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The European Commission is investigating WhatsApp for not allowing third party AI providers anymore
9:01 pm | December 4, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

The European Commission is now launching an investigation into whether WhatsApp's new policy that disallows AI providers from using its business tools to communicate with users may breach EU competition rules. On the face of it, things are pretty clear - WhatsApp owner Meta has Meta AI, which is very prominently featured inside all of its apps, including WhatsApp. And while competing AI providers have been able to offer their chatbots inside WhatsApp, Meta recently prohibited third party AI providers from using the WhatsApp business tools "when AI is the primary service...

The CZUR ET24 Pro isn’t a perfect book scanner, but those who need one don’t have many choices
8:21 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Comments: Off

CZUR ET24 Pro: 30-second review

Most people think of scanners as that quaint mechanism that looks like an old photocopier on the printer, or an independent flatbed ideal for capturing receipts.

But in commercial terms, there are two pathways to bulk image capture: industrial document scanners that can handle hundreds of documents in short order, or devices like the CZUR ET24 Pro focused on book scanning.

Scanning books is a critical task for museums and archives where many people wish to see and read rare books, but the process is often detrimental to the documents.

The CZUR ET24 Pro is a camera solution designed specifically to cope with books where the scanning surface is likely to be curved, and the captured data will need to be flattened to provide the best viewing experience for others.

It features a 24MP camera mounted on a stand with its own lighting source and the electronics needed to profile the curve of the pages, and pass that information on to the scanning software to make appropriate adjustments.

The workflow allows the operator to turn the pages, hold them down and then trigger a capture using the foot pedal, hand switch or software-controlled, before moving on to the next page.

In addition to auto-flatten functionality, the software can also de-skew and includes OCR that can understand 180 different languages.

The CZUR ET24 Pro can scan any documents up to A3 size (16.5” x 11.7”), making it suitable for the majority of book scanning projects. CZUR makes a series of these devices, with the ET24 Pro being a mid-range option; it also makes cheaper, lower-resolution ET16 Plus and ET18 Pro models, in addition to the larger ET25 Pro and ET Max variants.

The only significant caveat with this device is the price, with the asking price being $649 for this model. That probably prices this hardware out for anyone who just wants to capture a single book, but for those who do this job regularly, it might be a solid investment.

CZUR ET24 Pro

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

CZUR ET24 Pro: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost? From $649/£649/€629
  • When is it out? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Through an online retailer or direct from CZUR

The range of CZUR scanners can be purchased through Amazon and AliExpress, and the asking price on Amazon is $649 in the USA, in the UK it's £649 at Amazon.co.uk, and €629 in Europe. Though the Europeans have a voucher deal running that reduced that to €534, making it the cheapest place to get it via Amazon.

The AliExpress pricing is better for the UK at £507.07, but for both the EU and USA customers, it's more expensive to get it from AliExpress than it is from Amazon.

Book scanning appears to be a subject that CZUR has effectively ring-fenced, since many competitor products are rebadged versions of its products. There are hand scanners and a few cheaper versions of the same concept, but CZUR has a wide range of options progressing from small portal solutions to larger professional installations.

Because there aren’t many competitors, the price is the price, and only the potential purchaser can determine if that represents value for money.

For what hardware is in this equipment, it seems expensive to this reviewer, but for those scanning books every day, it might seem like a bargain.

  • Value: ★★★★☆

CZUR ET24 Pro

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

CZUR ET24 Pro: Specs

Feature

Specification

Product Type

Smart Book & Document Scanner

Camera Sensor

CMOS, 24 Megapixels

Resolution

5696 x 4272 pixels (320 DPI default)

Max Scan Area

?A3 (420 x 297 mm / 16.5 x 11.7 in); Max: 480 x 360 mm (18.89 x 14.17 in)

Max Scan Thickness

35 mm (A3), 50 mm (A4)

Scan Speed

1.5 seconds per page (single/dual pages)

Image Format

JPG

Export Formats

JPG, PDF, Searchable PDF, Word, Excel, TIFF

Color Depth

24 bits

Video Streaming

MJPG

Preview

PC Visual Presenter: 3072 x 1728 @12fps; Scanning: 1536 x 1152 @20fps

Light Source

Built-in top LED and side lights

Focus Mode

Fixed focus

Trigger Methods

Device control, software, hand button, foot pedal

System Support

Windows XP/7/8/10/11 (32/64-bit), macOS 10.11+, Linux Ubuntu 16.04+

Processor

Dual-core OpenRISC 32-bit

Laser Assistance

3 laser rays

Memory

1Gbit DDR

HDMI Output

HDMI 1.4 (Visual Presenter: 1920x1080P 60Hz/50Hz, 1280x720P 60Hz/50Hz, etc.)

Display

2.4" LCD, 4:3, 320x240

USB

USB 2.0 High-Speed

Power

Input: AC 100-240V 50/60Hz; Output: DC 9V/1.5A-2A

OCR

ABBYY OCR, supports 180+ languages

Software Features

Flattening curve, smart paging, tilt correction, auto-cropping, fingerprint removal, background purifying, colour modes, auto/manual scan, watermark, screen/video recording, combine sides, blank page detection

Optical Features

EFL: 4.55mm, BFL: 3.4mm, F/NO: 4.5, IR Cut: 650±10nm, Field of View: 82°, Distortion:

CZUR ET24 Pro: Design

  • Mostly plastic
  • Built-for purpose
  • Plenty of options

I was initially somewhat disappointed with this device, or rather, specifically the build quality, as it is almost entirely made of relatively thin plastic.

Given the L-shaped form factor, I at least expected the base to be mostly metal to counteract the weight of the top arm that holds the camera. It’s not, and therefore, the whole construction isn’t far from toppling over if something or someone accidentally collides with it.

That said, it comes mostly in one piece, and the only feature that requires attaching other than cables is the side lighting component that is roughly halfway up from the base. This is attached using magnets, and again, they needed to be stronger magnets to avoid this part falling if knocked.

The base has four buttons and connections on the rear for attaching the various triggers, an included power supply and, on this model, a display via HDMI.

If you attach all the cables provided, including the foot pedal and hand button, there could be five cables coming out of the scanner, which is a bit messy.

One annoyance is that this uses generally old technology. The USB cable to connect it to a computer is Type-A, so that’s a pain for anyone with a modern laptop which has only USB-C, and the Type-A is USB 2.0, making for longer file transfers than are possible with better connectivity. Not that the scanned files it captures are huge, but USB has got better for many reasons with each subsequent release.

There is another way to use the scanner: use it for presentations and display what it sees via the HDMI output. This sounds super-useful until you realise that the maximum resolution supported by the HDMI is 1080p, whereas the captures are 5696 x 4272 pixels or nearly six times bigger. You can zoom the display to see more detail from the capture, but why this isn’t in 4K is a mystery.

CZUR ET24 Pro

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another curiosity is that on top of the scanner, where the camera is supported, is a small colour LCD display, which shows what the camera is currently seeing. If you are sitting in front of the scanner, unless you are remarkably tall, you won’t be able to see the display unless you are standing up. That might be great for posture, but the idea of scanning a book while standing up seems mildly bonkers for those in the later stages of life.

There is an easy fix for this would be that the display was hinged, just like the ones that are on most 3D printers, and this would have worked for both standing and sitting operations. This evidently was either never considered by the designers or they rejected it on a cost basis. Whatever the reason, it was an obvious omission that needs to be rectified.

Along with the scanner and its cables, CZUR also provides two ‘finger cots’, curious devices I’ll discuss in the user experience section. And, also a CD with the software on it. No, that’s not a bit of my infamously odd UK humour, this scanner came with a CD, something I’ve not seen with a tech product in many a year.

Why wasn’t it a cheap USB flash drive? I’ve no idea, but I take it that CZUR thinks that the market for these devices is those still using technology from the end of the previous century.

And, as if to underline this point in neon marker, the software is provided in a version that runs on Windows XP, disturbingly.

To be clear, you can download the software and the manuals from the CZUR website if you can’t find a PC with an optical drive mounted.

  • Design: ★★★★☆

CZUR ET24 Pro: Features

  • OpenRISC 32-bit
  • 1Gbit DDR?
  • Lasers?

CZUR describes the processor in the scanner as being a dual-core OpenRISC 32-bit, which covers a great many possible processors, none of which is especially impressive. The specifications also tell us that it has 1Gbit DDR. I find that hard to believe, because original DDR isn’t made these days, and also that would be 128MB/s of memory, which seems implausibly small for the job.

Perhaps those were typos, and it has 1GB of maybe DDR4, but I do wonder why they didn’t just take off-the-shelf phone electronics with their 64-bit ARM SoCs rather than building a complete bespoke platform to do the same job as phones do literally for pennies. And if they had taken that path, the scanner could have been wireless-capable and also have had USB-C inherently.

Another head-scratcher in the specs is that it indicates that the scanner has three lasers, which I presume are used to calculate the curve of the pages so they can be accurately flattened once scanned. My problem with this is that there is no evidence in use that there are any lasers, at least not ones that produce visible light frequencies.

I suspect this is another Chinese-made product where infrared and lasers are confused, as I can’t see anyone in the valuable book trade wanting their most valuable assets subjected to laser light if they could help it.

It should be noted that the profiling of the page has some significant limitations in the thickness of the book that can be scanned. The depth that can be adjusted for is 35 mm at A3 and 50 mm at A4. If your book is thicker than that, or you don’t hold it down to flatten it as much as possible, then you will end up with less than perfect scans.

CZUR ET24 Pro

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
  • Features: ★★★⯪☆

CZUR ET24 Pro: User experience

  • Define a workspace
  • Tons of features
  • Lacks a clearly defined workflow

Setting up this scanner doesn’t just involve getting it out of the box, plugging it all together and installing the software, as there are some subtle nuances to the installation that I wasn’t aware of.

For starters, there is a black neoprene mat that comes with the scanner that shows exactly the area that the camera is focused on, and it has a notch cut on one side, which is where the scanner must be precisely placed. Failure to do this accurately will impact the scanning process, so make sure it's right.

One thing that I only realised after a few scans was that no objects other than the book and your hands can be inside the border of the mat, and that includes the cabling. If it crosses the threshold of the mat, the software will think it's something to scan, and that will throw all sorts of things out of whack.

The software, which I’ll get to shortly, is designed to realise what fingers look like and will remove them from the processed image if you are using them to hold the pages down. However, also included are two yellow ‘finger cots’, which are devices to perform the same page-holding function, but are easier for the software to erase. They also provide a means to touch the book without adding skin oils to the paper, which is also useful for rare publications.

The biggest issue I had in creating a suitable workspace for this device was the amount of space it required. To avoid cables crossing the mat meant the laptop needed to be well away from the scanner, and my 120cm long pine table was probably the minimum size that is workable. Anything smaller and the computer will be too close to the scanning mat, making the scanning exercise more challenging. It would probably work better with a desktop system under the desk, although where you would put the mouse and keyboard is debatable.

In a previous role, I worked with document scanners, and it was a two-person operation: one handled the scanner and documents, while the other operated the computer.

That might seem people-intensive, but it's significantly more efficient than having one person do the whole thing by themselves.

In my experience, working alone, this process turned out to be more complex than I’d originally anticipated. This was mostly down to the need to use both hands to hold down the book and then needing a third hand or a foot to trigger the scanning process.

There is an ‘Auto-scan’ function that can detect page turns, but it’s easy to make a slight adjustment with the finger cots and trigger another scan of a page you have already captured. Facing pages can be captured as left and right images or as a combined, flattened output, which allows some leeway in cropping and adjusting how the captures are processed on each side.

CZUR ET24 Pro software interface

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There are, however, a few things missing that I’d have liked to have seen. Having worked with a repository containing millions of images, a golden no-no is having images with the same name, since this can lead to overwriting a file with something else.

What this software doesn’t offer is the unique label that is never reused and added to every filename. You can create daily or project-driven folders, but this system would be massively advantaged if the capture files were integrated with a database, possibly detailing who scanned them, what adjustments have been applied and other information, such as an index code for the book.

While it can scan barcodes present on the book, it doesn’t use the same logic to identify page numbers that can then be inserted automatically into the file naming model. That wouldn’t be difficult to achieve, and could make a file collection that is correctly sorted by page, irrespective of the order it was scanned.

What is more comprehensive are the options for exporting the files in PDF, Tiff and various other formats.

My assessment of the software is that it isn’t exactly intuitive, but I did eventually locate the features I was looking for. While I was reviewing the scanner, it was updated, suggesting that it does get improved on some basis, which is gratifying.

What it lacks is an inherent workflow, where a book goes in one end and scanned digital data comes out of the other end.

CZUR ET24 Pro scans

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
  • User experience: ★★★⯪☆

CZUR ET24 Pro: Final verdict

CZUR ET24 Pro

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Typically, with me, first impressions play a big part, and the amount of plastic in this product I found off-putting out of the box. However, after I’d used it, my opinion of this device subtly improved, because in the end of the day it does what CZUR claims for it.

I still think it needs a heavier base to counteract the arm, and a swivel on the display to make it easier to see when sat in front, but the workflow is practical, and it's possible to scan even a large book in an afternoon.

Does this justify the price? Probably not, but given the minimal product options that anyone wanting to scan a book has, that might be something you are forced to deal with.

I should mention before I get complaints that there are potential legal pitfalls to copying books protected by copyright, and that those using devices like the CZUR 24 Pro need to be aware of where those limitations exist in their specific geography.

This equipment can scan any book or publication, but doing so may not be protected under the law. But, if you have publications you can justify digitising, the CZUR 24 Pro will do it reasonably efficiently with a bit of training.

  • Final score: ★★★★☆

Should you buy a CZUR ET24 Pro?

Value

Seems expensive, till you realise the limited alternatives

4 / 5

Design

Simple but effective design that is quiet and attractive

4 / 5

Features

Odd hardware choices

3 / 5

User experience

Lots of features but lacks straightforward workflow

4 /5

Overall

Does whats required, but needs training

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need to scan some books.
While this isn't perfect at all, this is far superior to trying to use a flat-bed scanner or taking photographs.

Don't buy it if...

You have no scanning strategy.
The worst possible approach to scanning documents is to assume its a photocopy exercise. If you think that, then the CZUR ET24 Pro or any other book-scanning equipment will be a wasted investment. Develop a plan that considers how the contents will be stored, retrieved and distributed, and then think about a scanner.

For more essentials, we've tested the best scanners and best home printers.

Report says iPhone Air is losing its resale value at a record pace
7:46 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

The iPhone Air is shaping up to be a sales flop, and that’s also translating to its resale value. A new report from SellCell analyzed the depreciation of the iPhone 17 series based on trade-in price data from over 40 US-based buyback companies over a ten-week period. Based on the data, the Air has already lost between 40.3% and 47.7% of its initial value, depending on the storage trim. iPhone 17 series depreciation after 10 weeks The 256GB base model iPhone Air, which has an MSRP of $999, is now 40.3% cheaper on the used market. The 512GB trim (MSRP $1,199) lost 45% of its...

Spy shots reveal Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s rear cameras through protective case
6:35 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Xiaomi is expected to unveil its camera-focused flagship, the 17 Ultra, later this month in China. While the company hasn’t revealed any details about the phone yet, the stream of leaks continues. New spy shots of the device have now surfaced online. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is rumored to offer a triple rear camera setup with improved hardware. The spy shots show the alleged 17 Ultra inside a protective case, obscuring most of the camera module’s design. Even so, three sensors are clearly visible, including what appears to be a periscope telephoto lens. The flash and a few additional...

Dreame’s new mop-swapping robot vacuum is the most innovative and ambitious robovac I’ve ever tested
6:08 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra: two-minute review

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra is probably the most advanced hybrid robot floor cleaner that I've ever reviewed. At the heart of the design is a unique mop-swapping system that works like a vending machine. Instead of having a single pair of spinning mop pads like its competitors, this model's docking station stores three sets of mop pads, each tailored for different surfaces or rooms.

These mops are swapped automatically, depending on the room or surface it has been tasked to clean. Oh, and there are three cleaning fluid options, which can auto-switch, too. The aim is to ensure each floor receives an appropriate type of cleaning, and to help prevent cross-contamination. Not everyone will feel the need for that, but if you're meticulous about hygiene, or have more extreme mopping needs, this could well be the best robot vacuum for you.

Mopping performance is reinforced by dual rotating mop heads that apply consistent pressure to deliver deeper cleaning. And, like all good mopping systems, water flow is adjusted based on floor type and the mops are always lifted when the robot transitions onto carpets. The base station also handles self-cleaning of the mops (with hot-water washing and drying) and auto-emptying of detritus into a larger-than-average 3.2-liter bin bag.

Given that this robovac boasts an industry-leading 30,000 Pascals of suction power, I had high hopes for its vacuuming ability. In practice, it handled its everyday tasks exceptionally well, including collecting an awful lot of hair shed by my two Labradors, and delivering thorough hard floor vacuuming. However, it struggled to pick up large debris from a carpeted floor – it made a decent fist of it, but it wasn't quite as thorough as I'd expect given those stunning suction specs.

Navigation and mobility are extremely impressive since the bot has a retractable navigation puck to sneaking beneath low furniture, AI-assisted obstacle avoidance, and a chassis that can launch it over thresholds and floor obstacles up to a total of 3in / 8cm total height, or 1.6in / 4.2cm if it's a single step.

The enormous dock will rule it out for smaller homes, where in any case, such a complex setup may not be necessary. It's a perfect model for residents of large houses with mixed floor types, hairy pets or a desire to maintain high hygiene standards. I think it's also worth considering for use in most commercial premises like single-level offices, village halls, or small sports halls.

That's the short version; read on for my full Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum on a wooden floor

(Image credit: Future)

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: price & availability

  • List price: $1,999.99 / £1,399 / AU$3,499
  • Launch date: September 2025
  • Available: Widely, including US, UK, Australia

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra sits firmly in the premium end of the robot-cleaning arena and its standard price – $1,999.99 in the US, £1,399 in the UK, and AU$3,499 in Australia – reflects that position. However, I've already spotted big discounts that suggest you might not need to pay that kind of price – I've seen it on sale for $1,800 in the US, just £999 from the UK, and AU$2,499 in Australia. It's available to buy direct from Dreame, as well as via various third-party retailers.

Those discounts – in the UK and Australia, at least – bring the Matrix10 Ultra within reach of buyers who want high-end automation without tipping into the ultra-luxury tier. Granted, even at this reduced price it's still a substantial investment, but given the convenience and the ace level of autonomy it offers, I think it still delivers impressive value for money. I'd perhaps hold out for a better discount if you live Stateside, though.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum surrounded by all the accessories supplied in the box

(Image credit: Future)

The Matrix10 Ultra's high level of sophistication does come with trade-offs. For instance, the mop-swapping dock is enormous by comparison to others on the market, and the machinery is complex. Hence, if you live in a small space, have uniform flooring or don't need frequent mopping, its advantages dramatically shrink and the upfront cost feels harder to justify. But for large homes with mixed surfaces (and even some commercial properties), this type of hybrid bot starts to make a lot of financial sense.

If the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra seems like too big a financial commitment, perhaps give one of the Chinese company's earlier models some consideration. The L40 Ultra might not have swappable mops but it's still a cracking bot that now retails at a significantly lower price than the Matrix10 Ultra. Alternatively consider the equally excellent Roborock Qrevo Series, for a similarly affordable price.

  • Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra specs

Max suction:

30,000Pa

Robot size (L x W):

in / 35 x 35.1cm

Robot height:

3.5 in / 8.9cm

Dock dimensions (H x W x D):

23.2 x 16.4 x 17.9 in / 58.9 x 41.6 x 45.5 cm

Dust bin volume (base):

3.2L

Water tank volume (base):

5.5L (clean); 4L (dirty)

Mop type:

Auto-interchangeable dual spinning mop pages

Base type:

Charge, empty dust, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads with hot air, automatically swap from three mop pad sets, auto-dispense one of three cleaning fluids

Max threshold clearance:

1.6 in / 4.2cm (one step) or 3in / 8cm (two steps)

Navigation:

Retractable LiDAR Pathfinder

Obstacle avoidance:

Double laser+AI+RGB+LED

Carpet detection:

Ultrasonic

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: design

  • Features include step-vaulting feet and a retracting LiDAR puck
  • Enormous dock vends different mop types and cleaning solutions
  • Hi-tech and advanced navigation and object avoidance systems

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra is a cutting-edge robovacs, starting with its navigation system, which is one of the most technically impressive I've come across. There's a retractable DToF LiDAR unit (complete with attractive blue ring light), 3D sensing and an AI-enhanced RGB camera that combine to deliver fast, accurate 360-degree mapping while still allowing the robot to lower its profile and slip under furniture with a clearance of just 3.5in / 9cm.

Like the Roborock Saros 10, this ability to retract its LiDAR turret gives the Matrix10 Ultra both the precision of high-end LiDAR mapping and the physical flexibility to reach recessed areas many robots miss.

Close up of front camera on Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

Its vision system, meanwhile, adds a second layer of intelligence: a structured-light 3D sensor paired with the aforementioned RGB camera. Together, these navigation tools identify and classify a wide range of objects, allowing the robot to plan collision-free routes that seem logical, at least when compared with some other models I've reviewed.

I've been astonished by how confidently and intelligently this model has mapped and navigated my home – and even a huge village hall – without any hiccups whatsoever. It just works.

Robot design

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's industry-leading 30,000 Pascals of suction power is a major bonus, especially when it comes to removing most trapped dust particles in carpet and rugs. Couple this suction power with Dreame's dual rollers (one with added bristles) and and an extendable side sweeping brush for great pick-up coverage along skirting boards and furniture edges, and you have one very efficient floor sweeping system. Like most Roborocks, you're offered five levels of suction with this model – Quiet, Standard, Turbo, Max and Max+.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum flipped over to show underside

(Image credit: Future)

However, what really sets this model apart from almost all others bar the Mova Mobius 60 (a sub-brand of Dreame) is its advanced mopping hardware. Instead of using a single pair of spinning mop pads to clean the entire floorspace, the Matrix10 Ultra supports a range of three different mop types that can be allocated to different rooms, and these mops are swapped automatically in the charging dock (more on this in the section directly below).

Like all good modern hybrid robot vacuums, the Matrix10 Ultra automatically lifts its mops when moving over carpets, or leaves them in the dock if not required. And when it's mopping, it also raises both the twin brush rollers and the side brush so they remain muck-free.

Many high-end bots are capable of scaling thresholds and low steps but this one performs better than most. It's able to quite literally climb up a pair of steps, a sliding door track up to 3in / 8cm in height, or single steps up to 1.6in / 4.2cm, by raising its chassis and launching itself forward. (You can see the system in action on a different Dreame bot in TechRadar's Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.)

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum cleaning a carpet-like rug

(Image credit: Future)

Because this model is equipped with a decent RGB camera up front, you can also use the Dreame app to manually steer the robot around like an RC car. I've always thought of this function as a bit of a gimmick, but I was proven wrong the other day in our village hall: the Matrix10 Ultra got stuck in a tight spot to the side of a toilet bowl and its sensitive sensors prevented it from jiggling itself out of trouble. I simply launched the app from my location, selected the camera icon and managed to steer it out manually. I then tasked it to continue cleaning and all was well again.

View from camera on Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum

(Image credit: Dreame / Future)

However, there is one genuine gimmick added to the camera function that I see no use for, aside from a bit of amusement. If you select the speaker-and-dog icon you can choose from a selection of noises – a cat meowing, purring, a dog bark, some footsteps and the ticking of a clock.

Dock design

Let's first address the elephant in the room – the size of the dock. While attractive enough to look at, it is huge by comparison to the majority of other models. In fact most people might ask why you elected to put an under-counter fridge in your living room. It certainly looks a bit like one.

At 23.2in / 58.9cm in height, a whopping 16.4in / 41.6cm in width and a depth of 17.9in / 45.5cm with robot ramp attached, this dock dwarfs most others on the market and that will most certainly be an issue for anyone with a smaller home. But then again, Dreame likely never envisaged this model being used in anything other than large homes – its unique multi-mop system bears this out.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum in its dock

(Image credit: Future)

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's dock is one of the most technically sophisticated charging stations ever paired with a hybrid robot. Aside from automatically emptying the contents of the robot's tiny bin into its larger-than-average 3.2-litre dust bag, the dock can also store multiple mop types and automatically switch them using a jukebox-style system.

In a nutshell, the bot leaves the dock and waits a minute or so while a module behind the front door raises up to grab the required magnetically-affixed mops from their holding base before placing them face down on the dock's cleaning plate mechanism. The robot then returns to the dock where the mops are attached. It's a very clever system, no doubt, but the jury's out on the amount of moving parts involved and the reliability of the system in the long term.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra

(Image credit: Future)

You get three sets of pads included and each one is slightly different and designed for a specific purpose: the yellow pads have scrubbers fitted for deeper cleaning in greasy areas like a kitchen; the grey pads are thicker and more absorbent for bathrooms or flooring where you want less streaking; and blue are for general-purpose mopping of living areas. However, you can use the Dreame app to set which types of mops you want used for each room.

Three sets of mop pads laid out on the floor

(Image credit: Future)

The million dollar question is whether you really need three sets of mops for different rooms. Dreame says it's mostly for hygiene purposes and the prevention of cross-contamination and I can see this being a valid reason for anyone with toddlers on the floor who doesn't want a toilet mop to then clean the living room floor, even if it's self-cleaned between tasks. But is avoidance of the possibility of cross-contamination really that important? If it is, then this model is unequivocally the one for you.

Given that this model is best suited to larger abodes, the dock houses two extra-large water tanks – a huge 5.5-liter tank for clean water and a 4-liter tank for the filthy stuff. Once a mopping task is completed, the bot returns to dock where the mops are thoroughly washed in hot water at 212F / 100C. This water is then purged into the dirty water reservoir ready for emptying at your leisure or whenever the app tells you to do so.

Water tank removed from dock for Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

This hot-water cleaning cycle does a far better job of breaking down grease, grime and detergent residues than the lukewarm rinses found in many competing systems. Once cleaned, the mop pads are dried with hot air to prevent bacterial growth and eliminate damp smells.

Meanwhile, the multi-solution compartment – a first in my book – lets the dock dose different cleaning fluids automatically, adjusting formulas to match floors or cleaning modes. You get three types of solution in the package – one liter of Dreame Floor Cleaning Solution, 200ml of Pet Odor Solution and 200ml of Wood Floor Care Solution.

I'm always slightly wary of gadgets with lots of moving parts, because the more complex the engineering, the more potential points of failure there are further down the line. However, I didn't experience any issues with the dock – or the robot itself for that matter – during my review period.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: performance

  • Expert navigation, accurate object avoidance and powerful mapping
  • Excellent vacuuming on hard floor, and very decent on carpet
  • Complex mop system works well and mopping is a cut above average

So how does the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra hold up in practice? Let's take a look at the performance. I've broken this section up into different parts to make it easier to digest.

I've been extremely impressed by this bot's navigation performance and its initial mapping sequence was insanely good. In fact, it's the first robot vac to ever accurately map my open plan home with all spaces highlighted correctly and with no dividing or merging of rooms required. It even automatically named four of the five rooms it had mapped. This means it was accurately spotting the dining table in the dining room, the sofa in the living room and the kitchen by its layout. Furthermore, it did all this in a smidge under five minutes.

I then installed the whole system in our huge village hall – 121 square meters – and it mapped the hall, kitchen and toilets in 10 minutes, and even correctly named the two toilets and dividing hallway. Moreover, unlike other models I've tested in the hall, the Dreame's main map has remained stable with no shifts in the map's perspective. LiDAR is known to struggle when mapping huge areas like a commercial hall, especially if it has many windows with bright sunlight pouring in. But this model has so far bucked that trend.

Screenshots from Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum app

Click to enlarge (Image credit: Dreame / Future)

During my tests the Matrix10 Ultra has planned efficient, seemingly logical cleaning paths rather than wandering around randomly. It's also adjusted dynamically when furniture was moved or when unexpected obstacles appeared, updating its routes mid-clean to maintain full coverage without wasting time or missing too many corners.

Unfortunately I wasn't in a position to test its ability to scale high thresholds and small steps because I don't have any access to them. However, I have seen demonstrations of this bot negotiating a threshold and roll-steel furniture legs and it has simply sailed over them.

Obstacle avoidance

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's obstacle avoidance is one of its most impressive performance features, combining advanced sensors and AI to navigate real-world environments with finesse. As mentioned in the Design section, the robot uses a combination of retractable DToF LiDAR for precise distance mapping and structured-light 3D sensing paired with an AI-enhanced RGB camera. This fusion of sensors allows it to detect a wide range of objects, from small items like cables, socks, shoes, bags and pet toys to furniture legs and other household obstacles.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum navigating around obstacles on a wooden floor

(Image credit: Future)

In practice, this means the Matrix10 Ultra rarely bumps into or gets stuck on objects, though I'll admit that a loose pair of scissors caught it out on one occasion. In my first home test, it manoeuvred between a loose glove and tape measure without any touching, but rode slipshod over the scissors; and yet it avoided the scissors in a subsequent test. I put this first failure down to the robot having approached the scissors from an acute angle beyond the line of sight of its RGB camera.

I then set up another obstacle test in the village hall using a clutch of pens, a book, a plastic Dyson vacuum nozzle and the same tape measure. Remarkably, it negotiated all obstacles without any touching and you can see this in the attached demonstration video.

Would I rely on the Matrix10 Ultra to avoid a dog poop? No I wouldn't, though on evidence of my tests, I'd say that there's a much better chance of this bot avoiding it rather than smearing it all over the carpet.

Vacuum performance

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra delivers very decent vacuum performance. It dual-brush system lifted dust, debris and pet hair with ease on my hard floors, while its automatic edge brushes did a grand job of scuttling debris from corners into the path of its suction portal.

It has spent two weeks vacuuming my home with no glaring signs of it having missed anything and it's been absolutely faultless in the village hall, too, with a perfectly cleaned swathe of wooden flooring and very little evidence of any forgotten debris along the skirting boards. The Matrix10’s cleaning ability on hard floor is as good as the best I’ve seen from any robot vacuum brand.

However, I was a little underwhelmed by its performance on a medium-pile rug, even when I had the suction set to Max+. For this test I selected zone cleaning in the app and sprinkled a good dollop of oats, rice and small chunks of crushed dried pasta. The robot duly headed to the rug and proceeded to ramp up the suction power when its sensor detected extra debris. It then performed a series of tight circles in these areas before continuing in an up-and-down parallel fashion to finish the job.

It definitely left more debris behind than I expected, given the ultra-powerful 30,000 Pa suction spec. Despite the supposedly higher suction, it didn't perform as well on carpet as my Roborock 10R or Roborock 10 in this particular high-debris test.

I am mindful that this was an extreme task and one that would normally be performed to much better effect by a human with a decent cordless stick vac. The Matrix10 Ultra's day-to-day carpet cleaning has been perfectly acceptable – the robot’s bin has always been full enough to suggest it had collected a lot of pet hair – just not quite as outstanding as I'd hoped for. At just 54.9dB from about six feet away, it's also one of the quietest bots I've ever tested.

Mopping performance

The Matrix10 Ultra's mopping is genuinely among the most advanced of any hybrid combos. Its rotating Dual Omni‑Scrub mop technology applies consistent downward pressure, scrubbing hard floors deeply rather than simply swiping across them. Moreover, the base station supports a full cycle of mop‑pad care – heated water washing, drying and automatic water refill of the robot's smaller water tank. This level of automation keeps the mop pads hygienic, fresh and ready for repeated cleaning, without any manual scrubbing or pad wringing.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum mopping a wooden floor

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, one of this model's most clever touches is its ability to switch mop pad types automatically, depending on what the space demands. Water flow is also regulated automatically depending on floor type and expected dirt levels, which helps avoid over‑wetting.

In my daily tests, the mopping system delivered smooth, even results with no streaking. It also handled a spill of some milk with no issues to report. However, no hybrid robot is flawless when it comes to removing deeply ingrained grime, thick stains or sticky messes.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum mopping a wooden floor, with mop pad extended

(Image credit: Future)

While this model will tackle them to some degree, programming it to head to a specific spot by creating a zone in the Dreame app is a world of pain and takes more time to set it up and the robot to perform the task accurately enough than it does to simply grab a mop, kitchen towel of a decent cordless hard floor cleaner like the excellent Roborock F25 Ultra.

Dock performance

As previously mentioned, rather than just charging the robot, the Matrix10 Ultra's dock stores three sets of mop pads and automatically selects the correct one for each room. It also washes them in 212F / 100C water before drying them with hot air. The jukebox-style pad selection system is undeniably clever, but I can't comment on the long-term reliability of this complex mop-swapping innovation. I should add that I personally haven't experienced any issues, but who knows how well it will behave in a year or two.

Inside the dock for the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

What I will wholeheartedly praise is the dock's excellent bin emptying system. I've often experienced issues with some robot vac docks that have clogged up when faced with too much pet hair in the robot's smaller bin. To date this model has performed immeasurably well and I think I know why.

A bit like the Eufy Omni S1 Pro, this model's dock goes through a pre-suction process whereby it performs a full power suck for about a second to loosen any clumped hair in the robot's bin before pausing another second. It then goes into full suction for about 8 seconds. After umpteen emptying sessions, I have no blocked suction tubes to report and that's a major bonus in my book.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum in its dock

(Image credit: Future)

Another point in this dock's favor is the low volume it emits while going through the emptying process. I measured it at 64.2dB from about 10 feet away and this is pretty quiet for a dock of this nature. But perhaps more importantly, the low sound frequency of the emptying process is so much easier on the ears than many other docks, specifically some of those by iRobot which emit an ear-splitting high-frequency scream whenever emptying the contents of their robots' bins.

Battery performance

I was initially concerned about this model's battery capacity when first putting it through its paces. I'd fiddle with it for no longer than 10 minutes with pauses in between and the battery would show something in the region of 91%. Hence I didn't hold out much hope of the battery lasting for an entire vacuum clean of a 121-square meter village hall without having to recharge midway through the cleaning session.

But I was wrong, because I've checked the Dreame app's Care History section and, on average, the Matrix10 Ultra has completed every task – the hall, kitchen and toilets – in one go in around 117 minutes with +/- 28% of battery life remaining. And that's a very reassuring stat for anyone thinking of purchasing this autonomous hybrid vac for their country mansion.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: app

  • Extremely comprehensive
  • Slowish to respond
  • Not that easy to navigate

The Dreame app offers a highly capable and feature-rich experience, giving users minutely detailed control over their robot vacuum and mop. From the first LiDAR scan, it builds an accurate map of your home, allowing you to name rooms, create zones, set no-go zones, create multi-floor maps and adjust cleaning parameters like suction strength or mop water flow rates on a per-room basis. Scheduling, remote control and notifications help keep cleaning convenient, while smart-home integration with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant adds hands-free flexibility.

Screenshots from Dreame Matrix10 Ultra robot vacuum app

Click to enlarge (Image credit: Dreame / Future)

However, it took me a while to get a handle on this app and an especially long time to work out how to set up routines. Even then, I needed to make sure I'd saved and tapped on any tick icons or it didn't save anything. I'd have preferred to see a system like that adopted by Roborock which saves its routines (a series of pre-programmed short cuts like ‘vacuum the hall', ‘mop the kitchen' and ‘clean the dog rug') on the homepage for instant accessibility. I've also noticed that the Dreame app is a bit slower to react to commands and send them to the robot – but we're talking seconds here.

Despite these small niggles, I've been mightily impressed by the huge wealth of customisation you can achieve in this app. However, I would advise spending a good deal of time learning about all the settings because, by ignoring them, you almost certainly won't get the most out of this sterling autonomous home helper.

  • App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Ultra-premium at list price, but it looks like discounts won't be hard to come by – and it does boast an awful lot of tech.

3.5 / 5

Design

Ambitious and complex, with a mop-pad dispensing dock, feet for vaulting over steps and a retractable LiDAR puck.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Generally extremely impressive, with excellent mopping and hard floor vacuuming, and accurate navigation and object detection. Its carpet performance not as outstanding as I'd expect for those suction specs.

4 / 5

App

Perhaps a little too comprehensive for its own good – technophobes may have trouble getting a handle on it.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You have advanced mopping needs

The Matrix10 Ultra really shines when it comes to its mop setup, with multiple mop types and cleaning fluids (and the ability to swap between them automatically).

You're worried about cross-contamination

The Matrix10 Ultra provides different mops for different rooms, to keep things contained.

You have a big home with lots of obstacles

This model delivers some of the most accurate and efficient mapping and navigation I've experienced – perfect for large, challenging spaces.

Don't buy it if...

You don't have much room for the dock

The Matrix10 Ultra's dock is about the size of a small fridge, so not ideal if you're short on space.

You don't need auto mop pad swapping

Is the specter of cross-floor contamination really an issue? If you're not fussed about reusing your bathroom mop pads in the kitchen (with a clean in-between), there are plenty of cheaper and simpler alternatives to choose from.

You don't have that much hard floor

The USP here is really the mopping – if you're not going to be making the most of the different mop pad types and cleaning fluids, I'd pick a different bot.

How I tested the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra

I've had this model running on two separate floor spaces – at home and our large village hall, where it currently resides. Aside from evaluating both the robot and unique mop-swapping dock, I let it loose at home for two weeks and left it to its own devices using a series of daily cleaning schedules. I then performed a hard-floor pick-up and mopping test in the kitchen before hauling it up to the hall (it's heavy) where I performed a carpet cleaning and obstacle avoidance test before leaving it to run five scheduled vacuum and mopping sessions per week. It's been doing this for the past two weeks with no hiccups to report.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

  • First reviewed December 2025
Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G leaks too
5:33 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Stores in Europe have clearly received the Redmi Note 15 series shipment from Xiaomi and are just waiting for the word “go”. And some aren’t even waiting for that as one more model just leaked. Previously, we saw the Redmi Note 15, Note 15 Pro and Note 15 Pro+ (all 5G variants) leak, as well as the Redmi Note 15 4G. Now say “hello” to the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G. The 4G phone has a smaller 6.77” OLED screen than its 5G sibling (6.83”) and it’s a lower resolution panel too (1080p+ vs. 1280p+). The battery is almost identical with 6,500mAh (vs. 6,580mAh) and 45W wired-only...

I tested the Antigravity 360 drone – and only a sky-high price tag brings this unique DJI rival down to earth
5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Cameras Computers Drones Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Antigravity A1: one-minute review

The idea of a 360-degree drone may sound like an impossibility, but the Antigravity A1 is exactly that. What’s more, it manages to implement this concept in a sub-250g drone that includes collision avoidance, and which is controlled via 360-degree FPV goggles and a motion controller. You’ll have to read on to discover whether it’s one of the best drones you can buy, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting.

The idea of a 360-degree drone isn’t a new one, and the fact that Antigravity is an offshoot of Insta360 may shed a little light on its pedigree in this department. But this isn’t Insta360’s first experiment in this arena; first, there was an Insta360 / BetaFPV 360-degree collaboration with the SMO 360 camera for some FPV drones. Then there was the Insta360 Sphere, which was a 360-degree camera that attached to the DJI Air 2 and Air 2S.

Both were great ideas, but – no pun intended – they simply didn’t take off as hoped. The Insta360 Sphere was an interesting idea because it attached to a standard camera drone, but operation was fiddly, and it was tied to a drone model that would inevitably become obsolete.

The Antigravity A1 addresses this issue, as the 360-degree camera is built into the drone. You wear FPV goggles with head tracking that give you a 360-degree view during flight, while control is mostly via a motion controller with head tracking of the goggles. One thing I must stress at this point is that the A1 is not an FPV drone. It’s a 360-degree camera drone that uses goggles and a motion controller, rather than a standard controller and phone.

Antigravity A1 unfolded

(Image credit: James Abbott)

Antigravity A1: price and release date

  • Launched on December 4 2025
  • Expensive compared to standard camera drones
  • Three kits available

The Antigravity A1 was launched on December 4, 2025. The drone is more expensive than other sub-250g drones due to the high-quality goggles and motion controller that come with the three available kits. These certainly provide an immersive experience, but it would have been massively more affordable if the drone used a standard stick-based controller with a phone attached, or even a smart controller.

There are three kits available: the Standard Bundle, the Explorer Bundle and the Infinity Bundle. In a nutshell, the Standard Bundle includes the drone, motion controller, FPV goggles and one battery. The Explorer Bundle is all that, but it comes with three batteries, a battery charging hub, a shoulder bag, and spare propellers. The Infinity Bundle is the same as the Explorer, but it includes higher-capacity batteries for longer flight times.

The Standard Bundle costs $1,599 / £1,299 / AU$2,099, the Explorer Bundle costs $1,899 / £1,399 / AU$2,599 and the Infinity Bundle costs $1,999 / £1,499 / AU$2,799. To cut to the chase, you'll want to avoid the Standard Kit because one battery isn’t enough, as it doesn’t provide a long flight duration. The best-value package is the Explorer Bundle, while you can enjoy more flight time by paying a bit more for the Infinity Bundle, if you’re happy for the weight of the drone to exceed 250g.

  • Price score: 3/5

Antigravity A1: specs

Antigravity A1 specs

Camera:

Dual 1/1.28-inch sensors

Video resolution:

8K

Frame rates:

8K up to 30fps / 5.2K up to 60fps / 4K & 1080p up to 30fps / 4K & 1080p slow motion at 100fps

Video transmission range:

Up to 6.2 miles / 10km (Tested in FCC environments)

Flight modes:

Cinematic, Normal, Sport

Battery:

2360mAh, up to 24 minutes flight time / 4345mAh, up to 39 minutes flight time

Charger type:

USB-C / Battery Charging Hub

Weight:

8.78oz / 249g
(10.26oz / 291g with the high-capacity flight battery)

Dimensions:

Folded: 5.56 x 3.79 x 3.20 inches / 141.3 x 96.2 x 81.4mm

Unfolded (propellers extended): 12.15 x 15.05 x 3.51 inches / 308.6 x 382.3 x 89.2mm

Antigravity A1: Design

  • Standard folding mini drone design
  • Vision googles for a 360-degree camera view
  • Motion controller

The A1 sports a standard folding design that makes it look a lot like most sub-250g drones, but it also has an undeniably unique look. The two cameras that provide the 360-degree view to effectively make the drone invisible are on the top and bottom of the front section of the drone. This is dampened and has two forward-facing binocular vision sensors that look like cameras.

There's also a downward binocular vision system, alongside a 3D infrared sensor at the bottom of the drone. Without going into exact dimensions, the A1 is the same sort of size as all other sub-250g drones, but where it differs most notably is the retractable landing gear: two legs extend when the drone is switched on and when it’s landing, while they retract when it has taken off.

This functionality keeps the lower camera off the ground, helping to maintain the invisible drone aspect of the camera stitching for clean footage. Furthermore, when you use the Antigravity landing mat, it provides a precise Return to Home point if you choose to use this functionality to bring the drone back to you at the end of flights. It works surprisingly well, too, so no complaints here.

The overall design of the A1 makes it a camera drone, but rather than using a standard controller, the A1 uses a motion controller paired with FPV goggles. The motion controller is easy to use and intuitive, and when you first connect everything, you’re taken through a short and useful tutorial that familiarizes you with the controls.

The Vision Goggles provide the camera view on dual 1.03-inch Micro-OLED screens with a 2560 x 2560px resolution. Yes, that’s square, and quite different to the usual FPV goggle widescreen view, but it works well with a 360-degree drone. I was surprised because I’m much more familiar with FPV goggles offering a 16:9 ratio image, but I found this square view worked well for the A1. The battery for the goggles can be attached to an included and comfortable lanyard that you can conveniently wear around your neck – a well-thought-out and simple solution.

There are also diopters with a range of -5.0 D to +2.0 D, which is great if you wear glasses and need to correct the view to your prescription. Plus, there’s 30GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for capturing goggle footage. The goggles are comfortable to wear and provide a clear image for flight, while the head tracking functionality provides intuitive control alongside the motion controller.

There’s also a screen on the front-left of the googles, so people can see the forward-facing camera view while you fly. The downside to a goggles-based approach is that you need a spotter to maintain visual line of sight of the drone while you fly. This makes it much less convenient than a standard camera drone, despite the A1’s immersive and fun flying experience.

The A1 features two battery options, with the 2360mAh option offering up to 24 minutes of flight time, and the 4345mAh option providing up to 39 minutes of flight time. The higher capacity takes the overall weight of the A1 over 250g, so bear this in mind if you plan to opt for the kit with these batteries.

I used standard batteries during testing, and these typically provided around 16 minutes of flight time before Return to Home was automatically initiated. One feature of the batteries that stands out is that you only have to touch the rear end of the batteries and the lights showing the charge level light up – this is rather than pressing a button, as on other drone batteries, and is a subtle yet neat feature.

  • Design score: 5/5

Antigravity A1: Features and performance

  • Intelligent flight modes
  • Solid flight performance
  • Subject tracking

The A1 flies incredibly well, while the FPV goggles and motion controller approach suit the system. But – and it’s a big but – this does add cost, and requires pilots to have an observer with them to remain safe and legal during flights. Both, you could argue, are a hassle. If Antigravity had taken a standard controller-and-phone approach it would have kept the price down and removed the need for an observer, without sacrificing much, if anything, in terms of flight performance.

You would lose the immersive flight experience, of course, and the two flight modes, FreeMotion Mode and FPV Mode, are enjoyable. The former requires you to point the controller target in the desired direction of flight, while head tracking on the goggles allows you to turn. You can also use a dial on the motion controller to do this. One point I must make is that you should read about how FPV Mode works before flying it, because it’s completely different to FreeMotion Mode, and the drone feels like it’s out of control if you try to use FreeMotion-style control.

FPV Mode isn’t true FPV, but it does allow for more sweeping and flowing drone movements where you simply tilt the motion controller left and right to turn. This was my favorite mode for flight, although I preferred FreeMotion when I needed more precision, such as when flying back to the take-off point to land.

Standard flight modes include Cinematic, Normal and Sport, although even Sport is quite pedestrian in terms of speed and agility. The A1 certainly lacks the excitement of the DJI Avata and Avata 2, but again this isn’t an FPV, drone despite the goggles and controller. This means that flight is fun, but not exciting. With a fly-first, frame-later approach, where you reframe photos and videos in software, you can increase speed here and make the drone appear to dive, flip and roll like an FPV drone to some degree.

I’ve reviewed many drones, and I’m not normally impressed with Quickshots-style automated flight patterns, but the A1’s equivalent, which are called Sky Genie, did impress me. Then there’s Sky Path, which is waypoints, where you can pre-program a flight path and someone else, a non-pilot, can wear the goggles and look around as the drone follows its course. With the goggles, you get a full 360-degree view as you turn around, look up and look down.

Sky Genie modes include Orbit, Spiral Ascend, Comet, Antigravity Line, Fly Away and Ascend. These allow you to achieve flight that’s not possible with the motion controller, which makes them invaluable, particularly in situations when you want to fly around a subject for visually interesting video reframing later.

There’s also a subject-tracking mode that works well once a moving subject is selected. The drone dutifully follows, and like with Sky Genie, the drone does all the work for you, focusing on the subject so you can reframe your video later. This uses Insta360's impressive Deep Track technology. And if you’re looking for a bit of fun, Virtual Cockpit in FPV mode provides an overlay that aims to inject augmented reality fun into flights. At the time of writing, you can fly with a dragon, and more skins will be added in the future. It’s a bit of a gimmick and not for me, but other people may enjoy it.

  • Performance score: 4/5

Antigravity A1: Image and video quality

  • Image quality on a par with 360-degree cameras
  • Fly-first, frame-later approach
  • Invisible drone technology

Antigravity A1 cameras close up

(Image credit: James Abbott)

If you’ve ever used an Insta360 camera, such as the X5, you’ll find the Antigravity A1 as easy and intuitive to use, since Antigravity is an offshoot of Insta360. What’s more, Antigravity Studio is a reskinned version of Insta360 Studio, so if you’re already familiar with it, you’ll be right at home. There is a learning curve if you’ve never used it, and it takes time to get to grips with the software, but it’s far from rocket science.

The software allows you to reframe the A1’s aerial photos and videos in the same way you can with a standard 360-degree camera. The only difference is that the drone is being flown rather than the camera being held, attached to a selfie stick or something else. This ultimately combines the advantages of 360-degree cameras with the aerial capabilities of a drone.

The dual cameras both feature a 1/1.28-inch sensor and an f/2.2 aperture. These create a 360-degree view where the drone is invisible, so you don’t have to edit it out – just like invisible selfie sticks with standard 360-degree cameras. Photos can be captured in INSP and DNG

formats at a resolution of 14MP (5248 x 2624) and 55MP (10486 x 5248). Shooting modes include Normal, HDR, Burst, AEB and Interval. You can reframe photos in various formats and even create animated photos.

Video can be captured in 8K up to 30fps, 5.2K up to 60fps, 4K & 1080p up to 30fps and 4K & 1080p slow motion at 100fps. The maximum bitrate is 170Mbps and can be encoded in H.264 or H.265. Photo and video editing can take place in the Antigravity phone app or the Antigravity Studio Desktop app. The former has more templates for creating reframed videos, which is a shame because it would be great to see these available on the desktop app, where working with 8K footage makes more sense.

Reframed video

Image quality is great for a 360-degree camera – it’s what you’d expect, and capturing photos and videos in the highest resolutions possible allows you to maximize image quality. I shot in Auto mode when capturing both photos and videos, and found that the A1 did a great job in all light conditions; the exposure was balanced. The downside to this, compared to shooting in manual, of course, is that shutter speed can change during video capture.

Animated photo

Image quality isn’t, however, on par with standard camera drones – in the same way standard 360-degree cameras aren’t as good as standard action cameras. This has always been the case, and the trade-off for being able to capture an all-encompassing field of view at up to 8K. 8K, while it produces huge file sizes, isn’t as high-resolution as it sounds when you realize it’s the entire 360-degree view, as opposed to a 16:9 view at 4K or above with standard camera drones.

  • Image and video quality score: 4/5

Antigravity A1: testing scorecard

DJI Mini 5 Pro

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The A1 is expensive as a result of the goggle-based approach.

3/5

Design

While the overall design is fairly standard, there are some innovative and unique aspects to the drone.

5/5

Performance

Excellent all-round performance, but flight feels quite pedestrian in terms of speed and agility.

4/5

Image and video quality

Great image quality in 360-degree terms, but not as good as a standard camera drone.

4/5

Should I buy the Antigravity A1?

Buy it if...

You'd like a 360-degree drone
It goes without saying that if you would like 360-degree photo and video capture in a drone, the A1 is the only option available.

You’d like an immersive flight experience
If you’d like an immersive flight experience without the speed and risk of FPV drones, the A1 blends camera drone flight with FPV goggles and the motion controller.

You appreciate innovation
The A1 is undoubtedly an innovative drone with some impressive features that could pave the way for future drone innovation.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
The A1 isn’t cheap, coming in at double the price, or more, of other sub-250g drones, so it’s far from being a budget option.

You'd like the best image quality
If you want the best image quality available in a sub-250g camera drone, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is a more suitable option.

You'd prefer simplicity
Since the A1 relies on FPV goggles for the camera view and some control of the drone, you’re going to need to have a spotter with you every time you fly.

Antigravity A1: also consider

DJI Mini 5 Pro

If you’d like a standard camera drone but the best sub-250g model ever made, then look no further than the DJI Mini 5 Pro. This compact drone somehow manages to pack in a rotating camera with a 1-inch sensor and some seriously impressive performance. This is a drone that beginners and professionals alike will love, thanks to its fantastic image quality, safety features and compact size.

See our DJI Mini 5 Pro reviewView Deal

DJI Neo 2

The DJI Neo 2 offers a huge upgrade on the original model released in 2024. It’s arguably not the best selfie drone, with the HoverAir X1 Pro and ProMax offering some serious competition in this area, but the Neo 2 is an impressive performer when it comes to subject tracking. What’s more, it offers obstacle avoidance and multiple controller options, including FPV.

See our DJI Neo 2 reviewView Deal

Antigravity A1 in flight

(Image credit: James Abbott)

How I tested the Antigravity A1

  • All flight modes tested
  • Photos and videos captured
  • Automated features tested

I tested the Antigravity A1 for a couple of months to experience all the features and functionality available, including FreeMotion and FPV mode. I captured photos and videos in the highest quality possible, and captured them in a range of conditions to assess overall camera performance.

I tested all Sky Genie Modes (Orbit, Spiral Ascend, Comet, Antigravity Line, Fly Away, and Ascend), alongside subject tracking and SkyPath functionality. I tested the motion controller and googles for usability, and tested the fly-first, frame-later reframing workflow extensively.

Opera for Android gets new AI upgrades
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Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Opera has announced new AI upgrades for its Android browser, Opera for Android, as it aims to bring its AI capabilities closer to those of its flagship desktop browser, dubbed Opera One. First is Ask AI, which gets a new access point for all AI queries in the browser. Just tap on the browser's search bar and select the "Ask AI" option to open a new search bar. This will allow you to switch between traditional web search and AI queries easily. Next is the ability to attach files in the new search bar for AI to translate, summarize, or explain. This includes support for PDFs and...

Apple Final Cut Pro (2025) review
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Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

For thirteen years, Final Cut Pro was branded as Final Cut Pro X, having been rebuilt from the ground up from its Macromedia origins, with its version number firmly stuck at X (read ten).

Every major update since its launch in June 2011 only got a decimal point increase. But last year, all that changed: Apple dropped the X, and introduced the world to Final Cut Pro 11. Does this brand new numbering system (now at 11.2) mean radical changes for Apple’s best video editing software? Let’s check it out…

Final Cut Pro: Price & availability

Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2 during our tests

(Image credit: Apple // Future)
  • You pay once, and it’s yours forever, including any future updates, large or small. That’s one heck of a deal, and it’s been this way for 14 years.

First things first, how much does it cost? Surprisingly little. I mean, it’s not subscription based, so you’re not renting your software month after month like Adobe Premiere Pro. But it’s also not free, like DaVinci Resolve.

Final Cut Pro sits comfortably in the middle, and will set you back $300 / £300 / €350. That might sound like a lot at first, but consider this: every single update, large or small, has been free since the original Final Cut Pro X was released. Even the mighty version 11 I’m looking at here, was included in the price. That’s one heck of an incentive.

  • Score: ★★★★⯪

Final Cut Pro: Interface

Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2 during our tests

(Image credit: Apple // Future)
  • It has a small amount of customizability, but you can’t move panels around. They can be resized a little, though. Yes, it does feel like it’s Apple’s way or the highway, but at the same time, you can sit in front of any FCP interface and get to work without trying to figure out where everything is.

If you’re new to FCP, or are wondering if you should be using it over a competing product, let’s take a quick look at its interface. Unlike Premiere Pro, which prides itself in its impressive customisability, FCP’s interface is pretty rigid. You’ve got your list of libraries on the left (where all your media is stored), your inspector sidebar to the right (where all the changeable parameters can be found), the lower third is for the timeline, and roughly in the centre is your preview window. Many editors have two preview windows, FCP only has one. It may feel confusing but it actually works very well: mouse over a clip in your library and it’ll appear in that section; do the same in the timeline, same result.

You can’t move these sections around, but it’s possible to hide or reveal them, so they’re there when you need them, and disappear when you don’t. You can also resize the borders between these sections to a certain extent, so you can see more or less of them as you require. Definitely useful, but compared to Premiere Pro, it’s pretty anemic.

But what you lose in customisability, you gain in familiarity: I can step in front of any FCP interface, and get to work immediately, without wasting time trying to figure out someone else’s highly individual layout!

One thing I’d like to quickly mention is the ‘magnetic timeline’. Usually, when you work on an edit, and delete a clip in between others, you’re left with a gap, which you then need to fill with a new clip, or by dragging to the left all the clips to its right.

This still happens in FCP, but not when working in the primary timeline. When you resize or delete a clip there, all the clips to its right are automatically shunted to the left. It can take a while to get used to, especially since clips on other layers are actually tethered to clips in the primary timeline; delete a clip that has other clips tethered to it, and they all go.

It requires a little bit of management because of that, but when you’re used to it, you edit so fast. Interestingly, Adobe recently released Premiere Pro for iPhone, and guess what? It uses the magnetic timeline concept, even though the desktop version of Premiere Pro doesn’t. Apple’s been ahead of the curve for a long while with that one.

  • Score: ★★★★☆

Final Cut Pro: New features I love (and hate)

Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2 during our tests

(Image credit: Apple // Future)
  • There’s a bunch of little touches that are so useful when editing, you have to wonder why they hadn’t been implemented before. And yes, there are big tentpole attractions too, which are powerful and well implemented - as long as your Mac can run them.

I could obviously go through the long list of features new to version 11 and above, but I'm going to focus on the ones I’ve grown to love over the months. Yes, you’ve got a couple of new effects, and a couple of fancy transitions. However, the absolute best feature - the one I still think “why didn’t they implement this years ago?” - is a simple keyboard shortcut to move clips up or down a different layer without having to drag them around.

The problem with dragging is, more often than not, the selected clip(s) might move a few frames along the timeline as you do that. There are ways to prevent this, but they’re sadly not foolproof. And fixing the timing takes time. Now, I just need to select the clip(s) I wish to move, hold down the Option key (you might know it as Alt), and press the up or down arrow key as many times as I need. That’s it. It has saved me so much time, it’s worth the price of admission alone.

Another welcome improvement takes place in the library: when you sync clips together, or create a Multicam clip, the original files are automatically hidden. Sure, you could do it manually before, but every second you save through automatic decluttering, can and is put to good use later on in the editing. It doesn't sound like much, but it’s the little things, you know.

Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2 during our tests

(Image credit: Apple // Future)

One feature I’ve found I can’t do without is more technical: the magnetic mask. It’s oh so clever: it uses special algorithms to analyse an item on the screen, allowing you to select it, while ignoring the rest. Once you’re happy with what’s highlighted, FCP analyses the entire clip and tracks it over time. It works if the object (or person) moves, or even turns around, and the camera doesn’t need to be static either. You can fine tune the results should you need to of course. It’s a great way to separate an item from its background, remove the background entirely, perform separate colour corrections on both, let your imagination run wild. Goodbye manual rotoscoping! Highly impressive (and so fast on a Mac equipped with an Apple Silicon chip).

One cool feature I’ve used a few times is applying colour correction to an adjustment clip which is placed above others in the timeline. Doing so changes all the clips beneath it. Fine tune the adjustment clip, and it affects all the clips beneath it in one go. Another great time saver.

Then there’s the one I’m dying to use but can’t: automatic transcription and captioning: FCP uses more clever algorithms to create written words from spoken dialogue, making subtitles appear at the right time on the screen. Apple is seriously behind with this feature, and it’s a much needed addition. I’ve tried it myself on a Mac other than my own, and it’s fast, and surprisingly accurate. So why can’t I use it? Because I’m still on an Intel Mac, and powerful though my machine still is, only Macs equipped with Apple Silicon can take advantage of this feature (grumble grumble).

And since I’m grumbling, I might as well mention that version 11.2 removes support for FireWire devices if you’re running macOS Tahoe. It breaks my heart to see FireWire disappear like that. If you don’t know what FireWire was, it used to run rings around USB, and could do things USB-C still can’t. Oh well, that’s technology for you.

All in all, Final Cut Pro is a powerful video editor, and these new additions help it catch up to the competition once more. I would easily put it in the top three - the other two being Premiere Pro and Resolve. Editing with it is fluid, it has many powerful features, with third party hooks to add additional effects and transitions. The newest features certainly do make it so much better, especially if you own an Apple Silicon Mac. Most features still work on old venerable Intel Macs, although the writing’s all too clearly on the wall for those.

  • Score: ★★★★⯪

Final Cut Pro: Final verdict

Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2 during our tests

(Image credit: Apple // Future)

I've always been a fan of Final Cut Pro. Yes, it's an underdog in the video editing world - despite having the backing of one of the biggest forces in the creative industry. Of course, it being limited to Mac devices isn't going to help - even more so with Apple now limiting some of its best features to high-spec Macs and MacBooks.

But in terms of editing video, it's fluid, intuitive, and the new features really speeds up the entire workflow. Sure, it does feel like Apple's playing catch up with the other top names in the arena - notably Adobe's Premiere Pro. However, at least those modern editing tools are coming online now, and not festering away, unloved and forgotten. Honestly, it used to feel like Apple has abandoned Final Cut Pro, so I'm happy to see the renewed support.

And I can't knock that one-off cost with lifetime updates and upgrades. For that, no other video editor comes close.

  • Final score: ★★★★☆

Should I buy Final Cut Pro?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for an affordable video editor for your Mac, don’t like too much customizability, but appreciate a fancy, fluid and fast way of working, with powerful tools to create great edits.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t appreciate new editing concepts and would rather stick to the tried and true traditional way of editing video, and if you don’t own a Mac.

For more alternatives, we've tested the best free video editing software, best video editing software for beginners, and the best video editing apps for phones and tablets.

Here’s the official unboxing video for Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold
3:33 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Samsung has posted an official unboxing video for the recently launched Galaxy Z TriFold. The company’s first tri-folding smartphone is currently only available in Korea. The unboxing video showcases the phone and the box contents, which are more generous than those of a typical Galaxy flagship. However, that’s not surprising as the foldable carries a premium price tag of around $2,500. The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold comes with a 45W charger in the box and a USB-C to USB-C cable. Customers will also receive the Carbon Shield Case along with a SIM ejector tool and some paperwork. The...

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