess who’s coming to dinner with these smart doorbells
Here’s how the whole Wi-Fi doorbell thing has worked with all of the previous models I’ve tested:
The doorbell rings
An alert pops up on your phone
Click the alert to pull up a live video feed
Use the two-way talk function to speak with them, as needed
Assuming the internet connection at your home and on your phone is solid, you should be able to do this whether you’re snuggling on your couch 15 feet from your front door or on vacation a thousand miles away.
19 outdoor cameras that take home security…
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Ding is slightly different in that it doesn’t come with a camera at all. Instead, when someone rings your front door, you’ll get an alert and have the option to talk to the person from your phone via the related Android or iPhone app. This isn’t quite as exciting as being able to spy on your guests without peering through a peephole, but it still gives you the flexibility to ask that delivery person to leave your sweater under the doormat.
I didn’t find any mention of integrations with products from other manufacturers through IFTTT or another smart-home platform. Both Ring and SkyBell HD smart doorbells work with IFTTT, so that’s a little disappointing.
You do have the option of either hardwiring the Ding Smart Doorbell or using battery power (Ding doesn’t specify if it’s a rechargeable or a replacement battery). Your purchase also comes with an accompanying door chime, appropriately dubbed Chime. Mount it on the wall in your house or set it on a flat surface and Chime will act as a supplemental doorbell alarm.
Ding’s Kickstarter campaign began today, so there’s plenty of time to buy in. The funding goal is $50,000, units can ship anywhere in the world, and they are expect to reach backers in August 2017.
WD My Pasport portable drive review – CNET
The Good The new WD My Passport portable drive has lots of storage space, good performance and supports strong encryption. It’s available in some vivid color options and comes in an eye-catching design.
The Bad There’s no USB-C (so no future-proofing) and the high-capacity versions of the drive are bulky.
The Bottom Line You can carry a lot of data with the new My Passport and the many color options open up new organizational possibilities.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
View full gallery
Each color of the new WD My Passport comes with a color matching USB cable.
Josh Miller/CNET
If you want to store a lot of data, and maybe even use colors to categorize your data, the new My Passport portable drive from WD is for you. The drive has up to 4TB of storage space (also available in 3TB, 2TB and 1TB) and comes in six vivid (mostly) color options: black, yellow, red, white, orange and blue, each with a matching USB cable.
The new drive has a completely new design compared to previous My Passport models. It no longer looks anything like a passport book, taking instead a squarish shape with relatively sharp edges while still managing to look pretty good, in my opinion. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s thick, at about the size of a deck of cards, and measuring 0.85 inch by 3.21 inches by 4.33 inches (21.5×81.5x110mm), with the exception of the 1TB version which is thinner at 0.64 inch. However, this physical size is normal for high-capacity portable drives; the 4TB Seagate Backup Plus Fast also shares similars dimensions.
CNET USB 3.0 portable drive performance
Seagate Expansion
125.2
127.93
G-Tech Gdrive EV ATC
119.0
138.73
Seagate Backup Plus Slim (summer 2015)
118.8
125.35
WD My Passport Ultra (spring 2015)
110.2
117.34
WD My Passport (fall 2016)
106.4
108.56
WD Elements
95.7
102.15
Legend:
Write
Read
Note:
Longer bars mean better performance
Like most portable drives, the new My Passport supports USB 3.0. To my disappointment, however, it doesn’t use a USB-C port, instead opting for an old Micro-USB 3.0 port. This doesn’t affect the drive’s performance but does means it won’t work with computers that only have USB-C, such as the 12-inch Macbook. To compensate for its lack of vision, the drive supports the most secure 256 EAS encryption — an optional feature you can turn on using included security software — to protect your data from prying eyes. There’s also a backup software application called WD Backup. While it’s fine to use, it’s not as convenient as other built-in backup tools like Time Machine (Mac) or File History (Windows 10).
I used the 4GB version for performance tests and got somewhat above-average performance. With a sustained copy speed averaging around 110MB/s via USB 3.0 (the drive also works with a USB 2.0 port but at a significantly lower speed), it’s fast enough for almost anything you’d want to do with a portable drive.
Should I get it?
If you’re looking for a portable drive with a lot of storage space, the WD My Passport is a solid option, especially with a suggested retail price ranging from $60 to $80 for 1TB to 4TB, respectively. (You can expect the street price to be lower, and pricing for Australia and UK is not available at this time but that directly converts to a starting price of about AU$79 or £49.) If you intend to have multiple drives and use the colors as a way to categorize your data, it’s definitely a great choice. For something more portable, however, I’d recommend the WD My Passport Ultra or the Seagate Backup Plus Slim. And if USB-C is a must, the Glyph Blackbox Plus and the G-Tech G-Drive Mobile USB-C are better alternatives.
WD My Book (Fall 2016) review – CNET
The Good The new WD My Book is fast, good-looking and supports a high level of encryption.
The Bad The drive doesn’t support USB-C, is a bit slower than its competitors (with a higher price tag) and lacks additional features to have it stand apart.
The Bottom Line Though good-looking, capacious and fast, the WD My Book has no must-have special features.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Is WD’s new My Book essentially the desktop version of its My Passport? Pretty much. Measuring 6.7 by 5.5 by 1.9 inches (170.6 by 139.3 by 49mm) the new drive is essentially the larger version of the My Passport, both in psychical size and capacity, delivering up to 8TB of storage (also available in 6TB, 4TB and 3TB). But unlike the portable drive, which is available in six colors, the My Book comes only in black, making it kind of boring.
The new external drive does share some of the same features as its smaller brother however, including support for 256-AES encryption, and the preloaded WD Backup software. Sure, it does what it’s supposed to do (backup your data) but is really only useful if you use an older version of Windows. With Windows 10, I’d recommend the native Windows 10 feature, File History for backups, and of course since all Macs have built-in Time Machine, there’s little need for any additional backup software there.
CNET USB 3.0 portable drive performance
Seagate Backup Plus Hub
181.3
195.78
WD My Book (Fall 2016)
167.8
167.43
Segate Backup Plus Desktop
150.9
180.45
Seagate Expansion
125.2
127.93
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme
110.3
118.82
ioSafe SoloPro G3
109.1
110.8
LaCie Christofle Sphere
105.5
111.43
Legend:
Write
Read
Note:
Longer bars mean better performance
The My Book doesn’t support USB-C. Instead it uses the old Micro-USB 3.0 port and includes a foot-long connection cable. This means it won’t work with computers that only have a USB-C port, like the Macbook. The My Book doesn’t have extra USB ports to work as a USB hub, a cool feature first introduced by the Seagate Backup Plus Hub. And like all desktop external hard drive, the My Book require an external power adapter to work.
I tested the 8TB version of the drive and via USB 3.0 and it did well, with the sustained copy speed averaging some 170MBps (that’s more than 50 percent faster than the My Passport). It’s not the fastest, however, trailing behind the recently reviewed Seagate Backup Plus Hub by more than 10MBps. To make matters worse, the new My Book has a more expensive suggested retail price starting at $130 for 3TB all the way up to $300 for 8TB (the 3TB and 8TB capacities of the Seagate Backup Plus Hub can currently be had for just $100 and $230, respectively.) It’s safe to say, however, that the street price of the My Book will likely be lower.
Should I get it?
While I like the look of the new WD My Book, I feel it doesn’t have enough to justify its comparatively high cost. The drive is a bit slower than its competitor and has no notable features, other than encryption, which is not important for a desktop drive since you won’t be carrying it around and likely won’t lose it. That said, while you won’t be disappointed getting it, I’d recommend the Seagate Backup Plus Hub instead for its faster performance and the included USB Hub feature. But when the street price gets lower, which is likely, the WD My Book will also make a great desktop external storage solution.
WD Blue SSD review – CNET
The Good The WD Blue SSD is faster than any regular hard drive and you can write a ton of data to it before it wears out.
The Bad The drive is expensive and doesn’t justify the added cost. It has a short warranty.
The Bottom Line The WD Blue is a decent SSD that may be worth the investment when the price comes down.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The WD Blue is Western Digital’s first consumer-grade solid-state drive (SSD). WD was previously known for making regular hard drives, so WD purists out there can now migrate to the wonderful world of solid state. But you’d have to be a very loyal fan to do so, because the Blue isn’t noticeably better than other SSDs on the market, despite costing more.
In copy tests, the drive was faster than the Toshiba Q300 but slower than most other drives, though not by much. And in PC Mark tests, the Blue SSD was the slowest. In practice, however, you might not even notice any difference at all between these SSDs if you’re moving from a regular hard drive.
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The WD Blue is the first comsumer-grade SSD from Western Digital.
Josh Miller/CNET
Converted prices
| US price | UK conversion | Australia conversion |
| $300 | £245 | AU$400 |
| $140 | £115 | AU$185 |
| $80 | £65 | AU$105 |
The WD Blue SSD doesn’t do well on the pricing front either, with a suggested price of $300, $140 and $80 for 1TB, 500GB and 250GB, respectively. (UK and Australian pricing isn’t available at this time, but converted prices are listed in the above chart.) You can find many SSDs, even faster ones, for less. For example, the 1TB Crucial MX300 costs just $250.
CNET Labs SSD copy tests
Toshiba OCZ VX500
235.47
447.34
435.61
Samsung SSD 850 Evo
182.78
214.45
205.63
Samsung SSD 750 Evo
180
246.45
203.67
Crucial MX300
178.34
245.67
199.32
WD Blue SSD
167.91
363.45
433.65
Toshiba Q300
165.67
355.6
202.7
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.
The Blue doesn’t support encryption, and its WD SSD Dashboard software (which is a rebranded version of the SanDisk SSD Dashboard) only allows for firmware updates and monitoring of the drive’s status. You can’t use the software to customize the drive’s features or performance the way you can with Samsung’s SSDs. The WD Blue also comes with a relatively short three-year warranty, which is two years less than that of the Samsung 850 Evo.
According to WD, the Blue SSD has a high endurance rating, meaning you should be able to write a ton of data to it before it becomes unusable. Specifically, you can write up to 400TB, 200TB and 100TB to the 1TB, 500GB and 250GB versions of the drive, respectively, before they become unreliable. If you wrote 20GB per day, it would take you some 13 years to wear down the 250GB WD Blue SSD, or 55 years if you have the 1TB version.
PC Mark Storage Benchmark
Toshiba OCZ VX500
4990
267.84
Samsung SSD 750 Evo
4986
284.78
Samsung SSD 850 Evo
4983
276.16
Crucial MX300
4914
198.33
Toshiba Q300
4894
186.68
WD Blue SSD
4728
109
Legend:
Storage Score
Storage bandwith (MB/s)
Note:
Higher number means better performance
Should I get it?
Unless you’re a WD purist, the Blue doesn’t really do much to get your attention. At the very least, I’d wait for the street price go down before picking one up. This is not a bad SSD, but it’s expensive for what it has to offer. If you need an SSD right now, you’re better off going with the Crucial MX300, the Samsung 850 Evo or the Plextor M7V, to get the best value for money.
Netgear Arlo Pro Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
You can find a wide variety of do-it-yourself indoor cameras on Amazon and at chain retailers today, but there aren’t as many models weatherproofed and rated for safe outdoor use.
Netgear’s Arlo, a $180/£135/AU$240 camera and hub introduced in 2014, was among the first. An indoor-outdoor HD DIY camera powered by four CR123 batteries, Arlo made a lasting impression with its versatility and impressive performance. A number of outdoor cameras have launched since, but few offer the flexibility of Arlo’s battery power.
Now Netgear is back with a new-and-improved Arlo — as far as specs go, at least. The $249 Arlo Pro camera promises to do even more than the original Arlo, which will continue to be sold.
Netgear hasn’t shared its plans for international availability just yet, but I expect it will join the original Arlo for sale overseas.
19 outdoor cameras that take home security…
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Here’s what’s new for Arlo Pro:
- A rechargeable battery
- A microUSB charging port
- A microphone and a speaker
- A new base station with a built-in siren and two USB ports
- New accessories, including a solar charging station and various stands
- A digital infrared motion sensor (the original Arlo has an analog motion sensor)
We spoke with Damir Skripic, Director of Product Management for Arlo Smart Home, who explained that the rechargeable battery should last for roughly 4 to 6 months (based on viewing the live feed for about 5 minutes daily) and should take about 2 hours to charge. The microUSB port provides a convenient place to connect your Arlo Pro if you prefer to use continuous power.
A rugged outdoor camera joins Netgear’s security…
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With the microphone and speaker, you now have the power of two-way talk so you can intercom with your pets throughout the day or scare off a potential burglar. This addition also allows for sound-based alerts instead of motion alone.
Cameras, cameras everywhere:
- Nest’s hardy outdoor camera watches over your roost
- 19 outdoor cameras that take home security seriously
- 35 connected cameras for a safer smart home
- The Toucan fits the bill as a subtle outdoor camera
- This 4G LTE security camera can survive a Wi-Fi outage
- SkyBell downsizes the smart doorbell with Trim Plus
The updated base station’s 100-decibel siren adds some security benefit, but it has to be tethered to your router. That will limit the hearing range if you’re trying to startle someone walking in your backyard or otherwise away from the base station. Its two USB ports also allow for backup storage, so your motion- and sound-related clips can be stored locally.
Fortunately, if you already have the original Arlo and want an Arlo Pro too, the last-gen base station will still work. Just buy an Arlo Pro as an add-on camera for $189 and you’re done.
Skripic also said an app update is in the works that would bring “smart analytics” to Arlo Pro’s motion and sound detection. With this update, it should be able to distinguish among various objects and noises, although the ability to detect a specific person is still a little ways out.
Netgear’s Arlo nails versatile DIY home security
This indoor- and outdoor-rated camera two-pack makes good on its connected claims.
by Megan Wollerton
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Everything else about Arlo Pro remains mostly the same as the first-generation model (shown in the video above). It still has a magnetic base so you can install it sans hardware. it still has free 7-day event-based cloud storage and it still has 720p video resolution. Skripic said Netgear chose not to bump the resolution up to 1080p in an effort to conserve battery power and because many phones don’t show a strong distinction between 720 and 1080p.
I don’t necessarily agree with Skripic’s stance on HD resolution, though. Having compared the 720p Dropcam Pro with the 1080p Nest Cam Indoor on the same iPhone, the Nest Cam is distinctly clearer. Of course I can’t speak to the specifics of Arlo Pro’s relative clarity before I test it out.
Like the original Arlo, Arlo Pro will work with IFTTT and Samsung’s SmartThings. Netgear also plans to introduce integrations with Apple TV and Apple Watch in the near future. We’re tracking down a review unit now, so be sure to visit again soon for pricing and our full impressions of Arlo Pro.
LG DLEX 9000V Dryer review – CNET
The Good The LG DLEX 9000V dryer has a striking, attractive design, swift performance and a huge 9 cubic foot capacity. The dryer’s front-mounted controls are simple to use and offer many specialty modes and steam cycles.
The Bad The price is sky-high even for a well-appointed luxury laundry appliance. The companion mobile app has a confusing, cluttered layout. It’s hard to close the door with force.
The Bottom Line Sleek, powerful and fast, it’s tough to beat the big LG DLEX 9000V dryer’s mix of features, capacity and performance — but its hefty price makes the machine’s few flaws hard to ignore.
Close your eyes and picture the pinnacle of domestic clothes drying. What you’ve imagined might very well be the $1,800 LG DLEX 9000V. Crafted in smooth curves and glossy surfaces, this dryer certainly looks luxurious, but, more importantly, it’s big enough to handle large laundry loads with ease and powerful enough to process them quickly.
Still, the ultra-expensive DLEX 9000V isn’t flawless. Despite its opulent price tag, the door feels flimsy, and the companion app and smart-home functions feel too complex to be truly useful. Forgive those flaws, though, and you’ll be rewarded with excellent performance and features galore. That, along with the high style, makes this a compelling high-end appliance, especially for large families. If you’re willing to consider a top-load style dryer without connected smarts, however, you can save a bundle by choosing the $1,100 Kenmore 69133 — it’s a close match that costs a lot less.
LG’s big, deluxe dryer has plenty of power…
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Design and features
Essentially a larger version of the LG DLEX 5000, the DLEX 9000V benefits from all of its smaller sibling’s design strengths and a few of its weaknesses as well. Specifically, the DLEX 9000V dryer flaunts the same handsome chassis (available in white or “graphite steel” finishes) that’s made mainly from painted steel and chrome. Most of the dryer’s front face consists of a smoothly curved door, which sports a window of darkly tinted glass.
LG’s DLEX 9000V dryer is sleek and attractive.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Behind the glass sits the dryer’s huge 9-cubic-foot capacity stainless steel drum. This over-sized container offers much more room for clothing and bulky items than the 7.4 cubic foot capacity DLEX 5000. The obvious trade-off is a bigger physical footprint (40.9 inches tall, 29 inches wide, 33.4 inches deep).
Still, a front-mounted control panel helps to mask the dryer’s girth, since it lives on the dryer’s door and doesn’t add undue height to the machine the way a top-mounted panel would. The panel’s black plastic material also blends seamlessly into the door’s dark glass window.
The main control is a big cycle dial.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
At the center of this 4.5-inch tall strip is the dryer’s main control, a cycle dial that spins and clicks gently both clockwise and counterclockwise. White LED lights ring the knob and glow to highlight precisely which dryer cycle it has selected. Overall, the machine’s controls are very intuitive and a cinch to operate. One annoyance, though: The door itself feels too lightweight and flimsy, and doesn’t slam shut comfortably. Employing any elbow grease to close it actually causes it to rebound back at you.
Just like the DLEX 5000, the 9000V offers 14 cycle programs to choose from. They range from basics such as “Normal,” “Heavy Duty” and “Perm. Press” to advanced cycles for “Jumbo Dry” or “Bedding.” There’s even a “Downloaded” setting for activating special programs you’ve pulled from LG’s servers in the cloud and installed yourself.
A front-mounted panel has buttons that activate with a light touch.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
LG also sells pedestal accessories for the DLEX 9000V, in matching white ($300) and graphite steel ($330). These add-ons offer extra laundry storage, and also raise the dryer door so it’s easier to reach.
Internet-connected smarts
Thanks to its internal Wi-Fi radio, the DLEX 9000V can link to the LG Smart Laundry app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. Open it, and you’ll be able to monitor the dryer’s status and see how much time remains in an active cycle.
It’s similar to what we’ve seen from competing smart appliances from GE, but LG’s system is more ambitious. The GE Laundry software limits you to viewing current dryer status while LG’s app lets you begin new cycles right from your phone or tablet.
Pedego 26-inch Classic City Commuter review – CNET
The Good Having both pedal assist and a twist throttle lets you fine-tune the electric boost for lazy days or more of a workout.
The Bad It’s heavy and expensive, with handling better suited for beach boardwalks than urban bike lanes.
The Bottom Line The City Commuter is powerful and fun enough to get you to leave your car in the garage.
You have to take the right perspective to appreciate the Pedego City Commuter, one of a crop of electric bikes transforming the cycling industry.
If you’re a traditional cyclist, proud to cover miles of roads and trails while staying fit, you might view the hulking, $2,595-and-up 57-pound machine as one big cheat. (It’s not available in the UK or Australia, but the US price translates to about £2,100 and AU$3,400, respectively.) I’m one of those traditional cyclists, so I get it. But honestly, you should instead see the Pedego e-bike as a liberating alternative to a vastly heavier, bulkier and more polluting gasoline-powered car.
I tried the Classic model of the City Commuter with 26-inch-wheels for a couple weeks, riding it through hilly Bay Area suburbs and busy San Francisco streets. I looked forward to the ride every time. My wife rode it six miles to work, too. Her words on returning home the first time: “Oh my God! This is incredible.”
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The Pedego City Commuter packs its taillight-equipped battery on a built-in rear rack. You can remove the battery or charge it in place. Batteries are available in 36- and 48-volt options with 10- or 15-Amp-hour capacities.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
If you’ve never ridden an electric bike, prepare yourself for a foolish grin as the surge of power amplifies your own abilities. The extra oomph is very persuasive if you’re trying to talk yourself into getting on a bike instead of driving into work. You may still be put off by rain, snow and car traffic, but with an e-bike, there’s no need to show up at work sweaty.
That said, the Pedego City Commuter — adapted from the company’s more cruiser-style machines — isn’t perfect for commuting. Its weight, bulk and super-stable handling means difficulties when lifting it onto a train or slaloming past double-parked cars. If you’re happy commuting on a skinny-tired sprinter’s delight, look elsewhere. (Pedego also has a folding model, the Latch.)
AIVAnet 