30-second review

With businesses now accepting that the era where everyone came to the office is over, the market for conferencing cameras has exploded in response.

What businesses want are reliable and easy-to-deploy conferencing systems that aren’t expensive, and the new IPEVO Totem 180 ticks those boxes and a few others.

IPEVO has built a strong reputation with its excellent 4K document cameras, and now the Totem 180 takes the brand to the next stage with a PC-connectable conferencing solution that is perfect for big meetings.

Instead of a single 4K sensor and an anamorphic lens, IPEVO went with two 4K sensors and merged the two sources into a single 180-degree wide layout.

For smaller meetings, you can reduce the field of view to 120 degrees, and the camera can be set to automatically zoom and frame those that talk during a meeting.

It can also do PIP (picture-in-picture), split screen and automatic face tracking.

Compatibility is extensive, with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Skype and GoTo Meeting all working with the Totem 180.

Our only reservation is that it expects a USB-C port. But for $329, it’s a highly professional conferencing tool many users will adore.

IPEVO Totel 180 price and availability

• How much does it cost? $330 / £378
• When is it out? It is available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from the makers in the USA, and on Amazon in other regions.

The IPEVO Totem 180 can be sourced directly from the makers' website in the USA for those in that region. But it is also available through a selection of online retailers, including Amazon.

• Value score: 4/5

IPEVO Totem 180 design

• Solid construction
• Only USB-C
• Simple to deploy

The Totem 180 is a curious design vaguely reminiscent of a type of art nouveau cat sculpture that was once popular.

Standing 26.4 cm tall, the Totem provides a good viewpoint that doesn’t make those around the conference table appear to be giant overlords.

With anything this vertically extended, the concern is that it will be knocked over, with the important and delicate parts of the device taking a bashing when it lands.

However, the weight in the Totem 180 is mostly concentrated near the base, making it much less likely to topple, and there is a threaded hole on the underside, the same pitch as used by camera tripods that can be used to secure it.

In the box is the Totem 180, a 2M long USB-C to USB-C cable, and a multi-lingual user guide that offers four pages of guidance for each language.

Getting the camera operational requires a PC with a USB-C port, as IPEVO doesn’t provide an adapter to USB-A, and one isn’t listed on the online store.

That seems remarkably short-sighted since many corporate customers will have desktop and laptop systems that lack USB-C, and not supporting USB-A provides an additional hurdle for those to overcome.

The camera will immediately become active once connected to a suitable computer running Windows, Mac OS X or a Chromebook, and it draws its power from that device directly.

The lack of a power switch isn’t a surprise, as the Totem has been designed as a simplified device with the most limited of controls on it.

On the lower section are a Kensington security slot and a USB-C port. Higher up are two buttons, one is used for muting audio and the other to switch camera modes. There are coloured LED lights above those to indicate the status of sound and camera.

The only other control is a small wheel between the binocular cameras that can adjust the viewing angle.

The thinking here is that the unit is connected to a laptop running Skype, Teams or whatever, set as the default camera, and the rest is practically automatic. For those wanting a more granular experience, IPEVO has a software control package EyeStage, that allows the camera to be controlled from the connected PC.

This software is a 359MB download for Windows, and it is provided for free to users of IPEVO hardware.

What is especially nice about this software package is that it is designed to funnel two video sources into a single stream for any conferencing app. This enables a document viewing camera, like those made by IPEVO, to be alongside the conferencing visuals rather than distributed separately.

What’s critical to appreciate about the Totem 180 is that it offers no hardware-independent technology that connects it to WiFi, so it either needs a dedicated PC or to commandeer one brought by the meeting attendees.

Design score: 4/5

IPEVO Totem 180 features

• Dual 4K
• 180 or 120-degree vision
• 16ft Audio range

The hardware in the Totem 180 is unique, and it enables some very interesting options that other conference cameras can’t match.

Most have a 4K capable camera, but the Totem 180 has two, and these are at slightly divergent angles to provide up to 180 degrees of vision.

To make these images appear as a single seamless output, software stitches the two images together, and the resulting video is a maximum of 4640 x 1456 @30fps, with an option for 3520 x 1104 @30fps.

The snag with resolutions that large is that some internet connections and externally connecting systems might find it too much, but there are options to reduce it to 1080p (1920 x 1080).

If you are wondering why we don’t get 4K + 4K, some resolution is lost in the overlap, and the very edge of the sensors is not included due to optical distortions. And, when the AI on the camera reframes individuals, the resolution naturally drops.

For those that don’t hold meetings where the whole table is full, it is possible to tell the Totem to reduce to a 120-degree field of view. As each camera is responsible for roughly 90 degrees, that mode ignores the 30 degrees on either side of the 180-degree frame.

Having good vision is important, but audio relaying is also a critical part of the conferencing experience. To facilitate this requirement, the head of the Totem 180 includes a pair of omnidirectional microphones with noise reduction.

The maximum range of these speakers is 16ft, which would need a long conference table to exceed. When comparing this to professional solutions, it is probably the quality of the sound that is slightly lacking. But it is possible to use a centrally placed microphone array and tell most software to source the video from the Totem and the sound from that.

That’s not to say that the sound reception on the Totem is poor. Just that sound captured from the middle of a 16ft table will always be clearer than from that at one specific end.

• Feature score: 5/5

For the money, this is a terrific solution and perfect for small to medium-sized business meetings. The ability to capture so many attendees with such high-quality video and audio without breaking the budget is a game changer, in our opinion.

We’d have preferred some love for those with USB-A ports and maybe a more informative user guide in the box. But overall, this is one of the best conferencing solutions we’ve seen for corporate users and one of the least expensive.

IPEVO Totem 180 score card

Should I buy a IPEVO Totem 180?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider 

Asus ROG Azoth: Two-minute review

The Asus ROG Azoth is an excellent wireless keyboard that could make you reconsider some of your biases surrounding keyboards. It certainly did that for me, as before I used the Asus ROG Azoth, I dismissed compact gaming keyboards for feeling too cramped and not offering enough of additional features I’ve come to love about the full-size keyboards I usually use to type and play games on.

Yet, the Asus ROG Azoth has a chance at topping not only our best mini keyboards list, but our best gaming keyboards one as well. As a 75% keyboard, it keeps its size down by jettisoning certain keys. Like a Tenkeyless, to TKL, keyboard, you don’t get the numpad, and the keys that remain are cleverly moved to minimise space. So, you get a more compact keyboard than a TKL, but you don’t sacrifice quite as many keys as a 60% keyboard. 

With the Asus ROG Azoth, you still get the full range of F keys at the top, as well as the Insert, Delete, Page Up and Page Down keys, which are moved so they run down the right-hand side. By pressing the function key, you can then use those same keys for Pause, Scroll Lock, Home and End functions – a smart way of ensuring functionality isn’t lost with the removal of certain keys.

Most importantly of all (for me at least), the four arrow keys are maintained. I use these a lot not just in games, but when typing, as it’s a quick way to jump around a document. The lack of these dedicated arrow keys on 60% keyboards (and smaller) has meant I’ve never wanted to use them for my day-to-day tasks. With the Asus ROG Azoth, I could see how well it could fit into my life.

The overall design and build quality of the Asus ROG Azoth is exceptional. It’s a weighty keyboard, but it feels incredibly robust due to its aluminium frame – an important consideration if you’re planning on taking the Asus ROG Azoth out and about with you.

The keycaps are PBT doubleshot and feel great to type on. Again, they feel robust, and a light texture keeps your fingers from slipping. The keys are backlit by per-key RGB lighting that can be configured in the Armoury Crate software and offer a wide range of customisation. It’s worth noting, however, that when the lighting is off, the letters and symbols on the keycaps can be difficult to see, especially in low-light conditions. This caught me out a few times when I chose a lighting pattern that dimmed the keys occasionally – I looked down and couldn’t accurately see the key I was aiming to press.

The good news is that the Asus ROG Azoth is very customizable, so you can set the RGB lighting to best suit your needs.

The customization doesn’t end there, as you can easily remove the keycaps and replace them. You can swap out the switches as well. The Asus ROG Azoth is a compact keyboard that’s clearly aimed at keyboard enthusiasts that like to fine-tune their keyboard, as well as beginners looking to get into keyboard customization. It even comes with a switch opener, keycap puller, switch puller, lube station and a brush. The keys come pre-lubed, but there’s also a bottle of Krytox GPL-205-GD0 lubricant included that lets you add more depending on your preference.

It's really nice to see a compact keyboard that positively encourages its users to take it apart and tinker.

By default, the Asus ROG Azoth comes with custom ROG NX switches, and these make the keyboard feel satisfying to type on, with a responsive and pleasant feel when pushed. They’re not too loud, so you won’t annoy people while you hammer away on it, but nor do the switches feel too soft. They are a great starting point for people getting into mechanical keyboards, and the great thing is, if you’re not keen on them, it’s incredibly easy to swap the switches out for your preference. The included tools make this a cinch, and the solid build quality means you can happily rip out the keys and switches without worrying about breaking anything.

I stuck with the ROG NX switches for this review and used the Asus ROG Azoth extensively. Typing up emails and documents felt fantastic, even if I do prefer a full-size keyboard for writing longer screeds. 

But the Asus ROG Azoth, like other Republic of Gamers-branded products, is aimed at gaming – so of course, I fired up some games as well. I mainly stuck to first person shooters, namely Cyberpunk 2077 and Atomic Heart, and it performed brilliantly. It was extremely fast and responsive, and its wireless design made it perfect for using with the PC connected to my TV in the lounge.

Unlike many other wireless keyboards I’ve used, there was no noticeable lag between me pressing a key and the action being replicated in the game, and there were no times that the connection dropped. Asus claims that if you turn off the RGB and OLED screen (more on that in a moment), you get near zero latency. I kept those on and still found it to perform excellently.

For any gamers who are wary of relying on a wireless connection, you also have the option of connecting the keyboard via USB (which is also how you charge the device), or via Bluetooth, and you can switch between the three connection methods via a slider. For the wireless connection, you get a USB dongle – after plugging it in, Windows 11 found it instantly, and I was able to get playing.

The other noticeable additions to the Asus ROG Azoth that make it stand out amongst smaller keyboards are the inclusion of a small black and white OLED display and a three way control knob. By default, you can use the knob to raise or lower volume, but by pressing the button on its face, you can switch between modes. Meanwhile, the OLED display shows the battery life and connection, as well as an animation.

By downloading the Armory Crate software, you can configure the OLED display to show various animations, including your own if you upload gifs, and the OLED display can also show the settings menu, media visualizations and system monitoring. The settings display is useful as it means you can configure the Asus ROG Azoth via the control knob, so you can tweak the RGB lighting, for example, without having to use the software.

I found the system monitoring screen to be the most useful use of the OLED display. In Armory Crate, I configured it to measure the CPU frequency and GPU temperature of my PC, so I could keep an eye on things while I played. Frustratingly, I couldn’t set it to monitor CPU temperature, but hopefully that feature comes in an update down the line.

The software itself is fine. It does the job, and you can adjust the RGB settings and make your own custom effects, as well as sync it to other Asus Aura-enabled devices. But it takes a while to install, and it hasn’t got the most intuitive user interface. Still, I prefer it to Razer’s Synapse app, which can be a bit too demanding with updates and notifications.

There’s no doubt that the Asus ROG Azoth is one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy, but it does come at a price – and that may be the main stumbling block for some people. At $249.99 / £269.99 / AU$399, this is a big investment for a keyboard. There’s a lot to love about this keyboard, but there’s no denying it’s expensive.

Asus ROG Azoth: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $249.99 / £269.99 / AU$399
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Asus ROG Azoth is a pricey keyboard, launching at $249.99 / £269.99 / AU$399, which makes it one of the most expensive keyboards you can buy right now. For anyone balking at the idea of spending that kind of cash on a keyboard, then the Asus ROG Azoth is certainly not for you.

However, thanks to its solid build quality and easily replaceable and upgradable switches, the Asus ROG Azoth is a far more future-proof keyboard than many others. If you do invest in this keyboard, it’s unlikely you’ll need to buy a new keyboard for a long, long time. Perhaps forever.

That still doesn’t quite take the sting out of the high price however. Two of its closest rivals, the Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless and the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless, are quite a bit cheaper, and while they don’t have the upgradability or extra features like the OLED screen, it does make the higher price of the Asus ROG Azoth a bit harder to justify, especially if you’re a gamer that’s on a budget – and would rather spend money on games instead.

The Asus ROG Azoth is a luxury purchase in many respects, then, and while it won’t be for everyone, anyone who wants to invest in it will likely be very pleased with the overall build quality and performance.

• Value: 3 / 5

Asus ROG Azoth: Specs

Should you buy the Asus ROG Azoth?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Asus ROG Azoth: Also consider

How I tested the [Product name]

• I used it for gaming for a month
• Played a range of modern games
• Also used it to type

To fully test out the Asus ROG Azoth, I used it on my main gaming PC for a month, playing a range of games almost daily on it. I also used it to type up emails and enter website addresses.

The gaming PC I tested it with is in my lounge, which allowed me to test out the wireless capabilities, as I was sat around six feet away from my PC.

I also used the included tools to lift up several keycaps, remove the switches and add additional lube, before replacing them.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023

The Pluto Pillow promises to let you build the perfect pillow according to your preferences. It walks you through a variety of questions, based partially on the pillow you currently have – and how well you like it. Other questions include your exact age, height, and weight, and also questions about the firmness of your bed, sleeping positions, pillow surface preferences, and sleeping positions.  

he result is what you would expect – the perfect pillow based on what you indicated that you’d like. Unless you input the wrong data, it’s hard to see how someone wouldn’t be happy with the Pluto Pillow. We tested it out to see how it matches up to the best pillows on the market. To boost your sleep comfort further, take a look at our guide to this year's best mattress for all budgets.

Pluto Pillow review in brief

The Pluto Pillow is the first, and, to our knowledge, only pillow that provides such a high degree of customization. The first step in the process is to complete a questionnaire that asks your name, email address, age, height and weight. Aside from the fact that you should never ask a lady her age (and many don’t want to reveal their weight either), we did have a privacy concern, considering how often companies have their data hacked and sold on the black market – and many companies also freely sell the personal data of consumers. It seems that only medical professionals really need to know your age, height, and weight. For a pillow, perhaps an age range or weight range should be sufficient.

But aside from these privacy concerns, the questionnaire helps to discover your preferences – for example the type of pillow you currently use, how you would describe it, the current pillow’s height, and how much you like it (on a scale from the 1-5).

The questionnaire also asks your starting sleep position as well as the position you tend to wake up in. Even your mattress type is taken into consideration, as well as your preference for a softer or more supportive pillow, whether you prefer a smooth or quilted surface, and whether your head gets hot when sleeping.

This information is run through Pluto’s proprietary algorithm - and we found that the Pluto Pillow you receive really is designed to be the perfect pillow for your individual needs. 

Pluto Pillow review: price and deals

Pluto makes an original size Pluto Pillow that is available on the Pluto website for $110. It also makes a king size pillow for $140. Pluto also makes a body pillow (21” W x 54” L) for $110.

The price point for the Pluto Pillow puts it in the luxury pillow category. Competitors include the Layla Kapok Pillow, which is on our list of the best bed pillows of 2023, and retails for $109 for a queen. It’s not nearly as customizable as the Pluto Pillow; however, the Layla Kapok Pillow zips open, and comes with a bag of extra fill, which allows you to add or remove fill from the pillow to reach the desired level of softness or firmness. As opposed to memory foam, the Kapok pillow consists of natural Kapok fibers (that have been harvested from the seeds of Kapok trees and are designed to create a down-like feeling).

If memory foam is a preference, and keeping cool at night is a priority, the Saatva Memory Foam Pillow is another memory foam option. At $165, it is significantly more expensive than the Pluto Pillow. And, it does not zip open like the Layla Kapok Pillow to allow you to add or remove fill.  However, the graphite-infused memory foam used in the pillow is designed to provide a cool night’s rest by pulling heat away from the body.

Pluto Pillow review: design and materials

• Pillow is springy and bounces back
• Breathable foam is temperature-responsive
• Choice of covers

Regardless of the results of your sleep profile, the Pluto Pillow is made of CertiPUR-US certified foams that are free from ozone depleters, TCEP flame retardants, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, and also free from formaldehyde and other bad materials and chemicals. The foam core is made of breathable polyfoams that are temperature-regulating. Your pillow may be softer or firmer depending on your selections.

There’s a choice of covers, depending on your results: for example, it may be a high thread count cotton, or it may be a quilted knit. It may have an advanced cooling surface if you’re a hot sleeper, but it won’t if you indicate that you don’t sleep hot. However, one constant is true across the board: long, silky fiber clusters are individually blown into each cover – but how many of these fibers are included depends on your questionnaire responses.

The cover is removable, and can be laundered (separately) in the washing machine in cold water on a delicate cycle. (Only non-chlorine bleach should be used if needed.) You can also tumble dry the pillow on a low heat setting. Pluto recommends washing the cover every 2 to 3 months – or whenever you think it needs to be laundered. Otherwise, fluff it every few days to help the pillow maintain its shape.

Pluto Pillow review: performance

• Supportive in every position
• Cooling experience
• Plushy/melt-in feeling

For over two weeks, we slept on a pair of Pluto Pillows to see how they fared in performance, testing for setup, comfort, support, and temperature regulation. We also slept on side, back, and stomach positions to see if the performance was the same. Here’s how we got on...

Setup

5 out of 5 stars

Setup was extremely easy. The pair of Pluto Pillows arrived in brown shipping boxes, and inside of that, they were each in Pluto-branded boxes. Upon opening the interior boxes, the pillows were covered with a sheet of white packing paper, along with a thank you card, and a piece of Airheads bubble gum. 

There was also another sheet of paper that recapped our tester’s questionnaire responses. It included her height and weight, current pillow (feathers/down with low (0-3 inches) regarding height and firmness level. We rated her current pillow a 5 out of 5, and Pluto said our tester seemed to prefer plushy & melt-in (she does). The paper also noted that our tester generally settles into bed on her side and wakes up on her stomach.

Based on those responses, our tester was informed that the enclosed Pluto Pillow‘s foam core and plush cover would combine to provide her with the plush and melt-in feeling that she preferred.  

The pillows were shipped full size instead of being compressed, so there was no need to wait for them to regain their shape.

Pluto noted that if the pillows had a scent, it would quickly go away, but we did not experience any off-gassing smells.

Temperature regulation

5 out of 5 stars

Our tester noted on her questionnaire that her head tends to get hot while sleeping. However, the Pluto Pillows are not only cooling, they’re actually cool to the touch. This is an important distinction as some “cooling” pillows feel like normal pillows to the touch. As a result, we did not wake up hot and sweaty at any time during the testing process. Even more than two weeks later, and with heavy winter bedding – including a weighted blanket and faux luxe fur throw included on the bed - the pillows were still cool to the touch, and the temperature-regulating features kept our tester from sleeping hot.

Firmness and support

5 out of 5 stars

Our tester’s primary pillows are the Casper Down Pillows, and since she rated these pillows 5 out or 5, Pluto’s mission was to provide a comparable experience. We feel it’s important to note this because our tester did not want a firm pillow. Given the choice between “plush and melt-in” and “settled and supportive,” she chose the former.

It should also be noted that our tester has a medium firm Saatva mattress. In fact, the firmness level of the mattress is one of the questions on the Pluto Pillow questionnaire. And since the mattress is already firm, a soft pillow can offset or balance the firmness. 

For sleeping on side and stomach positions, the pillow felt luxurious and she did actually feel like she was melting into it. Even sleeping on her back was comfortable. But if you prefer a firmer pillow that provides more support, your questionnaire responses should indicate such.

Pluto Pillow review: user reviews

The Pluto Pillow is not available on Amazon or other third-party sellers, so all of the user reviews we saw were on Pluto’s website. Currently, there are 1,998 reviews, with an average rating of 4.81 out of 5. Buyers are generally well pleased. Some have stated that the pillows have caused them to experience the best sleep ever. 

Among the few complaints: some buyers thought the pillow was too hard while others thought it was too soft. One person found it too bouncy and didn’t like that it sprang back when her head was removed. Yet another customer complained about the blue stripe on the pillow and said she wished the pillow was completely white. 

Should you buy the Pluto Pillow?

We highly recommend the Pluto Pillow – especially for people who struggle to find the right pillow for their needs. The ability to complete a detailed survey asking about preferences, sleeping positions and firmness levels – even the firmness of the mattress – cannot be overstated. Your responses should help you land up on the most comfortable pillow for your needs.

We were concerned about the personal information required to customize the pillows. We felt that a range of answers, instead of very specific information, could have sufficed. Also, we would have liked to see details on the actual pillow chosen for us. For all we know, Pluto may only have 2 or 3 different pillow types to choose from, and they’re not being customized at all. But even if this is the case, our tester swears her pillows were perfect.

If you prefer another foam option that also has cooling features, check out the Saatva Memory Foam Pillow. It costs much more, and does not include the range of customization features found in the Pluto Pillow. However, it does include graphite-infused memory foam, which is designed to pull heat away from the body to keep the sleeper cool at night. We haven’t found anyone else using that type of technology.

If customization is important, the Layla Kapok Pillow, while not as customizable as the Pluto Pillow, does have a zippered cover, so the fill can be added or removed. It also comes with an extra bag of fill. And unlike the foam used in the Pluto Pillow, the Kapok pillow consists of natural Kapok fibers designed to mimic the feeling of down).