Imagine we’ve come so far that we can fit an entire movie theater into a device that’s essentially the same size as a brick. After launching the Screeneo U5 in the end of 2022, Philips is back with its smallest, most advanced UST projector yet. Dubbed the Screeneo UL5 Smart, it builds on the success of Philips’ past projectors, while focusing on being a budget-friendly gadget to help people convert from TVs to something a little more immersive. Measuring just over 8 inches long, 3.7 inches wide, and 3.4 inches tall, the Screeneo UL5 Smart outputs an impressive 100-inch screen when kept just 20 inches away from a wall. The tiny device produces a display that’s rich in color, has a 550 ANSI lumen brightness, and has a Full HD resolution of 1080p. Sure, it’s no 4K projector… but at a sub-$1000 price tag, it’s probably the best ultra-short throw projector you can get your hands on. Oh, it also comes bundled with its own OS that let you run popular streaming services, pitching it well into smart projector territory.
While the UL5 Smart departs from the 4K resolution of its predecessor, the U5 model, it maintains a respectable Full HD 1080p resolution – ideal for enjoying movies, shows, and games in crisp detail. The projector utilizes a DLP chip alongside a triple-laser light source, separating red, blue, and green colors for an exceptionally rich and vibrant visual experience. The impressive 0:23:1 ultra-short throw ratio means you don’t need to keep the device multiple feet away from the projection surface, the way most traditional projectors need to be kept. A simple 20 inches away from a wall or screen gives you a staggering projection that measures 100 inches diagonally. Adjust the distance to adjust the size of the projection – the UL5 Smart can pull off 120 inches with absolutely no discernible drop in brightness or clarity. It also automatically keystones and focuses itself, so you spend less time setting up and more time enjoying content.
The compact form factor allows the Screeneo UL5 Smart to be used as more than just a movie-watching device. Sure, projectors and movies are practically synonymous – and the Screeneo UL5 Smart does come with Philips’ LuminOS, which lets you natively run Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max, and a whole slew of other apps – but an abundance of ports lets you use your Screeneo UL5 Smart to do things like extend your laptop/desktop/tablet screen, or directly hook your gaming console to the projector for larger-than-life gameplay.
Rest the UL5 Smart on its back the way it’s designed to be placed and you’ve got a projected image on the wall. Flip the UL5 Smart over and stand it vertically, and it projects a bright 35-inch display onto the floor or a table, letting you watch content on the tabletop like recipe videos, the game, or even project drawings onto a piece of paper and allow you to sketch directly. AI-driven auto-focus and keystone kicks in immediately, fixing the image to make it perfectly focused and rectangular.
Spec-nerds will have little to complain about what the UL5 Smart offers. With a peak of 550 ANSI lumens, the projector is ideally suited for dimly lit or dark environments. However, this is balanced by exceptional color reproduction. The UL5 Smart boasts coverage exceeding 200% of the Rec.709 color gamut, 108% of Rec.2020, and a remarkable 150% of the DCI-P3 color space. Additionally, it supports HDR10, ensuring vibrant visuals with deeper blacks and brighter whites for compatible content.
Running on an Android-based operating system, the UL5 Smart comes pre-loaded with popular streaming apps like Netflix and Youtube, eliminating the need for external devices. Built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity allow for seamless streaming and connection to external speakers for an even more powerful audio experience. For wired connections, the UL5 Smart offers an HDMI port, a USB Type-A power port, and two USB-C ports for data and video. The projector also features integrated 3-watt Dolby speakers, providing a decent audio solution for casual viewing.
At a price of $789, the Philips Screeneo UL5 Smart is quite the bargain. It’s compact, smart, outputs screen sizes up to 120-inches, and builds on Philips Projection’s UST capabilities. You’ve got an abundance of ports, along with a built-in OS for a whole lot of variety – and the projector even ships with its own remote control, letting you easily browse through content and enjoy movies, sports, and games larger than life. The Screeneo UL5 Smart begins shipping September 2024 for backers on Indiegogo.
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While this isn’t your conventional sleep wearable, the Philips Sleep headphones play a unique role in helping you get better rest. The head-conforming design lets you sleep for hours without feeling uneasy or uncomfortable; the 10-hour battery helps you listen to relaxing audio or guided meditation tracks; and the built-in active noise canceling allows you to drown out external noises like the sound of cars on the road, or a snoring partner.
Created as a collaboration Philips and sleep-audio company Kokoon, the Sleep headphones help you get the fitful rest you need whenever you’re tired, or at the end of the day. We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and it plays an integral role in just how healthy and focused we are in our day-to-day lives… but the best we’ve come up with to improve our sleep are memory-foam mattresses. The Philips x Kokoon Sleep headphones take a different, more personalized approach to sleep. Built with a unique design that fits around your head, the headphones let you listen to audio while you sleep on your back or even your sides. The comfortable in-ear design helps deliver audio to your ear, whether it’s music, frequencies, or someone talking, and powerful biometric sleep sensors know when you’ve gone to sleep, automatically fading out your audio and playing back relaxing masking noise instead (to prevent external sounds from disturbing you).
The Sleep Headphones’ unique design is the result of a decade of research and studying tens of thousands of head shapes to determine the one flexible design that can comfortably fit all users. The processing unit, designed with a cushioned surface, sits at the back, and flexible arms let you securely position each earpiece in your corresponding ears with little to no effort. Once worn, the Sleep Headphones help you do things like relaxing, meditating, focusing, sleeping, or even just listening to your favorite playlist or podcast.
The Sleep headphones differ from your existing earbuds, in the fact that they’re calibrated to measure your sleep activity and help you sleep well every day. Tuck them in as you’re relaxing, meditating, or heading to bed, and the headphones can play any kind of audio you like to help lull you into a state of relaxation. The audio automatically fades out as soon as the headphones detect you falling asleep, and it’s replaced by masking noise that helps keep you in sound sleep. Meanwhile, the Sleep headphones’ active noise cancellation helps silence disturbing sounds like someone snoring, traffic, a loud neighbor, or the neighbor’s louder dog!
Advanced sensors in each earbud also actively help you track your sleep daily. An accelerometer and a tiny optical heart rate monitor help the Sleep Headphones know whether you’re relaxed, or how much you move around while sleeping. This information is displayed on the Kokoon app, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of how you’ve slept, while also letting you compare your sleep quality over a period of weeks and months.
The headphones are controlled through the Kokoon app, which allows you to access its features like listening to meditation audio or binaural soundscapes, and even tap into Kokoon’s AI sleep coach that helps create your sleep schedule for you. The app even integrates with apps like YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music, and Audible on your phone, allowing you to watch videos, play music, or listen to podcasts through the Kokoon. To control playback, buttons on the main unit help you adjust the volume, so you don’t need to reach for your phone every few seconds… and a built-in microphone also lets you make voice calls with your Sleep Headphones
The Philips x Kokoon Sleep Headphones come with a universal design, although the earpieces themselves have different-sized silicone buds you can choose from. A USB-C port on the main unit lets you charge your headphones, giving you up to 10 hours of battery life on a full charge. The headphones come along with a soft-shell travel case so you can carry them on holidays too, and your purchase entitles you to a 1-year warranty on the product, along with a 1-year free subscription to the digital sleep coach and sound library within the Kokoon app.
Kept at a distance of just 16 inches from any surface, the Philips Screeneo U5 turns your wall into a whopping 150-inch 4K theater that’s also 3D-capable! Setting up a cinema in your compact home was never this easy, and at a price of $1790, never this economical either…
The Philips Screeneo U5 comes on the heels of its previous generation, the Screeneo U4, which debuted earlier this year and garnered over $6.5 million in funding on Indiegogo. Making projectors (a 4K one, no less) for the mass market is expensive, prompting Philips to go down the route of crowdfunding. The strategy has worked well for the company, allowing them to gauge demand and build out great devices for enthusiastic early adopters. While the U4 was pretty impressive on its own, the Screeneo U5 pushes its specs to the absolute limit, with a larger projection, 2x higher resolution, nearly 6x more brightness, and highly-awaited support for Android TV and built-in ExpressVPN.
Ultra Short Throw projectors are absolutely perfect for smaller houses, given the fact that they don’t need to be placed at a distance. Just have the projector a foot away from the wall and you’ve pretty much got yourself a large display that’s perfectly rectangular (keystone correction) and doesn’t get overshadowed every time someone walks across the room. The one drawback to Ultra Short Throw projectors, up until now, has been their price – something that Philips has been steadily working on reducing with the Screeneo line that debuted first in 2013.
Simply put, the Screeneo U5 can cast a 120-inch projection on a wall when kept a mere 11 inches away… although push that distance up to 16 inches (if you’ve got the space) and you now have a whopping 150-inch 4K UHD projection covering your entire peripheral vision. The U5 bumps up the projector’s brightness to an impressive 2,200 ANSI lumens too, allowing you to watch movies or the game in both day and at night without struggling to see the picture. Worried about having to set the brightness each time? The U5 also has an auto-dimming feature that’ll adjust the brightness based on the ambient light around, protecting your eyesight.
Place the projector against a wall and the Screeneo U5 pretty much handles the rest. Its keystone correcting abilities mean that it’ll ensure your screen is perfectly rectangular no matter what, and a unique 8-point calibration system allows you to further tweak and adjust the picture to account for any imperfections on your wall or projector screen.
The Screeneo U5 is a major upgrade from its predecessor, now with a 4K resolution, higher brightness, and better colors. Dolby Vision and HDR 10 ensure better clarity, higher contrasts, and richer colors, while FlowMotion 4 helps upscale frame rates to make even older videos (or videos shot on lower frame rates) buttery smooth. The projector runs a 60Hz refresh rate, making it incredible for gaming too, and even though 3D TVs have been rather dead for a while now, the Screeneo U5 surprises with 3D projection capabilities, literally bringing the movie theater to your home. (Overpriced popcorn not included)
The one feature that really sets the U5 apart is the fact that it also packs an absolute punch in the audio department. Equipped with 2.2 Channels, 20 watts, and a dedicated DSP, the U5 brings powerful Dolby Atmos audio to the viewing experience, combining larger-than-life audio with booming sound that you wouldn’t really expect from a projector, but will come to appreciate while watching movies, matches, or music videos.
Unlike the U4, which didn’t have any smart TV interface built-in, the U5 comes with AndroidTV and Chromecast, but pushes the bar even further with ExpressVPN pre-installed on the OS for access to geo-restricted content – a feature that’s absolutely game-changing for most media devices today. However, the presence of multiple ports including 2 HDMI, 2 USB-A, and one VGA port ensures you can plug anything from your old laptop to your thumb drive into the U5 to access local files. There’s a LAN port to connect your projector to a wired network, and a 3.5mm jack just in case you have better speakers lying around. Just in case, the U5 comes with Bluetooth 5.1 too, letting you connect wireless speakers as well. Like its predecessor, the Screeneo U5 also comes with a multimedia remote that makes navigating the interface much easier.
The Philips Screeneo U5 is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo and has raised nearly $3 million as of writing this article. Its previous campaigns, the Screeneo U4 ultra short throw projector, and the Philips PicoPix Max pico-projector were runaway successes too, receiving support from more than 25 thousand backers. While there’s always an inherent risk with crowdfunding, one could argue that Philips has much more brand value than most campaign creators, so rest assured your money is in reliable hands. To sweeten the deal, however, Philips is offering a Cyber Week 48% discount to its backers by letting them procure the Screeneo U5 for a reduced price tag of $1,790 USD (€1,699 EUR). The Screeneo U5 comes with a 2-year warranty and begins shipping in March 2023.
We live in a world populated by screens, from the computers we use at work to the phones we glue our faces to all day. If display manufacturers and tech companies are to be believed, things will only get better or worse in the future, depending on whose side you’re on. Displays, particularly touch-enabled screens, will litter our surroundings unless the metaverse becomes so prevalent that we’ll be seeing windows and popups everywhere through our AR glasses. Despite our dependence on display technologies, the screens that we rely on so much day in and day out can be harmful to our eyes in the long run. While we wait for the perfectly harmless screen technology, we can only try to minimize the damaging effects of these screens with other technologies, like this unconventional two-in-one monitor that attaches an eye-friendlier E-Ink screen on the side.
E-paper display or EPD technology, especially the kind sold by the E-Ink brand, has long been hailed for its less harmful effects on the eyes. That is why this kind of screen has been used on ebook readers that will often be used for hours on end. The technology does have critical drawbacks that make it unsuitable for “normal” uses, like displaying rich colors like photos, fast-changing content like videos, and more. That, of course, hasn’t stopped people from spending hours on end in front of computer monitors and phones, especially when their work depends on these displays.
E-Ink monitors do exist, but they can’t really be used for all kinds of content, as mentioned earlier. Rather than having to make people choose, Philips got the idea to provide both kinds of displays on the same monitor. Or, to be more precise, it has put two kinds of monitors side-by-side in one. The Philips 24B1D5600 has a 23.3-inch 2560×1440 LCD monitor that you can use for regular stuff, and attached to its right side is a 13.3-inch E INK Carta HD display. This design is based on an award-winning iF Design Award 2021 entry and is now making its way to the market to appeal to people who need to stare at screens for long stretches of time each day.
While an E-Ink display is great for reading ebooks, its purpose here isn’t exactly for leisure, though it can certainly be used that way, too. The idea is that you can put longer pieces of text on this slow-changing screen that you need to read, like documents or articles, while constantly changing content like videos, real-time graphs, and the like will occupy the main LCD screen. That way, you will be giving your eyes a bit of a break whenever you need to view more static content while still having access to YouTube or more productive sites.
The attached E-Ink display can apparently be tilted 45 degrees towards the viewer, which is a more ergonomic angle considering how far to the right it is. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear whether it can be removed and placed on the opposite side, which may be more comfortable for some people. The E-Ink display and the LCD screen are powered separately with separate cables, but you seldom need to charge the E-Ink side anyway.
It’s that time of year again when big brands try to make a big splash in upgrading your home with the latest and greatest in consumer electronics and home appliances. The past two years were filled with devices that tried to fill the needs of the times, offering different ways to sanitize and protect your home against harmful microorganisms. Things have fortunately settled down, and industries have started to recover, putting their attention and resources into products that help make life less stressful and more enjoyable. There are plenty of such products up for show at IFA 2022 in Berlin, and so we distilled the lineup into our top picks for products to keep an eye on this year.
Zendure Superbase V Portable Home Battery
Thanks to natural calamities and resource shortages, power blackouts have become more common these past few years than ever before. Power banks might be enough for phones and even some laptops, but they are useless to power anything else, especially for extended periods of time. Gasoline-chugging generators do exist, of course, but the dangers they pose both to people and the environment make them inefficient and costly in the long run. Clean Energy Tech startup Zendure is putting its best foot forward this year with a new energy system that can power your house or even your car in a sustainable way.
With a capacity that can reach up to 64kWh thanks to its expandable design, the Zendure Superbase V Portable Energy System has enough juice to give power to a house in an emergency. It even has a power outlet for charging EVs. Despite its large capacity and size, it can still be moved around like a cart on wheels. More importantly, the semi-solid state battery inside can be charged using solar power, offering a more sustainable solution to electricity problems. It’s a win-win solution for both humans and the planet.
Leica Cine 1 Projector
Along with cutting cables, some homeowners have also started getting rid of TVs that take up space even when not in use. While still waiting for the perfect rollable TV, home projectors have become more attractive and more practical solutions, especially when you want a bigger screen without losing wall space. Famed camera maker Leica is jumping into this market, and its first attempt is as classy as anything that bears its signature “Coke” logo.
The Leica Cine 1 short-throw projector utilizes triple RGB lasers to deliver picture-quality 4K images and videos on an area equivalent to a 100-inch TV. Despite all that power, the projector manages to keep a compact size that will fit in any room arrangement. Even better, it also bears Leica’s design language, with a sleek aluminum body with an automatic dust cover to protect the lens. Stylish and functional, this home projector promises to add life to a space, both through its design and through the videos it will play.
LG OLED Flex Bendable TV
TV innovation hasn’t been standing still, especially if you’ve been keeping track of recent buzzwords. While curved TVs haven’t exactly become the norm, they’ve become a force to reckon with in the market. Not everyone is convinced that they need a curved TV, though, or at least not all the time. LG’s latest trick is to give people the ability to choose between the two whenever they want.
Utilizing its expertise in flexible OLED panels, the brand’s new 42-inch TV can lay flat or bend to a curve with a push of a button. Designed primarily with gaming in mind, the LG OLED Flex LX3 has plenty of features that benefit even non-interactive content like movies and TV shows. Now you no longer have to make an upfront decision to go flat or curved, freeing you to enjoy content in the best way possible.
LG MoodUp Color-Changing Fridge
Once upon a time, appliances were simply functional pieces of equipment and nothing more. These days, they have not only become smarter but have also become an expression of the owner’s personality and interests. Bespoke home appliances are becoming a little bit more common, but they can also be a little bit too specific to a certain style or theme. LG’s new fridge, however, tries to shake things up a bit by letting people choose the doors’ colors on a whim.
The LG MoodUp refrigerator’s doors are covered with LED panels that can change their color depending on your, well, mood. You can select different colors for each door or you can set it to follow a motif based on seasons, locations, and moods. These panels can also serve as visual notifications, like when you left a door open. The refrigerator also has a built-in speaker that you can use to play music from your smartphone via Bluetooth. Of course, the colors of the doors can sync to that music as well, truly pushing the mood up on any occasion.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Earbuds
Truly Wireless Stereo or TWS earbuds have come a long way over the past years. Spurred by the retirement of the headphone jack on smartphones, these tiny audio devices have seen plenty of innovation in terms of features and designs. In contrast, the cases that hold these earbuds have remained practically the same, mostly changing only in shape. The JBL Tour Pro 2 tries to change that and make the earbuds case as smart as what it holds inside.
Portrait Of Young Caucasian Stylish Man On Sunny Day In The City.
The earbuds themselves are what you would expect from the brand, featuring features like adaptive noise canceling and spatial sound. What truly sets it apart is its smart charging case, which has its own 1.45-inch touch screen that lets you control the earbuds without having to take out your phone. It’s not an earth-shattering new feature, but it does level up the experience for the first time.
Philips Hue Lightguide Bulbs
Lighting can make or break the mood in a room, not to mention affect people’s productivity in that space. Since the smart home explosion a few years back, lighting was the first to be connected to the Internet, giving people better control over the hues in their homes or offices. As one of the pioneers of that smart lighting market, Philips Hue has to constantly innovate and mix things up to fend off the competition, and its new statement lighting collection tries to step up to that challenge.
The new Philips Hue Lightguide Bulbs mix the old and the new with large glass bulbs in modern shapes like ellipses and triangles. Diffused light comes from an inner tube that you can, of course, control with your smartphone. Whether hanging from pendants or sticking up on stands, these bulbs give some character to a space, even when they’re turned off.
Electrolux AEG Kitchen Innovations
Electrolux is one of the most trusted names in the home appliance market, and it continues to push the envelope to meet the changing needs and trends of the times. Sometimes that means jumping on the smart home appliance bandwagon. Other times, it means making a commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency.
Designer: Electrolux
The AEG 7000 GreenZone refrigerator, for example, boasts using 70% recycled plastic for its inner liner walls, while the AEG 8000 series has new cooling technology that tries to preserve food longer so that they don’t go to waste. For those who love cooking at home, the AEG 800 Bridge/FlexiBridge with eXTractor sucks up vapor and recycles the air back into the kitchen, removing the stress of lingering odors while preparing your favorite meals.
Tineco Toasty One smart toaster
Everything’s becoming smarter these days, from the lights to washing machines to even toothbrushes. There’s always room to add a little intelligence to consumer electronics, especially when it means relieving our brains from having to fret over mundane stuff. It might sound excessive at first, but a smart bread toaster with a touch screen can be pretty convenient.
The Tineco Toasty One can toast two slices of bread like other toasters, but it can have different settings for each of them. It can even detect the condition of the bread to automatically set the right heat for the desired crispiness. Of course, you can input your own preference, and it can remember different settings for up to eight people. OK, it might be overboard for some, but the toaster’s somewhat cute design definitely fits the kitchen of the future.
Bluetti Green Power Generators
Portable power generators that replace fuel generators are becoming more popular these days. Having emergency power that is clean, green, and safe is almost critical in this day and age, whether it’s for spending the weekend outdoors or living through a power outage. Bluetti is one of the most trusted brands in that growing market, and it’s showing off its latest solution to keep the lights on in the darkness.
The new Bluetti AC500 modular portable power generator steps up the game with a larger inverter that can dish out 5000W. When paired with B300 or B300S battery modules, it can provide an astounding 18,432Wh of power for the whole house. What makes it different from most battery-powred generators is that you can decide just how many modules you want to bring along, simplifying its portability. Plus, you can also charge it using solar power, creating a more sustainable solution to your electricity problems.
ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED
Smartphones aren’t the only ones that are getting a foldable treatment. Although it’s happening more slowly, even tablets and laptops are getting foldable screens as well. There might still be some hesitation and doubt on whether it’s a fad or the next wave in computing, but devices that can change their forms will definitely become more common in the near future.
The ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is one of the pioneers of this still nascent market. A 17.3-inch 2.5K screen that can fold into two 12.5-inch Full HD screens gives a whole new meaning to multitasking. Whether it will survive the test of time and hard work remains to be seen, but its launch marks the start of something new.
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold (16-inch)
Credit where credit is due, Lenovo is actually one of the first to demonstrate that it really believed in the foldable laptop hype. The first Thinkpad X1 Fold, while functional, didn’t exactly meet the hype and imagination of the PC market. Its next-gen iteration, however, inches closer to that ideal.
The new 16-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold refines the design of its predecessor, making the body thinner while also increasing the screen size. It also comes with a new cover stand and an improved Bluetooth keyboard that should make the device more usable. No longer will you feel like you’re carrying around a prototype device and are instead using the computer of the future.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Theater Soundbar
As TVs become thinner, the need to relocate speakers has also become greater. You can, of course, cram smaller speakers inside those thin frames, but that often comes at the expense of sound quality. Soundbars have become one of the solutions to this problem, offering a way to have an elegant speaker near an equally elegant TV. And when it comes to elegance, there are few names you can trust more than Bang & Olufsen.
The marque’s new Beosound Theater is unsurprisingly another proof of its expertise in blending audio quality and aesthetics. Whether standing alone or paired with a TV, the soundbar looks stylish and attractive, unlike common boxy soundbars. Inspired by sailboats, the Beosund Theather’s curved body looks like it’s floating on air, giving it a sense of grandeur and adventure that matches the heart-racing sounds that come from it.
Yaber Pico T1 portable projector
While short-throw home projectors are gaining popularity as alternatives to traditional TVs, another kind of projector is making its way into people’s travel bags or even pockets. Pico projectors offer the opportunity to enjoy videos or make presentations anywhere, as long as you have the right light conditions. Given how projectors work, it’s hard to find the right balance between portability and performance, something that Yaber gets mostly correct.
The Yaber Pico T1 itself is like a shorter but thicker smartphone, and it can easily fit into your jeans’ pocket. It does output at a resolution of 960×540, but it can do so at a screen size of up to 100 inches. The downside is that it doesn’t have an internal battery, so you’ll have to connect it to a compatible power bank. That said, all its accessories still fit nicely in a pouch that you can conveniently carry around if you want a cinema on the go.
Huawei
In spite of and despite all odds, Huawei continues to bring quality products to meet the needs and demands of today’s consumers. From powerful smartphones to professional laptops, Huawei brings a plethora of choices across different markets and tiers. The Huawei nova 10 and nova 10 Pro, for example, bring a 60MP front-facing camera that’s sure to excite selfie lovers with limited budgets.
For those more focused on productivity, the Huawei MatePad Pro brings a tablet to rival the iPad Pro with a 120Hz OLED screen and a Huawei M Pencil stylus. The new MateBook X Pro, on the other hand, packs a 3.1K 14.2-inch screen into a Windows-powered laptop powered by the latest 12th-gen Intel Core processors. Whether it’s for lifestyle, entertainment, or productivity, Huawei has a product that has one of the best bang-for-buck offers in designs that make you feel you’re really getting more for less.
Small box. Big picture. That’s pretty much all there is to say about the new Philips Screeneo U4 short-throw projector. The tiny shoebox-sized gadget sits against any wall, casting a stellar 120″ display on command. With a Full HD 1080p output, HDR10, 2.1 stereo speakers, and a remote control for navigating through your favorite titles, the Screeneo U4 is the closest you could possibly get to having your own personal cinema in your living room. The only thing missing from this equation is a tub of popcorn.
Labeled as an Ultra Short Throw projector, the Screeneo U4 is designed to be placed near walls instead of away from it. With a casting ratio of 0.25:1, the Screeneo U4 can project a massive 80-inch display on a wall when kept just 12 inches away from it. This effectively provides two benefits – firstly, the projector can easily be connected to a nearby power outlet because it’s kept so close to the wall, and secondly, you never have to worry about people blocking the projector every time they stand up to go to the kitchen or grab another beer.
The Philips Screeneo U4 is the fourth version of the company’s ultra short throw projector line. In its smallest avatar yet, the gizmo measures a mere 8.8-inches long and weighs 3 pounds. However, it packs a fair punch in the projection department, with 1080p capabilities, automatic focusing and keystone, HDR10, and a respectable brightness of 400 lumens which should work rather well in a dark environment.
The Screeneo U4 comes with its own built-in 15W stereo speakers that give a television-like experience with audio coming from the source of the video (unlike projectors that need to be connected to independently located speakers). However, the U4 does sport Bluetooth 5.0 which lets you hook your earphones or wireless speakers to the projector for a much more customized experience, and there’s even a 3.5mm jack available if your home theater is much more traditional and wired.
The only conceivable disadvantage here is the lack of ‘smartness’. While it’s expected that most projectors today come with a built-in OS that supports your favorite streaming platforms, the U4 doesn’t quite have that. It does, however, let you plug a Chromecast/Fire Stick or input device via the HDMI port, or even via the USB-C port, and the U4 also has dual Bluetooth, which means you can use one Bluetooth channel for your speaker, and another Bluetooth channel to beam videos directly from a phone/tablet to the U4. You can then control playback via the remote control that comes along with your U4.
The Screeneo U4 is currently being crowdfunded on Indiegogo – a route that Philips is currently testing to help develop new products and deliver them directly to enthusiasts. Before this, the company crowdfunded the Philips PicoPix Max – a 1080p pico projector. While there’s always an inherent risk with crowdfunding, one could argue that Philips has much more brand value than most campaign creators, so rest assured your money is in reliable hands. To sweeten the deal, however, Philips is offering a sizeable 45% discount to its backers by letting them procure the Screeneo U4 for a reduced price tag of $659 USD (€649 EUR). The Screeneo U4 comes with a 2-year warranty and begins shipping in October of 2022.
As crisp fall air settles in for the next few weeks, it’s time to make sure you’ve got everything you need to enjoy the weather before winter’s cold embrace drives us inside. There’s still plenty of time to head outdoors, whether it’s to the backyard, porch, patio or even a campsite. We’ve compiled a list of the best outdoor gear for relaxing, enjoying a warm beverage or cooking a meal this fall. We’ve got recommendations from products we’ve tested spanning fire pits, grills, speakers and more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-fall-outdoor-tech-gear-150041103.html?src=rss
The weather has started to get cooler, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to head indoors for winter just yet. There’s ample time to enjoy the backyard, porch or balcony before the first snowfall. We’ve rounded up the best outdoor gear for cooking, relaxing and imbibing this fall, from a pizza oven, to a uniquely designed fire pit and a smart outlet for your outdoor lighting.
Solo Stove Pi
Solo Stove
Ooni may be the biggest name in at-home pizza ovens these days, and rightfully so: Those products produce outstanding results. If you’re looking for an alternative, fire pit maker Solo Stove has entered the pizza chat. With the Pi, the company has built a dual fuel option (gas burner sold separately) with a stone cooking surface for restaurant quality pizzas on your deck or patio. The Demi-Dome construction and wide opening gives you easy access to launch and rotate pies with ease. Plus, the Pi is made of stainless steel just like Solo Stove’s fire pits so it should last a good long while. Lastly, the company also offers a range of cooking accessories and supplies, including a Neapolitan pizza box with dough, sauce, whole-milk mozz and pepperoni. I’d highly recommend the stand, which can be easily rolled out as needed.
Traeger completely redesigned its Timberline pellet grills earlier this year, turning them into a full-on outdoor kitchen with the addition of a built-in induction side burner. The company’s changes touch every aspect of the grills, from making assembly and cleaning much easier to creating a more efficient cooking chamber. The new Timberline grills also have an integrated rail system on three sides to accommodate a range of accessories and the new models work with Meater+ wireless food probes (Traeger bought Meater in 2021). Just like before, you can trust these grills with everything from high-heat searing to low-and-slow smoking, and you can monitor all of it on your phone from a comfy seat.
After initially debuting its smart grilling tech on a standalone device and pellet grills, Weber brought its Weber Connect platform to gas grills. The company has a number of new connected models for 2022 starting at $1,179, but the pricier EPX-335 adds conveniences like an LED-lit grill surface and control knob lighting. This three-burner model has enough cooking space for 20 burgers, a dedicated sear zone for putting the final touches on steaks and a side burner for preparing sauces or sides. The EPX-335 works with Weber’s Crafted line of accessories and ships with a frame kit needed to accommodate some of them. There’s also extra storage space where you can stash those extra items if you choose to purchase them.
The Thermapen is the grilling tool I use most often. It’s handy for making sure I’m not serving undercooked chicken or overcooking a pricey steak I’ve had in the sous vide for hours. It’s also great to have in the kitchen to instantly check temps of things like bread. Thermoworks unveiled the successor to its wildly popular Thermapen Mk4 earlier this year with the Thermapen One. The device is super fast, giving you a reading in one second. It’s also more accurate and has a brighter display than the previous model. The screen automatically rotates depending on how you hold it, plus an auto-wake and sleep feature and IP67 rating keep things running smoothly.
I’ll admit it: when I first saw Meater’s wireless food probes I was skeptical that they would work well. The Meater Plus has all of the convenience of the company’s original wireless probe, but with extended Bluetooth range. Each one has two sensors, so it can monitor both internal food temperature and the ambient temp of your grill. All of the info is sent to the company’s app where you can set target temperature, get estimated completion times and follow step-by-step directions if you need them. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about routing wires since the Meater Plus is completely wireless and stays out of your way. Not having to fight food probe cords is a grilling innovation I’m sure a lot of people can get behind.
In 2020, the Thermacell Patio Shield kept us mosquito-free for socially distanced outdoor activities. But the company’s newer E-55 offers a 20-foot coverage area and is fully rechargeable. This slightly larger unit runs on a Li-Ion battery instead of burning fuel to keep the biting bugs at bay for up to 12 hours. If you need more protection for you and the fam, you can buy refills for up to 40 hours of use. Also, like other Thermacell products, the E-55 doesn’t give off any odor, so you’ll barely notice it’s there.
If you’re looking for a much more robust and permanent remedy for your mosquito woes, Thermacell also sells a fixed system called LIV. The setup works like Philips Hue, but for bugs. Repellers connect to a base station via cables and then you can connect other repellers to each other to create a system that’s as large as you need it (up to five). That controller then connects to your home WiFi so you can monitor everything from your phone. Thermacell says each LIV repeller can protect a 20-foot radius and the cartridge inside will last for up to 40 hours. The company sells three-, four- and five-unit setups starting at $699. That’s certainly not cheap, but the LIV system does over the same mosquito protection I’ve enjoyed on the smaller products like the E-55.
As the temperatures drop, a fire pit is a cozy place to spend your time. However, most of the cheap options you’ll find at your local big box store aren’t really designed to channel smoke away from you or to maximize airflow. Solo Stove’s stainless steel fire pits do both, creating a roaring fire that won’t smoke you out. Each of the three models, ranging from $200 to $440, are portable(ish) and burn whatever variety of wood you happen to have. I’ve been testing the Bonfire, the medium-sized option, and the addition of the removable base plate and ash pan makes cleanup a lot easier (all 2.0 models have this). While you can certainly set these right on the ground or a concrete patio, I highly recommend splurging for a stand and a weather-proof cover which adds around $100 to the Bonfire model.
I tested the Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug for our first backyard guide and I was immediately hooked. TP-Link recently announced a new model of the smart plug in addition to a dimmable single-outlet version. Both are waterproof and plug into your existing outside outlet to give you one or two spots for lights and other gear. With the two-plug option, you can control each one independently. The Kasa app allows you to set a schedule, timer, runtime and more for each plug, so you can automate when those string lights over the deck turn on. Additionally, they work with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you don’t even need to pick up your phone most of the time. Plus, 300 feet of WiFi range means you shouldn’t have trouble connecting these to your home network for use.
I’ve been a big fan of Brumate’s beverageware since I bought myself a Hopsulator Trio for a beach vacation a few years ago. I still use it all the time, during both warm and cool months. However, when the temperatures begin to dip, I tend to reach for hot beverages more often, so Brumate’s Toddy insulated mug is a better option. The cup works well to keep drinks hot or cold and the trademark feature is the spill-proof lid. That thing has saved me from massive cleanup more times than I can count. The regular Toddy can hold 16 ounces while the Toddy XL doubles the capacity to 32 ounces.
When you need tunes outside, whether that’s at home or on the go, Sony’s tiny XB13 speaker is a great option. Its small size makes it insanely portable, but it still manages big sound thanks to Sony's Extra Bass feature and Sound Diffusion Processor. It’s rated IP67 for dust- and water-proofing so taking it outside shouldn’t incite anxiety. What’s more, it has a UV coating for protection from the sun. You can use the XB13 for hands-free calls and employ two of them at once for a stereo pair. It lasts up to 16 hours on a charge and will only set you back $60.
Waking up to the sound of a blaring alarm can be jarring, especially if you have to do so in pitch black. That’s why some people have turned to devices that mimic the arrival of daylight as a gentler way to stir from slumber. So-called sunrise or wak...
