MUST HAVE: Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen)

If you are looking for a quality, affordable and value for money smartphone, the Motorola Moto G, should be on your radar! I have had the pleasure of using the 8GB, black model for the past few weeks.

The Moto G is a good-looking phone. It is both stylish and sleek, with its Corning Gorilla Glass and the cool metal strip at the back, which houses the rear camera and the Motorola logo. The back cover (removable) is made of ribbed hard plastic, and one can personalise it with various Motorola shell colour covers (colours include black, navy, lime, blue, to name a few). The Moto G, fits nicely into one’s hand, and it small enough to slip into a pocket.

The Moto G has a sharp 5” HD, 720p IPS display which provides good brightness and colour reproduction (1280 x 720 pixels resolution). Thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass and the IPX7-rated protection, you can be at ease knowing that your phone is water resistant (up to 1 meter and 30 minutes) and that the display is protected from unpleasant scrapes and scratches.

The Moto G has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chip (1.4GHz quad-core) and advanced Adreno graphics, which enables one to switch back and forth between apps without slowing the phone down. Unfortunately, the phone has 1GB of RAM, however performance is still nice and smooth the majority of the time, with a lag now and then (the 16GB model contains 2GB of RAM). 8GB is a lot of internal storage space, however if extra storage is needed, the phone offers storage expansion support and can take a microSD card up to 32GB. The Moto G is powered by Android and comes pre-loaded with version 5.1 Lollipop. Android Lollipop is simple and very user friendly.

The Moto G takes really good photos. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash and a 5-megapixel camera up front for dope selfies! Video can be shot at up to 1080p or 720p for slow motion.

Other notable features are that it supports 4G LTE and has solid battery life (the battery is non-removable). 

With Christmas, just being one week away, the Moto G, makes an excellent gift for your loved ones! The phone is a must have because it is affordable, good-looking, water resistant, user friendly and it has a good camera to capture all of one’s special moments!

The Motorola Moto G (3^rd Gen) (8gb) is available from the Orange online store for R3,320 (price as at 17 December 2015, price subject to change). Click HERE to visit the Orange online store.

MUST HAVE: Sony SBH80 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

 One of the coolest devices available in wireless headsets is the Sony SBH80 Bluetooth Headset. I have been using it for the past month, and I am equally impressed with its ease of use and its sound quality. The Sony SBH80 Stereo Bluetooth Headset has allowed me to enjoy my favorite music and videos anytime and anywhere without the inconvenience that is attached to traditional wired headsets. Whether traveling, chilling at home, working at the office, working out at the gym or just walking around the city, the versatility of the Sony SBH80 has kind of made my life easier.

Pairing up the headsets with my phone was relatively easy. The SBH80 is compatible with all popular smartphones, tablets and laptops. It also supports Bluetooth® Multipoint which makes it possible to connect the SBH80 to two devices at the same time. Charging is done using a standard micro-usb connector (comes in the box), therefore no need for any proprietary adapters.

The SBH80 worked great for audio and video. It switched seamlessly to phone functionality when picking up a call. The SBH80 has aptX audio enhancement, which gives the device a fantastic quality sound, while the buds allow a good seal and isolate ambient noise, therefore allowing one to enjoy music or video with pure deep bass and clear highs.

The SBH80 has double microphones, therefore ensuring that the person you’re talking to experience your voice clearly. There is a vibrating alert in the main unit of the SBH80, which alerts you when a call comes in. It took me a minute to first get use to the vibration when I got a call.

The SBH80 is a MUST HAVE for everyone who is serious about using wireless headphones, or for those who haven’t used a wireless headset before.  It provides a superb in-ear audio experience. You will enjoy a high quality sound with a nice bass enhancement.

The Sony SBH80 Stereo Bluetooth Headset is available from the Orange online store for R1105 (price as at 10 March 2015, price subject to change). Click HERE to visit the Orange online store.

Image Credit: Facebook

Linn Products Raises The Audio Bar In South Africa

The global leaders in precision-engineered music systems, Linn Products, is making its long-awaited re-entry into South Africa with the announcement that Sphere Custom Design will be its sole distributor in the country. Their product range officially launches on 22 July at a function that also celebrates Linn’s association with the award-winning Higland Park whisky range.

 

Sphere Custom Design will grow Linn’s presence in the South African market through sales, marketing, service and support.

 

Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn’s Managing Director is thrilled by this new partnership, noting, “This new relationship will help us realise our ambitions for Linn in a market that is strategically vital for our vision of Linn’s future. We are all excited about the great potential of this most progressive and demanding market”.

 

The launch coincides with Linn’s 40 birthday celebrations, which saw the company release 40 limited editions of its signature Sondek LP12 turntables, housed in oak plinths made from the casks that previously housed the iconic Highland Park whisky. Each one of these editions is accompanied by a special Linn bottling of Highland Park 40 years old.

 

The Sondek LP12 was the first product produced by Linn and is still the standard by which all other turntables around the world are judged.

 

Highland Park will be at the event to serve guests a taste of their 12 years old and 18 years old whiskies, the latter of which was crowned the best spirit in the world twice in the last decade.

 

Mac Mabidilala, Edrington Group Brand Manager at RGBC, says, “Highland Park handcrafted single malt whisky recently partnered with Linn to facilitate a remarkable relationship between award-winning whisky and exceptional music systems. We are honoured to be a part of introducing the craft, heritage and dedication to quality of both these brands through Sphere Custom Design in South Africa.”

 

Sphere Custom Design’s Technical Director and Owner, Christiaan Beukes, says, “We share Linn’s passion for enriching people’s lives through music, ensuring the highest quality customer service and uniquely tailoring every project to the highest degree. From conception to completion, Sphere Custom Design works with their dedicated base of installers, retailers or directly, to surpass the expectations of each of its clients.”