Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

1MORE Quad Driver Earphones Review
AORUS Gaming K7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
ASUS VivoBook Pro Review
Cooler Master WR530 Wrist Rest and MP510 Mouse Pad Review
GAMDIAS ZEUS P1 RGB Optical Gaming Mouse Review
Huawei P20 Review
HyperX Cloud Flight Review
Linux fragmentation
MSI Vigor GK80 Gaming Keyboard Review
Need for Speed Payback Review
Philips Hue Wellner lamp with Apple HomeKit Review
Qnap TS-228A Review
Reolink Argus 2 Wire-Free Security Camera Review
Trailblazers Review
Watercool Heatkiller IV GTX 1080 Ti Water Block Review

1MORE Quad Driver Earphones Review

The 1MORE Quad Driver may be the new kid on the block, but it definitely brings some veteran sounds with it.

Several Fridays ago, our company hired a new group of cleaners. Over the weekend, they came in to do the cleaning. On Monday I came in but noticed something was a bit strange as I noticed a few things on my desk were moved around. It was not until one of our interns came in when he asked, "Where is the iPhone 8?". Since we are a software company, we often use current generation devices for testing purposes. We looked all over the office, but we could not find it. I decided to turn on the Find My Phone feature, but the phone in question was turned off. We later had a meeting and somehow the conversation got around to talking about how sketchy Northeast Calgary was. Most crimes and gang-related activity often happen in that area of the city, so it was an easy target. The intern tried to defend the northeast as he lived there, but it fell on deaf ears. At the end of the meeting, it seemed someone had turned on the missing device. Lo and behold, we tracked it to an address in the northeast. While it may have seemed premature to blame the theft immediately on someone in that area, it goes to show sometimes you cannot really shake a reputation after you have one. So what happens if you do not have a reputation yet? We are in this situation today, as we have a new product from a new company at APH Networks. 1MORE sent us their Quad Driver earphones for us to take a look at. As a reviewer, we look at every product without preconceptions or biases from previous experiences with other products from the same company. So how do these IEMs compare and are they capable of being my daily drivers? Let us read on to find out!

Read full article @ APH Networks

AORUS Gaming K7 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

The AORUS brand has a strong history of cool gaming peripherals. They’re basically the cool gaming side of Gigabyte, and well known for their fantastic graphics cards, motherboards, and much more. A few years ago, we took a look at their rather bonkers yet awesome Thunder K7 keyboard (review). I loved the unique design of it quite a lot. However, today’s keyboard is a little more mainstream in regards to the design, but still promises all the lovely high-end features one would expect from a premium keyboard these days.

Read full article @ eTeknix

ASUS VivoBook Pro Review

This notebook is affordable and powerful, but the display disappoints.

The ASUS ZenBook Pro was one of my favorite laptops of 2017. It combined enough power to take on any task and do some gaming while still looking like a high-end, sophisticated Ultrabook. In my list of things to look for in a new laptop, it ticked every box.

Read full article @ Windows Central

Cooler Master WR530 Wrist Rest and MP510 Mouse Pad Review

So when it comes to peripherals most people think of their keyboard and mouse, maybe their headset. But with some things, especially your mouse, you need other hardware to get the best possible performance. Wrist Rests for keyboards add to comfort and can help prevent long-term issues and well mouse pads are needed most of the time for your mouse to work or at least work well. So it's no surprise that keyboard and mouse manufacturers would get into the market. Cooler Master has sold wrist rests with some of their keyboards and they have had a few different mouse pads. Well, today they are introducing new lineups of both and I’m going to take a quick look at them.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

GAMDIAS ZEUS P1 RGB Optical Gaming Mouse Review

In our book there are four things that currently define a good gaming mouse the optical/LED sensor used, its grip (size/design), number of programmable buttons and last but not least it's lighting/illumination system. Now as we always point out in our reviews one mouse is hardly ever ideal for every PC game genre out there so you always need to know exactly what titles (FPS/RTS/MMO) you'll be using one with (at least primarily) in order to pick the right one for the job. Lighting of course plays no role at all when it comes to tracking performance but it's always good to have something that looks unique on our desk and lately we've seen numerous gaming mice that fit that description including the ZEUS P1 RGB Optical Gaming Mouse by GAMDIAS which has been with us for almost 20 days now.

GAMDIAS emphasizes on the fundamentals, complemented with creativity and service. GAMDIAS Technology was founded in 2012, successfully creating the gaming brand known as GAMDIAS. Not only do we aim to set the bar for quality and practically, but also to go above and beyond in our designs. Further supplementing our motto: Gaming Art in Motion, we will continue to invest heavily on designs, transcending GAMDIAS products to an artistic pantheon.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Huawei P20 Review

Huawei's P10 was one of my absolute favorite phones of 2017. It was comfortable to use, had a wonderful camera, and the features seemed well-implemented. Naturally, I was excited when the company was announcing the P20.

Sadly, the P20 sits in the shadow of its larger sibling, the P20 Pro. I did indeed review the P20 Pro, and it's everything it sounds like with a 40MP, triple-lens camera. But the P20 needs some love too. After all, had Huawei not introduced a Pro model alongside of it, the P20 would certainly be a proper successor to the P10.

Read full article @ Neowin

HyperX Cloud Flight Review

Here's something we've all been waiting for: HyperX finally made a wireless gaming headset! It's called the Cloud Flight and aims to not only continue the legacy of its excellent wired brethren, but to also be the best wireless gaming headset on the market. Does it deliver? In more ways than one!

In a long line of excellent gaming headsets made by HyperX, there was one thing missing—a wireless model. We can only speculate on why it took them so long to release it, but the good news is that they finally have. It's called the HyperX Cloud Flight, and with a price tag of $160, it openly goes up against some of the best wireless gaming headsets currently available on the market, such as the SteelSeries Arctis 7 ($146). Topping a fantastic headset like that is an ambitious goal for sure, but HyperX is certainly capable of pulling it off—they're one of only a few manufacturers that essentially don't have a bad product in their gaming headset lineup.

Read full article @ TechPowerUp

Linux fragmentation

Cogito Distro Sum. On a philosophical note, this article discusses the severe fragmentation in the Linux desktop distribution world, the unnatural non-hierarchical development model, the clash of egos, and more. Take a look.

If Tom Clancy had been a technophile of the software kind, he'd have used this title instead of the familiar one for one of his iconic blockbuster thrillers. The thing is, Linux accounts for a tiny percentage of the overall desktop market share. The perennial 1% has been around roughly since 2005, and even if the actual share is higher than that, it's still a small and largely insignificant fraction. And yet, there are hundreds of Linux distributions populating this narrow, crowded arena. Why? Well, ego, of course.

Read full article @ Dedoimedo

MSI Vigor GK80 Gaming Keyboard Review

Well, I can definitely say the MSI Vigor GK80 Red Gaming Keyboard is among some of the best I have ever used. The keyboard is a solid beast that responds with grace and precision. There was not one time using the keyboard I felt fatigued or that I got frustrated using it. There are a lot of keyboards that come close, but I really feel that MSI hit a home run with the GK80 keyboard. The responsiveness is spot on when I am playing games and when using it for long hours for work I never felt like I had to take a break due to a strain on my hands and wrists for typing.

Read full article @ OCC

Need for Speed Payback Review

The long-running Need for Speed series has been given a new addition with Need for Speed: Payback. The game is traditionally published by EA, and it is the second in the series that runs on the Frostbite engine. Does that automatically mean that your video card operates at full speed?

Few racing games have such a long history as Need for Speed. The series has never really presented itself as a racing simulator, and with Payback EA is once again making it clear that it is focusing on fun, entertainment and accessibility. In this latest Need for Speed, there is an open game world, which requires the processor and memory performance to load different parts and keep on streaming while you are moving around in the environment which can be quite taxing.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Philips Hue Wellner lamp with Apple HomeKit Review

If you're into its style, the Philips Hue Wellner lamp can be a decent way to way to expand an existing Hue setup, but it's not much good to people who haven't invested -- or plan to invest -- in the ecosystem.

As a rule, smart bulbs are usually sold on their own or in kits with other bulbs, sometimes as part of a package with a control hub. Manufacturers presume that you already have a lamp or other fixture to screw them into. Philips has a huge lighting division, though, and it makes sense that they would be able to sell you both products at the same time. Enter the Hue Wellner, nominally a one-stop solution for smart lighting. Included is a lamp and a Hue White Ambiance bulb.

Read full article @ Apple Insider

Qnap TS-228A Review

An affordable entry point into the world of NAS. Network-attached storage has become a sought-after addition to today's connected home, and we've often stated that once you become accustomed to the versatility of a NAS, you may wonder how you ever lived without. But there have been some stumbling blocks along the way. Earlier models weren't particularly user friendly, the hardware tended not to be a stylish addition to the home, and pricing remained prohibitive.

How times have changed. For 2018, Taiwanese manufacturer Qnap has updated its award-winning range with the addition of the entry-level TS-228A. Currently available for just under £150, this dual-bay box helps demonstrate how NAS has expanded its reach from the knowledgeable enthusiast to just about anyone who owns a computer gadget or two.

Read full article @ Hexus

Reolink Argus 2 Wire-Free Security Camera Review

If you are like me, you might not have heard of Reolink previous to this article. In fact, my only other interaction with Reolink was back in 2016 when I reviewed their RLC410 PoE camera. I think its safe to say after two years- they have made some waves in the home security pool, bringing in Argus a competing wire-free solution to the ever popular Netgear Arlo. That said, Argus has come and gone and now Reolink is back with Argus 2.

If we just look at the hardware specifications, the Argus 2 is impressive for a wire-free solution. It takes advantage of the Sony Starlight Sensor with Full HD 1080p resolution. This is a fixed lens camera with a 130-degree viewing angle and Passive Infrared sensor with a motion detection range of 9 meters or 30 feet and IR range of 33 feet. The camera includes built-in microphone and speaker for two-way audio, microSD slot for onboard recording and micro USB for charging the battery.

Read full article @ TweakTown

Trailblazers Review

Trailblazers has been described by Supergonk, the game’s developers, as “F-Zero meets Splatoon”. As you can see, this game certainly has cars in it, just like F-Zero, and there’s definitely paint on the floor, just like Splatoon. The general idea is that in teams of two or three, you paint the track while racing, giving your teammates a trail that boosts their car. The paint does not fade away, but it can be painted over by your rivals. You can attack rival drivers by sending all your paint forward in one straight line, forcing your opponent to drop their combo and lose all of their momentum.

Supergonk wants players to team up with their friends as they coordinate together to create a continuous trail throughout the track. Certain characters boost further on the track when their car touches a paint trail, whereas other characters have much more paint at their disposal to place on the track. In theory, this is a nice idea, but come on now, how often does the AI or even random players online ever stop to discuss strategies? I mean, it happens in some games but I don’t think this is going to ever become a normal thing to do in a racing game.

Read full article @ Wccftech

Watercool Heatkiller IV GTX 1080 Ti Water Block Review

Watercool and its Heatkiller series of custom water components are well known for being some of the best in the world when it comes to performance and design. We give its Heatkiller IV water block for the NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti a good once over, and come away very impressed. Quality and performance all in one package.

Watercool is a well known company inside enthusiast computer hardware circles. The company is known for engineering and manufacturing some of the finest cooling loop products in the world, bar none. Today we are looking at its "HEATKILLER IV for GTX 1080Ti - ACRYL Ni-Bl," which is of course its Heatkiller IV water block for NVIDIA's GTX 1080 Ti Founder Edition video card with an acrylic glass face, and a nickel plated cooper cold plate with a black cover. Watercool has brought over some of its features and design elements from previous versions but has refined the version IV a bit in terms of better cooling.

Read full article @ HardOCP