When you take your gaming seriously, performance matters and seeing and hearing everything with pinpoint precision can prove decisive. When you compete at this level, you need a gaming headset that’s just as focused on your needs: Introducing the new GSP 600 from audio specialist Sennheiser.
Building on the success of the GAME ZERO, acclaimed as the ultimate closed gaming headset, the new GSP 600 improves on its predecessor with even better audio performance, improved microphone performance, as well as increased comfort and durability. No matter how long the gaming session and no matter how intense the action gets, the GSP 600 lets you keep cool and in control. It features a range of ergonomic enhancements that include an all-new ear pad design, an innovative adjustable headband to customise contact pressure, new materials and an advanced hinge system for a better fit.
The new GSP 600 delivers a truly excellent sound performance that shatters expectations of what a gaming headset can do: It features a new and improved speaker system designed and manufactured by Sennheiser, with improved aluminum voice coil speakers that ensure an exceptional audio experience with an increased sub-bass range that powerfully adds impact to games and movies. This warm deep bass never overpowers the well-controlled mid-range and finely detailed high frequencies, for incredible fidelity and realism that lets you hear every detail and react faster.
The new Sennheiser GSP 600 comes with an improved speaker system, new ear pad design and an innovative adjustable headband
With its advanced, broadcast quality microphone, the GSP 600 provides high-end noise cancellation that ensures crystal clear gaming communication. Controlling game audio is fast and intuitive: The mic can be quickly muted by lifting the boom arm, while a volume control wheel integrated into the ear cup offers brilliant convenience.
The GSP 600 mic can be quickly muted by lifting the boom arm.
Level up your comfort
Featuring a new, more ergonomically shaped and ultra-deep memory foam pad design, the GSP 600 mirrors the contours of the ear for improved noise insulation and wearing comfort. This new design shields the user more effectively from external noise and prevents sound from escaping between the ear pad and the face to preserve the intensity of bass frequencies. The ear pads also help you keep your cool with a luxurious combination of materials for both style and comfort: While leatherette is used around the edges of the ear pad, a cooler feeling suede-like material is used around the ear that won’t stick to the skin – even in the heat of the action.
The GSP 600 also introduces an advanced solid metal hinge system that gives even more freedom of movement and also increases the durability for which Sennheiser products are renowned. This innovative mechanism improves the fit by catering to a wider range of face shapes – pivoting smoothly to conform just as well to narrow or broad jawlines. To adapt to different head sizes, Sennheiser has introduced an innovative Adjustable Contact Pressure feature to the headband that can be customized according to each user’s preference to ensure the headset feels perfectly snug and secure without ever feeling too tight.
The GSP 600 comes with an innovative adjustable contact pressure feature
to the headband for the perfect fit on different head sizes.
“In the creation of the GSP 600, we took our very best closed gaming headset and made it even better,” explained Andreas Jessen, Head of Product Management Gaming, Sennheiser Communications A/S. “The GAME ZERO broke new ground by building a high quality audio headset that was created entirely around the needs of gamers. With its successor, the GSP 600, we have stayed true to this ethos with a headset that even more perfectly matches the needs of each individual gamer – with an exceptionally comfortable fit that can be tailored to each person, so they can truly become one with the game.”
The GSP 600 also introduces an advanced solid metal hinge system that gives even more freedom of movement and also increases the durability.
The GSP 600 is multi-platform compatible for gaming with PC, Mac as well as consoles featuring a 3.5mm jack input. Use with lower-powered mobile devices is improved thanks to reduced impedance acoustic system that makes it easier to game on the go.
The GSP 600 is available from the end of January 2018 at the recommended retail price of 249.00€, 249.95$ UK pricing tbc. Like all of Sennheiser products, the GSP 600 is built to last and comes with a two-year worldwide warranty.
THQ Nordic is starting off 2018 by announcing de Blob 2 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The console version of the game will be out on February 27.
Comrade Black is back and so is his war on Color. There will be no stopping him or his brainwashing new cult from taking over Prisma City-that is, until de Blob comes back to re-ignite colour revolution!
de Blob 2 is a platformer which utilizes unique painting functionality as the main game mechanic along with classic platforming actions and low gravity space. Set a few years after the events of the first de Blob game, action in de Blob 2 revolves around another attempt to wipe all colourful individuality from Prisma City and its residents. It’s up to the player to join the Color Underground and bring colour back to the world. Features include multiplayer support, 12 new single-player levels, new power-ups and epic boss battles.
To Celebrating the release of DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ, Bandai Namco Entertainment UK are hosting an event for the public at Stamford Bridge Stadium on 26th January, 2018.
Take a trip down memory lane, as gaming fans are welcome to play some of the most popular Dragon Ball Z video games on retro consoles such as; Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 to Dragon Ball Z Super Butoden plus loads more! Visitors can also get a taste for the latest installment in the Dragon Ball Z series with DRAGON BALL FighterZ available to play.
Fighting fans can also compete during the event as tournaments will be taking place for DRAGON BALL FighterZ. Players also have the chance to practice their skills during the Open Beta next week on 14th and 15th January (times below).
IMAX has officially kicked off the countdown to the February 13th release of Marvel’s Black Panther, with the announcement that select scenes from the film will be specially formatted in IMAX!
This means that Director Ryan Coogler designed several sequences of the movie to fill more of the screen at an expanded IMAX 1.9:1 aspect ratio, providing fans with 26% more of the image in IMAX than standard theatres.
For me Black Panther is the film I’ve been waiting for a long time, I can’t wait.
The Station, a first-person sci-fi mystery, launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux on 20th Feb, 2018.
The development team is led by AAA veterans who worked on projects including BioShock Infinite, League of Legends, Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning and others.
Developed by a team of AAA veterans, including Dave Fracchia, former Studio Head at Activision subsidiary Radical Entertainment, the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning designer Les Nelkin, and BioShock Infinite and League of Legends composer Duncan Watt, The Station will take players across the universe and aboard a spacecraft orbiting a vicious alien world.
In the distant future the Espial Space Station, the most advanced spacecraft to explore beyond our atmosphere, monitors the alien planet of Psy-Prime. A small research crew of our best and brightest study the locals and evaluate the prospect of cohabitation. Soon after learning the intelligent natives are embroiled in perpetual savage war, Espial’s cloaking and communication arrays suddenly go offline and never return.
Players are dispatched to investigate the mysterious circumstances. Upon arrival, much of Espial is without power and the crew have mysteriously vanished.
Only by using intuitive problem solving to restore function to the ship’s core systems and keen observation of the digital logs of the missing team, all while dealing with the constant tension of whatever happened aboard The Espial reoccurring, can the player unravel the mystery behind the crew’s sudden disappearance?
Navigating the sleek facility presents a “Progressive Sci-Fi” style evoking an optimistic view of space exploration, while the contemporary ambient soundtrack elicits isolating and unnerving emotions. With The Station, the development team strives to provide the new benchmark for atmospheric narratives.
“Our goal is to challenge what people expect from atmospheric mysteries,” said Dave Fracchia, Executive Producer, The Station. “By abandoning player-driven dialogue we are able to replicate the emptiness and loneliness of space, while still enthralling with a pressure-packed mystery.”
The Station will release in English and retail for $14.99 / £14.99.
Honor today announced, on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), that the AI-powered Honor View10 will go on sale in overseas markets from today (January 8th, 2018) and released a limited edition Honor 7X Red.
In 2017, Honor was the number one smartphone e-brand in China by sales, and its sales grew significantly on Black Friday in the United States and Europe.
“As a leading e-brand, Honor aims to become the most loved smartphone brand for people young and the young at heart,” said Mr. George Zhao, President of Honor. “With a unique Internet-powered business model, unrivalled product and unbeatable value, we are taking our successful business model from China to the global market. Our aim is to become a top-five smartphone brand by 2020.”
As part of the strategy to bring a better experience to users, Honor works with partners such as Microsoft, Monster and Snapchat to optimize applications and services for its smartphones.
Honor View10: Revolutionary AI and ultimate performance appeal to consumers worldwide
As part of a drive to make AI technology accessible to consumers worldwide, Honor is among the first to power a smartphone with a Neural-Network Processing Unit (NPU) to deliver AI features and performance that far surpasses any CPU/GPU powered architecture. Integrating with the dedicated NPU, Kirin 970 chipset enables Honor View10 to deliver up to 25 times better performance and 50 times greater efficiency.
For the Honor View10, Honor worked closely with Microsoft to optimize Microsoft Translator. The AI Accelerated Translator software in Honor View10 delivers instantaneous translation without the need for an internet connection. The new Kirin 970’s powerful NPU makes the translation 500 percent faster than other smartphones running the same app.
Mr. Xuedong Huang, Microsoft Technical Fellow in AI and Research said, “Microsoft is thrilled to be collaborating with Honor to bring the benefits of AI, through Microsoft Translator, to more users through the Honor View10. Together, we will continue to work towards building a more integrated and connected world.”
During China’s “Double 12” Shopping Festival after its launch in China for a week, the Honor View10 became the top-selling smartphone product priced over RMB 3,000 (US$ 460). Consumers in India and Western Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain) can purchase Honor View10 starting from January 8th online. The new smartphone will also be available in Malaysia and Russia later this month.
As the first smartphone to feature the Honor FullView Display, the Honor 7X 18:9 screen delivers an impressive visual experience, especially to the gamers in the midst of the action. The smartphone also doubles the efficiency and fun with its Screen Split function. The dual-lens 16MP + 2MP rear camera with a large aperture (F/0.95 – F/16) and Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) ensures professional photo quality and a professional shooting experience. Users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and India have given the Honor 7X a 4.2+ star review on Amazon.com since its global launch in London on December 5th, 2017.
In addition to black, blue and gold phones, a new limited edition Honor 7X Red of 20,000 units will be available for Valentine’s Day in the United States, Russia, India and Western Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain). Honor 7X Red can be ordered soon at the Honor online store.
Honor is partnering with Monster, one of the world’s largest headphone manufacturers, to give the first 100 purchasers of Honor 7X Red in each country/region the red co-branded Honor-Monster AM15 headphones as a special gift.
In addition, from this year, Honor is bringing the partnership with Monster to a new strategic level. More details will be announced later.
A New Generation of smart scooter that has promised to transform the lives of mobility users has been launched Yesterday (Sunday 7th Jan)at CES Unveiled in Las Vegas, USA. For this is a brilliant idea as my wife who’s disabled but has a scooter thats so big and heavy.
RELYNC is the world’s first smart folding mobility scooter, and is designed to revolutionise the lives of users, to provide the most portable, stylish, smart and portable travel experience available to those with mobility needs.
Its market-disrupting features and cutting edge, elegant design have led to RELYNC becoming one of the first products to have ever been recognised by the CES Innovation Awards in the new Smart Cities category, which has been introduced for 2018.
Its light frame is more portable and thinner than all existing mobility scooters – many of which are bulky and unpractical – to make travelling simpler, easier and more elegant.
It can be simply folded and packed away into a portable, self-contained suitcase in two simple steps and a matter of seconds – faster than any other mobility scooter on the market.
The smartphone-compatible scooter boasts a number of cutting-edge engineering and smart features – including an inbuilt dashboard LED light navigation system which means the user can focus on the road rather than consulting a phone or satnav, and automatic speed adaptation via a GYRO sensor and speed algorithms, to automatically reduce speed if safe limits are exceeded on bends or hills and prevent accidents.
RELYNC can also be locked, located and tracked in real time via a smartphone app using GPRS and GPS, and boasts intelligent alarm and tamper functionality, which alerts both passers-by and the user themselves if it is disturbed or moved.
The scooter also features a USB port, to allow users to charge other devices on the go.
Julien Gueuning, industrial designer at RELYNC, commented: “More than 8.2 million people relying on mobility devices across the UK, Europe and the USA – but most mobility scooters available are too bulky, unpractical, get stuck on turns and rough surfaces and are not at all aesthetically pleasing. This prevents many people will mobility issues – both those who are disabled and those who are less fit and require assistance in order to comfortably get around – from choosing a mobility scooter.
“Although many mobility scooter users are physically fit, the traditional designs can lead to perceptions that the user is weak and helpless. And often they can detract from the users’ sense of style, and therefore their confidence. When we developed RELYNC, bringing together form and function was one of our goals, because we believe that mobility doesn’t simply have to be practical; it can be beautiful and fashionable as well. RELYNC is more futuristic and innovative than any product like this has ever been. It is designed to be stylish, eye-catching and aspirational, to make it more of a lifestyle choice than a purely functional product – much like a luxury car.”
The elegant, futuristic design aims to provide owners with pride in their mode of transport and add style to what has traditionally been a purely functional item.
It is also this sleek, modern design – in part inspired by the unique race cars of the 1960s – which sets it apart from the existing products on the market, which are often industrial and traditional, with minimal aesthetic appeal.
Gueuning continues: “We are launching a personal transport revolution, to give power and confidence back to the user, so that they’re able to go anywhere, free of limitations, and enjoy a fun and safe travel experience. Mobility needs should never be a hindrance to enjoying life to its fullest, and mobility scooters are a mature market that is in need of disruption. RELYNC is designed to be smaller, thinner, more comfortable, easier to fold and more portable than all other folding scooters and mobility scooters.”
At CES 2018, Sennheiser will offer the first look at a prototype of a 3D Soundbar, the latest development in the audio specialist’s AMBEO 3D audio program. The ability to experience AMBEO at home is a further milestone for Sennheiser’s 3D immersive audio technology, which can be explored and experienced firsthand at CES. At the trade show, the audio specialist will once again redefine the limits of audiophile sound with the introduction of the closed-back HD 820 headphones. Additionally, Sennheiser is expanding its range of wireless headphones with the launch of the new CX 6.00BT, enhancing everyday listening on the move.
“There is nowhere better to demonstrate our commitment to shaping the future of audio than at CES, where so many technologies and innovations are first introduced to the world,” said Pete Ogley, Chief Operating Officer Consumer Electronics Division at Sennheiser. “From exciting developments in our AMBEO 3D audio program to a game changer in audiophile listening and our latest wireless headphones, CES is the perfect place for us to share our vision.”
Experience AMBEO – The Future of Audio
Visitors to CES 2018 can discover first-hand the unique listening experience provided by Sennheiser’s breath-taking AMBEO 3D immersive audio technology. The audio specialist will be showcasing the current range of AMBEO solutions including the AMBEO SMART HEADSET. This compact headset for immersive 3D audio recording lets consumers capture and listen to binaural audio recordings on their smartphones with unprecedented simplicity.
Sennheiser’s AMBEO SMART HEADSET lets consumers capture and listen to binaural audio recordings on their smartphones with unprecedented simplicity.
Most excitingly, Sennheiser will offer a very first look at the prototype of a product that will place the AMBEO experience right into your living room. The forthcoming AMBEO 3D Soundbar creates an incredibly immersive sound experience and a true as-if-there feeling without any additional components such as an external subwoofer.
HD 820: The game changer for closed-back audiophile headphones
At CES 2018, Sennheiser will once again redefine the limits of audiophile sound with the introduction of the HD 820. The closed-back dynamic stereo headphones deliver astonishingly transparent sound, thanks to a unique glass transducer cover that minimises resonances. This innovation ensures an incredibly realistic and natural sound field.
Sennheiser’s closed-back HD 820 headphones deliver astonishingly transparent sound.
While audiophile headphones usually require an open-back design, the HD 820 changes the game by delivering exceptional, audiophile sound while insulating the listener from ambient noise.
Introducing the CX 6.00BT
Sennheiser’s new CX 6.00BT has been created to deliver everything you need to enjoy brilliant sound on the go. The new in-ear wireless model features ear-canal earbuds joined by a cable around the neck – a lightweight design that is compact yet robust and provides superior fit and comfort.
The new in-ear wireless model CX 6.00BT has been created to deliver everything you need to enjoy brilliant sound on the go.
The CX 6.00BT delivers clear, detailed sound with an enhanced bass response with advanced wireless technology that includes Bluetooth 4.2 and Qualcomm apt-X. Support for apt-X Low Latency enhances gaming or video viewing by keeping visuals and sound in perfect sync.
Euro Fishing is giving you the ticket to escape with Waldsee, which takes anglers deep into Germany’s thick forests. Out tomorrow (9th Jan) for Xbox One and PS4 and PC.
Waldsee, which means ‘forest lake’ in German, lives up to its name as it transports Euro Fishing players to a hidden hideaway surrounded by dense woodland and sun-kissed rocks. In fact, Waldsee is such a well-kept secret that even its exact stock of fish remains a mystery. You’ll get to explore these uncharted waters for yourself, with all sorts of surprises awaiting skilled anglers. Early visitors have fished carp up to 62lbs and catfish up to 68lbs. Can you break those records?
“Waldsee will offer a brand-new experience for Euro Fishing fans,” said Mark Greenway, Fishing Business Director at Dovetail Games, “It has amazing fish and scenic views while also remaining a secret to the fishing community at large. It’s the type of fishing spot that’s harder and harder to find nowadays and we wanted to somewhere that takes you away from the real world, giving you an intimate and personal environment where you can fish at your own pace.”
Waldsee is the fourth DLC release for Euro Fishing, following Foundry Dock, Manor Farm and L’ac Dor. Waldsee has over 600 fish stocked in its lake and 20 new boss fish to catch, with 10 new trophies on offer for skilled fishermen.
“Breath-taking audio from a single box integrated amplifier. Compact, yet boasting an incredible audio specification. Send Bluetooth from your phone, directly connect a record player, or plug in Google’s Chromecast audio for CD quality streamed music. It also has sound for pound, one of the best headphone amplifiers money can buy. ONE is the standard by which others are measured.”
We gave the Cyrus One, along with it’s current three month free trial to TIDAL our Gold Award in our review – it’s that good!
How to enter to win
We have the Cyrus One Stereo Amplifier along with a pair of speakers from Wharfdale for a prize package worth £1000! to give away!
With the magical release of the Trolls Christmas Special recently, featuring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, Hasbro have released the Trolls POD’ular Tree playset and the Hair in the Air Poppy doll.
DreamWorks Trolls Hair in the Air Poppy
Put your hair in the air and light up the party! DreamWorks Trolls Poppy is the heroic leader, lifting the spirits of everyone around her with positivity and the belief that, with a song in your heart, you can do anything! Get her ready for the big celebration and delight in the light from her hair with the DreamWorks Trolls Hair in the Air Poppy doll. Press her gown’s button to see her light up with sound effects. Then, brush Poppy’s hair with the included comb to set off the twinkling lights in the pattern of the brushing. Her soft, pink hair is 14 inches long and bendable, so kids can twist, bend, and create lots of hairstyles. Complete her look with her tiara headband to crown her as queen!
Includes doll, headband, and comb.
• Bend the doll’s plush hair into different styles
• Her signature pink hair is 14-inches long
• Style and brush her hair to activate lights and sounds
• Unlock a song with special styling pattern
DreamWorks Trolls Hair in the Air Poppy is available now priced around £34.99.
DreamWorks Trolls POD’ular Troll Tree
Welcome to the vibrant town of the DreamWorks Trolls, where a song can lift anyone up, and it’s encouraged to let your true colors shine! Kids can build and explore their own version of this magical village with the DreamWorks Trolls POD’ular Troll Tree! It’s over 16 inches tall for tons of trolltastic fun. Customize the tree’s look by rearranging the movable pods. There are 4 different hanging pods, including 1 with a lounge area for the DreamWorks Trolls Poppy figure. Send Poppy and her friends (additional figures sold separately) zooming from the top to bottom by clipping their hair to the zipline. That’s not the only way down — the tree also has a slide for getting down in a hurry. Pretend the Bergens are near – kids can help Trolls seek refuge in the tree’s hiding places. With so many ways to play, it’s a hair raising good time!
Includes playset, figure, 4 pods, 3 mushrooms, bug clip, zip line, tiara, and instructions and is aimed at kids aged 4 and up.
DreamWorks Trolls POD’ular Troll Tree is available now priced around £39.99.
The Honor View 10 (£449.99) which is available to pre-order and starting to ship today (5th January 2018), the Honor View 10 uses a Kirin 970 octa-core processor that also includes an NPU, Neural Processing Unit.
This NPU handles the AI (Artificial Intelligence). And this AI is what makes the View 10 the most advanced handset of 2018 (for now), this is just the beginning of what smartphones will do in the future.
The overall performance of the Honor View 10 is impressive, with more OTA updates later in this review to add more options for this phone. This handset comes with dual cameras on the rear and it does an excellent job, check the camera section for more on that. Fast Charging is supported and battery life is decent enough.
Honor View 10 Specs and more
What’s Inside the box (Unboxing the Honor View 10) : Handset, user guide, data cable (USB to USB Type C), SIM ejector PIN and fast charger 9V/2A
Body : Metal body, excellent build and finishing, curvy design, camera module on the back is slightly out. Handset is comfortable to hold and use SIM Type : Nano + Nano / Micro SD Screen : 5.99 inches, 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution (Full HD+), viewing angles, touch response and colour reproduction are very good Weight and thickness : 172 grams, 7mm thick Connectivity : 4G, VoLTE, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth Sensors : Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Light, step, hall and Magnetic sensor Security and Extra : Finger Print sensor, face unlock LED Notification : Yes OTG : Yes supported RAM : 6GB ROM : 128GB (about 108GB free on first boot) OS : EMUI 8.0 based on Android Oreo 8.0.0
Design
The Honor View 10 is a beautifully designed phone. Honor has always had a penchant for designing phones that look understated, sleek and classy. Be it the stellar Honor 8 and 8 Pro, Honor smartphones have always stood out in terms of design.
The View 10 is also cut out from the same mould with it’s looks quite sophisticated and charming. It is a very well made smartphone that does not resort to tacky and gaudy finishes in a bid to stand out from the crowd.
The matte metal back with its cleverly integrated antenna lines (along with the top and bottom edges) looks quite elegant. The curved edges and rounded corners help mask the bulk of the smartphone to an extent but one-handed usability is still a pipe dream. Inspite of having a hefty 3,750mAh battery on board, the View 10 is surprisingly thin (6.76mm) and light.
The build quality is also top-notch – the buttons feels nice and meaty and the View 10 feels like it can take a drop or two in its stride.
The front fascia of the View 10 is fairly unique. In order to accommodate the edge-to-edge display, most bezel-less smartphones have had to shift the fingerprint sensor to the back or get rid of it entirely.
The Honor View 10’s fingerprint sensor, however, is located underneath the display. Not only is the fingerprint sensor, which is cleverly embedded underneath the glass surface, quite fast and accurate but its position makes it much easier to use than its rear-mounted equivalents.
The View 10’s 5.99-inch LCD panel has an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 2160×1080 (FullHD+). Simply put, the Honor V10’s display is excellent and one of the highlights of the smartphone. With the Viewing angles are excellent (one of the best in the price range), colours are bright and punchy, the colour temperature is spot on and brightness levels are adequate.
A QuadHD display would have been icing on the cake but the lack of pixels is not really felt in daily use.
Honor View 10 and the aspect that sets it apart from the host of upper mid-range smartphones out there is the future forward processor nestled deep within its chassis.
The Kirin 970 is the first processor that is designed from the ground up for AI. The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) inside the 970 enables AI features to occur locally, instead of over the cloud.
The Kirin 970 chipset was first introduced in Huawei’s Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro flagships and has now trickled down the price range. The Kirin 970 chipset is not only blazingly fast but comes with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that pumps artificial intelligence infused power through the Honor View 10’s veins.
Almost every aspect of the Honor View 10 – from the camera to the software has been given a dose of artificial intelligence love. EMUI 8.0, which runs on Android 8.0 Oreo uses machines learning to understand and anticipate user behaviour. It allocates resources to those apps you use the most to make sure the View 10 runs ‘smoothly even after months of use’.
All this is not just marketing fluff. EMUI 8 is a huge step up from previous iterations – it is fast, fluid and butter smooth. Animations are snappy and navigation is quick and frustration-free. Honor has done quite a commendable job of streamlining and speeding up EMUI. Saying that there is still quite a long way to go.
The Honor View 10 is blazingly fast – I am talking about flagship-level performance here.
With the View 10 handles everything from simple day use to intensive workloads with aplomb. During the two weeks I used the smartphone as my daily driver over the Christmas break, I experienced next to no lags and hiccups. Thanks to the 6GB of RAM on board, RAM management on the View 10 is efficient and even when a lot of apps are running in the background, a minimized app is not killed.
Gaming on the phone is also quite a pleasurable experience. Not only is the 18:9 display perfect for long gaming sessions, but performance is also butter smooth. Games do not utilize the entire grunt of the Kirin 970 chipset by default. It is only when you turn on the gaming mode inside Honor’s Game Suite that graphics intensive games like Asphalt 8 unlock the Kirin 970’s potential. Once they do though, they run at highest settings and with all animations and transitions running smooth and flawlessly.
AI features
The Honor View 10 has a few nifty tricks up its sleeve – some of which are helped along by artificial intelligence. You can answer and place calls with your voice and find your phone by simply saying “where are you”?
Honor has also followed in the footsteps of the iPhone X and OnePlus 5T and equipped the View 10 with facial recognition skills. Oddly enough, the facial recognition cannot be used to unlock the smartphone as of now (the feature is supposedly coming soon via a software update). What you can do currently is prevent nosy friends and family members from reading lock screen notifications by enabling facial recognition lock.
As mentioned above, EMUI 8.0 also uses machine learning to understand and anticipate user behaviour and speed up the software. While it is hard to empirically gauge how much benefit this brings to the table, the speed and fluidity of EMUI 8.0 are quite noticeable.
Honor has also tied up with Microsoft for an AI accelerated translator. Honor claims the application uses the Kirin 970’s AI capabilities to offer near-instant translations in 50 languages., the app’s text translation feature worked like a charm.
An area where artificial intelligence really makes a difference is the camera. Thanks to the NPU, the Honor View 10 intelligently detects the object or scene you are clicking and optimizes image settings accordingly. Honor says the View 10 can detect 13 different types of scenes and objects – including dogs, cats, plants and printed text. Far from being a gimmick, this really makes a difference to image quality. The front camera also uses AI for background blurring as well.
For unlocking, the phone will prompt you to use the fingerprint scanner. This Facial ID is also supposedly driven by AI and the company also plans to add something similar to Animoji on the iPhoneX both will be added via an Over the Air update in the future to add these options for the Honor View 10.
Battery Life
Honor has done a great job squeezing as much juice as possible from the Honor View 10’s 3,750mAh battery pack. With moderate to intensive use involving Google Maps, photography, YouTube binge sessions and heavy browsing and also using emails and Twitter and Facebook, I struggled to drain more than 50 to 60 percent of the battery in a single day. But with moderate use, the phone will easily last 1.5 days on a single charge.
For one day I decided to keep using the smartphone till it eventually died. The smartphone finally gave up the ghost after 19 hours of usage and a fairly impressive 6 and a half hours of screen time.
Camera with extra AI
The Honor View 10 comes with a dual camera setup at the back – a 16MP primary RGB (colour) sensor paired with a 20MP monochrome (black and white) sensor. Both sensors have an aperture of f/1.8 and are accompanied by an LED flash. On the front, the View 10 comes with a single 13MP camera capable of shooting bokeh shots via software algorithms.F
The Honor View 10’s rear camera setup is set to be the segment benchmark for the foreseeable future. Images are sharp, detailed, well exposed and even capable of giving more expensive smartphones a run for their money.
As mentioned above, what truly makes the Honor View 10’s rear camera special is its ability to detect what you are clicking (or how you are framing the image) and optimise image settings accordingly. During the two weeks I used the View 10 as my daily driver, it recognized dogs and cats, plants, human faces, macros and even printed text with ease.
The results are surprisingly good as the detection process really improves the colour, light and shadows and hue of the photo. Basically, it gives you a photo you wouldn’t want (and need) to edit. In low light as well, the View 10’s rear camera impresses. The monochrome+RGB combination works wonders to capture a lot of detail in low light. Noise, while prevalent, is contained and low-light shots, in general, are crisp and detailed.
monochromemonochrome with digital zoom
The monochrome sensor can also be used to take some striking black and white shots. When the light is adequate, monochrome shots have excellent detail and dynamic range through the quality does dip when the sun goes down.
Just like any dual camera smartphone out there, the Honor View 10 can be used to take bokeh shots. The bokeh mode, while much improved from the Honor 8 Pro is the least impressive aspect of the rear camera.
At medium settings, it keeps clear outlines and brings out a good background blur effect. But at full settings, there is partial blurring at some places and a halo around the objects is visible, I hope this can be fixed with updates very soon.
Picture of a few snowflakes coming down over Christmas 2017with HDR onJust using candle for light source for this picture
HDR
The front camera of the Honor View 10 is nowhere near as impressive as the rear setup. While bokeh shots are decent, images can be a little soft and be lacking in detail at times. In low light, the 13MP sensor struggles quite a bit and produces images with a lot of noise and graininess.
Verdict
I really like what Honor has done with the View 10
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has just announced the characters in Champions, the next downloadable Character Pack for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2.
The upcoming pack, priced at £1.69 on PlayStation 4 and £1.59 on Xbox One, will add characters from Marvel Comics’ popular Champions comic book series, offering players the chance to unleash the limitless strength of Amadeus Cho and supersonic flight of Nova.
The pack also includes Ironheart, Devil Dinosaur, Moon Girl, Viv, Wasp (Nadia Pym), and Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), expanding the main game’s roster of over 200 Super Heroes and Super Villains.
The Champions are a group of teenage Super Heroes started by three Avengers disillusioned by the behaviour of their elders and the general state of distrust by the people towards super-powered beings. Eager to show the world what it truly means to be a Super Hero, they formed their own team and soon recruited other teenagers with similar ideals to their cause. Together they are determined to change the world their own way!
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is an all-new, epic adventure and sequel to the smash hit, LEGO , Marvel Super Heroes. This original branching storyline, co-written by award-winning comic book writer Kurt Busiek, transports players into a cosmic battle across a myriad of Marvel locations ripped from time and space and combined to form the incredible Open Hub World of Chronopolis. Packed with signature LEGO humour for fans of all ages, gamers will go head-to-head with the time-travelling Kang the Conqueror in this fun-filled journey spanning the Marvel Universe.
The Champions character pack can be purchased separately or as part of the Season Pass, which provides access to six Level Packs and four Character Packs, including the previously released Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , and the Out of Time and Agents of Atlas Character Packs. The Season Pass is available for £11.99 or as part of the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition, which features the main game, access to the Classic Guardians of the Galaxy Character Pack, and an exclusive Giant-Man LEGO Minifigure (Minifigure only available in the physical version of the Deluxe Edition).
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
There are a lot of smart thermostats on the market and Hive is British Gas’ answer to Nest and others. But making a home a smart one can sound daunting but there can also be real financial benefits, especially where heating is involved but can it make your home smarter?
Hive promises to help in keeping energy bills down by allowing you to control the temperature of your home at a push of a button on your smartphone or the Hive Active Heating 2 and adjust accordingly.
It could be that you are on your way to work or out shopping and you have neglected to turn down the heating.
With the app, you can do just that and much more.
If you are buying new, Hive costs £249. This price includes the installation by a trained technician. That is the only price you have to pay, there are no ongoing costs and you don’t have to be a British Gas customer either.
The system is compatible with most boilers but you may need to check before installation to make sure your boiler works with Hive.
If you have one boiler, the installation will cover connecting to this and creating one heating zone. If you plan to separate your home into separate heating zones, then each additional zone will set you back £99 (This is known as Hive Multizone).
The system comes with three devices , One is a wireless controller that connects to the boiler.
The Hub sits between the thermostat and the internet so you can control it via an app. The hub and the controller need to be close enough to allow each to talk to the other. Otherwise, you will need a wireless booster to ensure good connectivity between the two.
Installation was quick and easy.
The hub connects to the wireless router and when plugged in, will indicate whether or not it has successfully connected to the cloud.
The hub and controller are very functional rather than stylish so hiding these away may seem like a good idea, but be careful that hiding them away also prevents adequate connectivity. The thermostat (which is a lot better looking) doesn’t need any cabling so can be placed anywhere.
Features and usage
The thermostat is very easy to use. Just press the button and it will tell you the current temperature and the target temperature. The dial in the middle of the device will allow you to turn the heating up or down.
There are also three other buttons (Menu, Done and Back). These will enable you to carry out other functions, such as setting a schedule.
A button on the top can be used to boost the temperature and you can decide how long you want the heating to stay on for, regardless of whether or not you’ve reached the right temperature.
The Hive app can also be used to control things and it is dead easy to use. It also features more ways to control heating. As well as this, the app can also be used to control other things around the house, such as lights and Hive Active Plugs (the review coming soon). These will also show up in the app.
Scheduling is best done via the app, you can specify when to heat your house and to what temperature.
You can also specify different schedules for different days of the week. Copying schedules between days of the week are easy too.
The app also sports a geo-location system which can work out if you have left home or are heading for it. It will then ask if you want to set the temperature lower or higher. There is also a holiday mode you can use to ensure that things tick over without using energy unnecessarily.
Smart home usage
As mentioned earlier, you can also control things other than heating with the app. Hive as a range of smart light bulbs, motion sensors and switches you can control with the app.
These are simple to install. Just plug them into wherever you need them to be and then head over to the app and click on the Install Devices section. The app will ask if you want to Add a Heating Zone or Add Another Device.
Add Another Device will search out for any devices you have plugged in. In our case, this took around a minute to complete. Devices have somewhat of a generic naming system but the app allows you to call them something more memorable.
There are also recipes that you can use to make devices operate in certain circumstances. For example, you can have a light switch on if the motion detector senses movement. Important if you need to deter burglars.
Hive also integrates with Alexa and Google Home which means you can control heating with your voice. Adding in a Hive account to Alexa/Google Home is pretty straightforward and within seconds we could literally tell Hive to switch the heating off.
Overall
Hive is a great way to turn a home into a smart one. You can add as many or as little smart devices to it as you please. Again I like to say a big thank you for Hive for supplying the Hive Active Heating for the review. Also, my Wife who is disabled can now change the temperature of the house with her voice via Google Home Mini “Ok Google change Heating to … temperature etc”.
