tech

All posts in “tech”

The IBM Model F, First Made in 1981, Is Still the King of All Keyboards

Whether you remember the 1980s Model F keyboard or not, the sight and sound of one will send you hurtling decades into the past.

Built by IBM, the all-metal Model F is so hefty and substantial, you might mistake it for a piece of furniture. The sound of one in action — fingers thudding like thunder, the switches plinking like rain on a tin roof — is a mechanical cloudburst. It’s as loud as a thunderstorm, too, which is why you might only use one at home with the door closed. But that satisfying buckle of each stroke makes it hard to stop.

Modern laptop keyboards are convenient, but they’re also a mere means to an end.

Vintage Model Fs can be found on eBay for as low as $100 and reach three or four times that much as the condition improves. To use one on a computer 30 years its junior requires aftermarket retrofits; some devoted enthusiasts have even reconstructed a supply chain to produce modernized models in extremely limited quantities. Naturally, those aren’t cheap, either.

Compared to today’s sleek and streamlined laptop keyboards, the Model F is bulky, expensive and an all-around pain in the ass. But for hardcore typists, that friction is a key component of the appeal. Modern laptop keyboards are convenient, but they’re also a mere means to an end. A gadget with as much soul as the Model F, on the other hand, demands a bigger body to contain it all.

SHOP NOW

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 19, 2020 / Comments Off

328

The Best Tech Releases of the Week That Aren’t the iPhone 12

Apple monopolized the news feeds this week with the announcement of four new iPhone models and the HomePod Mini — you can get yourself caught up on these announcements, here. But a bunch of other cool new gadgets were announced this week, including McIntosh’s most powerful integrated amplifier ever and Fujifilm’s newest mirrorless camera, Fujifilm X-S10. Check out all the other new gadgets that were announced this week, below.

DJI Ronin RSC 2 and Ronin RS 2

Courtesy

DJI announced the next-generation of its three-axis gimbals that are designed for professional photographers. There’s the Ronin SC 2 and the smaller Ronin RS 2, both of which have been updated to be lighter yet stronger, equipped with stronger motors to handle heavier mirrorless cameras. They also have new foldable designs to make them more portable, but more importantly enable their new sling mode that lets you position the gimbal/camera lower to the ground. DJI is promising new software features that will enable to shooting modes, too. The Ronin S 2 ($899) and Ronin SC 2 ($499) are available right now.

Learn More: Here DJI (Ronin RSC 2) Learn More: Here (Ronin RS 2)

RED Komodo 6K

Courtesy

RED announced the Komodo 6K, a compact digital camera that’s capable of shooting 6K video at 40fps and 4K video at 60fps. It has a phase-detect autofocus system, a first for a RED camera, which makes keeping the subjects of its high-resolution videos always in focus. As for size, the Komodo 6K weighs just over 2 pounds. It’s available now for $5,995.

Learn More: Here

Beats Flex

Courtesy

The Beats Flex are the next generation of the BeatsX wireless earphones that were first released in 2017, but Apple has made some significant improvements. Most notably, it dropped the price to just $50. ( The BeatsX originally went for $150, but Apple and Beats had both been recently selling them for $100.) The other big upgrade is that the Beats Flex charge via USB-C. The Beats Flex still have Apple’s original W1 chip, which helps them fast pair with your iPhone or iPad, but they don’t have the newer H1 chip that has been integrated into the newest AirPods and AirPods Pro; this means that the Beats Flex do not support hands-free Siri.

Buy Now: $50 (Apple) Buy Now: $50 (Beats)

Devialet Gemini

Courtesy

The French high-end audio company is best know for its beautiful-yet-alien-looking Phantom hi-fi speakers, but it just announced its first pair of wireless earbuds. At $299, the Gemini are definitely on the high-end in relation to other wireless earbuds on the market, but they’re also designed to sound better and have more features. They have three active noise-canceling and two transparency modes, support for wireless charging and promise between six and eight hours of battery life depending if ANC is on/off.

Buy Now: $299

McIntosh MA12000 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier

Courtesy

The McIntosh MA12000 is the company’s most powerful integrated amplifier to date, able to deliver up to 350-watts-per-channel, and it’s designed to work with virtually any high-end audio system. According to the company, the MA12000 combines the warm nuances of a vacuum tube preamplifier with the speed and raw power of a solid-state amplifier with state-of-the-art digital audio capabilities. It costs $14,000 and will be available later this month.

Learn More: Here

Fujifilm X-S10

Courtesy

The Fujifilm X-S10 is the company’s newest mirrorless camera in its X-series line, but it’s surprisingly different. It has an all-new body with a larger grip, a new control layout, a flip-out display and new five-axis in-body image stabilization system. And unlike all other cameras in Fujifilm’s X-series line, the X-S10 doesn’t have the traditional dials that control shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation. Instead, it has a dedicated mode dial as well as front and rear command dials, which are more common on the popular offerings from Sony, Canon and Nikon. It’s designed as a do-it-all camera for vloggers and everyday street photographers. It starts at $999 and will be available this November.

Preorder Now: $999

October 18, 2020 / Comments Off

463

Get Crunchy and Soft Toast Every Time With The Revolution R180 Toaster

The Revolution R180 Toaster takes toasting bread, bagels, muffins, and more to the next level. It ensures consistent toast every time with its seven-stage browning technology.

This two-slice toaster uses InstaGLO heating system instead of the heating coils found in traditional toasters. The system allows the machine to reach its full glow in two seconds to render bread with a cookie-like texture: crisp/crunchy outside and soft inside. It lets you choose your desired toastyness from a preset of 63 toastyness levels. A simple tap is all it takes from the smart touchscreen to choose from the three toasting settings: fresh, frozen, reheat.

The Revolution R180 Toaster lets you choose which food you want to toast. You have an option of bread, bagel, English muffins, waffles, and toaster pastries. It uses algorithms to calculate the optimal toast time based on the food you chose. You can check the desired browning level once you press start, the machine automatically lowers your food and the toasting countdown begins. Once done, your food pops up as with traditional toasters.

You can adjust the brightness in the screen display and customize the volume level for the alert signal when toasting is completed. It also has a removable crumb tray and a clean crumb tray reminder. It features an analog or digital clock and date display.

The Revolution R180 Toaster is a sleek and elegant addition to your kitchen countertop with its brushed stainless steel finish. It doesn’t take up much space too at a size of 11.6” L x 6.1” W x 8.4”. Despite its construction and features, it is also lightweight at just 6.4 pounds.

Get It Here

Images courtesy of Revolution Cooking

October 15, 2020 / Comments Off

444

HDD vs SDD: What’s the Difference and What Should You Choose?

In a world of smartphones, tablets, and ultrathin laptops, it’s easy to see and use the terms “hard drive” and “SSD” somewhat interchangeably. After all, virtually all common consumer electronics these rely on Solid State Drives for their on-board memory. But when it comes to external storage, your options are a little broader. Older school hard disk drives (HDDs) are still an excellent option.

I’ve been using two different drives in my daily lineup. One, a Seagate 4TB HDD, and a WD My Passport 1TB SSD, and they both serve different jobs.

Seagate Backup Plus Slim (left) and My Passport SSD (right)

Courtesy

So what, exactly, is the difference, and why choose one over the other?

Disk drives have moving parts, SSD’s don’t.

Seagate Portable 4TB HDD

Disk-based hard drives and SSDs appear pretty similar when you’re looking at a folder on your laptop. You plug one into your device, and it appears as an extra chunk of storage. But the technology underpinning them is wildly different. Disk-based hard drives have actual spinning metal disks which house your data in a series of magnetic bits. To access your data, disk drives have to literally physically “spin up”; the parts of the disks that hold your data need to be spun underneath a tiny stylus that reads them like a record stylus reads grooves into sound.

SDD’s on the other hand, do not require any movement. They are able to store your information in a series of completely immobile chips which can be accessed faster and squeezed into a smaller from. Remember how your old iPod was kind of a clunky boy? That’s because it had a whole-ass disk drive in there. Modern iPhones and thumb sticks and, increasingly, external hard drives, are solid state instead.

SDD’s are faster, more durable, smaller — and expensive.

WD 1TB My Passport SSD External Portable Drive

$199.99

$149.99 (25% off)

By the numbers, SSDs are pretty objectively superior to their older disk-based breatheren. They are smaller, lighter, they can access and transfer your data faster, and they’re less prone to failure by jolts and drops since they don’t have any moving parts. But there is, of course, one huge caveat: They are way more expensive.

My 4TB hard drive cost under $100, but WD’s SSD, which has a quarter of the storage space, costs nearly twice as much. To put the tradeoffs in stark perspective, the price-per-gigabyte of the SSD is roughly 20 cents, but for the HDD it is much closer to 2 cents. But with read and write speeds that can reach as high as 1000 MB/s, the SSD is 10 times zippier than my sluggish HDD which trudges along at closer to 100MB/s.

SSDs make great working memory, HDDs are better for cold storage.

The higher price-per-byte of an SSD doesn’t matter if you’re made of money, but even if you aren’t, SSDs can be well worth the cost. When I edit my photography, dump my photos from my camera onto the SSD because its ability to transmit data at higher speeds makes all the difference when you are sifting through shots in Lightroom, which is nigh unbearable on a sluggish HDD. Likewise, SSDs are are great for any data you’ll be suffering through a loading time to get. If you plan on “working from” an external drive, an SSD’s speed, durability and portability bring a lot to the table.

My clunky tank of a HDD, meanwhile, is ideal for cold storage and where I offload photos from my full SSD. From its perch on my desk, its bulk and comparably slower transfer times effectively disappear when I simply leave the room as my files transfer.

October 15, 2020 / Comments Off

410

Pair the Beats Flex wireless earbuds with your new iPhone 12

What Apple users have dreaded has finally come after the brand’s Hi, Speed event wrapped up recently. Following its plans to reduce wastes and for carbon neutrality down the line, the company pushes for a new trend. This might not sit well with most consumers, as it seems like another cash grab form the Cupertino-based tech group. With no charger and EarPods in the box, we have no choice but to them separately. Thankfully, it’s offering the Beats Flex, which, at $49.99, is not actually at a bad deal.

Although most of you (including us) were hoping to see the rumored AirPods Studio, it was a no show. Perhaps Apple will unveil that along with the AirTags, Mac with ARM chipsets, and others in November. For now, we’ll take whatever is on offer and the Beats Flex looks like it. For the price, its not exactly a true wireless stereo (TWS) type of configuration akin to the AirPods and AirPods Pro.

However, it boasts Bluetooth connectivity and boasts the signature acoustic performance of Beats by Dr. Dre products. After years of bass-heavy tuning, experts claim the latest models now strike a good balance. While it’s not exactly at the same tier as the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the Beats Flex should sound great.

Battery life is rated at 12 hours of music playback and charges via USB-C. We also love the feature wherein the audio is paused when the buds are linked via the embedded magnets. To resume, just pull them apart and put them back in your ears. The Beats Flex is available in four colors: Smoke Gray, Yuzu Yellow, Fame Blue, and Beats Black. Might as well grab them to match whichever colorway your iPhone 12 comes in.

Purchase now – $49.99

Images courtesy of Beats by Dr. Dre

October 15, 2020 / Comments Off

504

Apple finally unveils the highly anticipated iPhone 12 lineup

It’s finally out in the open. After moving its debut date close to a month after, Apple is finally joining its rivals in 5G connectivity. While the rumors surrounding the iPhone 12 lineup were a hit-or-miss affair, for the most part, some were on point. These include the design, the technical specifications, and the retail packaging. Nevertheless, the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max are worthwhile upgrades.

We might just be nitpicking here, but Apple’s latest flagship handsets could be missing some key features. Although its already offering next-generation performance, its competitors are edging ahead with even more. The sleek and slim profile of the device series might suggest that battery life takes a hit, but it does not seem to.

Still, others might not like it that display refresh rate remains at 60 Hz while most mid to high-end Android smartphones tout 90 to 120 Hz. As for build quality, Apple is not changing this anytime soon. Both the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini have aluminum frames, while the other two use stainless steel instead. Protecting its Super Retina XDR OLED displays is what the company calls Ceramic Shield technology.

The iconic notch remains intact, which means Face ID remains the main mode of security. It looks like Touch ID is not yet ready to make a comeback just yet. It would have been useful given the current situation. The iPhone 12 collection is shaping up to be a serious contender this early on. Therefore, Apple can expect its rivals to come up with their own gimmicks soon.

Order it now: here

Images courtesy of Apple

October 14, 2020 / Comments Off

326

The Best New Apple Product That Wasn’t Even Mentioned At Yesterday’s iPhone 12 Event

Yesterday, Apple held its big iPhone 12 event where it announced four new iPhones as well as the HomePod mini, a smaller $99 version of its HomePod smart speaker. However, Apple didn’t talk about the other new product that was announced yesterday, the Beats Flex, a pair of $50 wireless earphones with excellent battery life.

Buy Now: $50 (Apple) Buy Now: $50 (Beats)

The all-new Beats Flex are the next generation of the BeatsX wireless earphones that were first released in 2017, but Apple has made some significant improvements. Most notably, it dropped the price. The Beats Flex cost just $50, which is a drastic drop-off from the $150 price tag that the BeatsX demanded when they were first released. (However, Apple and Beats had both been selling the BeatsX for $100 for the last year-or-more.)

The other big upgrade is that the Beats Flex charge via USB-C. This means that they won’t charge via Lightning, nor do they support wireless charging, which are the two charging methods for the latest iPhone 12. However, the USB-C charging enables the Beats Flex to charge faster (a 10 minutes charge gets you 1.5 hours of listening time) and have a longer battery life (up to 12 hours). Apple and Beats also claim to have improved the audio quality and the durability of the Beats Flex.

Like the old BeatsX, the Beats Flex have been integrated with Apple’s W1 chip, which helps them fast pair with your iPhone or iPad. However, it’s not Apple’s newer H1 chip that has been integrated into the newest AirPods and AirPods Pro, meaning the BeatsX do not support hands-free Siri and even faster pairing.

The announcement of the Beats Flex is also important because Apple just announced that all new iPhones will not come with wired earbuds in the box, meaning if you want cheap earbuds the Beats Flex might be your best best.

The Beats Flex is available to order now. It comes in four different colors: black, gray, yellow and light blue.

Buy Now: $50 (Apple) Buy Now: $50 (Beats)

October 14, 2020 / Comments Off

303

The 7 Most Important Things From Apple’s iPhone 12 Event

In a dual for headlines with Amazon and Prime Day, Apple has finally announced its new iPhone 12 line. From 5G to MagSafe, there was a lot to cover so here are the most important things you should know.

There are four phones to choose from.

Just as the rumors suggested, this year’s suite of iPhones is a family of four. There is the vanilla iPhone 12, which is roughly the same size as last year’s iPhone 11. Then there’s it’s smaller sibling, the iPhone 12 mini, which sports all the same features in a body that’s only marginally larger than the old iPhone 5.

On the higher end there are two familiarly sized Pros: the iPhone 12 Pro, which sports a stainless steel body and more impressive suite of cameras, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which sports all the same pro features in addition to a larger camera sensor, which improves its low-light photography performance.

The prices and preorder dates are as follows:

iPhone 12 Mini: $699, preorders on November 6
iPhone 12: $799, preorders on October 16th
iPhone 12 Pro: $999, preorders on October 16th
iPhone 12 Pro Max: $1,099 preorders on November

Learn More: Here

5G is the flagship feature across the whole line.

While the vanilla iPhones 12 and the iPhones 12 Pro differ in terms of materials and camera powers, all four of this year’s phones are 5G capable, bringing Apple’s flagship line up to speed with the various Android phones that started supporting the new, faster wireless network in earnest earlier this year.

The speed advantages of 5G largely boil down to the quality of your network and connection, but Apple says its iPhone 12 line is uniquely suited for the tech thanks to the company’s silicon-to-software control of their product. Apple says it has already started tweaking iOS for optimal compatibility for 5G, including a mode that will switch you between LTE and 5G in the background, to ensure you’re only using the battery power required for extra high speeds when you need it.

The iPhone 12 mini is the tiny phone you’ve been waiting for.

Apple

For years, people who wanted a smaller iPhone were stuck with the iPhone SE, but no longer. The iPhone 12 mini has all the same features as the larger iPhone 12, but in a smaller body that’s just slightly larger than the iPhone 5 was. Yes, it will cost you twice as much as an iPhone SE 2, but if your main concern is size and not price, it’s a good option to have.

The iPhone 12 Pro is stealing tons of features from pro-grade cameras.

Better cameras have always been a star feature of the Pro line, but this year Apple has gone further in pilfering features from dedicated pro-grade cameras. The new iPhone 12 Pros have adopted a high-end camera feature called “sensor shift” which stabilizes shaky hands by moving the camera’s sensor to keep it still. Apple’s 12 Pros also have gained the ability to shoot in what Apple is calling ProRAW, a setting that allows photographers to have a bit more control over the software enhancements iPhones have traditionally done automatically.

MagSafe is back, for more than just power.

MagSafe Charger

apple.com

$39.00

MagSafe is gone from Macbooks (for now), but it’s back for the iPhone. Apple’s new MagSafe chargers are, essentially, Qi-standard chargers with a magnetic attachment to make sure they alight properly, and don’t come unstuck.

But it’s more than just that; Apple is also making use of the magnetic mountpoint on the back of the new iPhones as a way to attach accessories (like wallets) and cases. Expect a new ecosystem of peripherals to grow out of that feature.

None of the iPhones come with a wall adapter anymore

And part of the reason you might buy a MagSafe charger is because iPhones no longer come with a wall adapter in the box, a decision Apple is spinning as an environmental concern but which is also doubtlessly saving money on production as well. Instead, the iPhones 12 will come with a single Lightning to USB-C adapter, so make sure you have a wall adapter with a USB-C port handy.

There’s a HomePod mini, and its main feature is price.

Apple

Oh remember the HomePod? It’s back, but small and cheap. Apple’s new HomePod mini is both a speaker and a hub for Siri and Homekit functionality, but honestly its most compelling feature has got to be its price. At just $99, you might be able to overlook that Siri isn’t quite as great as its main competition.

Learn More

October 13, 2020 / Comments Off

330

Watch Apple’s Big iPhone 12 Event Live, Right Here

After months and months of rumors, Apple’s big iPhone 12 event is finally here. When it kicks off at 1PM ET, we’re expecting to see a family of four new iPhones sporting 5G, at the very least.

Apple is broadcasting the whole event on YouTube, and you can watch along in real time right here to catch the news as it happens.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

October 13, 2020 / Comments Off

272

Get Faster, Safer Internet with Winston Privacy

Let’s not kid ourselves: we’re all here because we love the internet. We love it so much that we spend pretty much all of our time here — which is fine, because the internet is rad. But parts of it are less rad, like location tracking or having your data harvested and sold to corporations for profit. If only there was an internet without those things, right? Well, fortunately, there is. This internet filter from Winston Privacy delivers faster browsing, fewer ads and safer, more private internet on every device in your home — all you have to do is plug it in. Plus, it’s on sale right now for $20 off. But if you use the code GEAR50 at checkout, Gear Patrol readers can take an extra $30 off and get free shipping.

Buy Now: ~~$149~~ $99

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 12, 2020 / Comments Off on Get Faster, Safer Internet with Winston Privacy
0
325

The Best Turntable and Speaker Combos That Make Vinyl Easy

While true that traditional turntable setups have a lot of moving parts, that’s the nature of the beast — if not vinyl’s main allure. There’s also an easy workaround. These days, a bunch of turntables and speaker systems come with integrated components (like a phono preamplifier or amplifier) and they make listening to vinyl as hassle-free. Before we get into the setups, we’re going to answer a few basic questions below.

What is an all-in-one turntable?

The name “all-in-one turntable” is a little misleading, at least in most cases, because it generally still requires you to add speakers to complete the system and play music. An all-in-one turntable has a built-in phono preamp (also known as phono stage) and a built-in powered amplifier (also referred to as an amp). The preamp is needed to amplify the signal coming out of the turntable’s cartridge, while the powered amplifier boosts and preps the signal so that it can be sent to the speakers.

There are a few key advantages to buying an all-in-one turntable. They’re generally cheaper. They take up less space because you don’t have to factor in where to place the external phono stage and amplifier. Finally, all-in-one turntables are just easier to set up because there are less components to fiddle with.

What are the downsides of an all-in-one turntable?

In order for a hi-fi system to work to its full potential, all its components have to work in perfect harmony and not disrupt each other. These individual components — turntable, preamp, amplifier, etc. — naturally create vibrations and when they’re in close proximity of one another they can have a negative effect on the rest of the system. This is one reason why all-in-one turntables are not popular with high-end enthusiasts. Of course, there are high-end all-in-one turntables that do a great job of isolating the individual components and minimizing noise, but that is a whole other can of worms.

The other big downside around all-in-one turntables is that their built-in preamp isn’t upgradeable. Many enthusiasts like to upgrade their systems over time and customize their sound, and an external preamp is a great way of doing just that. That said, more and more all-in-one turntables have switches that allow you to turn its built-in preamp on or off, giving listeners the option to add their own preamp if they like.

Passive, Powered or Active bookshelf speakers: Does it matter?

The short answer is: absolutely.

Passive bookshelf speakers are the most flexible type of bookshelf speaker (and generally the cheapest) because they have no built-in amplification. This means that the turntable needs to either have a built-in phono preamp and a powered amplifier, or it needs to be connected to external components, in order to play. The reason why passive bookshelf speakers are the most flexible option is that they allow the listener the most room to experiment; you can easily swap in or out different components, such as amplifiers, preamps and DACs, without you having to get a new pair of speakers. Passive bookshelf speakers are what we’d recommend to pair with most all-in-one turntables.

Powered bookshelf speakers are exactly as you’d think: they are “powered,” meaning they have their own built-in amplification and need to be connected to power to work. Generally, only one of the speakers is amplified (it’s called the “master”) and needs to be connected via cable to the passive speaker (the “slave”). If the turntable has a built-in preamp, you can connect it directly to a pair of powered speakers and it’ll work.

Active bookshelf speakers are essentially the same as powered bookshelf speakers, but more advanced. The speakers are individually amplified and have a multitude of built-in connectivity options, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and optical. Active bookshelf speakers can connect directly to a turntable with a built-in preamp. If the turntable doesn’t have a preamp or powered amplifier built into it, you can usually connect it directly to the active speaker.

The Entry-Level Setup

Turntable: Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB

The AT-LP120-USB is one of our favorite entry-level turntables. Its design pays tribute to the legendary Technics SL-1200, but it has more than good looks. With a USB output, you can hook it up to your computer and digitalize your records to listen to the files elsewhere; it has a built-in phono preamp, meaning you can connect it to either powered or passive speakers; and it’s decked out with DJ-friendly features, similar to SL-1200, so you can try your hand at spinning.

Buy Now: $239

Speakers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless

The latest powered desktop speakers by Audioengine, the A2+ Wireless, make a great partner for AT-LP120-USB. You can connect the two via stereo RCA cables — one cable goes from the turntable to the master speaker (left) and then another tethers the two speakers together. What’s great about the A2+ Wireless is that they’re also versatile. They support Bluetooth aptX, so when the turntable is off, you can stream audio to them right from your smartphone or computer.

Buy Now: $269

The Upgraded Setup

Turntable: Cambridge Audio Alva TT

The Alva TT is the latest and greatest turntable by Cambridge Audio; it’s also its most expensive turntable ever. It’s a direct-drive turntable with a heavy platter and an integrated phono stage, and it has a generally bespoke design. What makes it different is that it’s the first turntable with hi-res 24bit/48kHz aptX HD streaming. You can wirelessly pair it to any Bluetooth receiver or speakers, so your system and turntable don’t have to be in the same room. You can also hook up the Alva TT direct to your speakers via RCA connections.

Buy Now: $1,700

Speakers: KEF LSX

The LSX is just a brilliant little hi-fi system by KEF. It’s a smaller version of the company’s acclaimed LS50 Wireless and it sounds terrific. Plus, you can connect to just about anything: your TV (via optical), turntable (via RCA), smartphone (via aux) or computer (via USB). It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that let users stream audio straight from apps like Tidal and Spotify. You can connect the speaker system to the Alva TT via an RCA connection (you’ll need an RCA splitter) — or you could simply connect the two over Bluetooth.

<a class="body-btn-link" data-vars-ga-call-to-action="Buy Now: ~~$1,100~~ $1,000 (Amazon)” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.amazon.com/KEF-Wireless-Music-System-Black/dp/B07JFK339D/?tag=geapat-20″ href=”https://www.amazon.com/KEF-Wireless-Music-System-Black/dp/B07JFK339D/?tag=geapat-20″ rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” data-affiliate=”true”>Buy Now: $1,250 (Amazon)<a class="body-btn-link" data-vars-ga-call-to-action="Buy Now: ~~$1,100~~ $1,000 (Best Buy)” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.bestbuy.com/site/kef-lsx-hi-res-wireless-speakers-blue/6309110.p?” href=”https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=31959X896062&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fkef-lsx-hi-res-wireless-speakers-blue%2F6309110.p%3F&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gearpatrol.com%2Ftech%2Fa553650%2Fbest-vinyl-setups%2F%3Fpre%3Dtech%252F%26prefix%3Da%26id%3D553650%26del%3D%26variantId%3D%26post%3D%252Fbest-vinyl-setups” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” data-affiliate=”true”>Buy Now: ~~$1,100~~ $1,250 (Best Buy)

The Premium Setup

Turntable: McIntosh MTI100

A $6,500 turntable isn’t in most people’s wheelhouse, but this guide was a great excuse to fawn over the MTI100. It’s the first all-in-one turntable by McIntosh and it has the brand’s signature look — black lacquer finish, large tactile knobs and lime-green glow. It’s just as beautiful on the inside, too. It comes decked out with a 50-watt Class D amplifier, vacuum tube preamp, phono preamplifier, digital and analog outputs, and a Bluetooth receiver. If you’re looking for a “just add speakers” turntable and your budget is high, this is as good as they come.

Buy Now: $6,500

Speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2

This is the only setup with passive speakers, so we went big. The 705 S2 are arguably one of the best bookshelf speakers out there. They’re beautiful and unique, with the tweeter sitting on top of the speaker, and separated from the main cabinet, which isolates treble and gives the B&W’s new Continuum midrange drivers even more room to breathe. The bass performance of the 705 S2 speakers is impressively big, too.

Buy Now: $3,000

Bonus: The Sonos Setup

Truly want vinyl without the hassle? Few setups embody that idea better than the two sold by Sonos, who partnered with respected manufacturer Pro-Ject to take all the guesswork out of building a respectable audio rig from scratch.

Both options come with the Essential III Phono turntable, which is respectable in its own right and features a built-in phono pre-amp. Where they differ is the number of speakers: the Sonos Vinyl Set ($799) has one Play:5 speaker while the Sonos Vinyl Pro Set ($1,249) has two. The Play:5 is unique among Sonos speakers because it can output both mono and stereo. You can also chain it with other Sonos speakers around the house, or just use it to stream audio from your phone.

Buy Now: $450 (Turntable)Buy Now: $499 (Speaker)

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 11, 2020 / Comments Off on The Best Turntable and Speaker Combos That Make Vinyl Easy
0
449

Dolby’s Quest to Make Atmos the New Stereo Sound

Earlier this year, Sonos released its first flagship soundbar in eight years. The Arc ($799) had a beautiful industrial design, smart speaker capabilities, and a simple setup process thanks to signal HDMI connection. But its standout feature? It’s Sonos’s first soundbar to support Dolby Atmos.

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the brand at this point, but in point of fact, Dolby Atmos is an immersive surround sound technology. It allows a speaker to create virtual height and side channels that fool your ears into thinking that that sounds are coming from all around you. For instance, if you’re watching a movie and a plane flies overhead, you’ll hear that plane above you. Or if motorcycle is coming towards you, you’ll hear it scream pass your left or right side.

Despite it being so popular today, Atmos is still a relatively new technology. Dolby first brought it to cinemas in 2012, then the first home theater system in 2014, and then the first soundbar in 2015. Fast forward to 2020 and Dolby Atmos is essentially much-have feature for most soundbars or home theater systems. But if you have the impression that Dolby Atmos is a cinema technology that’s only meant for premium and expensive soundbars and home theater systems, Dolby would like to have a word. “We want Atmos to be the new stereo,” said Brett Crockett, Vice President of Sound Technology and R&D at Dolby. “We want [Atmos] to fit in as wide of products as people can afford. So you can get a Dolby Atmos soundbar for as little as $300.”

Where cinemas have many speakers positioned all around you, Atmos can create a similar immersive effect on as little as a two-channel speaker — anything but mono. Dolby licenses its technologies — including Atmos — to the various manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and Sonos. This licensing agreement includes the software package that does the decoding and the rendering of the Atmos stream, as well as technical support from Dolby.

That software package is enough to give the impression of vertical height without surround sound or ceiling speakers, or even upward-firing drivers. Atmos allows soundbars that don’t have upward-firing speakers to still make use of height virtualization technology. Atmos is smart enough to figure out what kind of system you have, whether that’s a 2.0, 5.1.2 or a 7.1.2, and then render the audio so that it’s accurate and immersive.

When a speaker that uses Dolby’s Atmos tech is finished, Dolby’s team of expert listeners test it, using an array of fundamental signals such as dime sweeps and pink noise, to make sure it’s up to snuff. Other times, Dolby gives manufacturers self tests so they can run on their own and submit the results of in order to speed the process of Dolby Atmos certification.

And that speed is important for Dolby’s quest to make its Atmos tech as ubiquitous as stereo. Today, already, there are hundreds of millions of Dolby Atmos enabled devices in market. And it’s not just home theater systems and soundbars. It’s built into PCs and tablets, game consoles and streaming sticks, smartphones, smart speakers, headphones and TVs. “I don’t think people realize that there are a number of television sets that come with Atmos support built into them,” said Crocket. Dolby Atmos is available on many of the latest Televisions from LG, Sony, TCL and Hisense. “You can put your HD TV on your wall, stream an Atmos soundtrack to it and get this fantastic Atmos experience from your TV. You don’t have to buy a soundbar.”

Dolby’s next goal is to make sure as many streaming services support Atmos as possible — and it’s doing just that. “We wanted to democratize the playback capabilities of Atmos,” said Crockett. “We started with movies, then went to television, went to games and now we’ve moved into music.” Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video are gaining more Dolby Atmos movies and shows every day. Music streaming services, such as Amazon Music HD and TIDAL Hifi, have a growing library of music that support Atmos, too.

One of the main hurdles for Dolby is that if any one link in the audio chain, whether it be the soundbar, television or the movie or show that’s being watching does not support Dolby Atmos, then you won’t get the audio experience. For example, when I reviewed the Sonos Arc earlier year, I wasn’t originally able to watch Atmos content because even though the soundbar worked with Atmos, the TV that I had the soundbar hooked up to didn’t.

Fortunately, if one of those audio links don’t support Atmos, you’re not completely fucked. That’s because Dolby made Atmos backwards compatible, meaning you’ll still hear sound — you just won’t get the ideal immersive experience. If you don’t have an Atmos capability, the audio will playback the multi-channel or stereo sound from that Atmos bitstream.

When it comes to music, there’s a good percentage of people who stream music using their smartphone and headphones — so it makes sense that Atmos is supported by more and more smartphones and headphones. The latest iPhones support Atmos audio (2018’s iPhone Xs was the first iPhone to support it), for example, while the recently-released iOS 14 gave Apple’s AirPods Atmos support as well. Pretty soon, no matter what or how you’re listening to something, or how you’re doing it, you’re going to be able to experience Atmos’s surround sound experience. And that’s exactly how Dolby wants it.

Learn More: Here

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 10, 2020 / Comments Off on Dolby’s Quest to Make Atmos the New Stereo Sound
0
387

Brilliant gadget gift ideas this Christmas

Christmas is coming. However, with all the craziness of COVID 19 this year, the thought of Christmas has been a point of joy for many. I know that in my family, we have been looking at Christmas as the time when we can hopefully all come together and celebrate.

However, I always dread the thought of heading to the mall, braving the masses and frantically hunting for the perfect Christmas gift for each of my 12 – yes 12! – family members.

Christmas shopping had always brought a whole lot of head-scratching, stressing, and fighting through crowds. After a few too many trips like this a couple of years ago, I decided that there must be an easier way to find gifts for family and friends that did not involve desperately scouring the stores.

Enter the unmatched duo – online shopping and gift guides.

As a now experienced gift guide connoisseur, I’m going to give you a summary of what I think are the best gifts in this amazing tech gifts and gadgets guide for your partner, family and friends this Christmas. This guide has broken down gift-giving to fine art, providing a picture, a short summary, and a quippy title that tells us who the gift is best suited for. This guide is a great all-rounder and gives cool, on-point gift ideas for family, friends, kids and even pets!

For the ladies

First, lets will look at probably the hardest people to buy for, in my opinion. I think that we can all admit to being stuck one time or another on what to buy for your wife, girlfriend, mom, or grandma. Well, fear not – I got you! For a woman who you think has everything, check this out. The Click and Grow Smart Indoor Garden allows you to grow a ton of different plants and makes it almost impossible to kill them. Since having indoor plants are currently trending, I recommend this as a great choice for any woman in your life.

For the kids

Next up is the kids. Kids these days take to technology like breathing, so choosing anything from this list is sure to be a winner. Based on my own experience with 6 nieces and nephews, I generally look for gifts that aren’t a tablet or smartphone because they will either have their grubby hands on one already; or it is something that their parents want to buy for them. Personally, I think the mini drone is one of the best presents I’ve brought so far this year and I look forward to having a sneaky go when my nephew isn’t paying attention.

For the boys

Finally, the guys. My personal picks for this Christmas would be the Fitbit Inspire or the Sony Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker. The Fitbit Inspire is a good midrange smartwatch and is great for anyone looking to lose those COVID pounds. The Sony speaker is also a great choice as it packs a punch sound-wise and actually has decent battery life. Definitely recommend for a mate or teen.

With Christmas being 12 weeks away, and with shipping delays still occurring due to COVID, I say go forth and shop now, then smugly enjoy the last weeks of December worry-free.

October 9, 2020 / Comments Off on Brilliant gadget gift ideas this Christmas
0
356

The Best New Tech Products That Came Out This Week

From Bang & Olufsen’s updated classic turntable to Q Acoustics’s first set of active loudspeakers, we’ve rounded up our favorite new products that were announced this past week.

Grado Labs GT220

Courtesy

The GT220 are the Brooklyn-based audio company’s first pair of wireless earbuds. And while they lack active noise-cancellation, but they make up for in sound quality. The earbuds each have an 8mm driver and polycarbonate housings, and are poised to play high-resolution audio files. They charge via USB-C and support wireless charging.

Preorder Now: $259

Wyze Thermostat

Courtesy

Wyze has always been a champion of affordable smart home devices and its latest products slots right in with the mantra. It’s a $50 smart thermostat that works with Alexa at launch, with support for Google Assistant coming soon. The Wyze Thermostat will also gain more premium smart features, such as auto-scheduling, later in 2021. It’s available for preorder right now.

Preorder Now: $50

Wyze Headphones

Wyze

These are Wyze’s first noise-canceling headphones — and first consumer audio product of any kind, to be fair — and their main selling point is price. They cost just $50. However Wyze promises that they’ll push well-above their weight, sounding more like $200 headphones. They have two modes, active noise-cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes, but there’s mode to have both off (which is probably is to save some costs). The Wyze Headphones are available for preorder right now and will ship this November.

Preorder Now: $50 Learn More: Here

Dell UltraSharp 32 HDR PremierColor Monitor

Courtesy

Dell announced a high-end monitor to complete with Apple’s ProDisplay XDR for the attention of creative professionals. It’s the same size (32-inches) and same price ($5,000), but the real selling point of the Dell UltraSharp 32 HDR PremierColor is that it has 2,000 mini-LED backlit dimming zone — it’s first-ever 4K monitor to be able to create such colors and contrast. It will go on sale on November 5th.

Learn More: Here

Q Acoustics Q Active Speakers

Courtesy

Q Acoustics announced its first active powered speakers this week. The Q Active 200 and Q Active 400 are bookshelf and floor-standing speakers, respectively, and they come with a central Control Hub, which allows you to connect them to a variety of wired or wireless sources. This Control Hub has an HDMI ARC and optical digital inputs, so you can connect them right to your TV, as well as a built-in MM phono stage to connect to a turntable. For streamers, it can work with a Google Chromecast and Amazon Alexa ecosystem. It support AirPlay 2 and is Roon ready, too. These are high-end active speakers that can stream high-res audio (up to 32bit/192kHZ) and are designed to compete with the likes of KEF’s new LS50 Wireless II.

Learn More: Here

Vizio 4K OLED T

Vizio

Announced back at CES in the beginning of the year, Vizio’s first OLED TVs are finally available to purchase — and you can actually get a good deal on them already. Best Buy is selling 55-inch or 65-inch models for $100 off. The catch is that you have to purchase by midnight tonight (Friday, October 9th) to get the deal.

Buy Now: ~~$1,300~~ $1,200 (55-Inch) Buy Now: ~~$2,000~~ $1,900 (65-Inch)

Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000c

Bang & Olufsen

The Beogram 4000c is a revived and upgraded version of Bang & Olufsen’s iconic Beogram 4000 turntable from the 1970s. It looks very similar to the old classic — in fact it’s made with many of the same parts — but Bang & Olufsen updated it with some modern touches, like a RIAA phono pre-amplifier and a new high-performance stylus, to bring up to present day hi-fi standards. However, Bang & Olufsen is only making 95 of them. And they’re selling for $11,000 a pop.

Learn More: Here

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 9, 2020 / Comments Off on The Best New Tech Products That Came Out This Week
0
425

Bang & Olufsen Brought Its Iconic Turntable Back to Life — And It’s Stunning

Bang & Olufsen just announced an exceptional turntable that most of us will probably never get a chance to experience. But that doesn’t mean we can’t lust after it.

The Beogram 4000c is a revived and upgraded version of Bang & Olufsen’s iconic Beogram 4000 turntable from the 1970s. And it’s actually the first product to launch in the brand’s new Classics initiative, where they restore, revive and upgrade old pre-owned audio products in the factories that they were originally created.

This means that each Beogram 4000c turntable is actually made from parts and components taken from an original Beogram 4000. And naturally, this makes each Beogram 4000c very rare and expensive. Bang & Olufsen is only making 95 Beogram 4000c models in total, and each one will cost $11,000.

Bang & Olufsen

As mentioned, Bang & Olufsen gave the Beogram 4000c more than just a tune-up job and fresh coat of polish (although it has been polished with a new champagne tone, which the company claims is “warmer” and gives the surface a new “subtle glow”). The revived models have been given a RIAA phono pre-amplifier with phono and 3.5mm line-in connections, meaning it’s easy to connect to most new-age speakers, receivers and amplifiers.

They’ve also upgraded the Beogram 4000c with a new high-performance stylus and an electronic tangential-tracking tonearm, the latter of which allows the turntable to automatically move the stylus to make sure its perfectly aligned the record’s groove.

The Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000c turntable will be available for purchase starting October 19.

Learn More: Here

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Bang & Olufsen Brought Its Iconic Turntable Back to Life — And It’s Stunning
0
341

8BitDo Gives Nintendo Switch owners one dynamic Arcade Stick

When shopping for Nintendo Switch accessories, there are a bunch of third-party brands that offer great value. While some offer decent features for a cheaper cost, others border on the premium price spectrum. As such, some might go for official first-party offerings instead and miss out on some awesome alternatives. 8BitDo, on the other hand, has been pumping out some of the best gear for the hybrid system. One of their latest is the Arcade Stick which looks like pure nostalgia.

Although actual arcades are a fragment of the past, some of us crave some form of it in our homes. There are companies that offer miniature arcade cabinets or even life-size replicas. Some gaming brands even offer unique gaming goods that draw inspiration from those quarter-guzzling machines of our yesteryears. Meanwhile, the 8BitDo Arcade Stick turns your Switch into your versatile personal retro platform.

With a huge collection of old-school titles available in the Nintendo eShop, you’re one step away from nostalgic gaming goodness. Don’t mind the aesthetics, because this is one modern gaming controller. It boasts all the connectivity options one could ask for such wired, 2.4G wireless (with receiver), and Bluetooth

Aside from the Switch, the 8BitDo Arcade Stick is likewise compatible with your gaming PC. While some of you might play titles from a mix of genres, if you love fighting games like some of us here, this is one awesome device. We love the button layout, as well as the recessed P1 and P2 buttons that prevent accidental presses. Moreover, the components are compatible with Sanwa and Seimitsu parts. Finally, the 1,000 mAh rechargeable battery provides hours of wireless gaming freedom.

Buy it now – $89.99

Images courtesy of 8BitDo

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on 8BitDo Gives Nintendo Switch owners one dynamic Arcade Stick
0
458

Looking for an Instant Camera? Just Get This

Skip the heavy lifting and go straight to what’s best. Just Get This is our no-nonsense guide to the gear you need, now.

Instant cameras are having a renaissance, and why shouldn’t they? In a digital world, the allure of an immediate, physical photograph is more appealing and novel than ever. If you’ve been thinking about buying one, you’re in luck because there’s really only one you should buy and it’s the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1.

Go big or go home

Not all instant photos are created equal. The popular postage-stamp prints of the (more affordable) Instax Mini 9 are adorable, sure. But the 1.8 inch by 2.4 inch prints are so small that they fade into obscurity at any distance of greater than about a foot.

The Instax Square SQ1, on the other hand, shoots 2.5-inch square photos that offer way more in terms of lasting appeal as an actual photograph, and an aspect ratio that’s second nature to any Instagrammer.

The Square SQ1 (and its film) are a bit more expensive than the Mini, but it’s worth it for pictures that are more “photo” than “gimmick.”

Fuji film for the win

The Square SQ1’s biggest competition is the Polaroid Now, which actually boasts larger 3.1-inch square photos, but despite that camera’s iconic design and larger prints, Fujifilm’s film has the edge.

Check out some sample photos if you are so inclined, but the essential detail is that Fuji’s film is the better crowd-pleaser with its bright and consistent colors versus Polaroid’s more washed out and artsy aesthetic. That’s especially important since, odds are, you’ll be giving a lot of these prints away to friends and family.

You’re gonna be paying an arm and a leg for film either way though. There’s no getting around that.

Analog is essential

Some of the other instant-print cameras in Fujifilm’s line, like the SQ10 and SQ20, give the result of an analog camera, but have digital guts crammed inside. While that will give you some creature comforts like pre-print editing and photo review, the whole point of this exercise is to free yourself from that tyranny of tinkering.

If you must have more options, the older (less stylish) Instax SQ6 offers some feature like a landscape mode and double exposures, but unless you’re specifically looking for those, the simplicity of the SQ1 is all but certain to treat you better.

The completely analog SQ1 won’t always give you the perfect shot, no — but that’s what your phone’s camera is for.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1

Fujifilm amazon.com

$119.95

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Looking for an Instant Camera? Just Get This
0
333

The 4K TV Titans Just Got Serious Competition — And It’s Already On Sale

The Vizio 4K OLED TV, the company’s first-ever OLED TV, was announced back in January at CES 2020. Ten months later, it’s finally available for purchase. Best Buy is selling 55-inch or 65-inch models, but the best part is that you can actually get a little bit of a deal already — if you purchase between now and Friday (October 9th), you can save $100 on either model.

VIZIO – 55-inch OLED 4K UHD

VIZIO bestbuy.com

$1,199.99

The reason why the Vizio’s OLED TVs have been so hyped is, quite simply, they’re price — they’re more affordable than pretty much all other new OLED TVs. The 55-inch starts at $1,300, which is significantly more affordable than similarly-sized OLED TVs. The closest competition is LG’s entry-level line of OLED TVs, the BX Series, where a 55-inch model goes for $1,600 (currently on sale for $1,500). A 55-inch model of LG’s slightly high-end CX Series goes for $1,800 (currently on sale for $1,600).

We haven’t had a chance to test out the Vizio 4K OLED TV in person, but given the company’s track-record making some of the best and affordable 4K LCD TVs, we have high hopes for these new models.

Vizio’s OLED TVs are decked out in high-end features you’d expect from pricier sets, including support for most HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+), a 120Hz refresh rate (so it’s ideal for gaming on the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles). And it has built-in Chromecast and Apple’s AirPlay 2. The smart TVs run on Vizio’s SmartCast operating system.

The Vizio Elevate, the company’s new soundbar that’s designed to partner the its new line OLED TVs, is still only available for pre-order, although it’s expected to ship later this month. The Elevate is a unique soundbar because, in addition to appearing to float in midair (which is where it gets its name), its side-channel speakers actually rotate up when listening to Dolby Atmos or DTS:X content, and then rotate back into place for non-surround sound content.

Buy Now: ~~$1,300~~ $1,200 (55-inch) Buy Now: ~~$2,000~~ $1,900 (65-inch)

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 7, 2020 / Comments Off on The 4K TV Titans Just Got Serious Competition — And It’s Already On Sale
0
297

Save Up to $100 on Some Great Wireless Headphones and Portable Speakers

JBL

JBL is running a month-long sale on most of its wireless headphones, gaming headsets, wireless earbuds and portable speakers. The deals range from between $30 —$100 off. You can shop all the deals here, but we’ve highlighted some of our favorites below.

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

JBL CLUB 700BT

JBL jbl.com

$199.95

Normally $200, these bass-heavy wireless headphones are $50 off. Deal runs from October 1 — November 4.

JBL CLUB ONE

JBL jbl.com

$349.95

These are the company’s flagship noise-canceling wireless headphones. Normally $350, they’re $70 off right now. Deal runs from October 1 — November 4.

JBL CLUB 950NC

JBL jbl.com

$199.95

These are the company’s more affordable noise-canceling wireless headphones.  Normally $200, they’re $50 off right now. Deal runs from October 1 — November 4.

JBL LIVE 300TWS

JBL jbl.com

$99.95

The company’s first true wireless earbuds normally cost $150. They’re $50 off right now. Deal runs from October 1 — October 28.

JBL CHARGE 4

JBL jbl.com

$140.00

JBL FLIP 5

JBL jbl.com

$90.00

The Flip 5 is JBL’s medium-sized portable speaker. It’s also arguably it’s most popular. Normally $120, it’s $30 off right now. The deal runs from October 1 — November 4.

JBL CLIP 3

JBL jbl.com

$40.00

This is the company’s smallest portable speaker with a built-in carabiner. Normally $70, it’s $30 right now. The deal runs from October 1 — November 4.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

October 6, 2020 / Comments Off on Save Up to $100 on Some Great Wireless Headphones and Portable Speakers
0
394

This Is the Ultimate iPhone Accessory for Apple Arcade

I’ve never been big on mobile games. Games like Candy Crush and Fruit Ninja have never been able to hold a candle to the console games I grew up on.

But it hasn’t just been the games. I need buttons — tangible buttons. And while there have been plenty of mobile-focused game controllers in year’s past, there hasn’t been a whole ton to do with them. Until now.

Tucker Bowe

Two things have altered the field of play. First, my iPhone now has Apple Arcade, which includes a whole host of exclusive games, some more in line with my favs like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. Second, and the key to really unlocking their potential, I finally got my hands on the Razer Kishi.

The Razer Kishi is a gamepad accessory that effectively turns your smartphone into Nintendo Switch-esque portable console. It plugs directly into your iPhone’s Lightning port, which is great because it means no latency issues like that you’d get with Bluetooth controllers. The Kishi also adds pretty all the buttons and controls you’d find on an Xbox controller or Nintendo Switch. Heck, the two joysticks even click in.

That said, the coolest thing about using the Kishi with Apple Arcade is that the combo made me forget that I was playing a mobile game. No, really. The buttons, trigger buttons, joysticks and D-Pad almost feel like they’ve been taken directly off the Xbox and Nintendo Switch controllers that I’ve been using for years. And the games — surprisingly fun.

Of course there are plenty of other options to make use of Apple Arcade that don’t require a piece of specialized iPhone equipment. If you want a more console-like experience, you don’t have to an accessory like the Razer Kishi — you can pair a most wireless gamings controllers, like a DualShock 4 or an Xbox Wireless Controller, to any of your Apple devices (here’s how).

Tucker Bowe

But with the Kishi, I rarely felt compelled to play games on any device other than my iPhone — it was probably the fact that I knew I was testing the Razer Kishi, which only works on your smartphone. Or maybe I just didn’t want to have to connect my Xbox controller. Or worse yet, try the Apple TV’s Siri Remote as a controller.

There’s very little, in my opinion, to dislike about the Razer Kishi. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, but since it’s your iPhone you can just use your AirPods or any other wireless earbuds. Then again, the Nintendo Switch doesn’t even have built-in Bluetooth so I can’t even complain too much. Even the price has dropped. Once $150, Razer and Amazon are both selling it for $100 now.

And if you’ve been meaning to dive into Apple Arcade’s offerings, you couldn’t ask for a better companion.

Buy Now: $100 (Amazon) Buy Now: $100 (Razer)

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

October 6, 2020 / Comments Off on This Is the Ultimate iPhone Accessory for Apple Arcade
0
324

Older Entries

New Entries