Panasonic SC-HC38

Panasonic offers a micro-channel audio with not only a CD player and FM radio, as well as a Bluetooth interface and an iPhone / iPod dock. Comes with a remote control, the SC-HC38 offers a power of 40 W. Is it easy to use? What is the sound quality? We tested it.

Sold about 230 euros, the SC-HC38 Panasonic deserves its name of micro-chain. Rather elegant and compact, measuring only 50 cm wide and 8 cm thick. It easily fits on your desk or bedside table, provided you have an outlet nearby. The SC-HC38 can also be mounted on a wall using the mounting kit fourni.De more, you have a choice of three colors: black, silver and purple. Very clever, it has a sliding side door which gives access to the right side vertical CD player and left a dock for iPhone and iPod. The latter has the Lightning connector for the latest generation of Apple as the iPhone 5. Devices for wireless use, the micro channel is equipped with a Bluetooth interface, simple to implement. To the ear, the sound is ok but lacks luster. Fortunately, you have many settings to compensate for this problem. You can change the bass and treble - a bit more bass makes the sound more "punchy" - but also use the preset equalizer settings (Heavy, Soft, Clear, Vocal). By default, the Heavy mode is active but it makes the sound too dull, acute fault. Add to the range mode of dynamic bass - unconvincing - and surround effect. As for power, it is more than enough for sound to your bedroom or living room.

A compact and complete remote

The sound settings are made ​​with the small remote control. The latter controls the selection of the source (CD, FM Radio, Bluetooth, dock), volume and playback (pause, next and previous track). It also allows you to navigate the menu of iPod playback. Control keys are also present on the top of the SC-HC38 and a door that hides a USB 2.0 port. This port is convenient to connect and charge a compatible Apple device with the dock, but also accepts USB key containing MP3 files. navigation is performed by the remote folder and file. Side of the display, the micro system merely an LED line (10 characters) that displays the number of folder and file, but fortunately also the name of the song and artist. Unfortunately, we deplore the lack of an audio jack and a headphone input.

This micro-channel seduced by its design and offers a good price / quality ratio. We like the Apple dock and Bluetooth interface. The sound quality is good but not equal to that of a true Hi-Fi In short, the SC-HC38 is rather an extra model for your room.

Sony KD-55X9005A

The KD-555X9005A is currently the Ultra HDTV the "affordable" market more ... almost € 4500 anyway. He left the giant 84-inch diagonal and to return to more acceptable measurements in a living room (55 inches), while displaying a definition of 3840 x 2160 pixels. What Sony calls the Quad HD. However, there are chances that the official label or the Ultra HD. You will notice that this TV is 10 cm thick, simply because it incorporates a true 2.0 sound system with two side magnetic fluid carved glass speakers and a digital amplifier 65 watts total. That should give!

4K upscaling and 3D passive

This course takes advantage of the TV Sony Triluminos technology to enrich the colors, and a processor capable of altering the brightness and color matching based on the source and the content posted. Of course, the X-Reality Pro 4K processor is there to ensure the scaling of all video sources, including TNT, with the added bonus of a Motionflow 800Hz mode to thin a little more movement. Sony adds support for passive 3D (four pairs of glasses are included) with a function of 2D-3D conversion, and automatic adjustment of the depth of the relief.

WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC

No surprise on the part of multimedia features with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, DLNA and WiFi Direct. It also has access to the Sony Entertainment Network and a web browser. The Screen Mirroring function on it to wirelessly connect your TV to a smartphone. Finally, we have the ability to transfer data contactless NFC smartphone and record TV programs on an external hard drive via the USB ports.

Two remote controls and high bills

The unit is obviously quite greedy energy (it is class B) and will come with two remotes (one simplified) at a price of EUR 4 490. Note that option, Sony sells SimulView glasses play two full and two webcams using Skype.

The 65-inch model, it is priced at 6990 euros.

Kingston MobileLite Wireless

After the Wi-Drive , Kingston offers a new body to distribute multimedia files (photo, audio, video) on your smartphone or tablet. The MobileLite Wireless has no internal memory but supports SD / SDHC / SDXC and USB memory cards. In addition, the device also serves as memory card reader for your computer with the supplied USB cable. Its rechargeable battery offers 5 hours of battery life and can even serve as an extra battery (1800 mAh) for smartphones, if they connect via USB.

For streaming media files, you must download the application available for free on App Store and Google play. You can run simultaneously up to three different movies to three different devices. Too bad the housing is a bit large (12 x 1.7 x 6 cm) and no bag transport.

Acer Iconia A1-810

We have seen several low-cost tablets in the lab. All sizes, all brands, preferably Chinese, are often disappointing, sometimes very good. This Iconia A1 would have gone unnoticed if it was not a major originality in its favor: its 4:3 screen, identical to that of the Apple iPad Mini. We therefore tested with some curiosity. Here are our conclusions.

Less than 190 euros, it is hard to find better than this tablet Iconia A1. Firstly, because Acer was smart to take the forms of the iPad Mini, with 8 inch screen with a display surface far superior to that of a classic 7-inch tablet at the 16: 9. We gain in ease of use in any type of activity, especially web browsing.

Some kinks...

While this screen is not perfect, however. The colors it displays are covered with a brownish haze not really flattering, and its brightness is not high enough for outdoor use (240 cd / m²). And its definition remains low. However, the latter is identical to that of the iPad Mini. On the other hand, the lack of physical buttons means the appearance of the damn bar Android function: a true ergonomic heresy that monopolizes much of the screen (4.7% of the display surface portrait mode, 6.25% in landscape mode) to display only three virtual buttons that you will not fail to press by mistake!

But... no complaints at all!

Remain honest, the rest of this tablet is difficult to criticize. The Iconia is very slight, although a bit thick. And for the price, its finishes are very satisfactory, despite a plastic not very graceful. The good point is that the slate is powerful. Almost as much as the Google Nexus 7 and Tegra 3 processor. The chip of the A1 (quad Cortex A7, PowerVR SGX544 graphics chip) is sufficient to obtain smooth and fast animations in all circumstances, even in 3D games like GTA Vice City. Similarly, the interface of the Android 4.2.2 system is very smooth and responsive, like scrolling Web pages. The battery life is among the best entry-level shelves: nearly 7 hours of video playback and web browsing.

Good videos

Forget the photo with the Iconia A1! The sensor of the tablet does not even offer autofocus. However, slate records video in Full HD fluids and acceptable quality. A good surprise.

Conclusion

The Iconia A1 therefore works amazingly well for an entry-level tablet. She gave us very quickly forget its competitors, and has become the current best solution in this price range, especially with its "iPad Mini" (4:3) format and the speed of your system. For its few flaws, one answer: 189 euros.

Samsung Galaxy NX

After their first Galaxy Camera, it was clear that Samsung was going to push further into the field of photography. This is now done with these two new devices: the Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy NX. In the first case it is a smartphone with a 10x optical zoom and a compact sensor - a change was expected. In the second case, the Korean manufacturer has integrated wireless technologies and Android in its premium hybrid - which is more surprising.

NX20 + Android & 4G Galaxy NX =

Take the NX20, hybrid high-end Samsung (electronic viewfinder, swivel touch screen, etc..) add to them Wi-Fi and 3G/4G chips. Integrate Android 4.2 and you get the Galaxy NX, the first hybrid in history to grow as the merger with the world of smartphones.

As for photographic results, it's a safe bet that the partition is more or less the same as its predecessor, the NX20 - see our review . Unknown affecting more ergonomics, responsiveness and durability of the device. The Galaxy NX obviously resembles its predecessor but some technical differences are notable: the screen is now touch and better defined (921,000 points instead of 620,000), the housing body is a little thinner (but the grip is too wide ) and weighs 80 grams more.

Besides the ability to send photos directly 3G/4G on social networks, the presence of Android is expected to benefit from creative applications such Thumbnail for visual rendered less plane-plane than traditional art filters hybrid cases.

Smartphone + star = true compact Galaxy S4 Zoom

The two major shortcomings of the first Galaxy Camera were its size and lack of telephony function. Both errors were corrected with the Galaxy S4 Zoom, declination picture of Samsung's flagship smartphone. For the Korean manufacturer to lose weight remained wise about the power zoom: x10 x21 instead of the previous model. The interface has been adapted to its dual function smartphone / camera and to avoid the explosion of the number of buttons around the device, Samsung has replaced the zoom ring by a ring around the lens, a little at a reflex manner.

The technical basis of the Galaxy S4 Zoom is the same as the S4 Galaxy mini , namely a 16:9 screen Super AMOLED 4.3 inch (10.9 cm) displaying 960 x 540 dots (qHD definition) the all running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

's mini photo sensor 8 Mpix and fixed focus optical zoom without the Galaxy S4 mini give way to a 24-240 mm optical and a backlit sensor. This photo features come at a price: the Galaxy S4 zoom weighs twice as much as the Galaxy S4 mini, but not heavier than equivalent compact.

Connectivity

In the highly competitive world of photography, Samsung was struggling to differentiate themselves and we had announced last year will make connectivity (Wi-Fi, 3G, smartphone interaction with) the spearhead of its strategy. Today we see the arrival of products, it remains to be seen whether the strategy will pay off. Available by the end of the summer, no price has yet been announced for none of the two products.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 760

The GeForce GTX 700 series from Nvidia is expanding a new benchmark: the GTX 760. Oriented mid-range, this latest generation graphics listening 240 euros and is aimed at PC gamers who want to have fun with the latest 3D games at the time (Bioshock: Infinite, Remember Me) on their full HD (1920 by 1080 pixels). Technically, the card is expected to grow nearly full graphic detail, as 3D effects, light or smoothing filters textures. Nvidia opposed to the Radeon HD 7950 , sold in the same waters, and says that her foal is 3-20% faster in games.
contained by size (24 cm) and occupying two slots in the case, the GTX 760 easily fits in standard desktop PC. Cooling is provided by a less sophisticated than the GeForce GTX 770 and 780 system. However, Nvidia seems to have used the same fan that is used to cool on its high-end chips that would normally ensure a low noise level. Supply side, the card requires two 6-pin plugs and consumption announced by Nvidia is 170 watts maximum. Finally, at the back of the card, there are four video outputs: two DVI, one HDMI and one DisplayPort.

The GeForce GTX 760 in detail

According to Nvidia, the GeForce GTX 760 replaces the GeForce GTX 660 Ti . The new arrival has 1152 CUDA cores on the chip GK104 (1344 against the 660 Ti) and has a wider memory bus (256 bits against 192). Power side, the graphics chip of the GTX 760 is clocked at 980 MHz, and with the Nvidia GPU Boost technology can dynamically increase its frequency to 1033 MHz minimum. 65 MHz is better than the GTX 660 Ti. Nvidia also equips its new card 2 GB of GDDR5 memory (3004 MHz) and the theoretical bandwidth announced is 192.2 GB / sec, the same as the top models of the previous generation (like the GTX 670 ).

Asus ROG G750

Asus launches new laptop for gamers, the G750. Equipped with a 17.3-inch matte and Full HD (1920 by 1080 pixels), it comes in three configurations, all equipped with the best components. Haswell Intel, Nvidia, SSD and / or HDD, RAM in shambles, Asus did not skimp on the means to satisfy the gamers. The case, he evolves while remaining in line with earlier references . We thus find the aerodynamic shape and slightly tilted forward, black rubber coating to touch, comfortable backlit keyboard and a large touchpad. Meanwhile, Asus put on a 2.1 kit and SonicMaster technology for you to fill their ears. Even the headphone jack has a special processing software so that you can adjust the sound to your liking.

Configurations between 1250 and 2100 euros

The three configurations G750 running Windows 8 and all boarded the same processor (Intel Core i7-4700HQ). The most balanced machine is the G750JX-T4045H sold 1799 euros. It is equipped with 8 GB of memory, 256 GB and 750 GB SSD storage, an Nvidia GTX 770M and a DVD burner.
The least expensive is called G750JW-T4016H and marketed in 1249 euros. It embeds 8 GB of memory, a 750 GB hard drive and an Nvidia GTX 765m graphics card.
Finally, the most high-end configuration, G750JH-T4024H, is that of all the excess. Sold 2099 euros, the Asus team of 32 GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 1TB hard drive, a Blu-ray player and 3D chip the more powerful Nvidia GeForce range, GTX 780MX. The availability of G750 is scheduled for this summer.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Sony launches into phablette (mid mid tablet smartphone) with Xperia Z Ultra. Available in three colors (black, white and purple), this device runs on Android, is 4G/LTE compatible-especially-is equipped with a touchscreen XXL 6.4 inches (16.2 cm) diagonal. With its Full HD, it allows you to view your web pages, photos and read your emails comfortably. It is even possible to use a pencil or pen on the screen conductive tip to take handwritten notes without using the virtual keyboard.
King, Xperia Z Ultra thin (0.6 cm), weighs 212 grams and is compatible with standard 58. Clearly, it is protected from dust, is drip resistant and can even be immersed for 30 minutes at 1.5 m depth. Side autonomy, Sony announced between 11 and 14 hours of talk time and twenty days of standby with the 3000 mAh battery integrated in the device.

A powerful phablette on paper

Hosted by version 4.2 (Jelly Bean) Android, the Xperia phablette Z Ultra uses a Snapdragon Snapdragon processor 800, a model four cores clocked at 2.2 GHz. If no indication of the amount of memory is given, however the Japanese mentions the presence of 16GB (11GB in fact) of storage, expandable via microSD (SDXC compatible). Compatible with all phone networks, Ultra Z also loads of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in an elegant case. An NFC chip is also part, for example, listening to music on a speaker that just approaching the phone of the latter.

Photos, video and music

Thanks to the "Walkman" application you can listen to your MP3 songs, share them with your friends on Facebook and also discover other: a library of over 20 million songs available in listen (if they join a subscription service Music Unlimited.)
To take pictures or videos, Z Ultra has an 8 megapixel sensor (EXMOR RS) and films in Full HD, even under water. Several shooting modes are on the agenda and it is possible to take pictures in HDR mode. The front camera, it offers a resolution of 2 megapixels, which is more than enough to make the video. No price has yet been announced. The output of the Xperia Z Ultra is scheduled for the third quarter of 2013.