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  • What & How Fast Mobile Charging Works

    What it is and how fast mobile charging works

    Users value fast charging on mobile phones a lot since this allows us to connect them much less time to complete the battery. If you do not know very well what this technology consists of, we tell you everything in detail.

    The autonomy of mobile phones is an aspect that we have very much in mind since it depends on our smartphone enduring running throughout the day without recharging it. In addition to this, we also value positively that the device has fast charging since this means that it takes less time to complete the battery.

    And it is that the battery is one of the components that causes the most headaches to manufacturers, who always encounter some obstacles in their development. The tendency to manufacture increasingly thin and light mobiles have led brands to reduce the space needed to house the battery, which has sometimes led to disasters such as the one that led the Samsung Galaxy Note 7  a few years ago.

    To solve the problems of autonomy, another path that many manufacturers have taken is to use fast charging technologies so that the fact of having to charge the device part-time does not imply an inconvenience for the user and the least possible time is used to do so. In this way, the user can continue with his pace of life without the phone becoming a drag.

    What is fast charging?

    Fast charging is a function that some smartphone manufacturers are using as a solution to minimize phone charging times, managing to recover up to 30% of their charge in just over 5 minutes of charging.

    This function is not due to any kind of magic or witchcraft, but to a simple electrical principle in which more voltage and amperage is used to accelerate the battery charge.

    Does fast charging degrade my mobile battery?

    With what we have seen so far on fast charging everything would lead us to think that, if the battery charge is forced with a higher voltage, the degradation of your smartphone’s battery will also accelerate in the same proportion.

    The truth is that it is not so, or at least that degradation is not different from the one that would suffer the battery of any other device that does not have a fast charge. The secret to keeping the battery protected during rapid charging of the device is found precisely in the algorithm that allows you to vary the charge received in each case.

    Fast charging with a proper name

    Although the fast-charging system is directly related to the processor, and therefore, it is the manufacturers of these components that will apriori implement this function, some brands have taken the initiative with their fast-load implementations. A result is a good number of names after which different fast-charging systems for smartphones are found.

    Qualcomm Quick Charge

    Qualcomm was one of the pioneers in implementing fast charging systems with its Quick Charge system in devices that equipped its high-end processors, is one of the most widespread fast-charging systems, both incompatible terminals, as in chargers and power banks.

    The most current specification of this fast-charging system is Quick Charge 4.0+, which according to the manufacturer is capable of charging more than 50% of the device in 30 minutes.

    MediaTek Pump Express

    If your smartphone is equipped with one of the latest MediaTek processors, it likely integrates the MediaTek Pump Express fast charging function.

    Versions of the main manufacturers

    Some manufacturers have also wanted to leave their mark on fast charging technology by implementing their interpretations of fast charging to their models.

    Huawei has called its fast-charging system Super Charge (formerly SmartPower), OPPO uses fast charging under the name of Super VOOC,  Dash Charge is the fast charging of OnePlus and Mi Charge Turbo is the fast charging of Xiaomi.

    Fast wireless charging

    Wireless charging is also evolving towards fast-charging solutions in the same way that conventional charging systems have done so that the devices compatible with these wireless fast charging systems no longer even need to be connected via a cable to charge their batteries in record time.

    Wireless fast charging is governed by the same Qi standards that it did so far, although, as with fast cable charging systems, both the charger and smartphone must be compatible with fast charging.

    The advantage of using this wireless fast charging technology is that cables are completely dispensed with, so the deterioration of your device’s USB connector is drastically reduced by use, as well as leaving that connector free to, for example, keep your smartphone connected to your computer or a sound system while charging.

    What smartphones have fast charging?

    Fast loading is becoming an increasingly common option in the launches of the medium and high range models of different brands.

    Since the fast-charging function is closely linked to the processor, it is common to find it in most of the latest models that have been launched on the market since they mount the processors that support this fast-loading function.

    The list of smartphones that currently support fast charging is frankly unattainable, and to know if yours supports it you just have to take a look at the specifications of the terminal.

  • Buy a Mini PC: guide with all the tips you need to know

    If you don’t need a lot of processing power and you don’t have too much space on your desk, forget about desktop computers! With this guide and tips to buy a mini PC, you will discover everything you need to know to get a team that takes up little space and offers all the power you need to work with it.

    Buying a mini PC is like buying any other type of computer, so it can be a simple or complicated process, depending on how you look at it. To succeed in your choice there are several factors that you have to take into account, which will help you choose the equipment that fits your power needs and the possibilities for future expansion.

    Of course, in minicomputers, given its small size and specific features, you will have to contemplate some details that may not be so important to consider when choosing a traditional desktop computer or an All-in computer One desktop.

    For example, the cooling capacity of the internal components of the PC, the number of external connectors, or the hardware that you can add since the space is available inside these compact computers or mini PCs is reduced.

    In this guide and tips to buy a Mini PC, we will review some keys with which it will be much easier to choose the mini PC that fits you like a glove.

    Barebone vs. mini PC

    First of all, it is important to make distinctions that can lead to confusion when purchasing your mini PC. Until not long ago, some manufacturers offered their mini PCs in barebone format.

    But what is a barebone? It is a computer that is not fully assembled so that the product only includes the basic components for the platform: the box, motherboard and power supply. The rest of the components will have to be bought and installed by the customer.

    Therefore, apart from this barebone kit, you have to choose which processor, hard drive or RAM you want to install. It will be you who will finally finish buying the missing components, assemble the whole set and put it into operation.

    Choose the right processor

    One of the main aspects that you have to take into account when buying a mini PC is the real use that you are going to give it. You do not need the same power in a mini PC that you want to use to play videos on a screen with 4K resolution, than for one in which you will exclusively perform office automation tasks.

    Expand the RAM of your mini PC

    Regardless of the characteristics that the mini Pc you have chosen brings from the factory, it is important to look to the future and contemplate the expansion options of some of its components. This will leave the door open for future updates with which to improve the performance of your compact computer.

    Consider the storage capacity and format

    Similar to what happens with RAM, mini PCs come from the factory with certain storage capacity on the hard disk. In many cases, it is very easy to access the inside of the mini PC to expand the capacity of the hard disk and install a new one with more capacity. This brings us to the next important point related to storage: the format of the hard drive.

    Let your mini PC breathe

    Like any electronic component, mini PCs also suffer the rigors of high temperatures and that, in the long run, can affect the life of your computer and even make it run slower than it should.

    The excess temperature inside the mini PC  activates the temperature control systems of the components and these control systems act as power limiters to keep the temperature under control and prevent the components from suffering irreparable damage.

    Choose a scalable Mini PC

    Certain mini PC models are designed as a modular system to which you can add other components such as a disk drive, an external storage system, etc. These accessories are mounted on the device itself creating a single block.

    You intend to add some of these accessories shortly, make sure that the mini PC you have chosen has its line. Otherwise, you will end up with a table full of accessories connected to your mini PC. Just what you are trying to avoid!

    Do not limit connections

    In line with the possibility of connecting other accessories and peripherals to your PC, one of the factors that you should take into account when choosing the best mini PC is that you have as many connectivity options as possible. Do not skimp on connectors.

    This, beyond the recognition of the detail by the manufacturer, has no greater importance than to discount its cost when compared to other models that probably do not include these accessories.

    At the aesthetic level, the peripherals that usually come included with the mini PCs follow the same design lines, so it can be a good option if they are going to be in public view.

     

  • I want to buy a printer, what should I consider?

     

    Are you thinking of buying a printer? In that case, you have to assess different aspects, from the printing speed to the dpi or the renewal of the ink. We tell you everything you need to know to get your choice right.

    While it is true that the paper is being relegated to the past thanks to digital formats, sometimes we still need to print some documents, such as official notifications, vouchers, transport tickets, classwork or photographs, to give some examples.

    Printer type

    When buying a printer, the most practical to choose the model that suits you best is to apply filters based on the most general concepts until you reach the most specific ones. The first important decision has to do with the type of printing: inkjet or laser. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

    Injection, laser … or LED

    The printers inkjet are cheap and offer good quality when printing documents. You also get the best results with the photos if you calibrate it well and use photo paper. In this aspect, they are superior to laser printers.

    As for their weak points, the main one is that they are slower than laser printers. Also, they consume more ink, although being cheaper, replenishing it is cheaper.

    Print quality

    Regardless of the type of printer you choose (inkjet or ink), the print quality is measured in dpi or dpi, that is, dots per inch. The higher this value, the more definition, and detail the impression will show. For example, the most basic models print at 1200 dpi (horizontal resolution). The most professional exceed 4,000 dpi. Be careful because many brands gain this information by searching the rescaled ones. Make sure it’s real resolution.

    Of course, the resolution does not influence only the resolution. Also other aspects such as color fidelity, black and gray ranges, etc. Check reviews of the printers that interest you.

    Black and white or color?

    You must also decide if you want a color printer, or black and white. If you are only going to print text documents, or it is a home printer for simple tasks such as printing letters, drawings for children, school projects, etc., it can be worth with a black and white. Nowadays prices have matched a lot, but as always what you have to value is the price of ink. A color printer requires at least three color cartridges and one black.

    Multifunction printers

    Most printers, except the cheapest ones, include a scanner, capable of photocopying (i.e., scanning and printing in one action). It used to be an essential complement, for example, to scan documents and convert them to PDF, and thus send them online. Nowadays this function can be carried out by the smartphone. Some apps photograph a document and convert it to PDF, photo, etc. Scanning the printer usually offers better results (for example when entering the document) and more resolution, but today it is not essential as a few years ago.

    The ink dilemma

    As we said at the beginning, the main expense you have to assume when buying a printer is ink, so you must value the cost of the spare parts.

    As we have commented, in the case of color inkjet printers, which use cartridges, most use four colors: magenta, yellow, cyan (blue) and black (what is known as CMYB).

    Prices and variants

    When you have located two or three printers that interest you, go to stores like Amazon or PC Components and see how much an official cartridge costs. In their specifications, they indicate how many pages each cartridge prints (in practice it is usually a smaller number). Depending on what you plan to print, make calculations and check what you would spend with one or the other in a year.

    Keep in mind that many brands offer discounts when buying cartridge packs. They also have a high capacity or XL versions, which are thicker and contain more ink. They are more expensive but it compensates if you are going to print a lot. But you have to be careful because if you spend a lot of time between prints, the ink can dry you.

     

  • Charge your phone in less than what it takes to shower: the great challenge of modern technology

    Charge your phone in less than what it takes to shower: the great challenge of modern technology

    Smartphones are a wonderful technology, but they have an important handicap: the battery. We still depend on a plug to use them, although less and less time is plugged in. The goal now is that you can recharge your mobile without your noticing: while you take a shower, or what you prepare dinner … Can you get it?

    A cell phone battery lasted one day ten years ago … the same as now. It seems that we have not advanced anything, but the reality is very different. Modern smartphones are hundreds of times more powerful than before, so modern batteries may last the same, but they store much more charge than a few years ago. Today’s battle is not in autonomy but recharge speed. If we manage to recharge the mobile in 10 minutes, it will no longer matter so much that its autonomy is one day or less. Are we near or far from this figure?

    Today, most manufacturers focus their efforts on fast loading. It is true that some, such as Oukitel and its mobile phones with a battery of 10,000 mAh, are committed to increasing capacity. Even Samsung is animated with the Galaxy M30s and its 6,000 mAh battery. But the current capacity of the batteries faces two almost impassable barriers: the small size of the mobiles, and the materials used to manufacture them, which are already squeezed to the fullest. Little else can be taken out.

    If the size and thickness of the mobiles will continue to decrease, as long as a new type of battery is not invented, the autonomy will not improve much, because the mobiles are increasingly powerful. The only aspect that can be improved is the reload speed. And they are working on that. Both with and without cable, by wireless charging.

    A few years ago recharging a mobile cost 3 or 4 hours. This was an important handicap if you ran out of battery in the middle of the day because the recharge lasted forever. So most users recharged the mobile at night.

    Now modern mobiles take just over an hour. The most advanced can do it in just half an hour. And we see progress day by day. What does it take for us to recharge a mobile in ten minutes?  Let’s check it out.

    The impassable wall of autonomy

    The first batteries of mobile phones, before becoming smartphones, lasted several days. This was because the mobile phone was only used to call or send text messages. With the birth of the smartphone, they became small computers with high power and consumption, and autonomy fell to a day or less. And there we have stayed …

    Why mobile autonomy has not evolved with technology? Because the evolution of technology plays against him.

    New types of battery … that do not finish arriving

    Experts agree that the autonomy of batteries will only increase dramatically if batteries are invented with other types of materials. And they are in it.

    There are quite exotic attempts. We have recently learned that the first carbon dioxide battery that works has been created. They had been around for a long time, but they broke down quickly after a few refills, due to the accumulation of carbon in the catalyst. However, researchers from the University of Illinois, in Chicago, have introduced new materials, specifically molybdenum disulfide in the cathode catalyst, which allows the battery to be recharged 500 times without damage.

    The truth about miraculous batteries

    To understand the point where we are, you have to know some important things about batteries. No one doubts that carbon dioxide or gold nanoparticles work better than lithium. Or that the niobium oxide is charged in 6 minutes, and graphene in less than 30 minutes. It sure is true.

    But these improvements, by themselves, do not solve the key problem: are those batteries marketable?

    Fast charging in 2020

    While the new types of batteries come true, the only thing that manufacturers can do, for now, is to improve the fast charge. And the advances have been spectacular in the last two years.

    Today there are numerous fast charging systems, from Qualcomm Quick Charge to Oppo SupeerVOOC, and others. What the quick charge does is, as the name implies, recharge the battery faster. This is achieved by increasing the load power, either with more amps, or more voltage, or a combination of both. Not all phones accept fast charging, they must be prepared for it.

    So, recharge in what a shower lasts, yes or no?

    As we have seen, both Vivo and Xiaomi have presented chargers at more than 100W that recharge a 4,000 mAh mobile phone in less than 15 minutes, although they are not yet for sale. And Samsung’s presumed graphene batteries will do the same.

    Everything indicates that in a matter of months, possibly already in 2020, we will have the first rechargeable batteries in 15 minutes. It is not a utopia.

    From then on the autonomy of mobile phones will be losing importance, because we can recharge them almost without realizing it, in which we have coffee.

    Now, the term mobile phone takes its true meaning. The tyranny of the cable is about to end. Or at least it will be reduced to the minimum expression …

  • Stop worrying about the radiation of your mobile, WiFi or antennas: Why?

    Stop worrying about the radiation of your mobile, WiFi or antennas: it is not dangerous for your health

    The radiation emitted by mobiles is an issue that has generated an eternal debate. Is it harmful to health? Let’s take a look at the myths about mobile radiation and what is really behind them.

    Mobile phones, like most electronic devices, emit electromagnetic radiation. This is a fact. However, although the term “radiation” has negative connotations, it does not mean that smartphones are bad for your health.

    In case you did not know, there are many types of radiation, and most of them do not affect us. People, like all living things, also emit electromagnetic radiation. A banana is radioactive because it has potassium, which contains the radioactive isotope K-40. But in such small quantities, it is not harmful. It’s time to be clear about the myths about cell phone radiation, so they don’t manipulate us.

    Many electronic devices, from microwaves to televisions, and also mobile phones, emit electromagnetic radiation caused by the interaction between electric fields and magnetic fields. There are many types of electromagnetic radiation, most of them generated naturally. In Nature, for example, storms generate electric fields that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. This electromagnetic radiation is used by birds to orient themselves during migrations.

    As we said before, people and all living beings also generate electromagnetic fields, which can be up to 3,000 times more powerful than the electromagnetic field of a WiFi network. And it is not a problem. Electromagnetic radiation is not harmful in itself, it all depends on its power, and the type. The fields of low intensity do not affect us but those of high intensity, such as an X-ray machine, yes. Having clear these basic concepts, we will analyze some of the most popular myths of mobile radiation, to see if they are true or false.

    Around these myths, there have been attempts to capitalize on ignorance and confusion, from routers for pregnant women to anti-radiation underpants. That is why it is important to know the facts and trust science, to avoid being scammed.

    Check out the following myths about cell phone radiation, and try to predict which ones are true and which ones are a lie. How many have you been right?

    Mobile phones emit radiation, so they are bad for your health

    Taking up the thread of the argument that we mentioned in the introduction, we remember that it is true that mobiles emit radiation. But, as we said, it is not radiation harmful to health.

    Radiation is the propagation of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or subatomic particles. There are many types of radiation: electromagnetic, thermal, solar, nuclear, cosmic, etc.

    The reality is that we are constantly subjected to radiation, the majority coming from Nature. The Sun generates solar radiation, storms generate an electric charge that, when interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, produces electromagnetic radiation.

    Mobile causes cancer

    In recent years, one of the questions that has been repeated most among users is whether cell phones cause cancer since it is one of the most controversial mobile myths.

    Proponents of this claim point out that placing a source of electromagnetic radiation so close to the brain can cause brain cancer. But the reality is that the thousands of studies that have been carried out, many of them by associations against cancer, and some with thousands of patients studied for years, have not found any evidence that relates mobiles to brain cancer.

    WiFi causes cancer

    The same radiation concept generated by the mobile phone also applies to WiFi, since WiFi routers emit the same type of electromagnetic radiation as mobile phones.

    The radiation of the WiFi is much lower than that of the mobiles and depends on the distance. As we move away from the source of the radiation, its effect diminishes. While we put the phone in our ears, Wi-Fi is usually used half a meter on the mobile, or several meters if it is the router or the computer.

    A mobile that emits more radiation is worse than another that emits less

    We have already seen that the radiation of a mobile phone is not harmful to people with normal use, according to the WHO. Still, some people feel calmer with a low radiation mobile.

    The mobiles emit different radiation according to the brand and model due to aspects such as the place where the antenna is placed, or if it is covered by another component of the mobile.

    Examples of ionizing radiation are X-rays, gamma rays and ultraviolet rays.

    We receive constant ultraviolet radiation through the Sun but the atmosphere protects us, so there is life on Earth. And that is why it is so important to conserve the Earth’s ozone layer.

    The human body is prepared to withstand some ionizing radiation from time to time, so we can take X-rays with the X-rays or sunbathe in summer, but with caution. X-rays should be made spaced in time and the Sun must be taken with protective cream and for a limited time.

     

  • Wireless mouse or wired mouse, which one to choose?

     

    Which is better, a wireless mouse or a wired one? If you are going to buy a new mouse and you are not sure which type to opt for, pay attention because we review some of the advantages and disadvantages of each type to help you decide.

    When it works properly we don’t remember it, but at the moment it starts to fail we realize how important the mouse is. And it is a peripheral that we use constantly, so you have to choose it carefully to ensure that we will use our computer with total comfort.

    When buying a new mouse,  surely you have the same doubt that for years has tormented millions of users: Is a wireless mouse or a wired mouse better?

    Almost without realizing the mouse is, along with the keyboard, one of the components we use most when we sit at the computer. Therefore, it is worth taking a few minutes to analyze what use we make of it and, based on these conclusions, you can decide whether it is better to buy a wired mouse or a wireless mouse.

    Currently, both types of the mouse are very close thanks to the incredible advances in wireless connectivity and there is not as much difference as some years ago. However, there are still some drawbacks to the use of a wireless mouse or a wired mouse.

    Next, we will try to enumerate the pros and cons of each technology so that, with all the information at your fingertips, you can decide to use a wired mouse or a wireless mouse depending on the use you are going to give it. In this sense, you have the last word. Wireless mouse or wired mouse, which one to choose?

    Advantages and disadvantages of wireless mice

    Although a few years ago the use of wireless mice was relegated to very specific moments because they were not very reliable, this has changed completely today: they offer the same precision and practically the same benefits as cable mice since the Current connectivity technologies allow it. However, there are still some limitations and disadvantages that technology has not managed to solve.

    Here are the advantages and disadvantages of wireless mice.

    Freedom of movement and portability

    One of the undeniable advantages of wired mice is the freedom of movement that wireless mice provide. The absence of a cable that keeps you “tied” to a device and that limits its use to a certain area of ​​use is one of the main reasons for choosing a Bluetooth or radio frequency mouse. This decision will help you keep your table more orderly and free of wires.

    Always attentive to the battery

    One of the disadvantages of using a wireless mouse lies precisely in this mobility capability that battery use gives it. Depending on the type of mouse and the use you make of it, the battery life of a wireless mouse ranges from 20 or 30 hours of use offered by a high-performance mouse, up to several months of use without recharging or changing it the batteries

    Wireless gaming mouse?

    Accessories manufacturers have invested many resources in improving the accuracy and quality of wireless mouse connections. Probably one of the great weaknesses of this mouse format.

    Luckily for the users, in most cases they get them and it is already possible to play with a wireless mouse, even at a competitive level in esports. One of the biggest problems faced by this type of gaming accessories was the latency that was created by the wireless connection. In gaming every millisecond counts and the minimum latency penalizes players.

    Comfort is never cheap

    One of the factors that we consider when buying a product is the price, and the case of mice is no different. If you have a limited budget and the number of conditions you a lot, you should know that wireless mice tend to be between 10% and 30% more expensive than their equivalent with cable.

    The cable marks the limits

    The main problem of a wired mouse is … The cable. Having the computer in an inaccessible position or relatively far from you can be one of the most important reasons to choose a wireless mouse. At this point, wired mice are limited by a cable that ranges between 80 and 120 cm. This distance may be insufficient to work comfortably if, for example, you have a large work table and the computer is on the floor under the table or on one of the sides, which causes constant pulls and tangles in the cable that do not more than hinder its use and, in the medium and long term, end up spoiling the connection or the mouse cable.

     

  • Huawei P40 Lite, touchdown and first impressions

     

    The Huawei company has just officially announced the arrival of the first member of the P40 family to the market. It is the P40 Lite model that arrives as the most modest of the range at a price that starts at 299 euros along with the true-wireless Freebuds 3 headphones.

    The big day came when Huawei introduced the first mobile of the next P40 family. The Huawei P40 Lite has just been announced, it is mobile that opens the range and presumably cheaper price of them all.

    This mobile is a notable update from the P30 Lite with a new processor, Kirin 810 manufactured in 7nm, which will consume less and perform more than last year. The design has also been another differential point and this mobile is committed to an all-screen design with a hole for the front camera.

    This model comes at a time when due to the political situation between the US and China cannot use Google Mobile Services so Huawei continues to bet on Android 10 and EMUI 10 with its services and applications. Let’s see how is this Huawei P40 Lite.

    Glass finish and all screen with a hole

    Huawei has just launched a very colorful terminal with green and white finishes with a very bright pink gradient and one in black for the more traditional ones. That rear part shows a glass finish from which the pack of four cameras comes out approximately one millimeter in the upper left and reminiscent of the size of the Mate 20.

    This rear glass curves at the edges to gently embed in the central part of the body, in metal with the same color finish, in matt. In that metallic body, we have on the right side the power button that doubles as a capacitive fingerprint reader and the volume buttons.

    At the bottom we find a pleasant surprise, there is the minijack, USB-C connector, microphone, and the main speaker, as we see, in down-firing format.

    The left side is completely clean except for the upper part where the tray for double nanoSIM or nanoSIM plus NMCard is located to expand the internal memory. The top of the phone only integrates the noise-canceling microphone.

    If you look at this matte metal part there is a small bezel that makes the black plastic support of the screen completely concealed. The sensations that the terminal has given us when it comes to picking it up are good: premium material, not very heavy, and quite compact for the screen size it mounts.

    Let’s talk about the screen since we are facing a mobile that rushes the frames with 6.4 inches diagonally with rounded corners and a hole in the upper left where the camera for selfies is housed.

    The impression that the screen has given us with the simple eye is that it does not offer all the brightness offered by mobiles of similar category. Do not think that we mean that it is not enough brightness to be used indoors or even with outdoor light, but it seems somewhat more muted.

    Be that as it may, we will have to wait for our laboratory measurements to contrast that feeling.

    EMUI 10 without a Google trace and a promising Kirin 810 chip

    Something that stands out when it comes to touching the terminal for the first time is that you can’t find any Google applications. While it was expected due to the current situation between the US and the company, this means that we have to deal with the Huawei Mobile Services that are implementing more services every day, although still behind Google Mobile Services.

    We find an implementation of EMUI 10 on Android 10, this coupled with 6 GB of RAM makes the use of the terminal in terms of multitasking is quite light, at least as we could see in our first contact. To install applications we will have to make use of the App Gallery, and things have not changed much since we tested the Mate 30 Pro.

    There are missing applications that the great bulk of the public uses daily and Huawei, aware of that, has developed Phone Clone, an application that is integrated into the boot of the terminal and that you can also use later, which allows you to pass applications, contacts and multimedia content from your mobile to this new P40 Lite.

    That way you can have WhatsApp or Instagram, among others. It is true that applications that are integrated with GMS will not work correctly, such as Cabify and that applications that Huawei has proven to not work either, but at least it is a start. There is a very fast method to install GMS, through an APK, and although it has limitations it will make the terminal a wearable Android mobile like any other.

    It will be during the analysis when we go deeper into the subject of software what we can comment now is that it assembles a new processor, the Kirin 810, a cut-out version of the Kirin 980. It is manufactured in 7nm and although the GPU is less capable, a Mali G52 MP6, in terms of processor mounts two A76 cores and 6 more efficient processors, Cortex A55.

    As we can see, two fast cores are lost and the GPU is somewhat more modest than in the Kirin 980 but in return, we see a notable improvement in CPU performance with the A76 vs. the A73 chips of the Kirin 710.

    During the short time in which we have tested it, we have only been able to verify that the operating system behaves very fluidly and we will have to pass all the tests in our laboratory.

    We have to check how much improvement there is in front of the Kirin 710 and if that GPU is capable of performing enough to run state-of-the-art games smoothly. What is clear is that it is a more energy-efficient chip.

    5 sensors to cover almost any use and, finally, fast charging in the Lite range

    This mobile mounts no less than 5 sensors, four sensors in the back and one in the front. We see how the camera software follows the line of unifying interface in EMUI 10 and is very similar to that of the Huawei P30 or that of the Mate 30 Pro, with the proviso that there are not some of the advanced functions of these.

    A great update at a very content price

    And Huawei is selling this terminal for 299 euros along with True Wireless headphones with active noise cancellation that we liked so much, the FreeBuds 3. These headphones have a sale price of around 150 euros.

    That is, we are seeing how Huawei continues to take steps in a situation that is not comfortable and imposed by the US government. We are looking forward to thoroughly analyze the terminal and see how it performs, the quality of the screen and if we can deal with Huawei Mobile Services on a day-to-day basis or we will have to take a step towards GMS methods.

    This mobile is a natural hardware update compared to last year’s Huawei P30 Lite with significant improvements in autonomy, camera, and design, being a mobile that gives better sensations. We look forward to offering you our full analysis next week.

     

  • I want to buy a Xiaomi TV, what should I consider?

     

    Xiaomi TVs have arrived in our country with a range of products focused on the low and medium range of TVs. Do you want to discover if it is worth buying one of these teles and what should you consider?

    After almost a year of waiting, Xiaomi TVs have finally arrived in Spain ready to storm the market of low and medium-range Smart TVs. We tell you what you should keep in mind if you want to buy a Xiaomi TV.

    Xiaomi is not a beginner in this to manufacture televisions since 2013 it markets its Smart TV line in China, India, and part of Asia. However, it now begins its journey in the European market with a strategy very similar to the one already used with their smartphones, although much less aggressive.

    The first models point to the range of more affordable televisions, so it seeks to conquer more for its price than for its excellence in performance. Thus we find three models: Xiaomi Mi TV 4A of 32 inches, Mi TV 4S of 43 inches and Mi TV 4S of 55 inches with prices of 179 euros, 349 euros, and 449 euros respectively.

    Low prices, but not groundbreaking

    Xiaomi already has a long experience in introducing new products to the market and knows that however, Xiaomi maybe, the best way to reach the user is through an aggressive pricing policy.

    On this occasion, Xiaomi has not opted to push down market prices as it did in the field of smartphones, but they have remained in the low price zone of each category, but there is hardly a difference of 20 euros concerning televisions of similar characteristics of traditional brands.

    When buying a new Xiaomi TV, the user will face the dilemma between betting on a new brand in this sector such as Xiaomi or paying 10 or 20 euros more for the model of an already established manufacturer. In this sense, Xiaomi does not have them all with it.

    Xiaomi does not risk and bets on more conventional sizes

    TVs Xiaomi does not offer a display of performance, but enough to attack the input line reference manufacturers such as LG, Philips, Sony or Samsung.

    The new Xiaomi TVs will be available in three sizes with different resolutions: 33, 43 and 55 inches. A very conservative decision since this is the segment that has grown less in sales during the last year, while the large inch models, 55 and up, have quadrupled their sales.

    The smallest is the 32-inch (31.5 inches to be more exact) that bets on HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels, while the 43 and 55-inch models do so for much more common resolutions such as 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). It makes sense this difference in resolutions. Actually yes.

    Both by size and by characteristics, the 32-inch model is not the most suitable for a living room or main TV, but it is perfect as a secondary TV to put in the kitchen or in another room where they usually go to Watch mainly DTT TV channels currently broadcast in HD and Full HD or 4K UHD resolutions are not used.

    If you prefer something more definition, better to invest a little more in the larger models that already offer 4K UHD resolution and allow you to watch streaming content with better quality.

    In terms of quality, Xiaomi TV mount panels manufactured by LG, so they anticipate a behavior similar to that we will find in the most affordable models of the Korean brand, and equivalent to many of other brands that also mount LG screens.

    Beware of the HDR

    Including the HDR (High Dynamic Range) specification carries some risk to the user since not all HDRs are the same.

    The HDR expands the range of color tones shown on the screen, improving the quality of the images by obtaining more information from the lightest and darkest areas.

    In this process of expanding the color space, the brightness that the screen is capable of generating becomes a determining factor in establishing the efficiency of that HDR.

    The 32-inch TV from Xiaomi offers 220 nits of brightness intensity, the 43-inch 250 nits and the 55-inch 330 nits. This figure, although sufficient to see content in SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) is entirely insufficient to display content in HDR and appreciate a remarkable improvement in its quality.

    The brightness intensity values ​​of Xiaomi TVs are well below the most common values ​​of the mid-range, which are around 500 or 600 nits, and far from the 900 or 1,000 nits of the models high end

    This means that, although Xiaomi TVs indeed have HDR support, activating this color mode will not result in a substantial improvement in the color quality that your screen will be able to display.

    Xiaomi has not specified which HDR formats its TVs are compatible with, but what it has confirmed is that they are not compatible with HDR10 +, which implies that it does not support the reading of dynamic metadata.

    Compatible with surround sound

    The audio is an important aspect when choosing a TV, so features like power or speakers support digital audio standards should be considered.

    Xiaomi has announced that its new models are compatible with Dolby audio and DTS HD systems, which indicates that they allow the reproduction of digital sound information from platforms such as Movistar +, Amazon or Netflix that broadcast their content under these standards.

    As far as power is concerned, the new Xiaomi TVs are increasing their sound performance proportionally to their size, mounting a pair of 5W stereo speakers each on the 32-inch Mi TV 4A, two 8W on the model My 43-inch 4S TV and a pair of 10W speakers on the 55-inch Mi TV 4S.

    Power does not always go hand in hand with quality, so we reserve the quality assessment until we have tested these teles in our laboratory.

    With the data on the table, Xiaomi models are again located in the average power offered by most manufacturers in the models of their respective price ranges, so it is not expected that the Chinese manufacturer will surprise us in this ambit.

    Xiaomi bets on Android TV

    We no longer conceive a TV without a Smart TV platform that provides streaming content or internet connection, so this section should be taken into account when choosing a TV.

    Xiaomi has opted for an Android TV-based platform updated to its latest version, and powered by quad-core MediaTek processors and between 1.5 and 2 GB of RAM depending on the model. The set is completed with up to 8 GB of internal storage to install applications.

    The use of Android 9 as an operating system allows Xiaomi TVs to installing applications and games from the Google store to play on the TV or access streaming content from native apps, in addition to offering full integration into the Google ecosystem.

    Part of that connectivity of Android comes from the hand of Google Assistant, which allows voice control from the remote control, and has integrated Chromecast to share content from other devices.

     

  • 8K vs 4K? A study shows that most people do not appreciate the difference

    8K vs 4K? A study shows that most people do not appreciate the difference

    Everything indicates that 2020 will be the year of the resolution revolution. When there are major sporting events, television manufacturers put the batteries to sell their new technologies, and this year we have two huge events: European football and the Olympic Games. The 8K resolution will be the star of the summer, but one study says that most people do not distinguish between 8K and 4K resolution.

    There is a limit on the number of pixels that the human eye can distinguish, especially as the viewing distance increases. It is something that is happening to us with mobiles. We can know if a terminal has 300 pixels per inch or more than 400 pixels per inch, but between 400 and 500 … the thing changes since it is not something so obvious because the density of 400 dpi is already very high.

    Does the same thing happen with televisions? Warner Bros. in association with Pixar, Amazon Prime Video, LG and the American Society of Cinematographers wanted to check if the user notices the difference between 4K resolution and 8K. And no, it seems that we have no idea and could well give us a cat as a hare since we would not find out.

    Samsung, along with LG, is one of the companies that is betting on 8K TVs. Its top-of-the-range models, such as the spectacular Q950T, are committed to 8K, but you don’t have to go to Samsung’s most expensive TVs to find panels with this resolution.

    Now, how was the blind test done? Among the different parts, they selected native content at 8K, fragments of 10 seconds HDR10 from Dunkirk, Bugs, and Brave. Subsequently, downsampling was done at 4K with the Nuke software that is used as a standard in the film industry and, again, they were scaled up (8K) with the same software.

    The material for the test was an LG OLED TV 88 “. It is 8K and had an Intel Core i9 18-core PC and a GTX 1080 Ti. Why this hardware? To prevent the player from showing the best quality everything is linked to a BlackMagic 8K Pro interface with 2.1-bit output via HDMI.

    Come on, they are files without compression with the highest quality of viewing and each participant was given a scale to indicate if with each change of image he looked better, worse or equal (as when we checked our eyesight at the ophthalmologist, go).

    The result? The attendees at the experiment rated the 8K resolution as “slightly better” than the 4K, but it is something that depends on the distance. In several rows, in the first, they noticed a “marginal” improvement in image quality, while in the second few were able to distinguish between 8K and 4K.

    Also, it is in computer-animated films that it was easier to distinguish this, something logical if we take into account the number of details that are sought to highlight in these tapes.

    The study concludes that, although at a short distance the 8K has a clear advantage, the viewing distance we usually have in the houses is not something that matters too much. It is something that many users have commented on 4K.

    When the current generation of consoles (PS4 Pro and Xbox One X) arrived, the resolution was extolled, but the real “game-changer” was the HDR technology that gives better colors and greater richness to the image.

    Of course, having said that, this year we are going to get tired of watching 8K TV advertising. Hopefully, at least, this means that the chains start broadcasting, at least, at 1,080p and not at 1,080i …

     

  • Some smart speakers listen to conversations up to 19 times a day

    Some smart speakers listen to conversations up to 19 times a day

    Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft know a lot about you because of your internet searches, the data you share in their applications or devices, but also because they record your conversations with Alexa, Siri, Google Home, and Cortana.

    Each of these speakers has keywords with which you activate and interact with them. However, on many occasions, these activation words are not pronounced and the intelligent speakers are activated equally, without your permission and without notifying you. And they can do it up to 19 times a day according to a new study from Northeastern University, in Boston, United States.

    Each of them responds to different random words – that is, not all are confused the same – and the average of activations per day is between 1.5 and 19 times, according to the study. Of these, the maximum recorded conversation has been 43 seconds and the minimum 6 seconds.

    Siri and Cortana are activated more times, but the second-generation Echo Dot records more seconds

    The research team at Northeastern University (Massachusetts, United States) has tested 7 smart speakers: Google Home Mini and Apple HomePod first-generation, Harman Kardon Invoke from Microsoft, and 2 pairs of Amazon Echo Dot second generation and Amazon Echo Dot third generation.

    To do this, they used several of your favorite Netflix series with enough dialogues to expose smart speakers to a studio simulating everyday conversations. In total, 125 hours of dialogues of Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, Dear White People, Big Bang Theory or Narcos, among others.

    To detect when these are activated and begin to listen and record conversations, they used a camera to detect if they were illuminated when activated, network traffic to see if they sent data to the cloud and reported recordings of the speakers to the cloud if they were available.

    Of these, the worst results were the Apple HomePod and Microsoft Cortana, followed by Echo Dot series 2, Google Home Mini and Echo Dot series 3 – although they do not specify the exact activation frequency for each of these found between 1.5 and 19 times in 24 hours.

    However, although Siri was the one that was activated the most times, he only used to listen to 6 seconds of conversation, just like the 3rd generation Echo Dot. But Cortana and the 2nd generation Echo Dot listened between 20 and 43 seconds. And, although some of the words that they confused can be quite obvious – that is, you might even confuse them – others are very rare and do not coincide at all.

    For example, Siri was activated when some words began with “s” or had the syllable “ri” as ” Hey, sorry ” or ” I see ” – “Hey, I’m sorry” or “I see” in his translation into Spanish. And that is evident. But he also identified his activation words when they said: ” Faith’s funeral” (“Faith’s funeral”), which had nothing to do with it. Or Cortana activating when they said, “Colorado” or Alexa with ” Kevin’s car ” and ” congresswoman ” (“Kevin’s car” and “congressman”).

    The study was conducted with English-speaking programs, but that smart speakers are confused with any word other than your wake-up call, it can happen in any language. Of course, the study does not confirm that conversations are recorded whenever the speakers are activated, although a large part of them.