Father’s Day – Page 7 – The Review Studio

Edifier CC200 Bluetooth Headset

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home & Garden, Mobile Phone, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Now that most of us are working from home most of the time, I know that I find myself looking for gadgets and technology that make life easier. This Edifier Wireless Bluetooth Headset is one example of how my working practice has changed since the beginning of the pandemic. Let me explain…

The Edifier CC200 Bluetooth Headset is a wireless, Bluetooth mono headset for taking phone calls or listening to music. As its wireless and Bluetooth, it doesn’t need plugging in anywhere but can connect to your laptop and allow you to walk around whilst the noise-cancelling microphone can still pick up your voice, allowing you to do more than just be sat at your PC.

All of the controls are on the headpiece; the on/off switch and volume controls, plus the call pick up button on the back of the earpiece. How the combinations of buttons work is detailed in the instructions, but the headset does allow you to pick up multiple calls, mute and redial all from the headset. With so few buttons, it doesn’t take long to pick up the sequences to be able to work them without having to look at the instructions (which are super easy) and learn what the buttons do by their shape and texture.

The headset charges using the USB cord which is included in the set. The battery life is around 29 hours for calls and 64 hours for music, so if you’re not on a call you can run your music from your laptop or PC and still wander around with a range of around 10 meters! This is great for parents who are on calls with their hands full all day or those who have a job where they need to be away from their desks for long periods of time. It’s not just a PC which the Edifier CC200 can work from either. The headset is compatible with both Windows and Apple technology and some phones as well.

The Edifier technology boasts crystal clear calls as well. I set this up easily with my work laptop. Using the on/off button, you only need to pair it once using Bluetooth. With the headphone on set-up mode, my laptop was able to search for it and lock on to the headset easily. Once they’re paired, your laptop or PC locks onto it again whenever it’s switched on and you can start using it straight away.

I am familiar with wireless and Bluetooth headsets so this worked similarly to other brands I’ve used. The call is crystal clear though, both hearing the other person and your own voice, and it works well when there are a group of you on a call. The charge length of the battery is super long – I am used to charging my headset every day and the Edifier CC200 lasts for days without needing to be charged. The adjustable headset is really good for those of us with a lot of hair, or if you wear your hair tied back etc, and even better, it doesn’t have sharp bits that get caught in your hair too!

This is a great addition to working from home and I really can’t find any faults with it. It’s a brilliant price too for how well it works.

Available for £49.99 at:

Oclean X Pro Elite Smart Electric Toothbrush

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, REUSABLE, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this toothbrush for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Did you know that 90% of gum disease and cavities are caused by incorrect brushing? In fact only 1 in 10 people actually brush their teeth correctly (that’s pretty worrying isn’t it!).

Luckily the OCLEAN X Pro Elite is also one of the smartest brushes on the market with a fantastic battery life of up to 35 days and Qi Quick Charge technology enabling it to fully charge in just 3.5 hours!

The X Pro Elite certainly knows its stuff when it comes to oral hygiene and it can help you improve your brushing technique via the Oclean app! The app connects to the X Pro Elite via Bluetooth and gives you derailed analysis of your toothbrushing technique.

Using an ingenious AI algorithm, the X Pro Elite analyses the way you brush your teeth and recommends how you can improve your technique, using a dental model on its 0.96-inch touch screen display which enables you to develop good brushing habits with its 4 modes and 32 intensities for clean mode.

To ensure its users get the deepest clean possible, the X Pro Elite’s motor spins at the speed of sound, delivering a maximum of 42,000 rpm that helps you reach and defeat difficult plaque and stain build ups with ease.

OCLEAN’s new self-developed WhisperClean™ technology also means that the toothbrush emits just 45dB when operating at maximum power: a drastic decrease compared to it’s more pricey big name competitor’s (55-65 dB).

The Xpro Elite also benefits from a wall-mounted holder which was easy to attach to my bathroom wall and it helps to keep it dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.

The OCLEAN X Pro Elite is available to purchase online for RRP £74

More information can be found at: https://www.oclean.com/products/oclean-x-pro-elite

Sennheiser Momentum Ear Buds

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Sport, Tech, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

The first time I had headphones I was a teenager in the 80’s and back then headphones were firmly attached to your Walkman. Thankfully technology has evolved and improved a lot since then and I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to try out the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 earbuds

The stylish grey fabric charging case is nice and solid and closes with a satisfying click. It holds the earbuds securely and once placed in the case the earphones start charging automatically. The USB-C connection makes the case easy to charge and there is also the option to use Qi wireless charging too. A single charge provides 7 hours of playback with the case providing an additional 21 hours of charge, so in total you can enjoy 28 hours of playback before you need to charge. When it does run out of charge, 10 minutes of ‘fast charging’ offers an hour’s playback and a full charge takes just 90 minutes.

Included in the box are four pairs of silicone ear tips, three pairs of ear fins, and a charging cable. The earpieces are IPX4 rated for water resistance, and each earbud has three microphones for voice and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) functionality.

When I first received the earbuds, I found that they had 40% charge, so I was able to use them straight away – all I needed to do was fit the ear fins and then pair them to my phone.

Pairing the earbuds was simple – just touch and hold both earbuds and then select them on your Bluetooth device and they pair to your device easily. The earbuds power off when placed in the case and the lid closed and power on and connect automatically to your device the moment you open the case.

Once paired, I downloaded the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The app not only allows you to control settings on the earbuds but there is also an option to go through a ‘Sound check’ where you select your preferred sound from a choice of 3. There is also the option to set “Sound Zones” where you customise locations you frequent, like your home, gym or workplace and save preferred Active Noise Cancellation and Equaliser settings. Once you enter the radius—set by you on the location map—your settings automatically change to the saved setting when you are in that Sound Zone.

The earbuds feel light, well made, and with IPX4 sweat resistance they are perfect for the gym or when I am out walking.

So I’ve talked about the fit, pairing and app so what is the sound quality like?

Well, it’s excellent, the sound is crisp and clear with no distortion, every song I played sounded amazing, whether it was rock, pop or classical music.

You can also use the earbuds to make and receive telephone calls – if you are playing music it stops whilst you are on the call. I found that the call quality (for both people) was very clear and background noise was minimal.

Answering calls, skipping tracks and turning on/off different modes can all be executed by tapping the earbuds. Once you get the hang of tapping they are very simple to use, the sensitivity is very good and works well all the time.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True wireless 3 earbuds – superior sound, excellent Bluetooth connectivity and a secure and comfortable fit. They are definitely a premium pair of wireless earbuds and anyone receiving them this Christmas won’t be disappointed.

RRP £219.99 available from the Sennheiser website here

Edifier W240TN True Wireless Noise Cancellation In-Ear Headphones

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I love music, especially heavy metal and rock, but my music choices aren’t to everyone’s taste, so a good set of headphones is a must for me.

The Edifier W240TN headphones are the perfect choice for me as they not only look great in a stylish gunmetal black (available in gunmetal black or white finish) they feel comfortable and most importantly the sound quality is astonishing!

I have had in-ear headphones before both wireless and wired that didn’t fit well, had connectivity problems and sounded very tinny.

Thankfully, the Edifier W240TN ticks all the boxes and is a cracking set of earphones with fast charging, meaning you can use them sooner (a 10 minute charge will give you approximately 2 hours of use).

Connecting them to my devices was simple via Bluetooth and the booklet gives a rundown of all the settings available.

When it comes to earphones, one size does not fit all and Edifier has helped with this by including 4 different sized pairs of rubber earbuds XS, S, M and L meaning the Edifier W240TN can fit all.

The active noise cancellation with ambient sound mode is a great feature, meaning you won’t be disturbed whilst listening and you really will be immersed in your music, calls, film or game, etc.

Advanced Bluetooth V5.3AI DNN noise cancellation is another great feature meaning calls using the Edifier W240TN are crystal clear, which is what we all want!

Long-lasting battery life with almost 7 hours playback per charge, the Edifier W240TN has by far the longest battery life I’ve experienced in earphones and I am really impressed with them.

Customized settings can be created via Edifier Connect App, which I downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Overall, the Edifier W240TN are a tremendous pair of earphones, the sound quality is superb, and the appearance is very sleek and trendy, the W240TN is inspired by the shape of a robust piston head and looks effortlessly stylish.

The metallic design carries the legacy of the TWS1 Pro and the finished product speaks volumes about Edifier’s pursuit of style.

The result has an iconic profile that balances modern lines with a retro, almost 80s-like character; think Robocop meets Blade Runner 2049.

RRP £79.99

Available to buy from Amazon

XGIMI Elfin Projector

Birthday Gifts, camping, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Learning, Tech

Disclaimer – We were loaned this item for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Are you struggling to treat the tech lover in your life this Christmas?

Look no further as the XGIMI Elfin Projector is a wonderful gadget and bound to be received well by any lucky recipient.

Projectors have certainly come a long way in terms of design and user ability since my childhood. Gone are the bulky space taking projectors and in their place are a new generation of slimline devices.

Elfin’s slim, lightweight design is similar in size to a standard book and can be transported easily in a bag wherever you go.

As a family of keen campers, we think the Elfin would make a welcome addition to our camping kit as it takes up minimal space, and would be a great way to entertain us all by providing some much needed relaxation during the evenings at the campsites we visit. The idea of a movie under the stars after a fun day’s camping really excites our children.

The XGIMI Elfin Projector was really easy to set up (remote control takes 2 x AAA batteries which were not included) and the user manual was easy to understand and came in a variety of languages.

The Elfin doesn’t come with a stand as standard but this can be bought separately for £72 from XGIMI.

Elfin’s Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) technology automatically optimizes your display in seconds meaning more time for movies!

1080p, 800 ANSI Lumens provides a crystal clear and vividly colourful visual experience for anyone watching thanks to its super powerful lens.

Choosing the right place to protect your movie is important. A patterned wallpaper wouldn’t be suitable so a plain wall is perfect. Our walls are a latte colour and this didn’t affect the colours at all, which was brilliant.

Alternatively, a projector screen can be used. We used our own projector screen outside to see how well the projector would work and it was perfect! The projected images were again crystal clear, and it felt like we were watching a TV.

The integrated Android TV™ delivers 5000+ apps, including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney +. It was really easy to download these apps with a few clicks of a button and all that I needed to do was log in to my accounts.

Sound wise the Elfin didn’t disappoint, its two 3W built-in Harman Kardon speakers really enhanced our viewing experience with high-quality surround sound.

Overall I am really impressed with the XGIMI Elfin Projector and have really enjoyed using it, it’s an amazing piece of tech!

RRP £599

Available to buy from https://uk.xgimi.com/products/elfin

Thinkware Dash Cam X800

Birthday Gifts, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

You never think you need a dash cam until after you need one. I found this out a few years ago, and it wasn’t because of my bad driving but the dash cam did prove it was someone else’s bad driving. For that reason alone, a dash cam is a good idea. However, I didn’t realise until I bought the Thinkware Dash Cam X800 that my old dashcam wasn’t working and hadn’t been for 3 years!

The new X800 is an improvement on older dash cams (my old one wasn’t a Thinkware model) because the SD cards don’t need reformatting periodically in order to keep recording on a loop. So when I saw the X800 didn’t need reformatting every so often, I knew it was time to change!

Before we go into more detail about the dash cam, what is included in the box. Apart from the camera, the kit also includes a window mount, car charger (cigarette), MicroSD memory card and some wire mounts for installation. There are other accessories which are sold separately such as a rear camera, hardwiring cable and external GPS receiver too.

Setting up needs relatively little input from the instruction manual. The MicroSD card needs installing first, then the windscreen mount. The 3M adhesive mount prevents the camera from falling down in hot weather and allows you to position it perfectly on the windscreen. The charging cable, which appears to be extra long, fits into the cigarette charger and the cable mounts make it easy to fix if needed.

Now for the camera itself. Once mounted, all you see is the touchscreen and thankfully mine was already set with the correct date and time. All I had to set was the time zone and a few other preferences. The camera starts recording as soon as you switch the engine on, and you know it’s recording because the voice greets you and tells you to drive safely! It took a bit of getting used to but the LCD screen turns off automatically after 30 seconds of not using it. This is an option which can be changed in preferences though so that it is on constantly.

Driving is recorded in small files which are easy to find. From the home screen, choose File List and a list of all the files is listed by date and time, which you can find by scrolling through the pages. Tapping on a file plays it for you on the device. You can turn off the ability to record sound on the videos but I find it really helps when playing back. However, if you want to play back a recorded file without the sound, the screen has a mute button. There is also a zoom function to magnify an area on screen during playback as well.

An interesting advanced feature of the Thinkware Dash Cam X800 is the Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS). When the vehicle drives at 40km/h or above, the FCWS will detect forward collision danger such as if the distance to the vehicle ahead decreases after an initial collision warning. A similar warning is made using the urban FCWS (uFCWS) but this is only activated at 30km/h. Each of these systems can be switched off in the Settings.

Other features of the Thinkware Dash Cam X800 include:

Wintertime battery protection
PC viewer (see http://www.thinkware. com/Support/Download for details)
150 degree angle of view
30 fps frame rate
Super Night Vision
Parking Recording

There are numerous other options which can be bought to go with the X800 but for the time being, I’m happy with the camera as it is. A few questions you might be asking at this time:

Is it easy to set up?

I found I could set up the camera relatively easily without the manual. Some of the advanced features needed the manual to explain what they were but the manual is clear.

Does it record easily? Do I need to think about it?

Once you install the camera on the mount and the charging cable, the camera is set up to start recording as soon as you start the engine. You might want to look at changing the settings to suit you though.

Is it worth the price?

Currently for sale on Amazon at £169.00 it isn’t as expensive as some dash cams, and is probably an average price. The fact that it works with fleets of cars/lorries and has so many optional extras means that serious drivers will get a lot out of this model.

What doesn’t it do?

At the moment, it doesn’t seem to sync with the Thinkware Cloud software which downloads the recordings to a cloud server. There isn’t a lot online about this model yet though, so I’m hoping in time there will be more apps and online functions available.

There are a few other features I’d like to see that my previous dashcam had, like speed camera warnings and speed alerts.

Will it make me a better driver?

It won’t make you a better driver but from what I’ve seen already it will give you some reassurance when you are driving that you have proof of what’s gone on in front of you!

Overall…

The Thinkware Dash Cam X800 is a nice addition to your car kit, and I would say it’s probably a good second camera so if you’ve had a dash cam before and looking to upgrade, the features on this model would suit you. It’s also great for people who drive a lot with the advanced collision features. The lack of camera alerts or speed alerts is annoying though but if they get the Thinkware Cloud connection working that would make a huge difference to the usability. Just by plugging it in though, you have enough functionality to be able to use it straight away without any fuss.

The Thinkware Dash Cam X800 can be purchased on Amazon (currently for £169.00) at:

TCL 30+ M Android Smartphone

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mobile Phone, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I am loving the TCL 30+ Smartphone that was sent to me this week! I am usually an iPhone user and have been for about 10 years so having never tried an Android phone before, I didn’t know what to expect.

Firstly, the phone looks like a smartphone. Its screen is 16cm height and 7.5cm wide whilst less than 1cm thick, comparable to other smart phones and at 184g it’s lightweight too. The screen isn’t too big for my little hands (and they are little!) and like other smartphones, it’s touchscreen.

If, like me you don’t like reading instructions and just want to get started with setting it up, then it’s easy. You don’t need a SIM card to get started and luckily the phone is already slightly charged so you can take it out the box and start the settings straight away. It doesn’t take that long to set up either. The phone asks you which wi-fi network you want to use so I chose my home network just to get started. Using the QR reader on the phone, it set up and sync-ed with my wifi easily. Next, there was the security which included a ‘pattern’ to open the phone and then the fingerprint recognition. This takes a few minutes as the phone has to build up your profile slowly. You can choose to open the phone with a PIN or face recognition though if you prefer.

There are ample apps already installed or more you can download yourself

Other settings which you can choose are your search engine preferences, G Pay (so you can checkout with your phone for payments), other additional apps like YouTube, Google Drive etc and setting up your Gmail account. It also makes it easy for you to transfer your old apps and data (including photos) from an old device to the TCL 30+.

I particularly liked the ‘Hey Google’ voice recognition. I used this a few times when my hands were full to do things like set up an alarm (the alarm noise was surprisingly soothing!) and ask questions which I was easily able to do from a distance.

Once the phone was set up, I started using it to see how it compared. There are actually 3 cameras; the main camera (50MP), plus two more cameras on the back to give a wider field of view. There’s also a video lens with features such as Steady Snap, Portrait Mode, Movie Mode, Stop Motion and various Filters. Additionally, there’s a 13MP ultrawide camera at the front of the phone, for taking selfies and video. It has features such as Face Beautification, Auto Capture and Touch to Capture.

The cameras are great quality, and to test them, I took the same photo (below) on both the TCL 30+M and my iPhone X. There’s not much difference, you can see that the quality is similar although perhaps slightly better on the iPhone when it comes to detail. The colours are less saturated on the TCL too.

There is 128GB of memory on the phone (which is the same as the new iPhone 13 Pro) and the ability to add a MicroSD card up to 1TB. If you prefer not to use a card though, the phone can link up with your Google Drive and you can store all your photos, files and apps on the cloud so there isn’t a huge need for an SD card unless you really want one.

There are so many features that it takes a while to find your way around all the apps etc but once you do they work brilliantly. The box contains a charger and Type-C cable which are the quickest way to charge the phone. The battery life is much longer than my iPhone too, lasting days instead of just 1 day so there isn’t a big need to keep charging it. The phone also comes with a clear plastic cover, a SIM card pin and a device bag.

If I had never owned a Smartphone before, then I would be overwhelmed by all the apps and what was on offer, but I think I would get used to using it very quickly. As much as I hate to admit it though, I can see why people prefer the Android over an Apple iPhone. A lot of the work is already done for you, it’s consistent (and I think easier to use) with a PC and all the modern features you want with a phone are there. You don’t even need to buy extra accessories like a phone cover.

As with every product, there are pros and cons. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few things I’ve noticed after using the TCL 30+ for a couple of weeks:

Pros

The battery charges quickly and lasts for days!
Easy to set up
Lots of cameras with filters already installed
Already installed with loads of apps including Google apps and social media
More in-depth apps like Weather that also features satellite images, news etc

Cons

Not 5G
Takes a while to register fingerprint security when you pick it up
Response time is slower than I would like when using apps – they take a while to load up or to load more information

At a fraction of the price of an iPhone (currently £159 on Amazon) there are few reasons not to use it, especially if you prefer Androids or aren’t already a Smartphone or Apple user. This would make a fantastic Christmas gift for a teenager, or for anyone who wants to be able to access all of the apps, features and smartphone technology we’ve all come to expect!

Oppo Earbuds Review

Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have been trying out these wireless OPPO Enco Free2 earbuds and I’m really impressed with them. They’re lightweight and are very comfortable in the ear, feeling nice and secure. I had got out of the habit of listening to music on the go as my previous pair kept slipping out, meaning I never felt happy wearing them out of the house, but I’m really pleased with the fit of these. With a choice of three sizes of silicone ear tips you can select the one that fits best, ensuring a perfect fit.

Pairing is really simple, open the charging case and the earphones go straight into pairing mode and then you simply add them to your device. Once paired they will re-connect whenever the case is opened.

The touch controls allow you to skip tracks, adjust volume and switch between the normal active noise cancellation and transparency listening modes. I thought that using a swipe to control the volume rather than a tap worked really well. Taking one earbud out of your ear pauses the player, resuming when it is replaced. The sound quality is fantastic, the sound is clear and the noise cancellation works very well and can be tuned within the app. The app also allows several different equaliser settings to be used meaning you can adjust the sound to suit.

The charging case holds the earphones securely with magnets and once placed in the case the earphones start charging automatically. The charge level is easy to see with an LED whenever the case is opened. I haven’t used them enough to run them down but the manufacturer claims up to a 30 hour run time (including the charge in the case) – impressive! Charging the case is done with USB C and a cable is included.

These earbuds are available in black or white with a dust and water-resistant design to stylishly go the distance and provide users with the ultimate listening experience come rain or shine. They strike the perfect balance between luxury and affordability with a RRP £89.99. Android and IOS ompatible.

Disclaimer: We received these earbuds for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.