10 Apr
Blog

Wyze Home Monitoring Review: Great Savings, Gaps to Fill

Wyze Home Monitoring Components

Wyze Home Monitoring Review: Big Savings, Bridge the Gaps

"Wyze comes at a compelling price for home security, but it takes more work to catch up."

  • Very affordable home monitoring plan

  • Inexpensive hardware

  • Option for wired or wireless connection with hub

  • No cellular backup connection

  • Limited selection of accessories

When it comes to making noise in the smart home space, nobody is doing it better lately than Wyze. The company has tirelessly expanded its portfolio over the past year, which surprisingly now includes vacuum cleaners, headphones and fitness trackers. The latest offering is Wyze Home Monitoring, a 24-hour home improvement security system designed to protect your home when you are there or not.

After a series of hits with its surveillance cameras, the Wyze Home Monitoring is pursuing the same strategy of being extremely affordable. At $ 5 a month, it's without question the lowest priced subscription. However, are there any compromises with such low cost?

Cover basics

First, let me explain what comes with the Wyze Home Monitoring System. The Core Starter Kit ($ 110 MSRP) is exactly what you'd expect. It consists of a 5-piece kit that consists of a hub, a keyboard, a motion sensor and two input sensors. What's especially important here is that this starter kit is almost a fraction of the cost of its closest competitors – between $ 150 and $ 200 – for packages from Ring, SimpliSafe, and Blue from ADT.

Wyze Home Monitoring KeyboardJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

For the price, you get the same basic components as the other home security systems. So in that regard, it's more for the money. However, a comprehensive selection of accessories is always an advantage when it comes to fully covering your home. With its current portfolio, Wyze lacks the depth of accessories that its competitors offer. While you can have additional motion and entry sensors for the system at a much lower cost than the competition ($ 20 for three entry sensors and $ 8 for one motion sensor), it comes down to the breadth of accessories you have still not close gonna find anywhere else.

However, if you are concerned that someone might be intruding on your home, hitting additional sensors can provide more security. While external threats are paramount, Wyze needs to add other accessories like carbon monoxide detectors, flood sensors, and more to monitor other potential threats around the home.

Optimizations required with experience

Wyze's inexperience in this area will be exposed after I check out the app. The activation and deactivation of the alarm system can be done either physically via the keyboard or via the app. You can select a countdown to have enough time to activate / deactivate. There are three main arming modes: Home, Away and Disarmed.

This starter kit is almost a fraction of the cost of its closest competitors.

As you would expect when a system is armed, the hub will emit a loud siren when any of the sensors are triggered. If you have a Wyze surveillance camera, you can also set it up to automatically record when one of the sensors is triggered. For example, if the front door is opened while it is armed, you can have the Wyze Cam in your living room to automatically start recording. Oddly enough, cameras themselves do not trigger an alarm if movement is detected and the system is armed. Instead, you will receive an app notification.

While the basics are well covered here, some additional tweaking is needed before it can be compared to the major players in the field. In particular, the hub cannot emit any distinguishable noises each time a sensor is triggered – not even at home. Personally, I like being at home to hear a sound when the front door is opened. You don't have that option here.

What is even more puzzling is that the system continues to sound the alarm in home mode and also dispatches law enforcement agencies. Fortunately, I had it in test mode whenever it went off, but I would love to see a proper home mode where I can still have the sensors active but only send me notifications (or play a sound on the hub) when they are always activated. In disabled mode, everything is simply disabled so that there are no notifications or alarms.

24/7 surveillance with Noonlight

Wyze Home Monitoring offers 24-hour monitoring via Noonlight, which not only triggers alarms when sensors are triggered, but also emergency helpers who are on standby in emergency situations. When you consider that the service cost is $ 5 per month or $ 60 per year, it undercuts most other home security systems.

Wyze Home Monitoring HubJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

However, when it comes to protection, there are still some loopholes that need to be addressed in the future. Take the Wyze Hub, for example. I am happy to have the option of connecting it wired or wirelessly to my house's network and having my own emergency power supply in the event that the power fails. However, without an active internet connection at home, it will become unusable. Other systems, such as the base stations from SimpliSafe and Ring, have an integrated cellular connection as a backup. In Wyze's situation, no internet connection means there is a coverage gap.

Our opinion

It's a good start, but there is certainly still a lot of work to be done before Wyze Home Monitoring can deliver the same solid and complete home security service that its competitors offer. The accessories portfolio in particular does not make it quite as robust and experience requires additional optimizations and improvements. The cost is hard to miss, however, as you will not find anything that cheap remotely otherwise.

How long it will take?

All components of the system are made of plastic. It's enough, but the design and build quality is obviously a step behind what you get from names like SimpliSafe and Ring. There is a one-year limited warranty that covers the hardware components against defects.

Is there a better alternative?

SimpliSafe and Ring offer two of the most comprehensive home improvement safety systems on the market. Ring, in particular, has one of the deepest accessory rosters that can cover your home inside and out, while SimpliSafe offers impeccable service that goes above and beyond most – for example, the ability for a service dispatcher to access a camera, to review real threats.

Should you buy it?

Yes, but only if you are in need of cost. I expect it will get better over time as more accessories become available and the experience improves.

Editor's recommendations




10 Apr
Blog

Are Ripped Hands Still Cool in CrossFit?

Are torn hands still cool in CrossFit? - Fitness, crossfit, crossfit games, chalk, crossfit open, liquid chalk, callouses, torn hands, barbell knurling, exercise belts

For CrossFit addicts, the crushed palm trees that come from endless bar work are the most telling sign of their addiction. Is that cool? If you're bleeding from your passion, it's probably cool when it comes to real blood. Is a tattered hand a sign that you are on the right track in your workout? Definitely not. And let's be fair, you can tear our hands apart while climbing, rowing, or doing gymnastics.

I would love to believe that there is one simple rule to follow when scraping your skin with metal: if it interferes with your workout, it is bad, and if it happens during competition it may be inevitable, but you do want it to keep operating at maximum capacity anyway, so it may be best to reduce the amount of blood lost through your palms.

The 5 best ways to keep your grip tight but smooth

The first step in smoothing your hands during exercise is with smoother hands during exercise. Ideally, your hands would be smooth and no one would think less of you for it.

If you can keep your skin smooth and silky, you can give yourself a better playing surface to avoid the awkward catches on the exercise bars or the knurls on the dumbbells, even the imperfections in cast iron kettlebells that can pick up your skin and peel it back . Here are some ways you can help your hands exercise young.

Grip right – No matter what level you are at, you want to think about your grip. As you grip, the dragging on your palm can make it worse. Think about how you will actually grip the bar.

Do you grab it at the very bottom of the palm of your hand? Or do you pack it more around the base of your fingers? Think about how climbers use their fingers more than their hands. Think about the fact that you are pulling, not pushing, on something.

The bar shouldn't be all the way to the bottom of your palm. This only causes more folds of skin to clump together and you are more likely to tear. And you are compelled to get callouses and cuts from learning the ropes, but only in so far as you learn whether you are effective at getting your grip right. Also, think of the cuts and callouses as warnings.

Training gloves – You can get workout gloves, you know the fingerless things that are likely to be frowned upon by the cool kids in your gym. Here's the thing, no one should be frowned upon wearing exercise gloves, and there are plenty of manufacturers willing to advertise CrossFit-grade gloves, but it's likely impractical.

First, weightlifting is just as much about the touch as the grip of holding on to the bar. Gloves can be thick, they can tighten, and you need to wrap your hand around the bar, position the bar correctly, and keep those fingers together just right.

So you could protect your hand, and we don't have a recommendation for a glove that could help you in this regard, but they could also adversely affect your training and technique.

Are torn hands still cool in CrossFit? - Fitness, crossfit, crossfit games, chalk, crossfit open, liquid chalk, callouses, torn hands, barbell knurling, exercise belts

Gym hand protection – Handguards, on the other hand, are cool. Sure, you didn't see them much in the early days of CrossFit, and even with the competition, you had a first aid tent full of torn and shredded hands dealing with antiseptics and duct tape.

But not now. The people were wise and were serious about hand guards. Gymnasts have been training and using grips for a long time and they know a thing or two about them.

A post from Victory Grips (@victorygrips)

For CrossFit, companies like Victory Grips and Bear KompleX specialize in products for the community and seem to get consistently good reviews.

They're expensive, but probably a better investment than an expensive, moisture-wicking workout t-shirt that you will toss in the corner of your industrial warehouse gym about five minutes after you work out. If you want to train really hard at CrossFit or compete, invest in handholds. It's a no-brainer.

chalk – Chalk is a double-edged sword. Small amounts will keep your hands dry and help your grip. This means you are less likely to be holding the bar too tight, which is a good thing for callus prevention.

Chronic chalk, on the other hand, can actually create more friction when you've got that much chalk on your hands. Be sparing with the chalk and towel dry your hands between sets.

On the other hand, liquid chalk can get expensive. We have reviewed Spider Chalk on these sites in the past. It's not for everyone, but some athletes swear by the sticky film that builds up over the palm of your hand. Or just go for simple old weightlifting chalk and create those clouds of chalk dust for little money.

Hand care – There's no shame in moisturizing and protecting your hands. More importantly, you need to get into the habit of shaving your callouses and smoothing out the rough skin that forms from lifting, bar, ring, and rope work.

It's okay to be nice to your hands. Wodwelder is a nice little online shop in this regard. It contains lotions, callus shaves, pumice stones, and ointments that target CrossFitters.

Remember that unless you are a full-time CrossFit athlete, you are likely to have a day job and meet people. There will come a time when you need to shake hands with someone or show your palms in a business setting. Maybe when you close magic to close the big thing you were working on and when that happens nobody wants to look at your hands and think you just escaped from prison by digging your own tunnel?

Workouts for blood, guts, and fame

If we just look at things through the prism of CrossFit, the Open and Games season is when you may face the greatest likelihood of tearing skin across your palms.

Fortunately, as noted above, there are things you can do to protect yourself. However, if you are training for the Open and Games during the other nine months of the year, you want to be able to perform at their best and the only thing that should be certain is calluses that don't bleed.

The headline asks whether torn hands are still cool in CrossFit, and the answer is no, it's not cool to tear your hands apart. You need to take care of the things that affect your performance and your ability to do the real work.

It doesn't matter if it's CrossFit, rowing, or climbing. Injuries are possible but not inevitable, although at the highest levels, the likelihood is that they are most likely to occur. Real athletes know they need to protect themselves.

09 Apr
Blog

Nokia 5.4 Review: Resist the Temptation

hmd global nokia 5 4 hand review screen

“The Nokia 5.4 hasn't improved on its predecessor, but the price has gone up and there have been a few other issues. It's not the phone to buy. "

  • The build quality is excellent

  • Camera is sufficient

  • Poor quality screen

  • Mediocre performance

  • Android 11 not installed

The $ 249 price tag associated with the HMD Global Nokia 5.4 makes it jump off flagship smartphones that cost $ 1,000 or more during this time. But take a closer look and it's actually $ 50 more than the Nokia 5.3 it is replacing. Now that it's more expensive, it has to prove it's worth the extra by improving the specs of the old model and fixing some of the issues it had too.

In reality, the Nokia 5.4 isn't all that different from the Nokia 5.3, and that's not good news. Let's go into that in more detail.

design

From the back, the Nokia 5.4 looks very similar to the Nokia 5.3 and many other Nokia phones. There's a circular camera module on top, a fingerprint sensor underneath, and on my test model, a lovely blue color scheme called Polar Night that looks great in the right light. The phone is made of plastic and can get quite greasy with fingerprints. While it should prove to be quite tough, it is not waterproof.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

At 181 grams it is not very heavy and the body is modestly large, but quite broad. I can almost use it with one hand, but my thumb barely extends across the other side of the screen. However, swipe entry is possible. In addition to the usual volume rocker and the on / off switch, Nokia has placed a Google Assistant button on the left side of the device. While it can be disabled if you don't want to use it (or keep pressing on it like I did), there is no way to reconfigure it. It's unhappy and the button feels like a waste of space.

I've kept coming back to the question of desirability because the Nokia 5.4 is basically the same (from the back) as the 5.3, and that was released around this time last year. It's not ugly at all and I really like the Polar Night color, but it would have been nice if it wasn't just a facsimile of the last one. From a materials and design perspective, the extra $ 50 you'll be spending isn't apparent here, and the recycled design makes it a little dated.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

No, this is not the newest iPhone. Since you're not spending $ 1,000, design may not influence your purchasing decision. However, for a workhorse or a first phone for someone young, it's a pretty and very solidly built phone.

screen

You won't get a better screen with the extra $ 50 either. It measures 6.39 inches, so it is slightly smaller than the Nokia 5.3, but has a resolution of 1560 x 720 pixels with the same pixel density. However, with a maximum of 400 nits, it is even less bright than the Nokia 5.3. It's very dark and it's really suffering from it. It is a waste of time to look at it in sunlight or generally outside at almost any angle except the front. It can also be turned off.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

In the real world, this means that taking photos is cumbersome because you cannot see the viewfinder. When used for Google Maps in the car, a hint of sunlight means the contents of the screen go away and notification notifications on the lock screen are essentially invisible. The screen is at its maximum brightness all the time, but you will be forgiven for thinking it was on the lowest setting.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Brightness is not an issue indoors, but the poor viewing angle of the screen is emphasized. It's right with the Nokia 5.4 or nothing. Video performance is disappointing, with washed out colors and a lack of vibrancy. The only good news is that the teardrop cutout for the 5.3's selfie camera has been replaced with a hole punch in the top left of the screen. This is a far better design choice and makes the phone look more modern from the front.

That small point aside, the Nokia 5.4 has one of the worst screens I've used on a smartphone in a while.

camera

Now we come to one of the areas where you will find a specification difference that may have resulted in a higher price. The main camera is 48 megapixels, up from 16 MP in the old version, but there is still a 5 MP ultra-wide camera and a pair of 2 MP depth and macro cameras. The 48-megapixel camera has a higher number of megapixels, but it still has the same aperture of f / 1.8.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's not bad at all, provided you ignore the macro camera, which, as always, is useless. The main camera takes pretty photos in good conditions, but it can lack color and pop, especially when lighting is poor. The wide-angle camera injects more color, but it lacks some dynamic range, which leads to more shadows. Portrait mode is decent too, with edge detection accurate enough to be used, and night mode brightens things up, provided it's not too dark.

Overall, it's a step up from the Nokia 5.3, and given the price of the phone, your daily casual shots won't disappoint. However, the Pixel 4a's excellent camera cannot be questioned.

Battery and performance

The Nokia 5.4 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor and has either 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM and an internal storage capacity of 64 GB or 128 GB. My test model has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The battery has a capacity of 4,000 mAh. Frustratingly, the phone has Android 10 and not Android 11 on board, despite being an Android One phone. Many will consider purchasing the Nokia 5.4 in the hopes of timely software updates, so this is cause for concern. It really should be installed from the start with Android 11.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The performance is not great. The entire operating system is slow as some apps take several hits too long to open and even keystroke detection suffers from frustrating pauses. Playing Asphalt 9: Legends shows some slowdown and low frame rate as expected, but it runs well enough to play. I found the Wi-Fi range to be pretty short, the connection unstable at times, and constant issues with WhatsApp video calls dropping out. The fingerprint sensor on the back is easy to locate with your finger, but it is finicky and does not respond well to wet or very dry fingertips. There's also a face unlock that's more reliable but a little slow.

hmd global nokia 5 4 rating gamesAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

hmd global nokia 5 4 review appsAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

hmd global nokia 5 4 check fingerprintAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

The battery life depends on your activities. It takes two days with basic use, but play lots of games and take photos and it quickly drops to just over a day. There is no wireless charging and no simple 10W wired charging. While I may have been indulged in high-end phones lately, the Nokia 5.4 quickly became frustrating for me due to its clumsy performance when used for everyday activities.

Price and availability

The Nokia 5.4 costs US $ 249 without a contract in the Nokia online shop or on Amazon. It costs £ 159 in the UK and is available through the same outlets. Both prices refer to the 4 GB / 64 GB model.

Our opinion

Looking back at how I felt about the Nokia 5.3, it was easier to forgive the phone's drawbacks because of its low price in the US and that it was more than a year ago when I was using it. It's much harder to forgive that a year later the Nokia 5.4 had essentially the same issues – poor performance and a bad screen. That it costs more and is still running Android 10 makes it worse. HMD Global has revamped its smartphone lineup for early 2021, and the disappointing Nokia 5.4 shows that a revamp was needed.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you want to own a Nokia phone, wait and see how the new Nokia G10 and G20 phones from HMD Global work. They are slated to be released in the next few months, and prices are similar to 5.4. Now if you need a phone, consider spending a little more on the Google Pixel 4a for $ 350 or the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G for $ 399. Both have better performance, screens and cameras.

Alternatively, check out the Motorola Moto G Play for $ 170 or the Moto G Power for $ 250, depending on whether you want a big screen and long battery life, or whether you want to spend as little as possible on a new phone want. The Moto G Power is a better buy when $ 250 is your limit.

How long it will take?

The Nokia 5.4 is not waterproof, but the plastic shell should be durable and moderately protective in the event of a small fall. Android One should guarantee software updates. However, since Android 11 is not yet available on the phone, you should wait for future versions to arrive. The phone will almost certainly outlast your patience in handling its problems.

Should you buy one?

No, while the Nokia 5.4 is cheap, the phone's drawbacks will still be frustrating.

Editor's recommendations




09 Apr
Blog

Ask A Dermatologist: How Often Should You Moisturize Your Face?

How Often Should You Moisturize Your Face? And what is the “correct” amount? If you have oily skin, should you moisturize as often as dry skin type? Whether you go through a tub of moisturizer for a week or rarely use one, these questions may come up as you build your skin care routine.

That's why we turned Dr. Hooman Khorasani to unpack your moisturizer concerns. Dr. Khorasani is a triple board certified, scholarship trained cosmetic and skin cancer surgeon. After Spicing Up After you see Dr. Having peppered Khorasani with questions, here's what he said in our Q&A about the most frequently asked questions about moisturizers.

What does moisturizer do to the skin?

Answer: Your skin is your largest organ and the most important barrier against harmful substances. Above all, hydrated skin strengthens the barrier function of your skin. Ceramides and other lipids are the main components of our skin barrier function. Sebocytes in our sebum glands help in the production of these lipids, which are needed for an optimal barrier function, by protecting your skin against moisture loss. Even people with oily skin need moisture as the oily skin is usually due to a negative feedback loop. The less moisture your skin receives, the more signals are sent to the sebum glands, for example, to produce more oil.

Does Moisturizer Benefit All Skin Types?

Answer: Generally yes. Moisturizing your skin will help prevent dryness, flaking, redness, and itching. Different parts of the body usually have different hydration requirements. This is just a function of the density of the sebum in the skin. Typically, the sebum areas of the face require less moisture than the rest of the face. The sebum areas include the forehead, nose, medial cheek, and mouth, commonly referred to as the "T-zone" of the face. Most of us have fewer sebum glands on our torso and lower extremities, so we need more hydration in these areas.

Some skin types have higher base oil production and therefore require less moisture than other skin types. The production of sebum is controlled by sex hormones and can fluctuate with hormone cycles. This is seen more often in women, but it can also be seen in men.

In certain people with eczema, there is a basic loss of lipid biosynthesis and thus a loss of the barrier function. These people are more prone to skin infections. Therefore, patients with eczema have a higher need for moisture than the average population. For these patients, preventing moisture loss is just as important as adding moisture. Taking quick showers with lukewarm water and adding humidifiers around the house can greatly improve moisture loss. Occasional use of baths with antiseptic solutions can also reduce bacterial stress and reduce the risk of skin infections.

What is the difference between humectants, occlusive materials and plasticizers?

Answer: We usually use the word "moisturizing" to indicate the application of any type of topical agent to the layers of the skin that will improve the hydration of those layers. However, there are generally three different categories of moisturizers, namely humectants, occlusive agents, and emollients. Humectants can pull water molecules out of the air and bring them to the surface of the skin. They are basically microscopic humidifiers on the surface of the skin. Examples of … organic humectants are honey, molasses, egg white and egg yolk, and aloe vera.

Emollients are various butters, oils, lipids, and fatty acids that can be applied to the skin. Depending on the active ingredients they contain, they are divided into ointments, creams, lotions and gels. Ointments are the most moisturizing but the least aesthetic. At the other end of the spectrum, gels are the least moisturizing, but the most aesthetic because they apply to the skin quickly and without major consequences.

Occlusions act as a physical barrier against water loss from the surface of the epidermis, the first layer of skin. They are the additional protective layer against external influences. For lovers of organic skin care, beeswax and thicker oils made from coconut, soybeans and olives are among the most popular occlusive products. These occlusions are a must have for people with extreme dryness and eczema.

Can you over-wet?

Answer: In any case, everything in life should be in moderation. I mentioned earlier that the negative feedback loop signals the sebocytes to produce more oil when your skin is too dry. Similarly, when your skin is too hydrated, your skin will signal to sebocytes to stop producing essential lipids. Excessive use of topical agents can also block your pores and lead to breakouts.

How Much Moisturizer Should You Apply?

Answer: Make sure your skin is washed with a gentle detergent to remove toxins and bacteria on the surface of the skin, and make sure your pores aren't clogged. If you have too much flaky skin, you can use a gentle scrub or scrub to get rid of the dead skin first. This dead skin layer prevents the effective absorption of moisture. After exfoliating, use a pea-sized amount of moisturizer on each side of the face. You can be much more generous with topical applications on other parts of the body.

How often do you use moisturizer? Let us know if the comments are below or on social media. You can also explore our range of moisturizers at an Eminence Organics Spa Affiliate and find one that suits your skin type.

09 Apr
Blog

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 Speaker Review: An Expensive Experiment

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakers

"A fascinating but expensive speaker that doesn't quite live up to the hype."

  • Easy adjustment

  • Crystal clear sound

  • Chromecast support

  • Works with Google Assistant / Amazon Alexa

  • Expensive

  • Polarizing design

  • Difficult placement requirements

  • Overwhelming 360 RA effects

  • No hi-fi bluetooth codecs

When Sony unveiled its 360 Reality Audio (360 RA) music technology – a stunning 3D format designed to restore listening to live music – the only way to hear it was through headphones.

Starting in March, you can now listen to 360 RA tracks aloud through two models of wireless speakers: The Small Room for $ 300 Sony SRS-RA3000 and the much larger $ 700 SRS-RA5000.

They're both designed to optimize 360 ​​RA playback, but also have the ability to make regular stereo tracks an even more immersive experience if you so choose.

Sony was kind enough to send Digital Trends a RA5000 to try out. So we tested the unusual looking speaker to see if it actually offered a listening experience worth investing in.

What's in the box?

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Sony keeps things simple with the RA5000. In the fully recyclable box you will find the speaker, its power supply and a collection of printed materials such as a quick start guide, safety information and warranty documentation. It's a bit of a surprise – especially considering the $ 700 price tag – that Sony didn't use a 3.5mm cable or two, but you might be expected to buy one when you need it.

With its copper-grilled speakers; curvy body wrapped in cloth; and tall stature, it will be controversial.

design

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

In recent years, Sony has been enthusiastic about black or anthracite-colored devices with copper accents. You can find this color scheme on the WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones and the excellent WF-1000XM3 wireless earphones, but the most bombastic display comes with the RA5000.

With his trio of copper-grilled step-up speakers; his curvy body wrapped in cloth; I suspect it will be a controversial purchase. I really like the way it looks, but my family members are divided about the aesthetics.

If a speaker isn't your cup of tea in terms of design, you can usually just stick it in a bookcase or in a corner behind a plant. That won't fly with the RA5000.

Although it can fill a room with sound from almost any position, the closer you get to it in a central location, the better able it is to accomplish its mission of true 360-degree sound.

However, this raises two questions: How can you supply a central location with electricity (there is no on-board battery) and how do you disguise the enormous power supply module?

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to either question. For my assessment, I simply placed the RA5000 on a coffee table and let the power cord dangle over the edge. A nearby extension cord under my couch served as a power source, but the trip hazard it created (not to mention how unsightly it looked) means it would never work as a permanent place.

There are a total of six touch-sensitive buttons along the top edges that allow you to access the most frequently used functions such as playback, volume, source, Bluetooth on / off / pairing and sound calibration.

Sony does not include a remote control, presumably because a phone is required to use the RA5000.

Another difficult aspect of the RA5000 design is the use of metal grids over the three high-boosting drivers. These thin shields are eye-catching, but seem to be very easy to dent. Our test device arrived with a very noticeable and a slightly smaller bruise. This is something to keep in mind if you want to put the speaker in a very central location (exactly where Sony suggests it).

Setup and configuration

The Sony Music Center app serves as a guide for configuring the RA5000 and gives you access to settings such as EQ and turning the speaker’s Immersive Audio Enhancement mode on and off. You can also use it to trigger the speaker's automatic sound calibration. However, this can also be done using the touch-sensitive controls that line the upper edge of the housing.

Using the SRS-RA5000 as a Bluetooth speaker is a breeze. Just long press the power button to enter pairing mode, then select the speaker from your phone's Bluetooth device list.

To get the most of it, we recommend that you take the extra step of adding it to the Google Home app so that you can enjoy Chromecast audio.

This opens up all the functions that make the RA5000 unique: It enables 360 RA streaming, which is not supported via Bluetooth. This allows you to stream stereo tracks with much higher quality (up to CD quality), which is also not possible via Bluetooth. Finally, if you have other Chromecast-enabled devices, you can manage the speaker as part of a larger multiroom audio system. If you have a Google Assistant smart speaker, you can use your voice to control the RA5000.

Amazon Alexa users can also control the speaker using voice commands by adding the RA5000 as a device in the Amazon Alexa app.

Sound quality

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The SRS-RA5000 is a speaker with a mission: to enable people to listen to Sony 360 RA music without headphones, while “upgrading” their non-360 RA sources for an even more immersive sound experience. Given the high price tag, these two scenarios should better be fantastic. Otherwise it will be difficult to give the RA5000 our recommendation.

I just don't appreciate what 360 RA brings to the noisy listening experience.

To really get a feel for how it handles these tasks, I created several playlists in the Tidal app. I started by searching through Tidal's 360 RA track library for songs I'd heard countless times before – Heart's Barracuda, Billy Joel's Big Shot, Pharrell Williams' Happy, and Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Then I added the standard HiFi stereo versions of these tracks so I could easily switch back and forth between the two formats.

I also listened to these stereo versions with and without Sony's Immersive Audio Enhancement feature.

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The judgment? The RA5000 does a good job rendering 360 RA tracks with its signature open-air ambient sound. The up and side firing drivers add both width and height to these songs, making for an even more immersive experience than listening to the stereo version, even when using Immersive Audio Enhancement. Not sure if you are actually hearing 360 RA audio? An LED indicator light under the speaker glows cyan when the format is recognized.

But as noticeable as the effect is, I just don't appreciate what 360 RA brings to the loud listening experience. I find that opening up and “stretching” the music to fill the room with sound tends to hollow out the recordings. Intimate details in the mids that I know own these tracks are harder to spot. Lushness and immediacy give way to the ambience, and I think a lot of the songs don't survive this transition intact. Then there is the question of consistency. It turns out that not all 360 RA tracks are the same.

The upward and side fire drivers give these songs both breadth and height, making for an even more immersive experience.

Fire up the 360 ​​RA version of Heart's Barracuda, and the RA5000 does an excellent job of making the iconic rapid-fire guitar licks fill the room. But Ann Wilson's normally soul-piercing vocals sound like she's singing with her back to the audience.

Big Shot loses much of the deep bass thrumming that gives this song so much of its nuance, which is very strange given that the RA5000 is more than capable of producing excellent bass response.

Pharrell Williams' Happy 360 RA is a much better mix, and on the RA5000 at least, it's more fun to listen to than the stereo version. But I still prefer the way this song sounds when played on a traditional stereo pair of speakers. Only Dave Brubeck's Take Five sounded much better in its 360 RA version.

Is this an inherent problem with the 360 ​​RA format? I do not believe that. Some of the above issues can also be heard when listening with headphones. With headphones, however, the spatial rendering is much better controlled and can better convince your brain that the songs are being played by a band on stage in an open space.

The RA5000, despite its 360 degree driver suite, still acts as a very identifiable sound source, reducing the effectiveness of the 360 ​​RA spatial audio effect.

Now, if you gave me a choice between the 360 ​​RA tracks that play on the $ 700 RA5000 and Dolby Atmos Music tracks that play on the $ 800 Sonos Arc soundbar, I'd be Atmos take on the arc every day.

One thing that particularly confused me about the RA5000 is the Bluetooth capabilities. According to Sony, the speaker is designed for high resolution audio, which means it can accurately reproduce frequencies from 20 Hz to 40 kHz. The problem is that only SBC and AAC bluetooth codecs are supported, neither of which can carry high resolution audio.

That would be a bit understandable if there wasn't a better Bluetooth codec. But there is and Sony invented it. LDAC is one of only two Bluetooth codecs recognized as high definition by the Japan Audio Society. However, for reasons known only to Sony, the RA5000's LDAC was not supported.

More than music?

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Comparing it to the Sonos Arc soundbar raises another consideration: for $ 700, can this $ 700 spatial audio speaker do anything other than let you listen to streaming music?

The answer: it depends. You can connect the RA5000 to a newer Sony Bravia TV via Bluetooth. According to Sony, a signal is delivered with very low latency, which means that the audio and video remain well synchronized. However, Bluetooth doesn't allow for multi-channel audio like 5.1 or 7.1, and it definitely lacks the bandwidth required for Dolby Atmos, which is a huge missed opportunity given the RA5000's upstream drivers.

The TV connection feels like an afterthought. It is not officially endorsed by any other TV brand. Since the RA5000 has neither an HDMI port nor an optical port, it is pretty clear that Sony would prefer to use this speaker primarily for listening to music.

Our opinion

The $ 700 Sony SRS-RA5000 is a bold experiment – an eye-catching design that aims to bring immersive live music sound to rooms of all sizes. However, this experiment is not entirely successful, making the RA5000 difficult to recommend.

Is there a better alternative?

For a lot less money the $ 200 Amazon Echo Studio uses a similar multidirectional driver setup to support 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA. Plus, it can be connected via WiFi to select Fire TV streaming devices for home theater sound, and it's a full-fledged smart speaker from Amazon Alexa. It can't match the overall clarity and depth of the RA5000, but it's pretty impressive for the price.

For a traditional wireless speaker that's $ 700 Denon Home 350 has many of the same features (other than spatial audio) and offers bigger, bolder, more powerful sound, as well as decent stereo separation.

How long it will take?

Sony builds high quality products and the SRS-RA5000 is no exception. Since there is no internal battery to worry about and an additional analog input is no longer available, it should function without any problems for many years as long as you take care not to damage it (e.g. by accidentally pulling the power cord).

Should you buy it?

No. With the SRS-RA5000's unique design, cumbersome placement requirements, and high price tag, only those who want to experiment deeply with Sony's 360 Reality Audio should take the plunge.

Editor's recommendations




09 Apr
Blog

30-Day Plank Challenge and It’s Benefits

Exercising your core strength is an important way to maintain fitness and overall wellbeing. Since we often neglect our core and strength training, a 30 day plank challenge can help you overcome the negatives. Yes, this type of workout is practical and ensures your fitness game will change forever.

If you're wondering if this is just another workout on the plank, don't worry. It contains a list of everyday exercises that are simple, effective and will bring you quick results for you. In summary, they are a complete solution to your fitness goals. So don't waste your time and get on your way!

What is the 30 Day Plank Challenge?

The 30 Day Plank Challenge is an exercise program for you that will help you build your body's core strength and endurance. It contains 30 different daily exercises that you can do that are extremely versatile and efficient. With each 12 day lapse, your potential to hold a plank increases by 2 minutes. The program is safe to perform and provides stunning results that will get you started training right away. Oh, and if you're not ready to go the extra mile for an activity this might be the trailblazer for you. There are also a number of benefits that you can learn about below.

What are the benefits of this plank challenge?

The plank challenge comes with surprising benefits that will blow you away with its results. Let's take a close look at them.

Improve stability

We often suffer from instability in the body that makes us weak and lazy. However, the active plank challenge that you must complete daily will help you build your stability in a precise manner. In this way, you can acquire a solid and stable core to carry out your daily functions unhindered.

Reduces back pain

Many people suffer from constant back pain due to weakened bones in the body. However, if you do these exercises daily, you can allow your muscles to exercise and build flawless strength. As a result, the back pain will go away in no time.

Promote endurance

Over time, we find that our physical endurance is decreasing. This could pose a potential threat to our health over time. However, if you do the Plank Challenge every day, you can get rid of this problem once and for all. It helps build incredible stamina in our body that can also help us break out of injury problems and constant body aches and pains.

Strengthens every core muscle

If you are having trouble strengthening every core muscle in the body, this exercise is all you need to try. The various plank challenges for 30 days in a row ensure that you build impeccable strength in no time.

What types of plank challenges to perform?

The plank challenges are full of different plank exercises that you need to do for 30 days in a row. No two activities are alike. So you can play a change every day without feeling monotonous. As a result, every day becomes a learning experience for you. Any plank workout is easy to do and ensures you are exposed to minimize injury. So you don't have to worry at all. Some of the primary day plank workouts may include forearm planks, high-side planks, and high-plank pats on the back. Over time, the plank exercises will increase in potential, which automatically improves the plank holding strength.

How do I complete the plank challenge?

1. Get into a plank position. Your arms should be fully extended for a tall plank. If the challenge is more improvised, you can try one on your forearms.

2. Make sure your palms and toes are on the floor and your back is neutral. At this point, your core should be tight.

3. Your body should be in a straight line at this point. Don't let your head hang down.

4. Hold the position for a while. Gradually, when you feel like your shape is dissolving, lower yourself to your knees.

5. Repeat the training.

frequently asked Questions

1. Is the plank training easy?

Yes. All 30-day plank workouts are straightforward to perform.

2. Do I need a personal trainer for this?

No. You do not need a personal trainer for this training. However, if you feel the need to do so, you can rent one.

08 Apr
Blog

Vizio V-Series 4K HDR TV Review (V655-H19)

VIZIO V-Series 65-inch 4K UHD LED HDR Smart TV

"Vizio's cheapest TV line leaves a lot to be desired."

  • Very low prices

  • Low entry delay for games

  • Minimal bloom

  • Chromecast, AirPlay 2

  • Bad screen uniformity

  • Overwhelming HDR brightness

The V series is the cheapest TV series from Vizio. The 65-inch model costs less than $ 500 and the 70-inch model costs significantly less than $ 700. That sounds very promising – but what quality can you expect at this price point, and is the V-Series competitive with options like TCL and Hisense?

Details on the Vizio V series

While we tested the 65-inch model V655-H19, our test also applies to the screen sizes available in the series.

Screen size Model no RRP
40 inches V405-H19 $ 229
43 in V435-H11 $ 279
50 inches V505-H19 $ 299
55 inches V555-H11 $ 389
58 inches V585-H11 $ 399
65 inches V655-H19 $ 469
70 inches V705-H13 $ 649
75 in V755-H4 $ 779

Out of the box

Streaming the Vizo V seriesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V-Series StandDan Baker / Digital Trends

Setup of the Vizo V seriesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Side view of the Vizo V seriesDan Baker / Digital Trends

As you'd expect from a TV in this price range, setup is pretty straightforward: screwing in the TV's plastic feet and removing any protective film is all that is required for a stand mount.

The TV itself looks … OK. The V-series bezels are a bit chunkier than we're used to, but that's not surprising in this base price range. In fact, "fundamental" is a word that appears frequently in this review.

Entrances

Vizo V-Series audio connectorsDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series HDMI connectorsDan Baker / Digital Trends

The back of the V-Series has composite video inputs, an antenna input, analog and optical audio outputs and an Ethernet connection. On the digital side (and also on the side of the device) there are three HDMI inputs and one USB input. Note that these HDMI ports are 2.0b and do not support most HDMI 2.1 functions. At first we didn't think this TV supported eARC as nothing was mentioned in the datasheet, but it turns out that an HDMI port supports eARC (more on that later) and is clearly labeled as such.

To install

Setup of the Vizo V seriesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Setting up the V-Series takes a while – around 10 minutes. Thankfully, it's mostly automated, so you can hit the road to have more coffee and just let the TV do its thing. After that, you will need to agree to some terms and conditions related to the Sponsored Content information that you see at the top of the SmartCast home screen. There you land at the end of the setup.

Picture settings

Vizo V series - living pictureDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series - calibrated picture modeDan Baker / Digital Trends

The V-Series is delivered with the image mode on Vivid, which we have switched to calibrated, as this initially gives us the most accurate image. In the Calibrated Image preset, the backlight setting is already set to 100, but most of the other options are set to 50 and can be adjusted to your liking. While the TV has local full array dimming, it is a fairly limited system with only 12 zones so certainly not very advanced. The background lighting is activated in the advanced picture settings. This indicates that the local dimming control is activated by default.

Motion smoothing

The only control available for motion smoothing is the movie mode – there is no other motion menu we could find. Granted, the V series is a basic TV, but it would be nice to have at least some control over the motion settings. It is possible that if you select a different image mode, such as Sports, the motion smoothing will automatically adjust to that content, but the lack of other controls left us wanting.

Audio

Vizo V Series Virtual X Surround SoundDan Baker / Digital Trends

As mentioned earlier, there is no external label on the back of the TV for eARC support. However, we noticed that there is an option to toggle eARC on or off in the Audio menu. We recommend an inexpensive soundbar for the V-Series as the built-in audio isn't very good.

It's also worth noting that the V-Series comes with DTS: Virtual X surround sound enabled, which we turned off as it seemed to give the sound a slurred quality.

picture quality

Vizo V series screenDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series screenDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series screenDan Baker / Digital Trends

After running multiple test patterns and switching between standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR), there didn't seem to be much difference between the two formats. The V series supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but the device is not bright enough to improve the picture quality. According to Vizio, the maximum screen is 400 nits.

As for the overall image quality, this isn't particularly special. Bright highlights tend to be a bit washed out, and the color seemed a bit aggressive too. This is forgivable on a budget option and the word "basic" applies again. However, if you're looking for a standout imaging experience, switching to the Vizio M-Series is better with around $ 220 more for the 65-inch model and a more modest upgrade of around $ 90 for the 55-inch model Choice.

We should also note that the screen had some vignetting in the corners and strange bright spots on the sides. Maybe this is an "onscreen lottery", maybe it's a quality control thing, or maybe it's a transit issue. If we had bought this TV we would surely be looking for an exchange if we decided to keep it.

Play

Person playing video game on Vizo V-Series TVDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series gamesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series gamesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizo V series gamesDan Baker / Digital Trends

Vizio touts the V-Series with a pro gaming engine, but it looks like the only real options are the game's low latency (which toggles the TV to the lowest input delay settings) and the game's HDR . And even though our Xbox Series X was automatically recognized, the picture mode was switched to light instead of game, which we had to select manually. You can also toggle the backlight control (the dimming function for the entire array), presumably to reduce the delay.

But when it comes to game features, that's all. Even with HDR games, the V series isn't bright enough for HDR games to make a noticeable difference.

Our opinion

When it comes down to it, the V-Series is designed to be ready to use right out of the box by people who just want a big screen and don't care about the specifics. The perfect use case would be to put it in the garage, man cave, or game room – somewhere where you just want a big screen for the occasional movie or game and something you don't have to worry about or think about. If you want lots of screen real estate at a low price – and that's it – the V-Series is well worth checking out.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, the Vizio M series would be a better buy for image quality. However, the V series manages to displace the comparable TCL 4 series.

How long it will take?

With Vizio's latest SmartCast system and televisions recording long-term performance, the V-Series should last for years.

guarantee

Vizio offers a one-year guarantee on its TV products. For more information, see the Vizio warranty page.

Should you buy it?

Except for those looking for the most screen for the least amount of money, no. Again, we recommend taking a look at the much more powerful Vizio M series.

Editor's recommendations




07 Apr
Blog

The 5 Benefits Of A Professional Lactic Acid Peel

Mention "face" and "peeling" in the same sentence and many of us conjure up images of Samantha's botched face on Sex and the City. Fortunately, not all peels give such aggressive results – and lactic acid peels are the gentlest. Kind of Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), lactic acid gently exfoliates the skin and gives even the dullest complexion a megawatt shine. When used by a licensed beautician, professional peels like them Eminence Organics Mangosteen Lactic Pro Peel 10% give even better results. Here are the five benefits of a professional lactic acid scrub at your favorite Eminence partner spa.

Mangosteen Lactic Pro Peel

Professional benefits of lactic acid peels

1. More active ingredients

While home peels contain 1-5% active ingredients, professional peels generally contain between 10% and 20%. What does this mean for your skin? An even greater concentration of the ingredients that are good for you in your favorite home skin care products. This doesn't mean it's time to say goodbye to home care. Using a home scrub twice a week is a great way to expand and enhance the benefits of a professional scrub.

While home peels contain 1-5% active ingredients, professional peels generally contain between 10% and 20%.

2. Faster cell turnover

Professional lactic acid peelings provide a high percentage of active ingredients to stimulate the renewal process of your skin. Lactic acid gently breaks down the glue that holds dead skin cells together and dissolves superficial surface buildup. Dermatologist Dr. David Bank tells Curls: "When this top layer is shed, signals are sent to the living cells below to multiply and move upwards, to increase collagen production, to produce more hyaluronic acid – to look younger."

3. Better product absorption

The shedding of surface cells and the uncovering of new cells has an important benefit to the rest of your skin care routine: your skin becomes more absorbent and more receptive to the following skin care products. Without dead skin cells blocking the way, the ingredients in the rest of your routine can penetrate deeper. The result: a straight one Better performance of your favorite Eminence Organics products.

4. Immediate results

Because of their effectiveness, professional scrubs are designed to provide maximum benefits in a short period of time. This means that you can expect your skin to look softer, smoother, and more radiant after your first visit to the spa. Reader's Digest recommends using a series of mild chemical peels every few weeks to keep your skin looking its best.

5. Minimal downtime

You can calm your fears of “Sex and the City”. Unlike more extreme chemical peels, professional lactic acid peels require little to no downtime. Eminence Organics Mangosteen Lactic Pro Peel 10% is self-neutralizing and non-irritating, which means you can safely head straight out of the spa for a special occasion (like Carrie Bradshaw's book launch).

Have you had a professional peel? We'd love to hear about your experiences. Let us know in the comments below and join the conversation social media.

07 Apr
Blog

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook Review: Business Laptops

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook

HP Elite c1030 13.5 "Chromebook

"The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook isn't cheap, but it has a lot of business acumen."

  • Great job

  • Excellent 3: 2 display

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Solid build quality and conservative appearance

  • Chrome OS Enterprise perpetual license included

  • Average battery life

  • Active pen is optional

  • Very expensive

Most people don't spend more than $ 1,000 on a Chromebook. There are way too many options for much less money that will make Chrome OS run like a dream. However, the growing Chromebook business has shown there is an interest in premium Chromebooks that have all of the manageability and security tools an IT department needs.

The new HP Elite C1030 Chromebook Enterprise fits right in with this new trend.

I had the chance to test a near-top-notch version of the Elite C1030 Chromebook that costs $ 1,529 for an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-10610U vPro CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe solid version. State Drive (SSD) and a 13.5-inch IPS display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and a WUXGA + resolution of 13.5 inches (1,920 x 1,280).

The price also includes a perpetual Chrome OS Enterprise license, which is typically $ 50 per year. That's a lot of money for a Chromebook – does the Elite C1030 deserve its high price?

design

First of all, this is a nice looking laptop. It follows HP's elite aesthetic that is modern yet conservative. Yes, the chassis is all silver, and that sometimes seems generic. But the way HP uses contrast, with matte silver on top and bottom and shiny silver on the sides, makes it special.

The lid is rounded at the edges and the case back has just enough angles – it just works. The Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook is another enterprise machine that has the iconic ThinkPad look and feel – all black with a soft coating – while the consumer-facing Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has a more angled look and darker gray that is also appealing. All of them are attractive options, but the HP Elite C1030 is one of my favorites.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook has smaller bezels than these two laptops and offers a 90% screen-to-body ratio that looks far more contemporary. The lower chin is actually relatively small for a 2-in-1 device that requires a complex hinge. Both HP and Acer use displays with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and are therefore larger than the old-school Lenovo with an aspect ratio of 16: 9.

Even so, the Elite C1030 Chromebook is smaller in width and height than the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook and Chromebook Spin 713 thanks to its smaller bezels, while still offering the larger palm rest and touchpad that laptops have in common with larger displays. The HP is 0.7 "thick and 2.87 pounds, compared to the 0.7" and 3.3 pounds of the Lenovo and the 0.66 "and 3.02 pounds of the Acer.

The Elite C1030 Chromebook is rock hard.

In terms of build quality, the Elite C1030 Chromebook is rock hard, at least as much as the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook, and it's tougher than the Chromebook Spin 713. The company's systems have been military-tested for durability, it shows – they're in a different class, virtually every premium laptop on the market today. The Elite C1030 Chromebook's hinge requires two hands to open, but holds the display in place in all four modes – clamshell, tent, presentation, and media.

HP also builds in some security features that are uncommon on Chromebooks these days. The first is the fingerprint scanner, which offers passwordless login and works just as well as any Windows 10 Hello fingerprint scanner. Second, this is the switch to turn the webcam on and off electronically, something HP borrowed from previous Specter computers (which have since switched to a physical webcam blocker).

Finally, HP offers the world's first (optional) privacy screen that blocks viewing from any angle but in a straight line. My test device didn't equip this display, but I've seen it on Windows 10 computers and it's impressive.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is solid, but not spectacular. On the left you will find a 3.5 mm audio jack, a USB-C 3.2 port and a Kensington lock port. On the right side there is another USB-C 3.2 port, a USB-A 3.2 port and a microSD reader. The wireless connection is provided via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

performance

My test device was built around a 10th generation Intel Core i7-10610U vPro CPU, which makes it a powerful Chrome OS laptop. This operating system is much lighter than Windows 10 or Mac, and a Core i7 of any stripe will work fine. When you add 16GB of RAM and a fast 256GB PCIe SSD, you have a recipe for a Chromebook that won't slow you down.

We don't have a lot of objective benchmarks to run on Chromebooks. So much of my analysis is subjective. The Elite C1030 Chromebook achieved 1,102 points in the Geekbench single-core test and 3,216 points in the multi-core test, which is far behind Windows 10 laptops, but ahead of the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 with its Core i5-10210U CPU (966 resp. 3,040). and the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook with AMD's Chrome OS-optimized Ryzen 5 3500C (907 and 2,739).

In the Tachometer 2.0 benchmark, which measures the responsiveness of web applications, the HP achieved 114 compared to the Lenovo with 86 and the Acer with 101.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Subjectively, I just want to say that you have to work really hard to slow down the Elite C1030 Chromebook. I opened Scads from Chrome tabs and ran several Android apps in the background. I couldn't shake the thing. I doubt you'll have performance issues no matter what you throw at the machine.

I could even play a little. The 10th generation CPU is limited to Intel's older UHD graphics, but it can still handle games like Asphalt 9: Legacy without delay or hesitation. You should be able to play a few light games on the Elite C1030 Chromebook to get all of your work done.

display

The Elite C1030 Chromebook has a 13.5-inch WUXGA + display (1,920 x 1,280) with a productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio. I can't test it with my colorimeter. This is simply not supported in Chrome OS. However, I found the display to be sufficiently bright in all lighting conditions I tested (HP promises 400 nits of brightness), except outside in bright sunlight – which is to be expected. Colors popped without looking oversaturated, but I can't confirm accuracy without my colorimeter.

When I look at pictures next to the Dell XPS 13, which has good colors but not great, I couldn't see any difference. Finally, the contrast appeared to be sufficient, with black text showing off nicely on a white background and images looking like they had sufficient depth.

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook ScreenMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 benefited from a higher sharpness of 2,256 x 1,504 on its 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. I would have appreciated this on the HP, but I can't say I noticed any noticeable graininess on the Elite C1030 Chromebook. I liked the display more than the 16: 9 panel on the Lenovo Thinkpad C13 Yoga Chromebook, which felt tight to me.

Most users will love this display especially when they see more vertical information thanks to the higher aspect ratio. Media consumption was fine, as was the productivity work, and I have no real complaints.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP makes great keyboards that you can find on the Specter and Elite models. The Elite C1030 Chromebook is no different. It has an island keyboard with silver caps with legible gray font, lots of spacing, and a very sharp mechanism that doesn't require a lot of pressure to snap into place, yet still has a satisfactory ground effect to work with, knowing you pressed a key.

It's as good as a keyboard that you can find on any Windows 10 laptop. It's better than the Chromebook average – including the two I highlighted in this review – and it can rival the Magic keyboard on Apple's latest MacBooks. There are the usual five levels of backlit Chrome OS brightness that let you fine-tune how much light your keyboard emits.

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook KeyboardMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook KeyboardMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook TrackpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The touchpad is larger than usual thanks to the additional space on the larger display and works very well. It's fluid and precise, and does a great job with the suite of Chrome OS multitouch gestures. The touch display is also responsive and supports an optional HP Active Pen for those who want to write ink on their Chromebook.

Battery life

The Elite C1030 Chromebook has a 50 watt hour battery with a reasonable resolution and a fast CPU. I wasn't entirely sure what battery life to expect.

As it turned out, the HP fell in between the other two Chromebooks I mentioned in this review. Our web browser test, which ran through a number of popular websites, got 8.5 hours compared to the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (11 hours) and the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook (7.25 hours). In our video tests with a Full HD Avengers trailer, the Elite C1030 Chromebook achieved 10.5 hours, compared to 10 hours for the Acer and only about 7.5 hours for the Lenovo. These would be mediocre results compared to the universe of Windows 10 laptops, but they are average for the recently reviewed Chromebooks.

You probably get a full day of work with the Elite C1030 Chromebook, but not much more.

Chrome OS Enterprise

As mentioned in the introduction, with this configuration of the Elite C1030 Chromebook, HP has included a perpetual license for Google Chrome OS Enterprise, which typically costs $ 50 per year. That means you get the business-centric controls and plug-ins that will improve security and remote management forever.

Your organization can manage the Google Play Store to regulate which apps are installed, and support for the Google Chrome browser extension is also controlled by the company. Other features include single sign-on, Microsoft Active Directory support, and 24/7 business support beyond what you normally get from Google.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP also talks a little about Parallels Desktop for HP Chrome Enterprise, a virtual machine solution that enables a company to add Windows 10 emulation to its fleet of Elite C1030 Chromebooks with minimal effort. The solution is easy to manage and offers advanced features for HP enterprise customers. It's not included with the laptop, but it's an interesting option nonetheless.

Our opinion

The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook is aimed at corporate customers. It's fast, and has the best security features you'll find on a Chromebook, plus the option of a Chrome OS Enterprise perpetual license. All of these add up to a good corporate laptop. The purchase price is also aimed at companies that have a strong need for security and manageability.

You can just as easily get a Chromebook for half the money in terms of hardware and performance. However, you don't get a laptop that fits seamlessly into a company's fleet of machines.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo C13 Yoga Chromebook offers the same support for Chrome OS Enterprise as the HP, without the same level of security. It's also roughly the same price as a similarly configured AMD Ryzen 7 3700C CPU with 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.

I didn't mention it in this review, but the Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook is a comparable corporate computer that's a few hundred dollars cheaper and costs $ 1,279 for a computer with the same specs as our Elite C1030 Chromebook review unit. with the exception of the 14-inch display from Dell). You get similar build quality and performance, but none of the advanced security features.

If you don't need the Chrome OS Enterprise features, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a great choice. It's also pretty quick and well built, and costs about half the money for a similar configuration.

How long it will take?

The Elite C1030 Chromebook is very well built and equipped to keep Chrome OS running for years. You will also appreciate the three-year warranty that comes with our test device.

Should you buy it?

If you're a corporate customer looking for a secure and manageable Chromebook, the Elite C1030 Chromebook should be on your shortlist. Otherwise, you'll want to save your money and use a consumer Chromebook instead.

Editor's recommendations




07 Apr
Blog

2021 Kia K5 2.5 GT Review: Midsize Sedan Rethink

2021 kia k5 rating front three quarters

2021 Kia K5 2.5 GT review: a new era

"The 2021 Kia K5 focuses on style and sportiness without sacrificing practicality."

  • Attractive styling

  • Powerful engine

  • Nimble chassis

  • Intuitive technology

  • Low standard driver assistant technology

Kia spent two decades transforming the Optima midsize sedan from a joke into a truly desirable car – all so it could rename itself and start over.

The 2021 Kia K5 is the replacement for the Kia Optima. While the name is a sterile alphanumeric combination that car buyers are more likely to associate with a Chevy SUV than anything bearing the Kia badge, the K5 looks pretty good on paper. The last Optima was a good looking car, but Kia chose even more this time around while adding a bigger touchscreen, more driver assistance technology, optional all-wheel drive, and a sporty GT model.

Kia has to pull out all the stops if it is to grab buyers' attention. The K5 has many competitors including the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Mazda 6, Subaru Legacy, and Volkswagen Passat, as well as its sibling – the Hyundai Sonata.

Prices for the 2021 Kia K5 start at $ 24,555 (all prices include a mandatory target fee of $ 965) but only buy an entry-level LX. Our test car was the K5 GT with a more powerful engine and a sporty chassis. The GT starts at $ 31,555, but our test car also had the optional GT1 package, which includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen, Bose premium audio system, and adaptive cruise control, among other things. That brought the MSRP to $ 35,705.

Design and interior

The K5 shares a base platform with the Hyundai Sonata, but the designers made a good distinction between the two. Where the Hyundai has sleek lines that look like it's floating in the street, the K5 is slightly more muscular, with a bulging hood and a front bumper that protrudes forward like the chin of a 1940s cartoon character. This is in line with the personality of both sedans. The Hyundai is a laid-back cruiser, while the K5 is said to be sportier.

However, the main differentiator of the K5 is the lighting. On the front you get straightforward LED daytime running lights, which Kia calls "heartbeat", as well as a horizontal light blade on the back. While the overall shape of the K5 is very slim and attractive, many other sedans these days have a similar shape. The styling is subjective, but the lighting design makes the K5 a lot more distinctive.

Sleek design usually costs the interior, but that's not the case with this Kia. The K5 has more headroom and front legroom than other midsize sedans and just 0.2 cubic feet less rear headroom than the class-leading Toyota Camry. The rear legroom is a bit below average, however.

The styling is subjective, but the lighting design makes the K5 a lot more distinctive.

At 16 cubic feet, the trunk space is above average, but behind the 16.7 cubic feet of the class-leading Honda Accord. The K5's Hyundai Sonata sibling also offers a little more cargo space at 16.3 cubic feet. Kia also offers a 60/40 folding rear seat for longer items, but this feature is not available in the basic K5 LX.

The interior design was clean and functional, although the slope of the roof somewhat obscured the rear view. Our K5 GT test car had special features such as heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a driver storage system for the seat and mirrors, and a panoramic sliding roof, which proves that Kia still takes its reputation as a token seriously. The materials didn't feel very high quality (Kia only offers faux leather instead of real leather upholstery) but were acceptable given the price of the car. However, Kia used a lot of shiny plastic that created an annoying sheen on sunny days.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The standard infotainment system includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen. However, as an upgrade, you get a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Oddly enough, Kia only offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the smaller screen. While you still need to connect to use CarPlay and Android Auto on the bigger screen, it adds natural language speech recognition and Bluetooth with multiple connections.

Our test car had the optional 10.25-inch screen with cool-looking graphics, including old-fashioned tubes for radio stations. We appreciated the keyboard shortcuts for various menus, but the buttons on the right side of the screen were a bit difficult to reach from the driver's seat. The speech recognition system, which recognizes simple sentences like "turn on the air conditioning", had no obvious comprehension problems, but it was a little slow to respond.

It is also possible to charge cell phones. The unusual design involves placing the phone in a vertical slot. That seems like a smart way to save space, but Kia still left a phone-sized room – uncharged – in front of the gear stick.

The larger optional touchscreen contained cool-looking graphics, including old-fashioned radio tubes for radio stations.

A Bose audio system with 12 speakers, subwoofer and external amplifier is also available. When you're tired of listening to music, the Kia also offers "nature sounds" including "lively forest", "calm ocean waves", "rainy day", "warm fireplace" and "open air cafe" in one machine with the K5 white noise on wheels.

The standard driver assistance technology under the Kia Drive Wise banner includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, a monitor for the driver's attention and automatic lane centering for the lane following assistant. Optional functions include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alarm, automatic reverse braking and adaptive cruise control. The latter can use the navigation system to preventively reduce the speed for motorway curves or changes to the speed limit.

On the freeway, adaptive cruise control accelerated and braked smoothly, even though we didn't get a chance to test the automatic speed limit setting. The system also has a stop-and-go function, which is useful in heavy traffic. It's worth noting, however, that several competitors – including the Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy, and Toyota Camry – offer adaptive cruise control as standard, but without some of the features of the Kia system. We also found that Kia's lane tracking assistant is less competent than the lane-centering feature of Subaru's EyeSight system – which isn't exactly perfect either.

Experience at the wheel

The standard powertrain is a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that produces 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The engine is coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission with front-wheel drive as standard or optional all-wheel drive. These are respectable specs for an entry-level powertrain in a midsize sedan, and the availability of all-wheel drive is a benefit for new car buyers in colder climates. Note that you can also get all-wheel drive on the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. This is standard with the Subaru Legacy.

Kia K5 GT models like our test car get a 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder with 290 hp and 311 lb-ft and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for faster gear changes. The GT is only available with front-wheel drive, but Kia claims it will do zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. For a mainstream sedan, that's pretty quick.

Most midsize sedans will make you look like an adult. This one makes you look like a hooligan.

However, Kia packed more than just strength. The GT receives a model-specific chassis for better handling and 19-inch wheels with non-slip Pirelli P-Zero tires. Despite these tires, the GT was strong enough to spin its wheels on command. The "Sport +" driving mode also deactivates the traction control and lets the engine stay at its boiling point without shifting up. This is not the behavior you would normally expect from a car like this. Most midsize sedans will make you look like an adult. This one makes you look like a hooligan.

However, things are not going to get completely out of hand. The K5 is more than just a theater; It has the necessary steps to show its bravery. Many modern cars feel like they're breaking the laws of physics when cornering, but the K5 felt light and eager, as if it actually wanted to move. The excellent chassis tuning was disappointed by numb steering, but the K5 is far from the only sporty car with this problem. The ride was a bit tough too, but reasonable given the handling of this chassis.

Fuel economy and safety

The most fuel-efficient model of the 2021 Kia K5 is the base 1.6-liter, front-wheel drive LX that together achieves 32 mpg (29 mpg city, 38 mpg highway) fuel economy. Other models with the 1.6 liter engine get 31 mpg combined (27 mpg city, 37 mpg highway) with front-wheel drive and 29 mpg combined (26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive. The 2.5-liter GT has an overall output of 27 mpg (24 mpg city, 32 mpg highway), and we hit 26.4 mpg according to the car's on-board computer.

The fuel economy figures are respectable for a midsize sedan, but it's worth noting that the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota Camry are all available with more efficient hybrids. Kia previously offered an Optima Hybrid but has not discussed any plans for a Hybrid K5.

The K5 received the “Top Safety Pick +” rating from the Insurance Institute for Road Safety (IIHS) with the top rating “Good” in all crash tests and the top rating “Superior” for the technology used to prevent frontal crashes. The headlight values, however, ranged from “good” to “bad” depending on the equipment variant.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2021 K5 a five-star overall safety rating with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests and five stars in side crash tests.

Kia offers a 10 year powertrain warranty of 100,000 miles and a five year limited warranty of 60,000 miles. These remain the longest warranty terms in the business. They're unmatched by rivals, except of course the Hyundai Sonata from Kia's sibling brand.

How DT would configure this car

The driving experience is really what sets the K5 apart from other midsize sedans. That's why we'd opt for a GT model like our test car. While the GT is a huge step up from the base spec on the LX, it is still great value for money considering how much gear you get, including a 290 horsepower engine, a well-tuned chassis, and loads of comfort.

However, Kia poses a dilemma for tech-savvy buyers. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are only available with the smaller 8.0-inch touchscreen, while the optional 10.25-inch touchscreen offers multi-phone Bluetooth pairing and natural language speech recognition. So buyers have to decide which features they think are more important.

We couldn't test the smaller screen, but given that the bigger screen is bundled with a $ 4,100 option pack, we'd think long and hard about skipping it and saving a large chunk of the changes. While we liked the voice recognition system, ditching cables seems like a bigger comfort boost.

Our opinion

The 2021 Kia K5 is built on the solid foundation of the Optima and offers an extra dose of style and performance. It's a well-executed midsize sedan, but it faces stiff competition too.

The Honda Accord, Mazda 6, and even the once boring Toyota Camry all offer satisfying driving experiences, while the Subaru Legacy has more standard driver assistance technology and a larger touchscreen available than the Kia, as well as standard all-wheel drive. However, Kia continues to boast a longer warranty and impressive value. Even when an option package was tackled, our K5 GT test car was less than $ 40,000.

It's also about the Kia's sibling – the Hyundai Sonata. The Hyundai has technologies not available on the Kia, including automatic parking with Remote Smart Parking Assist, a digital key feature that allows you to use a smartphone as a key, and a hybrid powertrain. The Sonata isn't as fun to drive as the Kia, however. Hyundai may have a Sonata N-Line performance model, but a prototype drive from 2019 did not challenge us.

Should you get one

Yes. The K5 proves that ordinary, practical cars can be fun too.

Editor's recommendations




«‹155156157158159›»