#Chinese Range Hood Review

[prokitchendeals]

Ultimate Guide To Finding The Best Range Hoods For Chinese Cooking

A range hood is a vital kitchen appliance that helps to remove smoke, steam, and odors from the air while cooking. Chinese cooking often involves high heat and lots of steam, so a good range hood is essential for keeping your kitchen air fresh and free of grease and grime.

There are two main types of range hoods: ducted and ductless. Ducted Best Chinese Kitchen Hood are connected to an external venting system that directs fumes outside of your home. Ductless range hoods have an internal fan that filters and recirculates air back into your kitchen.

When choosing a range hood for your Chinese cooking needs, it’s important to consider the size of your stovetop and the power of the fan. For example, if you have a wok burner or other high-heat cooking surface, you’ll need a range hood with at least 350 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of suction power.

In addition to removing smoke and odors, range hoods can also help to keep your kitchen cooler by circulating fresh air. This is especially important in hot summer months when cooking with high heat can make your kitchen feel like an oven.

So whether you’re looking to improve the air quality in your kitchen or simply want to keep cool while cooking up a storm, investing in a good range hood is a wise decision.

[atlas-tries]

Shatter Me Chapter 2: The Parent Trap (Thomasphere Edition)

Read on AO3

First | Next

Summary: In which our protagonist finds himself in quite the sticky situation.

Notes: Hey hi hello I hope y’all are ready for this  >:3c And if you think this is something, just wait until you see what I have planned for next week! Buahahaha! That said, I do hope you enjoy! ^^ Thank you to all of you who have been supporting my story!

“Look, Specs, all I’m saying is something is definitely up with him. Cooking us breakfast but not eating with us? Disappearing as soon as we so much as glance in his direction? Has he even let you near him for the past few days without making some excuse as to why he has to go somewhere else?” Roman paced in the living room while Logan reviewed his notes on the couch.

“Roman, it’s been exactly two days, five hours, forty-seven minutes, and twenty seconds since Patton began showing this behavior. It’s not exactly a cause for concern for him to take some time for himself,” Logan replied, not bothering to look up at the Prince.

Roman looked indignant. “Oh okay, Dr. Jerkyll and Mr. Blind, then how do you explain those weird marks all over his body?”

Immediately, Logan perked up, a vague look of concern flashing across his face. “Marks? Elaborate.”

“I saw them on his hands yesterday. These little … jagged lines. And this morning, his onesie hood slipped off for a moment and I saw them on his neck, too,” Roman replied.

Logan tapped his chin and looked down. “It’s interesting you brought that up. Several days ago, I also noticed something on his neck, but at the time, he said it was chocolate. Could that have been a falsehood meant to cover up some sort of injury?”

“I don’t know, but it’s our only lead for now. Why wouldn’t he tell us if something was wrong?”

“Perhaps it would be best to seek that answer from Patton.”

“Yes! The best way to face any problem is to face it head on! Temporary truce?”

Logan nodded. “Temporary truce.”

The two immediately began planning the ways they might go about it, from simply asking Patton point-blank about what was going on to an elaborate Roadrunner scene that ended with him admitting his troubles in a gazebo in Prague. In the end, the two compromised on a plan that was guaranteed to work; Roman had come up with the falsehoods while Logan constructed the tools of their treachery. There was no way animal crackers and a giant Chinese finger trap would fail them now.

On day six of their truce, Roman and Logan finally put their scheme into motion. It was almost painful for them to hear Patton struggling to free himself. It took him the greater part of ten minutes before he finally settled down in defeat, softly whimpering.

---

At times like this, Patton wondered where he went wrong.

Here he was, groveling on the floor, his wrist trapped in some strange icing machine on the counter. Maybe this was divine retribution for the past few days or for not telling the others what was going on? He knew they were beginning to suspect something. At least, he felt like they were. He had been in full view of the Prince when his favorite onesie’s hood slid down a few mornings ago. He was fully aware of Logan’s eyes lingering on him for longer than normal. The hushed tones they used when they thought he was out of listening range hadn’t escaped his keen ears. Even Anxiety had popped up in his room yesterday wondering where he had been.

“Not that I was worried or anything, but … are you mad at me?” Anxiety asked, fiddling with his hoodie strings like he always did. “It’s just, you haven’t really come by these past few days and—”  

“Of course not, Anxiety! I’ve been uh, cleaning! Yeah, just cleaning my room. Definitely not hiding! I must’ve lost track of time. I promise I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, we can watch one of those,” Patton visibly gulped, “scary movies you like so much. How does that sound?” He tried not to let the dread of a horror flick reach his face.

Anxiety immediately perked up. “Really?” he asked.

Patton nodded, giving as genuine a smile as he could muster. “Really really.”

Thankfully, those awful cracks had now healed enough to where Patton was able to wear his normal clothes again. That turned out to be less of a blessing than he had bargained for; a normal trip to the kitchen quickly turned into something out of one of Anxiety’s favorite horror movies as soon as Patton spotted the traitorous animal crackers.

There was a little note in front of the bowl that looked to be from Logan. Patton, please enjoy this snack. The contraption on the counter will coat them in rainbow-chip frosting. Be sure to get them in deep and keep holding it until the frosting finishes. He looked at the macaroni noodle-shaped contraption on the counter. “Aw, that’s so sweet! I’ll have to remember to thank him for all of this later. But for now, I ani-must bring these back to ani-munch on,” he said to himself with a chuckle. “Not before trying one out, though!” He grabbed a lion shaped animal cracker and shoved it into the thingamajig on the counter, but nothing happened.

“Huh, maybe it’s just slow?” He stood there for a good minute or so waiting on delicious frosting, but he knew he couldn’t keep Anxiety waiting for too long. “Anxiety is waiting for me, so I guess yummy frosting will have to wait for me instead.” Patton tried to pull his hand out, but the contraption latched onto him like a vice. “Uh oh.” He tugged harder. It didn’t let go. He leaned his entire weight against it. Still nothing.

He wasn’t freaking out.

“Logan? Roman? Winnie the Pooh is stuck in the honey tree!” he cried. He waited and listened, but no one came. That meant Roman was probably off gallivanting in the Imagination and Logan had to be nose deep in his afternoon studies. Neither Anxiety nor Deceit were allowed in the light side’s common area.

He definitely wasn’t freaking out.

It felt like hours of pointless struggling passed by before Patton gave up, sinking down onto the kitchen floor and quietly whimpering against the cabinet doors. Which brought him to where he was now. “I didn’t even get any animal crackers …” he whined.

Finally, he heard quiet footsteps coming from the living room. “Roman? Logan?” Patton called out. He turned his head toward the doorway but could only partly see the two sides rushing in. “Oh, thank goodness!”

“Patton? What happened? Are you alright?” Roman asked.

“I’m fine, just in a bit of a sticky situation,” Patton said, getting up off the floor. “I’ve been at this for so long now, I’m surprised I haven’t sprouted gray hairs! There’s just no way to get out of this. But now that you two are here, maybe there’s hope after all!”

Logan approached him from the front. “We will of course get you out, but first, we need you to do something for us,” he said.

“Sure, anything you need, kiddos,” Patton replied.

Logan nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that because we need to ask you some very important questions.”

Patton could see the concern behind his steely facade. Even Roman looked a little tense.

“Please, Padre.” Roman put a hand on his shoulder.

Patton looked down. “Questions?” He quickly jerked his head back up and pasted on as real a smile as he could. “As long as they aren’t about the secret ingredient for my pasta.”

“We couldn’t help but notice you’ve been a little … out of sorts lately. We just want to know that you’re alright,” Roman said, coming to stand beside Logan.

“Of … course I am. What makes you think something’s wrong?” Patton asked, feeling that familiar nervousness rise whenever someone brought his emotional status up.

Logan said, “For one thing, you’ve been isolating yourself for the past eight days, fifteen hours, seventeen minutes, and two seconds. For another, we have reason to believe that you may have incurred some injury, which led to this isolating behavior.”

Roman rolled his eyes at Logan. “Way to be subtle, you muddy elephant.”

Patton could only stare in abject horror as the two hashed out Roman’s name calling. They really had caught on. They knew.

They knew.

They knew.

“I … can’t …” They looked back at him. He couldn’t find it in him to summon any words. He couldn’t escape their eyes. He couldn’t escape them. The two became rather wobbly-looking in front of him, at least until the tears broke free. He sank back down to the floor, silent as the grave but still awash with fear.

Instantly, both sides were near him, Roman rubbing comforting circles on his back. They hurt where his fingers brushed over the cracks, but Patton did his best not to let it show any more than he already was.

Too bad they were so perceptive. “Are you wearing something else under this shirt? The perfectly personalized armor I gave you for Christmas last year, perhaps?” Roman asked, focusing on one particularly painful fissure.

“Patton, please. We want to help you, but we can only do that if you let us help you,” Logan said, releasing Patton’s wrist from the trap and resting a hand on his thigh.

You’re too naive to even see that you’re so broken. Patton stared at the hand. Maybe focusing on it would make the pain stop spreading again.

He didn’t notice Roman mouthing something to Logan over his shoulder. Not that he needed to know; he felt the cracks had extended beyond his sleeves. It was all over. He couldn’t hide. He couldn’t escape. That left only one option.

Patton’s hand was suddenly on Logan’s, leading it to the hem of his shirt. “P-promise me … nothing will change,” he whispered, letting his hand go limp. Tears fell with little plops onto his khakis.

Logan nodded. He gently lifted Patton’s shirt up, revealing those horrible cracks etched across his skin. A little bit of blue shone through over his heart. Patton closed his eyes in shame.

“What is …” Roman’s voice trailed off. He cleared his throat. “What is all of this?” he slowly said. His fingers so gently outlined the little ridges, as though one false move would make Patton shatter.

“It’s w-what happens when I’m … hurt,” Patton said. He balled his fists in his lap to keep himself from outrightly sobbing.

Logan, who was at first too shocked to say anything or react, suddenly spoke. “Who did this to you?” he asked, his voice full of protective vengeance.

“N-no one,” Patton replied. It wasn’t technically a lie; despite being spurred on by hurtful comments, this was something that moreso inflicted itself on him.

“But you just said this is what happens when you’re hurt. Surely this injury must have a cause. Did you … hurt yourself somehow?” Roman pleaded.

You did this to yourself just to make us coddle you.

Patton quietly cried out as the cracks split up his neck and down his limbs a bit more, and suddenly the world was on its side. He panted hard, trying to get his breathing under control. It’s not so bad. It’s not so bad. It’s not so bad oh gosh it hurts real bad it hurts real bad make it stop makeitstopmakeitstop.

“What’s happening? Why are they spreading?” Roman asked frantically.

With a shaky voice, Patton said, “R-roman … c-come closer.” Roman did as he said. “Closer.” Once again, Roman shifted nearer. “C-closer.” Roman’s face was almost touching Patton’s. “I g-guess you c-could s-say it’s … b-because I’m a little … broken up.” Patton summoned a tiny grin.

Logan groaned. “If he’s with it enough to make horrible puns, he’s probably fine, although I do wish to study this rather, um … concerning phenomenon. Are you able to stand?” he asked.

“Y-yeah, even though I m-might not’ve h-had you floored with m-my jokes, I sh-should be able to get off of this one,” Patton replied. Even Roman was reeling with that one.

“I might scream,” said Logan. He still offered a hand to Patton, as did Roman. With their help, he was once again standing. The world was still a little spinny and he ended up falling just a little bit onto Roman, but the dizziness should go away soon enough. At least the pain felt a little more tolerable now thanks to those jokes. “If you’re quite finished with your nonsensical japes, please come with me.”

“S-sorry, kiddo, I actually h-have something planned for th-this afternoon. Can it wait until, uh,” Patton looked up and counted on his fingers, “eight thirty?”

“… I suppo—”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?” Roman suddenly asked. “We could’ve helped you figure it out, maybe even addressed it in a video!”

Patton nodded. “I know I should’ve said something, but I didn’t want you guys worrying about it. You have enough on your plates as it stands with everything for videos and Thomas’s life, and I wasn’t going to add one more noodle onto that heaping plate of pasta,” he said.

“Wait, when did we begin speaking about pasta?” asked Logan.

“It’s a figure of speech, Captain Oblivious.” Roman turned back to Patton. “Don’t ever think that we wouldn’t care enough to want to know when something’s wrong. From now on, if something’s hurting you, please let us know.” He pulled Patton into a hug.

“I will,” Patton sighed happily and returned the hug. A bit of doubt still lingered heavily on his chest; he didn’t know if he would ever have it in him to tell them they were part of the problem. Shoving that thought down, he grabbed the bowl of animal crackers and once again made his way to the closet door.

---

“Logan’s log, Mindscape date 0-2-1-5-1-7. Subject matter: Patton’s mysterious injury. Subject was seen today to investigate the cause of an unknown thoracoabdominal injury resembling deep cuts radiating out from just over his heart. Nothing appears broken, skin integrity is good, albeit rigid near the injury sites. Subject’s essence is viewable from the deepest portions of the injury. It appears to be symmetrical between ventral and dorsal surfaces.

“First aid was attempted after the initial exam. All known methods of wound care up to, and including, sutures, staples, bandages, superglue, peppercorns, and army ants were all shown to be ineffective. Much of this is attributed to skin rigidity surrounding the injury site. However, the injury itself appears stable and very little essence has been lost.

“Subject was then queried on the following: date of initial injury, potential cause of initial injury, potential causes of further injury in relevance to earlier growth, pain level, and his observations of the phenomena. Subject stated that he couldn’t remember when the injury first occurred, nor did he remember what caused it. His pain levels fluctuate throughout the day. In regards to personal observation, he stated that the injury had a mind of its own, though how something like that could possibly have a mind is beyond my comprehension at this time. Further testing is needed before an answer can be reached.”

Logan clicked the stop button on the tape recorder and set it down on his desk. He swiveled around in his chair so he was facing the father figure seated squarely on his bed. “This doesn’t make any sense. Patton, are you sure this is all you can remember?” he asked. Patton nodded wordlessly. “Hmm. Well, it’s not much of a start, but I’ll start formulating some hypotheses. For now, I’d like to check up on your healing in one week. I’ll call you if I need more information before then.”

“Alright, just don’t stay up too late now,” Patton said, gently hugging the logical side. Though Logan normally didn’t care much for overt physical affection, he found himself returning the hug. It didn’t last long, but it was just as well that Patton had cut it short and left in a hurry; there were some additional observations Logan needed to record without Patton being around to hear them.

Logan sat down at the desk and picked the tape recorder up again. “Logan’s log, continuation of subject matter: Patton’s mysterious injury. I have suspicions that Patton is not telling me everything he knows about his condition. For now, I believe the most logical course of action is to observe his actions to see if I can uncover any clues and to monitor healing.”

He clicked the stop button. This, truly, was one of the only times where Logan Sanders felt truly perplexed.

---

Patton had just closed the door to his bedroom when he noticed a familiar yellow and gray-clad figure perched on the edge of his bed. “My my, I always knew you were the clever one of the bunch, Patton, but I had no idea you could pull something like that off,” Deceit suddenly said, turning his head toward Patton to reveal a smirk.

Patton tilted his head. “What are you talking about? I … I told them, didn’t I? Wait, what are you doing up here?”

“Oh, I had no idea what I was doing, honestly, and I’ll be sure to take ages telling you what I came here to tell you. But back onto you, my dear Father Figure. I just loved how you really relinquished every last little detail to them, especially the part where you told them it was all their fault that you’re even in this state.”

“But that’s not true!”

Deceit closed the gap between them with slow strides as he spoke. “Then why keep the real cause from them? Why keep handing me this beautiful undoing?”

Patton steadily backed up until his back was against the door, doing everything in his power to shrink away from Deceit’s piercing gaze. “Because,” Patton looked genuinely lost for a moment before finding his footing again, “it’s like I said before, I’m not adding another noodle to their pasta salad!”

Deceit gave him a briefly quizzical look before evening his expression out again. “I know exactly what that means.”

“I don’t want anyone to have to walk on eggshells around me. It hurts, sure, but they never mean to hurt me.”

“I’ve never heard that one before, certainly not in our last little discussion.” Deceit rolled his eyes and gave a flip of his hand. “How much longer do you intend to pander to me? At first, it was rather fun but now it’s just getting tiring. I’m definitely not getting worried at all.”

Patton eased enough to crack a small smile. “You don’t have to worry about this anymore, Dee. I think that now that they know this much, maybe things will get better and I won’t even have to bring it up,” he said, not knowing when he had begun holding Deceit’s hands.

Deceit sighed, looking down at where the two were connected and back up into Patton’s warm brown eyes. “I hope for your sake that’s true.”

He sunk out without another word, leaving Patton with an uncertain feeling in his heart.

Taglist: @celeste-tyrrell @taxicabinmemphis

[allspark]

Flying into the Allspark studio today on wind fire wheels is Chinese youth deity Nezha! Will he protect all the professional drivers in your collection, or will he grow up, settle down, and drive a rideshare for the rest of eternity?  Tune in after the break to find out?

When it comes to Chinese religions, I know next to nothing, sadly.  That meant being completely unaware of who or what Nezha was prior to seeing this figure on the interwebs.  The show looked a lot like Cyberverse and was clearly aimed at the younger generation.  I decided to check out the TfWiki and found out that Nezha had his own series in 2003, called Legend of Nezha.  There still does not seem to be a lot of information about the fiction at this time, but as the TfWiki states, it clearly meshes that previous show with some of the animation models we have seen in Cyberverse.  Looks like I need to do more digging.

When I started to read a little about Nezha himself I began with this article on Wikipedia.  I will let you read for yourself, since this is a toy review.  What I will tell you is that I am seriously wanting to dig deeper into the lore of China’s religions after this.  There seems to be a deep well of folklore that could be adapted for some amazing movies, shows, comics, and toys.

So far, I have only seen 8 figures from this line.  There are 4 neat Brickformers, 3 smaller, limited articulation figures of which a version of Nezha is one, and the Nezha figure from this review.  I really hope all of these figures find a way to commercial markets outside of China, because they look like a lot of fun.  The Brickformers in particular look better than anything we have seen in the West.  The figure in this review appears to be similar in style to the Elite Class Bumblebee from Cyberverse, the one that has the battleship parts for armor, but I cannot say that it is in any shape form or fashion a remold of that figure.

Nezha Figure

Nezha is a youthful deity from Chinese folk religion.  He is typically depicted as a youth, travels on “wind fire wheels”, and is seen brandishing a fire tipped spear in his right hand.  The figure is based on the animation model from the eponymous show which is inspired by the religion.  Nezha himself is tiny.  He stand about 3.5 cm/1.5” tall.  He has 5 points of articulation: swivel hips, swivel shoulders, and a ball jointed head.  He look is based on folkloric styles.  He wears a traditional Chinese hairstyle (which will cause some westerners to mistake him for female), purple pants, a pink shirt with unpainted sash) a red chest armor, gauntlets (also unpainted, sadly) and ribbon tipped earrings.

Nezha fits inside his robot Transtector’s chest, and I LOVE this play pattern.  It is fun placing Nezha in the larger robot mode, and I would really love to see a version of this play pattern make it into Generations as some sort of a sub-line.  It would be epic!

Car Mode

Nezha’s car mode is car mode is based heavily of his look in robot mode.  He is mostly red, with purple, black and yellow highlights.  His windshields, while clear, are heavily opaque black plastic.   The wheels are plastic, not rubber.  There is a fire motif on the sides of the car, reminiscent of the characters powers.  There is no Autobot symbol on this character (no need for it), but there is a symbol somewhat resembling a ram’s head on the hood.

Again, this mold appears to use the same style and a similar transformation scheme to Elite Class Bumblebee from Cyberverse, but they do not appear to be the same mold. The spear and “Qiankun Circle” connect to the top of the vehicle for storage.  The vehicle mode is mostly solid, though the doors have a slight tendency to pop out with too much pressure.  The car mode is fairly kid friendly, so I can see why there is interest in this figure outside of China.

Robot Mode

The robot mode for Nezha is based on his “human/deity” form.  It comes in at about 15.5cm/6” in height.  The color motifs carry over well, and with the robot head’s resemblance, there is no mistaking who this character his.  The spear and the Qiankun Circle fit nicely into his hands with little effort and stay placed firmly during posing.

Articulation from this mode:

Double jointed ankle swivels (with limited tilt range)

Knee swivels

Above the knee swivels (approximate thigh movement)

Double-jointed hip swivels

Clavicle swivels (due to transformation)

Ball-jointed shoulders

Bicep swivels

Elbow swivels

Wrist swivels

Ball-jointed head

    The mini Nezha figure fits securely inside the chest compartment of this “Transtector” for him to pilot.  The articulation, as mentioned above, is more than what is seen on most Cyberverse molds, and he can be posed in numerous action stances.  The figure has a handful of limitations, however.  The ankle tilts are limited, which does complicate posing and leaving him in some action stances on a shelf.  Adding to that is the design of the feet, which sometimes requires placing the “heels” in an arch instead of flat so that he can stand.  These are minor annoyances on an otherwise fun to pose action figure, and they do not spoil the experience.

  Overall Thoughts

I give Nezha 9.5/10 wind fire wheels!  He has bright colors, a unique look, and includes a “Transtector” play pattern that I would love to see done outside of China, perhaps with Mini-Cons/Microns instead of humans/deities.  You can find this figure online in various places for anywhere from $40-$50 USD.  It would make a neat gift for that young Transformers fan in your family, or the older collector that is looking for something to make their collection stand out.  Highly recommended!

  “Nezha: Transformers” Nezha Gallery and Review! Flying into the Allspark studio today on wind fire wheels is Chinese youth deity Nezha! Will he protect all the professional drivers in your collection, or will he grow up, settle down, and drive a rideshare for the rest of eternity? 

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: All Out: The No-Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell Rating: 4/5 

“Tomorrow’s all about the life we choose.” - The Sweet Trade by Natalie C Parker

I've wanted to get my hands on this anthology for so long and I was very glad it lived up to my expectations. There's an amazingly broad range of LGBT+ characters - including a few asexual ones - but it would've been cool to have a few more #OwnVoices authors, especially transgender/NB authors. Another awesome LGBT+ YA anthology.

Reviews and ratings of each story below the cut. 

Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore - 2/5 - If not for the author’s note accompanying this one, I wouldn’t have understood what made it queer. But the historical aspect was cool.

The Sweet Trade by Natalie C Parker - 4/5 - Fun! I’m always down for queer pirates.

And They Don’t Kiss At the End by Nilah Magruder - 5/5 - Disco, skating, and an asexual character. Loved it!

Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee - 5/5 - I read this one ages ago when the publishers put it on their blog. Absolutely loved it - especially the Amsterdam setting. Need more stories set in the Netherlands.

The Dresser and The Chambermaid by Robin Talley - 5/5 - Such an adorable story featuring a romance between two servants to a princess. Loved the banter among all the staff.

New Year by Malinda Lo - 4/5 - An interesting, intersectional look at San Francisco in the 1950s. I liked Judy and learning that Chinese women helped get us to the moon as well.

Molly’s Lips by Dahlia Adler - 5/5 - Short and bittersweet. Enjoyed it.

The Coven by Kate Scelsa - 4/5 - I am very down for French lesbian witches in the roaring 20s. We should rekindle this tradition next year ;)

Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake - 4/5 - TRANS ROBIN HOOD IN LOVE WITH A DEAF WILL SCARLET *vibrates* also asexual Friar Tuck. Could’ve done with a more concrete ending though.

Willows by Scott Tracey - DNF

The Girl With the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe - 3/5 - A sweet little story about wlw and fairies during the California Gold Rush.

The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez - 2/5 - Cute but a bit too farfetched for my tastes. The banter was the best part.

Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger - 5/5 - So sweet! An asexual Hollywood starlet falling for a small-town waitress. Absolutely loved it - I really need to read Kody’s novels soon.

The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan - 5/5 - Adorable!

Three Witches by Tessa Gratton - DNF

The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson - 4/5 - Like The Prestige but gay and actually magical. I need to read Shaun’s books too.

Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia - 1/5 - I just didn’t connect with this one. It felt too similar to the first story.

[purifiermotors-blog]

Yuki Fukumoto delivered a speech first of all to thank the guests who came to the ceremony today

On February 15, 2019, in the Shanghai Technology Center of Yaskawa Electric (China) Co., Ltd., Yaskawa Electric (China) Co., Ltd. obtained the CR certification of Chinese robotics products issued by Shanghai Tianwei Certification Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'TILVA \u0026 rdquo;'). (S and E, B mode), Yaskawa Electric was fortunate to become an early international robot company that obtained CR certification. Mr. Yaskawa Electric (China) Executive Officer, Mr. Jin Fuzheng of China, Mr. Yang Ming, Deputy General Manager of Yaskawa Electric, Mr. Dai Liu, President of Shanghai Robot Industry Association, Mr. Zheng Haifeng, Deputy General Manager of TILVA, and Mr. Zheng Kaiyu, 

Deputy General Manager of TILVA Robotics Department participated in the CR certification ceremony. At the same time, automotive integrators, 3C integrators and users, teaching Workstation integrators and colleges, one-stop purchasing platforms, maintenance service providers, associations, media and other relevant guests attended and witnessed. Mr. Yuki Fukumoto delivered a speech first of all to thank the guests who came to the ceremony today, expressing his ability to this time We have achieved CR certification for the purpose of improving the safety of the Chinese market and product quality. It is an honor. Yaskawa will also introduce new technologies in the future to contribute to China's development.  Mr. Zheng Haifeng addressed Mr. Haifeng Zheng on behalf of Shanghai Power Technology Shanghai Tianwei Certification Technology Co., Ltd. Congratulations to Yaskawa Electric for obtaining the CR certification of Chinese robotics products. This certification activity is of great significance to both Yaskawa and the Chinese robotics industry, and I thank you for your support of Tian Wei. I hope that the Chinese robotics CR certification will better support the development of the Chinese robotics industry with your support and continuous attention. The CR certification is a combination of a small robot controller 'YRC1000micro' and a 6-axis vertical articulated robot 'GP7'. Yaskawa industrial machine MOTOMAN-GP7 uses the latest motion control technology, and the synthesis speed is faster than previous Yaskawa machines. 

This type has been improved by about 30%, which has improved on-site production. Compared with the previous models, it has achieved absolute high speed and high accuracy. The mechanical structure has been updated to ensure compact installation and increase the amount of conveyance. In addition, Reduces dust and liquid sinking in harsh environments The round illusion-resistant design is widely used in the handling and grinding of small item parts, assembling of Range hood motor manufacturers 3C appliances, etc. This product is evaluated, tested, and tested in accordance with the certification rules CR-1-01: 2018 'Implementation Rules for CR Certification of Industrial Robots'. The consistency check of the factory finally won the CR certificate issued by TILVA certification. After the certification ceremony, interviews and exhibition hall activities were held on the site, and guests at the meeting fully communicated and interacted with CR certification and product applications. CR certification It is part of the 'Made in China 2025' plan promoted by the Chinese government, aimed at 'improving the quality of robot products, promoting the technological progress of the robot industry, promoting the healthy and orderly development of the robot industry, passing the trust of high-quality product manufacturing, and enhancing the international competition of Chinese robots' And innovative authentication service model. According to the review and notification results of Shanghai Tianwei Certification Technology Co., Ltd., our company is fortunate to be a foreign robot company that has obtained CR certification in the early stage. We will continue to provide products that can meet the needs of Chinese society and the market in many ways.

[ourredminote7review-blog]

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review: one of the best budget phones money can buy

The design of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is fine, as designs go. It feels a little bit chunky and heavy in the hand, and the bottom bezel is slightly thicker than you might prefer, but it's by no means an ugly phone – there are display curves in all the right places and the teardrop notch isn't too intrusive.

Remember this is a phone you can pick up from as little as £179 – the starting price of the iPhone XS Max is more than six times higher. Does the iPhone offer a more premium finish and feel? Yes. Is it six times as better-looking as the Redmi Note 7? Absolutely not.

The 6.3-inch screen gives you plenty of room to work with and is bright and sharp enough to a more than satisfactory degree. Like a lot of budget phones, the resolution is pegged at 1080 pixels across, but we found the screen fine in day-to-day use – you're not really going to notice this too much.

From pretty much every angle, the Redmi Note 7 looks stylish. Black and blue are your colour options (at least in the UK they are), but the blue actually offers a subtle blue-purple gradient that looks really nice – if you want to turn a few heads when you're pulling the phone out of your pocket, that's the shade to go for.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

The dual-lens rear camera bulges out a little bit, but not so much that it's annoying, and the back of the phone features a classy and minimal design broken up only by a fingerprint sensor and a small Redmi logo besides the camera.

A 3.5mm headphone jack is included up at the top, so you can carry on using your existing wired headphones, and down at the bottom of the phone you've got the USB-C port and two speaker grilles (but actually just one speaker). Volume and power buttons are at the side – they feel a little budget and basic, but still fine.

We do like the tiny LED notification light on the chin at the bottom of the phone, though it seems a bit odd to have it off to the side like it is – it helps you see at a glance whether you've got any notifications to check up on, and it's something we wish that more phones would offer.

Overall, while the Redmi Note 7 isn't going to win any design awards anytime soon, it's still a fine-looking handset, especially for the price. As with many budget and mid-range phones nowadays, it looks more expensive than it actually is, so it has to be a thumbs up for the look and feel of the Redmi Note 7.

These are our favourite small phones on the market XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7: SPECS AND POWER Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

Under the hood the Snapdragon 660 processor is a perfectly respectable choice at this price point – in fact, it's more than respectable, and should give you more than enough power for all but the most demanding tasks on mobile. We certainly didn't notice any lag or slowdown in our time with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.

Our review unit came with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and this is the sweet spot as far as configuration goes – 3GB / 32GB is cutting it a bit fine in terms of system resources, and while 128GB of storage is great, it costs quite a lot more too. Considering the phone has a memory card slot, 4GB and 64GB should be fine.

Plenty of Chinese brands are using the Snapdragon 660 in their budget and mid-range phones at the moment, but outside of China the 660-toting handset you're probably most familiar with is the Nokia 7 Plus. That's where we're talking in terms of power.

It's at least on a par with other phones at this very low price range, and may well outperform a lot of them. In terms of Geekbench 4 scores at least (see the separate box out), the Redmi 7 Note does better than a phone like the Moto G7 Plus.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

We tried to put the phone through its paces as extensively as possible, but whether it was scrolling around in Google Maps or racing around a beautifully rendered track in the latest Asphalt game, the Redmi Note 7 was up to the task.

Occasionally there's a millisecond or two of a pause where you might expect a smoother experience if you've downgraded from a flagship phone, but it really isn't anything to panic about. As with every other aspect of the Redmi Note 7, you have to balance performance with price – and considering how much (or how little) you're paying, the Snapdragon 660, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage combination is very decent indeed. It's only slightly below the Pixel 3a, which costs twice as much.

Of course we can only talk about the first few weeks of using the phone: buying a more expensive handset usually means it's going to stay faster for longer, though phone makers and software developers seem to be getting better at stopping this from happening.

Based on our time with the Redmi Note 7 and the benchmarking scores it was able to hit, you should have no problems at all with it in the performance department. You won't hit the frame rates or the loading times of something like the Samsung Galaxy S10, but you will find it perfectly responsive and up to all the tasks you give it.

GEEKBENCH 4 BENCHMARKS – XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7

[CPU test]

Single-core: 1,635

Multi-core: 5,918

[Compute test]

RenderSript Score: 5,681

[Battery test]

Battery Score Estimate: 5,517

The very best phones that Samsung sells right now XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7: CAMERA Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 comes packing a dual-lens rear camera, and one of those camera lenses offers up a whopping 48MP of resolution – a very high watermark for a phone at this price. It's accompanied by a 5MP snapper, so on paper the phone should be capable of getting some very decent shots.

We're happy to report that's the case – most of the time at least. On the whole, pictures came out sharp and vibrant, though in one or two shots we did find there was a lack of clarity and sharpness in the details. That was only really visible when zooming in though, so something you'd never notice on a social media feed.

Unless you override it in the settings, the Redmi Note 7 actually takes photos at a 12MP resolution, using the extra pixels from the 48MP sensor to do some clever image processing. Considering 12MP photos are as big as you're every likely to need, we're happy with that.

We did find there was a slight, almost imperceptible lag in the shutter speed on the Redmi Note 7. It's not going to get in the way of you taking the snaps you need, but it's something we noticed compared to the very top flagships on the market (which, sorry to labour the point, cost a whole lot more money).

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 camera impresses, on the whole.

In good light most pictures are sharp and feature a nice balance of colour.

It's not the most advanced camera in the world, but it won't disappoint.

Close ups usually include lots of detail and sharp focus.

For the majority of the time, you can just point and shoot to get great results.

The portrait mode on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 seems responsive and effective.

With a bit of light, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 camera can get decent results at night.

As with most phone cameras, as the light goes down, the noise goes up. Next At night the Redmi Note 7 coped pretty well with the shooting tasks we gave it, as long as there was some form of illumination coming from somewhere. It's in the darkest scenes where noise starts to creep in and the phone's rear camera doesn't hold up to the Pixels of this world. The dedicated night mode does help a little, but we found it a bit hit and miss in terms of balancing noise and illumination.

As in most other areas though, the Redmi Note 7 camera goes above and beyond what you would expect from a budget phone down at the bottom end of the market. There's no optical image stabilisation (so keep your hands as still as you can) and no laser autofocus, so it might take a little longer to lock onto subjects.

You won't find much in the way of shooting modes or enhancements here – bar a rather gimmicky "beautify" mode – but there is a portrait function for blurring the backgrounds behind subjects. It's basic in its implementation, especially compared with the flagship phones of the moment, but in our tests it does a very respectable job.

On the front there's a 13MP single-lens camera which we found to be very much up to the job of taking decent-quality selfies when needed. A second lens for a wider angle would be welcome, but we wouldn't expect one at this price point.

Get yourself a phone for less: the best cheap phones XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7: SOFTWARE AND FEATURES Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

If there is an area where Xiaomi phones fall down, it's in the software it slaps on top of Android, and the Redmi Note 7 is no different in this respect. Xiaomi's MIUI isn't hideous, it's just a bit more bloated and a bit more busy than we would really like.

You get a ton of Xiaomi Mi apps that you can't uninstall, plenty of prompts to set up a Mi account that you don't really need, and no app drawer (something we like to have on Android, but your mileage may vary).

Every app Xiaomi adds on is like a cheap imitation of what Google does – like the "App Vault" that appears when you swipe right from the home screen. Of course you can use the Google apps instead and ignore the Xiaomi ones, and even revamp the entire interface with a third-party launcher, but in our eyes MIUI is still the weakest part of the overall Redmi Note 7 package.

You do at least get the latest Android 9 Pie running under MIUI, but whether you'll get Android Q anytime soon remains to be seen. Like most phone makers, Xiaomi tends to take months to get all its handsets updated, whether you're running one of its budget models or something at the high-end.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

Aside from the software, the phone doesn't offer any sort of waterproofing, which is pretty much par for the course at this price level. Ditto wireless charging, which isn't available, though 18W fast charging is. You do also get dual-SIM capabilities, if you need to juggle work and personal numbers.

One of the advantages of lower-powered components and a lower-resolution screen is better battery life, and the Redmi Note 7 scores well in this department too. We often found ourselves with a third of the battery still left at the end of the day, and sometimes more, with light-to-medium usage.

If you really push the battery hard with games, GPS and video you're going to need a recharge by the end of the day, but on most days you're not going to have to worry about making it to bedtime. At the same time the phone isn't going to revolutionise your life with two days between charges either.

In the regular battery test we run, the Redmi Note 7 went down from 100 percent to 87 percent after an hour of Netflix at maximum brightness and medium volume, a fairly average result That works out at 7-8 or so hours of video watching between charges – a result that's about average for a phone in 2019.

The top phones out of the MWC 2019 event this year XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7: VERDICT Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 review

We're sure you're bored of us saying it now, but: the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 can be yours for as little as £179 (or £199, for the version we tested). Everything else about the phone has to be viewed in that light, and from the camera to the design to the performance, the Redmi Note 7 manages to exceed expectations by some distance.

The few reservations we had about the phone, including a lack of waterproofing and the rather overbearing MIUI software, aren't enough to dissuade us from what is a very good deal right now. The quality, finish and power of Xiaomi phones have been steadily improving over the years, and it's trickled down to the budget Redmi line too.

The Redmi Note 7 isn't going to take photos as well as a Google Pixel can, or look as stylish as an iPhone, or race through tasks as quickly as a Samsung Galaxy – but in terms of the bang you get for your buck, we'd say it beats pretty much everything out there at the moment.

[thesevillereport]

In Focus: EV Wars Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the EV space. We've had delivery reports, delivery date announcements,official test drives, factories bought and sold, as well as manufacturing rights bought and sold.

In my piece on the Rivian IPO a few weeks ago, I spoke on the electric vehicle wars heating up, and over the past few weeks, the moves made by some major players have turned the heat up even more. Here is of some news that occurred over the past several days involving some of the major players in the EV wars.

Tesla

Tesla ($TSLA) recently released its delivery numbers for Q3 2021. The company reported that it delivered 241,300 vehicles during the quarter, topping analyst estimates of 220,900. Deliveries in Q3 also topped Q2 2021 deliveries by 20%.

Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y accounted for close to 229,000 of the total deliveries for the quarter, and nearly 9,000 Model S and X vehicles were delivered during the quarter.

Lucid

Last week a lucky few got the chance to visit the Lucid Group ($LCID) plant in Arizona for a tour and test drive of the Lucid Air Dream. From everything I've read, the car is spacious, and has a luxurious fit and finish to it. The Range edition of the car offers 520 miles of range, which is more than any Tesla, and the Performance edition of the Air comes with 1,111 horsepower.

Lucid expects deliveries to start in October, but if you haven't already reserved your Lucid Air Dream,  you'll have to wait a little longer. The Air Dream Edition has already sold out and Lucid has closed reservations.

Though I've talked about holding off on an investment in Lucid, what I've read about the car from people who have taken it for a test drive has made me rethink my original position. Specifically the part about the car's fit and finish. I've seen too many Tesla's with uneven spacing between the hood and fender, and a number of other build quality concerns. Elon's personality, and the cult that is Tesla owners has caused many people to overlook these issues, but for how long? If Lucid can keep its delivery date of October, I'll definitely have to revisit the stock.

Rivian

It's been a busy few weeks for Rivian. In September the company started deliveries of its R1T pickup truck. A feat that has been severely down played, likely because the company isn't a public company yet. Rivian was able to beat Tesla, Lordstown Motors ($RIDE), Ford ($F), and GM ($GM) to market with a functional electrical pickup truck. It's a kick to the gut of Ford and GM, whose F150 and Chevy Silverado, respectively, are among those companies' best selling vehicles.

Rivian won't be private for long. The company has filed its paperwork to go public, and it released its S1 last week. The company's filing has everything I expected. Big losses, big spends, big cash reserves, and big plans. The company lost over $1 billion in 2020, spent $1 billion in research and development over the last two years, has over $3 billion in cash, and has plans to sell vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, and then expand to Western Europe and then Asia.

Foxconn and Fisker and Lordstown Motors

Earlier in the year Fisker ($FSR) completed a manufacturing deal with iPhone manufacturer Foxconn (2354.TW). The deal would allow Foxconn to manufacture a car for Fisker. Last year, Foxconn stated it wanted to be the Android of electric vehicles by creating a platform to help automobile companies make electric vehicles.

For months, the question has been where will Foxconn manufacture Fisker's vehicle, and this week we got our answer. Lordstown, Ohio is where Foxconn will manufacture vehicles. Foxconn purchased the Lordstown Motors manufacturing facility for $230 million.

Does that mean Lordstown Motors is done? Not really. Foxconn, purchased the building, made an equity investment inLordstown Motors, and also secured the right to manufacture Lordstown's electric pickup truck, the Endurance.

As for Fisker, Project PEAR (Personal Electric Automotive Revolution) is expected to start production in 2023. Fisker's SUV, Ocean, will be manufactured in Europe by manufacturer Magna Steyr. The production of the Ocean is scheduled to begin in late 2022.

Winners and Losers

In this update of the EV wars, I would call Tesla, Lucid, Rivian, and Lordstown winners and Foxconn the big winner.

Tesla's deliveries in Q3 show that people are still all in on the Tesla brand. Tesla continues to lead the EV charge and build upon its lead in the EV space.

The Lucid test-drive reviews have been good so far, a spacious car with a luxury fit and finish. I keep harping on the fit and finish, and it's because I've seen enough Teslas with a terrible fit and finish.  Lucid could be the competitor to Tesla That the markets have been waiting/hoping for.

Rivian, they did it, they produced and delivered an electric pickup truck before Tesla, Lordstown Motors, Nikola ($NKLA) (who scraped their pickup truck plans), GM, and Ford. As I alluded to earlier, the Ford F150 is the top selling vehicle in the U.S. followed by the Chevy Silverado, why Ford and GM didn't make producing an electric version of these trucks a priority will always confuse me. Rivian has set itself up nicely to take some of Ford and Chevy's share of the pickup truck market.

Lordstown is another company that won this week. Since May of this year the company has been open about its cash problems and delays, especially after word got out that it wasn't close to producing the truck it promised, and it appears the expected delivery date for the Endurance is being pushed back again. In August the company's plans were to start production of the Endurance in September of this year and begin deliveries in Q1 2022, now it appears deliveries won't take place until mid to late 2022. The $230 million received for the plant and the $50 million equity investment from Foxconn should go a long way in helping to stabilize Lordstown. The company has had a tough go of it alone, this partnership with Foxconn could be what the company needs to get it back on track.

Foxconn is the big winner in this round of EV news and updates. Securing the rights to manufacture vehicles for Fisker and Lordstown, while also picking up a factory that Lordstown has already spent big money outfitting to produce electric vehicles is a very nice win. Foxconn also has a deal in place with Chinese automaker Geely to manufacture its vehicles.The company's plan of becoming the Android of electric vehicles is starting to take shape.

In this round Fisker wasn't a winner, but I wouldn't call it a loser either. The production date for the Ocean is just too far out to put it in the mix.

The losers in this round are Ford and GM for the reasons I've stated above. Ford's electric F150 is expected in spring 2022, but I have very little faith in that delivery date. The electric Chevy Silverado isn't expected until 2023.

The EV wars are heating up and getting more exciting by the week.

[johnbizzell]

August 2018 - Of a Fiend at the Fringe

They call me the Frinch because I’m the Grinch of the Edinburgh Fringe. It wasn’t always this way. Three weeks ago I was just another theatre fiend, riding to Scotland side-saddle on an LNER trolley of drinks and light refreshments, eager to begin an adventure at the world’s greatest platform for creative freedom. Then I ran into my first Walking Silent Disco. What follows are the diary lowlights of a man falling out of love with the arts.

1 August

So it’s been raining since your train passed Berwick-upon-Tweed, so Su Pollard changed carriages because you drank four white wines and sang the theme to You Rang M’Lord at her, so Lothian Buses have imprinted the Ridacard you’ll be brandishing for the foreseeable with the ugliest vision of yourself since curtains were a thing and your dad called you Pugsley all year: you’re at the biggest arts festival in the world, the nexus of performance, the global focus of culture for the next month! “Excuse me,” you ask a passer-by, “where do I catch the 47?” “Awa’n’shite ya mangled fud,” he replies. Welcome to Edinburgh.

2 August

Today you pay £6 for a toasted cheese sandwich.

3 August

Flirting, you think, with an attractive young barman in the courtyard at the Assembly Hall before seeing a play about growing up gay in the 80s, you say: “looks like you’ve lucked out, this is one of the quietest bars I’ve been in yet.” “Yeah,” he replies, “only lonely old queens seem to be coming to see this.” You drink six gin and tonics with a couple on day release from their retirement home and end up crying to a Eurythmics song at 4.10pm. 

4 August

Weaving towards you in a kind of shambolic unison like the villagers from Beauty and The Beast on their way to set fire to the castle, they come. Twenty, maybe thirty of them, clutching at their temples. There seems to be a leader of sorts, a rabble-rouser, guiding them now in a menacing semaphore: arms flung to the sky, to the head, swinging wildly to the side, pitching back up. It looks like… it is, it’s the YMCA. The leader turns and his T-shirt reads: ‘Walking Silent Disco.’ You run.

6 August

Today you and four other people watch a one-woman musical about Ruth Kelly.

8 August

Your parents arrive today for a visit. They bring their own milk and toilet roll ‘just in case.’ Just in case you’ve been eating dry Cornflakes and wiping your arse with newspaper? Just in case the Morrison’s that you’ve told them is a five minute walk from your flat only sells Irn-Bru and tartan-wrapped sheep’s pluck? JUST IN CASE YOU’RE INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING BASIC NECESSITIES EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE 37 AND HAVE ORGANISED EVENTS WHERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GET FED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND LEAVE WITHOUT THEIR BUM CHEEKS SMEARED WITH SHIT?

10 August

You and a few determined comrades stand at the crest of the Royal Mile. This time you will get through. This time you will win. You have nothing for weapons, only a few handfuls of fliers snatched from nearby performers. They’re hardly Ninja throwing stars, but the corners are sharp and surely the artwork is bad enough to distract the enemy? A pitchy acapella rendition of 500 Miles heralds their approach: the zombie hoard of the Walking ‘Silent’ Disco. You raise your fliers, ready to make a stirring Braveheart speech but the line is already faltering. “There’s too many of them,” cries a frightened face quivering inside the hood of a cagoule. “There’ll crush us all!” screams another. You run.

11 August

Today you get hit in the face by some artificial feces.

12 August

The lesbians arrive and make you go to a night called Comedy Queers above a filthy Wetherspoons that looks like it is on its tenth day of 24-hour service. In retrospect you should have stayed downstairs and licked the floor. The worst act in the line-up does a bit where she intimates she made her repressed ex-girlfriend a ‘Chinese menu’ of sex acts so that she only had to ask for numbers rather than say the words for what she wanted. She then gets the audience to call out numbers – “19,” they say. “NUMBER 19: EGG FU YUNG RIMMING,” she shouts back. Surely this should have at least been “NUMBER 19: CHOO YUNG THONG” or something? This goes on for TWELVE MINUTES. Nobody saves you.

13 August

Today you pay £12 to watch a man eat a hand of bananas.

14 August

Today you visit the creme brûlée van in Bristo Square for the ninth time in a fortnight and they suggest you write a review for their website.

15 August

Today you shart.

16 August

Today you see a musical that rhymes ‘shameless’ with ‘anus.’

17 August

The final showdown. No more cowering in closes and winding stairways. No more walking miles around this bastard rock to avoid the inevitable. Maybe you’ll have to take them on alone, but you will take them on. You settle on the portion of Victoria Street where it’s already narrowed by the alfresco cafe tables on one side and the railing overlooking a precipice on the other. It’s steep and narrow and neither side will be able to turn back. The Walking Dead Silent Disco approach from above, already at an advantage. You charge. Gyrating shoulder after gyrating shoulder pounds into your chest. An assault of amateur hairography follows. But it’s the out of time clapping that finally finishes you. Maybe if they hadn’t been doing Crazy In Love you would have made it, but nobody can beat Beyoncé. Pausing only to tell the human statue beside you to get a job, you take a swan dive down to the street below.

John actually loved every minute of the Edinburgh Fringe, he just wanted to use the word Frinch. He saw 49 shows in 17 days and can’t wait to go back next year. He does, however, really hate every single person who took part in that Silent Disco.

[daniloqp]

Yadea KS5 Pro Review: This electronic scooter offers a balance between price and comfort

Yadea KS5 Pro Review: This electronic scooter offers a balance between price and comfort

https://theministerofcapitalism.com/blog/yadea-ks5-pro-review-this-electronic-scooter-offers-a-balance-between-price-and-comfort/

I’ve been trying a lot of electric scooters this year, and that of Yadea KS5 Pro he is one of the first to offer a good compromise between virtues. It’s not incredibly powerful or extremely heavy like the Apollo Ghost 64 pounds, but it is also not so light that it violently shakes the smaller hole like the Slidgo X8.

It is located somewhere in the center, which offers a comfortable and powerful enough trip for anyone in a city without too many steep hills. Its $ 759 price reflects that. But it is not without flaws. Its range could be better for the price, there are some features related to the app and I really don’t like the way it controls the screen features. Oh, it’s still pretty heavy, too.

Get up and go

Simple unpacking experiences can be a double-edged sword. The KS5 Pro came in a big box on the front door, but unlike some electronic skateboards I tried, it wasn’t full of polystyrene foam to keep everything protected during shipping. The unpacking process was faster and much less messy (no stretching foam adheres to all objects in your house), but I also noticed that the small tip of the rear fender had broken. Stay tuned for that.

As you may have noticed, this is the Pro version, which means there is one KS5 standard too. This version has a 350 watt motor with a top speed of about 18 miles per hour, while the Pro has a 500 watt motor and a top speed of 22 mph. The standard version also has a smaller battery; for this reason alone, I recommend that you spend the extra $ 120 on the Pro (more on that later).

Photography: Yadea

All you have to do is attach the top handlebar, which has a built-in screen, with the hex key included and the four screws. But you may need to adjust the rear brake force. Interestingly, the included hex key does not fit the brake nuts, so I had to use my own.

Folding it is easy. Press a lever on the front of the stem and unscrew the clamp, then lower the stem all the way down. You can attach the handlebar to the rear fender, making it easy to transport. However, when it is only sitting in its folded state, the stem does not to stay stuck, which may seem sloppy.

I like being able to grab the skateboard and take it to a store (instead of running the risk of parking it on the streets of New York), and that often means lifting it up some stairs. The KS5 Pro isn’t as strong as some skateboards I’ve ridden, but 46 pounds isn’t exactly lightweight. It’s manageable, but it’s a good reminder that you should probably go to the gym soon.

Annoying application

Yadea, a Chinese company known for its tradition Vespa type electric scooters, did a good job with the hardware here. The KS5 Pro looks sleek with its orange and black theme, and there’s a black and orange version if that’s your speed. The height of the handlebars can’t be adjusted, but it adjusts me: I’m 6 ‘4 “and you didn’t have to stretch your arms like a zombie to get there. Still, it might be a little high for you.

The spacious deck fits my feet in front of each other, the foot point is sturdy and reliable, there is a large built-in hood, a surprisingly bright headlight and an always on light. There is enough space on the handlebars to attach a phone holder as well.

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[stepphase]

What is the best smartphone for taking photos?

Do you like taking pictures with your smartphone? If you are looking for the best on the market in the field, you will surely find it in this comparison. We list the most efficient photophones of the moment.

In recent years, the smartphone has become a simple accessory for telephoning. For many consumers, it has become the camera of daily use. As for manufacturers, we have also multiplied innovations in the field. In addition to the photo modules which are constantly increasing in number, the technologies that accompany these sensors are also increasingly sophisticated, all of which make it possible to take very beautiful shots.

So which smartphone to choose to take the best photos? The choice is clearly wide! Also, it remains difficult for the uninitiated. This is why we offer in this comparison a selection of the best current photophones.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra only hit the market very recently. However, it has already managed to establish itself as the best Android smartphone on various points, including photography.

The new flagship of the South Korean giant indeed comes with four photo modules on the back: a versatile main sensor of 108 Mpx, an ultra wide-angle of 12 Mpx as well as 2 telephoto lenses of 10 Mpx each. These last 2 sensors are accompanied respectively by a very convincing 10x and 3x optical zoom. All this allows the Galaxy S21 Ultra to capture excellent quality shots, even in unfavorable conditions. It can also film in 8K and its 40 Mpx front camera with HDR will delight lovers of selfies.

For the rest, Samsung's new flagship is also at the top: a 6.8-inch WQHD + screen in 120 Hz adaptive, a powerful Exynos 2100 processor engraved in 5 nm, a large 5000 mAh battery with fast charging support and without wire… 

The Samsung Galaxy is also available in three storage versions: 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. Those who take a lot of photos will choose the model with a larger internal memory.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

For those who are used to iOS, it will naturally be necessary to turn to Apple's latest product: the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It is not just the largest of the iPhones. It is also the most powerful, and by far the best on the photographic side. How to explain this superiority? It's simple! The iPhone 12 Pro Max stayed true to the triple photo sensor with ultra wide-angle and telephoto on the back. The 3 modules maintain a resolution of 12 Mpx. However, they are significantly larger than on the other models. And their larger size makes all the difference. The camera becomes better in low light, especially since it is equipped with LiDAR technology, without forgetting of course the other standard elements of assistance to the photography such as the optical stabilizer. Finally, the iPhone 12 Pro Max also does not disappoint when it comes to the rest of its technical sheet. There is a 6.7-inch 60 Hz OLED HDR screen, an Apple A14 Bionic processor engraved in 5 nm and 3 versions for the internal memory: 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.

Google Pixel 5

If you are looking for an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for Android cameras, the Pixel 5 is still the best candidate. Even with only two photo sensors on the back (a 12.2 Mpx wide angle and a 16 Mpx ultra wide angle), Google's new flagship manages to offer very high quality shots. By what magic? That of computational photography algorithms. Indeed, the camera of the Google Pixel 5 is doped with Artificial Intelligence. Each captured photo or video is processed to improve its sharpness, colors, stability, brightness ... The result is simply stunning, even in low light! Google has once again proven that there is no need to line up multiple photo modules to take great shots. This also allows it to offer a compact device that fits well in the hand. Anyway, let's see the rest of the Pixel 5 datasheet now. In addition to the dual back sensor, it includes a 5.8-inch FHD + 90Hz AMOLED panel, a 765G Snapdragon SoC supported by 8 GB of RAM and a 4080 mAh battery.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro

It's hard to miss the Huawei Mate 40 Pro when talking about the best current camera phone. Indeed, the Mate Pro range of the Chinese giant has been among the photo references on the market for a few years now. The new arrival of October 2020 is therefore no exception! The smartphone has no less than 4 photo modules on its back: a 50 Mpx wide angle, a 20 Mpx ultra wide angle, a 12 Mpx periscope lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 3D ToF sensor. Arranged in a circle, everything shows great versatility and allows the Mate 40 Pro to offer a great photo experience. Day and night, its camera is very efficient and takes pictures with a highly optimized rendering. Otherwise, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is also exceptional on the selfie side. The front camera consists of two 13 Mpx modules and a 3D ToF sensor. It allows you to generate large and beautiful selfies. Finally, in addition to its excellent photo qualities, the Mate 20 Pro from Huawei can also boast of having a very beautiful 90 Hz OLED screen of 6.76 inches, a powerful Kirin 9000 processor supported by 8 or 12 GB of RAM and a large battery of 4400 mAh. However, we regret the absence of Google services.

Google Pixel 4a

Is your budget rather limited? Then the Google Pixel 4a is the best photo smartphone we can recommend. It is the best current photophone offered under the bar of 400 euros. It only has a 12.2 MP photo module on the back. However, the sensor has inherited various photo technologies from the Mountain View firm.  It is notably doped with AI and provides very good image quality day and night. The camera also benefits from Dual Pixel technology to improve autofocus and portrait mode. It's hard to find better elsewhere for this price segment! Otherwise, for the rest, the Pixel 4a is satisfied with a rather modest technical sheet, but no less interesting. The smartphone is adorned with a 5.81-inch FHD + OLED screen for display. Under the hood, it incorporates a Snapdragon 730G processor supported by 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The device is satisfied with a battery of 3140 mAh. But it is compatible with 18W fast charging. 

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/iphone-12-to-oneplus-8t-smartphones-launching-this-week/

iPhone 12 to OnePlus 8T: Smartphones launching this week

By: Tech Desk | New Delhi | Updated: October 13, 2020 10:04:38 am

Apple iPhone 12 series and Vivo V20 (Source: EverythingApplePro and Vivo)

This week is going to be a big one considering the number of smartphone launches. People who are looking to buy smartphones in the mid-range segment or the flagship should wait for the products that are going to be announced or hit the markets this week. We may see a few offers on these phones as well considering the festive sale which will commence on prominent e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.

Apple iPhone 12 series

The most anticipated Apple iPhone 12 series is going to be announced by the Cupertino giant on October 13 in a virtual event which has been delayed by a month due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If rumours are to be believed there will be three sizes — 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch. The 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch will be entry-level smartphones. The iPhone 12 mini will be for those who are looking for a compact-sized phone compared to the large screen phones available nowadays. The pro models will come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. All the phones will be featuring the new A14 Bionic Chip which we saw in Apple iPad Air launched the previous month. The expected price of the products ranges from $699 to $1,199.

The Apple iPhone 12 models are said to be coming with a new design. (Image: EverythingApplePro)

Pixel 4a

Google’s Pixel 4a was launched earlier this year but it will be hitting the Indian market on October 16 as a part of the Flipkart’s upcoming Big Billion Days Sale. It is available at an introductory price of Rs 29,999 for the sole variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. There is just one colour — Just Black — available across the world.

Google Pixel 4a comes packed with a 3140 mAh non-removable battery with 18W USB Type-C fast charging capacity. (Image: Google)

The Pixel 4a comes with a 5.81-inches touchscreen OLED display at an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 with 1080×2340 pixels screen resolution. It has a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chipset along with Adreno 618 GPU and runs on Android 11 without any tweaks. However, you may need to update the phone to Android 11 as our review unit ran on Android 10 out of the box. On the back, it has a single 12.2MP camera and an 8MP front snapper. All of this is backed by a 3,140 mAh battery with 18W fast-charging support.

Vivo V20

Vivo V20 is another mid-ranger launching this week. It is expected to sport a 6.44-inch AMOLED dull HD+ display with a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor paired with Adreno 618 GPU, 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage which is expandable via microSD card. It will run on Android 11 out of the box with Vivo’s own Funtouch OS 11 on top. All of this is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery with 33W fast-charging support. On the back, it will feature a triple camera setup with 64MP primary camera whereas a 44MP front snapper housed inside the waterdrop-style notch. The selfie camera’s performance will be the main point of focus in this phone. It will be launching on October 13.

Vivo V20 sports a 6.44-inch AMOLED dull HD+ display with a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. (Image: Vivo)

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the toned-down version of Samsung’s flagship S20 series. The phone was launched earlier this month in multiple colours with a polycarbonate back instead of a glossy finish on the S20 series. The phone will hit the Indian market on October 16, again as a part of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale. It is priced at Rs 49,999 for the sole 8GB+128GB variant. The storage is expandable up to 1TB via microSD card.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 6.5-inch AMOLED screen refreshes 120 times a second, rather than the 60 times a second. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The phone comes with a 6.5-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it has an Exynos 990 processor. On the rear, it has a triple-camera setup with a primary 12MP camera accompanied by 12MP wide-angle camera and an 8MP Telephoto camera. On the front, it has an 8MP shooter. The S20 FE has a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 25W fast charge and wireless charging.

OnePlus 8T

There will be no pro model this year along with OnePlus 8T. The price of the OnePlus 8T can be between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. So far, it is confirmed that the OnePlus 8T will feature 65W Warp Charge technology. As per the renders, the OnePlus 8T will feature a quad-camera setup on the back which is different from the previous models in terms of design and placement. It will feature a 6.55-inch fluid AMOLED display with HDR 10+ and 120Hz refresh rate. It will pack the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor and will run Android 11 out of the box. The virtual launch is scheduled for October 14 when more details will be revealed about the Chinese smartphone maker’s flagship product.

OnePlus 8T 5G set to launch in India on October 14 (Image: OnePlus)

Mi 10T series

Mi 10T series that has already been launched in China will be coming to India on October 15. If the specifications of the Indian and global variant don’t differ, Mi 10T Pro will sport a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate which will attract gamers. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage. All of this is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support which is the biggest battery on a Xiaomi flagship device.

Xiaomi Mi 10T series will sport 144Hz refresh rate (Source: Mi India)

On the back, it has a triple camera setup with a 108MP primary sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), a 13MP wide-angle sensor and a 5MP macro lens. On the front, it has a 20MP selfie camera. On the other hand, Mi 10 will have similar features except for the camera and storage. These devices will run on Android 11 out of the box with MIUI 12 skin on top.

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[perksofwifi]

2021 Fisker Ocean EV First Look: A New Sub-$40,000 Tesla Model Y Fighter

Boutique alternative-fuel carmaker Fisker has unveiled its first-ever fully electric SUV just before the 2020 CES conference in Las Vegas. The 2021 Fisker Ocean is a compact EV crossover with mass-production aspirations and an overtly environmentally conscious vibe.

The Ocean was penned by Henrik Fisker, and it’s marked by the onetime BMW designer’s signature wide-mouth grille. The stance is squat and girthy overall, and the model certainly looks more substantial than typical compact luxury crossovers such as BMW’s X3 or Volvo’s XC60. Whereas other automakers try to hide the various sensors and radar units used for adaptive cruise control, forward collision-warning systems, and the like, the Ocean features a radar sensor prominently at the peak of its nose; it’s the little tablike thing below the hood ornament. Still, aside from its full-bodied shape and radar flourish, the Ocean is vaguely derivative in appearance. Combine that with how few mainstream buyers will recognize Henrik Fisker’s signatures or know who or what a Fisker is, and we imagine Fisker, Inc. will need to spend plenty of time and money on marketing.

Speaking of money, while myriad details about the Ocean are still being worked out—the SUV doesn’t officially go on sale until 2022—Fisker has announced a starting price: Just $37,499, and that’s before relevant federal and local tax incentives are factored in. The price lives up to Fisker’s sub-$40,000 target, but it applies only to Oceans that are bought. Fisker will offer several alternatives, from leasing ($2999 down, $379 per month) to user-determined ownership periods (return the car in one month or several years). Insurance will be available through a Fisker owner’s app. Anyone can plunk down a $250 deposit for one, however.

An all-new electric-car platform is said to underpin the Ocean, and it will form the basis for two more EV models in the coming years. For the Ocean, that structure holds a roughly 80-kWh battery pack capable of delivering an estimated 250 to 300 miles of driving range. Without going into details, Fisker said the Ocean has a unique “industry-leading” structure that protects the battery in a side impact.

The entire car is claimed to be very sustainable, with a “vegan” interior that “meets stringent chemical emissions limits for various VOCs such as formaldehyde.” Surfaces and materials throughout the cabin are created from recycled goods, including carpeting made from polyester clothing fibers and used plastics and rubber. Fisker even claims that the full-length solar-panel roof augments the battery’s state of charge, offering up to 1000 “free” miles of electric driving per year. The automaker also made it a point to optimize aerodynamic efficiency, and thus the amount of air directed to the cooling radiator is controlled by a computer.

Full details on the Fisker Ocean, including the automaker’s ambitious mass-manufacturing goals—it seems as if the Ocean may be assembled on three continents for the American, European, and Chinese markets—will be released in the coming year. In the meantime, you can bet EV watchers will begin lining up the Ocean’s statistics against those of Tesla’s upcoming Model Y, which will be a direct competitor. As always with startup electric carmakers, a healthy measure of skepticism is in order. Fisker is aiming to have the Ocean in production by the end of next year and hopes to quickly ramp up to building more than one million vehicles between 2022 and 2027.

 The post 2021 Fisker Ocean EV First Look: A New Sub-$40,000 Tesla Model Y Fighter appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-fisker-ocean-ev-suv-first-look-review/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

[techspacechannel]

http://digitaltechnologynews.com/ HTC U11 Life vs Nokia 7 Smartphones HTC U11 Life The HTC U11 review: Life is a mid-range phone made for buyers on a budget. Priced at $350 or below, it is visually similar to the U11, retaining the highly reflective and colorful design, as well as the water resistance and the fingerprint scanner, yet it is built of less sophisticated materials. Edge Sense is also on board, allowing you to trigger certain actions by physically squeezing the U11 Life. To sweeten the deal, HTC includes noise-cancelling earphones and a fast charger with its shiny mid-ranger.HTC U11 life unboxing HTC U11 life first look The HTC U11 life gives you a 5.2" 1080 x 1920 px LCD display; a modern, high-resolution 16 MP camera with a bunch of bells and whistles; water-resistant design, Snapdragon 630 chipset; and the feature you've all been waiting for... Edge Sense! What do you mean you don't know what that is? It's the thing that allows you to "squeeze" the phone with your hand and get it to open an app or do something for you. According to HTC, it's a big deal, so there you have it. Also bundled with the U11 life will be HTC's USonic headphones, which support active noise cancellation, and try to adjust their sound profile based on the shape of your inner ear. HTC U11 life android one he HTC U11 life will instead come with Android One, which can be seen as Android 8 Oreo in its most distilled form, without any secondary stuff that may have even the smallest chance of coming across as bloatware. HTC says the switch from normal Android + Sense to just Android One for the European version was needed so they could bring the phone to market in time for the holiday season.HTC U11 life 2017 HTC U11 life specs Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. HTC U11 life features HTC U11 life gives you the best innovations from HTC U11 without putting the squeeze on your wallet. It all starts with our latest innovation, Edge Sense. A simple squeeze lets you do things faster! And there’s so much more. HTC USonic for audio that’s adapted to you, with Active Noise Cancellation so you can truly lose yourself in the moment. A camera that captures stunningly clear photos and videos. A phone with a weather resistant IP67 rating that can handle and maintain high-level performance in rough weather. All it takes is one squeeze to fall in love with HTC U11 life. HTC U11 life camera Life moves pretty fast and you need a camera that can keep up and let you master a key component of great photos: light. With HTC U11 life, we’re giving you just that. A 16MP shooter with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) for super fast focus speeds with reduced blur. Our camera also gives you HDR Boost without the lag and more dynamic exposure range, major noise reduction, excellent detail preservation and better white balance enhancement. HTC U11 life price is $350. Nokia 7 The new Nokia 7 was introduced this october in China by HMD Global. The glass and aluminum clad device carries a 5.2-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 (FHD). Under the hood you'll find the Snapdragon 630 chipset, which comes with an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 508 GPU. One version comes with 4GB of RAM (priced at ¥2,499, which is about the equivalent of $377 USD), and a second variant features 6GB of RAM (priced at ¥2,699, which converts into $407 USD based on current exchange rates). Both models are equipped with 64GB of expandable native storage. In the back of the phone is a 16MP camera with an aperture of f/1.8. A 5MP front-facing camera snaps selfies and video chats, and the Dual-Sight feature (seen on the Nokia 8) allows users to take pictures and videos using both the back and front camera simultaneously. Nokia calls these dual-sided pictures and videos "Bothies." We will have to see whether that name catches on. Getting the lights on is a 3000mAh battery, and yes Virginia, there is a 3.5mm earphone jack on board. While the Nokia 7 is pre-installed with Android Nougat, HMD says that the device will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. This new Nokia 7 phone will launch in China on October 24th. As for now, it will be exclusive to the Chinese market.

[lightandmatter]

Many of us don’t give much thought to lens caps. When we use them at all, it’s the plastic pinch-caps that come with our lenses that go careening off at the slightest bump, forcing us to fish them out from under the parked cars where they inevitably roll. Some photographers skip them entirely and accept the risks of using a UV filter instead.

KUVRD and PolarPro give us a couple of additional options, though, and they’re worth considering. KUVRD produces two Universal Lens Caps, the Magnum and the Micro. The PolarPro Defender (see my “first impressions” here) comes in five sizes for lenses with threads ranging from 55mm up to 114mm. Both companies sent me units to test and review, so let’s take a look at how useful they each are.

Lens Protection

When it comes down to it, the most important purpose of a lens cap is to protect the front element, and in this regard, they both work. The Defender is a harder, thicker rubber cap with a rigid-plastic front plate to protect the front element. The KUVRD cap, on the other hand, is a more flexible silicone cap that stretches around the end of the lens and creates an airtight, waterproof seal (as long as the lens barrel is smooth enough).

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The PolarPro Defender is a thick rubber cap with a rigid plastic face-plate to protect your lens’s front element.

Note the ribbing on the interior of the Defender.

The PolarPro Defender, then, will provide better protection against bumps and drops, especially when it comes to anything that might poke into the optics. If you drop your lens on a jagged rock, the front element has a much better chance of surviving with the Defender (though similar protection would be offered by the KUVRD cap installed over the top of your stock lens cap.)

On the other hand, the Defender does not provide anything like a waterproof/dustproof seal. The ribbing on the interior of the cap (which make it easier to attach or remove) will definitely allow water or sand to penetrate and reach your front element. The KUVRD caps are much better in that regard. The deeper KUVRD caps also protect a larger portion of the lens barrel, though again, with a thinner layer of rubber.

After placing the Defender on a smooth glass, I ran it under water from the kitchen faucet for a few seconds and confirmed that the seal is not water-tight.

Practicality & Ease of Use

When it comes to practicality, there are a few things to consider:

How easy it is to get on and off the lens?

What do you do with it once it’s off?

How does it work with lens hoods?

Since the PolarPro Defender is relatively rigid and sized for specific lens diameters, it’s easy to slide over the front of the lens with one hand, and it can just as easily be removed (though it’s not so easy that there’s any risk of the cap falling off). The KUVRD caps, on the other hand, are floppy silicone rubber, and deeper than the Defender. They’re designed to be stretched out and pulled onto a lens, and it’s generally a two-handed job (though peeling the thing off can generally be done with one hand).

Great protection, but notice that my lens hood is nowhere in sight.

However, once you get the cap off, it’s the KUVRD model that’s easier to deal with. Since the Defender is harder rubber and plastic, it’s bulkier. If I’m traveling and walking around a city with my lens cap on and stop to take a photo, I’ll usually stick my pinch-cap in my pocket and then shoot. But unless you have baggy clothes, the Defender is not going to fit in your pocket (at least, not comfortably); it’s just too big and grippy. I often found that I had to hold it in my off-camera hand while trying to support the lens at the same time, which is a hassle.

The thinner, floppy KUVRD cap can easily be stuffed into a pocket, and even if you hold it in your off-hand, its flexibility makes it much more comfortable.

When I mentioned this concern to the folks at PolarPro, they suggested that the Defender might be best for photographers who use it in their camera bag and then leave it behind when they take the camera out to shoot, and I can see how that would make sense for photographers who work that way[mfn]I’m also of the opinion that if you need such a beefy lens cap to protect your lenses while they’re in your camera bag, it might make more sense to invest in a new camera bag rather than a bunch of expensive lens caps.[/mfn]. I don’t.

I always use lens hoods[mfn]…although I hated the white hood on the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM so much that it took me a long time to start using it regularly.[/mfn], and this can pose a problem with lens caps. If you buy a Defender to use on a lens, you can’t fit it onto the lens hood while you’re out walking around with your camera, so again, you’ll need to leave it in your camera bag, or worse, buy a second, larger cap to fit onto your hood.

The KUVRD cap that fits this 70-200mm lens will also fit over the lens hood (though the petal shape of this one makes it impractical when the hood is attached for shooting).

The KUVRD micro on the Canon 50mm f/1.4…

and on the Canon 50mm f/1.4 with lens cap attached.

The KUVRD caps are much more flexible, and can stretch to fit over the ends of many hoods, either while the hood is attached to the lens for shooting or reversed for travel. While reaching down into a lens hood to remove or replace a pinch-cap can be annoying, pulling a KUVRD cap from the outside of a lens hood is pretty simple.

Value

Most of the time I shoot Sony, now, but I also own Canon, Nikon and Pentax systems with a variety of lenses. Of course, I don’t carry most of it. I decide what I’m going to shoot, grab a few lenses and head out the door.

Luckily, this means that I wouldn’t really have to buy a dozen different specialty lens caps; I’ll only need as many as lenses I’m likely to carry at a time (three or four). With the PolarPro Defender caps, though, this will take a little planning, since the caps are sized to fit specific lenses and/or lens hoods. The KUVRD caps only come in two sizes and will fit a wider variety of lenses.

A 77-82mm PolarPro Defender costs about $30, and a single KUVRD cap costs just a couple of dollars less (about $28), but they can also be bought in multi-packs at a discount (2 for $50, 4 for $90, etc). There’s also an “original” version of the KUVRD cap that is intermediate in size between the Magnum and Micro, and costs about $15. All carry a lifetime warranty. If you manage to break or tear your KUVRD cap, they’ll replace it for free.

Both caps are a big improvement over standard pinch-caps, but as good as they are, $30 for a lens cap is asking a lot, though a lifetime warranty helps. It’s probably worth it to protect your multi-thousand dollar optics, but I can’t say that they’re a great deal. The original KUVRD cap, which is about half the price of the Magnum/Micro v2.0 line, is a good price, though.

If you’re interested in the KUVRD cap, there are cheaper Chinese knock-offs out there for about $10, generally sized like the original KUVRD cap. You won’t get a warranty, and I’d be wary of the quality. It’s probably worth spending a little more on a KUVRD.

Conclusion & Summary

Both caps offer excellent protection, but like everything in photography, your choice should depend on how you actually work and what you personally need. Ultimately, the PolarPro Defender will offer greater protection to the front element of your lens against collisions, while the KUVRD caps will offer greater protection against sand and water. Both protect against general dust and smudges and minor abrasions.

If you’re looking for one-handed operation in the field, the PolarPro Defender is easy to install with one hand, and both can be easily removed with one hand. If you don’t usually work with a camera bag handy or want a cap that’s easy to deal with when off of the lens, the KUVRD has the advantage, but if you will mainly be using it in your camera bag or can easily stick it inside a pack when you remove it, the PolarPro may make more sense for you.

If you always use lens hoods like I do, make sure that you find a cap solution that will work with them. I find the KUVRD caps are much more flexible in this regard.

After having access to both options for a couple of months, I do find that I reach for the PolarPro for those time when I feel like it will work for me; it’s easier to install and remove, and that’s a big factor. However, those times are pretty few and far between. Ultimately, I tend to use the KUVRD caps because they give me the kind of protection that I need while being easy to stow away in the field and they allow me to carry my lens hoods.

Which Would You Choose?

Let me know below, along with any questions or concerns that you have about either range of caps. Think that there’s some factor that I didn’t consider? Also let me know. Thanks!

KUVRD vs PolarPro Defender: Which Lens Cap Is Better? Many of us don't give much thought to lens caps. When we use them at all, it's the plastic pinch-caps that come with our lenses that go careening off at the slightest bump, forcing us to fish them out from under the parked cars where they inevitably roll.

[bites-kms]

Secrets from the hood: Chinatown

Chinatown in Singapore is a sharp contrast to the rest of the city, with low rise buildings and culture bursting out onto the streets, from the fragrant smells of traditional cuisine to the bold red and gold tones that run through the neighbourhood. This is an area that’s proud of its heritage, and has it very much on display. There are ornate Chinese, Buddhist and Hindu temples, museums galore and plenty of opportunities to soak up the bustling streets lined with old shophouses.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a remarkable four-story temple. When entering the gate, you’ll immediately notice the stunning main hall with its high ceiling. The bell tower and drum tower are on the same floor. However, the main focus for most visitors is the solid gold two-metre stupa on the fourth floor which is the place where the sacred relic is kept. Continuing up to the roof, there is a pagoda that has a large prayer wheel. The temple is built in a style based on the Buddhist mandala and integrated with the Buddhism of the Tang dynasty.

Sri Mariamman Temple

The oldest shrine in Singapore – Sri Mariamman Temple is one of the most prominent places of worship for Tamil Hindus in the country. It was built to honour Goddess Mariamman – the deity of disease and protection. Originally erected by Naraina Pillai – an Indian trader from Penang – in 1827, the temple was modified to its present structure in 1862, although it has undergone several renovations since. Apart from being a place of worship, the temple has also acted as an asylum for new immigrants that belong to South Indian Tamil Hindu community

Chinatown Complex Food Center

If you are spending the day in Chinatown, stop over in Chinatown Complex Food Centre to be totally inundated with wonderful dishes. Conveniently located in the heart of Chinatown, this food court is a great place to get local traditional dishes with varied menus and cheap prices.This is where you can find the acclaimed Chicken Rice Michellin Star rated shop, which Bites&Kms visited and you can read the review here. 

Chinatown Street Market

These busy streets encapsulate all the sights and sounds visitors expect of Chinatown, with hundreds of stalls selling everything from silk robes to lucky cats. There are plenty of ‘Made in China’ goods on display and lanterns swaying in the breeze above your head. There’s also a fantastic range of street food carts amongst the shopping, with fresh dim sum and crispy duck. Remember to haggle with a smile if you want the best price. The market is open during the day, but it looks its most picturesque at dusk, with the lights shining brightly and the sound of hawkers tempting you to check out their wares

[lovelyfantasticfart]

2018 Volvo XC60 Pricing, Options, Ratings And Opinions

The EPA said the Genesis G90 V-6 was rated at 17 mpg city/24 freeway/20 mixed. The 2017 Volvo S90 T5 Momentum delivers 23 mpg in the city and about 34 mpg on the Highway. The common savings for the 2019 Volvo XC60 T5 Momentum 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) is6% beneath the MSRP. The common financial savings for the 2019 Volvo XC60 T5 Inscription 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) is5.5% under the MSRP. The three trims out there on the XC60 are the Momentum, the R-Design and the Inscription with the powertrains denoted by T5 (base engine), T6 (midlevel engine) and T8 (the top plug-in hybrid model). 71,590 as-examined worth of this XC60 T8 E-AWD Inscription be justified? Search for Cadillac to go nowhere however up, especially with the 2014 CTS, billed as an even better car than the ATS. With that in mind, you may want to buy round to see in case your money is best spent on another automobile. As for the most typical component in vehicles at present - plastic - there are only hint quantities of it to see and feel within the XC60鈥檚 interior. The wheels are 18 in . The sporty Infiniti has rear-wheel drive structure, but the intelligent All-Wheel Drive system sends power to all four wheels as wanted and the facility will swap back to rear when traction is assured.

The spec sheet suggests a gain of 99 litres of cargo house in comparison with the XC60; at 1441 litres with the rear backrests dropped, it claims greatest in class. The view from the aspect reveals the car鈥檚 basic rear-wheel drive stance with a protracted hood, a setback cabin, a short rear deck and brief overhangs. 鈥淭his is a brand icon,鈥?he declared, hoisting the hefty World Car of the Year trophy and inviting key members of the development workforce to join him on stage. 21.9 billion the year before. Volvo - wikipedia, The volvo group has its origin in 1927, when the primary volvo car rolled off the manufacturing line on the factory in gothenburg. Initially, the automotive can be obtainable in a single variant solely. We were solely in the automotive for the day whereas he played a big part in unique testing and growth. The brand new Volvo V60. Stefan Jacoby plans to get Volvo moving fast below its new Chinese homeowners. You may discover the whole lot you might want to know concerning the Volvo XC90 in our full overview.

The Odyssey鈥檚 available options, resembling a 16-inch rear-seat entertainment display screen that can present two completely different films side-by-side, a built-in vacuum and a power liftgate, could make life a bit of easier for folks who've their palms full. We replace this page recurrently, so be sure that you have a bookmark and return to your research. If you have all of your research, you can negotiate from a position of strength. Now, not everyone can get automobiles as good as Clark Griswold鈥檚 Wagon Queen Family Truckster or even his son Rusty鈥檚 Tartan Prancer, additionally identified as the 鈥淗onda of Albania,鈥?but there are many decisions, and fortuitously, U.S. We named the Subaru Outback our 2016 Greatest Wagon for Households. Release date. the world debut of 2018 land rover range rover passed off from the 11th to the 24th january 2015 in the course of the 2016 north american worldwide auto show, detroit, michigan.

Not the hyper-efficiency vehicles like the McLarens, and so forth., mind you, as they exist in a slender little world all their own, but the Corvette is a tremendous performer, by any measure. Nevertheless, a new luxurious nameplate like Genesis can鈥檛 match the prestige and higher-cachet of its extra established competitors. If you like quiet luxurious and respect the joys of a responsive tranny and engine, the ML could very effectively be the 'ute you are in search of. However having the opportunity to place a big and various assortment of automobiles via its paces refreshed everyone鈥檚 perspective and attitude. The poor diesel results come despite considerable anecdotal proof of heavy discounting on diesel vehicles from various manufacturers. Greater than 365 companies signed a letter to president-elect Trump calling for the U.S. 2018 bmw x5 with m sport bundle 2018 bmw x4 redesign and specs - this x4 launch is fairly the latest 2018 audi tts release date and specs &ndash we.

The 2018 honda hr-v is a master of versatility and a strong contender within the subcompact suv section. Heated seats, heated steering wheel and a USB connection for MP3 players are among the many amenities that can be supplied. The report also includes a review of micro and macro elements essential for the prevailing market gamers and new entrants along with detailed worth chain analysis. It鈥檚 a mix of value pricing and superb utility on a sporting chassis. However, Lexus launched a 3-row RX L model for 2018, which evens the rating. But we鈥檙e intrigued about what Genesis has in retailer for us with the revised model that鈥檚 doing some check runs in Germany. I enjoyed driving the turbo V-6 powered G90 for 256 miles in a mix of highway, city, and suburban driving with a back country highway jaunt thrown in. In city driving I often noticed 19 miles of electric-only driving that dipped a couple of instances to 17 miles. The present 5 Sequence received its facelift back in 2017, making it a ripe competitor to the upcoming facelifted G80.

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