Category: Analysis

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Top 5 Cloud Storage Providers of 2022

Cloud Storage has evolved from a niche perk to an essential contingency, particularly with companies making the move to more hybrid/remote workflows. Some cloud storage providers are more popular than others, due to the fact they are integrated into popular ecosystems (think Android, ChromeOS, iOS/MacOS, Windows.) But does the market share of these services reflect the fact that they are truly the best on the market, or is it bulit-in convenience? Here we explore the most popular (and powerful) Cloud Storage service providers and their feature set – to see which offers the best bang per buck. in Alphabetical Order):

Google Drive

One of the more popular products on this list, Drive is possibly the most used – being integrated in Google’s ecosystem. It comes with 15GB of free storage, linked to your Gmail account. This space is shared between your emails in Gmail,pics and vids in Google Photos, along with whatever you saved in Drive. Though its widespread use is mostly due to it being an extension of the Internal storage on Android and Chromebook devices, many companies and individuals have raised concerns around privacy. The storage capacity can be upgraded through paid subscription tiers, ranging from 100GB for $1.99/month to $49.99 for 10TB/month.

Features:

  • File storage, sharing, and access from any device
  • File streaming directly from the cloud to Mac or PC
  • Offline access to files
  • Shared team drives
  • Google search technology for files
  • Cloud-native collaboration apps (Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides)
  • Collaborate on Microsoft Office files without converting file formats
  • Supports over 100 file types
  • Integrates with dozens of tools and apps like Adobe, DocuSign, Salesforce, Slack, and more
  • Desktop app and mobile app
  • Access from Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices
  • 128-bit SSL encryption

Get Google Drive

Dropbox

Dropbox is the oldest product on this list, and the one that inspired companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft to get into the Cloud Storage game. It’s collaborative and file sharing features make it a popular, near-standard in the workplace and it edges out cloud services lied to big Tech ecosystems with top-tier encryption.

Dropbox uses stronger encryption to keep stored files safe with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption — the same encryption standard used to protect top-secret data. (Google Drive only uses 128-bit encryption for example)

Dropbox has three subscription tiers: Standard, Advanced, and Professional – which prices range from $12.50/month to $20/month for the Advanced.

Features:

  • Cloud file storage and backup
  • File sharing and large file transfer
  • File recovery and version history
  • Document collaboration and editing through Dropbox Paper
  • Syncing across devices
  • Password sync and storage
  • Desktop app and mobile app
  • HelloSign eSignatures
  • Integrates with tools like Zoom, Canva, Slack, and more
  • Access from Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices
  • 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption
  • Priority email support

Get Dropbox

iCloud

Apple’s cloud service isn’t as available on third-party platforms as much as the others – pretty much Apple devices and the Web. It allows users to store data such as documents, photos and music on remote servers for download to iOS, macOS or Windows devices. It also enables to share and send data to other users. It is also helpful to manage Apple devices if it is lost or stolen. It was launched in 2011. While it offers some of the lowest fees in this list, the price to value ratio is lower than the others – due to being more or less unavailable outside of Apple’s walled garden of products

Features:

  • -Seamless Integration with Apple devices
  • 5 GB free storage space
  • Low cost fees for additional storage
  • Up to 600GB monthly bandwidth/traffic limit

Get iCloud

OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service, and its tight integration with Windows assures it has a massive user base. It gives the convenience to users for storing files, personal data and for sharing files. It offers 5 GB free storage space. It was launched by Microsoft in 2007. It is mostly used by professional workers to store the data related to work which might need more security.

Features:

  • -Seamless Integration with Windows devices
  • 5 GB free storage space
  • Remote Uploading
  • File Versioning
  • Upload files up to 100GB in size

Get OneDrive

pCloud

The most secure cloud storage provider on the list, pCloud is a relative newcomer that has apps for every major platform, including Linux. It offers up to 10GB of free storage, and is also the only provider on this list that offers a lifetime subscription for a one-time purchase.

Features:

  • Up to 10 GB of free storage
  • Ability to sync from popular online services
  • Unlimited transfer speeds -Custom Branding Links
  • Embedded Music player (Sorting by artist, album; Shuffle; playback);
  • -Share link customization (expiration, password protection, upload/ download privileges);
  • Rewind to older file versions;
  • Easy to use
  • Unlimited file sizes
  • Client-side, zero-knowledge encryption
  • Innovative lifetime plans
  • US & EU Servers
  • Desktop folder backup included

Get pCloud

Conclusion

While all of the products on this list are reliable and robust, Dropbox and pCloud offers the more agile and cross-platform services – while Apple, Google, and Microsoft’s cloud storage are mainly extensions of the Internal storage on their own branded devices. Google Drive and Onedrive is a bit more open and available on other platforms than iCloud, but those are still edged out by Dropbox. pCloud takes the crown, edging out Dropbox by a slight margin with features like Branded Link Sharing, 30day file revisions, Client-side zero encryption, and the ability to buy a lifetime membership, which makes it the only Cloud service provider to allow you to buy Cloud storage outright.

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Top 5 Apps for Online Banking in 2022 (USA)

Similar to the transportation, communication and media industries that have been usurped by catalytic innovations in tech – Banking firms seem to be on the cusp of some huge transformations.

That being said, the world of financial transactions and digital banking is already changing. There are newer platforms dominating the current landscape, leaving older banking institutions who couldn’t make the digital pivot quick enough to complete with more agile, modern banking apps – in the dust.

We’ve tested, reviewed, and compiled a collection of the best banking apps available today. Read below and find out which banks we think land in our top 6.

Best of Old Guard

5. Capital One – One of the OGs that’s been around for decades, Capital One has made the transition to online banking the rather smoothly. Online Banking is one of the stronger sides of the Cap app, and it also lets you to keep track of your credit score with its Creditwise platform.

4. Chase Bank – There’s a Chase in every neighborhood, with over 4,700 branches and 16,000 free ATMS around the world. If you are deeply vested in Chase’s platform – you are in good company. Although using one of the higher ranked digital platforms as a transaction buffer would be a smart practice.

Honorable Mention

Bank of America – One of the better retail banks with high-ranked customer support, Bank of America has done a decent job making all of their financial tools accessible from within their mobile app. A decent business banking option as well.

All Digital, No-Fee Banking Apps

3. Cash App

Many people use Cash App to send money to friends and family, and it’s probably the most popular app on this list for that purpose. It’s also the the most used by meta-panhandlers and scammers as well, so tread lightly. A lot of people get got for they’re hard-earned money on this platform – generally older, less tech-savvy people who link an account from one of the brick and mortar traditional banks; only to find out they do not consider such transactions unauthorized.

Outside of that, Cash App is probably to the most used digital platform today for regular consumers. What many don’t know is Cash App also let’s you invest in stocks and cryptocurrency. Pioneer of account handles (like twitter or instagram user names for accounts), and no-fee transfers, Cash App is a decent gateway buffer for transferring money digitally.

2. SoFi – You be earning more money in for time with SoFi Checking and Savings. You’ll earn up to 1.00% APY and pay no account fees. Another interesting thing about SoFi, is you have the ability to invest in public companies, cryptocurrency, and link account a from other banks to manage your entire financial portfolio in one app. Another interesting feature is SoFi powers Samsung Pay, so setting up a Samsung Money checking account automatically sets you up.

Get a $25 bonus when you sign up for SoFi, and an additional $100 bonus when you set up direct deposit.

https://videos.files.wordpress.com/z3rZRkWU/img.mp4

1. Chime – Chime is a full-service banking platform with Checking and Savings accounts – along with their Credit Builder platform integrated in one account. Deposit funds with your Chime card fee-free at any CVS or Walgreens, and qualify for up to $200 in overdraft funds with the SpotMe feature when you get direct deposit.

While Chime has no physical branches, 24/7 customer support is available- and they have one of the most flexible transaction reversal programs I’ve ever experienced.

Free cash deposits, robust account linking through Plaid, and a highly effective Credit Building secured card with every account – gets Chime the #1 spot on our best banking apps for 2022 list. Sign up for an account and receive $15 using the link below!

Earn $15 when you sign up for Chime, and $100 when you receive a qualifying direct deposit!

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3 Reasons why the iPhone Mini is better than last years Mini

Many people regard the iPhone as the best smartphone of all time. While many smartphone (Android) users may beg to differ – there’s no denying the iPhone 13 is the best iteration yet. It also has a “mini”, which matches the regular version spec for spec except for it’s size.

Although the iPhone 13 mini is the second gen of it’s kind, there are rumors that it may be the last version of the “smaller option iPhone”. We don’t know how valid those claims are, but if so it’s a darned shame – because we have three valid reasons below why the iPhone 13 mini is the best compact smartphone of all time.

1. Sharper Display

The 13 mini has an 2340×1080 display with pixel resolution at 476 ppi compared to the normal 13’s 460 ppi. So the 5.4 inch display of the 13 mini is a bit sharper than the 6.1 inch screen of its larger sibling. It also has the same OLED Super Retina XDR display that comes in the iPhone 13, Pro, and Pro Max.

The Super Retina XDR display of the iPhone 13 mini has a higher display resolution in the iPhone 13 (regular).

2. Much-Improved, flagship tier battery life

The iPhone 13 mini has 1.5 more hours battery life than the iPhone 12. Yes, you read that right, which definitely amounts to around 3 hours more than the 12 mini. That’s a major year-by-year improvement – while not exactly up to the standard of longer lasting flagships like the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S21 Ultra. Nonetheless the 13 mini has more the enough stamina to last a full day.

3. No-compromise flagship features

The iPhone 13 mini isn’t a stripped down version of the regular 13, it matches spec for spec – so it’s essentially the same phone in a smaller package. That means you get the same A15 Bionic processor, same camera tech,etc. with the only compromises being the display and battery size.

The same Ceramic Shield screen, IP68 water resistance, wide and ultra-wide camera lenses, etc. If you’re someone with small hands, or you have big hands but already own an Android phone with a big display (like me) the 13 mini is the perfect compliment. There aren’t many current Android phones with a screen smaller than 6 inches in the same tier as the iPhone 13 mini.

Do you think the iPhone 13 mini is the best one-handed smartphone of all time? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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3 reasons why the Pixel 6 will change the Android ecosystem for the better (Opinion)

The Pixel 6 represents the beginning of a new horizon for the Android ecosystem. Up until now, Google allowed smartphone manufacturers the freedom to create their own flavor of the OS since it came to market.

All that has changed with the Pixel 6, which touts Google’s very own 1st gen Tensor SoC chip – and their Machine Learning and AI computational prowess. Let’s take closer look into 3 reasons why I feel the Pixel 6 is the beginning of the end of the iPhone and Galaxies Duopoly is the US.

That tradition still continues until today, with Google taking a open-source approach to licensing Android, they have always tried to present a streamlined option in their Pixel brand of smartphones. Although limitations on in-house engineering and a dependence on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors held them back from competing toe-to-toe with Apple’s iPhone and their in-house A-series mobile processors

1. Really Smart Phone Features

There are features exclusive to the Pixel 6 that are actually quite useful.  Direct My Call, detects when you are calling a toll-free number where Google Assistant takes over the call and transcribes the words of an automated system in a messaging interface and allowing you to take over the call once a live agent is on the phone. A similar feature, Call Screen – gives you the option to let Assistant screen calls from numbers that aren’t saved in your contacts.

Pixel 6’s Call Screen

It hasn’t been announced if these features will eventually be on other Android smartphones through Google Assistant, but there is a big possibility once newer exclusives are added to the Pixel through feature drops.

2. Enhanced Google App Ecosystem

Google Assistant, Chrome, Drive, Duo,l Gmail, Keep Notes, Maps, Recorder, Search, YouTube… the list goes on. As Google continues to optimize apps in the Pixel ecosystem with Tensor-powered ML and AI abilities, these features are almost certain to be added to apps that are available on other Android devices – and maybe even the iPhone.

Some Pixel-Exclusive features like the Magic Eraser in Google Photos have been proven to work in other Android devices when sideloaded, meaning that it’s possible if Google decides to flip the switch on universal Android availability.

Google Photos’ Magic Eraser feature is a Game Changer.

3. Longer Android Update Support

The typical update schedule for Android smartphones varies, depending on the tier of the device and the manufacturing OEM. Samsung and OnePlus are two of the quicker companies to update their devices when a new version of Android is available. Other companies, not so much. As the owners of Android, no other company matches Google’s update schedule for the Pixel. Google has the opportunity to match Apple’s 5 year minimum iPhone support commitment – now that the Pixel 6 has it’s own in-house SoC. This should cause a trickle effect, prompting the other OEMs to step their update game up, starting with collectively pressuring Qualcomm to support their Snapdragon processors longer.

These are just 3 reasons why the Pixel 6 will change the Android ecosystem for the better. Feel free to leave your comments and let me know what do you think?

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5 Best Alternate Search Browsers for Daily Use

The harsh reality of using “free services” from Big Tech

Has Tech entities become so intrusive into our digital lives, that we need to re-consider our computing habits?

The somewhat good

Looking for an alternative search browser? With all of the new information available that reveals the tracking and spying nature of electronic devices and services offered by big tech companies, there is a surge of interest occurring amongst the more savvy computer users. Many are realizing that all the benefits that come with the customized feeds on Facebook, news articles on Google or detailed routes on Google Maps – come with huge trade offs on user privacy. Often times these “free services” come at the expense of you becoming the product, with your data being sold to the advertisers.

While there are a few companies that strive to ensure you have access to secure computing, there are basic practices one must consider to be certain your browsing and search queries stay private. Many people use popular search engines like Google and Bing for addresses to restaurants, public landmarks and vacation sites. This information is then categorized in a “digital dossier” and attached to user accounts, which companies utilize two-fold. One way Big Tech uses this info, is to serve the user curated personalized content suited to an individual’s personal interests. The other is this selling this information to the highest bidder for advertising purposes.

The not so good

Your likes and dislikes, preferred foods, spritual beliefs, political ideologies and more (Google Search); Your line of work and casual interests (Downloads from App Store, Play Store, etc.); And even your place of residence, work location, your children’s daycare and/or school location, even your daily routes (Apple/Google Maps). While modern technology offers a convenience never seen before today through the cohesive “ecosystems” offered by Big Tech; It doesn’t take a colorful imagination to see how these Technologies can go awry.

Even researchers using popular search engines are at disadvantage, due to huge corporations burying facts under complex algorithms for business, political, and National Security instances.. For example  in ‘Baidu Sensors the Internet in China – so do Microsoft, Google and Apple’ article on Wired (link below) it stated, “Chinese tech companies such as search engine Baidu and social media platform Tencent block Tiananmen-related posts and pages to comply with the country’s authoritarian internet rules. Some US companies do their bit, too. Apple and Microsoft censor information in China as a condition of accessing the country’s lucrative but circumscribed population of more than 800 million netizens.” (1)

The Alternatives

  • Brave – is a web browser that ‘blocks ads and trackers that slow you down and invade your privacy’. Touts itself as being up to 3X faster than Chrome – and awards users for browsing.
  • Duck Duck Go – Probably the most popular option on this list, Duck Duck Go is an anonymous search engine that focuses on reducing tracking.
  • Ecosia – The environmental-centric search engine, Ecosia uses their profit to plant trees
  • Startpage -Startpage’s site subtitle is “the world’s most private search engine”. It promises Un-profiled search results, no trackers or cookies, and no saving, sharing, or selling your data.
  • Tor – The Tor Engine, is a browser that features Multi-Layered Encryption, using advanced techniques that make it difficult for users to be fingerprinted based on browser and device information. Endorsed by Edward Snowden, Tor is used by journalists and activist worldwide to ensure secure communications.

While these services are available through web browsers on any device, you can maximize your privacy and security by purchasing ethical computing products by companies like Purism – who use open source, auditable software and Operating Systems. The Librem 14 is laptop powerful enough to serve as a desktop replacement; Librem 5 is a secure, privacy focused smartphone that’s a viable alternative to the mobile duopoly (iPhone and Android); While the Librem Mini and Librem Server cover the spectrum of ethical computing – from home media center to business cloud infrastructure. System76 is another noteworthy brand that is worth considering if you want to ensure you have modular equipment with auditable source code.

Overseas business practices aside, Apple’s devices are the most popular products that are known to prioritize user privacy and digital rights, although it can be argued that the OS and software can’t be audited like Open Source products can. Also, with the recent issues surrounding Apple’s iCloud service (2), it can be argued that entities holding more sensitive information – like governments, security agencies and private businesses – can no longer afford to have their sensitive data stored on a third-party cloud infrastructure. Maybe it’s time for individuals to consider the alternatives as well.

References:

  1. https://www.wired.com/story/us-companies-help-censor-internet-china/
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/02/15/when-imessages-arent-private-government-raids-apple-icloud-in-a-dark-web-drug-investigation/?sh=10a39b1117ab
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Going Open Source: Making Music with LMMS on a Purism Laptop

Oh, yeah… it’s about to get real….

For the majority of 2020, we have been doing a lot of research at Labfreq – in regards to Big Data, user data flow, and the overall mass surveillance and monetization of our activities, interests, and browsing habits. As you know, there has been quite a bit of hoopla in the press about how Big Tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google earn their money off of horded user data to some degree or another.

While this is a deep rabbit hole that will take some time to cover, most likely over the span of several articles – and we most certainly will address the elephant in the room – User Privacy and Security is at stake. But for now I want to start off on a topic a bit more digestible to our reader base: Content Creation on Linux using Open Source software.

I have been doing a bit of grassroots R&D with a company called Purism, and their CEO Todd Weaver and CTO Kyle Rankin. While discussing how their devices – the Librem line of products – can deliver a quality experience with Top-Notch hardware running Linux without compromising user rights; The question most important to me that rose to mind was,” What type of compromise would someone who usually depends on proprietary software have to make in the name of User Rights, privacy and security?

So I set out on a mission to discover the answer, could I make the transition to Linux on Hardware endorsed by the FSF (Free Software Foundation) and give up the Pro Tools, FL Studios, and Abletons’ for good?

The Open Source LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio) has 75% of the features of commerical software – for free

While I don’t quite have the answer yet – I will have at least an idea shortly – as I am currently testing out laptops from two PC manufacturers who ship laptops and desktops with their own Linux distros: System 76 and Purism – to see if that task could be achieved.

I recently published an article on Purism’s site, the 1st video in a three-part series – PureOS for Creatives. I spent a week wrapping my head around LMMS – Linux Multi Media Studio, which is music production software that is open source and available for free (on all OSes by the way), before I attempted to make a track from start to finish. If you’d like to check out the article, you can find it here. Or if you’ve had enough words for now, you can check out the video below. Stay Tuned.

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LG Gram wins CES 2019 Innovation Award

Looking for a light and thin 14 inch ultrabook weighing in at just 1118 kg.? LG’s Gram just may be the device for you.

The 14 inch 2 in 1 convertible model of the LG Gram

What makes this years model so interesting is that it manages to set a new record in mobility without compromising on battery life or power.

LG Gram 14 specs

  • 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Converts to 14” tablet
  • Includes Wacom AES 2.0 Pen
  • 72Wh Lithium Battery (up to 21 hours)
  • 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD

LG Gram 17 specs

  • 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor
  • Windows 10 Home
  • 17 Inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS Display
  • 72Wh Lithium Battery (up to 19.5 hours)
  • 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD
  • Thunderbolt™ 3 Interface
The LG Gram 17”

The LG Gram 17 is the lightest laptop with it’s screen size ever and was also an Innovation Award nominee while the 14 inch 2-in-1 took the award home.

We will be keeping an eye on the world’s lightest laptop and providing more info once we get our hands on a review unit.


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Music Streaming Royalties

pt. 1: Earnings Breakdown

There has never been a time that I’ve worked with other artists, from every level and stage of development – when a conversation about royalties and how they are earned wasn’t welcomed.

One of the most confusing aspects of getting paid in the music industry, is and has always been Royalties. Not to mention the multiple avenues that royalties come in: Mechanical, performance, synchronization fees, and print music (which is pretty much nonexistent in urban music like Hip-Hop and EDM). Now here is a 5th element to add to the mix, Music Streaming Royalties.

Music Streaming royalties come from digital outlets like Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Tidal,etc. who share a percentage of monies earned from ad revenue and/or subscriptions with artists,labels and rights holders. Besides the fact that there isn’t a set amount you can expect from a stream- each store pays a different amount- there are many other factors that can determine what to expect. Are you signed to a major label or an independent artist? Exclusivity to a specific digital store? What about the minimum streams you have to get (monthly) in order to earn minimum wage? The good folks over at SoSouth gathered the 411 into a easy-to-understand chart table that you can take to the bank below:

 Music Stores Unsigned Artists (Indie) Signed Artists (Major) Total Users (Millions) % of free users Plays Needed to earn min. wage ($1,472)
Napster $0.0167 $0.0190 5 0% 90,000
Tidal $0.0110 $0.0125 4 72% 130,000
Apple Music $0.0064 $0.0073 27 0% 230,000
Google Play $0.0059 $0.0068 10 50% 250,000
Deezer $0.0056 $0.0064 16 57% 260,000
Spotify $0.0038 $0.0044 140 57% 380,000
Amazon $0.0036 $0.0040 66 0% 368,000
Pandora $0.0011 $0.0013 81 81% 1.2 million
You Tube $0.0006 $0.0007 1,000 99.9% 2.4 million

 (List ranking digital stores from highest compensation per stream to lowest)

We hope this chart simplifies digital music streaming, and how artists are compensated. There have been many times an artist, confused by the myriad of terms and algebraic formulas on their report sheets – leading to someone on our staff to have to explain the way MSR’s (music streaming royalties are calculated – for the 110th time! This article was written with the hopes to rid all parties involved of the frustration of not knowing what to expect, and putting unnecessary strain on business relationships in the process.

Remember, music streaming royalties aren’t collected by traditional performance rights agencies like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC – you have to register with Sound Exchange to collect your Music Streaming royalties.

And remember who put you up on game,Labfreq!

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Hi-Res Music & Audio : The New Recording Standard

Every 25 years or so, the medium for the mass-production of audio gets upgraded to the next big thing.
From the Phonograph which played tin cylinders (1877), to the Gramophone (1900) , which played glass, zinc, and eventually plastic flat discs/records; From Vinyl, which didn’t hit the scene until 1948, the cassette tape that made it’s debut in 1962, to the first commercial Compact Disc made available in 1982- the search for better audio quality transmission has never ceased.
For decades, the standard audio resolution for releasing commercial music has been CD quality – which has a default sample rate and bit depth of 44.1 kHz / 16-bit. Today, with new recording and playback equipment, as well as the arrival of music subscription streaming companies like Tidal- it has become more viable for artists, producers, aggregators, and record companies to release music at higher resolutions. Now, it is possible for consumers to hear studio quality music – music equal to what the artists, producers, mix and mastering engineers hear on devices they carry with them every day.

    

Hi-Res Audio allows up to 6.5X the data transmission as CD-Quality recordings.

For the Up and Coming and established recording artists alike, it’s essential to know that most record companies require the delivery of hi-res masters because they recognize new opportunities to monetize better sounding music. It is also helpful for musicians/producers/artists to get in the habit starting off recordings at the highest resolution possible, so as to future-proof their work.

In this article, we’re going to provide some tips along with a checklist of must-know information about how to take advantage of the current advances in audio.

These are the two logos that audio professionals need to get familiar with, as they let you know when recording and playback of high resolution audio/music is possible.The Hi-Res Audio logo is exclusive to hardware – such as audio interfaces and Monitors, even smartphones and media players. Seeing this logo assures you have the necessary equipment to capture audio at resolutions higher than CD quality. The Hi-Res Music logo applies to music that is delivered at a resolution higher than CD quality. Any production done at 48 kHz/20-bits, digital conversion of an old analog master, or a CD that gets remastered to 96 kHz/24-bits or higher qualifies for use of the logo.

Hi-Res Audio Device Examples

Now you just can’t go around using any device to capture audio and expect it to meet requirements for Hi Res Audio, you have to make sure your equipment is certified for Hi-Res Audio- and the gap from entry-level to elite is wide so choose wisely.

Recording: Most Audio Interfaces today come equipped to record audio at the highest resolution possible, so even without use of the new Hi-Res Logo you can be assured you can set your interface to record as high as you’d like.

                                                 

Anything from the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 (retail price $29.99) ,the TASCAM UH-7000   (retail price $199),

to Universal Audio’s Apollo 8 ($1,799 retail) will get the job done.

Playback: These devices allow you to enjoy music at the quality that the Artist, musician, and engineer intended for the listener to.

DENON M41DAB ($700 retail) – Regarded as the latest and greatest from one of the most trusted brands in Hi-Fi Systems, you can rest assured that you will get an accurate representation of the music you listen to.

LG V20 ($369-599 retail) One of the first smartphones to come with a dedicated quad-DAC, allowing for truly studio-quality recording and playback. This LG V20 is acclaimed for its pristine audio recording and playback capabilities.
 

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series 256GB High-Resolution Digital Music Player is one of the more expensive options for playback- with a retail price slightly north of $3,000- which might go to better use than being spent on a gold-plated Walkman.

Tips to remember :

  • To capture Hi Res Audio, Always start off at the desirable sample rate 48 kHz/196 kHz and at least 20-bit. NEVER let the audio signal go below the chosen resolution (from recordings to exports) to ensure true hi-res music.
  • Make sure all engineers, producers and mastering studios are all on the same page as far as chosen resolution is concerned.
  • If you want your songs in Hi-Res format, NEVER convert your files to lossy compressed formats !

Twitter: @trizzaygetem

Instagram: @trizzaygetem

Facebook: trizzaymusic

*Article Originally Published on SoSouth.com

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LG G7 ThinQ Hands On

If you hadn’t noticed by now,I have an affinity for LG’s flagship smartphones. From the  camera lenses to the Audio recording features, LG has made professional-grade content creation tools the focus for the last two to three iterations of it’s G and models. As if the 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad-DAC wasn’t enough, a few new Audio enhancing features have been added to it’s latest and greatest flagship device the G7 ThinQ.
Aside from the Hi-Fi Audio that doesn’t kick in unless you have pair of headphones plugged into the (still present) 3.5mm jack, LG is
touting it’s new Boombox speaker that amplifies audio when the phone is placed on a flat surface. By turning the space behind the speaker and battery into a resonance
chamber, LG is claiming a 39% bass enhancement over last year’s G6.

Wrapping up the sonic goodies, DTS:X Audio brings “spatial sound, so audio sounds as if it’s coming from all directions even overhead.”
While this makes for great movie and gaming sessions (I played round of PUBG and could sense the location of others by the sound of
their footsteps), I found DTS:X made audio files sound muted and dull.

On the image front, Dual 16MP rear Cameras offer wide angle lenses as the main feature opposed to a telephoto lens to support
(useless imo) Portrait Mode, and much improved 8MP front facing camera. (Although Portrait Mode is feature for both the rear Cameras and selfies)
Even the screen is touting new technology an, 6.1 QHD Super Bright M+LCD Display which
gets up to 1000 nits in direct sunlight for up to 3 minutes.
The specs run in line with what you expect from a 2018 flagship, Snapdragon 845 processor,64GB of internal storage SD card slot, and 4GB of RAM.
I will be taking the G7 through its paces for
bit, and get back with a full review of the
device shortly.
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