BOWERS & WILKINS

Bowers & Wilkins Upgrades Iconic Zeppelin Speaker To Pro Level

The most recent version of the iconic Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin speaker has received a pro-level update with a version that promises even higher audio performance. The new Zeppelin Pro Edition has the same distinctive and innovative design and features some subtle but effective upgrades.

The Zeppelin Pro Edition now has two all-new finishes called Solar Gold and Space Grey. There’s also a revised downlight that has user-selectable choices of more than 15 separate colors, each with a brightness adjustment option.

As with all previous Zeppelins, the new Zeppelin Pro Edition is a complete and powerful speaker in an elegant enclosure. This latest iteration has the same titanium dome tweeters used in the latest generation of Bowers & Wilkins’ award-winning 600 Series loudspeakers. The tweeters are mounted at the far edges of the enclosure and are fully isolated from vibrations running through the cabinet that are generated by other, larger drive units.

There's no other wireless speaker that looks quite like the Bowers & Wilkins s Zeppelin. Now the iconic speaker is available in an upgrade Zeppelin Pro Edition with new tweeters midrange drivers and DSP. Bowers & Wilkins

The new tweeters have been paired with 90mm midrange drivers using Bowers & Wilkins proprietary Fixed Suspension Transducer technology, the same as used in all the brand’s premium floor-standing speakers. These drive units have been upgraded with increased cone damping, reducing the effects of cone break-up for a more open midrange sound. Revised DSP tuning makes the most of these new drive units, which Bowers & Wilkins claims is an even more revealing, room-filling sound.

Finally, a 150mm subwoofer is used to add deep, detailed and refined bass to the open, high-resolution sound of the Zeppelin Pro Edition. Mounted centrally at the heart of the structure, its design has been optimized to avoid unwanted ‘rocking’ of the cabinet as it operates, resulting in a cleaner sound and more agility in the bass.

The Zeppelin Pro Edition has multiroom functionality built in. It can work with other new Zeppelins in a multi-room environment or as a multi-room system based on Bowers & Wilkins’ own Formation range of high-resolution wireless speakers.

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition is available from 15th October in Space Grey or Solar Gold and priced at $799 / £699 / €799. Bowers & Wilkin

The new speaker can stream via AirPlay2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and Spotify Connect, the Zeppelin as well as offering access to all the music streaming services available from the Bowers & Wilkins Music app, including Deezer, Last.fm, Qobuz, TIDAL, TuneIn and more. This also means it can seamlessly interact with Bowers & Wilkins’ wireless headphones or earbuds, which can also be controlled with same Music app.

Pricing & Availability: The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition is available from 15th October in Space Grey or Solar Gold and priced at $799 /£699 / €799.

Mark Sparrow

 

TECH

HarmonyOS Next: Huawei's new operating system will be a success in China, but not globally

Taylor Ogan, an American investor currently based in Shenzhen, has already tested Huawei's new operating system, HarmonyOS Next, but he has no way of transferring images. "Everyone using this Beta [test version] carries a fingerprint," he says. "If you take a photo or screenshot, at the bottom, there's what looks like a human fingerprint. If it leaks, Huawei will know who did it."

HarmonyOS Next will be commercially launched together with the Mate 70 smartphone, in the coming weeks or months - there is no date yet. It is the model that will take the place of the Mate 60, whose launch by Huawei a year ago shocked the technology sector. It was the Chinese company's return to high-end cell phones, with 5G connectivity, overcoming the chip embargo imposed more than four years ago by the United States.

More than the new cell phone, it is the new operating system that is causing expectation. Unlike the HarmonyOS used in the Pura 70 phone launched six months ago, Next completely abandons applications developed for Google's Android operating system. A Huawei executive said last month at an industry trade show in Beijing that it was "developed completely independently and autonomously." Ogan describes the experience with Next as similar to that of the so-called Chinese "super apps" WeChat and Alipay, which incorporate other applications as internal mini-programs or mini-apps. In Next, the applications no longer have the "bloated" Android code, running more lightly. "Huawei basically has its own mini-programs, which is a big deal." One application he has not yet tested on the new operating system is WeChat itself. This week, Tencent, owner of the "super app," finally announced its deal with Huawei, although without providing details, and the start of testing. The lack of an agreement between the two technology giants had been delaying the launch of the smartphone itself, since WeChat is essential to the daily lives of Chinese people.

The two companies are from Shenzhen. "A lot of this city revolves around Huawei and Tencent," says the investor, CEO of the Snow Bull Capital fund. "Tencent has a bit of a monopoly and didn't want [the deal]. The Mate 70, in terms of hardware, was actually ready to go. The only thing holding it back was this resistance, because they couldn't launch without WeChat. That was the main reason for the delay. The other apps were quickly rewritten, months ago."

In addition to WeChat, the agreement with Tencent guaranteed the start of testing with the popular video games "Honor of Kings" and "Game for Peace", whose absence had been another shadow over the new operating system. But it still needs to improve several of the apps that have been tested for months, such as Douyin and the original TikTok, which would be without important tools such as search, according to a report by the English website Tech Tech China.

"It was a little buggy, but in the last month it's been super clean," Ogan counters. "I would say it's ready. I'm not a tech expert, but for everyday use it seems completely ready. And I think it's going to be something big. We had Android and iOS [from Apple], and now there's officially a third one that's not based on Android, like the first HarmonyOS. This one is totally, totally Huawei." For a technology analyst, TP Huang, there shouldn't be any problem for Next to succeed within China. "Outside China, they will need to work with foreign developers, encourage them. It's hard to say whether they will be successful, but since many apps that originated in China - TikTok, AliExpress, DiDi [in Brazil, 99], Temu, Shein - are now global, HarmonyOS Next won't start from scratch." The operating system is not being made available for testing on the Mate 70, only on previous devices. The new smartphone is even more secretive, with little known about it. Huawei executives in Shanghai, where it is being manufactured, according to Ogan, have not spoken to executives in Shenzhen for months. On the Weibo social network, details of the style, such as the right-angled side, are leaked, but not photos.

According to the Shanghai-based financial outlet Yicai Global, the Mate 70's components are already being sent to the "fab" for assembly. It is expected to be commercially launched next month. It is also not certain that it will come with a 5nm chip, "but it should be in an improved process", according to Huang. "We have to wait for it to come out to have more details, for example, about the artificial intelligence features."

The analyst says that at Huawei "they are making a great effort to reduce energy consumption and improve graphic rendering, which were the two biggest problems with the Mate 60" last year.

mundophone

 

NVIDIA

Leaker disputes $2,500 RTX 5090 pricing, says increase over RTX 4090 likely minimal

We've heard several rumors regarding Nvidia's RTX 5000 Blackwell series of graphics cards, but one element that is light on details is the pricing. A recent claim about the RTX 5090 stated that it would cost close to $2,500, but a more reliable leaker says this is untrue. According to their prediction, the flagship's price increase over the RTX 4090 won't be significant.

It was announced last week that Nvidia boss Jensen Huang will be delivering the company's CES 2025 opening keynote, marking the first time he's taken over presenting duties from Nvidia SVP Jeff Fisher since 2019. It suggests that Team Green will have something big on show, likely the RTX 5070, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090.

We've seen quite a few claims about the Blackwell cards' specs, but price details have been light. Last week, YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead (MLID) said the RTX 5090 will be between $1,999 and $2,499, with the MSRP likely closer to the latter figure. If true, that would make it almost $1,000 more than the RTX 4090's $1,599 MSRP when it launched in November 2022.

Thankfully, MLID doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to these sorts of claims. A more reliable source, kopite7kimi, was asked for their take. The prolific leaker said there won't be a "significant" price increase for the RTX 5090.

Nvidia is certainly no stranger to releasing cards with comically expensive price tags. The RTX 3090 Ti carried a massive $1,999 MSRP when it arrived in January 2022. There was also the Titan RTX, which cost $2,499 in 2018 – though it was designed more for AI researchers, content creators, and data scientists.

Nvidia faced plenty of backlash over the way it priced (i.e. too high) the RTX 4000 Lovelace series, so one would imagine it will avoid the same mistakes with Blackwell. However, AMD has confirmed that its RX 8000 series won't be competing with its rival's top-tier next-gen cards, meaning the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will likely go unchallenged. That could give Nvidia the confidence to price its new GPUs higher than expected, knowing that those consumers who always demand the best products will be willing to pay. There's also the fact that around 78% of Nvidia's revenue comes from its data center business.

Kopite7kimi recently said that the RTX 5090 will include 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 512-bit memory bus, feature 21,760 CUDA cores, and consume 600W. The RTX 5080, meanwhile, could have 16GB of VRAM, 10,752 CUDA cores, and a 320W TDP.

mundophone

 

FUJIFILM

Fujifilm X-M5 Camera Hands-On: Compact, Affordable And Great For Vloggers

Fujifilm has just announced its latest mirrorless camera, the Fujifilm X-M5. It’s smaller than you might expect for a camera that has interchangeable lenses, and it has new features. I’ve tried it, briefly, and here are my first thoughts.

Fujifilm’s 90-year history has seen the company change massively. The point-and-click cheap digital cameras that were once its bread and butter have been replaced with a range of sophisticated, beautifully crafted cameras designed to appeal to everyone from dedicated photographers to street snappers to video creators (not all the same camera, obviously).

The 26-megapixel X-M5 feels great in the hand. Like the (deservedly) successful X100VI, this is small and light enough to sit comfortably in one hand, discreet enough for people to not notice you’re carrying a camera at all, while still being powerful and capable.

At 355g, it’s the lightest camera in the X series, which adds to its portability and allure. It also looks great, with Fujifilm’s signature authoritative, classic design, especially in the silver model—though the all-black is also good.

Like the Fujifilm X100VI—and, dear reader, you will have worked out from my repeated references that that is my hands-down favorite camera right now—the X-M5 is sublimely intuitive to use, with the joystick guiding you around menus, and a touchscreen that’s easily configurable. The display flips out and turns round for great versatility and is especially useful for taking selfies.

Fujifilm X-M5. David Phelan

And if your work includes shooting video of yourself, Fujfilm has introduced a cool extra: with the camera standing upright, not on its side, you can shoot video in 9:16 aspect ratio. That’s not a typo: it’s designed for those vertical videos that are crucial to vloggers, with a short video option that’s very useful. Video creators will love this cameras, though so will people upgrading from their smartphone cameras—the results here are exponentially better.

There are a lot of features on board, from subject detection auto-focus that can spot moving animals or cars thanks to AI, to that Fujifilm essential: a Film Simulation Dial that can lead you to richly colored, evocative shots with ease.

I’ll be reviewing the camera in due course, but first impressions are very strong.

The Fujifilm X-M5 goes on sale on Nov. 14 for $799 body-only, £799 in the U.K.—a great price for a camera this accomplished.

David Phelan

 

SONY

Sony refreshes Xperia 1 VI with new colour and double the storage

Sony has refreshed the Xperia 1 VI, four months after initially releasing its latest flagship. Not only is the handset now available in a fourth striking colourway, but it is also now available with twice as much built-in storage to boot.

Sony has been selling the Xperia 1 VI, having released its latest flagship in June. Until now, the device has been available globally in three colours, which Sony advertises as Black, Khaki Green and Platinum Silver. Added to that, Sony sold the Xperia 1 VI exclusively with 256 GB of storage.

However, the company has now introduced a four-colour option, as well as a second 512 GB storage tier. According to Sony, its new Scarlet finish 'brings a fresh, vibrant look' to the Xperia 1 VI. Incidentally, the Scarlet option was pictured several times alongside the device's three other colours way back in May. For reference, the new option retains a glass back with a matte finish, as well as a colour-matching mid-frame.

Ultimately, the new Scarlet option retains the same underlying hardware as its Black, Khaki Green and Platinum Silver counterparts. Thus, it has a 6.5-inch LTPO OLED display that outputs at 120 Hz and 1080p, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and a 5,000 mAh battery. Camera hardware remains unchanged too; please see our review for more details.

As it stands, the new Scarlet colourway is sold exclusively with 512 GB of storage in Europe and the UK for €1,499 and £1,399, respectively. Please note that this represents a €1-0 and £100 surcharge over its 256 GB siblings. By contrast, Scarlet is available in the US with 256 GB of storage from retailers like Amazon, where it is sold for $1,209.99 before taxes.

by mundophone

 

APPLE

iPhone 17 Air roundup: Here’s everything known about the radical “slim” iPhone

Rumors of a groundbreaking new iPhone model, the iPhone 17 Air, are swirling up. This isn’t just a minor refresh; it’s potentially a complete reimagining of the iPhone, pushing the boundaries of design and display technology. But can it live up to the hype? Drawing on information from reliable sources, here’s a look at the key features and upgrades expected in this upcoming model.

1. The “Air” Apparent: Thinner Than Ever Before?...Apple has a knack for disrupting its own product lines, and the iPhone 17 Air could be the next big disruption. Reports suggest this model will be dramatically thinner than any previous iPhone, possibly even eclipsing the slim profile of the very first iPhone. How will Apple achieve this feat of engineering? The answer lies in a new display technology called TDDI (Touch and Display Driver Integration). According to recent reportts, Apple is planning to integrate TDDI technology into the iPhone 17 Air’s display. This technology combines the touch sensor and display driver into a single layer, significantly reducing the overall thickness of the display assembly. Not only that, but TDDI could also lead to improved image quality, enhanced touch responsiveness, and reduced power consumption.

2. A Smaller, More Immersive Display...Contrary to earlier rumors of a 6.6-inch display, the latest leaks suggest the iPhone 17 Air might actually sport a slightly smaller 6.4-inch OLED screen. While this might seem like a step back, it could be a deliberate choice to further enhance the phone’s slim profile and ergonomics. Expect ProMotion technology for a silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and potentially even brighter colors and deeper blacks thanks to the TDDI technology. It is also being said that the iPhone 17 series’ display will feature a super-hard anti-reflective layer, which is more scratch-resistant than Apple’s Ceramic Shield.

3. Performance Upgrades...Apple’s next-generation A19 chip, possibly N3P or N3X, will power the iPhone 17 Air. Expectedly, the device will feature increased RAM, potentially up to 8 GB, enhancing its capacity to manage demanding applications and enhancing overall performance. Rumor has it that storage options will start at 128 GB, with higher-end models offering up to 1 TB.

4. Camera Conundrum: Single Lens or a New Innovation?...While the thin design is stealing the spotlight, there’s still much speculation surrounding the iPhone 17 Air’s camera system. Some rumors point to a single-lens rear camera, prioritizing a sleek aesthetic over a complex multi-lens setup. However, this seems unlikely given Apple’s emphasis on camera technology. It’s more plausible that Apple will introduce a new, more compact camera module that maintains its high-quality imaging capabilities while minimizing bulk. The entire iPhone 17 lineup, including the Air model, is expected to feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera.

5. Price and Positioning: A Premium Offering...The iPhone 17 Air is expected to replace the “Plus” model in the lineup, but don’t expect a budget-friendly price tag. Analysts anticipate positioning it as a premium device, potentially surpassing the Pro Max in price. If Apple truly delivers on its promise of groundbreaking design and display technology, this would justify its positioning.

6. Final Thoughts...It’s important to emphasize that these are still rumors and speculation. Apple is renowned for its secrecy, and plans can change dramatically before the official launch. However, if even half of these rumors prove true, the iPhone 17 Air could be a revolutionary device that redefines the smartphone landscape. We’ll have to wait for Apple’s official announcement, likely in the fall of 2025, to get the full picture.

mundophone

 

TECH

Android 16 will include a Terminal and full Linux VM support with GPU acceleration

Google is looking to offer a native Terminal app for Android, possibly with Android 16. The Terminal app will allow installation of a Linux VM with full GUI and GPU acceleration along with other sysadmin features including disk resizing, port forwarding, and partition recovery. This is an extension of Google's earlier project of allowing Chrome OS to run on Android using the Android Virtualization Framework.

Chromebook users have had the ability to install a Linux virtual machine (VM) for added functionality for quite some time now. Soon, Android will also be getting a taste of Linux goodness, if recent commits to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) are anything to go by.

The Android Runtime (ART) is based on a Linux kernel, but now Google plans to give developers and power users the flexibility to run a full Linux desktop. Sounds familiar? This is similar to the Ferrochrome project that Google demoed a few months ago that allowed running Chrome OS on Pixel phones.

This magic is made possible due to the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) that was first introduced in Android 13. In Android 15, AVF gains the ability to run GUI operating systems in a VM with full GPU acceleration. Sadly, the Chrome OS on Pixel 8 project back then was just a proof-of-concept.

But now, we might actually see some real-world benefits of this. According to Mishaal Rahman writing for Android Authority, Google is working on a Terminal app for Android. Rahman points to new "ferrochrome-dev-option" patches that have been submitted to AOSP, which add a "Linux terminal" toggle under Developer options.

Terminal emulator apps that provide a Linux environment have been on the Play Store since long, but Google's implementation will be integrating the terminal directly into Android. The new Terminal app will allow running a full Linux distro in a VM and interfaces with it via a local IP address to pass Linux commands from the Android host.

Currently, the Terminal app requires you to manually provision a Debian image and create a vm_config.json file. However, Rahman expects that the shipping version will make things much easier for users by including a LinuxInstaller app that does this automatically.

Google apparently also has plans to make this currently barebones Terminal app into a full-featured one by adding features such as the ability to resize disks, port forwarding, and partition recovery. AVF will also be augmented with additional goodies like snapshot backup and restore, nested virtualization, and support for x86_64 devices.

Most users might not feel the need to dabble with a terminal on their smartphones, but developers can benefit from having access to certain command line tools on-the-go. With AVF supporting GUI apps, we might even see something on the lines of what Samsung previously showed off with Linux on DeX. It may even be possible to finally get Windows on ARM running near-natively directly on your phone. The possibilities are endless.

Rahman expects the new Terminal app with Linux support to potentially land with Android 16 next year. It is not clear at the moment whether this feature will make its way to OEM-specific ROMs, but at least Pixel devices can be expected to offer support.

mundophone