Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Dyson
With app-enabled smarts, the ability to heat or cool the air, a bladeless design, and a powerful HEPA air filter, the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link has a lot going for it. Good thing, too, because it costs an eye-popping $600.
Apparently, the filter removes almost 100% of particles from the air — Dyson claims 99.97%. It has some built-in smarts and can adjust the airflow automatically depending on the air quality in the room. You can also use the Dyson Link app to monitor the air quality in your home from afar and activate the purifier.
Dyson’s bladeless lineup
- Dyson Pure Cool Link
- Dyson Pure Cool
- Dyson AM009 Hot+Cool
Most of these tricks are the same on the $500 Dyson Pure Cool Link, which hit the market this spring. Dyson’s been incrementally adding more and more features to its bladeless fans for a couple of years now, and this newest version brings heat to its purifier just in time for fall. Dyson has a bladeless fan with the ability to heat and cool, but this is the first with smarts, heating, cooling, and air filtration.
You’ll be able to splurge on Dyson’s newest fan starting September 1 on Dyson.com if you’re in the US. On September 18, the $600 Pure Hot+Cool will roll out to major US appliance retailers. If you’re in the UK, the fan will cost £500 and goes on sale September 5. It’ll be on sale around the same time in Australia for AU$850.
Parrot Disco Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
It’s a drone! It’s a plane! It’s a Parrot!
At CES 2016, the Paris-based wireless technologies company revealed the Disco, a first-of-its-kind, ready-to-fly wing-shaped drone for consumers. Back in January, it was still a project. As of today, Parrot announced Disco is on its way for $1,300, which roughly converts to £990 or AU$1,700.
Like its Bebop quadcopters and line of Minidrones, Disco is designed to be something anyone can pick up and pilot. It’s a lightweight fixed-wing aircraft (it’s less than 700 grams or 1.6 pounds) made from flexible plastic foam with a single rear propeller strong enough to get the Disco up to about 50 mph (80 km) for flights up to 45 minutes.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
A system of sensors inside — accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer and GPS/GLONASS, plus a pitot tube for airspeed — help newbie pilots stay in the air. Parrot even gave the whole system a catchy name: CHUCK, which stands for Control Hub and Universal Computer Kit.
CHUCK makes it possible to simply toss the Disco into the air like a Frisbee and have it automatically ascend to 50 meters (164 feet), at which point it will fly in a circle until you give it a command. Once you’re up, turning left and right is as easy pushing a direction on the control stick, and the same goes for changing altitude.
For the Disco, Parrot shrank its supersized Skycontroller available for the Bebop drones. The new smaller design is closer to a controller you’d get with a toy drone, but the Wi-Fi MIMO remote control still has a theoretical range of 1.2 miles (1.9 km).
Part of the size reduction is because the smartphone/tablet mount is gone. Instead, the Disco comes with Parrot Cockpitglasses, a first-person-view (FPV) headset that, once you insert your smartphone, gives you a view from the full HD camera in the nose. If you need to see something on the ground while you’re flying, the Cockpitglasses can switch to the view from your smartphone’s rear camera.
Parrot
You can still pair the controller with a smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android) and use the FreeFlight Pro app instead of flying by FPV. Along with a live view with telemetry, the app interface lets you set speed, altitude and distance limits and your wireless and photo/video settings. The drone also captures photos and video to 32GB of internal storage.
The biggest difference between piloting the Disco compared to the Bebop quadcopters is that it can’t hover in place or fly straight back or to the sides — the Disco is constantly moving forward. Because of this, Parrot lets you set a geofence to keep it from flying off. When it hits the set boundary, it will automatically return it to you.
There’s no sense-and-avoid system either, so if you’re headed straight for a wall or tree you’re on your own. Landing can be done automatically, with the drone coming down in a spiral the same way it goes up. Or you can manually land it, with the pressure sensors underneath helping to bring it in smoothly.
Also, if you want to skip the autopilot stuff, you can bind the Disco to a regular RC transmitter and pilot it in a full manual mode.
We’ll be taking it out to fly and I’ll be back with soon with some hands-on impressions. If there’s anything specific you’d like to know, though, drop it in the comments.
Motorola Moto Z / Force vs Samsung Galaxy S7 / Edge
When it comes to flagship smartphones, consumers certainly don’t suffer from a lack of choice, but on the flip side, with so many great options available, it is quite difficult to select which device is best suited for you. In today’s comparison, we pit two of the hottest smartphones in the market right now, and they couldn’t be more different from each other.
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
- Moto Z review
On one hand is the Galaxy S7 Edge, with Samsung continuing to refine and improve what it started last year with its predecessors. On the other are the latest Motorola flagships, that are poles apart from anything we’ve seen from the company so far, and bring something unique to the table in the form of Moto Mods.
How does Motorola’s take on the Android flagship compare to one of the best and most well rounded smartphone offerings from Samsung? We find out, in this in-depth look at the Motorola Moto Z vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge!
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge
Buy the Motorola Moto Z / Z Force
Design
Starting with design and build quality, both of these phones are made with some high quality materials, and not only look fantastic, but also feel extremely sturdy. The Moto Z features glass on the front and back, with a smooth metal frame holding it all together.
The corners have been rounded off to allow for a more comfortable feel in the hand, and there is a subtle curve to the glass panel up front. However, for the most part, the phone is completely flat on the front and back, save for the rather large protrusion of the rear camera.
The Galaxy S7 Edge also features a metal and glass unibody construction, but unlike the Moto Z, you get curves everywhere, including the tapers along the sides of the back, the rounded corners, and of course, the curved edge display up front.
It’s not only of the most solid and comfortable feeling phones that Samsung has ever made, but comes with a sleek and eye-catching design. Samsung has done a good job with reigning in the camera protrusion with the Galaxy S7 Edge when compared to its predecessor, and is nowhere near as prominent as what is seen with the Moto Z.
The downside to any phone made predominantly with glass is that the device becomes a complete fingerprint magnet, so either have to clean it on a regular basis or use a case, to avoid this. Motorola offers a simple solution in this regard with the Style Shell covers, that gives the Moto Z some extra flair, while also adding enough thickness to cover that camera bulge.
Without any covers or Moto Mods attached, the Moto Z is an extremely thin smartphone, with a thickness of just 5 mm, and it’s certainly very impressive how thin Motorola has managed to make it. The Moto Z Force is slightly thicker at 7 mm, which is still quite thin, and you really have to hold these phones in your hand to truly appreciate this design aspect.
That said, apart from the thickness, the Moto Z is actually larger than the Galaxy S7 Edge in every other dimension and has a much larger footprint, despite both smartphones coming with 5.5-inch displays. Samsung has managed to make the Galaxy S7 Edge the more compact phone by having a smaller top and bottom chin, thinner bezels, and adding curves to the glass on the left and right sides.
Display
Both smartphones come with 5.5-inch AMOLED displays, or Super AMOLED in the case of the Galaxy S7 Edge, with Quad HD resolution. As expected, both displays are plenty sharp, and are very vibrant, saturated, and with deep, inky blacks. The display of the Galaxy S7 Edge is a touch brighter and offers slightly better viewing angles, but for the most part, these are very comparable displays, and things like gaming and watching videos are very enjoyable on either of these screens.
One benefit of the Samsung flagship is its Always On display feature, which lights up only the necessary pixels to let you see important information like the time, date, battery life, the calendar, and notifications, with a quick glance.
While the Moto Z doesn’t come with this feature, it offers the next best thing with Moto Display, which remains one of the best features to ever grace Android. The display will periodically pulsate whenever you have any notifications, and you can manually wake it by either picking up the phone, or simply waving your hand over it.
Worth mentioning here is that the Moto Z Force comes with a shatterproof display, that makes it far more durable when compared to the standard Corning Gorilla glass 4 panels that are found with the regular Moto Z and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Performance
Under the hood, both smartphones feature identical specifications, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU, and 4 GB of RAM. This is the same processing package that is found with almost every current generation flagship smartphone, and it’s not surprising that both these devices are blazing fast, and can handle anything, including multi-tasking, web browsing, and playing high-end games, with ease. Despite offering two very different software experiences, the overall performance with both is very smooth, and you will be hard-pressed to find a noticeable difference between them.
Hardware
Both smartphones are available with 32 GB or 64 GB of on-board storage, and both offer expandable storage capabilities via microSD card up to 256 GB, so storage will not be a concern with either device.
Sitting right below the display of both devices is a fingerprint scanner, with the difference being that while the fingerprint sensor of the Galaxy S7 Edge is embedded into the home button, that isn’t the case with the Moto Z, which uses on-screen navigation keys. This can certainly take some getting used to, especially if you are already comfortable with also using a front-facing scanner as a home button, and when using the Moto Z, you will find yourself occasionally reach for the fingerprint sensor for no reason.
As far as accuracy and reliability of the fingerprint sensors are concerned, both work extremely well, but you will find the one of the Moto Z to be a tad quicker, mainly because of the fact that is reads your fingerprint simply when you touch it, instead of needing to press down on the button as you have to do with the Galaxy S7 Edge. Even though the scanner of the Moto Z does not double as a home button, it does function as a lock key to put the phone back to sleep, which is a nice touch.
A big difference in hardware between the two is that the Moto Z comes with a USB Type C port, while the Galaxy S7 Edge features a microUSB port. The latter also comes with a headphone jack while the Moto Z does not, which is one of the compromises that had to be made to keep the sleek profile of the device. Instead, you will have to use a Type C adapter to use your regular headphones with the Moto Z.
The Moto Z does offer a better sounding speaker, with its front-facing position better than the bottom-firing speaker of the Galaxy S7 Edge. That said, neither speaker is particularly impressive, but you do have the JBL speaker Moto Mod with the Moto Z to make up for this deficiency.
Speaking of Moto Mods, there are only a few that are currently available, including the JBL speaker, the projector, and the Incipio power pack case, but there should be more coming soon, as more third-party manufacturers jump on-board and create new Moto Mods. These Moto Mods are certainly a big selling point when it comes to the Moto Z, given how they work and the extra functionality that they offer. Just keep in mind that these Mods aren’t exactly cheap, and do add a significant amount of heft to the phone.
The speaker of the Galaxy S7 Edge is also more muffled and distorted due to the built-in water and dust resistance, which many will agree is a small price to pay to keep your device protected from the elements. The Moto Z is also water resistant, but does not come with the IP68 rating that the Galaxy S7 Edge features, so while the former can survive a splash or a small spill, it certainly won’t work if submerged entirely.
When it comes to battery life, the Moto Z packs a rather small 2,600 mAh battery, compared to the 3,600 mAh unit of the Galaxy S7 Edge, but the playing field is a lot more even when considering the Moto Z Force and its 3,500 mAh battery. Battery life is obviously going to vary depending on your usage, and while the Moto Z does allow for a full day of use, you will be able to do that far more comfortably with the Moto Z Force and the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Both devices come with fast charging capabilities, so you will be up and running in no time, and in the case of the Galaxy S7 Edge, you also get fast wireless charging. If battery life is a concern, Motorola has a simple solution for the Moto Z with the Incipio power pack case, which to me, is currently the most useful and practical Moto Mod that is available.
Camera
The Moto Z comes with a 13 MP rear camera with a f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and a dual tone LED flash, while the camera of the Moto Z Force is bumped up to 21 MP. On the other hand, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge come with a 12 MP rear shooter, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, and a blazing fast dual pixel auto focus system that allows it to focus much faster than any other smartphone camera currently available.
When it comes to the camera software, Motorola keeps things pretty simple by only offering the most basic of camera modes, while Samsung gives you a bevy of options with a slew of modes and camera effects to choose from. Both do offer fairly robust manual modes however.
Moto Z camera samples
If I had to pick either one of these cameras, the Galaxy S7 Edge would be my choice. The Moto Z can take some decent photos, but it really pales in comparison to the Samsung flagship. Photos taken with the latter are sharper and more detailed, and with better dynamic range, while the Moto Z has the tendency to overexpose and blow out highlights.
Galaxy S7 Edge camera samples
The Galaxy S7 Edge camera is also the much faster one overall. In low light situations, the Moto Z is quite slow to capture an image, especially if you are using HDR, while the Galaxy S7 Edge remains really fast when it comes to focusing and taking a shot. The Samsung smartphone camera does have some trouble with white balance in low light conditions, but the photos still come with a lot more detail when compared to shots taken with the Moto Z.
As far as the front cameras go, both phones are utilizing a 5 MP sensor, which work well enough for taking selfies, but the Moto Z has an advantage here with its front-facing flash, which can be extremely helpful when taking selfies in low light.
Software
One of the best parts about Motorola is that they keep the software experience pretty close to stock Android, but with a few very useful additions built in. The Moto Z is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and it is as close to stock Android as you are going to get without the device being a Nexus smartphone. Motorola’s customizations aren’t numerous, but they are some of the most useful features we’ve seen on an Android smartphone.
You have features like the Moto Display that we mentioned earlier, and there is also Moto Voice, that lets you call upon your Moto Z from across the room. Also available are a slew of gestures, such as the double chop to turn on the camera flash, and the double twist of your wrist to launch the camera.
The only real down side now is that the Moto Z is a Verizon exclusive, so it comes with a lot of Verizon bloatware, and a host of pre-installed games and third-party applications. An unlocked version will be coming soon though, but if you are looking to get the Moto Z right away, the bloatware is something you will have to deal with.
The Galaxy S7 Edge is also running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but Samsung’s take on Android, with the TouchWiz UI, couldn’t be more different from stock Android. Samsung has been doing a better job with streamlining the software experience as much as possible, and what you get is a much cleaner and less bloated user interface than before.
With the Galaxy S7 Edge, you also get the Edge panels, that can give you quick access to apps, sports scores, the weather, your contacts, and a variety of other shortcuts, but just swiping in from the edge of the glass. These panels can be useful, but like any new smartphone feature, you will have to train yourself to get used to them.
Specs comparison
| Display | 5.5-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 535 ppi |
5.5-inch Super AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 535 ppi |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor Adreno 530 GPU |
2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor Adreno 530 GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB expandable via microSD card up to 256 GB |
32/64 GB expandable via microSD card up to 256 GB |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, dual tone LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera, front-facing flash |
12 MP rear camera, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, dual pixel autofocus, LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC FM Radio GPS + GLONASS USB Type-C 1.0 |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 NFC GPS + GLONASS microUSB 2.0 |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh | 3,600 mAh |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2 mm 136 grams |
150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm 157 grams |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the Motorola Moto Z and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge! Both of these devices are two really fantastic smartphones in their own right, but what it is really going to come down to is how much you value the Moto Mods, and how easily you can get your hands on one of them. The Galaxy S7 Edge is the easier phone to get right now, with it being available from all major network carriers, and while an unlocked version of the Moto Z will be arriving soon, Verizon is your only option currently.
The Moto Z is a very solid option however, and the Moto Mods are just icing on the cake, providing a very elegant and simple way of modifying your smartphone. If you are willing to spend the extra money, you certainly won’t be disappointed. While the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t have any crazy bells and whistles, or extra moving parts, it’s an all around great smartphone that ticks all the right boxes, and for most people, that is going to be more than enough to suit their needs.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge
Buy the Motorola Moto Z / Z Force
LG OLEDB6P series review – CNET
The Good With the exception of even more-expensive 2016 OLED TVs, the LG B6 outperforms every other TV we’ve tested. It evinced perfect black levels, wide viewing angles, accurate color and a brighter picture than last year. It’s compatible with both types of HDR TV shows and movies, Dolby Vision and HDR10. Its striking design features a super-slim panel.
The Bad Expensive.
The Bottom Line LG’s high-end 2016 OLED TVs deliver the best picture quality of any TV we’ve ever reviewed, and the B6 is the best value of the bunch.
LG’s 2016 OLED TVs are everything I expected, and even after hours of watching them, they still surprise me with how good they look.
I expected the best picture quality ever, anchored by perfect black levels and viewing angles, along with expanded HDR compatibility for the widest access to the best video content available. I expected beautiful design and the thinnest panels around. I expected to pay out the nose. Check, check and check.
In side-by-side comparisons with LCD TVs I tested there’s not much of a contest: the B6, LG’s “cheapest” 4K OLED TV, simply looks better in almost every way. Its picture is basically the equal of the more-expensive E6 I tested at the same time, so I don’t think it’s worth paying extra for that TV’s superior sound and styling. It’s also better than the 55EG9100 and the EF9500, two OLED TVs from last year that are still available (often at slight to steep discounts). The gap is narrow, but wide enough that I don’t advocate buying the older version unless the discount is truly steep, say $800 to $1,000 for the 65-inch versions.
So yes, with the exception of the E6, the B6 is the best TV I’ve ever tested. And yes, most people will think it’s too expensive to buy one. Extremely good LCD TVs, like the Sony XBR-X930D and the Vizio P series, cost thousands less, and deliver image quality that’s good enough for just about anyone.
LG OLEDB6P (pictures)
See full gallery
1 – 5 of 27
Next
Prev
But maybe you’re not “just about anyone,” and a “good enough” picture isn’t good enough for you. Maybe you’re sick of waiting for the price of OLED to fall while you watch an inferior TV every day. And maybe the price difference between a good LCD and a great OLED is worth paying, for whatever reason. You, dear reader, should buy a B6.
Series information: I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 55-inch LG OLED55B6P, but this review also applies to the 65-inch OLED65B6P. Both sizes in the series have identical specifications and according to the manufacturer should provide very similar picture quality.
I also reviewed the more expensive OLED65E6P at the same time. It has very similar picture quality as well, with most of the differences noted below. For that reason the two reviews are very similar.
LG sells curved a version of the B6, the C6, which has the same specifications and features — the exception being that the C6 has 3D, while the B6 does not. I prefer flat to curved TVs, but the difference is largely aesthetic. Then there’s the ultra-expensive G6, with its rotating sound bar stand. I didn’t test either model, but LG says they all have the same picture quality as the B6 and E6 I did review.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
There’s thin, then there’s OLED TV thin
Plenty of LCD TVs are exceedingly slim in profile these days, but few take it to the level of OLED. The top half of the B6 TV, which consists of just the OLED panel itself and enough structure to support it, is pencil thin, just 0.18 inch deep. The bottom half, where the electronics, power supply, inputs and other stuff live, is thicker at just under two inches.
The B6 lacks the striking picture-on-glass design of more expensive 2016 LG OLEDs, but it’s still beautiful TV. It’s nearly all picture from the front, with just a tiny LG logo. The stand is angular and darker shade of silver, and adds a mass of transparent plastic on the back to create a more floaty look.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
I’m guessing most buyers in this price bracket will opt to wall-mount, though, foregoing the stand. Unlike earlier LG OLEDs, which required a special add-on wall bracket, the B6 and other 2016 models can work with a standard VESA wall mount.
The remote is basically the same as last year, and I’m a fan. LG kept its trademark motion control, which allows you to whip around the menus with a responsive cursor rather than a plodding directional keypad. That keypad is still available too, if you want it, along with a slick rubberized scroll wheel. The step-up E6 and G6 TVs enjoy a new, redesigned remote, although it’s not much better than this one.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
Smart TV is solid, but not the best
There’s nothing wrong with LG’s Web OS Smart TV system, and I am glad that response times are snappier than last year throughout the menus, but competing systems (with the exception of Vizio) are better. Roku and Android TV have more apps and a better design, and Samsung has the unique ability to control more of your gear.
4K streaming with Dolby Vision HDR is available from Netflix, Amazon and Vudu, which outpaces the HDR selection of Samsung (which lacks Vudu’s HDR) and Vizio (which lacks Amazon’s) and matches Sony’s. 4K-capable apps include YouTube and Xfinity’s lame 4K sampler, formerly exclusive to Samsung, which only works for Comcast subscribers.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
Other apps are hit or miss. You get Hulu, Crackle, MLB TV, Plex, Google Play Movies and TV, Spotify and Pandora, for example, but LG’s system is missing both HBOs (Go and Now), Showtime (or Anytime), Pluto TV, Sling TV, Watch ESPN, CBS All Access, PBS, PBS Kids and more. Roku and Android TV have all of those, and many more niche apps too, while Samsung’s selection is about the same, give or take a few services. (Note that CNET is a division of CBS.)
You also get voice search and a “content store” but none of it is as easy to use, or as comprehensive, as other systems. In the end you’re best off, as usual, getting your streams from an external device.
Features and connectivity
Key TV features
| OLED |
| N/A |
| 4K |
| HDR10 and Dolby Vision |
| Flat |
| Web OS |
| Motion |
| No |
OLED is the dark star of the show here. Its basic tech closer to late, lamented plasma than to the LED LCD (SUHD or otherwise) technology used in the vast majority of today’s TVs. Where LCD relies on a backlight shining through a liquid crystal panel to create the picture, with OLED and plasma, each individual sub-pixel is responsible for creating illumination. That’s why OLED and plasma are known as “emissive” and LED LCD as “transmissive” displays, and a big reason why OLED’s picture quality is so good.
New for 2016 LG is claiming 25 percent higher light output and a wider color gamut compared with previous models like the EF9500. Interestingly, it also says all of its new 2016 OLED TVs have the same picture quality. See the picture quality section below for tests of those claims.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
The other big improvement over last year is support for both types of HDR video: Dolby Vision and HDR10. Today at least, that means TVs like the B6 can access more HDR TV shows and movies than other devices. On the other hand, the B6 is also the only 2016 4K OLED TV to lack support for 3D sources. If you want a non-curved 2016 OLED with 3D, your cheapest option is the E6.
The only other features difference between the B6 and E6 is the latter’s superior sound system.
- 4x HDMI inputs with HDMI 2.0a, HDCP 2.2
- 3x USB ports
- 1x component video input
- 1x composite video input (shared with component)
- Ethernet (LAN) port
- Optical digital audio output
- RF (antenna) input
- Remote (RS-232) port (minijack)
The selection of connections is top-notch. Unlike many of Samsung’s sets, this one actually has an analog video input for legacy (non-HDMI) devices.
Picture quality
There’s nothing like OLED, and the B6 and E6 are the best OLED TVs I’ve tested so far. They improve on the EF9500 from last year with better brightness, wider color gamut and better uniformity in dark areas. They’re not perfect, but they’re better than any LCD TV I’ve tested. To be fair, however, my comparison crop didn’t include the very best 2016 LCD TVs from Samsung (the KS9800) and Sony (the Z9D), so I can’t say for sure whether the B6 is better than them.
If you’re looking for differences between the two, this review isn’t the place to find them. According to my eyes and measurements both were equally adept with the vast majority of stuff I tested. The B6 did have less input lag for gaming, there were slight differences in video processing, and the E6 was a bit brighter, but I can’t say whether that was the result of their screen size differences.
And in case you’re looking for a link to my picture settings, I’m not going to provide them for this review. Check out my calibration and HDR notes for details.
Comparison models
- LG 65EF9500 (65-inch OLED TV)
- LG 55EG9100 (55-inch OLED TV)
- LG OLED65E6P (65-inch OLED TV)
- Samsung UN65JS9500 (65-inch LCD TV)
- Samsung UN65KS8000 (65-inch LCD TV)
- Vizio P65-C1 (65-inch LCD TV)
Dim lighting: OLED was king here. All four of the OLED TVs in my lineup produced equally perfect black, compared with the variously lighter shades of black found on the LCD TVs. As usual the difference showed up most in dark scenes, for example in “The Revenant” Chapter 21 where Hugh emerges into the searchers’ torchlight. The black bars above and below the image, the shadows among the trees, and Hugh’s silhouette all appeared in true black or very dark shadow, and all looked blacker and more realistic than any of the LED LCD sets.
Asus ZenFone 3 review – CNET
The Good The latest ZenFone 3 from Taiwanese smartphone maker Asus packs a premium design and materials into a brilliant, affordable phone.
The Bad The ZenFone 3 beautiful looks and premium build gives it the chops to compete with other similar phones, while its camera takes satisfying shots.
The Bottom Line The cluttered user interface nags you with notifications until you turn them off. The glass rear is also a fingerprint magnet.
After two generations of plastic phones, Asus is finally returning to its premium roots. The ZenFone 3 houses midrange specs in a beautiful body that’s surprisingly affordable. With a starting price of $249 for the model with 32GB of onboard storage — around £170 or AU$350 — this phone is a fantastic deal for markets in Asia like India and Singapore. Those in the US and UK will have to wait till the fourth quarter before the phone launches there, unfortunately.
The ZenFone 3 looks like an iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S7 hybrid and feels especially premium compared to other phones that stick with metal or even plastic builds. And its USB Type-C port brings the handset into the growing ranks of phones that switched to the new standard.
Asus ZenFone 3 gets a beautiful new glass…
See full gallery
1 – 5 of 8
Next
Prev
The 5.5-inch full-HD display is bright and vibrant, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor is snappy. It’s not as powerful as flagship phones packing the Snapdragon 820 chip, of course, but it’s powerful enough to play Asphalt 8 and Pokemon Go without issue. The phone scored well in our diagnostic benchmark tests, easily proving its chops as a midrange handset. Battery life was great, lasting around 16.5 hours in our looping video tests. Most phones hold up for around 11 to 12 hours, while those with bigger batteries can easily go up to 20 hours or more.
USB Type-C is taking over — here are the…
See full gallery
1 – 5 of 16
Next
Prev
Camera wise, the 16-megapixel rear lens with its four-axis optical image stabilization does a good job with lowlight shots. Check out the gallery below for some of the shots I took. If you have jittery hands, this feature will definitely be useful. On the front, the 8-megapixel shooter has the Asus Beauty Mode, which, when used on me, doesn’t really do much, but selfie addicts might enjoy controls that can slim the face and enlarge your eyes.
Focal Listen review – CNET
The Good The Focal Listen has a sturdy design and a comfortable and snug fit, and it sounds excellent for the price. Detachable cable includes an integrated one-button remote. The headphone folds up to fit in an included neoprene case.
The Bad Headphone is a tad heavy, may fit a little too snugly for some folks, and may not have enough bass for some listeners.
The Bottom Line French company Focal’s closed-back, over-ear headphone is designed for mobile use and delivers excellent sound for $250.
You may not have heard of French company Focal, but it makes some very good-sounding headphones. The latest case in point is its new Listen closed-back over-ear headphone, which retails for $249. No word yet on an international launch, but that price roughly translates to £175 or AU$340.
Although this is a full-size headphone, it’s designed for mobile use and works just fine with phones — it has a one-button remote and microphone integrated into the cord, which is detachable. The single-button remote allows you to skip tracks forward and back, pause and play music, and answer and end calls (call quality was good).
View full gallery
Focal’s Listen headphone is an excellent sounding and comfortable full-size over-ear headphone that’s fairly affordable.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Although there are no volume controls on the cord, I like that Focal separated the microphone (a decent quality omnidirectional mic) from the one-button remote, which sits lower down on the cord and is easy to access.
The Listen may not look superstylish, but it is comfortable and is a better designed headphone than Focal’s earlier Spirit One, which we reviewed back in 2012. The Listen feels nice and sturdy, but — at 9.9 ounces or 281 grams — it isn’t the lightest headphone. That weight takes a little away from its comfort level. (Bose’s around-ear models and Sony’s MDR-1A are more comfortable overall.)
Focal Listen headphones (pictures)
See full gallery
1 – 5 of 9
Next
Prev
Both Steve Guttenberg, who writes CNET’s Audiophiliac column, and I really liked the way this headphone sounded. It offers well-balanced sound with excellent detail; potent, tight bass and clear mids. It also sounds pretty open for a closed-back headphone, so the sound doesn’t get stuck inside your head.
Netgear Orbi WiFi System Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The satelline unit of an Orbi Wi-Fi System
Netgear
Ever since the debut of the Eero, a number of competitors have introduced similar devices, like the Luma or the Almond 3. Today Netgear joined this home mesh network movement with an announcement of its own: the Orbi Wi-Fi System that’s slated to be available next month for $400.
The Orbi system includes two devices, a router and a satellite wireless extender. The two come pre-paired out of the box. You connect the router to an internet source such as a cable modem, then place the Orbi satellite at the center of the home — and that’s it. Now your home is covered with Wi-Fi fast enough to deliver high-speed internet.
Basically, like all home mesh systems, the satellite unit connects to the router’s Wi-Fi network wirelessly, then extends that Wi-Fi network further using its own Wi-Fi broadcaster.
What makes the Orbi Wi-Fi System different, however, according to Netgear, is that it leverages a tri-band setup. This allows the two units to communicate using one band, then the satellite unit can use its other two bands to extend the Wi-Fi network. In theory, this helps eliminate the signal loss that always happens if the extender uses the same band for both receiving and extending Wi-Fi signals.
Though this is a tri-band system (which Netgear says has a combined Wi-Fi bandwith of 3,000Mbps), the Orbi will deliver a only single Wi-Fi network. In other words, you will see only one Wi-Fi name, instead of three.
Netgear says the band that’s used to connect the two devices is a dedicated 5Ghz 802.11ac band that has a top speed of 1.7Gbps, and that you won’t need to figure out where to best put the satellite unit as long as it’s placed at the center of your home. In reality, a 5Ghz band has relatively short range, so depending on how large your home is — as with all Wi-Fi extenders — finding the right spot to place the satellite unit for the best performance can still be tricky.
Netgear claims that the Orbi system can cover a home of about 4,000 square feet. The company says that by the end of the year, it will release Orbi systems that include more than two units as well as add-on units that you can use to expand an existing system, to further extend your Wi-Fi coverage.
To find out how the new Orbi Wi-Fi System stacks up against the Eero, check back next month for its full review.
Close
The Eero system does Wi-Fi like nothin’ you’ve seen
Drag
Joule proves sous vide cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating
Despite the recent rise of affordable sous vide machines, the cooking concept has always skewed a little nerdy. Preparing food in vacuum-sealed bags in a temperature-controlled water bath sounds like something only culinary geeks would do, even if it results in perfectly cooked meats. By and large, these devices look and feel like scientific equipment: They’re bulky with large dials. They look like they belong in a lab, not a kitchen.
Chefsteps, a company best known for its online cooking school, aims to change that image. They’ve invented the Joule, a slim, stylish immersion circulator its leaders hope will finally take sous vide cooking to the masses. Chris Young, co-founder and CEO, likens it the original iPod. There were MP3 players even before that, he said, but it was the iPod that made digital music mainstream. “We want the Joule to be a thing that people actually cook with,” he said. I’ve been using a beta version of the Joule for the past few weeks (the final version of the Joule will have minor cosmetic differences), and while I can’t say it’s completely analogous to Apple’s iconic music player, it’s certainly a step forward in sous vide cooking.
The design is a big part of that. The Joule is by far the most attractive sous vide machine I’ve ever seen. In place of a large display, the temperature controls are relegated to Joule’s companion app, which results in more elegant-looking hardware. Shaped like a cylindrical tube, the Joule is sleek and minimalist, with seamless white plastic housing and a stainless steel top. There’s a curved indentation on the top that works as a multifunction key, while a lone status light sits on the front.
The Joule measures 11 by 1.85 inches — about the size of the tube in a paper towel roll. Compared to the Nomiku WiFi, which is 12 by 4 inches, or the Anova Precision Cooker (14.75 by 2.75 inches), the Joule is slimmer and smaller. It fits easily in a crowded kitchen drawer, which isn’t something I can say about its competitors. Seriously, that might sound like a minor detail, but as someone who’s played around with (and owned) various sous vide gadgets over the years, I can say Joule’s size is a big deal. The fact that I can just open my drawer to get it instead of fumbling around for it in the back of my closet means I’m much more likely to actually use it.
I also like that the Joule has a neodymium magnetic mount at the bottom. It attaches firmly to any metal or cast iron surface just by setting it in the pot, which felt really secure (plus it’s fun to do). But if you want to use it with a non-magnetic vessel instead, it comes with a handy wire clip on the rear as well. Another nice feature is a unique 360-degree water inlet at its base. This pulls cool water from the bottom of the pot and then redistributes it evenly throughout, resulting in a more consistent temperature. Even better, this means the minimum water level is only 1.5 inches high, which is a lot lower than on most other sous vide machines. If I wanted to, then, I could use the Joule in a shallower pot. That’s good for cooking smaller amounts of food without wasting as much water.
The brains of the operation, however, are all in the companion app. By default, the hardware connects to it over WiFi connectivity, you can always pair it via Bluetooth in a pinch. Setup is pretty easy: Just plug in the Joule, go through a tutorial in the app and it’ll connect immediately.
The app also functions as the Joule’s command center. There’s a series of step-by-step guides for cooking everything from chicken breasts to steak, so that even novices can make the perfect meal. Chefsteps, which is already known for its polished video tutorials, has imbued the app with several short clips that show you exactly how to prepare and cook certain foods. There’s even a feature called “Visual Doneness” which lets you see, in video form, what the food would look like when cooked at a particular temperature. So, for example, you can see the difference between a medium rare and a medium well steak before tapping the appropriate setting. The app also helps you figure out how long to cook the food based on how thick it is and if it’s fresh or frozen. If you’d rather not do the step-by-step guide thing, you can set the temperature and timer manually instead.
Once you figure out the various settings, hit start and the Joule will immediately begin circulating the water, heating it to the desired temperature. Put in your bagged food — I just used Ziploc bags that I sealed using a water displacement technique, but you can use a vacuum sealer if you like — and you’re good to go. And since the app also has notifications and timers, you can go about the day without having to babysit the pot; it’ll let you know when the food is done.
As much as I like the Joule, there are a few downsides. For one thing, using the app is mandatory, not optional. There’s no other way to set the temperature. Also, once you set the temperature using one of the step-by-step guides, it’s difficult to change it. You’ll have to stop the machine, set the new temperature and then start it again. So changing your mind mid-process is not ideal. If you do want to be able to change the temperature in the middle of cooking, you’ll have to go for the manual option to begin with. That said, don’t worry if your smartphone shuts down after you’ve set the temperature; Joule will keep working regardless.
As far as the food goes, I followed the app’s instructions and ended up with perfectly juicy chicken breasts, along with molten slow-cooked eggs. I could probably do the same on a traditional stovetop, but sous vide removes the guesswork.
Before Young created Chefsteps, he was the principal co-author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. He was also the founding chef of Heston Blumenthal’s experimental kitchen, which helped create dishes served at the Fat Duck in England, one of the best restaurants in the world. A graduate in theoretical mathematics and biochemistry, he had a scientific approach to cooking that includes molecular gastronomy and the use of unusual ingredients such as xanthan gum and calcium chloride. It’s this unique take on cooking that has earned Chefsteps a loyal following of food geeks and, interestingly, the backing of Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve. In fact, Newell was an early investor and advisor in Chefsteps and made it possible for the company to develop Joule over the past three years without the help of venture capitalists or crowdfunding.
Late last year, Chefsteps unveiled the Joule and made it available for pre-order for $199, with a retail price of $299. But sales were so good that the company announced earlier this month that it was going to drop the price. Now, Joule will retail for $199, not $299, and the new pre-order price will be $149, not $199. Because of that $50 discrepancy, Chefsteps says it will refund almost $1 million to pre-order customers. It hopes to deliver the first shipments starting next month.
“If we make it expensive, fewer people can afford it,” said Young. “Our goal is to get this in your kitchen, to keep making you happy for years to come.”
Analogue Nt Mini Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Nintendo fever is back. Pokemon Go is a global sensation, and the incredibly cute $60 NES Classic Mini is poised to be a must-have gift this Christmas.
Yes, it takes actual Nintendo cartridges.
Analogue
But if your Nintendo nostalgia runs deep — and we mean pockets — there’s another product you should consider. The $449 Analogue Nt Mini just might be the finest Nintendo Entertainment System ever.
Perhaps you’ve heard tell of the original Analogue Nt: a gorgeous game console carved out of a single block of aluminum. A game console compatible with every single NES and Famicom cartridge, controller and accessory collectors have stockpiled over the years.
A game console that used the exact same Ricoh 20A3 and 2C02 silicon chips as the original NES, harvested from actual Famicom motherboards, to ensure picture perfection.
Close
Analogue NT is 8-bit NES perfection
Drag
Analogue couldn’t make enough of the $499 Analogue Nt, shown in the video above, to satisfy rabid demand. There simply weren’t enough chips.
So its engineers spent 5,000 hours re-engineering the NES’ circuits to fit in a modern Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). They shrunk down down the aluminum alloy case to make the system 20 percent smaller, and added a 1080p HDMI output to play nice with modern TVs. (The original needed a $79 upgrade board to do that.)
The new Analogue Nt Mini even has a bundled wireless NES gamepad with an estimated 20 hours of battery life, so you can play from your couch. Wouldn’t want to get too close to that TV screen! Not to mention 16-bit, 48kHz digital and analog audio, plus component, composite and S-Video outputs for practically any type of TV.
“I can’t overstate how sophisticated our hardware is now,” says Analogue founder Christopher Taber. We can’t wait to test that claim.
A closer look at the Analogue Nt Mini
See full gallery
1 – 4 of 6
Next
Prev
Preorders should now be open at Analogue’s website, though we hesitate to say when the new device might ship. The original Analogue Nt was delayed several times, and eventually arrived a year behind schedule.
House Of Marley One Foundation review – CNET
The Good The House of Marley One Foundation offers unique design and a user-friendly experience. The addition of Wi-Fi expands the capabilities beyond simple Bluetooth competitors. The speaker is able to play at high volume without showing signs of strain.
The Bad You pay a lot for so-so sound quality, and it’s huge! You’ll need a subwoofer if you want to play dub or reggae. AllPlay’s streaming service support is very limited.
The Bottom Line The House of Marley One Foundation looks — and can party — like no other sound bar, but it’s way too expensive for this level of sound quality.
A sound bar that can play music well is sort of a white whale. Most sound bars are designed to be cheap and only play explosions and dialogue well. The nuance demanded by music is beyond their capabilities. Even the decent ones, like Sony’s HT-NT5 or the high-end Definitive Technology W Studio, involve some degree of compromise.
What about a system that’s built from the ground up for music, but can also act as a sound bar? That’s the intriguing idea behind the House of Marley One Foundation. The system is designed around wireless music — Bluetooth and Qualcomm’s AllPlay — but it also features a wealth of inputs for connecting your TV or other device.
We’re fans of the company’s design approach, down to the real oak facade, but the sound just doesn’t measure up to the price. Its bass is relatively anemic compared to systems with subwoofers. Further, treble sounds a bit harsh at volume, so despite being able to play louder than competitors, it doesn’t sound better. Add in the high price and massive size, and it’s tough to see who the One Foundation would appeal to.
Guess we’ll have to keep combing the seas a little longer in search of that elusive whale.
Design
View full gallery
The House of Marley One Foundation features a distinctive thick slab of oak and offers a number of different streaming and connectivity options.
Sarah Tew/CNET
They don’t make speakers like this anymore.
Unlike other one-box speakers or sound bars you may have seen, the One Foundation is large. It’s like a log, the part-of-a-tree kind. A thick slab of varnished oak is bolted onto the front, which holds in place a pair of 3.5-inch paper drivers flanked by 1-inch silk dome tweeters.
If you mount it as a traditional sound bar beneath your TV it will block part of your screen if you don’t have 9 inches of clearance (and sadly, it lacks wall-mounting capabilities). It measures 8.75 inches tall, 31 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
The speaker features a volume control on the top right of the device which glows in a color corresponding to the input — which, of course, is blue for Bluetooth. This is also echoed by another light at the base of the unit.
View full gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
The remote control that comes with the speaker is a simple rectangular slab with a couple of large sculpted buttons for volume and input selection.
Features
The One Foundation uses chipset-maker Qualcomm’s comparatively lame answer to Sonos, called AllPlay. As far as proprietary multiroom systems go it’s pretty low on the pecking order, with only Monster, Fon and House of Marley supporting it in the US (Hitachi and Panasonic are available in other markets for what it’s worth). Though the speaker was announced way back at CES 2013 the version with AllPlay onboard only appeared in the last 12 months.
AIVAnet 