Blu R1 HD review – CNET

It’s hard to say without seeing the phone and feeling it in my hands if the Blu R1 HD that Amazon is selling for $50 — half-off its retail price — is a good deal for Amazon Prime buyers (you can also get the Moto G4 for $150).

But specs do indicate what you might expect from a phone, so with that in mind, let’s dig on in.

Amazon’s two ad-supported phones for Prime members Moto G, left, and BLU R1 HD.

Amazon

The Blu R1 HD has:

• 5-inch screen
• 8-megapixel rear camera with flash
• Aluminum body
• 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
• 8/16GB internal storage with 1/2GB RAM (two capacities) — 16GB version costs $60
• Up to 64GB with a microSD card
• GSM technology, so it will work with AT&T and T-Mobile

These are low-end specs that suggest basic performance. At the very least, $50 is a tempting deal for anyone looking for a cheap smartphone that does the essentials, a cost-effective pick, say, for your tweenager’s first phone, or a handset you’re loaning overseas guests when they visit, or maybe even a backup to stash in the car for emergencies. These cheapies have their uses.

What’s this about ads?

The larger question in my mind is how well can you deal with Amazon running ads all over the screen? This is part of the deal: a cheap phone in exchange for a lifetime of ads. I haven’t seen this in action yet (but I did request getting this phone in for testing), so it isn’t clear how invasive the ads are on the phone’s 5-inch screen, and how often you may accidentally press one.

I don’t like ads myself, so in my mind, paying $50 more for a phone like this is still a bargain. That said, over time, it might be easy enough to tune them out.

Who’s Blu?

If you don’t know Blu, don’t worry. The Miami-based company has quietly been around under the radar for years, mostly selling its inexpensive, dual-SIM handsets in South America, though it’s broadening its presence in the US through direct sales and retail deals like this one with Amazon.

Blu distributes a range of handsets from entry-level phones to aluminum rigs housing higher-end specs. Check out this $200 Blu Vivo 5 we saw earlier this year.

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GoTenna Mesh Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

A trip to the wilderness can be a relaxing break to unplug from the always-on connectivity of city life, but it can be tricky to stay in touch with the group once your cellular service drops out.

You can pick up a satellite phone or a set of two-way radios, but there’s no way to guarantee message delivery unless you get an immediate response — not to mention a loud barking radio isn’t the most considerate way to communicate in nature.

That’s why the GoTenna is a popular accessory for campers, travelers, preppers and even search-and-rescue teams. It’s a small communication device that connects to smartphones via Bluetooth and creates a low-frequency radio wave network, allowing users to send messages and broadcast GPS coordinates to other GoTenna carriers without the need for a cellular connection.

It doesn’t offer an actual data plan for Web surfing or other online activities, but it can transmit a connection signal for three miles in outdoor scenarios and a mile in urban areas, depending on the source elevation.

GoTenna cofounder and CEO Daniela Perdomo came by CNET last month to show us the company’s next project called GoTenna Mesh. While the original sent encrypted messages via point-to-point networking, the company’s second product relies on mesh networking which allows devices to share their connections with other users and relay messages to widen the coverage area.

GoTenna just launched a Kickstarter for its second device, the GoTenna Mesh, which uses mesh networking to share device connections, relay messages and widen coverage areas.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Here’s how mesh networking works in a real-life scenario: let’s say you and a buddy are planning a trip off the grid in Yosemite National Park in California. Before you go, clip a GoTenna Mesh to each of your bags and download the offline maps for your trip, available for both iOS and Android.

Once you’re out there, if you and your buddy wander off and go out of range of each other’s GoTennas, you can still send messages back and forth using the mesh network, provided there are other GoTenna users around.

The device will automatically crawl the area attempting to locate other users nearby with a clean network connection. If it finds another GoTenna, it’ll use that device’s service to slingshot your message forward to the destination. All this happens in the background of the app to keep messages private, but the mesh network can double or even triple the effective frequency spectrum using this dynamic tool.

The demo I saw in the office wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it will be in the wilderness, but keep in mind GoTenna and GoTenna Mesh aren’t exclusively made for campers hiking off the grid. Its ad-hoc messaging has potential for emergency preppers in the event of a city-wide cellular blackout, attendees of large gatherings like concerts and sports events and anyone traveling without a working SIM card.

Like the flagship model, the GoTenna Mesh also shows read receipts, logs and sends GPS coordinates, and includes a function called Shout that lets you transmit information to any GoTenna devices in range — sort of an on-the-go “anyone out there?” call to action.

The Brooklyn-based company has simultaneously announced an open SDK for future projects as well as a premium service called GoTenna Plus that offers additional features like topographic maps, network relay, and real-time trip stats for a yearly fee.

GoTenna is using a Kickstarter campaign to give early adopters a chance to invest in the GoTenna Mesh. Preorders are available for the next month for a limited promotional price of $129 (£100, AU$170) to start, but the actual retail price will be $179 (£140, AU$235) for a pair when the product ships later this year.

Likewise, the original GoTenna without the mesh network capability will be sold for $149 (£115, AU$200) for a pair.

As always, please note that CNET’s reporting on crowdfunding campaigns is not an endorsement of the project or its creators. Contributing to a crowdfunded project comes with risk. Before contributing to any campaign, read the crowdfunding site’s policies, such as those for Kickstarter and Indiegogo, to learn more about your rights (and refund policies, or the lack thereof) before and after a campaign ends.

Xiaomi Mi 5s Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The new Mi 5s drops the glass rear for brushed metal.

Xiaomi

It’s been less than a year since the Xiaomi Mi 5 was announced at MWC, but Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is already updating its flagship. The Mi 5s drops the glass rear for a brushed metal back and switches the capacitive button fingerprint sensor to an ultrasonic one.

The change means Xiaomi can cut costs since it won’t have to cut a hole in the screen’s glass to allow the capacitive sensor to touch your skin. But there’s still a slight indentation where the sensor is. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor takes a 3D map of your fingerprint, and should recognise it even when your finger is wet.

Other changes include a bumped-up processor in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 128GB of onboard storage.

Xiaomi has also buffed up the camera. While it’s gone down from 16-megapixel to 12-megapixel, the Mi 5s is using a Sony IMX378 1 or 2.3-inch CMOS sensor with larger pixels at 1.55 microns, which Xiaomi says is equivalent to those found on compact cameras. I’m looking forward to seeing how the camera holds up when I get a review unit.

Personally though, I’m not too sure if I’m a fan of the design change. The glass rear of the original Mi 5 helps it to stand out against a sea of competitors that sport a metal rear, and the Mi 5 now will be hard pressed to stand out. Then again, having accidentally dropped my Mi 5 and shattered the glass rear, I can guess why Xiaomi wants to switch that out for a more durable material.

We will see how the phone holds up when we get a review unit, in the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of the phone’s specs.

Key features

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
• 3GB or 4GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB onboard storage
• 12-megapixel rear camera, 4-megapixel front
• 3,200mAh battery
• USB Type-C port
• Retails in China only for now
• 1,999 yuan ($300, £230, Au$390) or 2,299 yuan ($245, £265, AU$450)

The Mi 5s will come with a headphone jack, in case you’re wondering.

Xiaomi

Kenmore Elite 31633 review – CNET

The Good Kenmore’s $1,530 Elite 31633 washing machine (available at Sears for $915) has the best stain removal score of any top-loader we’ve tested so far. It also looks high-end and can hold twice as many clothes as your standard washer.

The Bad The touch-screen-integrated control panel is very sensitive and it doesn’t have an extra hot water temperature setting.

The Bottom Line The Kenmore Elite 31633 is the best top-load washer we’ve encountered to date and it’s on sale at Sears for just $915 — a steal if you need a large-capacity model.

Visit manufacturer site for details.

I was pleasantly surprised by Kenmore’s $1,530 Elite 31633 top-load washing machine. $1,530 is a lot to spend on a washer, so I expected it to have a lot high-end features. But the 31633 isn’t app-enabled, it doesn’t have a built-in sink or support a second, smaller washer in a storage pedestal below. Still, it’s an excellent appliance.

That’s due in large part to its, well, large 6.2-cubic-foot capacity and exceptional stain removal power. In fact, the 31633 earned the best cleaning score of any top-load washer we’ve tested so far.

Bonus: Sears regularly marks down its appliance prices and the 31633 is currently available for just $915. Get the Kenmore Elite 31633 if you’re looking for a family-sized top-load model that absolutely demolishes stains — particularly if you can find it at its discounted price. If not, consider Kenmore’s 29133 — it also performed very well, but has a smaller capacity and costs a more reasonable $1,100.

Up close with Kenmore’s Elite 31633 washing…
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A truly massive top-loader

Wrapped in a dark gray metallic finish with a glossy black touchscreen display panel, Kenmore’s 31633 looks like the top-loader of the future. A central dial lets you select among the 10 available cleaning cycles and everything else is accessible via integrated “buttons” on the display.

The controls actually work more like a phone touchscreen than actual buttons. At times they seemed too responsive, since you barely have to tap on the option you want to make a change. Alternatively, you have to hold the Start button for a couple of seconds before it will kick into action — something you’ll have to get used to considering the super-responsiveness of every other button.

The controls include basic settings like Wash Temp, Soil Level and Spin Speed, as well as advanced features like Steam Treat, Two Rinses, Fabric Softener and Accela-Wash — an option that reduces cycle time by at least a few minutes (the exact number varies based on the specific cycle you choose).

There’s no traditional clunky agitator taking up space inside the drum cavity either, just 6.2 cubic feet of space with a high-efficiency impeller-style agitator hanging out in the bottom.

Here’s a look at the Kenmore Elite 31633 versus some other top-load washers:

Comparing washing machines:

You start to realize just how massive the 31633 is when you compare it with other high-end top-load washing machines. Many washers hover around a 4.5 cubic-foot drum size and that’s plenty big enough for a standard 8-pound load of laundry. Looking at the chart above, LG’s WT1801HVA has a 4.9-cubic-foot capacity, Kenmore’s 29133 has 5.3 cubic feet of space inside its drum and GE’s GTW860SPJMC has a 5.1-cubic-foot capacity.

With a whopping 6.2 cubic feet in the Kenmore Elite 31633, you can literally double your laundry load and accommodate 16 pounds of clothes no problem. Got Laundry, a web-based laundry service says 15 pounds of clothes is roughly “8 T-shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, 8 pairs of socks, 2 towels, 2 sweatshirts and 1 sweater.” That’s a whole bunch of clothes — more than you could comfortably fit in any other washer we’ve tested to date.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Amazon

Roku makes our favorite streamers and leads the pack in sales, but Amazon is trying to find its own voice with an update to a familiar, inexpensive stick.

Available for preorder starting today is a new streaming media device officially called Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote. It costs the same $40 as its predecessor, the original Fire TV Stick, and still streams the same TV apps including Netflix, Hulu, Watch ESPN and of course Amazon video. But now the price includes the same remote found on the more expensive Fire TV box, complete with a little mic button and voice control.

Equally important in my book is a boost in speed. Amazon upgraded the processor with a quad-core version that’s supposedly 30 percent faster, addressing one of my major complaints with the original Stick. It also improved the Wi-Fi capability from 802.11n to 802.11ac, and added the ability to connect a set of Bluetooth wireless headphones for private listening.

Amazon

Otherwise it’s basically identical to the previous $50 version, which paired the original stick with a “voice remote.” Addition of the word “Alexa” in the new Stick’s name indicates how Amazon intends to differentiate itself from Roku. Amazon claimed “4,000 channels, apps, and games” on the original Sticks, and now that line reads “7,000 channels, apps and Alexa skills.”

Alexa, the Amazon voice assistant that’s been available for the last year on Fire TV, has grown more useful recently. It now augments search capabilities (which now cover 90 apps) with the ability to launch apps, play movies and TV shows by title or genre, control playback (“skip ahead 30 seconds”) read back information on local movie showtimes, businesses and restaurants, create shopping lists, use any of the 3000 Alexa skills, and command all of the same smart home devices as Amazon’s Echo and Dot.

The main downside of Alexa on Fire TV compared to Alexa on those devices, however, is that you’ll need to turn on your TV and press a button on the remote to use it — the Stick isn’t “always on” and listening for your command.

How to combine Alexa devices to fit your needs

Some of Alexa’s devices work well together, others don’t. We discuss the best combinations so you can find the one that works for you.

by Andrew Gebhart

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Fire TV’s primary function is streaming video, however, and my main beef is still with its interface, which relentlessly channels (no pun intended) users toward Amazon content. A recent minor facelift improved the situation a bit, allowing some apps like Netflix and HBO to surface content on the home screen, and Amazon promises a major “content-first” interface update later this year. We’ll see.

Three days ago Roku introduced an onslaught of new streamers, including three with 4K capability, while Google is expected to unveil its 4K Chomecast next week. A couple year-old iterations of the Fire TV box remain Amazon’s sole 4K streamers for now — the new Stick doesn’t have 4K resolution.

Of course, the Fire TV Stick’s primary rivals are the $35 Chromecast, the $30 Roku Express and the $50 Roku Streaming Stick, my favorite streaming device overall. Amazon’s counter-punch is to pair its new $40 Stick with a limited time promotion: “Eligible customers who purchase and activate their device by October 31 will also receive a free content package worth up to $65, including one month of Sling TV, two months of Hulu (Limited Commercials), and a $10 credit for Amazon Video to rent or purchase new releases or old favorites.”

The Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote ships October 20. We’ll have a full review as soon as possible.

Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Mi 5s Plus features dual-cameras.

Xiaomi

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s third big-screen phone, after the Mi Note and Mi Max, is the Mi 5s Plus. But don’t let the name deceive you — the Mi 5s Plus feels more like a successor to the Mi Note, which was due a refresh this year.

Sporting the same 5.7-inch display size as the Mi Note, the Mi 5s Plus comes with a few upgrades not found on the Note, including a fingerprint sensor on the rear, dual cameras and a much bigger 3,800mAh battery.

Similar to the Huawei P9, the Mi 5s Plus’ dual 13-megapixel cameras feature a normal color sensor and a black-and-white one, which then combines both images for a more detailed image with less noise.

Like the Mi 5s, the Plus sports the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Depending on which version you get, it will either come with 6GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

While the phone’s currently limited to China, expect it to be sold in markets such as India and Singapore in the near future. It will retail for 2,299 yuan (approximately $245, £265 or AU$450) for the lower specced model and 2,599 yuan (about $390, £300 or AU$510) for the 6GB RAM version.

I’ll be looking forward to see if the cameras on the Plus are as good as Huawei’s P9, so do check back in the future for our review. In the meantime, here’s a quick breakdown of the specs.

Key features

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
• 4GB or 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB onboard storage
• 13-megapixel dual rear cameras
• 3,800mAh battery

Sony BDP-S3700 review – CNET

The Good The Sony BDP-S3700 Blu-ray player demonstrates good features and performance for the money. The number of streaming apps is solid, and disc loading times are fairly respectable.

The Bad Entering text in apps is laggy and frustrating. The implementation of the PlayStation Now gaming app is relatively poor.

The Bottom Line The Sony BDP-S3700 Blu-ray player offers a lot of features for little money but a lack of input responsiveness can spoil some of the fun.

With 4K Blu-ray having finally arrived in 2016 and streaming players costing as little as $30, it seems almost “retro” to be buying a 1080p disc player these days. Or does it? Standard Blu-ray discs lack the benefits of HDR but can still look better than streaming video, even in 4K.

Despite not planning to release a 4K Blu-ray player until 2017 at the earliest, Sony still sells plenty of regular, old 1080p Blu-ray players. They include high-end models like the $350 UHP-H1 as well as more modest offerings such as the BDP-S3700.

Features

View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET

The S3700 is a cut above many sub-$100 players. In addition to PlayStation Now, the player will also stream from a lot more services than competitors, including apps such as Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, Pandora and Spotify. And of course the Sony will play back Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs.

View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET

The BDP-S3700 is a digital-only machine with only an HDMI port, digital coax, and USB for connecting your gear. Internet access can be provided by either wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET

The interface is friendly and easy to configure with shortcuts to your favorite services, while the stubby remote control has the all-important Netflix shortcut. I had some niggles with usability, however, the most glaring being the inability to eject or insert a disc when Netflix or other apps were active. I also found the interface could be slow to respond, especially when inputting text in apps. A lag of several seconds between each letter makes it unusually frustrating to setup or search Netflix, for example.

PlayStation Now

View full gallery Sony

For $20 a month or $100 a year, users can access new and back-catalog PS3 games from this Blu-ray player. All you’ll need is a PlayStation controller, sold separately.

In practice, however, this feature is too limited for all but the most occasional gaming.