Bucket Tech: Klipsch T5 || True Wireless 2 Mclaren Sport Edition

Last week many on my Twitter or Instagram saw me in a Zoom meeting with the Lando Norris of McLaren F1 Racing team but no one knew why, today I can reveal to you it was because of the launch of Klipsch all-new racing inspired wireless headphones, the T5 Gen2. It was my first Zoom online launch and quite honestly I was just keen to see what Klipsch were offering, so the whole thing with Lando joining us was a complete surprise to us all! It was pretty cool though as he talked about his first podium finish in Formula One and took us for a virtual walk around the garage at Spielberg race track but obviously the main thing was the product which was being launched, the T5 Gen 2. Having owned a pair of wired Klipsch headphones before and just recently purchased the T5 wireless headphones, I can confirm by myself that these products bring to you unrivaled sound quality, comfort and brilliant battery life so with the new Gen 2 True Wireless earphones it could only get better. 

The purpose of the launch was also to announce Klipsch official partnership with the McLaren F1 team as their official headphone and portable audio partner. The two companies have collaborated to combine McLaren's unparalleled ethos and technical innovation with Klipsch's legendary high-fidelity audio and unparalleled comfort. The result is the Klipsch T5 ll True Wireless Sport McLaren edition earphones, engineered for extreme performance and designed to sty dry and in place through anything life throws at them. 

Compared to the first gen T5 True Wireless, the Gen 2 is smaller, sleeker and has a wider range or comfort bud sizes to fit your ears with half sizes now coming along with it. So no longer just small, medium and large to fit into your ear canal, thus giving you a snug fit and ensuring that you will not have an issue of one falling out while you're doing your workout. The earphones feature a new signal boost antenna which delivers a high-quality seamless Bluetooth wireless connection. The T5 Gen2 are IP67 rated which make them dust and waterproof and they come in an attractive brushed metal case that holds up to a combined 32 hours of battery life with the earphones have an 8 hour battery life. The McLaren Sport edition comes in a case that is finished in carbon fiber. Both cases have a wireless charging base. 

You will be able to control just every aspect of the T5 ll True Wireless earphones from the Klipsch Connect App which is available for both Android and Apple devices, so you can calibrate and equalize to the perfect sound for your enjoyment. The app also gives you access to a quick start guide and troubleshoot as well as battery status of the earphones. Overall the T5 ll True Wireless headphones look like a winner if you're looking for a good set of wireless earphones, the McLaren Sport Edition are a must if you're using them for training and with the added customized look to them it makes them an even more attractive purchase. Also the McLaren Edition comes with a free wireless charging pad. 

Key features of the Klipsch T5 ll McLaren Sport Edition True Wireless Earphones

• Dust and water-tight earphones and case (rated IP67) with moisture removal system ensure earphones remain dry.
• Six pairs of patented Klipsch ear tips, one pair of comply memory foam ear tips, and three sizes of no-budge ear wings ensure a customized, comfortable and secure fit. 
• The case charges via USB-C or wirelessly with the included on-position wireless charging pad. 
• Up to 32 hours of battery (8 hours in the earphones)
• Best-in-class acoustic performance and four beam forming microphones with clear voice chat.
• A seamlessly designed anodized metal signal-boost exterior antenna. 
• McLaren's hallmark Papaya Orange and carbon fiber accents, special edition brand book and serialized metal card of authenticity. 

Recommended Retail Price for the Klipsch T5 ll True Wireless earphones are 199€ thile the McLaren Sport Edition the Klipsch T5 ll True Wireless are 229€.

Bucket Tech: Lenovo ThinkBook 13S

It's strange times we find ourselves in, while working from home was more of a norm for a select few, 2020 made this a reality for many with the lockdown regulations enforced by Governments around the world. Many thought it wouldn't be possible to do their jobs from home but here we are, halfway through the year and we're still managing. Technology has played a pivotal role in helping us achieve this, from high-speed internet to the devices we use. Gone of the days where you need high powered, big bulky desktops to work on as now most of the world's most powerful computers are either your handheld mobile devices or notebooks. Yes, the notebook has come on in leaps and bounds over the years and while many require it for its portability, it's becoming quite the norm in offices spaces too. 

Last week Lenovo sent me their new ThinkBook 13S to use while I worked from home, having an Ultrabook of my own, albeit 7 years old already I was keen to see what the new generation of these devices had to offer and I was pleasantly surprised. Lenovo has been in the market for as long as I can remember and their products have always been some of the best out there in terms of affordability and reliability, catering for every type of consumer. So testing out their highest end product was going to be fun. The ThinkBook 13S is catered for the professional who is on the move, needs something small, light and limit the use of plugging into charge. Yes, while I understand that presently we're not allowed to move a lot, no one said you cannot move around your house while working. 

The design of the ThinkBook is pretty much the same as any other notebook but with the 13 inch screen it makes the overall package very compact and easy to carry around. Weighing just 1.4kg's it won't make you break a sweat as well. It's an eye catching product, as its finished in a metallic all-aluminium chassis and the FHD display has a narrow bezel finish giving you more screen to device ratio, measuring in at just 5.5mm. The screen also includes dramatic Dolby Vision, with high dynamic-range technology for increased brightness, expanded contrast, amazing colours and more refined detail which is very evident when watching Full HD videos on it. Also with this, looking at the screen for longer periods doesn't strain your eyes like other screens would. Being one that types alot, I was glad to see that the keyboard had large buttons, almost bigger than your normal desktop keyboard. This made typing a breeze, as with normal Ultrabooks, they do tend to make the keys slightly smaller to accommodate other parts of the device. The keyboard also features hotkeys making it quicker to work as well as a finger print reader on the power button so it knows its you switching it on, no need for passwords and logging in there after. 

When it comes to processing, the ThinkBook 13S is class above the rest, with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7, along with a 256GB SATA SSD as well as 16GB of RAM, this machine flys from start up! Booting in just 0.5 seconds and performing the most difficult tasks with ease. I mainly used it for blogging, browsing and watching online content as this model didn't come with the any pre-loaded office type software but I did manage to work on some web-based office documents and found it pretty easy and straight forward. The major talking point about the ThinkBook though is its battery life, with an 11 hour battery capacity from a single charge, it comes with a Slimtip 45W charger which is pretty sufficient but there is a rapid charger as an optional extra 65W Rapid charger which can charge the device up to 80% in just an hour, which would give you about 9 hours of battery life. 

Ports and slots, the ThinkBook 13S has 2 x  USB-B (3.1) and 1 x USB-C, an HDMI 1.4b, a Headphone/ mic combo port and the AC adaptor port. It supports USB-C Dock as well as Hybrid USB-C.  Connectivity wise, it as WLAN 11ac 2x2 as well as Bluetooth 5.2. While it being great for business use, I found myself using it more for entertainment use, and the audio on the ThinkBook is great, it has Dolby Audio and 2 x 2W Harman speakers, the mic as dual-array noise cancelling, so it is optimized for voice recognition on Microsofts Cortana, yes you can give the device all sorts of commands just by speaking to it! Overall, I've been quite impressed by this little device, while it may be small, it packs a punch and has a hell of a stand by time. I found myself logging it everywhere I go in the house as it was that easy to carry around. Also another thing that seems to be an issue with devices like these are the cooling systems with the fans normally working over time when unplugged, apart from this one being so silent I never heard it often while being in use. It certainly is one of the better devices in its category at the moment and well worth it. 

Tsogo Sun: Golf Reef City Casino Hotel

When I tour the country for various events, the most important part of the trip is my accommodation, because nothing can compare to a good night's rest in place that you're not only comfortable but with staff who are always helpful to assist when need be, which is why I am loyal to the Tsogo Sun group, no matter which part of the country I am, their establishments set the bar for hotels and leisure. 

This past weekend while in Johannesburg for the Ultra Music Festival South African leg, the kind folk at Tsogo Sun Gold Reef City Casino Hotel hosted me for the weekend. Before I could even arrive to the hotel on that that Friday I already knew I was in good hands, and for that I must say special thank you to their communications manager Devashini Govender for arranging my stay and ensuring all was well while she was on leave. Not often you will get people going out of their way during their time off to assist you. 

Gold Reef City Casino Hotel is situated just a few minutes outside Johannesburg CBD, it boasts casino, multiple restaurants, kiddies entertainment area and a movie house. The hotel has just gone under a massive renovation with certain areas still getting their final touch ups and I must say, after last visiting when I was a kid, the place has transformed and grown into something spectacular. Gold Reef City is themed around the Johannesburg Gold Rush just like it's sister hotel across the road at the Theme Park which we stayed at the last time. So a lot of of it follows the American Western style decor. 

A massive fountain with golden Springboks leaping through greets you at the entrance of the Hotel and Casino complex and you enter into a massive triple volume atrium. The lovely staff at reception ensured my checking in was quick and efficient with one of them accompanying me to show to my suite. I was staying in one of the bigger suites at the hotel, the coffee and tea station greeted me in the foyer of the room, with the dressing room and walk in closet to the left, that led into the massive bathroom with a free standing tub, shower and toilet. The size of the bathroom was bigger than some hotel rooms I've stayed in!

The bedroom had a massive King Size four post bed, with a lounge area equipped with sofa's and a large screen LCD TV and bar fridge. A nice welcome gift from the hotel's GM stood next to my bed, a bottle of bubbly on ice, and so the celebrations of the weekend kicked off in style. The hotel area of the casino is only accessible by lift and is strictly for guests only so if you're staying there, you don't have to worry about any one making their way up. Security is of utmost importance at Gold Reef City, so much so I didn't even make use of the safe in my bedroom as I know my room was secure. 

Being a working trip, I had to get some admin done while I was at the hotel, for this the Hotel provides free WiFi for all their guests, with a simple easy way to log in and super-fast speeds. If I were busy and didn't have time to visit one of the many restaurants and take out's downstairs, a full eat in menu was available for me from the hotel. anything from a simple sandwich to butter chicken and rice was on the menu. With great variety like this, I pondered whether it was really worth my while leaving my luxurious room and venture around?

Although I was there for Ultra, I had some time to explore the complex, the Casino being the focal point of Gold Reef City is situated in the middle and boasts a host of slot machines for your fancy and for the more hands on gamblers, a range of tables are on offer for you. Whether you're a Roulette man like my self or Black Jack is more of your game, it was all catered for. There is given quite a sizable smoking Casino just behind the main gambling floor. Enough about what the adults can do, the kiddies entertainment is well catered for as well. There is a 10 pin bowling area where the whole family can partake in some fun, gaming area as well as the newly opened movies which has an amazing clock feature in it's foyer resembling an old train station, as well as a time table board which mimics one from a station as well. 

The walkway around the Casino has restaurants that suite any palette, from a cafe type bistro of Tsogo Sun's very own Vigor & Verve, to authentic Indian cuisine at The Raj, maybe some Portuguese Peri Peri at Calisto's or if you're in a mood for a great steak, Boston BBQ is your place to dine at. Other restaurants include Back to the Moon and everyone's favourites Ocean Basket and Spur Steak House. If you're in the mood for a quick bite, the food court has a range of popular take outs for you with adequate seating area for all. 

Chicken Malai Tikka starter at the Raj

Being on the road for a few days, I was missing my curry so settled in for lunch on Saturday at The Raj, it's situated at the entrance to the undercover parking complex. After being greeted and seated by our waiter, he gave us a run down on his preferred choices off the menu. we eventually settled for the Chicken Malai Tikka starter with Lamb Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken for our mains. Every thing we ordered was delicious, so much so we ditched the utensils and opted to eat the authentic cuisine the way it was meant to be eaten, with our hands, just so we could lick our fingers at the end. 

Lamb Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken main with garlic naan

The good food doesn't stop there, guests at the hotel enjoy their breakfast served at the Vigor & Verve Cafe, where they can chose something of the menu or help them self to the extensive buffet on offer. From a selection of hot foods, to pastries, fruits and cereals, it had it all and was a life saver after partying till the early hours of the morning at Ultra. After day one I opted for the buffet, which did not disappoint, after day two I wanted to sample something off the menu and being a lover of toasted sandwiches, I settled for the V&V Club Sandwich. It was a toasted chicken and mayo with bacon and egg, it more than hit the spot.

Overall, I couldn't fault one thing during my stay, apart from the luxurious room and great facilities, the staff of Gold Reef City Hotel must be commended, whether it was the guys at check in, to the security guards, everyone was friendly, helpful and always had a smile on their face. It shows that they not only enjoy what they do but are also proud to be working at Gold Reef City and it's that added extra which makes your stay that much more worth while, to know you have a team of dedicated personnel who take pride in what they do and are ever ready to assist. I will definitely be paying them another visit, maybe this time I will have better luck on the tables!