Helm DB12 Mobile Amplifier

I am excited to review two advanced audio quality boosting gadgets for mobile devices this month. The first of these addresses a key issue all smartphone or tablet users will have faced when trying to play music, movies, or podcasts over high-quality headphones or external speakers; volume. No smart device can output the sheer loudness of a separate Hi-Fi or dedicated media center amplifier meaning if you want to watch films or listen to high-quality music with friends you inevitably have to compromise on sound quality and volume.

The @HelmAudio DB12 provides a 12-decibel gain boost plus an optional 6-decibel bass boost
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The new HELM DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone Amplifier addresses the low-level volume our portable devices output, providing a 12-decibel gain boost plus an optional 6-decibel bass boost. This boost in gain is vital for power-hungry headphones like planar magnetic or high-impedance types, ensuring you hear the best quality sound and it also makes sure plugging your device into a portable battery-powered speaker or mini Hi-Fi gives you sound levels that will fill a room at a party or in a shared movie screening.

The @HelmAudio DB12 addresses a key issue all smartphone or tablet users will have faced when trying to play music, movies, or podcasts over high-quality headphones or external speakers; volume
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This is an in-line, analog amplifier and connects to your device’s audio out via male 3.5mm jack and outputs back to a female 3.5mm jack, as such it is easy to use and connects seamlessly via all the headphone or audio cables
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Two features make the DB12 such a success. This is an in-line, analog amplifier and connects to your device’s audio out via male 3.5mm jack and outputs back to a female 3.5mm jack, as such it is easy to use and connects seamlessly via all the headphone or audio cables you might already have. Also, key to the design is the integration of THX AAA Amplifier Technology which provides the power efficiency needed to deliver a rich, “unmasked” stereo field running off the DB12’s small, rechargeable battery.

Most amplifiers require power and extra cables. The DB12 is 100% portable with 6+ hours of battery life per charge and features exclusive in-line silver coiled (highest conductive metal) cabling delivering studio-quality amplification on the go with zero fuss.

Key to the design is the integration of THX AAA Amplifier Technology which provides the power efficiency needed to deliver a rich, “unmasked” stereo field running off the DB12’s small, rechargeable battery
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With over six hours of mobile playtime, the HELM DB12 AAAMP transforms your mobile device into a portable hi-fi audio solution. As a seal of its superior audio design and output, it has also achieved THX Certification, meeting the highest industry standards for its sound quality and performance.

“Working together with our partner in audio innovation, THX, we have infused the HELM DNA with some of the latest and greatest audio technologies on the market to create a world-class mobile headphone amplifier,” said Eric Johnson, chief executive officer of HELM Audio. Powered by THX AAA technology the HELM DB12 AAAMP provides +12 dB of zero distortion volume gain, improved stereo imaging, and clarity (true linear amplification), plus an optional user-controlled +6 dB bass boost. The ground-breaking DB12 is simple, the plug & play in-line amplifier delivers maximum volume, improved sound quality, and bass enhancement to any headphone on any mobile device.

In practical use, the amp is simplicity itself to use and that valuable boost in volume really does make your smartphone or tablet a useful media station. Hooked up to my demanding headphones it sounded bold and very pleasing. The same was true when connected to my Hi-Fi. I didn’t have to crank the volume as high as I would otherwise and the sound quality was more solid than when the DB12 was not connected. This is an analog amp so there is no digital magic going on inside to improve the sound and I did notice a tiny loss of fidelity in complex music tracks when using the DB12 but nothing that would bother anyone less of an audiophile than me and much less loss in quality than I expected from such a small battery-powered gadget.

In practical use, the amp is simplicity itself to use and that valuable boost in volume really does make your smartphone or tablet a useful media station
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The optional Bass Boost it offers is also great, offering a small but significant boost to the lower frequencies without muddying the mids and treble. Charging is super easy, the battery lasts a good few hours, and the metal construction and high-quality cable Helm use mean this is all round a great device. I love it and it will become an essential part of my tech travel kit.

Winner of an “Innovation Award at CES 2020,” the HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and plugs seamlessly into any mobile device (Android, iOS, macOS or PC supported) delivering analog amplification from your mobile device to any pair of 3.5mm headphones or an external speaker.

For those of us who don’t keep over 100GB of music files on their phone (hem hem) and prefer to stream from services such as Spotify or YouTube Music the DB12 will make a great difference when used with expensive, power dependant headphones. You know, the big ones that make you look like a Cyberman 😉

Specification:
• Studio Grade Amplifier with Bass Boost Powered by the Award Winning THX® AAA Amplifier Technology. Boost the Sound from your Mobile or Gaming device to your Headphones
• World’s First In-Line Audiophile Quality Headphone Amplifier That Fits In The Palm of Your Hand and a separate Bass Boost feature
• Delivers Maximum Volume +12dB for the Cleanest Signal, Improving Sound Quality and an Independently Controlled Bass Boost +6dB Turning any Mobile Device Into a Full Blown Studio Experience
• Plug & Play: No Additional Components or Connections
• Utilizes the THX AAA Lowest Distortion Rated Streamlined Amplifier
• Game-Changing Ultra-Clean Power Breathing New Life into Your Favorite Headphones Anywhere You Go
• 100% Mobile: Rechargeable Battery With 6-8 Hours Play Time

Charging is super easy, the battery lasts a good few hours, and the metal construction and high-quality cable Helm use mean this is all round a great device. I love it and it will become an essential part of my tech travel kit
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If you need to boost your mobile device’s audio then I can recommend you give the DB12 a try! They are available now for £199 now directly from the Helm website here.

Cyrus SoundKey

The second mobile audio device we are looking at this month is from the excellent British company Cyrus. The Cyrus SoundKey unlike the Helm DB12 is a DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) for your smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC so it connects to the digital output on your device which is always some form of USB unless you are an Apple iOS user in which case it is most likely a Lightning port. I was blown away to find that the SoundKey comes with high-quality OTG USB adapters for all the different flavors of USB right in the box! If however, you are iOS user you will have to use a Lightning Camera Kit connector which Cyrus doesn’t supply as it is a proprietary Apple product.

I have tested and owned several Hi-Fi sized DACs and was blown away that most of the quality of these large, expensive devices has been boiled down into a tiny little USB key by @Cyrus_Audio
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I can attest that the boost in audio quality is huge and that once you have used an @Cyrus_Audio SoundKey you will never go back
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A DAC takes the digital audio info from the device and refines and improves it via special circuitry to make it sound better in every way. I have tested and owned several Hi-Fi sized DACs and was blown away that most of the quality of these large, expensive devices has been boiled down into a tiny little USB key like this. I can attest that the boost in audio quality is huge and that once you have used a SoundKey you will never go back. The clarity, sound stage, fidelity, bass response, and overall balance of your music and movie soundtracks will leap forwards. It draws power from your device but claims it is very low current and I have not noticed any impact on my phone’s charge at all during use.

Via my Galaxy S9+ MP3, Flac, and M4A files sounded so much better I was still re-listening to my favorite tracks three hours after first plugging in the SoundKey, I just couldn’t stop listening to how wonderful my old files now sounded. Streaming Spotify also sounded a load better, even when tested with mid-range earbuds. Hooked up to my MacBook Pro (which already produces very good audio) movies were so much more enjoyable with the breadth of the soundscapes wrapping right around me and placing me in the middle of the action. With Jurassic World, for example, plugging in the SoundKey showed off the excellent mix, every rustle in the jungle stood out and the cacophonous roars of the dinosaurs were more complex and chilling.

Hooked up to my MacBook Pro (which already produces very good audio) movies were so much more enjoyable with the breadth of the soundscapes wrapping right around me and placing me in the middle of the action
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SoundKey is an award-winning revolution in mobile music. Hi-Fi streaming services like TIDAL mean fantastic quality is available to subscribers, but phones lack the necessary hardware to get the best from this data. SoundKey unlocks that data, using our years of expertise in high-resolution DAC and amplifier design. Cyrus quality audio is now available to everyone.

If you care about sound if you truly love music and movies you have to get one of these. For under a hundred bucks it will change the way you engage with audio on your laptop or mobile device. Simplicity is the name of the game here, just plug the SoundKey into your macOS, Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+ (all require OTG connection) device and it will work seamlessly. On computers, you will of course have to flip the Audio Output from ‘Device’ to ‘SoundKey’ but that is one click and you are done.

Simplicity is the name of the game here, just plug the @Cyrus_Audio SoundKey into your macOS, Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+ (all require OTG connection) device and it will work seamlessly
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If you care about sound if you truly love music and movies you have to get one of these. For under a hundred bucks it will change the way you engage with audio on your laptop or mobile device
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Unbelievable Sound Quality
• Improved clarity, more realistic sound
• Works with Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+* (all require OTG connection)
• 3.5mm Jack for headphones connection
• Robust aluminum casing
• Extremely low current, conserving your phone’s battery life
• Compatible with a wide range of audio format, including MP3, AAC, and FLAC
• Can handle High-Resolution audio files up to 24bit/96kHz
• Size 5.4cm x 2.3cm x 0.8cm
• Weight 18g
*Requires Apple Camera Kit for connection to iOS devices

Find out more here and I strongly recommend you pick up one of these Cyrus SoundKeys right now, you will never go back! Their British website has a dealer locator for several countries but they are also available on Amazon in most places for about $99 or £79.

Wisdom Panel Essential Dog DNA Test

You might have noticed a lot of doggy tech in the last few review posts, well that’s because the tech for pets market is growing fast. We love our pets almost as much as we love ourselves and spend accordingly 🙂

I was super excited to try out @WisdomPanel Essential Doggy DNA test. I have a pack of pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terriers so was keen to see if their pedigree status was justified, as well as the expense
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In these crazy days there is nothing wrong with that! So I was super excited to try out Wisdom Panel’s Essential Doggy DNA test. I have a pack of pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terriers so was keen to see if their pedigree status was justified (as well as the expense!).

In terms of appearance, dogs are one of the most diverse species on the planet. Which is why it’s hard to believe a Yorkie and Great Dane are nearly identical on a genetic level. Thanks to the 15,000 years that have passed since humans and dogs learned to live together, there are now over 350 unique dog breeds, types, and varieties recognized worldwide. Through DNA testing, we can map the “ancestry”—or origin story—of your dog, from their breed breakdown to family tree, going back several generations.

The Essential DNA test Wisdom offer for dogs costs £99.99 and works for 350+ breeds, types, and varieties it also tests for 25+ genetic conditions, 35+ breed traits, and much more.

The Essential DNA test @WisdomPanel offer for dogs costs £99.99 and works for 350+ breeds, types, and varieties it also tests for 25+ genetic conditions, 35+ breed traits, and much more
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Through DNA testing, we can map the ancestry or origin story of your dog, from their breed breakdown to family tree, going back several generations
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Knowing your dog’s breed mix or pure breed and their genetic makeup empowers you to tailor training, nutrition, and care to their unique needs—helping you ensure a happier, healthier, snugglier pup for years to come. If you are a dog lover the information this test reveals is really valuable in caring for them.

The analysis of health conditions they show markers for is key to planning their medical care with your vet going forwards. For example, if they show a strong marker for hip dysplasia this can help you manage their exercise to mitigate the degeneration and to watch out for early signs of the disease and take early steps against it with supplements or drugs.

If the @WisdomPanel results show a strong marker for hip dysplasia this can help you manage their exercise to mitigate the degeneration and to watch out for early signs of the disease
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Results only took a couple of weeks and I was emailed a link to take me straight back to the online account where all my pets results were clearly laid out in categories with simply laid out results
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The test kits each have a unique ID number that you use to create an account for you and your pet online. Instructions for the procedure are clear and well laid out online, the interface really is well designed, and taking the DNA sample itself was easy peasy! I just roughly rubbed the small bristly brush inside the dog’s cheek, popped it back in the supplied tube and sent it back to Wisdom in the prepaid package. Simplicity itself. Results only took a couple of weeks and I was emailed a link to take me straight back to the online account where all my pets results were clearly laid out in categories with simply laid out results.

I was very happy to find that all three of my dogs were indeed 100% purebred and had zero health issues commonly associated with poorly managed breeding programs. All-round I was very impressed with Wisdom’s testing kits and services. From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, plus the prices are very reasonable. The Essential Dog DNA Collection Kit costs just £99.99 and includes everything I have discussed above and a Premium Kit costs $159.99.

Our algorithm considers over 17 million possible family trees that could have produced your dog’s raw genetic results. Looking at all of the trees together, the algorithm then determines the most likely breed breakdown and family tree for your pup.

I was particularly pleased to see the information they supplied on fur color as all my dogs are red. This was no mean feat and we had to shop all around the UK to find puppies that carried this rare gene
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Once your pup’s sample reaches our lab we log its arrival, and extract and purify the DNA from the sample that you collected. The DNA is then processed on our proprietary Illumina® Infinium® XT microarray, which tests for approximately 100,000 variants across your dog’s genome. Variants are places in the DNA that can vary between dogs, and the process of determining which particular variants a dog has is called genotyping. We then take your dog’s variant data and compare it to the largest dog reference database in the world: with over 350 breeds, types, and varieties built from a library of more than 1 million dogs.

I was particularly pleased to see the information they supplied on fur color as all my dogs are red. This was no mean feat and we had to shop all around the UK to find puppies that carried this rare gene. I have a soft spot for red animals so watch out all Highland cattle!

Breed info was also good and covered traits as well as a little on the history of the breed. Difficult to read but a wonderful outcome!

From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, the kits are easy to use, the website is excellent plus the prices are very reasonable
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In 17th century England, bull baiting fortunately declined in popularity. Sadly, however, a new ugly sport rose up to take its place. As dogfights became increasingly common, there was a real need for a smaller and more agile fighter. This new dog would be a better contestant than the larger bulldog and mastiff. Bulldogs were bred to reduce their size and, over time, they were also crossed with the Black and Tan Terrier, resulting in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Eventually, dog fighting was outlawed in 1835 and these devoted and loyal dogs were free to become home pets. From ugly beginnings … to a beautiful breed we’re glad are here today.

From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, the kits are easy to use, the website is excellent plus the prices are very reasonable. The Essential Dog DNA Collection Kit costs just £99.99 and includes everything I have discussed above. Also available is a Premium Kit for $159.99.

Olive Smart Ear

Our world is a loud place and I for one have lost some hearing in one ear due to being a stupid kid in a loud metal band. Whether your hearing loss is your own fault (hem hem) or not it can be an expensive and tedious problem to address with old fashioned hearing aids costing a fortune and often being overkill for the issue you have. Oh, and they tend to look like fleshy pink monstrosities, a bit like the alien Ceti Eel that crawls into Chekov’s ear in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, I might be exaggerating but it is not a good look.

We all hate to admit when we need help, especially men, but that’s what Olive Smart Ear is for. It’s a stylish single-ear hearing amplifier that re-engineers hearing for better conversations and enhanced listening. Be honest, we’ve all experienced it: the “What did you say?” from Dad at a noisy restaurant, the “Can you speak up?” from Grandpa during FaceTime calls, and the notorious remote control stealing so the TV can be on max volume.

We all hate to admit when we need help, especially men, but that’s what @olive_union is for. It’s a stylish single-ear hearing amplifier that re-engineers hearing for better conversations and enhanced listening
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The @olive_union Smart Ear uses AI to capture 99.8% of the sounds within your hearing range without distortion while dampening unwanted background noises
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Olive Smart Ear uses AI to capture 99.8% of the sounds within your hearing range without distortion while dampening unwanted background noises. Not only is it a modern and cool looking gadget, but it was also the CES 2020 “Best Wearable” award winner! The Smart Ear is a next-gen hearable for anyone with mild to moderate hearing loss and ensures they’ll never need to ask someone to speak up, turn the volume up, or be told they are shouting again (what if I like shouting?).

The Olive Smart Ear isolates, filters, and reduces distracting background noises, and amplifies the ones that matter most, optimizing the experience of everyday listening. Designed to enhance the surrounding audio for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (less than 50 dB) but who aren’t yet ready for hearing aids – either clinically or emotionally.

Setting up the new Smart ear was a piece of cake and after a quick charge in its handy little USB charging dock, I downloaded the app to my phone, connected through Bluetooth, and was up and running fast. When you first activate it the Smart Ear performs a simple hearing test to personalize your device. Check out the video below for a demo of how simple set up is.

I downloaded the @olive_union app to my phone, connected through Bluetooth, and was up and running fast
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There is a simple Feedback Cancelation setting and a Volume slider. There is also an Equalizer so you can further personalize your settings and get the sound just the way you like
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Through their app it is super easy to control your Smart Ear with three simple modes that cover general listening situations; Default, Conversation & TV Mode. There is a simple Feedback Cancelation setting and a Volume slider. There is also an Equalizer so you can further personalize your settings and get the sound just the way you like.

Using the @olive_union Smart Ear definitely helped in crowded rooms, pulling the voice of the speaker out to the front and stopping me struggling to engage with the conversation
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I don’t have a problem hearing the TV as I’m usually in a quiet room anyway but the Conversation mode was a real help when chatting in a group in a loud room. Generally, I have an issue focusing on the speaker’s voice in crowded settings and often struggle to get more than the gist as background noise blurs together with the voice. Using the Smart Ear definitely helped in this specific situation, pulling the voice of the speaker out to the front and stopping me struggling to engage with the conversation.

Key Features:

• Personalized sound with simple hearing calibration: Provides users with an easy-to-use, 5-minute hearing test via smartphone with the included Olive Smart App (Android and Apple compatible) to customize audio and equalizer frequency settings, personalized to their own hearing profile.
• Designed to be seen not hidden: Eliminates any hearing impairment stigmas through modern design cues, borrowed from popular truly wireless earbuds that everyone is wearing.
• User-Friendly sound modes with feedback cancellation: Captures sounds you never realized were missing and avoid turning up TV volumes with preset “TV Listening” and “Conversation” modes. Three onboard mics capture high-frequency sounds while minimizing feedback for a clear, spectrally balanced sound.

With its simple and easy to use partner app on your smartphone, the personalization possible and the long-lasting battery the Smart Ear is a tantalizing option for those with low to mid-level hearing loss. Add to this the low price and help with hearing loss is now available to many more people for whom the old fashioned solutions large medical companies offer are out of reach. To be honest, the tech on offer from Olive is the same or better than many high-cost alternatives, and damn it looks so much better.

Help with hearing loss is now available to many more people for whom the old fashioned solutions large medical companies offer are out of reach
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The @olive_union Smart Ear is effective, small and modern looking and would easily be mistaken for any high-end Bluetooth earbud, which is exactly what it is
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• Performance: 16 channels / 16 bands Feedback Cancellation + Active noise reduction & Personal hearing settings Equalizer.
  FRR 200Hz〜6,704Hz
  Maximum sound pressure level　122.8dB＋3dB
  Average sound pressure level　116.5dB±3dB
  Maximum sound level
  48.0dB±3dB
  Average sound level
  40.3dB±3dB
• Power & Battery: Lithium-ion batteries with 7 hours + Charging dock: 14 hours
• Compatibility: Olive App & Firmware + Android & iOS smartphone
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy + Enhanced data rate（EDR）

The Smart Ear is effective, small and modern looking and would easily be mistaken for a high-end Bluetooth earbud similar to many of those I have reviewed here previously. With an MSRP of $299 USD the Smart Ear is available from QVC & B8ta, or you can pick one up direct from Olive Union here for a limited time discount price of $229.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post July 2020 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Sometimes great things come in small packages. This Mini LED Projector might be cheap but boy is it fun!

You can pay a packet for a home cinema projector. Remember the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES? Admittedly that is one of the finest short throw projectors out there, but it costs circa £20k ($28k), not including the Sony 4K Advanced SXRD screen… Well, what about the other end of the spectrum – cheap and functional?

Affordable tech accessory manufacturer DBPower specialise in giving you the most bang for your buck! I loved their budget 4K Action Camera. Their products are generally good quality for minimum cost so we were very keen to look at their RD-810, a budget yet flexible mini LED home cinema projector that boasts connections for HDMI, USB, VGA, AV RCA and supports 1080p from your device, be it a PC, Laptop, DVR TV Box, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick (both powered by the USB port), X-Box, Playstation or even a Smartphone. Now that is an impressive array of input options!

Affordable tech manufacturer DBPower specialise in giving you the most bang for your buck, and the RD-810 Mini LED projector is no exception
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If you need an affordable home theatre setup for films, gaming, sport or multimedia of any kind the RD-810 might be the solution. Now, it is important to note, it supports HD 1080p signals but only outputs 800X480 pixels with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and projection ratio of 1.4:1 so this is a standard definition (SD) projector. For true HD you will need to pay quite a bit more but for family use, this is just the ticket. This new RD-810 claims to have upgraded LED light technology for brighter and clearer images, an updated quieter fan system (now lower than 20db) and a larger maximum projected image size of 30-176″ which when combined with the throw distance of 1.5-5m sounds about right for most living rooms.

If you need an affordable home theatre setup for films, gaming, sport or multimedia of any kind the RD-810 might be the solution
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The RD-810 is a simple design and the build quality reflects the price but is not too bad. However, measuring 6 x 8.2 x 2.6 inches and weighing just 2.18 pounds it is very portable. There are four grippy feet, a ceiling mount connector on the base plus a simple height adjustment knob and it comes in Black or White. On the back panel, there is an impressive range of connections, including a USB port, a VGA port, an HDMI port, an AV RCA jack (adapter comes in the box), an infrared LED and a headphone jack. On a budget device this a spectacular range of options and means you can connect almost anything you might need. Imaging is via TFT LCD claiming a 10% boosted maximum brightness of 1500 lumens and contrast of 1000:1, these are not high specifications but are certainly powerful enough for your average user in a dark room, although definitely not bright enough to use in a lit room.

On a budget device, this is a spectacular range of options and means you can connect and project almost anything you might need
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You can’t expect much picture quality at this price but I hooked up my PS4 via HDMI, and bingo! It just worked (as we say in the trade)! The image was downscaled from HD but looked bright and colourful and playing Hustle Kings was great fun on such a large screen. The easy-to-use Keystone correction helped me get the angle of the screen right for my projector height and the only real drawback was the fan. It might be quieter than the previous version but you will absolutely need to run the audio through a separate system to get enough volume to drown it out – that’s easily done though. The headphone jack can be connected to an external amp or speaker for more volume and improved sound, the RD-810’s single speaker’s sound is pretty basic, as you would expect, but follow my headphone out advice and you need never hear it. I tried a movie (stereo) via USB and the picture was again better than I expected with no real lag and lovely colours.

The projector also has a headphone jack so you can hook it up to an external amp or speaker to improve the sound
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The remote is cheap-looking but does the job perfectly (which is all you need) and I know I will go back and try the RD-810 out for a full film soon.However, we did hit a snag when we looked at the audio options: If you are playing a movie off a USB stick then the sound is coming via the USB but the RD-810 doesn’t support Dolby Digital so those movie files will not have sound. Stereo files will be fine and the solution is simply to play Dolby files via a secondary player like a laptop or a Blu-Ray that can convert Dolby to a Stereo output. This adds a layer of complexity but for any movie buff, it is not much of a challenge.

You can set it up in your living room for the evening, then stow it away in a cupboard due to its small size or even suspend it from the ceiling or mount it on a tripod using the mounting thread
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Yes the picture quality is not HD and there is a bit of an issue with Dolby 5.1 audio tracks but for the price, this projector is amazingly flexible and fun to use. You can set it up in your living room for the evening, then stow it away in a cupboard due to its small size or even suspend it from the ceiling or mount it on a tripod using the mounting thread. It will connect to virtually anything and give you a good result, for this alone is worth recommending.

• BRIGHTER AND CLEARER IMAGES – This 1500 lumens mini projector With a contrast of 1000:1,20%
• OPTIMUM PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY – Projected screen size is from 30 to 176 inches with a projection distance of 1.1 to 5m.
• IMPROVED NOISE-REDUCTION AND LONG LAMP LIFE – Equipped with a reduced-noise fan which cuts fan noise by half.
• The advanced LED lamp could work at least for 50000 hours.
• MULTIPLE DEVICE CONNECTION – This home projector provide AV / VGA / USB / HDMI interface. It can be connected to PC / Smartphone / Tablet / DVD / PS3 / Xbox / TV box / U-disk / hard disk.
• LEADING WARRANTY SERVICE – 3 YEAR warranty & Technical Support.
• NOT recommended it for PPT or business presentations.

RRP: £59.99 in the UK or $67.99 if you are in the US make sure you use DBPower Promo Code: Y3EKU4HM before the 04/30/2018 11:59 PMPDT!!!

 

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Product Review: DBPower RD-810 Mini LED Projector appeared first on Tech Trends.

Blast away the February blues, keep your data safe and all your devices charged with Tech Trends’ latest product reviews!

Aukey 20,000mAh Power Bank

Has Tech Trends found the best power bank ever? Well, we just might have! Sure it is big but it is deliciously slim and rounded so it will slip effortlessly into bags and briefcases.

Has Tech Trends found the best power bank ever? We just might have!
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It isn’t one of those sharp cornered bricks that end up blocking satchel pockets and making itself a flipping nuisance, this power bank will sit comfortably between your laptops and folders of paperwork. Its smooth, slim shape is not its only practical feature though, as it also packs 20,000mAh of juice to charge an iPhone 7 around seven times or your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 four times over.

This smooth, slim power bank will sit comfortably between your laptops and folders of paperwork, and it packs 20,000mAh of juice
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I challenge you to find a cable this won’t work with! It has all the standard connections for Apple and Android users, Lightning IN, USB-C IN and Micro USB IN mean you can charge it up whichever flavour of smartphone or tablet you prefer. The three standard USB and one USB-C OUTs mean you can drain all that lovely power into your devices, be it an iPhone X, an iPad, an Honor 7X or a Samsung Galaxy S8 or, charge all four devices at the same time!

It is deliciously slim and rounded so it will slip effortlessly into bags and briefcases. It isn’t one of those sharp cornered bricks that end up blocking satchel pockets and making itself a flipping nuisance
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It comes with Aukey AI Power which supports healthier battery function and faster-charging speeds as well as automatic charging, so just plug in your tech and it will start charging
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Of course, there are LED indicators and a small power button one side but that won’t get much use as it also comes with Aukey AI Power which supports healthier battery function and faster-charging speeds as well as automatic charging, so just plug in your tech and start charging. Currently reduced on Amazon this power bank is the boss, and no mistake.

• Large Capacity: 20000mAh to charge your iPhone 7 6.8 times, or 9.7-inch iPad Pro 1.8 times, or Samsung Galaxy Note 8 4 times
• Universal Charging: 3A total output to charge a USB-C device and three USB-A devices simultaneously (the USB-C port can supply a powerful 3A by itself). Recharge your power bank via USB-C, Lightning, or micro-USB port
• Refined Design: Slimline form makes it comfortable to hold and matte surface keeps it free of fingerprints. Minimalist LED indicator shows remaining battery level at a glance
• Safety Features: Built-in safeguards protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging
• Package Contents: AUKEY PB-Y14 20000mAh Power Bank, USB-A to USB-C Cable, User Manual, 24-Month Warranty

RRP: £34.99 reduced from £54.99, wow!

TeckNet Raptor Wired Optical Gaming Mouse

The wired, desktop mouse might feel old school nowadays when digital artists and illustrators use pens & tablets for line drawing instead. But for fine cursor control and ease of use, nothing has really beaten the mouse. It also allows you more finger controls than a pen and this lovely USB optical mouse from TeckNet has 8 buttons to keep your digits busy. It also has shifting coloured LEDs meaning you can find it in the dark and frankly it looks quite cool, definitely not retro.

This mouse just feels more natural, squeezing the whole mouse from the side with your thumb to left click is much more comfortable for me
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After testing this out for a few weeks I can safely say that I don’t need all 8 buttons but the options are there for those who need them. The one button that has changed the way I navigate my PC is the extra thumb button that acts as a second left click option, it just feels more natural, squeezing the whole mouse from the side with your thumb is much more comfortable for me. The super accurate scroll and click wheel with its rubberised edge is also really comfortable and does exactly what I want, when I want, unlike many other scroll wheels I have used.

This lovely USB optical mouse from TeckNet has 8 buttons to keep your digits busy. It also has shifting coloured LEDs so you can find it in the dark
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The next most useful additions are the two Back and Forward buttons that also sit by the thumb. You need to consciously articulate your thumb to reach them but having those common navigation functions right there in your hand is awesome for surfing the web. ‘Built for winners’ and ‘developed with gamers in mind’, every component from the really nice braided cable and tactile surfaces to the gold-plated USB connector is constructed from high quality materials and the 8 buttons also boast a 7 million click lifespan so both gamers and regular users will get more bang for their buck. What’s more, by adding 40g of extra weight to the mouse and a nice ergonomic design, this mouse can be used for hours in total comfort. When it comes to mice, evolution is everything.

• Accuracy is everything: The RAPTOR’s features exclusive TeckNet TruWave gaming sensor optimizations for high-accuracy cursor control. Whether zipping across the screen or honing in on a single pixel, the TruWave gaming sensor responds accurately to your hand movements. This mouse also can be used on any surface, including transparent glass
• Premium Eight Buttons: Bear up to 7 million times click with clear and crisp sound. The unique fire button enables triple clicking at one press and keeps you on top of your game, all the time.
• Fits Like a Glove: Ergonomically designed to fit snugly under the palm of your hand with intuitive button placement for the most comfortable gaming experience yet.
• Be ready in an instant: Make the right moves in any game situation. Shift through up to three DPI settings, from pixel-precise targeting to lightning-fast manoeuvres with a single button press, conveniently located behind the scroll wheel
• TeckNet 18 Months Warranty: At TeckNet, we believe in our products. That’s why we back them all with an 18-month warranty and provide friendly, easy-to-reach support
• Compatible: Win 98/2000/ME/XP/Vista/7/8 /10

RRP: £8.99 in the UK & $13.99 in the US

Aukey USB C Cable to USB 3.0 Type A – 5 Pack

The adoption of USB-C is almost complete. The majority of smartphones and laptops have this superfast connection as standard now and it won’t be long before external drives make use of its fast bus speeds to connect computers to the next generation of SSDs whose transfer speeds far outpace USB 3.0. USB-C ports are even popping up on ATX Motherboards alongside USB 3.1 Gen2 connections so it in your interest to have a few cables to hand.

The majority of smartphones and laptops have this superfast USB-C connection as standard now and it won’t be long before PCs join the new Apple Macs, sporting it as default
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Again Aukey is on hand with an insanely well priced and high-quality option. This 5 pack of (different length) USB 3.0 to USB-C cables is only £16.99 on Amazon here in the UK and claim Data Sync and Charging for Samsung Note 8 / S8+ / S8, MacBook Pro 2016, Nexus 6P / 5X, Google Pixel, LG G5 V20, HTC 10 among others. I had no problems transferring data with these cables but it is important to note that in the emerging and confused world of ‘fast charging’ standards, different smartphone manufacturers vary a lot so it would be foolish to guarantee these would fast charge all devices. The fact the phone manufacturers all recommend you only use their branded cables for fast charging is a bit of a hint that they have different standards so be aware of this. However, these Aukey cables fast charged my Samsung Galaxy S8 without an issue using the a Quick Charge USB 3.0 Mains Charger.

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Data transfer to and from Android devices is a bit of a pain in the arse and I had no luck connecting my S8 to a MacBook Pro with either the supplied Samsung USB-C cable or these Aukey cables. Android and MacOS famously don’t get on and even Google’s Android File Transfer app failed to get the two devices connected. However, on a Windows 10 PC, there was no problem and no extra drivers needed. Transfer speeds over the Aukey cables were stunning – Read 492MBs & Write 231MBs with 4GB files. That is quick!

Transfer speeds over these Aukey cables to my Samsung Galaxy S8 were stunning - Read 492MBs & Write 231MBs with 4GB files. That is quick!
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• Compatible Devices: Samsung Note 8 / S8+ / S8, MacBook Pro 2016, ChromeBook Pixel 2015, Nexus 5X / 6P, OnePlus 3 / 2, HUAWEI P10 / P9, Lenovo Zuk Z1 and other type c supported devices including PC, Tablets, and other Smartphones
• USB Type C: USB C reversible connector design (plugs in both ways) allows you to conveniently connect cable in any orientation
• Data Sync and Charging: USB C cable to USB A cable enables up to 5Gbps USB 3.0 super-speed data transfer, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Built-in 56k Ohm, it protects your device
• Durable and Convenient: Nylon braided cable with reinforced aluminium shielding is designed to withstand every-day wear and tear, and five cables with different lengths can satisfy all your daily needs
• Package Contents: AUKEY CB-CMD2 Three 3.3ft A to C Cables + One 6.6ft A to C Cable + One 1ft A to C Cable, User Manual, 24-Month Warranty Card

These are sturdy, stylish and fast cables for a very low price. The connectors are solid and attractive and the woven cable cover is a nice upgrade from rubbery plastic. Great product.

RRP: £16.99

Aukey USB C to Micro USB Adapter Grey Aluminum – 2 pack

As a cheaper option to the cables above you can simply adapt your old Micro USB cables and chargers to fit your new USB-C smartphone. You won’t get the fast charging or the fast data transfer speeds but you will be able to charge your phone using any of the thousands of old Micro USB cables modern households have kicking around.

You won’t get the fast charging but you will be able to charge your phone using any of the thousands of old Micro USB cables modern households have kicking around
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These little, beautifully made, aluminium, USB-C to Micro USB adapters are super smart and solidly built and at £7.59 on Amazon are a steal. I tested them out and they did exactly what they were supposed to do. Personally, I scattered them around the house on the old charging cables I keep handy and reserve fast charging to my office desk and bedside.

These little beautifully made, aluminium, USB-C to Micro USB adapters are super smart and solidly built and at £7.59 on Amazon are a steal
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• USB C Male to Micro USB Female: It allows you to charge USB C devices and transfer data from micro USB devices to USB C devices with a micro USB cable
• Data transfer: USB 2.0 transfers data at a speed of up to 480Mbps; equipped with a 56-kilo-ohm resistor to ensure the safety and reliability
• Supports USB OTG: Plugin and you can use those computer peripherals like a flash drive, keyboard, hub, or mouse with your USB C equipped phone or tablet
• Easy to Use: Lightweight and compact, with aluminium alloy design, you can take it with you anywhere; plug and play, don’t need to install any drivers; the reversible USB C connector that plugs in either direction
• Package Contents: AUKEY CB-A9 Two USB C to Micro USB Adapters ( Grey ), User Manual, 24-Month Warranty Card

RRP: £7.59

Apricorn Aegis Fortress USB 3 Secure Drive

Here we have a rugged, portable, USB 3 external drive from Apricorn, boasting incredible data security, with FIPS 140-2 level 2 Validated Encryption Module, the Aegis Fortress is a 1TB beast! Tough on the outside, FIPS-validated on the inside, and pocket-sized portability to safely carry your data anywhere you go.

Available in a wide variety of storage capacities in both HDD and more speedy SSD models the Fortress is Software-Free, 100% hardware-based 256-bit AES XTS encrypted, onboard keypad PIN authenticated, with ultra-fast USB 3 data transfer speeds. As with the other Apricorn drives Tech Trends has tested, all data is encrypted on the fly and all PINs and remains encrypted while the drive is at rest so relax, your data is safe!

Available in a wide variety of storage capacities in both HDD and more speedy SSD models the Fortress is Software-Free, 100% hardware-based 256-bit AES XTS encrypted
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This beauty will work wherever you work, it’s completely cross-platform compatible and OS agnostic. The Fortress thrives with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and Chrome. It also works where software-authenticated encrypted devices can’t function, such as embedded systems and equipment in possession of a powered USB port and storage file system, but no keyboard. All internal componentry is protected from physical tampering with a layer of hardened epoxy, and the firmware is locked down to prevent any modifications making it impervious to malware attacks such as BadUSB.

This beauty will work wherever you work, it’s completely cross-platform compatible and OS agnostic. The Fortress thrives with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and Chrome
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The Aegis Fortress comes with IP56 Certification, meaning it is dust and water resistant with a durable ABS housing and membrane keypad preventing the drive’s most commonly used buttons becoming visible through use. The drive is unlocked by entering a PIN on the keypad and not the host computer’s keyboard. Until the device is unlocked via its keypad, it remains invisible to the host. Tough enough to go anywhere, the Aegis Fortress’s resilient design makes it perfect for travel and generally well protected against physical damage but the tamper-evident external plastic shell does feel less sturdy than some of their other products.

The Aegis Fortress comes with IP56 Certification, meaning it is dust and water resistant with a durable ABS housing and a membrane keypad
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Self-Destruct PIN:
When Programmed and Activated, Performs a Crypto-Erase and Becomes New Access PIN. The last line of defence for data security when the device’s physical security is at risk. The Self-Destruct PIN defends against these physically compromising situations by erasing the drive’s contents, leaving it in normal working order appearing yet to be deployed

Drive Reset Feature:
All Apricorn Devices can be Reset and Redeployed Over and Over. Drive reset clears both the User and Admin PINs, destroys the data, creates a new randomly generated encryption key and allows the drive to be reused repeatedly, with an infinite number of randomly generated encryption keys, allowing the admin and or user to reset the drive as often as is needed.

Unattended Auto Lock:
Programmable Length of Time of Inactivity Permitted Before Drive Locks Itself. All Aegis Secure Drives will automatically lock once disconnected from a computer’s USB port or the power to that USB port is interrupted or after a pre-programmed period of inactivity.

Two Read-Only Modes:
Global, All Access Settings Controlled by Admin, and User Mode Controlling Individual Settings. Employed in situations that require the drive’s contents to be kept intact and unaltered for later examination. The two Read-Only modes are as follows: Universal Read Only is set by the admin from within the admin mode and can’t be modified or disabled by anyone but the admin. The second read-only mode can be set and disabled by a user but can also be enabled or disabled by the admin as well.

FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Inside:
Meets the U.S. government standards for information technology and computer security. NIST FIPS 140 is the cryptography standard program required by the US federal government for protection of sensitive data.

Advanced Security:
The Aegis Fortress’s FIPS 140-2 validation covers 11 areas of its cryptographic security system, including physical security, cryptographic key management and design integrity. The Aegis Fortress’s FIPS 140-2 Level 2 encryption validation encompasses both the Fortress’s physical tamper-resistant features as well as its identity-based authentication. Tested and validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for use by the Federal governments of the USA, Canada and others, the Aegis Fortress Drive is based on Apricorn’s FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validated encryption module as indicated by certificate #2835. The Fortress’s security policy is located on the NIST site at this link.

If it is worth saving it is worth protecting and we strongly recommend the Aegis Fortress and the other Apricorn products we have tested, they prove that security doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to work
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If it is worth saving it is worth protecting and we strongly recommend the Aegis Fortress and the other Apricorn products we have tested, they prove that security doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to work.

RRP: Sizes 500GB – 2TB HDD (£155-£225) & 128GB – 8TB SSD (£135 – £3,425)

Dot Creativity Kit

Essentially the younger sibling of the Cue robot ‘Dot’ – part of Wonder workshops Creativity kit – is a chatty little robot equipped with a wide range of accessories to encourage children to both play and learn via a picture based language the basic mechanics of robotics and programming.

Less mobile and obviously aimed at a younger audience than its counterpart (6+) Dot nevertheless comes with three core downloadable mobile apps that give access to projects that range from crafting and active play to storytelling and construction.

Essentially the younger sibling of the Cue robot ‘Dot’ - part of Wonder workshops Creativity kit - is a chatty little robot equipped with a wide range of accessories
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Blocky – Playing with Dot’s lights, sensors, accelerometer, and sounds, Blockly introduces advanced concepts of coding through playful projects and puzzles. Turn Dot into a ticking time-bot, or use Dot as a robot remote control for sending Dash on adventures.

Go – Go is the first step to getting to know all that Dot can do. Give Dot a new name, change the colour of the lights, blink a robot eye, and more! It’s your mission to teach Dot how to play. Act out storybook characters, and explore the world together.

Playing with Dot’s lights, sensors, accelerometer, and sounds, Blockly introduces advanced concepts of coding through playful projects and puzzles
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The project cards provide games and challenges that direct creative play with each of the kit accessories and turn Dot into - among other things - a Disco ball
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Wonder – Wonder can power all of the Do-It-Yourself projects in the Dot Creativity Kit. Start with Wonder and discover how the picture-based language allows kids to explore and code adventures with the Dot Creativity Kit.

Dot itself is very dependent upon the apps and it is advisable if possible to use a tablet to play with them rather than a mobile as we found it very fiddly and hard to control on the relatively small screen of a smartphone. Younger children may also need a little direction to help get them up to speed and embrace the interface and how the picture language works. When things get a little baffling, on-screen prompts show the child exactly where to move each module to complete the code.

Add in Lego style connectors and a variety of stickers and ‘dress-up’ accessories to personalise your Bot and Dot transcends your usual ‘tech toy’ to become both a source of endurable fun and creative learning
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Unlike Cue – which came to life very quickly and was racing around the room in no time at all – Dot takes a little more effort and involvement before the surprises really begin. It is the project cards that really bring Dot to life and show off its varied capabilities. The project cards provide games and challenges that direct creative play with each of the kit accessories and turn Dot into – among other things – a Disco ball, a fortune telling Magic 8 ball, a talking dice or even (our favourite) a friendly programmable mood lamp.

Add in Lego style connectors and a variety of stickers and ‘dress-up’ accessories to personalise your Bot and Dot transcends your usual ‘tech toy’ to become both a source of endurable fun and creative learning.

What Comes in the Box:

• Dot the robot with attachable stand
• 2 building brick connectors
• 2 plastic to cardboard connectors
• 20 project cards with games & activities
• 10 costumes
• 1 squishy case
• 1 constructible mood lamp
• Over 100 stickers
• Multiple project accessories
• 1 charging cable
• 3 free downloadable mobile apps (Wonder, Blockly, & Go) with dozens of challenges, puzzles, and hours of free play

RRP: £76.39

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

Ashley Thorpe is Film and Games Correspondent at Tech Trends, award-winning director and animator at Carrion Filmsand full-time dad with an interest in educational toys that can entertain and educate lively young minds. Follow him on Twitter @CarrionScreamin

The post February 2018 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Birmingham University pioneered Immersive technologies for well over a decade, and now teaches students the skills they need to work at the cutting edge of VR.

Regular readers of Tech Trends won’t be surprised to find out that VR, AR, MR, XR (this last one stands for Extended Reality, and yes, that’s a thing) and the whole virtual experiences alphabet soup are going to be the future of work, entertainment, computing, the economy, and pretty much everything.

So when we got the invitation to visit The University of Birmingham’s Human Interface Technologies (HIT) lab we jumped a the chance. Not only were we keen to find out what cool stuff they were up to – quite a lot, at it turns out – but also get a sense of how students considering their career options these days can actually gain the qualifications they need to work in VR.

Graduates lucky enough to study here will enjoy amazing opportunities in VR
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Under the charismatic Professor Bob Stone, the HIT team has been at the cutting edge of Virtual Reality and telepresence/ telerobotic technologies since it opened in 2003, but their success is built on nearly thirty years of work in simulation, robotics and Human Factors for applications in aerospace, defence and healthcare.

Those looking to pursue a career in VR often gravitate towards computer-focused HE courses, but these are often quite broad in their scope, so many of the pioneers now working in the industry such as designers and modellers often come to VR and AR through Arts and Media backgrounds such as VFX, which makes sense considering what a highly visual medium this is.

The Human Interface Technologies department at Birmingham University pioneers VR Tech
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Although there are many world-class research centres around the world which focus on immersive technologies – such as the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University, which coincidentally was founded by Professor Jeremy Bailenson in the same year as HIT was born in Birmingham – university courses that teach a focused and practical skillset that enables students to work in VR are quite rare, with some notable exceptions such as Full Sail University which we visited in Orlando earlier this year.

Even more rare are courses which support this learning with industry partnerships and hands-on experience, which is what HIT has been offering its students under the leadership of Professor Bob Stone.

University courses teaching a practical skillset enabling students to work in VR are still rare
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Professor Stone holds a Chair in Interactive Multimedia Systems within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and has been pioneering the R&D into interactive media and robotic technologies at the University while his systems and technologies have also been used around the world by the likes of BAAE and British Ministry of Defence. Oh, and he is an honorary Cossack, so quite an interesting chap!

Many of their projects are developed in partnership with external companies and organisations
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As Bob talked us through his thirty years of experience working on VR technologies, two things stood out to me: how practical their work is – addressing real-world problems and involving field research – and how many of their projects are developed in active partnership with a range of external companies and organisations. Their track record in successful industry collaborations and community linked research and development projects is very impressive to say the least, I had a hard time picking a few examples to mention here, but these certainly caught my eye:

Subsafe

This is a VR training tool used by the Royal Navy to gain their submarine qualification, an experimental interactive 3D spatial awareness training tool designed to eventually replace legacy systems being used by Royal Navy submarine qualification (SMQ) instructors.

Navigating the decks and compartments in a “first-person” mouse-and-keyboard game style, SMQ trainees had access to all decks forward of the control room, comprising over 30 compartments and 500 different objects – including fire extinguishers, hose units, high-pressure air valves, and emergency breathing system masks.

After a year of experimental trials with the RN’s Submarine School, data revealed that the use of SubSafe in classroom training significantly improved the final “walkthrough” examination scores of trainees onboard an actual submarine.

Subsafe proved so successful, in fact that it sparked a series of spin-off projects commissioned by other future vessel and naval system developers, from submarine abandonment and rescue to early deck layout concepts for future surface combatants.

Virtual Wembury

The HIT Team also worked with medical professionals and patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham to determine whether VR could help patients recover from major surgery

They spent three years developing a detailed recreation of the Devon coastal path known as ‘Virtual Wembury’ which allowed recovering patients to enjoy a cycle ride through those idyllic landscapes right from their hospital beds. Professor Stone was born and bred in that area, so drew on his own experience to recreate the picturesque Devon environment in virtual form.

Feedback from patients has been very positive, and there’s a chance that this will inspire other hospitals around the country to roll out similar initiatives to incorporate virtual reality into their rehabilitation programmes.

Cutlass robot

Many Armed Forces EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) instructors feel that current classroom training does not equip trainees with adequate skills and system awareness to help them appreciate the capabilities and limitations of the vehicles they are about to operate.

The HIT team’s challenge in this case was to develop an affordable solution to train operatives in the Cutlass. This is an extremely advanced bomb disposal remote unite operated with a 9-axis manipulator and six separate joysticks, each controlling a different function and movement of the manipulator, depending on which control mode has been selected.

They did this by not only creating a highly realistic virtual urban street scene and house interior, but also a physical replica of the cutlass console containing accurate physics-based representations and locations of the key components, including the manipulator mode selection areas on a touch screen.

The Mayflower

Bob and his team also worked with groups in Plymouth, Dartmouth, Southampton and Worcester using Augmented Reality (AR) to deliver a range of innovative digital experiences including a detailed graphical recreation of the iconic Mayflower ship.

The 3D model is still a work in progress, but it will eventually include animated passengers, crew and cargo. They are also working on developing a range of believable effects relating to such features as the movement of sails and flags, the ship’s bow wave and wake, and the visual blurring necessary to create credible sense of changes in depth and distance over the route of the virtual ship, which will be superimposed onto the real-world scene, he explains.

Chinook Training Room 

From all the awesome things that Bob showed me, however, my favourite was probably the Chinook helicopter Mixed Reality simulator, which brings together VR with an inflatable enclosure conceived to help to support the future training of the UK Armed Forces’ Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). In battlefield incidents that require emergency medicine, treatment is often administered in the back of the helicopter.

The system is used to track the user’s hands with infrared markers mounted on lightweight gloves
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Using an Augmented Reality head-mounted display, trainees are able to experience interacting with a body that has both visual and haptic elements. The position of head mounted display is tracked in real time, and in six degrees of freedom, using an OptiTrack V120 optical/infrared motion capture system. This same system is used to track the end user’s hands, using small infrared markers mounted on lightweight gloves.

Yorkshire-based company TraumaFX delivered the Simbodie, an incredibly detailed human male model capable of being configured to represent a wide range of injuries, complete with interchangeable lower leg components representing intact limbs and traumatic amputation, and repositionable bullet wounds and lacerations. A Leicestershire-based company, Imagine Inflatables, constructed a ‘Chinook’ enclosure capable of being inflated and deflated quickly for rapid deployment and portability.

The enclosure provides a constraining environment for simulator users
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Together with replica Minigun and M60 Machine Gun models, and in conjunction with the Simbodie, the enclosure provides a constraining environment for simulator users, creating a believable in-flight scenario. As well as using video to simulate the external view from the helicopter via the windows and rear ramp (captured by flying the HIT Team’s drones over Dartmoor). The scene has been integrated with realistic sound effects taken within an actual Chinook cabin, provided to the team by Boeing Defence UK.

At the core of all this work is the idea of Human Centred Design – or ‘Human Factors’ as it is known. Designing the technology around the user and for the user. Not design for designs sake. Which is why it makes sense that the visit was organized by The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) – a body whose goal is to put the human at the heart of good design and engineering.

After all, technology is supposed to improve our performance but I am sure many of you will recognise situations where tech has slowed you down and made life more complicated not less!

At the core of all this work is the idea of Human Centred Design
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University of Birmingham College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students have an incredible opportunity to tap into the expertise of the HIT team and learn about the career possibilities Immersive Technology specific skills might offer them.

This is one of the most impressive and productive VR & AR focused education facilities I've seen
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I have to say that this is certainly one of the most impressive and productive VR & AR focused education facilities I have seen, and makes me wish I could go back in time and revisit some of my own education choices. But graduates lucky enough to study here will certainly enjoy some amazing opportunities to not only learn about VR, but also apply it in a variety of practical scenarios.

To find out how to leverage VR/AR/MR in your enterprise, Tech Trends offers bespoke Virtual Reality Consultancy support

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Studying for the Virtual Revolution appeared first on Tech Trends.

This beautiful smartwatch combines the best of analogue and digital into one classic-yet-modern timepiece.

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.

It wasn't until I handled the NYSW Soho that I realized what other smartwatches were lacking
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Where most smartwatches have the insubstantial quality of a toy about them, with rubbery buttons and plastic backs, the Soho is a weighty, shiny steel timepiece that oozes quality.

Too many smartwatches look like mini-phones on straps
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To be fair the S3 does not present itself as a traditional high-quality watch but the styling takes a lot from this established market and the version I tested was called the ‘Classic’ so I think the comparison still stands.

The NYSW Soho is actually a hybrid, defining itself as an Analogue Smartwatch
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But wait, aren’t I comparing a 21st century, super high tech smartwatch with the old-fashioned tick tock wind up kind, surely that is unfair? Well no, because the NYSW Soho is actually a hybrid, defining itself as an ‘Analogue Smartwatch’.

The New York Standard Watch Company began in 1885 as a pocket watch manufacturer in the Big Apple
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Too many smartwatches look like mini-phones on straps. Why can’t a smartwatch look like a classic watch? That’s exactly the big benefit of NYSW. The watch performs and looks like a normal timepiece but has smart-tech to keep you going.

Maintaining connectivity with a solid stainless steel construction was a design challenge
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Remember the iPhone debacle a while back, when the metal construction of the phone restricted the functioning of the basic cell aerial? well, that was the biggest design challenge for NYSW, to use high-quality 316L stainless steel yet maintain Bluetooth and Wireless connections to other devices. That is one reason why the Samsung S3 uses so much plastic, but my Soho felt like a glistening steel tank and had no problem keeping in touch with my Android phone and Wi-Fi network. The front is sturdy and reliable Sapphire glass and the strap is gorgeous Italian leather plus the watch is waterproof up to 50 meters (164 feet) so it’s pretty tough all-around.

The New York Standard Watch Company began in 1885 as a pocket watch manufacturer in the big apple. But after more than 40 years in business, closed its doors the same year as Wall Street crashed. A name that was always associated with high-quality timepieces became elevated to antique status and collector’s items. In 2006, the New York Standard Watch Company name was rediscovered and established by innovative watchmakers with a new focus – combining analogue watch technology with exciting design.

NYSW is relaunching for the 21st century with a Kickstarter campaign that with 21 days to go, at the time of writing, has achieved double its target so backers are seriously keen on this product. Take a look at the images and graphics below for info on the three smart models NYSW are offering at this stage.

My watch felt like a steel tank and had no problem keeping in touch with my phone and Wi-Fi network
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The strap is gorgeous Italian leather plus the watch is waterproof up to 50 meters
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So apart from stylishly telling the time just what will your NYSW do? Once you pair it with your device and download the appropriate iOS or Android app, you’ll get the full range of features you’d expect from a smartwatch, such as: call alerts, Facebook, Twitter and SMS notifications, smart health features including steps and calorie counter, activity tracker, global calendar, drink water & pill reminder, countdown timer all communicated by haptics and dials on the watch face. The battery is also supposed to last you two weeks, and although I haven’t had mine for quite as long as that, it is certainly showing no signs of winding down after four days of heavy use. So far, so good.

The Soho timepiece claims a battery life of two weeks
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My one complaint is that you can't tell the time in the dark with this smartwatch
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After using it for a few days I have only one complaint, it is impossible to read the time in the dark. The Manhattan model has luminous hands and dial which the others – including my Soho don’t –  but all things considered, this is a fine piece of craftsmanship and a very attractive and useful hybrid watch which I would highly recommend. Check out the NYSW Kickstarter campaign for a chance to get on board early and grab a large, early backer discount in time for Christmas.

Early backers on Kickstarter will receive a hefty discount when ordering
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Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Product Review: New York Standard Watch appeared first on Tech Trends.

Mozilla’s Black Mirror-like installation forces users to confront their complex relationship with data, privacy, and identity. Tech Trends went to London to open Pandora’s box and see what we could see. 

Advances in technology in the last few years have meant most of us are now dependent on digital services and Internet-connected devices. And in the context of our hectic lives, most of us never stop to think about what this constant connectivity and “always on” lifestyle means for our privacy.

The mere act of clicking “accept” when faced with a dauntingly long list of T&Cs for a new device, service or app signs us up for a multitude of sins. Let’s be honest, it’s a long-standing joke that people could put pretty much anything in there and we’d just agree. But the joke, it seems, is on us as we increasingly surrender control of our personal information, without really knowing what that entails down the line.

“I don’t have anything to hide, but I don’t have anything I want to show you either.” The Glass Room Exhibition Postcard

Mozilla & the Tactical Technology Collective have teamed up to lift the lid on some of the unexpected and unwelcome practices digital service providers use to extract value from our data. To engage the public in this debate they set up The Glass Room, an international, open Pop-Up Space where visitors are encouraged to learn more about the current situation, their rights, and responsibilities when living their digital lives.

We all need to regain some agency over our digital selves
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The message that comes through is that we all need to regain some agency over our digital selves, and to try to act independently in a world where we are increasingly and indiscriminately being monitored – and where our data is constantly monetised in return for paid and free services.

We are increasingly being monitored in return for services
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“As a not-for-profit, Mozilla invests in creative ways to make sure people are informed and ready to protect themselves online. With fake news and misinformation, the normalisation of surveillance, and so-called “free” services from powerful tech companies, The Glass Room opens your eyes to the invisible imbalance of power and the irony of referring to our most intimate data as ‘personal’.” Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, Mozilla’s Chief Marketing Officer

The white-painted space resembles an art gallery dotted with plinths
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The Glass Room previously wowed visitors in New York in 2016 and this year came to London for three weeks. And if the packed house I saw when I visited earlier this month is anything to go by, it’s also been a hit on this side of the pond.

“The response from Londoners has been extremely positive.  In just three weeks, around 20,000 people saw the exhibit and hundreds of thousands more continue to experience it online through virtual reality.” Mozilla

The experience offered is hard to explain, the space is painted all white like a modern gallery and the floor is dotted with white plinths but instead of dusty bronze sculptures or fancy ceramic pots, the plinths boast iPads and headphones or strange looking interactive electronic devices, screens flickering with data or video feeds.

Mozilla invests in creative ways to get people ready to protect themselves online
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The closest thing The Glass Room resembles is an art exhibit but there is no reverent hush here, some people are huddled around the plinths debating loudly and animatedly while fiddling with their mobile phones while some solitary people stand closed off from the room in headphones intently watching video on iPads. One exhibit by @sam_levigne scanned your brainwaves while you followed a series of prompts and images that stimulated specific thoughts and emotions, then scanned your mind while you thought about shopping, exploring how we might integrate our thoughts digitally into services in the future and how that might work while subtly suggesting that you would have to surrender all that intimate brainwave data to an organisation, without questioning what it might do with it. We all assume the best in our data transactions but this is not a wise move. I particularly like the prompt that asked you to consider your own death for fifteen seconds while showing a school corridor!

I was surprised by how long the average visitor stayed
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Many of the exhibits were playful and drew you in with an interactive element, a novel premise or playful comment on our digital behaviour, such as the then let you draw your own conclusions about the healthiness or otherwise of that behaviour. Others such as the printed records of the 4.6 million passwords stolen from LinkedIn in 2012 encouraged you to flick through to see if your password was in there, a reminder that large digital organisations do not have a good record of keeping our private data safe. I strongly recommend you check out The Glass Room VR experience to look more closely at the innovative exhibits on display.

“The Glass Room is more than just a pop-up store — it’s part of a broader campaign to educate the public about their relationship with the internet. Billions of people depend on an open and accessible internet for knowledge, livelihood, self-expression, and even love. This is why Mozilla is investing in exhibits like The Glass Room, to grow a movement to make the Internet healthier.” Mozilla

The UK Glass Room was located on the bustling Charring Cross Road – just on the edge of Soho –  so the streets were teeming with people. Still, I was surprised by just how many of them stopped to through the tall glass windows and then came in. I was even more surprised, though, to see how long they stayed.

The Glass Room did not only want to help you grasp the implications of your online actions and digital lifestyle, several of the iPad exhibits showed videos and infographics that lifted the lid on the commercial companies behind some of the services we use daily and presented some shocking facts about the business models behind these services. The videos were simple, well designed and were often just a contextualised corporate video from the companies themselves explaining what they do and how they monetize it.

We should all make an effort to understand the new digital world we inhabit
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I consider myself pretty tech savvy and aware of the ways companies like Google and Facebook make their money but plugging into the array of exhibits at The Glass Room showed me just how wrong I was. I came away feeling that we should all make an effort to understand the new digital world we inhabit and take responsibility for our engagement with large digital companies whenever we can, otherwise we risk being seriously exploited in ways we don’t even imagine.

The London Transport Contactless system turns out to be something of a digital data trap
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The Glass Room previously wowed visitors in New York in 2016
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The most shocking example of how we have all blindly walked into a digital trap was the company behind the London Transport Oyster Card and Contactless Payment system. Convenient it may be, but those responsible for managing it – The Cubic Corporation – are in fact a huge American company specialising in realistic combat training systems, secure communications for specialised support services for military and security forces, networked command, control, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for defence, intelligence and commercial security missions. Notice the word ‘commercial’. It makes you wonder how in the world the UK government – without consulting the public, signed away the data of millions of London transport users, which can then be used by this company to enhance their other – less civilian-focused services too.

The Glass Room opens your eyes to this invisible imbalance of power
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IrisGuard scanned 2.3 million refugees and registered them on their biometric database
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Another shocker was the company IrisGuard, who have partnered with the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) to help monitor and distribute aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan. They have so far scanned 2.3 million refugees and registered them on their biometric database. The refugees have no choice if they want to receive shelter and aid after fleeing a war zone and IrisGuard could use that personal data for, well we don’t know. More worrying still is that the advisory board members for this private company include the founder, chairman and CEO of a global bank; the former Head of MI6 in the UK and the former Homeland Security Advisor to George W. Bush. This is powerful personal data being gathered under the guise of a humanitarian cause with big money involved and it is probably safe to bet that the expected payoff is not just a warm tingly feeling… WTF!?!

The refugees have no choice if they want to receive shelter and aid after fleeing a war zone
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Most of us have little choice where it comes to signing away out data
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It could be argued that we all agree to these conditions when signing up to various services so – to quote the current U.S. President – “we knew what we were signing up for” but in the two previous cases that simply is not true, as the people in question had very little choice, and the information certainly wasn’t volunteered. Although we do all sign up to services and willingly give away our data with the abstract understanding that these companies will make money from it somehow, just how far they go, and where our data eventually ends up, is something few of us actually grasp.

Few people actually grasp how our data ends up being used by commercial companies
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Should we be excluded from useful services if we don't want to sign our lives away?
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A case in point is DNA testing company 23andMe, who my wife and I have used to find out a bit about our ancestry. Well, two years ago they signed a deal with drugs giant Pfizer to allow them access to all our DNA records for use in drug development, very profitable drug development. Buried deep in the T&Cs of 23andMe must have been a clause allowing them to sell our DNA data, a clause I didn’t read through laziness and unwillingness to trawl through the small print so yes it is my fault, but does that make it right? We have all done this but would it even be possible for me to be totally vigilant and read every letter of all the T&Cs I might sign up to? And should I be excluded from all these useful services because I would like to not quite sign my entire life and associated rights away to the highest bidder?

To put things in some context, should we take the time to read all the Privacy Policies we are required to agree to in a year, Time Magazine has reported we would lose 76 work days per year, not counting the T&Cs of the ISPs we all need to use in order to function in 21st century society. Clearly, it is unrealistic to expect any working human to fully take charge of and responsibility for their online activities and data if they are required to do this.

“There’s so little time in people’s daily lives to consider the consequences of their online decisions. The Glass Room is an engaging way for people to take an hour to think about what’s going on with technology and society and decide for themselves how they want to live their online lives.” Mozilla

The important messages here are firstly that we are all pretty ignorant of how our data is being used but more importantly that we have some power to make different choices that keep us safer online and limit the ways in which companies exploit our data. We also need to truly understand the value of our data, both to us and to others who would monetize it without our knowledge.

The Glass Room tackled all these issues in a friendly and educational way that had the public pouring through the doors and effectively highlighted the gaps in our collective knowledge. It was shocking but inspired me to pay more attention when I give away my data in return for services and content and to reassess how I evaluate the value of my data.

“We are always looking for opportunities to take our message of a free and open internet to new places. Right now, we encourage people to visit The Glass Room in virtual reality, and to try out the eight-day Data Detox Kit, helping you to take back some control over your digital self.” Mozilla

Some reactions from the public

During the exhibition, visitors were encouraged to leave their feedback by answering some questions. Here are a few of our favourites:

After visiting the Glass Room I felt:

–       “Watched”

–       “Empowered”

–       “That what I feared about the net was true”

–       “Scared and fascinated”

–       “It’s a confirmation of everything I feared and a reminder to not be complacent”

–       “Excellent! I was waiting for this project”

After visiting the Glass Room I want to:

–       “Stop stalking my ex-boyfriend”

–       “Find more ways of protecting me, my friends and family/ Enlighten other but I still want a social life”

–       “Think about my digital footprint”

–       “Delete all my apps but I need them”

–       “Be free”

–       “Start paying for an email service so I don’t use Gmail”

My favourite thing about the Glass Room:

–       “It’s free, accessible, intelligent and interactive”

–       “Someone cares about my privacy concerns and is taking the effort to explain it to me”

–       “It’s an accessible way to get non-techy people thinking”

–       “It makes complex content playful and accessible”

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Big Mother is Watching You appeared first on Tech Trends.

WiZ lights the way ahead with its Smart IoT connected LED lamps & bulbs.

We get a lot of products to test here at Tech Trends, build your own Raspberry Pi Laptop Computers, 360 Cameras, Secure Hard Drives, Smart Watches and even the odd Lunch Box and apart from the Lunch Box 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!

“Patented WiZ technology lets you enjoy full control of all your lights whether it’s through WiFi, mobile data networks, the infrared remote or your existing switches. By giving you more ways to control, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to how you’d like to interact with light. WiZ lets you control your lights by rooms, individually and also by groups, so you’re not limited to the physical constraints of the electrical wiring of your lights.”

The greatest thing about these lights is that THEY JUST WORK!
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Why is this so impressive? Well, let me explain. I tested the Colours Hero & Quest lamps and the WiZ Colours Pin type bulbs, all of which offer highly customizable lighting solutions based on energy efficient LEDs packaged into attractive and functional modern designs. More on the colours and design below but it is the setup process that blew me away. Plug a WiZ lamp into the mains or twist the bulb into the ceiling socket, connect to your Wi-Fi, download the app and choose which room in the house you want to set up and hit add light.

Hit the scan button on your phone app and start playing with the lights
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Hit the Start scan button in the app and while it tries to connect your phone to the light via your Wi-Fi, flick the light on and off a few times till it starts pulsing and you are done. The light shows up in the designated room within your app and via the app, you have full control to set the lighting to your taste. I set up four lights in less than 10mins and three days later I am still having fun working through the options. All your setting are connected to a cloud account so you can connect to your home lighting from wherever you have an internet connection.

“Turn your lights on in your home from your office and vice versa. You can even control your WiZ locations from as far away as the moon. As long as you’ve got internet access, you can do what you want to do with your lights – even when you’re not physically there.”

The devices can be operated by Amazon Alexa and Google Home
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All these devices can also be operated by Amazon Alexa and Google Home as well as via the handy Mobile App. But what can you do with them? Aha, this is the cool bit, you can set your light to Daylight, Warm White or Cool White, choose custom colours or pre-defined dynamic colour sets such as Party, Forest or Fireplace.

Christmas and Haloween presets cycle through festive colours
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There are literally too many options to list here but whatever your mood or event the WiZ lights can be easily set to enhance your home and bring light to your day, there are even Christmas and Haloween presets that cycle through the relevant festive colours as fast or slow as you like.

“With Amazon Alexa, not only do you have the WiZ smart home skill, but you also get the WiZ custom skill (listed as “WiZ Advanced skill” on the Alexa store) to let you enjoy immersive WiZ dynamic light modes such as forest, mojito or romance. For Google, WiZ is supported by “Direct Actions”, where the Google Assistant on Google Home or your smartphone lets you control your lights in the most natural way possible – just by talking to it.”

Night-time and wake-up settings can be scheduled and customised
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The brightness is also customisable and night time and wake up settings can be scheduled to run at custom times. I really enjoyed playing with the WiZ lights and soon settled on the warm and comforting Fireplace setting for downstairs and the Daylight setting for the landing and office where it instantly felt brighter and less gloomy than the old-fashioned bulbs I had used. These really are fun and useful tech that just works!

With 64 million colours and dynamic light presets, this has something to suit everyone
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“WiZ brings total flexibility with 64,000 shades of white and preset well-being modes plus 64 million colours and dynamic light presets. Your eyes deserve the right light temperature and intensity to focus on a laptop screen, read a magazine or gradually get yourself ready for bed.”

RRP: WiZ Colours Hero £95.94
RRP: WiZ Colours Quest £89.94
RRP: WiZ Colours Pin Bulb £47.94

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Product Review: WiZ Connected Smart LED Lights appeared first on Tech Trends.

It’s that time of the month, when the Tech Trends team gathers up all the cool gadgets that come our way, Enjoy! 

Bakker Elkhuizen UltraBoard 940 Bluetooth Keyboard

Here we go again! My quest to find a Bluetooth keyboard that will work when I am sitting on my sofa about 10 feet from my Mac Mini, through which I stream TV. The UltraBoard 940 keyboard got off to a bad start as it is deeply unattractive and made of cheap feeling plastic but it came with clear instructions and the required rechargeable batteries, so I plugged it in and charged it up overnight hoping that the next day I would be able to search the web from the comfort of my sofa… Sadly not.

My quest for a Bluetooth keyboard that works at a 10 feet range continues
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I must have tried 10+ Bluetooth keyboards but none of them has the range. 10 feet doesn’t seem like a big deal to me when my Skullcandy Crusher Bluetooth wireless headphones can be 20-30 feet from my phone and still work flawlessly. Am I missing something? I was also disappointed with the keys on the UltraBoard 940 which are very cheap plastic and have a flimsy and unpleasant feel to them, in fact, the entire keyboard creaks when picked up and flexes horribly revealing that there are no metal structural components at all. The UltraBoard 940 claims to be ergonomic which in my experience usually means ‘small’ and I can’t speak to this claim as I was not inclined to use it for very long.

RRP: £83.99

Scentsy Go

The Scentsy Go is a portable, compact, cordless fragrance system that almost silently spreads, admittedly quite girly, scents around the house. It is battery-powered & ready to roam and is USB rechargeable so it goes where the stink is! I could have done with about fifty of these at the multi-day Hackathons I have attended when, by the third day, the air is thick with the rich stench of teenage genius, a smell comparable to sniffing the sticky, decade-old carpet in screen one of your local Odeon.

The Scentsy is portable, so can go wherever the stink is
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With a range of small and easy to change Scentsy Pods in your favourite fragrances enhanced by adjustable fragrance strength buttons it also brightens things up with a seven-colour LED display. If your home suffers from teenagers or dogs I can highly recommend these.

RRP: $50

DBPower 4K Action Camera

I am always excited to receive new cameras in the post and today DBPower have sent me their latest 12MP 4K Action Camera to test, so I’m a happy bunny. Not that I am planning to jump off some cliffs, soar around like an overactive eagle, or start leaping across random canyons in a high-powered motorcycle at some point… But when you’ve got such a new toy, even popping down to Tesco for your chicken Kievs is an excuse to start capturing moments for posterity. Read the full review here.

Dagoma Neva 3D Printer

I really wanted to like this cool looking budget Neva 3D printer from Dagoma and I also wanted the awesome red and white Tintin rocket ship I was trying to print but it seems the efforts to keep the costs low on this model have undermined its basic function. The guys at Dagoma were really great, and tried their best to help when I had issues but time after time the printer clogged, stopped working randomly, wouldn’t start or the semi printed object came free from the base and span off crazily resulting in a spaghetti of plastic all over the place.

I wanted to like this portable 3D printer, but the tech just isn't there yet
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Some of the issues I had might have been software related but to be honest, the Mac-based Cura software was the best part of the process, well laid out and not too confusing to use, but the real problems are with the printer itself. The feed mechanism, where you slide in the plastic medium is really crappy. It is not securely attached to the base of the printer so wobbles and feels very unstable. It jams frequently as it tries to pull medium into it and seems to leave chew marks on the medium that jam the printer head a bit further down the line. Twice the printer head jammed and when I pulled (extreme force required) the medium out of the feed tube it was mangled and the damage looked to have been done by the feed mechanism. The base plate was the most annoying feature though, following the instructions I cleaned it thoroughly with alcohol wipes before each new print but areas of it simply didn’t bind with the print medium so as the print progressed you could see the corners of the printed object peeling away from the base plate which inevitably meant that at some point it would break free and fly around as the printer continued to spit out medium in a useless mess. This happened three times and I simply do not have the time to waste trying to print the same piece over and over again only for it to fail halfway through.

Another compounding frustration is the printed instructions & the website, both of which are not clearly laid out or assume you know something about the 3D printing and the process when you shouldn’t need to. When I gave up part of my weekend last week to give it one more try, I found I needed to re-download the Cura software needed to create the Gcode file to feed into the printer but I literally couldn’t find this integral software anywhere on the website, so I resorted to Google to find it, and there it was, under a different, French Dagoma website with no link from the English homepage or support pages. Simply baffling. The website is a mess, full of empty, dead-end pages and when I couldn’t easily find advice for the third clogged/jammed printer head I resorted to Google again and woohoo, found the right page but then I was hit by another issue, The downloadable head cleaning Gcode file didn’t work when inserted on the SD card as per the instructions. A quick email to my contact at Dagoma came back with the response he had checked the file and it worked for him. Well, it didn’t work for me and with the disorderly website set up, I am not convinced we were even looking at or talking about the same page or Gcode file.

I must have put in 20+ hours trying to get this 3D printer to work
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I approached this printer with the best will in the world and must have put 20+ hours into trying to get it to work but I had to just give up after it failed to print even one piece of the model I was trying to build. I really don’t want to be harsh or overly critical of Dagoma but in the age of ‘it just works’, this 3D Printer just doesn’t. However, if you want to spend days of your time tinkering, fixing and retesting a 3D printer you might well enjoy the process and learn a lot about how the 3D printing works, but for anyone who needs it to just do its thing while you go and have a cup of tea, this is not the printer for you. I get this is a product designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but as a consumer product it falls short.

RRP: $249 (reduced from $399)

iStorage diskAshur Pro2

Since I started building computers 15 years ago I have tried every kind of drive – and every type of encryption – out there. And I can tell you, it was never simple. It never “just worked”. Until now.  I was very impressed in my quick test of the non Pro, SSD version of this drive but the Pro2 manages to keep the interface just as simple while ramping up both the security and capacity. Read the full review here.

RRP: £269 for 1TB Drive

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post October 2017 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Following our review of the diskAshur 2 SSD we test drive another super secure USB 3.1 encrypted portable hard drive, the Pro2 model. How does it compare?

Since I started building computers 15 years ago I have tried every kind of drive – and every type of  encryption – out there. And I can tell you, it was never simple. It never “just worked”. Until now.  I was very impressed in my quick test of the non Pro, SSD version of this drive but the Pro2 manages to keep the interface just as simple, while ramping up both the security and capacity.

DiskAshur's Pro2 manages to keep the simplicity while ramping up capacity and security
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Weighing in at half a pound this 1TB Pro2 from diskAshur has plenty of room for sensitive company or private documents and can lock them away behind impressive levels of encryption, designed to be certified to FIPS 140-2 Level 3, NCSC CPA (Foundation Level), Common Criteria and NLNCSA government accreditations. No one is getting their grubby hands on your data with this drive.

This 1TB Pro2 from diskAshur has room for all your sensitive documents
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No one is getting their grubby hands on your data with this drive
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If you think a knack for Sudoku is going to get you into this drive, think again. The iStorage diskAshur Pro2 is intelligently programmed to protect against all forms of Brute Force attacks. Firstly, a wear-resistant epoxy coated keypad, designed with protection in mind, hides key usage to avoid tipping off a potential hacker to commonly used keys.

A wear-resistant keypad doesn't tip off hackers to your most-used keys
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Then after five consecutive incorrect PIN entries the drive will freeze, requiring the drive to be disconnected and reconnected to the USB port to get a further five PIN entry attempts. If a further five (10 in total) consecutive incorrect PIN attempts are entered, the Pro2 will freeze again. To get a further and final five PIN attempts (15 in total), phew, I am sweating now, the “shift” button must be pressed whilst inserting the USB cable to the USB port and then an iStorage preset PIN will need to be entered.

After 15 incorrect PIN attempts the Pro2 deletes encryption key and data
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On the fifteenth consecutive incorrect PIN entry, the Pro2 assumes it is being attacked and will delete the encryption key and lock itself, rendering all data previously stored on the drive lost forever. At this point the data is gone but your valuable hard drive is still ready to use again and can now be reset to factory default settings and redeployed, nice!

The drive locks itself after a pre-set amount of time without being used
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If this weren’t enough, the Pro2 features the same James Bond style Self-Destruct PIN option as the SSD version as well as a second Unattended Auto-Lock Feature that sets an unattended diskAshur Pro2 to automatically lock after a pre-determined amount of time where the drive has not been used, but don’t use this if time keeping is a personal issue.

All the components of the diskAshur Pro2 are covered in super tough epoxy resin
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Oh, and put your hammer and screwdriver away, in addition to incorporating a secure microprocessor, encrypting the data and the encryption key, the drive adds another physical barrier between your data and a hacker. All the components of the diskAshur Pro2 are completely covered by a layer of super tough epoxy resin, which is virtually impossible to remove without causing permanent damage to the components.

The drive also comes with a rather tasty waterproof case
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This barrier prevents a potential hacker from accessing the critical components and launching a variety of patently futile attacks. Furthermore, the tamper evident design of the Pro2 if, god forbid, it were breached, will provide visible evidence that tampering has occurred. I must also point out the rather tasty waterproof case that comes with the drive. It has a nice leatherish feel to it, a sturdy zip and includes a useful wrist strap.

Whatever I plugged into these drives worked pretty seamlessly
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I trusted this 1TB drive with the Mastercut of my film Borley Rectory
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I took the opportunity to test out this huge 1TB drive and entrusted it with the Master Cut of my recently finished feature film Borley Rectory as I toured the country screening it at festivals far and wide. The sheer size of the drive was welcome as I had to transport 832GB of valuable video and promotional material around, and knowing that the five years of work I put into the film was secure was a relief as I trundled from city to city on Britain’s terrible train network

A feature of these diskAshur drives is their cross-platform compatibility
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iStorage thoughtfully designed the Pro2 with a sleek looking silver grey finish so I looked a little more professional than if I had taken the bright, Tonka Toy red SSD version I have. The other outstanding feature of all these diskAshur drives is their cross platform compatibility meaning whatever system I plugged the Pro2 into it worked seamlessly, this was magic as you wouldn’t believe the problems I have had in the past with drive format clashes… Well you might if you know your NTFS from your exFAT and your OSX Journaled. But overall, these drives do come highly recommended by Tech Trends!

RRP: £269 for 1TB Drive

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Product Review: iStorage diskAshur Pro2 appeared first on Tech Trends.