Bucket Tech: HONOR 70 at IFA 2022

Global technology brand HONOR today reaffirmed its commitment to international markets during its IFA keynote presentation, titled “Embracing the Connected Future.” During the event, the brand announced a new Dual Flagship Strategy to bring the next foldable and all-round flagship smartphones to Europe and other international markets. The brand also previewed MagicOS 7.0, an upcoming all-scenario smart collaboration OS based on Android as well as PC and IoT operating systems, embracing open standards to facilitate seamless collaboration among smartphones, tablets, PC and other IoT products. Bolstering its innovative product portfolio, HONOR introduced three new products: HONOR 70, HONOR MagicBook 14 and HONOR Pad 8, the first HONOR tablet available outside of China. All three products are set to arrive in select European markets in the coming weeks.

Bringing HONOR Talents to the global stage, HONOR also unveiled Gateway to the Future, a global initiative piloting in Hamburg, Germany with the aim of inspiring creative talent from all around the world to use the power of technology to connect people with culture in the era of the metaverse.

“Since our inception, HONOR has always aspired to make great contributions to the industry to enable a better future for all. To achieve that goal, we’ve stayed laser-focused on our commitment to innovation,” said George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co, Ltd., “With the introduction of our Dual Flagship Strategy, MagicOS 7.0, Fitness and Health solution, we look forward to providing compelling options to European and international consumers who are seeking the best foldable smartphones and the most premium user experiences on the market.”

Embracing the Connected Future with New Dual Flagship Strategy and MagicOS

As a global technology, HONOR has always strived to innovate with purpose and deliver user benefits that matter. For the first time, HONOR will be introducing its foldable smartphones to international markets. Announced during IFA 2022, the Dual Flagship Strategy will see HONOR bring its upcoming foldable flagship smartphones and all-round flagship smartphones to Europe and other regions around the world.

HONOR also unveiled MagicOS 7.0, a new OS designed to provide seamless experience across the cross-platform, cross-device experiences. It is based on Android as well as PC and IoT operating systems, so devices running different OS can connect to MagicOS devices at a system level. Alongside new user interface changes, MagicOS 7.0 will let users control an HONOR laptop, smartphone and tablet using a single keyboard and mouse. Through the feature, users can drag files across devices seamlessly, as well as type text into the smartphone or tablet with their laptop keyboard. MagicOS 7.0 will be officially announced in Q4 2022.

In line with its commitment to contributing to the wider industry, HONOR announced that the brand has joined various IoT consortiums including Matter and Ola, helping to formulate common industry standards that promote open collaboration. In addition, the new HONOR Developer Service Platform will provide direct support and services to developers. Among the many services available, developers can submit their apps into App Market and Game Center through the platform. It will also provide developers with access to various system capabilities for them to develop cross-device features for HONOR device users in the future. Interested developers may visit the following site for more information: https://developer.hihonor.com.

Further signifying the brand’s commitment to cross-device functionality, HONOR is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to bring Phone Link to international HONOR device users. Previously only available to HONOR device users in China, Phone Link lets users connect select HONOR smartphones to Windows PCs to unlock new cross-device capabilities, including the ability to view notifications, make and receive calls on their PC and use mobile apps on Windows. The HONOR Magic4 Pro is among the first international HONOR smartphone models to support Phone Link, while the HONOR 70 will also support Phone Link following an OTA update.

Furthermore, from October, the upgraded HONOR Health app will provide personalized custom user interfaces and offer fitness suggestions and training courses according to user habits, helping smartphone users to achieve their health goals.

Introducing HONOR’s Spatial Audio

Announced during IFA 2022, HONOR’s Spatial Audio solution is designed to enable headphones to produce wide, cinematic 3D sound effects that create the sense of immersion required for next-generation AR and VR experiences.

At its core, HONOR's Spatial Audio is designed to deliver surround sound and 3D audio through headphones by using the accelerometer and gyroscopes in earbuds to track the motion of the user’s head, remapping the sound field to bring users an immersive and delightful audio experience in all scenarios such as movies, music and games. And by means of the algorithm, the changes of sound on its way from the source to the listener's ear can be simulated. These effects include localization of sound sources above, below, behind and in the front of the listener.

HONOR's Spatial Audio is the first to support sound externalization distance adjustment, providing users to dynamically adjust the distance of virtual sound sources from 0.15 to 10 meters to suit a more personalized listening experience.

Introducing HONOR 70 to Global Markets, a Vlogging Masterpiece

Designed for vlogging enthusiasts, the HONOR 70 is HONOR’s latest addition to its high-end N Series smartphone line up. The stylish device debuts with Solo Cut mode, which lets users easily produce vlogs that spotlight a specific person in a group through built-in Person Re-identification Technology. With Dual Video Streaming, HONOR 70 can record two videos simultaneously, with one featuring a single subject and the other capturing the full group.

Capturing high quality vlogs is easy with the HONOR 70, thanks to its powerful Dual Main Camera that comprises a 54MP IMX800 Super Sensing Main Camera with a large 1/1.49-inch IMX800 Sensor and a 50MP Ultra-Wide & Macro camera. The new smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus 5G and supports GPU Turbo X and OS Turbo X, delivering smooth performance and a responsive experience across a range of heavy-duty tasks, including video editing for vloggers who are always on the move.

In recognition of HONOR 70’s excellent user experience, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awarded the smartphone the EISA BEST BUY SMARTPHONE 2022-2023 award. EISA is an expert community comprising over 60 of the world's most respected consumer electronics magazines, websites and social media commentators from 29 countries.

The HONOR 70 is the first HONOR N Series smartphone to run HONOR Magic UI 6.1 based on Android 12.  HONOR 70 5G + (Redcore 1 GB) – is available in South Africa now on sale. You can get it from Vodacom at the price of R749 with 24 months of installments, or at R579 with 36 months of installments. Available in premium colors Crystal Silver and Midnight Black. With the purchase consumers also get a chance to get R500 accessory voucher. The device is also available through MTN in the hero color the Crystal Silver and comes with Mega Talk/Gigs XS at a price of R799 with 24 months of installments, or R549 with 36 months of installments. Through MTN consumers can also avail 2000mAh power bank as a gift. Both versions come with Google Mobile Services.

Enabling Premium Audiovisual Experiences with HONOR Pad 8

The HONOR Pad 8 is an affordable all-round smart device catering to the productivity and entertainments needs of students and young professionals. The new HONOR tablet combines a 12-inch 2K HONOR FullView display featuring a screen-to-body ratio of 87%[2] and support a resolution of 2000x1200[3] pixels and 1 billion colors with eight built-in loudspeakers to deliver immersive multimedia experiences on the go. Running HONOR Magic UI 6.1 with Google Play Services, the HONOR Pad 8 packs a high capacity 7250 mAh[4] battery for all-day connectivity, allowing users to stay connected at all times.

The launch of the tablet represents the completion of the brand’s global product portfolio; consumers in select Europe and international markets will soon have access to every HONOR smartphone and IoT product series, marking a new milestone for HONOR.

Step into the Gateway to the Future

As a brand, HONOR has consistent investment in Spatial Audio, AI and AR technologies, to unlock immersive experiences and  get ready for the next digital revolution.

Unveiled during HONOR’s IFA keynote session, Gateway to the Future is a new HONOR Talents initiative designed to enrich cultural heritage through the power of technology. In collaboration with ARLOOPA, HONOR challenged two renowned artists – Yunuene and Timo Helgert – to creatively reimagine the iconic Wasserschloss building located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The AR experience is now live on-location in Speicherstadt, and is also available for users to view at home via the ARLOOPA app, offering smartphone users a new way to discover cultural treasures through immersive AR. The campaign video is available here:

HONOR Talents: Applications for Interactive AR Artwork Category Now Open

Complementing the initiative, HONOR has introduced a dedicated Interactive AR Artwork category as part of its HONOR Talents global design competition. Within the category, contestants are invited to produce digital AR artworks which creatively transform their neighborhoods, including digital overlays for buildings, walls, parks, and other public spaces, helping to get communities closer to culture. Artists interested in the contest can find more information here: https://www.hihonor.com/honor-talents/en/

HONOR also partnered with the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in China to create a new AR artwork titled INFINITY. The phy-gital experience showcases an artistic interpretation of the universe, which the creative team comprising CAFA faculty members and students use as an analogy to promote intercultural dialogue. The art is available at HONOR’s IFA booth through the ARLOOPA app.

Bucket Seat: Audi Q5 40 TDI Quattro S Line

When it comes to the SUV market, the influx of late has been a lot to take in, apart from the various new segments being introduced especially in the compact market, the new brands coming in are making a once relatively sparse segment flooded with options for the consumer. One of the long standing models being the medium sized SUV still remains to be a big favourite for larger families as it offers a spacious cabin, powerful engines and great versatility for whatever the task at hand. One of the long runners in the market for this has been the Audi Q5, with stiff competition coming from either one of its German rivals, the Q5 has always managed to hold its own in the market and provided a handy alternative for many at a slightly cheaper price than its rivals. With Audi's TDI engines stealing the limelight in the past decade, this was always a major draw card with the Q5 and there after advancements in the TFSI petrol engines also sparked interest with the consumer and as we usher in a new era with electric powered vehicles in Audi's e-tron stable, the Q5 still remains an integral part of the Audi family until they go full electric. I spent some time with the revised Audi Q5 40 TDI recently and here are my thoughts on the car. 

DESIGN

With the introduction of the Q5 Sportback, one would think the appeal for the regular one would lessen but credit to Audi, while most of the changes on this revised model does mirror on to the Sportback model, this one still looks great. The new headlights featuring Audi's new LED matrix lights give it quite that modern futuristic look. The grille has seen some cosmetic changes as well with having a more edgy outline and thicker border finished in brushed aluminum, the hatches in the inside are bigger and add to the bolder presence. This particular model was in the S Line guise which featured a front mud guard finished in brushed aluminum and C shaped clusters to house the side fog lamps. Side profile of the car is much the same of the previous mode but with the S Line trim you get a side step and side sill finished in aluminum too. The new 20-inch, 5-spoke Flax style rims in the Black Matte finish are from the options list and gave the car that extra sporty look. Moving to the back, the lights also received the new matrix LED treatment and had the welcome sequence like the front when unlocking and locking the car. The interior is pretty much the same in terms of design to the old with the only major difference being the larger infotainment screen. 

PERFORMANCE

As mentioned, the TDI engine from Audi was quite a popular engine on the market, apart from its solid performance and fuel efficient figures, the reliability on them was second to none. It's no different with the latest versions as well, the Audi A5 is offered in the 40TDI variant only with only a choice of trims for the car that differentiate it. Power output on this 2.0L Turbo-Diesel engine is 140kW with total Torque of 400Nm with the claimed fuel consumption of 5.5L per 100km. So still a pretty strong showing for fuel economy and while my time with the car saw my driving be a bit rash for most periods, I still managed to average around 8.1L which pretty impressive for a car this size and the distance I covered. The road handling on the car is impressive, given that is has four-wheel drive with Quattro, it managed to navigate its way around quite well and seeing that I happened to have this car over the flooding period in KZN, it made going to site quite entertaining, while it isn't a fully-fledged off-roader, the Q5 managed its own in some tricky situations. 

COMFORT

Whoever spec'd this car deserves a high-five, Brilliant Black on the outside with a crispy white interior that is contrasted well by high-gloss black finishes with silver trimmings adorned the cabin. The Q5 comes with a three-zone climate control system that has dual zones for front passenger and driver with the rear occupants getting their own controls for them. The larger infotainment screen features Audi's latest MMI interface and Audi Connect services to provide live traffic updates, weather reports on your location and various other Audi services. The car like other models has built-in mobile apps and can be operated wirelessly. There is an optional wireless mobile phone charging tray and the Q5 does come with USB B charging ports for front and rear passengers. The seats are very comfortable and support you well while driving, there are optional electric adjustable and have two memory settings. The virtual cockpit instrument cluster negates the need for a heads-up display but it still is listed in the options list should you prefer it. What I like about the navigation view, is that it offers satellite imagery from Google Earth as an overlay which is pretty cool. There are various views you can switch to while driving displaying relevant information. The ride quality and comfort is great and with little road noise in the cabin, that can be easily drowned out by the 755 watts, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System which is a R15,500 extra that I would tick when ordering one. 

VERDICT

While the Audi Q5 Sportback might be more appealing in the visual sense, when looking at practicality and functionality, the normal Q5 still comes out trumps. The extra space and comfort experienced in this great and with the offerings in the cabin, it just makes better sense for a large family to get into one of these. While the options list can go on, the right ones are well worth the extra money, even me a person who isn't too fond of sunroofs loved have the large panoramic glass sunroof, it allows so much natural light into the cabin with the curtain open that it makes you want to keep on driving. The safety features and driver assists on the Q5 are quite helpful, it would have been nice to have the option of having a surround camera system like many of their competitors as the Q5 only comes with a reverse cam with front and rear PDC's. Overall, a well put together car that is bound to keep the loyalist happy. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L TDI
Gear Box	S Tronic Automatic
Torque	400Nm
Power	140kW
0-100km/h	8.1 seconds
Price	R958,100*

*Base Price

 

Monday Choon: Florian Paetzold - Easy

The weekend after the Durban July is always a struggle, partying in the nations warmest city during winter is always a blast but I use the term "warm" very loosely as the temps were much higher than the other cities but still bitterly cold! It's time to kick off the new week with a slightly chilled and mellow track from Florian Paetzold, called "Easy". The German DJ from Osterwieck isn't that well known but he has worked with some big names in the business by remixing tracks by Jyau & Albert, 

Micar and PHIL to name a few. Released via Spinnin records, Easy is doing pretty well on the Beatport charts and the official music video just dropped last week. 

                   

Euro 2016 Preview

Being South African, we get all the feels in June when it comes to football, tomorrow see's 6 years since we successfully hosted the FIFA World Cup in our beautiful country, fast forward to today and after a seriously of allegations and arrests, many of the FIFA hierarchy that were involved then and now in hot water over corruption scandal but that's not what the purpose of this blog was for, tonight the UEFA Euro 2016 kicks off in Paris, France and see's the giants of Europe go head to head in what should be a thrilling tournament. 

The first game sees hosts France up against a team many tip for second place in their group, Romania. Albania and Switzerland make up the rest of the group, so the hosts seem to have got them self a fairly easy opening stage of the tournament. 

For most groups they seem pretty well balanced but there's always the one Group of Death and that for me has to be Group D with Spain, Czech Republic, Turket and Croatia, all of which are capable of causing massive upsets. It's bound to be a tight affair with Spain not playing at the same level as they were 6 years ago, although they remain favourites to top the group. 

Another interesting group to keep an eye on is Group E, which features underdogs Belgium, whilst they are tipped to take top spot in the group which also features Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden, the bookies don't think Belgium has what it takes to go all the way. They have a star studded team with many players whom feature in the English Premier League and many rate them as their favourites but it remains to be seen if they can do it. 

The money is on Germany though, they find themselves in Group C which features Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland. Seems pretty straight forward but don't write off any of the others, we all know what Ukraine are capable off and tournament debutantes Northern Ireland will have a point to prove in their first appearance in the continental competition. 

England find themselves in Group B, whilst everyone feels they should secure top spot, their other opponents, namely Russia, Wales and Slovakia will try to upset this notion. England with Roy at the helm have had a fair bit of luck in qualifying for the tournament and while people are taking bets on when England will get knocked out, many are keen to write off the stigma that is normally associated with the Three Lions, they squad, is young and full of talent and maybe this could be their year?

Finally Group F, another one that should be straight forward with Portugal looking to finish in the lead after the group stages, who will follow behind them is a tricky one, many tip Iceland but Hungary and Austria will have something else to say about that. One things for certain though, when Portugal eventually get knocked out, we will see Cristiano crying on the field. 

2015 Frankfurt Motorshow

In it's 66th year running, this years Internationale Autombil-Ausstellung, better known as the Frankfurt Motorshow has again played host to some remarkable reveals in the motoring world. Being Germany's premier motorshow, giants such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the VW Group compete for the best stand at the show. 

This year with multiple launches taking place it was a difficult one to call, visitors to the show all agreed that the Mercedes-Benz stand was probably the best but interms of showstoppers, it had to be the VW Groups with new models being launched by Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Audi and VW themselves. 

We've selected the cars that caught our eye over the past few days, at the show and summarised it in this post. 

We start off with Bentley, who have decided to join the SUV market with their new Bentayga. Odd looking thing but even more odd is that it works. First delivery is said to be going to her magesty the Queen of England, wonder if she'll pimp it up. 

Honda brought their new 2&4 concept, no idea whats the thinking behind this one. Similar to the Ariel Atom and the KTM XBox its a single seat, open cockpit racer. It's nice but doubt it will see the production line

Next up, Alfa Romeo, the darling of the Italian car market. Their new models are as rare as a blue moon which is why many were quite excited by the arrival of the Giulia, this week at IAA they released a much meaner version called the Quadrifoglio. It's not going to scare the likes of the M3 or C63S but it's a nice variant to have in the market. 

Not much more can be said about this car, it's truly a magnificent piece of engineering by the Bavarians, with more gadgets than inspector gadget and a neat disappearing act by parking itself in the garage on its own. It's got a big task to unsettle the Merc S Class but it has the ammunition to do it.

What's a motorshow without a sexy Ferrari? The 488 GTB Spider is just that. I mean look it, its brilliant!

Porsche unviled their latest four door car with a spark, the Mission E is the beetles take on electric cars, could be the next Panemerra? 

After 50 years or so, Bugatti have finally brought a new car to a motorshow thats not a Veyron! Okay maybe not 50 years, say 49 years. The Vision GT is a pure bred racer, not only does it look fast but you can bet your bottom dollar it is fast!

Lamborghini lifted the covers off two new arrivals, the Huracan Spyder and the Aventador Supervolce Roadster. Both epically good looking cars and both accompanied but some fine ass ladies. Well Played Lamborghini, well played. 

Merc brought 3 show stoppers with them, first being the new C Class Coupe with the range topping C63S, that car looks menacing! The much anticipated S Class Cabriolet was also on display, it almost looks like a yacht on the road but the main talking point from Mercedes-Benz was their Concept IAA (Intelligent Active Aerodynamics) car. It's a first by the company as it is their first functional autonomous car. A car that can drive itself. Not sure how I feel about that now, I buy a car because I want to drive it, not for me to be driven in it. 

Bucket Seat: Mercedes-Benz C63S Coupe

Before I begin, can we please have a moment to just sit and admire what has been created by the engineers at Affalterbach. 

Okay, thats enough for now. Seriously the new Merc C63S AMG Coupe is one seriously good looking car, following the lines of its bigger brother, the S63 AMG Coupe, the car is almost a miniature version of it. I still think the S does look better but it would be more heavier as well. The C-Class Coupe is small, would be more agile and lighter than the S and thus provide endless amounts of fun for the driver. 

Mercedes-Benz released both the C-Class Coupe and C63S Coupe way before the start of the Frankfurt Motorshow, guess they were too excited to show the world their marvelous creation and decided to screw formality and release it anyway. This model is in direct competition with the BMW M4, and on paper, it looks to have it beaten but like the previous model duals, paper and track is two very different things. The AMG will be made available in two variants, the C63 and the C63S, with a 50Nm of torque being the difference. There's also a difference in wheels, tyres and dynamic engine mounts. 

Both AMG's come fitting with the beastly V8 and on the S model has a 0-100 time of 3.9 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the M4. The car is a visual master piece and will go on sale in March next year. No indication yet on the pricing for SA market but I'm sure it won't be that much different to the Sedan. I can see many prospective sedan buyers holding back to wait for the coupe after this, it really is a stunning vehicle and the sounds....well hear it for yourself. 

                     

Bucket Babe: Vivienne Waibel

We're halfway through the year already and deep in the clutches of winter, as the country prepares for another cold spell to hit our shores we've been working endlessly to scour the land for the hottest ladies to feature and to warm us up. Today's featured beauty is from the Cape but has German heritage. She is extremely qualified and from that is very passionate about education to our countries less fortunate. She has a soft spot for animals of all kinds and shapes, and currently obsessed about Nutella. She sounds like our kind of girl, here's more about her.

Vivienne Waibel

Bio

I am originally from Germany but my mother side of the family is South African. I went to school in Joburg and after that completed my Honours in Developmental Studies at UCT. Currently, I am doing my Masters in Health Economics. If I had to choose between a baby and a puppy, I would choose a puppy. I love animals and I have a horse back home in Germany but really I love any kind of animal, ranging from horses to snakes, to snails... lol. I am also modelling and have just come back from an overseas trip to India. Modelling overseas is such an adventure! I would recommend ti to anyone that has got the opportunity to go. I was lucky to have an amazing agency in India, "TOABH" which made the culture shock a very pleasant experience. In Cape Town my agency is Faith Models and they are amazing, I love each and every single one  of my bookers. I am not very domesticated at all and urgently need to learn how to cook, I most survive of Pasta, Nutella pancakes and fruit, hence I certainly don't believe in low carb myths. To compensate for the carb overload, you can find me at the Yoga Life in De Waterkant where I try to hang out most days of the week. During my time at UCT I also actively participated in the SHAWCO outreach programme, where I taught High School children. I firmly believe in Mandela's quote: "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world"! And I wish our government would do more to give every child the opportunity to receive the best education possible.

During my teaching experience, I found that while so much emphasis is being placed on Maths and Science skills, a lot of the students actually struggled with a language barrier, coming from a Xhosa, Zulu, or other African language background. As a result, a lot of them struggle to understand complex concepts in Maths and Science when they are being taught to them in English. Thus, one of my personal goals would be to find an outreach program that teaches kids Maths and Science skills in their mother tongue.

 Links

Instagram: @viviennewaibel

Q&A

1. Hot girls and hot cars go hand in hand, what ride would you like to see yourself in?

• Anything that is not on the top 10 most hijacked car list. However, if I really had to choose, I would go for the Aston Martin DB9, I find the design beautiful!

2. What sandwich are you most likely to make for me? and will it be toasted or plain?

• My latest obsession is Nutella, so I will make you Nutella and Banana toast.

3. Everyone loves popcorn (well I think they do) what is your topping/ sprinkle of choice?

• Butter and salt is over-rated! I would definitely go for M&M's. In Germany frosted popcorn is quite big, I'm not sure why it's not available here (hint hint ster kinekor and nu metro)

4. Dream cover shoot?

• That's quite a tough question, there are a whole lot of magazines I would like to be on, from Vogue to Harpers Bazar, but let's keep it local, Cosmopolitan SA.

5. If given a choice, full time model or full time executive, what would you choose?

• I'm going to say a mixture of both. Both have their ups and downs

6. Growing up you must have had someone you aspired to be, so who is your role model?

• My mom. She has inspired me from day one and I can be a fraction of the person she is I would have succeeded in life.

7. Anyone holding that hand yet? or is it available?

• I'm engaged! So excited for the wedding =D

8. Obviously being a female you would love fashion. Favourite label/ designer?

• My closet consists of Zara & Topshop. But my favourite local designer is probably Gavin Rajah.

9. What type of music gets your booty shaking?

• Robin Schulz, "Shake it off!" (Taylor Swift) haha!

10. Which city is your dream party destination?

• Of late I've been having the best nights in London ("Cirque le Soir" in Soho) and Goa (India) made for a few memorable nights too, but my dream destination for partying will have to be New York. It has both the chic and urban kind of nightlife, so it will allow for a nice change up every now and then.