FIT FOR 2018!
The California ( US)- based Ultimate Ears is a respected name for Bluetooth speakers and their products are a special favourite for outdoor parties that might get a wee wet- n- wild. That is because their speakers come covered in water proof material with all the ports covered with rubber seals. The new model that has just reached India, is the biggest so far in the UE range and unlike the familiar discus- shaped UE Roll, the MegaBoom is a 9- inch tall cylinder and not exactly portable.
Perhaps for this reason, it belts out louder music ( some 90 dbA) through its twin two- inch drivers and twin passive radiators. At just under 900g, it can sit sturdily, poolside and even if dunked in one metre of water for half an hour, it continues playing. Charging is via a micro USB cable and has a mains plug provided — and as usual for this brand, it comes with a mobile app for Android and iOS device. What is new, is that you can harness the Siri or Google voice assistant and speak to the speaker, mouthing your music selection. Volume controls are very easy — large plus and minus signs on the body and a cool new feature, is that you can tap the top of the speaker to play or pause the music. The larger body means a bigger battery that lasts for a promised 20 hours. It can be daisy- chained, via Bluetooth, to multiple UE speaker units.... creating a wide audio network across large spaces. The MegaBoom costs ` 19,995 and fans of the brand will not grudge the asking price for its sturdy build and solid sound. Waiting for January 1 to start workout routine or weight loss programmes is passe. To look dashing at that New Year’s Eve party, we need to get in shape and if the gym or swimming pool is too much of a bother, Samsung’s latest wearable smartwatch, the Gear Sport, is stylish and gives you all the numbers that matter! It tracks your activity, sleep and exercise, three key parametres for health and l i f e s t y l e . Additionally, the device offers water resistance and swim pattern tracking and is synced to the swimming tracking app called Speedo On that measures lap time, lap count, stroke type and more. Heart rate monitoring is more accurate and faster than previous Gear variants and Samsung’s inbuilt algorithms ensure that your daily activities are auto- detected and tracked accordingly.
With the Gear Sport, Samsung takes smart watches to a level that goes beyond fitness. Besides the regular options of choosing watch faces and personalising it accordingly, substantial Indian R& D has gone into it — the cricket mode on the Samsung Gear Sport records your bowling behaviour and tracks calories burnt. Also included are sports like badminton and tennis.
Design- wise, the Gear sports is snazzy and sleek, with the rotating bezel, the most impressive element. The device is responsive and syncs up effectively with your existing smartphone via the Gear app. Watch straps and faces can be changed depending on your taste. At ` 22,990 it is a stylish and functional device which can double as watch and real- time fitness monitor.