Sony A99 Mark II Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
I liked a lot of things about the Sony A99, the company’s fixed-mirror full-frame dSLR-style camera, but it’s sat around for over three years while competitors have introduced improved models. Sony finally succeeds it with the A99 Mark II, bringing all of its A-game technologies with the hopes of attracting professional action photographers.
It incorporates the same 42.4MP Exmor R CMOS that’s in the excellent A7R II mirrorless. There’s also a new hybrid autofocus system with 399 phase-detection AF points (79 cross-type) and sensitivity down to -4 EV. 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization and 4K uncompressed video complete the package. Sony claims it’s about the size of the A7RII, despite retaining the A mount, and is still dust-and-moisture resistant.
Sony plans to ship it in November at $3,200 for the body. I don’t have UK or Australian pricing yet, but that directly converts to about £2,450 and AU$4,240.
Stay tuned for more details.
Nikon KeyMission 360 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Surprise announcements are few and far between at CES, the huge consumer electronics show held every January in Las Vegas. But this year, Nikon dropped one I didn’t see coming: It was entering the action cam category and with a 360-degree model no less.
The Tokyo-based company didn’t provide many details about the camera at the time, save that it would shoot 4K ultra high definition (UHD) video with a 360-degree field of view, have electronic image stabilization and that it would be rugged: Shockproof to 2 meters (6.6 feet) and waterproof to 30 meters (100 feet).
Today, though, it’s offered up all the details including availability and price — October for $500 (roughly £385 and AU$665).
The first of Nikon’s action cam line, the KeyMission 360.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
On each side of the camera is an f2.0 8.7mm lens (35mm equivalent) backed by a 20-megapixel CMOS sensor. The camera can capture 30-megapixel stills and 4K UHD video (3,840×2,160 pixels) or full HD (1,920×1,080 pixels), both at 24 frames per second in MOV format. Stereo mics are built in and the camera has a standard tripod mount in the bottom.
All the stitching is done in camera, so it’s ready to share straight away. But, if you’d rather do a minor edit first, the new KeyMission mobile app for Android and iOS facilitates that as well as letting you change settings and gives you a live preview from the camera. Desktop software for Mac and Windows is also included with more editing options.
Nikon’s new KeyMission 170 (left) and KeyMission 80 (right) action cams.
Nikon
Joining the 360 camera in October are the $400 KeyMission 170 (approximately £300 and AU$530) and $280 KeyMission 80 (about £215 and AU$370). Like the 360, the number in the name refers to angle of view. The 170 has a superwide f2.8 lens similar to what you’d find on other action cams, so you’ll want to mount it to its tripod to capture all of a scene in 4K UHD or full HD video. There’s a small LCD on the back to help frame your shots, change settings and play back clips, and the whole thing is waterproof to 10 meters (33 feet) and shockproof to 2 meters (6.6 feet). It comes with a wireless remote, too.
The KeyMission 80 is more of a rugged life-logging camera. Though it records video in full HD at 30fps, the main attraction is its time-lapse and interval timer options so you can just clip it on and capture hands-free 12-megapixel photos. The camera also has a second 5-megapixel selfie snapper on the back above its 1.75-inch touchscreen.
Nikon plans to have accessories for all its cameras to help you get the most out of them, including a dive housing for the 170, a tripod adapter for the 80 and a variety of mounts for the 360 and 170.
The bottom line: Our quick verdict on Apple’s AirPods
The fact that they look like Q-tips sticking out of your ears is just the beginning: There are other reasons you might want to think twice about buying Apple’s wireless, weird-looking AirPods. For the money — $159 — these earbuds offer audio quality that isn’t any better than what you’d get with the iPhone’s pack-in EarPods. We’d also like it if Apple allowed more flexibility with the controls. Right now, for instance, you need to use Siri or take out your phone if you want to do basic things like change tracks or adjust the volume. On the plus side, the earbuds are dead-simple to set up, and work well for voice calls and Siri requests, even if they’re nothing special for music playback. Unless you’re an early adopter, you’re better off waiting for Apple to release a next-gen version and/or drop the price.
Toddy Cold Brew System review – CNET
The Good The Toddy Cold Brew System is an inexpensive way to make a large volume of cold brew coffee without much hassle. The cold brew the Toddy creates is concentrated, strong, yet smooth, sweet and delicious. The Toddy system has only a few parts and is a snap to assemble.
The Bad Like many manual cold brew coffee products, brewing with the Toddy system takes some practice to perfect. The Toddy Cold Brew System is also tall and eats up some counter space when brewing. The Toddy can’t use paper filters and comes with just one reusable felt filter and rubber stopper.
The Bottom Line The Toddy Cold Brew System is an exceptionally simple, affordable way to create concentrated cold brew coffee and lots of it.
The mechanics of brewing cold brew coffee are simple but in practice the activity is often messy, frustrating, and time consuming. There are products for sale to help make the process go more smoothly though. The $40 Toddy Cold Brew System is one such gadget which certainly succeeds at its task and for not a lot of money.
As kitchen contraptions go the Toddy is very bare bones. The kit consists of a plastic brewing container, essentially a bucket, attached to a handle. At the bottom of the container is a small, recessed hole and reusable felt filter pad that you place above it. Sadly the Toddy can’t use paper filters. Plugging the hole is a tiny rubber stopper. The lidless container then rests on top of a squat glass decanter.
The Toddy cold coffee brewer is a very basic but effective contraption.
Chris Monroe/CNET
To brew, just add 12 ounces (340.2 g) of coarse coffee grounds to the container. You then combine that with 56 ounces (1.7 L) of cool water. Of course you can’t throw everything together all at once. Instead the manual asks that you stagger ingredients, half your grounds then half your water, and repeat in order to ensure an even mixture. It takes a little practice to get the process right.
Espro Press P5 review – CNET
The Good The Espro Press P5 effectively strains unpleasant grit from the coffee it brews. The P5 can also create tasty cold brew coffee and even steep tea if you purchase an optional filter.
The Bad The Espro Press P5 costs twice as much as conventional French Press coffee makers. Despite its steep price, the Espro makes half the amount of coffee as similar appliances.
The Bottom Line French Press coffee fans who sometimes enjoy cold java will love the highly filtered drinks the Espro Press P5 slings but serious cold brew addicts should look elsewhere for their concentrated coffee fix.
Dark, rich, and intense, classic French press coffee is delicious. With more ground particles in solution than regular drip coffee though, this potent yet often gritty beverage isn’t for everyone. Equipped with a unique double filter, the $60 Espro Press P5 solves this problem by sifting out residual coffee grounds with satisfactory results. It’s quite a capable cold brew coffee maker as well, thanks to a dual strainer that’s just as adept at filtering chilled java as it is when handling piping hot joe.
Like any French Press, the Espro Press P5 is a cinch to use and consists of just a few parts. These are a glass pitcher, a metal cradle and attached plastic handle to hold it, plus a steel lid and plunger assembly.
The Espro Press P5 looks like a basic French Press but is more capable.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The P5’s genius though lies in its plunger design. Instead of the usual flat perforated plate that sits at the end of a metal rod, at the foot of the Espro Press’ plunger is a big basket filter.
The bottom line: Engadget on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know by now that the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus ditch the headphone jack. And if you’re like some of the readers who’ve been reaching out to us, you might be nervous about upgrading. Take it from us, since we’ve had a chance a to test both devices: Aside from the no-headphone-jack thing, these new phones are less radical than you think. In fact, we’d say Apple made some safe choices here, playing catch-up with other phone makers. These are the first waterproof iPhones, for instance, though Samsung and others have been offering this feature for some time now. Ditto for the iPhone 7 Plus’ dual-lens camera: It’s cool, but hardly the first we’ve seen.
That said, these features will feel new to Apple fans, and also, it’s hard to argue with everything these phones have to offer, including fine build quality, fast performance, long battery life and strong image quality. If you own a recent iPhone like the 6s or 6s Plus, you might not feel compelled to upgrade, but if you have an older model, this is as good a time as any to trade in. As for the headphone jack, you’ll either use the included adapter or switch to the pack-in Lightning EarPods. Just avoid the AirPods for now.
Filtron Cold Water Coffee Brewer review – CNET
The Good The Filtron Cold Water Coffee Brewer offers an affordable way to make cold brew coffee at home. The cold brew the Filtron makes is rich and delicious, and you can use either disposable or replaceable filters with it.
The Bad The Filtron Cold Water Coffee Brewer is more complicated to use than other cold brewers thanks to its multi-chamber filter.
The Bottom Line If you don’t mind a little extra set-up hassle and you want the flexibility to use different filters, the Filtron Cold Water Coffee Brewer will serve as an affordable gadget for making quality cold brew coffee at home.
Able to make large amounts of tasty cold brewed coffee at a time, the $40 Filtron Cold Water Coffee Brewer doesn’t demand much of an up front investment either (the price roughly converts to £30 in the UK and AU$55 in Australia). The manual contraption is a bit tricky to operate though due to its big size and more parts than its competitors.
Similar to other cool water brewers such as the Toddy and Oxo systems, the Filtron is essentially a plastic, cylindrical bucket (called the “coffee bowl”) that holds coffee grounds and water for steeping, which you then place on top of a container for decanting. Like those other products, you also must plug a tiny hole on the bottom of the coffee bowl with a rubber stopper.
The Filtron cold coffee brewer is tall, large and unwieldy.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Where the Filtron differs though is its use of a second “water bowl” designed to trickle brewing liquid over its supply of coffee grounds. The water bowl has no stopper for its small bottom opening so your finger is required. That’s three main sections in all, two of which you perch rather precariously on top of a very slender plastic carafe. Perhaps that’s why the vessel is plastic as opposed to fragile glass which the Oxo and Toddy products use. It feels as if one stray nudge could tip over the entire set up.
The Linksys EA9500 pierced my apartment’s WiFi-proof walls
I live in a two-bedroom San Francisco apartment built in 1916. It has a view of the bay and the top of the Golden Gate bridge. There’s crown molding, high ceilings and some pretty dope neighbors. It should be perfect. And it is — if you’re cool with plaster walls blocking 90 percent of all WiFi signals.
My livelihood is gadgets, most of which need to be online. But if anything is farther than 12 feet from the closet where I store my router, I know I’ll experience drop-outs or painfully slow speeds. I’ve resorted to using two routers placed in separate corners of the apartment. It’s ridiculous. So when Linksys offered up the EA9500 Max-Stream MU-MIMO router for review, I wanted to see if it could permeate what I assume are the lead-filled walls of my home.
Like most modern WiFi routers, the EA9500 resembles a spider that’s been flipped onto its back. The eight adjustable antennas can be positioned to optimize your signal. But, during setup I followed Linksys’ recommendation to leave the blades pointed straight up. I would have to decide later if I needed a little extra WiFi pointed in a particular direction.
If you’ve set up a router in the past 15 years, you know the drill: Plug the router in, find the wireless network, launch your browser, plug in the IP number. Fortunately in the past few years, Linksys has killed the default password in favor of a unique alphanumeric passcode generated during setup. That’s good news for folks who might not be aware that ‘admin’ and ‘administrator’ might not be the best username-and-password combo. (We realize that might not be you, dear Engadget readers, but perhaps your less tech-savvy relatives?)
After using the browser-based setup wizard I logged onto the router with my MacBook Air from the living room. Success! WiFi was flowing freely throughout my Faraday Cage of a home. Even the furthest room from the network closet was awash in free-floating zeros and ones. I was even able to log onto the network from my garage three floors down.
To accomplish this the router goes a little overboard for the typical home and you pay a steep price ($350) for all that future-proofing. The tri-band router can spew 1,000 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2166.67 Mbps on one of its two 5GHz radios. That sounds awesome until you realize most of your devices can only handle about 1,300 Mbps. It’s like buying a Ferrari only to drive 25 miles per hour.
It also supports MU-MIMO — a wireless feature that creates dedicated data streams between the router and supported devices. The end result is quicker throughput. Right now it’s found on most high-end smartphones and Windows-based computers. Where you won’t find it are Macs. While the iPhones 6S and 7 support the wireless standard, Apple has yet to add it to their laptops or desktops. I use Macs so I’m missing out on the router’s coolest feature right now. Linksys sells USB dongles that add MU-MIMO, but they only work with Windows machines.
If you own a Windows computer, then, it should be amazing. Apple users are stuck using WiFI the old fashion way. While Apple is expected to announce new MacBooks before the end of the year, there’s no guarantee they’ll support MU-MIMO. That alone might give you pause to purchase the powerful EA9500 if that’s your platform of choice.
That said, the router and its companion app have made network troubleshooting in my house a breeze. Anything I can do from the browser, I can do from the app including setting up guest access, port forwarding, device prioritization, password changes, firmware updates and most importantly, restarting the router. All these features can be accessed both in the home and out which is especially helpful when you get a frantic call during the workday that the WiFi is down at home.
Finally, the EA9500 has eight gigabit ports, which are essential if you’re trying to fill your house with the Internet of Things and need somewhere to plug in all those hubs. But like everything else on the router, it’s probably overkill for the average user.
After a month of use, I can’t imagine going back to another router, even with the lack of MU-MIMO support on my computers. But, I’m an extreme use case. I need all those gigabit ports, my home is a giant lead cage and frankly, being a tech reporter gives me more reason to be ahead of the curve. For the average home, the features on the EA9500 are mostly unnecessary.
If you’re in the market for a router and want access to the helpful Linksys app, the less expensive $250 EA8500 is a more than adequate 802.11 router with MU-MIMO. If you don’t need MU-MIMO because you live in an Apple house, the E8400 is a dual-band router that’ll cost you $230.
As for me and my home, I’ll continue to enjoy wireless access to the Internet in my entire apartment for the first time since I moved in.
Source: Linksys
SkyBell Trim Plus Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
SkyBell’s new Trim Plus doorbell.
SkyBell
Startup SkyBell, makers of the $199 SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell, unveiled a new product at the CEDIA consumer product conference in Dallas this week — the SkyBell Trim Plus.
Other camera tech:
- Nest’s hardy outdoor camera watches over your roost
- Pro version of the Ring Video Doorbell swaps flexibility for refinement
- SkyBell’s HD door buzzer steals the show
Similar to the brand’s HD doorbell, the Trim Plus boasts 1080p high-definition video resolution, night vision and access to the related Android and iPhone app. But the Trim Plus comes with two bonus features: a smaller design and optional battery power.
This is important for a couple of reasons.
First, the current roster of connected doorbells is huge. Of course, “huge” is relative when you’re talking about a device that traditionally goes on a doorframe, but the SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell, August Doorbell Cam and Ring Video Doorbell are all significantly larger than your standard push-button buzzer that’s less than an inch wide.
That’s partly because these devices can do a lot more than the not-so-smart doorbell you probably have at home today. Additional features like live streaming, motion alerts and recorded video clips make them much more like security cameras than your traditional entryway buzzer. Some of these features, especially the camera portion, take up space. But SkyBell’s Trim Plus apparently packs all of these features into a 1.39-inch-wide frame.
Second, the battery option offers flexibility for anyone who doesn’t have a hardwired doorbell, but still wants to enjoy the features offered by a connected model. In the case of the battery-powered-optional Ring Video Doorbell, taking the battery-powered route means no access to a live stream (as it would drain the batteries fast). I’ve reached out to SkyBell for confirmation on whether this is also the case for the Trim Plus.
August’s Doorbell Cam is smarter than your front door buzzer
The $199 Doorbell Cam by startup August lets you see who’s at your front door straight from your phone.
by Megan Wollerton
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In addition to the Trim Plus, SkyBell will also offer Chime, a standalone speaker designed to play a doorbell melody. Chime is outfitted with LEDs that are supposed to change colors as someone approaches, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth “for communicating with other smart home devices,” according to the official press release.
SkyBell’s Trim Plus and Chime are expected to hit retail toward the end of the year. Details on pricing and third-party integrations are forthcoming. Check back soon for updates.
Oppo UDP-203 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Oppo
For the past ten years or so Oppo has been the foremost name in enthusiast-level video players — from DVD to Blu-ray and now seemingly to 4K Blu-ray. Its players have been our reference models in the CNET labs for almost as long with the BDP-105 serving as one of our current 1080p standards.
So you can imagine we were quite excited by the stealthy announcement of the UDP-203 at this year’s CEDIA expo, and which Oppo has now made official. While details are still scant, journalist Chris Heinonen posted some tidbits on his Twitter page including a few pictures.
The new UDP-203 will be priced the same as the previous BDP-103 at $499, but it won’t include Darbee processing, Heinonen says.
Based on the back panel pictures the player will have a 7.1-channel analog output, two HDMI outputs, two USB 3.0 ports (plus one on the front), in addition to digital coaxial and optical.
According to Heinonen the player will be available by the end of the year, and so in the immediate absence of a Sony player and only a more expensive Panasonic player to contend with, this again looks like it could be the videophile player to buy.
Look forward to more details as they come including UK and Australian availability and pricing.
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