T3 India

Entertainment

Review: Sony LinkBuds WF-L900

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Price: ₹ 19,990

The buds with the hole, to let the world through—would be an apt catchline for the LinkBuds if we could borrow it from Nestle’s popular mint brand. The WF-L900 is unlike any true wireless earbuds we have seen, with a ring-shaped driver and a hollow at the centre.

The WF-L900 comes in a small case made of recycled plastic. The case has a mechanical closure and can be opened by pressing a button. The earbuds are also quite small compared to the usual TWS. Even the buds are held in place with plastic pegs inside the case. Wearing the device is quite a task initially. The ring stays in your ear canal, while the rubber supporter has to be fitted inside the upper cavity and twisted a bit till it is secured firmly. Sony provides five pairs of supporting rings in the box, and it is very important to select the appropriate one. After the initial fiddling around, it is quite comfortable to wear and use. The buds weigh approximately four grams. The light construction and non-protruding design ensure that the device does not slip out even during your runs. The buds hold an IPX4 rating for protection against splashes and sweat.

The open-ring design facilitates full-time audio transparency. Though loyal ANC-lovers could have a hard time liking this, the open design makes it extremely comfortable, without any pressure difference felt in the ears. The Headphones Connect app allows you to update firmware and activate, set up, and customise Speak to Chat, Equaliser, 360 Reality and other features. With adaptive volume control, the device ensures that the background sounds do not overpower the audio. Sony has designed the LinkBuds to facilitate all-day wearing without discomfort, and features like Speak to Chat combined with transparency makes this possible. Speech detection sensitivity and pause duration can be adjusted from the app. If this is not done properly, you will find the music pausing even without speaking a word.

With a 12mm ring driver, the L900 delivers competent audio similar to other Sony TWS devices, though with a more natural feel closer to open-back headphones than the restrictive sound you get from usual headphones. In fact, you don’t feel that you are wearing a pair of headphones. Call quality is excellent with clear pick-up and providing a great listening experience with a clear voice. You can control the device by tapping on the buds or the front portion of your ears. The buds are not too loud, and even at the maximum volume, you don’t feel any discomfort. It features DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) to enhance audio using Sony’s integrated processor V1 that powers their flagship. The headphones support Google and Alexa voice assistants. Fast and Swift Pair offer quick Bluetooth pairing.

Sony claims a playback time of up to 5.5 hours on a single charge and up to 17.5 hours with the charging case, but a realistic figure would be somewhere around three hours and 10 hours respectively, at least with our experience with initial charging cycles and with 50 per cent volume. It also offers 90 minutes of playback with 10 minutes of quick charging. On the negative side, though the charging indicator lights up while charging, it doesn’t indicate once the device has been fully charged.

Rating

WE’RE IMPRESSED Lightweight and compact design, balanced sound profile, extremely comfortable for continuous listening, speak-to-chat function


WE’D IMPROVE No ‘charge full’ indicator


THE LAST WORD The Sony LinkBuds is a refreshingly new device that is made for all-day listening and provides an audio experience that is close to the natural.

Review: Sony WH-XB910N

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Price: ₹14,990

Recently, we reviewed Sony’s latest TWS earbuds, and here we are, with the latest of their over-the-ear headphones. If the WF-1000XM4 features a balanced sound profile, the WH-XB910N is specially made for bass lovers as Sony brands the XB series as Extra Bass.

The headphones are available in black and blue colours, and we received the blue version. The device has a nice matte finish on the exterior with a rougher pattern on the headband. The top of the band has a faux leather wrapping on the exterior along with a soft cushioning pad at the inner surface. The earpieces rotate about 120 degrees, flex about 30 degrees to adjust to the contours of your head and can be folded inward for storage. The headphones come in a sleek oval-shaped hard fabric case, which also includes a USB-C to USB-A cable and an aux cable. The overall finish feels premium, and the top of the pivot area has a glossy finish that enhances this feel. The Sony branding on both ends of the headband completes the styling. The left earpiece houses the physical controls and ports, which include the power button, noise cancellation/ambience button, 3.5mm aux jack and USB-C charging port. The right earpiece looks plain, but the broad flat surface hides a touch panel that can be used to pause or play music, control volume and switch the tracks. You can also make use of the Quick Attention mode by placing your hand over the right earcup, which pauses noise cancelling mode momentarily, allowing you to listen to ambient sound. At 252 g, the headphones are quite light. The soft earpads are comfortable and do not cause any discomfort or pain even with extended use.

The WH-X910N uses a 40 mm driver unit and features dual noise-cancelling with feedforward and feedback mics on each side. The noise cancellation is effective but not quite the best we have experienced in premium headphones. The device supports 360 Reality Audio for an immersive experience with a suitable audio input. The headphones offer 48 ohms impedance in wired connection with the unit turned on, and 16 ohms while it is turned off. This makes it compatible with most smartphones and other low-power devices, irrespective of the type of connection. The headphones are compatible with LDAC codec for high-res audio playback in Bluetooth mode. As mentioned earlier, this device is made for thumping bass, and it remains true to this assigned role. In fact, the device is a bass lover’s haven, bringing out those fine reverberations in percussion. The Headphones companion app offers adaptive sound control, switching the sound profile according to your location and status. It offers a number of equaliser presets such as Bright, Excited, Mellow, Relaxed, Vocal, Treble Boost, Bass Boost, and Speech, along with Manual and two Custom modes so that the sound is always within your control when you are on a call or listening to music. Though you can tweak the sound via custom modes to bring up the mids and highs for some balance, it still remains faithful to bass. If you are using an iPhone, you can tweak the sound even better from the EQ mode.

The XB910N can be paired with two devices over Bluetooth, and the headphone intelligently switches between the two inputs. However, when paired to a laptop and a smartphone, the 910N would pause music played on the laptop when there is an audio notification on the phone and would not resume playback automatically. The headphones are stated to provide up to 30 hours of battery life, and we found this to be quite close. Of course, this depends on the volume of playback and ANC. You can top up the battery quickly for 10 minutes for up to 4.5 hours of extra playback with an optional AC adapter.

The device offers voice control with Google Assistant and Alexa.

RATING

WE’RE IMPRESSED Multi-device connection, high-res audio support, comfortable fit, good battery life, companion app

WE’D IMPROVE Some sound leakage observed, playback doesn’t restart after phone notification

THE LAST WORD These headphones offer good comfort and convenience. True bass enthusiasts will appreciate its sound profile.

ViewSonic Debuts Experience Zone in India

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Ribbon cutting ceremony at ViewSonic Experience Zone – New Delhi

ViewSonic has announced the launch of its first Experience Zone in New Delhi. The Experience Zone aims to provide an engaging and immersive experience to enable users to access all its AV and IT products and solutions. With the launch of its first experience zone in India, ViewSonic has also entered a new segment of LED Video Wall and announced the launch of its All-In-One LD135-151 Direct View LED Display. The company’s initial experience zone is divided into three different product ranges and solutions, namely Corporate Zone, Hybrid Learning Classrooms and Entertainment Zone.

Eric Wei, General Manager, ViewSonic – Asia Pacific said, “We are extremely excited to launch our first-ever Experience Zone in India. Our futuristic zone will create an outstanding and compelling experience for our users, exhibiting all our products and solutions. We aim to offer our users an experience of advanced technology, innovations and features embedded in our solutions. India is a key market for us and we understand the diversified needs of our consumers and strive to provide them with our unmatchable range of solutions and services. We are positive that the Experience Zone will help our target consumers make a sound purchase decision. We plan to launch more experience zones in other key Indian market and strengthen our position in the country in the coming year.”

The corporate zone showcases all its professional products in one area. Entering a new segment, the newly released LD135-151 is available in 4 different sizes (108”, 135”, 163 & 216”). Its large screen display is embedded with Gold Bonding Wire, boosts easy installation, operation and maintenance. The zone also included wireless presentation display ViewSonic CDE20 series.

The hybrid learning classrooms will display various products from edtech categories, which aim to help both teachers and students streamline and smoothen the teaching and learning methodology. It will show the new ViewSonic IFP52-A series, on which the teachers will conduct lectures and the recording will be flashed on the student’s device at home, using a PTZ Camera. Educators will also make extensive use of ViewSonic’s proprietary and integrated software, myViewBoard.

Entertainment Zone

The entertainment zone comes with acoustic room with a recliner and a home theatre system. The site will also showcase their upcoming flagship model X1000-4K+ HDR Ultra Short Throw Smart LED Soundbar Projector along with the X100-4K+ Projector which is equipped with 4K UHD resolution and an integrated 40W Harman Kardon-customised soundbar.

Talking about the launch Muneer Ahmad, Vice President, Sales and Marketing – AV and EdTech at ViewSonic India said, “We are delighted to launch our first experience zone in India, this will enable us to associate with our consumers directly and closely. It not only strengthens our relationship with them but will help in building brand loyalty. We are committed to bringing high-quality products that prioritise innovation and technology. Our newly launched LED Video Wall is one of its kind equipped with best-in-class features and advanced technology, giving a perfect amalgamation of corporate viewing experience. We are also hopeful that our newly launched professional projector will be well received, and our hybrid learning solutions will create a positive impact in the Indian market.”

The experience zone will also showcase launches in monitor’s segment such as ELITE XG270Q, a 27″ IPS G-SYNC compatible gaming monitor. Additionally, ColorPro Series VP2468a Pantone Validated and touchscreen monitor TD1655 has been included. The zone also showcased other monitors such as VX3211-4K-MHD, used for both gaming and entertainment purpose.

Commenting about the launch, Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Director – Sales & marketing, IT Business, ViewSonic India said, “The launch of experience zone is one of ViewSonic’s biggest accomplishment to strengthen our brand position in the Indian market. Giving first-hand experience of all our products and solutions to the users will help us establish ourselves and build a close-knit relationship with our customers. Our display solutions have gained significant momentum in the Indian market with innovative technology and unique features. Our experience zone will showcase our recent monitors, such as ColorPro and ELITE Gaming Monitors. In addition, we will also showcase a new product, ‘Pen Displays’, inbuilt with software which eases the internal communications in the corporates. With this zone, we are expecting to see more engagement with our customers and expand our reach in other cities.”

Asus Launches ROG Fusion II Series Gaming Headsets

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Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced the Fusion II 500 and Fusion II 300, a pair of fully loaded gaming headsets that feature advanced virtual 7.1 surround sound, high-resolution ESS 9280 Quad DAC technology and ASUS AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation.

ROG Fusion II 500

The ROG Fusion II series headsets use 50 mm Asus Essence drivers and are one of the few gaming headsets in the market to feature the ESS 9280 Quad DAC to provide gamers with lossless audio processing. Each DAC allocates its processing power to a subset of the audible frequency range — from lows, mids, highs and ultra-highs — resulting in crisp, clear sound for true-to-life audio.

ROG Fusion II 300

The Asus AI Beamforming Microphones with AI Noise Cancelation ensure a clear and natural representation of human voices with minimal distortion. The microphones create a 40° acoustic zone in front of the gamer’s mouth and filter out distracting background noise from other directions for clear voice pick-up. In addition, AI Noise Cancelation identifies and reduces over 500 million types of background noise such as chatter, keyboard clatter and mouse clicks by up to 95 per cent. The Game Chat volume control on the ROG Fusion II 500 allows gamers to adjust the volume of in-game audio and voice chat via the slider on the earcups to suit their preferences.

Both headsets include customisable Aura RGB lighting to provide gamers with over 16.8 million colour combinations and six preset lighting effects via Armoury Crate. This software provides gamers with extensive controls and an intuitive interface to adjust audio profiles and lighting.

The ROG Fusion II 500 features a 3.5 mm audio jack, USB-C and USB Type-A connectivity, making it compatible with a myriad of devices including laptops, PCs, mobile devices and gaming consoles. The Fusion II 300 is similar to the higher-end Fusion II 500, but does not support 3.5 mm audio connection. The ASUS ROG Fusion II series gaming headsets will be available in India from March. Prices are yet to be announced.

How AI Has Transformed the Gaming Industry

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Ever since the emergence of AI in the gaming industry, game developers have been programming software in a manner so that it acts as if it’s human and helps in making the digital world from the scratch through non-playable characters. However, at present, even the most out-of-the-box game design doesn’t spin around modern AI. Rather, it revolves around making a bunch of mind-boggling frameworks that result in emergent gameplay, which refers to complex situations in video games that emerge from the interaction of relatively simple game mechanics. The majority of the developers are making efforts in the direction of creating a sense of realism instead of game-breaking outcomes. The objective, in the end, is not to attain human-like intelligence, rather, it is to generate an experience that draws in and stimulates in a manner that imitates reality. Several giant game developing studios are gradually trying to push the envelope with regards to building frameworks that achieve the complexity of reality.

Although it may seem like Artificial Intelligence is a recent innovation in video games, it has been a developing resource for decades. It was incepted in the 1950s, and ever since those early years, AI has been an integral part of the gaming industry that has inclined to an incredible level of growth and development. Let’s explore further how AI transformed the gaming sector.

Smarter non-player characters (NPCs)

AI game developers make the best use of the technology by controlling the conduct of NPCs today. Earlier when the games didn’t have the opportunity to leverage AI, they used to become exhausting after playing for some time as it kept getting easier to defeat because of their anticipated behaviour. The real excitement and thrill of playing video games come from rivalling NPCs that respond erratically and surprise the players. Envision an FPS game in which enemies are equipped for breaking down their surroundings so that they can track down what’s significant for their endurance or make moves that seize your intelligent moves to increase their odds of winning. Moreover, imagine a scenario where they can learn from their behaviour and can seek shelter, perceive sounds and patterns, speak with one another and move in a manner you never saw or expected. Having new encounters despite playing such games numerous times keeps gamers energized and captivated to continue to return. A pioneer in game development can assist you with building such games that gamers enjoy playing for extended periods. The advent of AI has provided opponents with the capacity to securely explore in a dynamic environment without colliding with different entities.  

Real-time customisation

AI has redesigned the general gaming experience by continuous customisation of situations. Besides, AI makes a game more interactive by enhancing the experience of playing. For example, in case your team is losing, it will urge the fans to support your team to lift the morale and cause your players to perform better. Such a tendency of AI has now taken the general gaming experience to an all-new level.  

The shift in difficulty levels

Another excellence of AI-planned video games is player-experience modelling, which implies giving tailor-made insight to players in real-time according to their level of mastery. For instance, if the gamer is inexperienced, the AI possesses the potential to change its level and turn on the easy mode so that s/he doesn’t get baffled or exasperated for not being sufficiently equipped to make further progress in the game. Conversely, if s/he is an expert-level player, the AI will make the game difficult so that the player doesn’t get exhausted or bored. It can also determine the intent of a player through gesture recognition which empowers players to convey and cooperate with video games normally with no mechanical gadgets. 

Generation of procedural content

The technology has allowed the developers to consequently produce creative content, similar to scenes, things, levels, rules and quests. The gamers can now create weapons and armour based on the character level if they utilise procedural content generation in quest-driven games.

Summing Up 

The inception of Artificial Intelligence has made video gaming a lot more exciting as it has the power to provide unprecedented situations by altering the flow and force of the games. It would be more than appropriate to say that there’s nothing preferable for a player over getting fantastic as well as challenging experience simultaneously. As the future unfurls, we are going to witness an ever-increasing number of games with AI regulators which will improve the experience of the end-users like never before. Furthermore, AI will prove to be a testing ground for the developers to work on their code and configuration for creating an avant-garde game. Certainly, AI solutions have transformed the Indian gaming industry for the better. 

About the Author

Stewart Neal is the Studio Director of Sumo India Studios, an award-winning network of game development studios. With over 22 years of experience in the gaming industry, Stewart leads Sumo India’s Pune and Bangalore studios.