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Test Lite-On MU X PP3-8D128

Slowly but steadily growing number of people who plan to buy SSD no longer think about models with SATA connector. Now the decision will be even simpler: Lite-On MU X PP3-8D128, one of the cheapest 128-gigabyte models in M.2 format supporting NVMe protocol, has been launched.

At the heart of the drive is the Phison PS5008-E8 4-channel controller, whose main features are x2 PCIe support and low power consumption. The processor is compatible with Toshiba BiCS 3 memory chips, i.e. 3D NAND TLC chips. The smaller number of supported PCIe lines primarily means lower controller cost (but still not as low as SATA models), but at the same time - as test results - it does not entail drastic performance drops compared to PCIe x4. However, the performance has to be confronted with the results of SATA drives. In synthetic tests, reading PP3-8D128 is significantly faster than cousins with older connectors, while writing it looks better and worse depending on which competitor we compare it with.

In real-life usage scenarios, simulated with PCMark 8, we saw very decent results, which clearly indicate that devices based on the E8 controller have a good chance of becoming a sales hit.

Nakedness in price

The tested SSD does not have a heat sink and is not equipped with any LEDs (even signaling ones), there is nothing to look for an adapter to the PCIe connector or a mounting kit in the form of a dowel and a screw. During the tests, the Lite-Ona temperature oscillated within 45°C, so far from the limit of the temperature protection that is activated when the media reports exceeding 80°C.

This fact, combined with the declared low power consumption, in our opinion makes the Lite-On MU X PP3-8D128 drive primarily an ideal carrier for a laptop. If you don't expect to edit video or similarly exploit the drive, investing less than 200 PLN in this SSD will be a very good idea.

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Epson EcoTank L7160 - home printing in practice

Taking into account the previous entries, it is a long awaited time to confront the features and quality offered by the tested Epson EcoTank L7160 multifunction printer. In the first and last entry I received a lot of feedback in comments and private messages, in which you ask about the real quality of printouts, the efficiency of the device and the volume of work in stress. I decided to take these issues into account and in today's entry I will deal with the aspect of scanning and printing, especially in the context of photography. Simple scanning

As befits a MFP, the L7160 is equipped with a scanner. This one is located just below the printer's main top cover and has an area slightly larger than A4 format. As Epson had to cut specifications in the context of greater functionality, we can only count on 300 DPI in 1200 x 2400 standard. Of course, it is also possible to record in smaller qualities such as 75 and 150 DPI.

If you choose the scanning option in the application, we have access to determine the type of printing - color or lack thereof. This choice will reflect the speed at which the material will be read by the device and its output quality after scanning. If the dark colours begin to merge, we can conquer the gamma from 1.0 to 1.8 to bring them out a little.

Using the mobile application, you get a preview of the scan on your smartphone screen, which allows you to check, among other things, if the document has not moved. Such scanned documents / photographs can be saved on a computer / mobile phone in BMP, JPEG, TIFF and PDF formats. Quick printing of documents

The device is equipped with two removable trays. Each of them has been adapted to load a specific size of paper, of which tray no. 1 is ideal for smaller sheets and no. 2 for A4 size. Each of them can handle up to 50 sheets at a time. Of course, I mean office paper, because thicker (photographic) paper takes up a bit more space. Considering its considerable differences in thickness, its amount should fit up to 40 pieces. In the case of the external feeder, we can fit up to about 100. In the case of printing documents and magazines dominated by black, the device does quite well, producing up to 13 pages per minute. However, it should be provided with a stable substrate, as at first it almost unbolted all the screws on my vibrating coffee table. Placing it on a fixed platform will not only eliminate the problem of rocking, it's also a tight noise associated with loud work.

When we have to print a lot of text in which the quality is to go to the second track, we can switch to ecological solutions that at the same time strongly save ink. In this case, the ECO mode is switched on, allowing you to print at up to 32 pages per minute. When it comes to multi-colour printing, this state allows you to work at the given values: 10 ppm and up to 28 ppm. When selecting the ECO mode, also when printing colour elements in documents, we have to take into account a significant deterioration in quality.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Oppo is also preparing a folding smartphone, has 3 interesting ideas

Foldable smartphones with flexible screens are getting closer and more and more. After Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi, Oppo announced its smartphone in this category, which will enter the Polish market next month.

Oppo will present its folding smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, which was confirmed by the Dutch media. Unfortunately, we do not know the details of the design and specifications, but it is worth following Oppo's actions. Oppo's RX17 Pro review shows some of the innovative solutions Oppo can offer us in its products, including Super Vooc fast charging.

It is possible that only the prototype of the device will be presented in Barcelona, which will not be immediately introduced into mass production. Oppo has registered patents for 3 types of foldable smartphones with different advantages and disadvantages, but we don't know which could enter mass production. If you have your favorite, we invite you to answer the survey and discuss it in comments.

Google is introducing improvements to Android, which will allow folding smartphones to spread their wings. For now, it's hard to say whether folding mobile devices will be a temporary fashion, like 3D cameras and stereoscopic screens in the past, or will stay with us for longer. No matter how it would be, 2019 promises to be a very interesting year. New constructions, 5G smartphones will enter the market, and the use of machine learning models is becoming easier and easier.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Android Auto - new version available. Better music management and new news standard

The new update of Android Auto brings improvements in the interface to make it more readable and intuitive. The aim is to make it quicker and easier to access selected functions while using the music and news player.

Android Auto software, just like the competitive Apple CarPlay, is designed with drivers in mind. As a result, the interface is as simple as possible so that it requires as little attention from the user as possible. Of course, you can still find elements that can be presented in an even more readable form, so Google is constantly working on the development of this extremely important aspect in Android Auto. The results of recent work are available in a new version numbered 3.8.

In the new version Google has focused on improving the music player. In Android Auto, the selection of new artists, albums and songs will take less time. This was achieved by redesigning the main screen of the player. Now it gives you instant access to your most recently played music - such as a playlist or an album.

In addition, the content is represented by a large album artwork - Google doesn't want drivers to scroll through long lists in search of their favourite album while driving. The new interface can already be used in Google Play Music, it should also be available in Spotify. In addition, the music search results, which are provided by the voice assistant, are now supposed to present better matched content.

In the case of messages, users have been given the opportunity to preview a portion of the text. However, restrictions are imposed to avoid distracting the driver's eyes from the road. This function works only when the car is not moving.

No worries about sensitive messages - this feature is optional and should be activated in Android Auto settings beforehand. In addition, message support has been extended - MMS and a new RCS standard has appeared, to be the successor to the SMS.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Intel provides first "modern" drivers for Windows 10

New Intel graphics drivers have appeared on the market, which from now on are created according to the assumptions of Windows Modern Drivers, also functioning as Universal Windows Drivers (UWD) and thanks to that they will work on more devices without any problems. According to Microsoft, one package of drivers created in this way will be suitable for computers, tablets and embedded systems. These are the first Intel drivers that have been released in accordance with the UWD principles, which, as the manufacturer notes, is now the approach recommended by Microsoft.

As the Softpedia service points out, Microsoft requires such a driver version from the moment of the October update of Windows 10. The existing drivers will continue to be available and after the installation of the newer ones you will be able to return to them, but it is not recommended. The process is considered to be complicated and risky - it may disturb the stability of the system.

The new version of drivers is not only a new approach from the technical side, but also changes visible to users. With this version of the software, there are automatic Game Tuning updates, reduced demand for RAM when using OpenGL, and stability fixes associated with the operation of Vulkan drivers. In addition, Intel points to longer battery life when using DRRS.

In addition, the new drivers also support 12 new games. The list includes such titles as Fallout 4, Far Cry 5, FIFA 18, The Sims 4, PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS or The Witcher 3. In this issue there is also a solution to a number of existing bugs. Several resolution and graphics anomalies in NBA 2K19, FIFA 19 (in this case when using DX12) and Assassin's Creed: Origins have been resolved. For more information about the latest version of Intel drivers, please see the official release information.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Plex and TIDAL join forces. One application is all it takes to stream music

Good news for users of Plex services and applications who are interested in subscribing to TIDAL music streaming. Both companies have joined forces to make TIDAL music available directly from the Plex app. This is a convenient solution for all those who want to reconcile local media streaming and music streaming from the Internet. The Plex app is available for computers, smartphones and even SmartTV attachments with Android.

The combination of both services is undoubtedly an interesting step, which may encourage some users to change their existing subscriptions from other music services. Those who use streaming multimedia from Plex servers (local or remote) will certainly appreciate easy access to the huge music library offered by TIDAL without having to leave the Plex application. For example, on smartphones, the Plex application also allows you to play local files from your device, so you can easily treat it as the main music or movie player. Users can choose between two tariff plans. The first one is TIDAL Premium, which has been enriched with options created especially for the Plex application. The subscription costs less than EUR 10 per month (at the current rate it is less than PLN 43) and gives access to 59 million songs and 250 thousand music videos. It is worth noting here the possibility of quick access to missing content. In practice, it's all about the possibility of convenient playback via TIDAL of those songs that are missing on the user's Plex server.

The second plan is a combination of Plex Pass and TIDAL Hi-Fi subscription. For this package you have to pay about 20 euros a month (less than 86 zlotys), but in return you have access to all the functions in the Plex application and access to the highest quality sound in TIDAL. It is worth noting, however, that especially in the case of the Polish offer of TIDAL service, combined subscriptions within the integration of TIDAL and Plex services are doubtfully profitable.

In the case of a license for one user, the TIDAL Hi-Fi subscription must be spent less than 40 PLN per month, while the monthly fee for a Plex Pass is about 5 dollars, i.e. at the current exchange rate of less than 19 PLN. The total cost of both services is therefore less than 60 PLN, which is clearly less than you have to pay when buying a package.

It is worth noting, however, that current users of the Plex Pass subscription can add TIDAL Premium service a bit cheaper or combine the subscription with another ongoing subscription. Ultimately, therefore (paying attention to additional benefits in terms of convenience), using the new offer may be profitable. Interested parties have 30 days to take part in the tests free of charge. Details can be found on the Plex website.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Intel Extreme Masters 2019 and ESL One are getting closer and closer. Second round of ticket sales has started

This year the Intel Extreme Masters finals will be held in Katowice again. On Thursday at 16:00 the second round of tickets for the world finals of IEM and ESL One powered by Intel was put up for sale. It is worth to hurry up - the event enjoys great interest.

The legendary Spodek will once again host one of the most important events of the ESL One series. For the second time in history, on 22-24 February 2019, twelve of the world's best teams of Dota 2 will fight not only for the trophy, but also for a part of the prize pool of over 1 100 000 PLN. In addition to the two most prestigious tournaments, ESL One and IEM Katowice 2019 CS:GO Major, the biggest IEM Expo Esport Fair will return to the International Congress Centre in 2019.

Bearing in mind the number of people willing to participate in the event, the organizers have prepared a larger number of tickets than in previous years. Entrance tickets for the Legends phase as well as the IEM Katowice CS:GO Major Championship and premium tickets for StarCraft II tournament are now on sale. Fans of Dota 2 will be able to choose from several types of tickets for the tournament, which will take place at the end of February.

The following tickets for the first weekend of the event (20-24 February) are available for sale:

   CS:GO Legends Stage (20.02 or 21.02) - 50 PLN    CS:GO Legends Stage (22.02, 23.02 or 24.02) - 60 PLN    5-day pass CS:GO Legends Stage (20.02 - 24.02) - 250 PLN

For the second weekend (28 February - 3 March):

   Early entrance ticket (28.02) - 50 PLN    Early entrance ticket (01.03) - 70 PLN    Early entrance ticket: (02.03 or 03.03) - 80 PLN    4-day pass (28.02 - 03.03) - 250 PLN    One-day PREMIUM CS:GO ticket (28.02 or 01.03) - 180 PLN    One-day PREMIUM CS:GO ticket (02.03 or 03.03) - 195 PLN    FULL PREMIUM EXPERIENCE CS:GO ticket (28.02 - 03.03), premium seat, goodie bag - 880 PLN    PREMIUM StarCraft II ticket (28.02 - 03.03), premium seat, goodie bag - 500 PLN    GOD MODE (28.02 - 03.03) - room in a 4-star hotel, access to the VIP area with catering, premium seating, goodie bag - 6000 PLN

Tickets for ESL One Katowice (22-24.02, Dota 2):

   1-day early entrance ticket (22, 23, or 24.02) - 60 PLN    3-day early entrance ticket (22-24.02) - 150 PLN    1-day PREMIUM ticket (22.02) - 170 PLN, (23.24.02) - 190 PLN    FULL PREMIUM EXPERIENCE ticket, e.g. premium seat, goodie bag (22-24.02) - 680 PLN    GOD MODE - room in a 4-star hotel (22-25.02), access to the VIP area with catering, premium seating, goodie bag - 5000 PLN

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.pl and at stationary points of sale.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Tenda Nova MW3 - mesh to start

Tenda Nova MW3 (AC1200) are two devices capable of providing WiFi network in the area of up to 200 square meters. It is hard to say whether the fact that routers in mesh version are becoming more and more common is due to the mass enrichment of compatriots, and therefore moving to larger households, or to the usual fashion. The fact remains that there are more and more models of this type, and every manufacturer of devices providing radio network access does not want to be left behind.

The Chinese company Tenda, through its Nova MW3 (AC1200) product, also decided not to be left behind. So let's check what it offers for about 350 PLN, will it correct problems with lack of range or insufficient network speed on its slope? How are Tenda Nova MW3 devices built?

Tenda Nova MW3 for a set of two routers, which are supplied in a box slightly larger than themselves.

The devices themselves are white hexagons, made of aesthetic plastic, which is, however, quite delicate.

The cubes are very light, so they tend to follow in the footsteps of the cables connected to them. Additionally, it is facilitated by the lack of any rubber pads or any rubber elements from the bottom.

The bottom is a plug that fills the entire lower surface with holes for mounting pins and a sticker with information.

It has to be admitted that the amount of information that was placed there is impressive. There are such useful things as the default wireless network name with access password, model name, serial number, but also MAC address, power parameters (9V, 1A) and information about the FCC ID number.

If you are curious and have not had the opportunity to get acquainted with the information provided by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) so far, it is a good idea to use the search engine offered by them and check what you can find out about the tested unit today. In the search fields enter the data as on the screen below, and you will be able to continue.

However, we have deviated a little from the topic.

At the end of the description of the external appearance, the top surface is left. Normally one could say that there is nothing special about it. Just some kind of cap, without lights, buttons or displays. We must admit, however, that the manufacturer stood up to the task and the upper surface is not "any blanking plug", but a multi-layered surface, which looks incredibly impressive, and which can be compared to the wavy surface of the sea. Suffice it to say that the author of this text has a similar structure in navy blue set on the desktop of his computer.

We must admit that from the visual side Tenda Nova MW3 routers are very nice devices, which when taken out of the box can cause the WOW effect. The more surprising it may be that the whole cost ~350 PLN, and at this price sometimes the manufacturers approached the external appearance of their products in a "snap" way.

[thecomputinq-blog]

Nuclias - centralised network management by D-Link

D-Link introduces a cloud-based remote and centralized network management tool called Nuclias, along with the DBA-1210P wireless access point.

Full control over your corporate network, no matter where and when - that's D-Link's promise to bring Nuclias to market.

Nuclias is a cloud-based tool for centralized network management, allowing you to remotely monitor and configure your infrastructure. It is aimed at entrepreneurs and service providers who want to have total control over how the network works and are looking for a way to improve planning and management of this element of business operations.

Thanks to the fact that it is a cloud-based solution, it turns out to be possible to significantly reduce costs. Not without significance are also other advantages, first of all: automatic configuration and scalable architecture. D-Link also pays attention to role-based administration and log entries subject to control.

"Nuclias bridges the gap between overloaded top-of-the-line solutions and low-cost tools. It's the visibility, ease of deployment, automation and security that smaller IT departments and service providers need to be able to do more with network security. - commented Kamil Rusjan, Marketing Manager Eastern Europe from D-Link Poland.

The catalogue of Nuclias compliant devices is to be dynamically expanded. To begin with, the manufacturer has prepared (shown in the picture above) D-Link DBA-1210P access point. Accessory features support for 802.11ac Wave 2 standard, Gigabit Ethernet, MU-MIMO technology and simplified power supply (PoE). The suggested price is €150.

[thecomputinq-blog]

How to speed up Windows 10

In order for Windows 10 to work quickly and efficiently, there must be a combination of many circumstances. Hardware and software, and we help you catch up on which of them are important.

Before we start "playing" in accelerating Windows 10, let's answer the question What type of disk is our system installed on? I limit myself to single-drive system installations.

If the answer is HDD (colloquially called disc drive) and not SSD, try to change the drive to the second type as soon as possible. No flash drive cache-style gameplay, and even complex RAID HDD installations, will give your computer such a backup as installing a system on a SSD. If you are still undecided, we recommend SSDs and M.2 SSDs.

This is a truth that we have known for many years, but it may have escaped you in the hustle and bustle of work. Buying a SSD is not a challenge today, and those with a capacity up to (say) about 256GB that work as a high-capacity system storage medium are not expensive (despite fluctuating market prices).

If you have a SSD in your computer and the system still doesn't work as we would like it to, let's look for other reasons. CPU performance will be the least likely, unless you have a computer more than a dozen years ago or use a low performance version of the CPU (e.g. Pentium Gold). Optimization is the key to efficient operation of Windows.

Below you will find tips and tricks that will help you to make sure your computer runs smoothly with Windows 10. The tips and tricks refer to the system version with the latest October update, but in most cases they will also work with older versions of the system. RAM in principle never too little - it should work well.

Today, 8 GB of RAM in the computer is not a surprise, passionate gamers or people working with multimedia reach for even more resources (16 or 32 GB). But if you accidentally have less than 8 GB of memory in your computer, consider increasing its capacity. Default requirements of Windows 10 do not have much in common with real work. Some tutorials suggest using so-called RAM disks. They work by addressing part of the disk memory as RAM memory. In my opinion, it is better to buy more memory than to rely on such software.

In addition, it is worth checking if our RAM memory works flawlessly. Similarly to S.M.A.R.T. system reports whether there are any errors that indicate the need to replace the disk, so RAM can be tested for errors. This is a more time-consuming procedure, but useful when slower computer operation is accompanied by messages about RAM memory errors.

The most obvious tool is the free MemTest86. Available for years, easy to use and supporting tests up to 64 GB of RAM. We will download it from the PassMark Software website as an ISO image to be placed on a bootable CD or a ZIP file with a tool to be prepared by USB. Then you have to boot your computer from this medium and choose Start test.

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Another smartphone for gamers - Nubia Red Magic Mars with up to 10 GB of RAM

Nubia Red Magic Mars boasts an aggressive design and very high performance. The manufacturer has opted for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and up to 10 GB of RAM processor with eight cores.

Smartphones dedicated to mobile gaming enthusiasts are growing at a very fast pace. A few months ago Nubia Red Magic saw the light of day, but the Chinese manufacturer very quickly tempted for a more advanced model. Here is Nubia Red Magic Mars.

It seems to be a direct response to Xiaomi Black Shark Helo. Also in this case you will be able to count on up to 10 GB of RAM, which can certainly make an impression and which is strongly emphasized. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 eight-core processor is the most efficient chip that the manufacturer could afford at the moment. You can also count on an efficient cooling system.

You can rest assured that your games will run smoothly on the 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display with Full HD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels). However, more attention is drawn to the very aggressive design of the LED-backlit enclosure.

In addition to the standard physical buttons, the manufacturer has created one more, which will allow you to instantly switch to Game Mode and block notifications that may distract you in gameplay. In addition, one of the edges features two touch areas to make it easier to control selected games. Technical specification of Nubia Red Magic Mars:

   Android 9.0 Pie with Redmagic OS    6-inch IPS LCD screen 18:9, 2160 x 1080 pixels, 403 ppi    Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 eight-core processor, Adreno 630    6 GB / 8 GB / 10 GB RAM    64 GB / 128 GB / 256 GB internal memory    main camera 16 Mpix f/1.8, front camera 8 Mpix f/2.0    Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, LTE    stereo speakers    Dual SIM    fingerprint reader    3800 mAh battery, USB-C    dimensions 158.25 x 75 x 9.85 mm

Nubia Red Magic Mars will be available for sale in three variants, which will differ in memory resources and prices. Sales on the Chinese market will start at the beginning of December. Interested residents of our part of the world will probably have orders from Chinese shops.

[thecomputinq-blog]

SilentiumPC Regnum RG2 - airy casing also available with glass.

The Regnum RG2 TG is an affordable enclosure for enthusiasts who want to expose the computer interior. A version with glass should be slightly more expensive than a regular edition.

Glass side enclosures are becoming more and more popular. This has also been noticed by SilentiumPC, which is streamlining new models from its offer - we have already written about new versions of Regnum RG1 and Regnum RG4T, but now it's time for Regnum RG2.

Regnum RG2 TG is based on the design of an ordinary Regnum RG2 model. The manufacturer has opted for a two-chamber design with optimised airflow, which ensures an adequately ventilated and spacious interior. The key to this are the numerous ventilation openings and the factory-fitted two 120 mm Sigma Pro fans (including air filters). The interior of the Regnum RG2 TG is very spacious for its price segment. It can accommodate full ATX format motherboards, 380 mm long graphics cards and 160 mm high CPU cooler kits. Inside there is also space for mounting two 3.5" HDDs and two 2.5" SSDs. The new version is equipped with a side panel made of tempered glass. The addition allows you to expose components installed in the casing. In addition, the user can easily emphasize them through the installation of lighting: both fans and LED strips.

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Nvidia adds Monster Hunter: World to GeForce GTX cards

The new promotion of Nvidia should be of interest to developers of a high-performance gaming PC with older GeForce GTX Pascal graphics cards.

Top GeForce RTX graphics cards from the new generation of Turing are available on the market, but older GeForce GTX models are still an interesting proposition for gamers - especially now that the manufacturer has prepared another promotion for its customers.

When you buy GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, GeForce GTX 1070 or GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, you can get Monster Hunter: World for free. Players play the role of title hunters, whose task is to explore the newly discovered earth in order to track down and hunt various creatures. Heroes can use their favourite weapons from 14 different classes and a range of survival tools, such as luring monsters into traps or brushing them on each other. If you are interested, please refer to our review of Monster Hunter: World.

It is worth noting, however, that the promotion has been limited in time - it will last until November 30, 2018, and the received codes will be available until the end of this year. Partners of the action in Poland are shops Alsen, FoxKomputer, morele.net, Komputronik, NTT, Sferis, x-kom and Zadowolenie.pl. Details about the new Nvidia campaign can be found on this website. Nvidia has extended the promotion for the game Monster Hunter: World, which will last until January 7, 2019 (or earlier depletion of code stocks).

In addition, those who purchase a GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, 1070 or 1060 GPU, or a laptop or computer equipped with it, will receive 2,000 V-dolls and an exclusive Nvidia Counterattack kit with "Reflex" skin. (rare subject) from the Response Unit Back Bling, Pivot hang glider (rare object) and the 'Angular Axe' pickax (unusual object).

[thecomputinq-blog]

3DMark Port Royal - coming benchmark for ray tracing equipment testing

The new test will only be available at the beginning of next year, but already in December overclockers will try their hand at beating performance records. Real-time Ray-Tracing is a revolution in the world of computer entertainment. UL, as previously announced, plans to enrich the 3DMark package with a test that will use the potential of the new functionality.

Port Royal, as the new test is to be called, was developed in cooperation with companies participating in the Benchmark Development Program (including AMD, Intel and Nvidia). Benchmark uses real-time ray tracing technology and will run on any graphics card with DirectX Ray Tracing API compliant drivers. Benchmark will allow you to compare the performance of different hardware configurations, as well as see how your computer can handle the new DXR games at 2560 x 1440 px resolution. 3DMark Port Royal will be available in January next year. Earlier, on December 8th, GALAX GOC tournament will be organized, where the producer plans to disclose details of the exact release date and benchmark price. Then overclockers will try their hand at beating performance records in Port Royal.

[thecomputinq-blog]

MEE Audio X1 - test

MEE Audio X1 are good and inexpensive headphones that positively surprise with sound, quality of workmanship and, above all, very good wearing comfort. They are light, do not fall out of ears and have a solid cord with a remote and a microphone. Here's the review and test of the MEE Audio X1 headphones.

PROS - resistance to rain, sweat and splash (IPx5), - great comfort of wearing, - do not fall out of ears (soft bands placed behind the ears), - 6 pairs of different elastics in the set, - good sound quality at an attractive price, - dynamic sound with a solid portion of bass, - high quality cable with a negligible microphone effect, - a remote control with a microphone in the cable, - solid angle plug.

MINUSES - the remote control has only one button (no volume control), - the button in the remote control is slightly too flat.

MEE Audio X1 - test Since you've clicked on this review, you probably like two things: music and sports. You've come to the right place, because the MEE Audio X1 earphones are perfect for those who like not only music and sports, but also attractive prices.

The headphones at the time of writing the review cost only 119 zlotys. I spent over a month with MEE Audio X1 and I can assure you that it is a very attractive amount in terms of their capabilities. The headphones are super comfortable, they play well, do not fall out of ears, have a built-in microphone, and their design is resistant to splashing, rain and sweat. I invite you to review headphones for sports and more - MEE Audio X1.

Cable or Bluetooth? MEE Audio X1 are headphones designed mainly for sports, but not only. On the one hand, they have been designed to provide very good stability, endurance and comfort during physical activity, but on the other hand they play well enough that they can be used as the main headphones every day.

Yes, I am perfectly aware of the fact that these are wired earphones, and nowadays there is a "fashion" for sports Bluetooth headphones, somewhat forced by smartphone manufacturers, who are trying hard to eliminate the classic headphone outputs. In addition, Bluetooth headphones provide more freedom of movement and we do not have to worry about pulling or damaging the cable.

But..

Before buying sports headphones, we should choose whether we are going in the direction of the freedom offered by Bluetooth or towards a lower price combined with higher sound quality. Of course, for PLN 119 probably you will find cheap wireless headphones, but the quality of their sound may be (and probably will be) worse than similarly priced corded headphones, such as MEE Audio X1.

Very comfortable and well made When buying the MEE Audio X1 headphones for comfort, we do not have to worry. Their casings are made of ergonomically rounded, smooth plastic. That's good, for two reasons.

First of all, the plastic will not cool as much as metal (in the summer we will not feel it, but in the winter it does). Secondly, plastic headphones are very light, so they rest securely and stably in the ears. The low mass does not tend to fall out in case of sudden movements and shocks.

The quality of the plastic is good. All elements are precisely fitted, there are no sharp, uncomfortable edges, and the smooth surface adheres well to the skin.

Each of us has a slightly different shape of the ear, so I can not say that the headphones will be perfect for everyone. However, I can safely say that in my ears the headphones just fit in perfectly. Absolutely sincerely say that for me these are some of the most comfortable headphones I have had the pleasure to use. Not only sports, but all of them.

After the correct selection of the MEE Audio X1 rubber seals, they rested so comfortably in my ears that after a while I forgot that I was wearing them. So it is exactly as it should be.

They do not fall out of ears At the ends of the left and right wires, just next to the headphones, the manufacturer used a stiffened piece of cable. It plays the role of something like a flexible, thin headband that we put behind the ear.

Its function is simple - it has to hold the headphones in place so that they do not fall out of ears and you have to admit that it manages it perfectly. It is smooth and does not irritate the skin. At the same time soft and solid. It does not bother, it does not hurt, it just "does the job". 6 pairs of elastics The correct selection of rubber gaskets is the basis for obtaining adequate sound quality and high comfort in the case of in-ear headphones. If they are too small, the headphones may be loosely set in the ears, and the bass will be weak, because the sound pressure will be out. If they are too big, they may be uncomfortable and "wrinkled" or bent and the bass will be weakened again.

Fortunately, with a set of headphones we receive as many as six pairs of rubber gaskets in various sizes and shapes. We have 3x single (one sealing layer), 1x double (double flange) and 2x triple flange. The double and triple rubber bands extend deeper into the auditory canal and can be better insulated from external noises, but on the other hand they can also irritate the inside of the ear more, especially if someone is not used to such gaskets. In my case, the perfect one turned out to be a large one. I got quite good insulation and the best comfort thanks to it. Robust cable The cable has a total length of about 1.3 meters - it is neither too short nor too long. It has an internal strengthening braid, which was covered with rubber. It is quite thick and solid but still flexible. The surface is smooth and, fortunately, does not generate a strong microphone effect when rubbing against clothing.

The branching of wires is surprisingly large. On the one hand, it's good because it's very solid and on the other hand it looks a bit strange (too massive). A cable separator has been added above the branching, which can be pulled higher or lower to regulate the looseness of the wires under the chin.

Remote with a microphone A controller (pilot) was integrated with the right branch of the wire. It has a built-in microphone for phone calls and ... just one button. I admit that for me this is one of the few defects of these headphones.

Yes, we can answer / end calls and switch songs on / off (press once or more), but during running or exercising at the gym I would like to be able to change the volume without reaching for the phone. Here, unfortunately, it is impossible, which is a pity, because what would be the real cost of adding two additional +/- buttons? Probably insignificant. The controller works with both Android and iOS. The plug is angled, 4-pos. And gold-plated. Maybe the competition for the best look would not win, but it is very solid.

Basic specification: Construction: in-ear headphones, closed Water tightness: yes, IPx5 (splashing resistance, rain, sweat) Connectivity: wired, cable placed behind the ears Cable length: approx. 130 cm Plug: angled, 4-pos., Gold-plated Transducer type: dynamic, one-way Diameter of the transducer: 9 mm Frequency of transmission: 20 - 20,000 Hz Impedance: 16 ohms @ 1 kHz Sensitivity: 98 dB (1 mW @ 1 kHz) Microphone: yes, 42 dB, 100-10,000 Hz Weight: 20 g

[thecomputinq-blog]

The opening of another Xiaomi store will soon be promotions

This time Wrocław was chosen for the location (Pasaż Grunwaldzki, level 0). Very tempting promotions will be waiting for the first customers. Xiaomi enjoys a lot of popularity on our market. For a long time, we had to order products from a Chinese manufacturer online, but the situation has changed for some time. Among other things, thanks to Xiaomi salons.

The opening of the first (in Krakow) took place in March, the second (in Warsaw) in May. But that's not the end. Soon you will be able to visit the next, third salon of this Chinese brand. This time Wrocław was chosen for the location (Pasaż Grunwaldzki, level 0).

The new salon will have an area of ​​106 square meters. The opening is scheduled for July 21, at 11:00. The first customers will be able to take advantage of the promotion.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S for PLN 777 (7 items) Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 32GB for PLN 499 (100 items) Mi Robot Vacuum for PLN 1299 + voucher worth PLN 300 for the purchase of the device Mi Laptop Air 13.3 "for the price of PLN 4299 + voucher worth PLN 300 with the purchase of the device Smart Scale at PLN 49 (100 items) Mi Electric Toothbrush for PLN 99 (100 items) Are you going for the opening?

[thecomputinq-blog]

Platinet DENO is a bluetooth speaker and jack for the home and the terrace

The Platinet DENO speaker looks good and - according to the manufacturer's instructions - sounds good. It has to be checked at home and outside of it, regardless of whether we want to play music via Bluetooth or by wire.

The loudspeaker for listening to music at home should be universal - to ensure the comfort of playing songs via Bluetooth, but also to avoid problems when you want to connect the sound source with a cable. It should also offer a good sound and look good. Platinet argues that its new model called DENO meets all these conditions.

Of course you can not expect audiophile quality on the wireless speaker for less than 400 zlotys. The manufacturer, however, argues that the two internal speakers with a total power of 30 watts are able to provide "dynamic, loud and clear sound combined with deep bass" (although it should be emphasized that there is no woofer here).

As mentioned in the introduction, the Platinet DENO speaker can work with the sound source wirelessly (using Bluetooth 4.0) or wired (thanks to the presence of the AUX socket). One charge of his 2600 mAh battery will provide about 6 hours of music playback.

Let us add that the equipment was also equipped with a microphone, which allows it to be used as a handsfree. The combination of gray material with light wood means that the device should look good on the desk or on the cabinet. Of course, you can also take DENO to the open air.

Let us remind you that this is the third bluetooth speaker Platinet praised this month - before that we could see DUO with a subwoofer in the set and distinctive BAMBOO style.