Category: Gadgets

Apple’s New Speaker Making an Unwelcome Mark

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple’s new internet-connected speaker is proving to be more appealing to the ears than to the eyes, depending on where the device is placed.

Some people who bought the just-released $349 speaker, dubbed the HomePod, are reporting that it leaves a white ring on the surfaces of wooden furniture.

In an explanation posted Wednesday, Apple said the problem occurs with speakers that, like the HomePod, are equipped with a silicon base to minimize vibration. The company said the marks will often “go away” after a few days if you move the speaker somewhere else.

If they don’t, it recommends wiping wood tarnished by the HomePod with a soft or damp cloth, or cleaning the surface “with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process.”

The marks left by the HomePod threaten to stain Apple’s reputation for designing iPhones, iPads and Mac computers that are frequently prized as much for how they look as for how they work. Though it’s still too early to tell whether the HomePod’s blemishes on wood will dampen the device’s sales. If so, that could hamper Apple’s efforts to catch up to less expensive internet-connected speakers from Amazon and Google that had a head start in the still nascent market.

Both Amazon and Google designed their speakers primarily to serve as digital hubs that manage peoples’ homes and lives via voice-activated assistants. Apple, by contrast, is marketing the HomePod as a high-fidelity speaker programmed to learn listeners’ tastes and automatically select songs from the company’s music-streaming library.

In the process, Apple hopes to build upon its 36 million Apple Music subscribers and to establish a toehold in people’s homes that will give it more opportunities to peddle its services. The HomePod also features Apple’s assistant Siri, which is still catching up to Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s eponymous Assistant in responsiveness and versatility.

February 15, 2018
Caavo’s Universal Consolidation Remote Control
Caavo’s powerful control system for virtually every streaming, cable, and satellite box makes for the most in depth smart remote available. Caavo is the first smart home entertainment system to unify all your devices, apps and content into a single experience.

The Great
- unique universal remote control
- supports voice commands
- Consolidates all devices
- Revolutionary onscreen overlay
The Not
- No support for HDR
- remote is not back-lit
- poor customization
- Advanced functions are an issue for some devices
The Conclusion

The Caavo does a great job simplifying the complexity of home theater, I think this is more of the first step then the solution for the masses, this pricey system is doomed for wide adaptation with out HDR support.

One box to rule them all

Caavo, the exciting machine vision-powered universal TV control system is being released February 14th. It’s a powerful control system for virtually every streaming, cable, and satellite box out there. It’s not just a simple remote, though: you plug everything into the large Caavo unit, and it uses machine vision, nay Caavo Vision, to intelligently navigate the interface for all of those boxes behind the scenes.

Unlike all the other remotes that have ever existed that use infrared macros without being able to verify that anything actually happened. The Caavo watches the interfaces displayed on-screen, allowing it to do things like create a single search index and watchlist across multiple services and many devices and intelligently navigate on your behalf. Caavo CTO says“We’re solving the universal remote problem, but we want to go beyond that to search,”

The Setup

Don’t get me wrong the setup will continuously through a multitude of issues and frustration at you. Think you remember all those passwords, think again. Just remember Caavo is still a very new, beta product that looks more elegant than it works. I also learned the hard way that with only one HDMI extender, you are not going to get a Roku, Chromecast and Firestick all in.. Why would one need all three? Please, just stop and shut up.

So Many Wires

You just simply Plug everything . All of your cable or satellite, streaming boxes or sticks, gaming consoles, DVD and Blu-ray players into the eight HDMI inputs and connect one HDMI to your TV. From there, Caavo does the rest. It automatically knows which device to use, searches all your apps, finds what you want, and plays it. It will essentially allow you to use Alexa to control your apple TV… mind blown. You just choose what you want to watch, and you leave it to Caavo to figure out where it may be hiding.

The Final Thought

Being the tech guy that I am, my entertainment system now consists of 10 or so devices with 6 or 7 services and a multiple array of speakers, not to mention the extravagant array of remotes and game controllers. Trying to find that one movie where Jonathan Silver says ” come in Tokyo” while twisting fake radio dials has become a real chore. I just want to watch whatever I want as it pops in my head, optimize the sound and enjoy it right now, too much to ask? not any more. As for the astronomical price, looking at my entertainment wall… I’ve already come this far whats another $400.
February 14, 2018
Lenovo Smart Display is the Only Choice
Lenovo Smart Display is the company’s answer to Amazon’s Echo Show. The Google Assistant-equipped smart speaker comes in two sizes: 8-inches ($200) or 10-inches ($250) and does everything the Home does, plus full HD video chat using Google Duo. Until Google launches its own smart speaker with a screen, this is the best one to get if you’re firmly using the Google assistant.

The Great
- HD Display is crystal clear
- camera shutoff option
- Google Assistant enabled
- Two different sizes
The Not
- Limited Functionality
- Sound quality is lacking
- Not suitable for noise enviroments
The Conclusion

Lenovo tries and fails to join the game with its Google-equipped Smart Display. The Lenovo Smart Display fits Google Assistant into an Echo Show competitor with an 8 or 10 inch screen

Finally

So you saw the Amazon show and the eco dot, thought to yourself that is neat but do they work with the nameless Google assistant Ive become accustomed to? No they don’t, but you have an option now, only one option for a Google Assistant with an HD Screen.

Just like you assumed, you will be able to issue voice commands to Lenovo’s Smart Displays. Say the word and you can control your smart home, search the internet, ask for directions or check your calendar, you know the drill. Lenovo’s display will show info relevant to your question on your touchscreen like a map or your schedule for the day.

I’ll call you Carl

Google assistant stand toe-to-toe with Alexa in terms of capabilities. I still feel it needs a distinctive one syllable name. Do I have to assign it? Because I will. Im going with Carl, it doesn’t have to be a feminine name right? This Display does Help Carl catch up to Alexa on the hardware front, its just not as good looking. The Lenovo Smart Display also has a couple of extra touches to help with privacy. The mute button was expected, as all Google Home smart speakers have one. Lenovo’s cam also has a physical shutter you can slide over it. One odd function I find missing is the Lenovo Smart Display won’t be able to make regular phone calls.

The Final Thought

Lenovo’s screen looked good in action doing Carl some justice. However The only thing I am seeing that separates this apart is the ability to turn of the camera, I’ve got to many cameras watching me as it is. The Lenovo Smart Display features either an 8 or 10 inch screen for $200 and $250 respectively.
February 14, 2018
Top 5 Premium Headphones for Audiophiles

After hearing the audio recently in a $4k pair of wired headphones I realized I am the know nothing John Snow of headphones. I have been quite content, even pious, thinking my Beats Solo and Bose Bluetooth Noise Reducing earphones where of high quality. I was wrong, so very, very wrong. It takes a lot to admit ones’ wrong, in this case these 5 blow your hair back, kiss your eardrums good bye headphones have indeed humbled me..

1. Audeze LCD 4-$3999.99

These High-performance planar magnetic headphones are truly the best of the best. The California-based sound experts have been on the cutting edge of planar magnetic headphone research, design, and development. Along the way, they’ve earned a stellar reputation among serious headphone enthusiasts for both their high-tech approach and high-fidelity results. The brilliant Audeze LCD-4 headphones are the result of all their hard work. Wait, what is planar mangetics? Just another fancy word for good? No, planar magnetic drivers offer low distortion, enhanced dynamics, and detailed sound.

2. Final Audio – Sonorous X Headphones- $4999.00

The Sonorous X is beautiful, and my favorite design among the top 5. Despite the more attractive appearance and truly amazing sound quality these head phones are taking home the silver. My first impressions was that Final has got things nailed with its range-topping headphones, the Sonorous X. These arrived in an immaculately made fur-lined wooden box, bonus. As I dug, in I found comparing it to the others on the list, mainly the LCD 4. To tell you the truth its sound lacks some drive and dynamic nuance. My final opinion was These headphones are excellent in many respects but don’t have the all-round ability required at this level to win the gold.. But Silver is yours Final Audio.

3. HiFiMAN – SUSVARA – Audiophile Headphones- $6000

With a Similar look to the Audeze, the SUSVARA looks like a hand crafted beauty with a through back to the origins of 1900s radio. The advanced magnet design used for the first time on the SUSVARA is acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence which degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The result is reduced distortion, yielding a purer, more harmonious sound that is audibly so. Detailed like an electron microscope, mostly flat frequency response, excellent sound stage height/depth/width, layering and instrument separation, incisive speed without excess, impeccable attack and decay, its like being there.The SUSVARA is perhaps the most revealing and neutral sounding headphones I have experienced, with a soundstage that is coherent yet open and spacious. The dynamics of the SUSVARA and its ability to respond to small signal changes depicting spontaneous fine gradation of sound differentiates itself from the competition. Its outstanding imaging and separation capabilities makes listening to well-mastered albums like St. Vincent a joy on the SUSVARA. However, there are areas for improvements to the accessories that came with the box as well as the overall finishing and workmanship of the headphones to make the asking price more, which is why it is taking the Bronze

4. Focal Utopia Reference High-Fidelity- $3999.00

These are the very Headset that set me on this quest for the ultimate sound, not thinking I would find any better. Yet here we are. The Focal Utopia Reference High-Fidelity contain full-range loudspeakers with unusual M-shaped domes made from pure beryllium. They’re designed in such a way that they can adjust to the size and contours of almost any head, offering supreme comfort.

5. Sennheiser HD800- $1099

Designed with a tight, closed-back ear covering intended to give you listening privacy when you take these cans out into the world. Their planar magnetic drivers produce a high-quality sound that should please the majority of listeners. Top-notch engineering and build quality; highly accurate sound; super comfy over-the-ear design; detachable headphone cable.The HD 800s sound a bit less like headphones and more like high-end speakers than any headphones I’ve heard. While they don’t have the same nostalgic, handcrafted feel of the others on the list at $1099 the best bang for the buck.

The Final Thought

For the purpose of this review, I have selected the 4 album by musicians Led Zeppelin to compare all headphones because, why not? These five headphones are the best of the best, they are the Olympiads of premium Headphones. Test with caution, nothing will ever sound as good after.

February 13, 2018
Sounds in the Key of Focal’s Utopia Headphones
The Focal Utopia open-back headphones employ the same spare-no-expense approach to design, engineering, and execution that made Utopia such a prestigious name in the worlds of home and car speakers. However are theseover-the-ear, open-back design for reduced resonance and spacious, natural sound worth the $4000 price tag?

The Great
- Open back circum-aural
- Low noise with the least distortion I’ve heard
- Full range “loudspeaker-like” sound
- Easily adjustable to any head size or shape
- Balanced cable (bi-amp)
The Not
- Heavy Heavy Price tag
The Conclusion

Your friends will be giving you eye rolls and unreasonably over dramatic shocked reactions about the price. Yes, they are expensive, but then all the great audiophile gear is insanely expensive. These are exceptional headphones, take the time to listen to old Ludwig Van’s Minuet in G with these headphones from a high capacity out put. What you will be experiencing is the absolute peak of the minds comprehension of music. As far as music can be heard, that is it and there aint no more… and that is worth the price tag.

Focal’s design innovations represent a revolution in headphone design. Focal Utopia’s driver diameter closely follows their voice coil’s diameter with an open back magnet assembly thus there is no trapped air behind the dome. Think of it as a miniature, ported speaker with the most amazing sound you can put on your head. In addition, the driver uses pure Beryllium formed in the new “M” shaped dome which is extremely rigid and super light which results in incredibly low distortion and quite possibly the best in the headphone marketplace.

Now This is way more money than I thought I’d ever have to pay for any type of audio gear – let alone headphones. Once I listened to these I was absolutely blown away. With one listen of Led Zep’s Kashmir i had essentially ruined any hope of listening to music on good even premium headphones. Goodbye Beats, goodbye Bose , all the ‘phones I had in my collection sounded dull by comparison. I immoderately went to eBay and sold them all for the trash they had become.

Focal’s Utopia headphones change key ideas about headphones and sound. Ideas such as sound-stage, clarity, and separation new standards are set. Every high-end headphones maker in the world must now rethink, redesign, and discover a new sound or risk losing share to a speaker company. Focal’s Utopia headphones change the very idea of sound. They are so clear, inclusive and their ergonomics so well crafted things once important such as “isolation” fade. Isolation isn’t the issue. Being swept away by the sound, hearing more music, and forgetting TIME is the real desire. “Isolation” is not really what is important – sound quality clarity, and warmth are the real issues. And I know that now after listening to “open back” headphones so epic what was once critical – isolation – isn’t relevant at all anymore.

The Final Thought

Never would I ever had thought to critique the sound on the Beats Solo, and never have I found a product that revolutionizes my understanding of sound. Here we are, staring at a $4000 pair of headphones that have become an utmost priority. These not only offer superb clarity and build quality and comfortable for long hours of sonic rapture but transform sound. This headphone is truly deserving of the music and they are, in the long term and grand scheme of man . to be considered an essential experience. What is money good for if not for a personal performance of Mozart’s greatest symphonies with sound quality Mozart couldn’t possible comprehend.
February 13, 2018
Jibo. He’s not Alexa, but he’s adorable!
The Good
- Jibo’s expressions make him much more human than Siri or Alexa
- Can take photos and store up to 700 images
- Can track flights, scores, daily news
- Can control Phillips Hue and Nest.
The Bad
- Cannot connect to your phone
- No calls, text, music, or streaming
- Is much more expensive than the Alexa or Google assistants
The Conclusion

Jibo is a very charming and helpful assistant to who can do a fair amount of task such a control your homes lighting, thermostat, track schedules and flights, but is limited in comparison to Alexa or Google. Jibo is more focused on being a social robot opposed to just cold services. His friendly movements and disposition make him feel much more human that the other competitors. But at $900.00 is he worth it?

Jibo Arrives

In 2014 the Boston based Jibo Co. released Jibo as a concept and received a lot of buzz. But unfortunately for Jibo, Amazon released Alexa that same year…All of Alexa’s capabilities immediately surpassed Jibo’s and did so from a sleek 8oz can. Jibo’s production slowed but he made it through and is available for purchase now. Unlike Alexa, Jibo is a robust helper, standing at 12 inches tall and weighing 9lbs. With being friendly animations, adorable look, and features such as a camera, Jibo is finding his way into homes as we speak. Jibo is a much more social robot that seems to want to talk to you and has a proactive approach to tasks. Jibo is at sometimes too helpful and can make people well..uneasy. Jibo will likely have all the features that Alexa and Siri have and will eventually have the edge do to his cuteness. He’s a bright entity in the house and children seem really responsive to him. But at $900.00, you may want to wait to get your monies worth.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me, you might welcome a friendlier robot who can’t do as much as his cold faceless competitors. Jibo is just that. He has limits, but he also has a lot of love…from taking photographs of you and your family at the dinner table or even reading a bedtime story to the kids, Jibo does bring a factor to the table that others cannot. With adorable animations and expressions, the kids sure like him, and he can still control and connect with a lot of the household gadgets such as Nest, and Phillips Hue. But the question is, is he worth $900.00? I’ll leave that to you.
February 12, 2018
Apples’ Beats by Dre…Can They be Beat?
The Good
- Unrivaled sound quality, especially in bass heavy songs
- Lithium Ion Battery provides 22 hours of continuous listening
- New noise cancellation tech is an important focal point
- Robust and sturdy craftsmanship makes them hard to break
- Wireless and portable headphones make them great travel companions
The Bad
- The sound quality drops when not listening to songs through Apple Music, (i.e listening from Youtube, Pandora, Spotify)
- After extended period of wearing the headphones, the comfort-ability rapidly declines
- High price point. On average consumers pay an additional $100.00 just for a name.
The Conclusion

Apples’ Beat by Dre are clearly the best headphones on the market. With incredible clarity and tone, songs we’ve heard a millions times before are elevated to a different plain inside those earbuds. Coupled with quality craftsmanship and care, there is a reason why they are so distinguished from competitors. But can competitors get close in quality for a significant drop in price?

The upgraded Studio3 Beats are here to stay

The newly released and upgraded Studio3 Beats by Dre have continue to progress and fix the previous versions and continue to hold up the good Beats name. With focusing on the noise cancelling aspect of the Studio3 beats, these bottom heavy headphones are quieter than ever. And Apples W1 Bluetooth chip makes pairing a breeze. Additionally, iPhone users can switch between devices logged into the same iCloud account to easily move from an iPhone conversation to watching a movie on your Mac. (The headphone also works with Android and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.)Totaling 22 hours of wireless playback with the new Noise Cancelling Tech and approximately 40 hours of battery life without it.

With tough competition such as the Sony WH-1000XM2 noise cancelling headphones or the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Beats has an uphill battle to stay at the top. Sony’s new headphones very closely rival Beats sound and quality, but struggle a bit in terms of battery life and comfort-ability. But for $100.00 less than the Studio3 beats, they are a great option for those not wanting to spend $379.00 on headphones.

Final Thought

The Studio3 Beats have made a great addition to the Beats line, and continue to rule the headphones playground for now. But at this point much is expected from Beats, and they need to find new ways to keep their customers coming back. The strong competition is gunning for Beats, and doing so by significantly under cutting Beats prices. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II has even added a Google Assistant button to their headphones for that extra bit of personality. I’ll be waiting for Beats next move…
February 11, 2018
The Future of the Gaming Mouse is now.. I Mean Soon

Are you ready to experience total wireless freedom with the Razer Mamba HyperFlux. Backed by the new Razer HyperFlux Wireless Power Technology, you get an ultra-lightweight, wireless gaming mouse that runs indefinitely* with wireless power from the included Razer Firefly HyperFlux mouse mat.

Show Me, Tell Me

The Mamba HyperFlux is a wireless mouse that features 16,000 DPI and uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, thus providing gamers with a strong signal. As for the Firefly HyperFlux, this is the mouse mat that you can use the Mamba HyperFlux on, which means that it charges the mouse as you use it, thus you can be reassured you’ll never run out of juice. If this sounds familiar, it is because we’ve seen similar products from Logitech and more recently, Corsair. Razer’s HyperFlux technology uses the mouse pad to create a magnetic field that constantly powers the mouse. Unlike competitors, which use their powered mats to charge a mouse battery, Razer has forgone a battery altogether, resulting in an extremely lightweight mouse. It’s just 0.2 pounds.

Hands On

For those of us that have gotten to put a hand on this next generation gaming tech, I can say we are all very impressed. My initial reaction was the classic “shut up and take my money”. Due the battery being, well..non existent, weight is added to devices to give it swift and precise control. It moves quick and precisely accurate. The look and design is really tight, everything is black except for some bright, colorful light. This will be my next mouse.

Razer will be selling the Mamba and Firefly as a combo which is priced at $250 and will be available in Q1 2018 worldwide.

February 11, 2018
Xbox One X is a 4k Beast
The Xbox one X is the world’s most powerful gaming console. With 40% more power than any other console, experience immersive true 4K gaming. Games play better on Xbox One X. This is the Xbox One enhanced for true 4k gaming.

The Great
- 4k gaming and content
- 4k native content and High Dynamic Range (HDR)
- Digital 5.1,
  TrueHD with Atmos
- Liquid Cooled
- Plays the best games of the past, present and future
- Stream and record clips in 4K resolution at 60FPS
- Built-in Blu-ray player
The Not
- Xbox Gold subscription required $69
- 1TB HDD fills up fast
The Conclusion

The X Box One X is one of a kind. You will feel fully immersed in the game as you play. With 4K resolution, the colors are brighter, whites appear whiter, blacks appear blacker with great contrast. and you can see differences in detail that truly bring the image and experience to life. The console will revert to a still brilliant 1080p if you don’t have a 4K resolution. If you have a high end HD or 4k TV and are not sure yet if you should get it, just do it, you won’t regret it.

I got very excited watching the Microsoft Xbox E3 2017 press Release, They said the Xbox One X is ‘the most powerful console’ Microsoft ever made, like a monster in the gaming world. I also happened to be needed a new game console, since my day one Xbox One seems to be unexplainably hosing up. As an avid life long casual gamer, I’ve been waiting for the Xbox One X system to be released every since news of its inception. When offered an opportunity to test out the system, I quickly jumped on the opportunity.

Tech Upgrades

I’m really impressed and surprised at how much power Microsoft has managed to squeeze into the Xbox One X’s small case. The Xbox One X boast a new processor bulking up its power out put. They used the Scorpio Engine with 6 Teraflops, 326GB/s of Memory Bandwidth and advanced, custom silico. Unquestionably is the world’s most powerful console gaming processor. That’s nearly two teraflops more than the PS4 Pro, a faster CPU, and 3GB more of overall RAM. The Xbox One X comfortably outperforms the PS4 Pro. On hardware alone, it’s smaller, more powerful, and even includes a 4K Blu-ray player over its PS4 Pro rival.

4k Gaming

The Xbox One X has the power and the peripherals to provide the best gaming experience, but you need the right games. Most games made for the Xbox One are designed for 1080p TVs, which have a quarter of the pixels found on a new 4K TV. The Xbox One X is more than four times faster than the original Xbox One, so it’s capable of 4K gaming.Some games like Forza Motorsport 7 will offer the best of all worlds: 4K, HDR, and 60fps. Its still early and the ultimate content will follow. You can tell by the “games and apps” menu that lets you sort by “Xbox One X Enhanced Games.” Doing this doesn’t tell you exactly how each game you have installed is enhanced, but at least Microsoft leaves players without a doubt that, yes, your game has (or has not) been patched with Xbox One X in mind.

The Final Thought

This isn’t the next gen system we need, its the console we deserve. You’re not just getting the Xbox One version with more pixels and a grimy suite of dated visual niggles, It is the monster promised. The only thing to consider is you need a high end 4k TV to make any difference over the One S.
February 11, 2018
Samsung’s 4K Ultra TV is Easy on the Eyes
The Good
- Vivid colors, and excellent blacks.
- Quick 120 Hertz refresh rate
- Excellent upscaling, especially from 1080p content
- No light-bleed at all
- Hi quality Frame and extremely thin bezzle
The Not so Good
- Sub-par viewing angles
- High cost for a Television that does live up to the cost in comparison
- “Game Mode” displays very poor gradients
The Conclusion

This is very well built and sturdy television. The thin metal bezzle is a welcomed improvement from the all plastic ones in Samsung’s prior LED TVs. The 65” model is large , but fairly lightweight and easy to wall mount. The 4K resolution is very impressive and the darks are very dark. It’s a pleasure to watch TV on this Samsung, but the cost is high and there are other cheaper and still high quality options out there.

4K Resolution

The incredible detail of the 4K resolution is amazing. With vibrant colors and deep blacks, it looks like the images were painted on the screen. With the 120 frame rate, it’s just simply a joy to watch a 4K movie such as Wonder Woman, on it. In terms of the TV’s remote, the Samsung remote is really nice and the voice control is a great addition. It’s a simple remote that liken to the Amazon FireTV voice remote. The toggle channel/volume buttons take some getting used to, but it’s a short learning curve. The TV’s set up is pretty straight forward and it easily detect gaming systems, such as Xbox One and PS4 as well as the Apple TV. The Cost can be steep considering the price tag for a 55 inch is around the $1,500.00 mark. There may be some better options for the price out there.

Final Thoughts

Depending on who you are and how much television you watch, this could be the television for you. With stunning visuals and vibrant colors, this television elevates watching movies and sports to a whole new level. If you’re willing to shell out a hefty price tag, then look no further. If you’re looking to save a few bucks, there are some cheaper options that should do the trick as well…
February 11, 2018