Roidmi EVE Plus vacuum robot with LDS & extraction station surfaced

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Roidmi is known as a premium manufacturer of battery vacuums like the NEX 2 Pro from Xiaomi’s ecosystem. The step towards the first own vacuum robot is a logical one. With the EVE Plus, Roidmi goes straight for the latest technologies and features.

• Roidmi EVE Plus vacuum robot

There is the Roidmi EVE with and without “Plus” in the name. However, the “Plus” only stands for the additional extraction station. So if you order EVE with extraction station, you will get the “EVE Plus”.

Technical data: Comparison to Roborock S5 Max

	Roidmi EVE Plus	Roborock S5 Max
Suction force	2700 pa	2000 pa
Navigation	Laser room measurement	Laser room measurement
App	Xiaomi Home (Android, iOS) or Roidmi Cleaner (Android, iOS)	Xiaomi Home (Android, iOS) or Roborock (Android, iOS)
Operating Volume	n/a	50-65 dB
Battery	5200 mAh	5200 mAh
Dust chamber/water tank	0.3 l/0.3 l (electric)	0.46 l/0.29 l (electric)
Working time	n/a	2.5 h
Charging time	4 h	5 h
Weight	3.6 kg (extraction station: 2.7 kg)	3.5 kg
Dimensions	35.0 x 35.0 x 9.8 cm	35.3 x 35.0 x 9.65 cm
Inclinations	20°, up to 2 cm	20°, up to 2 cm
CE marking	expected yes	Yes
Features	Mapping with map storage selective space division No-go zones and zoned cleanup Alexa and Google Home control	Mapping with map storage of three floors selective room division No-go zones and zoned cleanup Mopping function with no-mop zones and electric water tank Carpet detection (increases suction power)

To the top with the extraction station?

The American manufacturer iRobot dominates the market with extraction stations, but it also costs a lot. Meanwhile, the top dog in this field is getting more and more competition from the Middle Kingdom. Ecovacs, Proscenic, Viomi… meanwhile, most manufacturers have an extraction station in their program or offer it as an option. Functionally, they all differ only marginally, but some at least have a display, like the Roidmi EVE.

The display of the extraction station reminds us of that of the Xiaomi air purifiers.

Extraction stations are charging stations and “emptiers” of the dust chamber in one – automated. When the robot drives to the station after its cleaning, the battery is charged and the contents are sucked out of the dust chamber. The whole procedure can reach a volume of 80-90 dB, which most people consider “unpleasantly loud”. For comparison, we humans converse at an average volume of 60 dB.

Despite the top-mounted display, this extraction station won’t offer much more options than other extraction stations either, but simply looks more visually appealing as a result and offers one or two pieces of information, such as battery level. The 3-liter potential bag capacity, which you then have to replace after about 30 cleanings, is also average.

How the station works

The pre-sale price of around $400 is almost ridiculously low for a robot with a station like this, so what’s the catch or is the price still going up? Let’s take a look at the other features of the first Roidmi robot.

Two apps for control

For a long time, we puzzled over why Roidmi developed an app specifically for this purpose, when they only made battery vacuum cleaners. Now, however, it seems like wise foresight: The Roidmi EVE can be integrated into the in-house app Roidmi Cleaner (Android, iOS) in addition to the Xiaomi Home App (Android, iOS) that we are well familiar with. Those who already own a few devices from the Xiaomi universe will have already integrated quite a bit in the Xiaomi Home app, which is likely to make more people opt for the Xiaomi Home app. Unless, of course, the Roidmi app offers more features.

The app control allows you to divide your four walls into different rooms on a virtual map.

The fact that a virtual map of the premises can be accessed and used in the app is related to the laser spatial measurement using the laser distance sensor (LDS). This is the most precise type of navigation, but it also works differently in gradations depending on the LDS.

The room division works automatically and also allows you to set working times for each room.

It is not possible to say exactly whether Roidmi developed the EVE Plus itself, often the manufacturer Roborock is behind Xiaomi’s vacuum robots. However, it can be assumed that the LDS comes from the Xiaomi/Roborock factory and accordingly the laser room measurement should also work well. Unlike the Xiaomi and Roborock models, however, it works with two rotating brush heads on the bottom.

The laser room measurement is extremely precise.

Continued cleaning and wiping function

A total of 18 sensors are installed in the new Roidmi; however, there is nothing about an automatic carpet detection (and that would be it if available). But there is mention of continued cleaning. When the Roidmi EVE Plus detects that the battery is running low (usually at 20%), it autonomously returns to the charging station, recharges the battery and continues cleaning at the spot where it last worked. There is no exact information on the working time (yet), but this smart feature definitely makes the EVE Plus suitable for premises above 250 m².

The EVE Plus can vacuum and mop at the same time. For this purpose, an attachment with a microfiber cloth is attached to the underside of the electric water tank. The robot automatically recognizes that it should mop. The amount of water that drips from the 0.3-liter water tank onto the cloth can be set in the app in increments (presumably low, medium, high).

Outlook and assessment

It stands and falls with the price, which does not seem to be completely clear at the moment, after all, there is only a pre-sale price of around $400 at Geekbuying so far. If this remains, the Roidmi EVE Plus with extraction station is a highly exciting price-performance device. Unfortunately, we also know from experience how pre-sales are and that the starting price tends to go up. The EVE Plus is definitely interesting, but it lacks the aha effect, the unique selling proposition, the innovation. Where is a new exciting feature? You’ve already seen everything somewhere that you see here on the Roidmi.

Sure, the most important features of high-priced models like selective room division and the electric water tank are included, but is that enough to secure a firm place in the market? As of now, it lacks the buying appeal – at least in my opinion. After all, extraction stations are no longer a highlight at the end of 2020.

Do you like the fact that Roidmi is now also involved in vacuum robots?

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The warming vest - against a frozen neck or back ❄

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Anyone who has gone outside these days will have noticed that it has become quite cold. Whether it will stay that way or become even colder, we cannot yet say. Fortunately, there are ways to survive the day in the fresh air despite the icy cold. Some people like several layers of clothing (the so-called onion principle), others help themselves with the first mulled wine. With the warming vest you save both and can keep warm on cold days. Then you don’t need warm thoughts anymore.

Stay hot on cold days

There are many different versions of the vest, prices range from 20 to over $200. The model here from Amazon consists of quilted down. It is available in sizes M to XL. According to the manufacturer it is also wind and waterproof. At first sight a completely normal vest. But inside it has two heating zones in the area of the back and the neck, which are made of carbon fiber. This should ensure a good and constant heat conduction. The two heating zones are operated by a 5 V / 2.1 A power bank. However, this is not included in the price and scope of delivery. This powerbank makes it possible to heat up the carbon fibers in three different heating stages.

Heating stages

Heating level	Temperature	Effect
Level 1	25 °C / 77 °F	efficient temperature control
Level 2	35 °C / 95 °F	pleasant temperature control
Level 3	45 °C / 113 °F	warm temperature control

Operation

The button on the left breast can be used to switch between the three heating levels. This button is illuminated by LEDs. By the different LED colors you can also differentiate between the different levels:

• Violet/ level 1
• Blue/ level 2
• Red/ Level 3

If you spend a lot of time outside in winter, whether it’s for work or a vacation, you can use this to keep warm throughout the day. The muscles do not get cold and you have no problems after a cold day in the fresh air. Of course you should use a full powerbank so that you stay warm long enough. Maybe it is enough to heat the vest for a short period of time and then use the heat for a while. If you don’t have a reasonable powerbank you can also ask us for different models.

Not everyone has problems with the weather, but those who have notorious frostbite will be happy about any help to keep warm.

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Concept smartphone with roll display in hands-on

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In November 2020, OPPO presented several new technologies and concepts at the OPPO Inno Days. The highlight was the OPPO X 2021, a concept smartphone with a retractable or rollable OLED display. OPPO Germany has now invited us to Düsseldorf and we were the first in Germany to take a first look at the OPPO X 2021. Is this the future?

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This is a video from our german YouTube channel. You can turn on english subtitles, which are automatically generated.

Rollable instead of foldable

After several manufacturers have already presented foldable smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 or concepts like the TCL Slide, it is now OPPO’s turn. They have introduced the OPPO X 2021 smartphone with a retractable display. The smartphone’s display diagonal increases from an already large 6.7 inches to a proud 7.4 inches via a “swipe”. This almost turns the smartphone into a small tablet. In practice, this should enable better and above all clearer multitasking. Especially for YouTube videos or movies, you simply have more space and a different aspect ratio.

This is triggered by a swipe gesture on the smartphone’s casing frame, which causes the integrated OLED display to roll out. If you swipe up, the screen extends, and if you swipe down again, the screen retracts. Rolling out works very well in practice, even though the fingerprint sensor does not register every swipe movement. When it detects it, the screen rolls out completely. If you hold the X 2021 a bit tighter, the mechanism refuses and retracts again. In advance, we had the information that the display does not have to extend to the full 7.4″, but that it can also be stopped at 7″, for example. However, this could not be confirmed to us and we unfortunately could not try it out on site. Extending and retracting takes not quite three seconds.

The big disadvantage of foldable smartphones are the creases that are caused by folding the smartphone. That is almost completely eliminated in this concept smartphone from OPPO. If you look closely, you can see a slight “crease”, but that is only visible from a sharp angle and when the display is turned off. However, this is much more pleasing than on the foldable smartphones.

How does the OPPO X 2021 feel?

We only had about 30 minutes with the OPPO X 2021, but the concept smartphone feels surprisingly finished. It’s a bit thicker overall than a Xiaomi Mi 11 smartphone, for example, and kind of reminded me of the MAZE Alpha smartphones from a few years ago. It’s also far from an outdoor smartphone, yet the bezel around the display is a bit wider on all sides.

Due to the retractable display, OPPO had to develop a dynamic case frame that enlarges with the display. The gaps for this are visible, but at least they were well concealed on the bottom and back.

Only on the upper side can you immediately see that the edge is split. However, the diagonal on the back makes it look more like a design element instead of a necessary construction. It is also interesting that the USB-C port for charging the device is on the far right of the bottom.

The OPPO X 2021 also surprises me on the software side. If you think about the Royole FlexPai at MWC 2019, the Color OS operating system of the X 2021 seems almost ready. If you extend the display, the home screen also adjusts and the icons move apart slightly. However, the operating system was completely in English and Chinese, which is why we could hardly try out any apps. Taking pictures also works thanks to the 48 MP camera, and we could at least look at our website in widescreen format in the browser. Only when I wanted to extend the display while taking pictures, the OPPO X 2021 crashed once.

How does it work?

OPPO has applied for a total of 122 patents for the X 2021. Various technologies are essential for the implementation of this concept. OPPO installs two motors for this, which roll out the display together so as not to damage it. Thus, the pressure is evenly distributed and probably also ensures that the display would withstand a slight impact when it is extended.

The motors roll the flexible display over an axle on the left side, which has a diameter of 6.8 mm. The rolling avoids the aforementioned crease. However, more elasticity is needed so that the display can be bent. The manufacturer ensures this with the Warp Track display lamination, which is even partly made of steel and is only 0.1 mm thick in some places.

The screen also rests on a 2-in-1 plate, for which OPPO has come up with a special trick. This plate consists of several struts that align to the left and right in two segments when the display is extended and ensure an even weight distribution. However, only enough to leave a central axis in the middle so that the display doesn’t collapse. If you retract the screen again, a single surface is formed. All this is wrapped in the dynamic frame, which provides protection on the left and right. In the center, however, the case frame naturally remains thinner. However, there is no case for the phone so far.

According to OPPO, the mechanism has been tested for up to 100,000 times out. That translates into an average usage of five years, heavy users are supposed to get by with it for two to three years. I alone have probably taken care of a hundred times of extension now.

Will the OPPO X 2021 be launched?

The OPPO X 2021 is a concept smartphone that will unfortunately never find its way to us in this form. Concept smartphones are used to show technologies and to test where the market and smartphones could develop. And even if the X 2021 would appear like this, we would probably have to expect a price beyond the €2,000 mark.

Even if the X 2021 does not appear like this, I have to say that the smartphone was amazingly far and felt almost ready or usable. I like the whole concept much better than the foldables from Samsung or Huawei, precisely because they serve better as a “normal” smartphone due to the thinner thickness. In any case, I am curious whether OPPO will continue down this path. We would hope so! What do you think of the rollable smartphones? Do you find them more useful than foldable smartphones?

At this point, we would also like to thank OPPO Germany for this unique opportunity!

Hohem iSteady Gimbals for Smartphones or Action Cams

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The Hohem iSteady Gimbal Series and all the different Gimbals for low prices on this special day. For example: the Hohem iSteady X Gimbal for Smartphones at TikTech for $58.99 with the coupon code Hohemx80m. 

Gimbals are one of these things you actually never buy but always could use in a certain situation. Well, that’s only my opinion. But I did experience quite a few situations already in which a gimbal would have been really nice to have. So why not the Hohem iSteady Gimbals?

• Hohem iSteady X Gimbal for Smartphone
• Hohem iSteady Pro3 Gimbal for GoPro 8 Action Camera
• Hohem iSteady Mobile Plus
• Hohem iSteady Multi All-in-One

As both gimbals are so similar, we will present them in one article. The only real difference is that one is for action cams and the other for smartphones.

Technical specifications

	Hohem iSteady X Gimbal for Smartphones	Hohem iSteady Pro3 Gimbal for GoPro 8 Action Camera
Stabilization	3-Axis	3-Axis
Tiltable/swivel around Tilt	Panning: 320° Rolling: 320° Tilting: -30°~+30°	Panning: 600° Rolling: 320° Tilting: 320°
Connectivity
App	Hohem Pro App
Battery/operating time	2000 mAh |8 hours	3600 mAh |12 hours
Material
Dimensions	7.05 x 3.11 x 1.54 inches
Weight	≤280g	0.80 lbs
Compatibility	Smartphones with: Weight: ≤280g Thickness: ≤0.43 inches Width: 2.17~3.54 inches	Action Cams with: Max. Width: 1.88 inches Max.Thickness: 1.26 inches

Action Cam or Smartphone?

As you can see in the table, there are more differences than just whether it is suitable for an action cam or a smartphone. The Hohem iSteady X Gimbal for Smartphones is able to pan with a radius of 320°, roll of 320° and tilt from -30°~+30°. That is possible because it has a 3-axis stabilization. In comparison, the Hohem iSteady Pro3 Gimbal for action cams also has a 3-axis stabilization but a panning radius of 600°, rolling of 320° and tilting of 320°.

Furthermore, you have different kinds of image stabilization with the different models. Where the gimbal for Smartphones advertises a moment mode and anti-shake algorithm…

…the action cam gimbal offers a special sports mode with an ergonomic design of the gimbal and a 30° beveled angled roller so that you’ll always have a clear view of the display of your action cam. For image stabilization the gimbal offers the 3.0 iSteady Tech, which supposedly helps to capture videos with fast movement, such as sports videos.

Control via the gimbals

Both gimbals offer you different ways to control your attached devices. The Hohem iSteady X has three extra buttons on the handle for starting and ending a recording or switching between landscape and portrait mode.

The Hohem iSteady Pro3 has a few more functions, especially with the connection to the app, you’ll be able to adjust the stabilizer parameters or switch between the different modes. There’s also a wireless control module only for GoPro action cams though.

Battery, runtime and other extras

Both gimbals advertise a very long runtime but do have different battery capacities. The Hohem iSteady X has a 2000 mAh battery and offers a runtime of 8 hours.

The Hohem iSteady Pro3 on the other hand has a 3600 mAh battery and offers a runtime of 12 hours. It also has an IPX4 water resistance rating, which in my opinion should really be a given.

Compatibility

Due to size limitations not all smartphones or action cams are compatible with the Hohem gimbals. The smartphone gimbal has size limitations:

• Weight: ≤280g
• Thickness: ≤0.43 inches
• Width: 2.17~3.54 inches

So actually most smartphones would fit in there, like the iPhone 11 series, Samsung Galaxy 10 series or the Huawei P40 series.

Most of the newest action cams will be compatible with the iSteady Pro3 gimbal, but only the GoPro action cams can be wirelessly connected to the gimbal. Other suitable action cams include the OSMO action, SJCAM or Yi Cams.

Assessment

I think both gimbals offer you exactly the right amount of functions for the money you have to spend on them. You’ll only have to decide whether you want a gimbal for your smartphone or your action cam. For what would you decide yourself?

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