The good folks at SOUNDPEATS have sent me their new "Clip1" headphones to review. They are easily the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. Typically, headphones fall into three broad categories. In ear, like the Apple EarPods. Over ear, like the Beats. Bone Conducting, like the AfterShokz. But these are not typical headphones. These are part of a new category of "cuff" audio. They…
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Want to capture video from your phone or console? You could just point a camera at the screen, but a more sensible way to do it is to capture the video directly via USB-C. The good folks at Benfei have sent me another gadget to review! This is a USB-C Video/Audio capture dongle. Plug one end into a device and the other into your computer - it will show up as a USB video capture device. Notice …
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The good folks at Benfei have sent me another gadget to play about with. This one comes in two parts. The first plugs into an screen's HDMI port, the second beams video from your device's USB-C port across the airwaves. Here's what it looks like: But how does it perform? Plug the HDMI into your TV and its USB-A end into a suitable power source (my TV had one nearby). After a few seconds,…
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Look, I'm an idiot. I know that, you know that, and the man on the moon knows that. Let's not get into why I'm an idiot; let's just accept that I have my peculiarities and you have yours. My idiocy is a quest to make sure all my portable electronics can recharge using USB-C. Modern smartwatches are tiny and they do a lot. As a consequence, their battery life is generally poor. The industry's…
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It looks like the new Google's Pixel 4 watch comes with yet another incompatible change in charging technology. This is a ridiculous situation. The original Pixel Watch used one type of wireless charging. Then the Pixel Watch 2 & 3 removed wireless charging and swapped to a different charging mechanism. And now the 4 has changed again. So three different charging cables in under three years.…
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I've reviewed several thermal imaging products over the years. They range from tiny USB-C add-ons to professional quality hulking great handhelds. Topdon have sent me a mid-point model to review. It's relatively cheap for a thermal imaging product - only £140 on Amazon. I think the sensor is made by Raytrontek. But is it any good? While it has a bunch of useful features, there's no video …
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Cables aren't just copper wire and plastic sheath any more. Modern USB-C cables contain little microchips called eMarkers which allow them to transfer data and power at terrifying speeds. But, sadly, there's no way you can look at a USB-C cable and see whether it supports the baffling array of features available. Enter the catchily-named Treedix TRX5-0816-AC. It will test just about any sort of …
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The good folks at AsiceSound sent me their latest Bluetooth Earbuds. They're yet another no brand company which rebadge various Chinese gadgetry. The S23 are £50, which is a reasonable price compared to AirPods, and expensive compared to bargain basement earbuds. So what do these have going for them? The charging case shows the battery level of each bud You get a few different si…
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From crummy old S-Video, through SCART, VGA, and HDMI - the world of video connectors has never been entirely cross compatible. Oh, sure, with enough boxes and adapters you can usually get an old device to talk to a new one. But results are never guaranteed and quality can take a hit. HDMI was supposed to be our saviour, but now DisplayPort threatens its dominance. What's the difference? For the …
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The good folks at SmartDisplayer Technology Co have sent me a six colour eInk badge to play about with. Here's a quick video and then a walk-through of its features. You can also view SmartDisplayer's official video. The Badge It is a single block of plastic. There are no seams, screws, or rough edges. The ePaper appear right on the surface of the badge, there's no recessing or anything…
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The gadget wizards at Benfei know that I'm a sucker for any sort of USB-C gadget. So when they offered to send me their micro-hub to review, how could I refuse? It is dinky! Here's what you get for your tenner USB-C PowerDelivery HDMI USB-A Frankly, I'm impressed that they managed to fit that much in! If you'll excuse my lacklustre photo-editing skills, here are the two output ports: …
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The good folks at Benfei know that I'm always losing my USB Thumb Drives. They're just too damn small. I crave something bigger and harder to lose. Not as huge as a CD Drive, but not as small as a MiniDisc. Something chunky and satisfying, with a slim elegance. So they've sent me their SATA to USB-C drive enclosure. It's a cute little box, with a built-in USB-C cable. The cable has one of…
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