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Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 in for review
12:51 pm | August 18, 2023

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

The Chinese foldable market is booming with competition which in turn offers users a wider array of choice and the latest folding phone to launch is Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 3. We received a review unit and its time to take a quick look at the latest addition to the Mix Fold lineup before we bring you our detailed review. Mix Fold 3 is a premium device through and through with a premium aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover screen, quad cameras with Leica optics and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Mix Fold 3 is still one of the slimmest and lightest vertical folding devices out...

Templafy review
11:44 am |

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

Templafy is one of the best cloud-based document management system solutions, designed to effectively manage and update business document templates and brand assets across organizations of all sizes and industries. It offers a centralized repository for seamless distribution, ensuring brand consistency and legal compliance. 

With its comprehensive suite of features, intuitive interface, and seamless integration, Templafy empowers teams to work smarter, ensure brand consistency, and simplify compliance.

Templafy: Pricing and plans

Templafy doesn't offer set pricing, but instead offers customized pricing. Factors such as the number of users, organization size, desired features, and additional services or integrations all play a role in determining the pricing structure. You will therefore need to contact the Templafy sales team for a quote.

Templafy: Features

Templafy streamlines the process of creating, updating, and distributing document templates. Business owners can ensure that their employees have access to the latest versions of templates, saving time and effort spent on manual updates. This feature enables consistent branding and messaging across the organization, enhancing brand recognition and professionalism.

By enforcing company guidelines and ensuring employees use approved templates, fonts, logos, and colors, Templafy helps business owners maintain a strong and consistent brand image. This feature minimizes the risk of inconsistent branding that can lead to customer confusion or dilution of brand identity. Moreover, the automatic population of legal disclaimers and privacy notices ensures compliance with relevant regulations, reducing legal risks for the business.

Templafy's integration with cloud storage platforms like SharePoint and OneDrive enables easy access and sharing of documents from anywhere. This promotes collaboration among team members, remote workers, and departments, fostering a more efficient and productive work environment. Business owners can have peace of mind knowing that their employees can access the necessary documents and collaborate effectively, regardless of their physical location.

Templafy's document assembly feature simplifies the process of creating complex documents by pulling data from various sources and merging it into templates. This saves time and reduces the likelihood of errors in document creation. Business owners can ensure that their teams can quickly generate accurate and professional documents, improving productivity and maintaining a high standard of quality.

With Templafy's email signature management tools, business owners can ensure consistent branding and a professional appearance for all outgoing emails. This feature allows for centralized management of email signatures across the organization, eliminating the need for manual updates and ensuring a cohesive brand image. Business owners can present a unified brand identity and reinforce their professionalism in every email communication.

Templafy: Ease of use

Templafy offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it easy for businesses to navigate and utilize its features. With a straightforward setup process, users can quickly configure the platform to meet their specific needs. Templafy's template editor simplifies the customization of document templates, allowing users to design professional and branded documents effortlessly. The platform's seamless integration with existing systems and familiar productivity tools further enhances its ease of use, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow for businesses.

Templafy: Security

With certifications such as ISO27001 and SOC 2, Templafy demonstrates its commitment to protecting customer data and ensuring privacy. Encryption is applied to data both at rest and in transit, while access to the platform is controlled through role-based authentication and logged for monitoring. Templafy's robust backup and disaster recovery measures, including redundant deployment in Microsoft Azure data centers, guarantee business continuity. 

Additionally, Templafy's privacy policies and procedures align with GDPR requirements, giving business owners confidence that their data is handled with the utmost care. 

Templafy: Support

Templafy offers a range of support options, including phone support, email and help desk assistance, chat support, an extensive FAQ section, and a knowledge base.

Templafy: The competition

Templafy is a content enablement and document automation solution, focusing on streamlining document creation, template management, and brand compliance. Bynder, on the other hand, specializes in digital asset management, offering robust tools for organizing and distributing visual assets. While Templafy integrates seamlessly with productivity tools and emphasizes document-centric workflows, Bynder caters more to marketing and creative teams with its focus on visual asset management and collaboration.

Templafy and Brandfolder are both digital asset management platforms but with different emphases. Templafy places a strong emphasis on document creation, template management, and brand compliance, making it ideal for organizations that heavily rely on document-centric workflows. Brandfolder, on the other hand, focuses primarily on visual asset management, providing robust features for organizing, sharing, and tracking digital assets such as images, videos, and graphics. Additionally, Templafy offers advanced document automation capabilities, while Brandfolder excels in delivering a seamless brand experience with customizable brand portals and integrations with creative tools.

Frontify focuses on comprehensive brand management, offering features such as brand guidelines, style guides, and collaborative brand asset management. It is an excellent choice for organizations that prioritize brand governance and creative asset management. On the other hand, Templafy specializes in document creation, template management, and brand compliance, making it ideal for businesses with document-centric workflows that require streamlined document automation and brand consistency across documents.

Templafy: Final verdict

Templafy is an excellent solution for businesses seeking enhanced branding, increased efficiency, and seamless integration within their document workflows. With a user-friendly interface, businesses can easily navigate and utilize Templafy's features, creating professional and branded documents effortlessly. Templafy's focus on document creation, template management, and brand compliance makes it an ideal choice for organizations that heavily rely on document-centric workflows and prioritize consistent branding. 

While there may be a learning curve for more complex setups, Templafy's comprehensive support ensures businesses can quickly overcome any challenges and maximize their productivity. 

We've listed the best cloud document storage.

vivo V29e set to debut on August 28
11:30 am |

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

We finally have an official launch date for the vivo V29e – the upcoming midranger is set to debut on August 28 in India at 12PM local time. The teasers on the phone’s launch page also confirmed a few key specs including a cured display, a 50MP front-facing camera with autofocus and a 64MP main cam with OIS on the back. vivo V29e launch poster The V29e will arrive with an “Artistic Design” boasting a catchy dual-tone back with large camera rings and a color-matched frame. The device is confirmed to measure just 7.6 mm thick while weighing 180 grams. Based on speculation the phone...

vivo V29e set to debut on August 28
11:30 am |

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

We finally have an official launch date for the vivo V29e – the upcoming midranger is set to debut on August 28 in India at 12PM local time. The teasers on the phone’s launch page also confirmed a few key specs including a cured display, a 50MP front-facing camera with autofocus and a 64MP main cam with OIS on the back. vivo V29e launch poster The V29e will arrive with an “Artistic Design” boasting a catchy dual-tone back with large camera rings and a color-matched frame. The device is confirmed to measure just 7.6 mm thick while weighing 180 grams. Based on speculation the phone...

DJI Osmo Action 4 review: a polished GoPro alternative with hassle-free mounts
11:19 am |

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

Two-minute review

We love the DJI Osmo Action 3, and its successor, the DJI Osmo Action 4 has arrived one year later, embodying the same design ethos, with the same tiny but rugged build, best-in-class waterproofing, a convenient magnetic mounting, a removable battery, and a handy front touchscreen. 

So what's new? DJI has sought to address the Action 3's main weakness – photo and video quality – and it's done this by introducing an all-new, larger 1/1.3-inch sensor. 

If that sensor size doesn’t mean much to you, it’s the same size as the one found in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is one of the best cameraphones, and its dimensions are around 25% bigger than the 1/1.7-inch sensor found in the Osmo Action 3.

DJI Osmo Action 4 specification

Sensor: 10MP 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor
FOV/focal length: 155 degrees/12.7mm
Max photo resolution: 3648 x 2736
Video: Up to 4K 120fps (16:9)
Stabilization: RockSteady 3.0+
Front screen: 1.4-inch, 320 x 320
Rear screen: 2.25-inch, 360 x 640

Photo resolution is actually lower this time around, down from 12MP to 10MP, while video resolution remains at 4K up to 120fps, plus a 8x slow-motion mode in Full HD. The bigger sensor and similar resolution combined means pixels are bigger than before, and more able to gather light and in turn improve image quality, especially in low-light; the achilles heel of even the best action cameras, including the GoPro Hero 11 Black

We now also get DJI's D-Log color profile with 10-bit color, which when paired with that bigger sensor increases image quality dramatically, especially in terms of color depth and dynamic range. Detail in highlights like bright clouds and evening lights is maintained to a level not possible with the Action 3, while shadows look cleaner. D-Log isn't available in all video modes, but it's the profile to pick if the frame rates available are okay for what you're filming. 

An adverse impact of the larger sensor in a camera with identical dimensions and 155-degree field-of-view lens is that the minimum focus distance is increased from 0.3m to 0.4m. That might not sound like a big deal, but in real-world use, and with that ultra-wide lens, you're consigned to all-encompassing views and not the details. 

Otherwise, we get Rocksteady 3.0+ stabilization, which is incredibly effective. I've been able to sprint, at my admittedly dwindling top speeds, alongside a youthful canine in full flow, and the resulting video footage is smooth as silk. Downhill bikers will have no problems either – you won't need a gimbal with the Action 4.

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera closeup of lens by a pool with water droplets on it

(Image credit: Future)

Its class-leading waterproofing is even better, too, by an additional 2m down to maximum depths of 18m.

Elsewhere, specs and features mostly remain the same as in the Action 3, which is no bad thing. There's the excellent magnetic mounting system, which beats GoPro's efforts, the rear and front touchscreens, and a dumbed-down layout and menu that's quick and easy to navigate. 

If you're trigger-happy you'll quickly burn through battery life, and we'd definitely opt for the Adventure Combo over the Standard Combo to gain two additional batteries and the charging hub that holds up to three batteries – you'll be using it every day on your trips to keep your camera powered up. 

The 1.5m Extension Rod that comes with the Adventure Combo is a great accessory, too. Fully extended, and coupled with the camera's ultra-wide field of view, you can shoot drone-like perspectives, and it truly expands your shot-list repertoire. 

I'd like to see a record button on the extension rod, but there is the moderately reliable voice activation for taking snaps when your hands can't reach the camera itself. 

I use many cameras both professionally and for pleasure, and on vacation I think an action camera like the Osmo Action 4 might just trump my mirrorless camera as a second camera to my cameraphone – it can do adventurous things that I just can't do with my cameraphone, whereas I can get away with my cameraphone instead of my mirrorless camera in many scenarios. It's been a blast creating with the Action 4, and it's an easy action camera to recommend.

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera on a rock on a beach

(Image credit: Future)

DJI Osmo Action 4: release date and price

  • Standard Combo available to buy now for $399 / £379 / AU$629
  • Adventure Combo costs $499 / £469 / AU$819
  • Plethora of optional accessories

The Osmo Action 4 is available now, with the lowest-cost Standard Combo package costing $399 / £379 / AU$629. That’s a notable 25% mark-up from the Action 3, and similar to the GoPro Hero 11 Black’s launch price, meaning this camera is no longer a 'cheaper' alternative.  

Stump up an extra 25% and you can get the Adventure Combo, which includes the 1.5m Extension Rod (also sold separately for $49 / £35 / AU$75), two extra batteries, and a battery case that can hold and charge up to three batteries. Unless you already have additional batteries, this is the package we'd go for. 

The Osmo Action 4 is compatible with a wide array of optional accessories for capturing all manner of pursuits, including a wrist strap ($39 / £35 / AU$55), bike mount ($16 / £15 / AU$35), handlebar mount $39 / £35 / AU$69), 3.5mm audio adaptor ($45 / £45 / AU$79), Bluetooth remote controller ($79 / £69 / AU$135), lens cover ($19 / £19 / AU$39), and road cycling accessory kit ($79 / £69 / AU$125). 

  • Price score: 4/5

DJI Osmo Action 4: design

  • Largely the same design as the Osmo Action 3
  • A brilliant magnetic mounting system
  • Best-in-class waterproofing to 18m

Design-wise, there's little to add that hasn't already been said in our DJI Osmo Action 3 review. Here we have the same rugged 145g body, removable 1,770mAh battery with a claimed 160-minute life (which in reality I think is a bit optimistic on DJI's part), microSD card slot and dual touchscreens. 

The lens is the same 12.7mm f/2.8 optic with a 155-degree field of view; it's a sensible choice for vlogging and action videos, especially as you'll want to employ the excellent Rocksteady 3.0+ image stabilization, which incurs a small crop of the image area.

Image 1 of 8

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera by the side of a swimming pool

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera closeup of lens by a pool with water droplets on it

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera closeup of record button with swimming pool background

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera close up of battery door

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera closeup of on button

(Image credit: Future)
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Underside of DJI Osmo Action 4 camera

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera rear screen with liveview of swimming pool

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera in the hand with swimming pool background

(Image credit: Future)

You'll want to keep the lens protector screwed on at all times to keep dust and dirt away from the lens, and to ensure that the class-leading 18m waterproofing is obtained. That lens protector can be swapped out for ND filters for shooting video in bright light, and DJI offers an optional ND filter pack that we used for this review. 

The port doors on the left and right are, naturally, water-sealed too, and contain the USB-C port for charging and live connection, and the battery and microSD card slot. 

The camera's base features a magnetic mount connector for landscape mounting, and in the box you also get a Protective Frame, which wraps around the camera and has an additional magnetic base to enable vertical, social-ready mounting in portrait orientation with the 4:3 aspect sensor.

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera on a selfie stick with dog in background

(Image credit: Future)

As on the Action 3 there's a tiny 1.4-inch front touchscreen on the Action 4, enabling you to not only frame shots, but also control and navigate the menus when in selfie mode – not all action cameras offer this feature. 

The main screen on the rear measures 2.25 inches, and is much easier on the eye when shooting action. Given that both screens are relatively small it's a fruitless exercise to scrutinize screen quality, but the screens are bright enough for clear viewing – I could easier track myself swimming underwater with the Action 4 on the Extension Rod a meter away. 

There are few physical controls on the camera, and all are easy to locate, and control even with gloved hands. You get a generously sized record button and an on/off button, and that's about it. A nice touch is that the record button will wake the camera straight into recording a video, and then the camera will promptly power-off again after you've ended an impromptu recording. 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

DJI Osmo Action 4: features and performance

  • Removable card storage is the dated microSD 
  • Super effective Rocksteady 3.0+ stabilization 
  • So-so battery life
  • DJI Mimo app offers a decent UX

Photographers look away now – the Action 4 offers less than what we would hope for in 2023. Stills are only 10MP, and there's no obvious implementation of computational photography as we're seeing in the best cameraphones. For example, there's no portrait, night or HDR mode, and you're stuck with a super-wide-angle lens that's fairly limited regarding the types of scenes it's suited to capture. 

On the plus side, colors are pleasant, and beyond the obvious and unavoidable barrel distortion that comes with such a wide field of view, lens distortion is well controlled. There's a tinge of chromatic aberration in the corners, which you can make out in magenta fringing around the tree leaves in the woodland photos included in the sample gallery below. 

The reality is that the Action 4 is primarily for video, and we have all the video modes  we've come to expect from an action camera; slow motion, hyperlapse and timelapse, in addition to 4K 60fps and 120fps, which means that skilled editors have the core features at their disposal to apply speed ramps in post, plus scope to crop into the 4K image for Full HD output.

Image 1 of 5

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera on a rock on a beach

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera left side with on button and USB-C port door

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera side view with battery and card door

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera on the selfie stick accessory

(Image credit: Future)
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DJI Osmo Action 4 camera in protective cage optional accessory

(Image credit: Future)

Battery life is admirable, but the reality is that you'll need additional batteries for shooting video throughout a day – I completely drained two 1,770mAh batteries in a day on several occasions while testing the Action 4, and I would absolutely fork out the extra 25% to get the Adventure Combo rather than the Standard Combo.

In real-world use, I didn't have any issues with overheating or video record times, but under a more controlled environment at my desk, purely to test what was possible (and let's be honest, an unrealistic scenario), the camera did get warm to the touch, and video record times couldn't quite match the GoPro Hero 11 Black's best efforts.

Image 1 of 2

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera rear screen with liveview of swimming pool

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2

DJI Osmo Action 4 camera left side with on button and USB-C port door

(Image credit: Future)

The Action 4's UI is clean and simple, with large icons again suitable for stubby fingers even gloved hands, and features that include the likes of voice activation commands. Triggering the camera to take a photo by voice is super helpful when it's out of reach on the end of a 1.5m Extension Rod.

There's a 'Pro' mode for photo and video that opens up manual control of the camera's exposure parameters, including raw photo, plus you can switch from the ultra-wide field of view to cropped-in standard view at the cost of resolution. I saw little need for the Pro mode for photos, but utilized it for video in order to control white balance manually.

DJI's super-charged RockSteady 3.0+ image stablization is employed here, and delivers a staggering performance, enabling silky smooth video capture even in scenarios where I had the camera in hand doing a full sprint; I didn't encounter a scenario where I wished for a gimbal.

The DJI Mimo app impresses too, giving a reliable connection to the camera for remote live view with minimal latency. Ultimately, the Action 4 has proved to be a super-fun camera to use.

  • Features and performance score: 4/5

DJI Osmo Action 4: image and video quality

  • Modest 10MP stills
  • 0.4m minimum focus
  • Improved 10-bit 4K video quality
  • D-Log color profile

The new 1/1.3-inch sensor is the headline feature in the Action 4. It's 25% bigger than the 1/1.7-inch sensor in the Action 3, which was already bigger than the GoPro Hero 11 Black's sensor. 

If a better sensor was the only thing new about the Action 4 that would be fine, because it topped our wishlist, and the new sensor undoubtedly delivers better image quality.

What it doesn't do, however, is provide a bigger image – a GoPro tack. Video resolution is the same, and photo resolution is in fact lower despite the larger sensor – the modest 10MP JPEG-only photos are sufficient for viewing on tablets, but look at them on anything much larger and you'll notice the limitations. For context, the images in the GoPro Hero 11 Black are almost three times the size. 

What the new and larger sensor achieves is improved color and dynamic range. Whether it's in bright sunshine or in low light, you'll see more detail in highlight areas such as white clouds, and I'd take these improvements in an action camera over a larger image any day.

Image 1 of 6

Selfie in UK Woodland in the sun and shade with ultra-wide field of view

(Image credit: Future)
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UK Woodland in the sun and shade with ultra-wide field of view

(Image credit: Future)
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UK Woodland details of ivy climbing a tree in the sun and shade

(Image credit: Future)
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Man, boy and dog selfie

(Image credit: Future)
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Early morning on a rocky beach with sunrise and calm seas

(Image credit: Future)
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Early morning on a rocky beach with sunrise and calm seas

(Image credit: Future)

4K video

I haven't done side-by-side comparisons of the Action 3 and Action 4, but those that I've seen demonstrate better low-light image quality. In the Action 4, night lights have more detail, including colored lights, where the Action 3 otherwise clips, and shadows look much cleaner. 

If you shoot video using DJI's D-Log color profile – which is available in the Action 4 but not the Action 3 – then dynamic range is greater, provided you don't mind making tweaks post-capture to grade the flat image, which can be done in the DJI Mimo app or your choice of the best video-editing software

You also have the option of shooting 10-bit 4K video – you're no longer limited to 8-bit. The difference in video color quality between 8-bit and 10-bit is night and day – 10-bit images in the latter can display more than one billion colors in total compared to 16.7 million colors in 8-bit.

Overall, the image quality of the Action 4 is much more rounded than the Action 3. 

Both cameras, however, have a maximum 130Mbps video bitrate – ultimately the continued use of microSD limits potential video file sizes.

Hyperlapse video

By default the camera is set to auto exposure, which includes auto white balance. On the whole, brightness in videos is fine, but the camera doesn't appear to utilize face detection for exposure, and so some vlogging content came out a little dark. I'd also advise overriding auto white balance to manually select the appropriate setting, such as Daylight, to avoid obvious color temperature shifts that are next to impossible to correct in videos. 

DJI's decision to stick with the same ultra-wide lens is the right call for an action-oriented camera, even for vlogging. But I do have a slight issue with the lens's 155-degree field of view, given that the minimum focus distance is now 0.4m. Put simply, there's many an occasion when you wish the camera focused closer to better fill the frame with your subjects – for me, swimming with jellyfish and tracking a butterfly in slow motion were such times.

Slow motion (8x) Full HD video

In addition to 4K 60p 10-bit video and a reasonable-quality 8x slow-motion Full HD video, we get timelapse and hyperlapse modes. In these sped-up video modes, the camera display powers off to conserve battery life, plus you can choose the video resolution and the camera will automatically create the video sequences.  

The internal microphones do a decent job of capturing clean sound, though you will need to blow out any water droplets that gather in the mic holes and consequently affect audio quality. For less active videos, you can improve audio quality using a wireless mic like the DJI Mic; you simply plug the receiver straight into the USB-C port on the side of the camera.

  • Image and video quality: 4/5

Should I buy the DJI Osmo Action 4?

Buy it if...

Don'y buy it if...

Also consider

Testing scorecard

How I tested the DJI Osmo Action 4

I had the DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo by my side throughout a long vacation by the coast, where I was able to use the camera in the water while swimming, kayaking, and paddle-boarding, as well as when running, hiking in the woods, on dog walks, and for general travel vlogging, both in the hand and mounted to the 1.5m Extension Rod. It's been an incredibly fun and capable camera to shoot with.

The user experience is a known quantity given the similarities to the Action 3; the Action 4 offers super-quick mounting and unmounting, which is especially helpful when you're mixing up your activities. 

I've used all video modes, shooting 4K up to 120fps, slow-motion Full HD, timelapses and hyperlapses, and I pushed the camera to its limits to check max recording times.

First reviewed August 2023

vivo Y77t arrives with Dimensity 7020 and 256 GB base storage
10:30 am |

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

The vivo Y77t was launched today in China, and the company has already listed the device for sale. It comes with Dimensity 7020 chipset, a 50 MP main camera and a big battery, and if those specs look familiar, this is because this is exactly the same device as the vivo Y78 with only one difference - the base storage is 256 GB. The screen of the Y77t is a 6.64” LCD with Full HD+ resolution and up to 120 Hz refresh rate. There is a punch hole in the center for the 8 MP camera, while the dual shooters on the back are 50 MP main + 2 MP. The battery is 5,000 mAh with 44W fast...

vivo X100 Pro+ leaked specs suggest variable aperture and 200 MP telephoto lens
8:30 am |

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

The vivo X100 Pro+ will have three impressive cameras, a leakster on Weibo suggested earlier today. The upcoming flagship, expected in the upcoming months, is said to have a 50 MP main camera with the Sony IMX989 sensor that is 1”-type - the same, used in the X90 Pro+. However, here we’ll likely see a variable aperture, likely what Huawei did with the P60 Pro and its f/1.4-f/4.0 main cam. Another improvement would be a so-called 200 MP telephoto lens, which will be a massive increase for such a camera in the smartphone world. Although this sounds impressive on paper, we believe it will be...

T-Mobile introduces Revvl 6x 5G, Revvl 6x Pro 5G, and Revvl Tab 5G
12:53 am |

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

T-Mobile has added a trio of new devices to its Revvl own-brand stable of affordable products, including the first ever Revvl tablet, creatively named Revvl Tab 5G. This has an unknown MediaTek chipset at the helm with an octa-core CPU with 2 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 cores and 6 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The Revvl Tab 5G boasts 5G connectivity as the name implies, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a 10.36-inch 1200x2000 LCD touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with a 2 MP depth sensor next to it, an 8 MP front-facing camera, and a 7,040 mAh battery that charges from zero to full in exactly...

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review
11:42 pm | August 17, 2023

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

One-minute review

Aimed at those looking for a more capable switch for their smart lighting, the Tap Dial Switch is a serious upgrade over the smaller, simpler (and cheaper) Philips Hue wireless dimmer switch. There are four buttons, each programable with up to two commands, plus a rotating dial that can be set to dim anything from one bulb to your entire home.

Available in white and black, the Tap Dial Switch is wireless, battery powered and connected magnetically to a wall-mountable base plate for portability and easy storage.

Dots on the buttons help you identify which is which, but remembering what they all do can take a bit of practice. Each button can control a single bulb, a group of lights, a room, a floor, or your whole home. Configuring everything in the Hue app is simple and intuitive.

This is a pro-level switch, which at $49.99 / £44.99/ AU$ 79.95 costs twice as much as the regular Hue wireless switch, but it could be perfect for users who need more advanced control over their smart home lighting.

As ever, the Hue app is easy to use while also offering a huge amount of customization to ensure that your smart lighting system works just how you want it to.

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch: specs

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review: performance

  • Quick and easy setup
  • Total of nine control options
  • Highly configurable

If you’re looking for a smarter switch or your Hue lighting system, then this is undoubtedly it. Where the regular Hue switches have four buttons in total (power, brightness up, brightness down, mode switch), the Tap Dial Switch has four, plus a rotating dial. Furthermore, each of the four buttons can be assigned two different commands; one activated with a quick press and another activated with a press and brief hold.

This means a total of eight commands, plus the rotating dial which can control the brightness of one light, a room, a floor or an entire home. It can also be configured to turn a certain set of lights on or off when you start rotating.

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch

(Image credit: Future)

As with other Hue switches the buttons have a quality click to them, and the dial is nicely damped. It’s a premium item whose design and build quality go some way to justifying the not-inconsiderate price (especially compared to regular, non-smart light switches).

Setting up the Tap Dial Switch will be very familiar to anyone who already has a Hue system and knows how the simpler switches work.

But there is an extra degree of complexity here that takes a bit of time to get your head around. Depending on your system, it might not be immediately obvious how the switch is set up. It is probably easier if you have a large Hue system, with lots of options and combinations of lighting that need controlling. If you have a simple system, perhaps with only a bulb or two in some of your rooms, this switch might be overkill for your needs.

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch

(Image credit: Future)

Being magnetic, the switch can be detached from its base plate and carried around. It’s a handy way of bringing lighting control to the sofa, your desk, or other places where the wall switches are out of reach. You can always use voice commands or the Hue app instead, but it’s sometimes quicker to simply press a button to control the lights.

With no obvious ‘on’ button, you’ll doubtless find yourself explaining to guests how to turn the lights on. Hue’s regular dimmer switches have a prominent power button at the top, but this doesn’t. It therefore might not be suitable for the bathroom.

The switch works very quickly, turning lights on and off almost as quickly as a traditional wired switch. The coin-style cell battery should last a long time, and is easy to replace thanks to a removable back plate. Like other Hue switches, the Tap Dial requires a Hue Bridge to function.

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review: app

  • Comprehensive feature set
  • Switch configuration is quick and easy
  • Works when away from home (Hue Bridge hub required)

As with other Hue switches, the Tap Dial is a breeze to add to your existing Hue system through the Hue smartphone app.

If you're new to Hue, the app offers a comprehensive place to add new lights and accessories like the Tap Dial, plus the ability to organize lights into groups (to match the rooms of your home, for example) and managing scheduling. There are also automation tools for configuring your lights to mimic a sunrise, or to make it look like you're home while the house is unoccupied. 

The app is also where you assign roles to the Tap Dial's buttons, making it easy to have one button turn a whole room to a certain color, for example, and have another button turn the entire system off.

A Hue Bridge, which connects to your router with an Ethernet cable, is required if you want to access the app and control your lighting system remotely, such as when away from home.

Philips Hue app

(Image credit: Future)

Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review: Should I buy?

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Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review: also consider

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Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch review: How I tested

  • I added the switch to my Philips Hue system
  • I set up and used the switch as part of my daily routine

As I already have a Hue smart lighting system, it was easy to add the Tap Dial Switch, mount it to the wall in the hallway, and start using it. I configured the switch a few different ways during my testing, in a bid to discover how it would best fit into my existing system. I used the switch to quickly enable pre-configured lighting scenes across several rooms, and made use of the dial to dim lights.

Being wireless, the switch was often brought into the lounge, bedroom and kitchen, where it was placed on a table or worktop and used to control the lighting in each room.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2023

WhatsApp finally lets you send higher resolution photos
9:59 pm |

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

One of the main downsides of sending photos through WhatsApp is the processing that goes on, lowering their size, resolution, and quality significantly (and very visibly). This, however, is finally going to be a thing of the past. At least the low resolution aspect, that is. Way overdue, but finally here, are "HD photos". In WhatsApp speak, "HD" in this case means up to 4096 x 2692 in resolution. You also still have the 'standard' quality option for whatever reason, which will resize everything to 1600 x 1052. Resolution is one thing, compression is another - and WhatsApp has stayed...

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