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November 2017 Tech Trends Product Reviews

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As we get ready for yet another Christmas, Tech Trends has been testing the latest cool technology for you. 

Gantri TL2 3D Printed Lamp

3D Printed products are all the rage with designers, and it’s easy to see why, as it gives them the ability to be much more flexible and go beyond the limits of wood, moulded plastic and metal. Gantri is a funky design company which is allowing designers to bring their ideas to life through advanced production methods like 3D printing and making them available to consumers. 
Through their internet portal, new and established designers from anywhere in the world can submit their designs and use Gantri’s components, resources and guidelines to open up new opportunities and markets for their products. The result? Designers can finally launch quality products with ease, and design lovers get unprecedented access to affordable luxury designs.
We review every design submission according to our six-point criteria. This ensures that all our products reflect the highest level of design thinking and achieve luxury-level design quality. 
Gantri kindly sent Tech Trends the sleek new TL2 lamp, a 3D printed modern, minimal desk light that evokes the silhouette of an industrial task lamp, making it perfectly suited for the home office of a creative professional (or overworked journalist). It gives out a subtly defused light perfect for desk work and the quality of the production process really shows. It is a high quality and rather beautiful modern lamp.
To ensure the quality of every product, we engineer, manufacture and test every product in-house. When you shop on Gantri, you’re guaranteed a product that’s thoughtfully designed and expertly made.

 

RRP: $148
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New York Standard Watch

I have reviewed a few Smartwatches recently on Tech Trends and was impressed by some, such as the Samsung Gear S3 which certainly boasted good design and quality materials, as well as a nifty range of apps. Still, it felt like something was lacking, and it was only when the NYSW (New York Standard Watch) Soho arrived the other day in the post that I realised what that was. Read the full review here.
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Aukey Bluetooth Receiver Wireless Audio Music Adapter

This neat little Aukey BR-C1 wireless Bluetooth music adapter comes with A2DP, Hands-Free Calling and a 3.5mm stereo jack is designed for both home and car audio systems. It is tiny and comes with all the required cables and was a doddle to set up. In my case I wanted a quick and easy way to play music from my phone or laptop straight to my stereo in the living room and this little gadget was just what I needed.

The Aukey Bluetooth receiver looks good, functions well, and is reasonably priced Click To Tweet

I used some higher quality cables than those supplied and pumped up the volume with a little Iron Maiden, some Big Black Delta and then, for decency’s sake, a Bach Cello Concerto. The quality, I found, is really quite good considering the cost. Great price, good looks, easy setup and good sound, this gadget has earned a permanent spot in my Hi-Fi setup!

  • Bluetooth receiver allows you to wirelessly stream audio from your Bluetooth enabled devices to your existing wired home stereo systems, speakers, or headphones
  • One button easy pairing with iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones, tablets, and computers in seconds and controlling the calls
  • Double links: Connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously; free to enjoy music or answer phone call from either of the two paired devices
  • Supports hands-free calling with built-in microphone; 8 hours of talk and play time or up to 720 hours standby time
  • Package Contents: AUKEY BR-C1 Bluetooth Receiver, 3.5mm Audio Cable, 3.5mm to RCA Audio Cable, Micro-USB Cable, User Manual, 24-Month Product Replacement Warranty and Friendly Customer Service

RRP: £12.98 reduced from £16.98

 

Eau Good Duo Water Filter & Infuser Bottle

We previously tried out the Black+Blum Eau Good Filter Bottle and were impressed how much better the Charcoal made our tap water taste so are thrilled to see that the recent Kickstarter campaign for a new Eau Good Duo Filter Bottle has gained 275 backers who pledged £16,665 to help bring this project to life.
This new design has some clever new features and is made of clear, durable, taste-neutral, lightweight plastic, ensuring that no nasty chemicals leach into the water. It also scrubs up well, unlike most other bottles, the Eau Good Duo Filter Bottle is easy to disassemble enabling you to really clean all those awkward nooks and crannies, plus is dishwasher safe. 
With an activated stick of Japanese Binchotan charcoal in the bottle, it softens water, adds good minerals such as calcium, removes contaminants, balances PH and absorbs unwanted tastes and odours, including chlorine.
Whether you’re out running on an ultra marathon or even just jogging to catch a bus, the unique dual silicone strap design makes this bottle super easy to hold. The strap even allows you to relax your grip and the bottle stays with you. There is also soft-touch carry loop making it easy and comfortable to carry with one finger or hang from your bag. 
We are so proud of our charcoal filter that we didn’t want to hide it in permanent plastic casing this means it is very easy to recycle and won’t end up in landfill. After the 6 months of water filtration, one suggestion is to break up the charcoal and put in in your plant pots to remineralise the soil.
The spout has been specially engineered to allow a greater flow of water and if you want to drink directly from the bottle instead of the using the spout, Eau Good have put the threads on the inside, so it feels like you are drinking from a glass! And good news for all those who like to tart up their water, the new built-in infuser cap lets you simply fill the bottle with your favourite fresh fruits and herbs (cucumber, lemon, mint etc.) so there’s no limit to the healthy cocktails you can make (just ensure that you remove the charcoal first!).

 

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WiZ Connected Smart LED Lights

We get a lot of products to test here at Tech Trends, build your own Raspberry Pi Laptop Computers360 CamerasSecure Hard DrivesSmart Watches and even the odd Lunch Box and  – apart from the Lunch Box of course – it is very rare for a product to just work out of the box. I usually have to do a bit of fiddling, research online, read a pretty complex manual or at worst email the manufacturer for help but not with the WiZ connected LED lights. THEY JUST WORK! Read the full review here.

The best thing about WiZ connected Smart LED Lights is that they work straight out of the box Click To Tweet

Alice Bonasio VR Consultancy MR Tom Atkinson Tech Trends Review AR Mixed Virtual Augmented Reality wiz smart lights lelo sona cruise Aukey powerbank bluetooth music

 

Aukey 20,000mAh Power Bank + Lightning Input

This portable charger is equipped with Lightning & Micro USB Inputs and 2 Outputs for Apple’s iPhone X/ 8/ Plus/ 7/ 6s, Samsung’s S8+/ S8 and iPads. I can attest that charging works very well with my Samsung S7 but it is not fast charging and a minor annoyance is that I have to push the start button to begin charging, it won’t auto start when plugged into a device.

Aukey's 20,000mAh Power Bank might not be the best looking, but has big capacity Click To Tweet

However, for me the most important thing is capacity, as I am often on trains and planes for hours/days and the 20,000mAh on offer here is very satisfying, meaning I can relax about having the power I need on tap. It is not the most attractive power bank I have seen but is super sturdy feeling and will sit dutifully at the bottom of my bag doing what it does best, charging my phone! For the money this is an incredible bargain.

  • 20000mAh Portable Battery – Fully charge your iPhone 7 Plus 4.5 times or a 9.7-inch iPad Pro 1.5 times
  • Dual USB ports, combined 2.4A output – Simultaneously charge 2 iPads at max speed with more current. Use the same Lightning cable to charge your iOS device or Power Bank
  • AiPower – Tuned to adaptively provide the safest maximum recharge rate for all your USB powered devices
  • Built-in safeguards protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging
  • Package Contents: AUKEY 20000mAh Power Bank, Micro USB Cable, User Manual, 24 Month Warranty

RRP: £22.99 reduced from £35.99

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LELO Sona Cruise

This new LELO Sex Toy ‘Uses the Technology of Speakers and Gear-Shifts for the Ultimate Orgasm’. Well, that’s a promise!

Leading pleasure brand, LELO, recently launched a new sex toy that utilises an entirely unique sonic wave technology that, they claim, can induce orgasm in as little as 2 minutes. For a chap that is not unusual as women everywhere will sadly confirm but how does this work?

The LELO Sona Cruise uses Gear-Shifts to deliver the ultimate orgasm Click To Tweet

There are two variations, the LELO SONA, and SONA Cruise, which features Cruise Control technology, akin to an automatic shift down on the gears as you drive uphill. LELO describes them as ‘sonic massagers’ since they create sonic waves instead of the conventional vibrations used by ‘standard’ sex toys. It’s similar to standing in front of a speaker in a club, and feeling the waves throughout your whole body, just a lot more targeted, Mmmmm. A normal vibrator has a whirring motor inside it that causes the entire body of the toy to rumble, and when you press that against sensitive parts, the nerve endings are directly massaged.

“Vibrating motors offer a big, clumsy kind of massage when you think about it. It’s quite inefficient; a lot of the energy that you’d want to go into your most pleasurable areas is actually transmitted into your fingers and the casing of the sex toy, or converted into noise and heat and so on. There’s a lot of useful energy being converted and lost.” explained LELO Mechanical Engineering Director, Michael Duff

SONA’s premium variant, SONA Cruise, showcases even more impressive technology. Cruise Control is a feature that LELO invented to stabilise the sonic waves even under vigorous use.
One of the most common complaints about sex toys, according to LELO, is that they drop power in use, as the motor struggles against resistance.

“Of course, we know that not everyone wants an immediate orgasm. For a lot of people, it’s about the journey as much as the destination. So SONA has a range of settings that means the user can find exactly the right sensation for them.” Michael Duff continued

Also check out LELOs funny Porn or Poultry game! But not in the office or you might be on the naughty step. Don’t fret, there are both NSFW and SFW Porn or Poultry game versions 😊

RRP: £159