ScopeAround Otoscope

This is an Otoscope, or 'Ear Camera'. The last one I had plugged into my phone and it was fine, but the far-eastern software via an app was always a bit clunky even though the resulting snaps/video were OK - but eventually, it started not focusing properly and began a pain to fiddle with to get any usable shots.

This time, I thought I'd seek out something a little different, in the form of a stand-alone machine (What? No App?!) with its own screen, software, battery and memory. Enter the ScopeAround! Sounds like a Hollywood protocol! It's RRP is about £60 but as I write, it's £47.99 with a 20% at AmazonUK at least, and a 10% Promo Code, making it under £35. (That's my Amazon affiliate link - thanks in advance.)

The idea with an Otoscope is that you shove the wand in your ear, this time, thankfully, with some black 'cones' to avoid any eardrum disasters (my last one didn't have these) and a lethal-looking 'earwax remover' (which my last one did and I never used). You stick the 'silicone ear spoon' on the end of the wand instead of a cone, stick it down your ear canal, scoop out any wax and hope to blazes that you don't go too near the delicate eardrum. Eeek. I'd strongly advise against using this and to find other ways to get rid of wax. In fact, chuck it away! But maybe I'm overcautious.

The end of the wand has 6 LED white lights and do a good job lighting up the canal so that you can take photos/video with the 3.9mm tip/camera (which I reckon is small enough for most human ears, even small ones). With the cone in place, it's much easier than my last one to get the distance right for good focus - well, for my ears, anyway!

I did wonder about the 2.8" 720p LCD screen, being like going back 20 years to a Nokia dumbphone, but it's really fine for the intended purpose. Of course, if you compare it to another device's modern 2k/4k screen it's going to look a bit crap - but really, it's fine for what it's used for. It's sharp enough and gives enough detail to take a half-decent photo/video to send to a doctor - or just look and make sense of what's going on in there!

It's not just for ears, of course. You can poke the thing in anywhere you fancy! Other bodily cavities (the mind boggles!) like nose or mouth to see what might be going on there too. You can then use it without the cone in place, so where there's no eardrum danger, it's even easier to handle/manage. I guess if you have a cat or dog you want to use it on, that could be useful (to potentially avoid vet bills!) if you can get the blighter to sit still and comply!

It comes in a box with various accessories. The cones, a lanyard, USB-C to USB-A cable, the otoscope with a USB-C cable attached, some cleaning buds and alcoholic wipes, various books and manuals (yes, in English!) and a magnetic 'stand' to place the screen unit at an angle facing the user on a desk (which actually works nicely).

The battery inside the unit is apparently 1,200mAh which, driving that lower-res screen seems to have an excellent life for occasional use - when I go back to it, weeks later, it never seems to have depleted at all and I have never charged it out of the box! I have, however, purposely put it on today and left the screen on - and it seems to have lasted and two and a half hours. But nobody's going to use it like that! If you plug it into a PC it charges it, as well as any other plug you might have for the USB-A end. There's no charger in the box.

Talking of which, plugging it into (my Windows 11) PC (at least) invokes an immediate auto-response with a Windows Explorer window popping up, showing the two folders on the unit's built-in storage, Photo and Video. From there you can do what you like with the files. The photos are JPGs and the video, avi formats, resulting in 1080p output (thus defying the screen's resolution)!

There's a built-in clock/date function but I can't really see anyone needing that, and a load of buttons on the top edge to control what one is doing. The pink, left one is to switch between video and photo, far-right for power on/off, then there's a settings button, left and right navigation buttons for the menus and an OK/execute button. All very simple and straightforward to use with the onboard system software.

It all works very nicely for the money involved. We'll see how long it lasts, as with the last one, but it seems to be made of sturdy plastic, doesn't rely on some dreadful app to function, does what it says it does on the tin and allows me to keep a close eye on my wonky ear! I won't show you photos of that, especially before a meal! Recommended. Oh, and did I mention? No apps!

The Sadness (2021)

This is a completely bonkers (un)Zombie film - no Zombies! The difference here is that, behave as people might do, when they're killed, they're dead! But that doesn't stop them having fun along the way once infected with Virus Alvin!

Virus Alvin, as helpfully explained by a Virologist in the last act, is a virus which possesses people and turns them into something like an evil spirit. The virus impacts the brain's area that usually controls aggressive urges towards others and governs sexual drive. Those infected are still alive, they can still reason, make logical decisions and understand what they are doing, but it doesn't impede the imagination - and the urge to be physically and sexually violent towards others. A desire too strong to resist - so they indulge.

While they are doing this they often have a range of emotions, including crying, hence the title of the film, and they, like Zombies, don't attack each other because (in this case) the pleasure is in inflicting suffering on their victim. As the virologist says, people don't rape those who are willing. Well, not usually! Anyway, I'm sure by now you can see where this is going!

A film full of blood, guts, gore, maiming, killing eating others alive, inflicting pain, raping (any gender will do) and much more. The victims can infect others by blood contamination or any other bodily fluid exchange! What's fun about it is that, unlike Zombie films, the assailants can, and do, talk and say what they are thinking - what they are going to do to their victims and how they are going to make them suffer!

There's loads of low-budget effects going on in this Chinese film, some of which is laughable, but the main ingredient is blood with everyone covered in it and it being splattered about most of the scenes. In the middle of all this, unbelievably, there's a love story going on as we follow the separate paths on the day in question of boy and girlfriend from before they are awake in the morning until the bloody climax. No, not that one!

The actors and crew clearly have had a lot of fun making this and it often comes across as comic, though of course darkly comic - and as it was made in 2021, had something to say about the world and Covid, no doubt. It's actually half-decently paced as we build to the crescendo, follow our two lovers as they try to find each other amongst the mayhem and has a few moments here and there of tension and suspense. But not many.

I don't know any of the actors, I'm afraid, nor crew, but I felt that I'd enjoyed the ride and, as I say, I reckon they did too. It is quite nasty and shocking, I guess a horror film, but you get the feeling that the tongue is often very much in the cheek. Or out of it in some instances! The hundred minutes flew by, subtitled as it was, and I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time at all. Probably says more about me than them! Hold onto your hats!

Motorola Edge 50 Pro

First things first and cutting to the chase, this really is a lovely phone as I muse and reflect on continuing to really like what Moto do with Android over pretty much any other OEM. The Edge 50 Pro was sent over for review by Moto PR UK but there's been no pressure to promote it from them or say anything here that I don't believe.

I have a good number of Motorola phones here now from the last few years, after finally giving up with the Z-series in the post-MotoMods era. A sad day that was. So here's some links to my other (relatively) recent coverage of all things Moto. And when they send me some Moto Tags, I'll add that to the mix as well. Motorola Edge Plus (2020), Edge 30 Neo (and comparison with the Pixel 7), Edge 30 Ultra (and Clash of the Ultras), Edge 40, Edge 40 Neo and ThinkPhone. In fact, searching on my blog here for "Motorola", I amazed myself at how many words I've written over the past decade. I think I'm a fan!

Anyway, back to the latest and (arguably) greatest current Moto. The Edge 50 Pro. I say arguably, because there is technically a higher up-the-line flagship out there, the Edge 50 Ultra, but it seems to be this one which is getting the attention - as differences are minimal and it represents much better value for money. Talking of which, at time of writing, the Edge 50 Pro in the UK is officially £599 (and Edge 50 Ultra, £999). You can check the differences yourself at GSMArena, but I don't feel as though the £400 more justifies the few extra features, personally. Stick with the Edge 50 Pro!

The Edge 50 Pro was released here in the UK in April of this year, though it also got a release as the X50 Ultra (just to confuse) in the far-east. And the Edge+ in the USA. I think. I do wonder about these regional naming protocols - they just seem to add confusion, frankly! Anyway, it arrived in the now-familiar 'scented' and eco-friendly box, looking buff and, well, tree-coloured! I guess that's the point - with 80% recycled materials. The model that I have is Black Beauty, but you can also get it in Luxe Lavendar, Moonlight Pearl and Vanilla Cream. Nice choices, all of which have been cooked up by Pantone, the graphic, product, printing and colour design firm in liaison with Moto.

Inside the box (at least, in the UK) there's a 125W TurboCharging brick (hurrah), a minimalist hard-plastic case, various papers, of course, and a decent-looking USB-C to USB-C cable. In some regions, it comes with a 68W charger instead, but that's still pretty good - and - it's in the box. Included with the sale! Well done Moto for continuing to buck the trend.

The device itself is incredibly similarly-sized and weighted to the Edge 30 Ultra, both being slightly taller than the more dinky Edge 40 from last year. This year's 50-series doesn't (yet) have a baseline vanilla version, but as I write, there are rumblings about a possible India release of such a model. The globally released 50-series units are the 50 Fusion, this 50 Pro and the aforementioned Ultra. So yes, 186g and 161.2mm tall x 72.4mm wide x 8.2mm fat. Clearly the less-tall Edge 40 is slightly more pocketable and one-handed-use-friendly, but it's not a huge difference.

Nobody seems to know what kind of glass is on the front of the phone and Motorola don't appear to have said, but I'm guessing that it's Gorilla Glass 5 as the 50 Fusion has that. The 50 Ultra has been given the Victus version, so take your guess along with me! Time will tell for those of us who refuse to use screen-protectors as to the appearance of micro-scratches. The back, though, has the same vegan/eco-leather as some of the Edge 40 series devices and it's very nice to the touch. It's kind of smooth and velvety - doesn't really feel much like leather - but it does afford slightly more grip than shiny plastic or (certainly) glass.

Unlike some of the cheaper models, this one has a colour-matched aluminium frame around the edges with the required plastic relief here and there for aerials. Motorola have now started to certify for IP-ratings (instead of nano-coating and 'resistance' claims) and this one gets 6(dust)/8(water). So that's certainly reassuring for those intending to carelessly dunk and chuck! The buttons on the right are metal, too, and clicky, firm, not wobbly.

The Black Beauty colour really does make the phone look sleek and sexy as the screen curves around the front to meet the frame, then onto the back. The camera 'island' on the back is top-left and the smooth back slopes up from the sides to meet the 'platform' very stylishly, like Oppo did with the Find X3 Pro. If the phone is used with no case, it will wobble on a desk of course - a payoff for being able to enjoy the build and style all the time!

Down on the base there's a SIM Card Tray, USB-C port, speaker and nothing left and top. At the top of the screen there's the second speaker doubling up as the phone's earpiece in the usual way and there's a small Selfie camera circle up-top and centre. The bezels top and bottom are tiny and round the edges, virtually non-existent. I haven't noticed any touch-intrusions from fingers on edges, but I guess some might complain about that. Style over substance? I don't think so. I like it as it is.

Talking of which, the 6.7" front panel is a slightly curved one (left and right) which gives the phone a classy and premium look and feel. I realise that there's divided opinion on this now with many OEMs going back-to-flat for pragmatic purposes, but laying that aside, I don't think many will argue that it looks good and feels great in the hand. It's also the same pOLED screen that I rave about often here on my blog - wonderfully bright (up to 2000 nits) with lovely, vibrant colours. It has a maximum refresh-rate of 144Hz and a pixel-count of 1,220 x 2,712. The ratio is 20:9 and it returns 446ppi. As always with modern Moto phones, I have no complaint at all about the screens.

Colours can be adjusted in the display settings between Natural, Radiant and Vivid with an additional colour-picker, some presets (for warm/cool) and custom options. The difference between Natural and Radiant/Vivid is significant in terms of saturation but not so much between Vivid and Radiant. I think for the first time Pantone have also been cited as being involved with the reproduction of natural skin tones (particularly) via the screen/camera. Not sure if that's tokenistic or not as we can't really see what it would be like, on any given device, without it!

The refresh rate can be set to the top 144Hz so it gives the best performance (when being used - otherwise it drops to 60), but also 120Hz or even 60Hz to save battery. There's also an Auto setting which functions between 120Hz and 60Hz. So, you can't get 144Hz on all the time - but can when interacting with the screen. (If you want to test any of this stuff, there's a live display-readout via the Developer settings, by the way.)

Setting up the phone I used the Edge 30 Ultra as my 'go-from' and cabled-up (or wireless if you prefer). Everything restored perfectly using the base Google Backup/Restore functionality. Homescreen layouts, widgets, wallpaper, the lot - leaving me to do the sign-ins to (mainly) financial apps, having trusted Google to sign me in to most other things with a tap (or two). Media/data can also be selected, though it obviously takes a little longer, or you can do that afterwards from a PC, SSD/thumb-drive or whatever. There were a handful of bloatware apps but all uninstallable, thankfully. The usual suspects.

Motorola have promised 3 OS updates to Android during the life of this phone. It arrived on Android 14, so presumably, 15, 16 and 17. I hope they get their finger out and make sure those are timely (like for the ThinkPhone) and not months and months late. Talking of which, it'll be August in a day or two and the Google Security Patch (which is the responsibility of the OEM of course) is back on March 2024. So 4/5 months out of date, which is not a good sign, nor does it invoke confidence going forward. They say that the phone will get 'quarterly' security updates for 4 years, taking it to April 2028. I'll give them the benefit here as HelloUI is new and to be fair, all the 40-series Edge phones I have here are being kept pretty-much up-to-date.

HelloUI is the new front-end replacing MyUI on anything older than 50-series devices (even the otherwise-favoured and prioritised ThinkPhone). There is talk of Moto bringing it to last year's models, possibly, when they are updated to Android 15. But no promises, as usual with Moto - all I can say is that none of them here in my hands have it (yet) and (as I said above) they are mostly up-to-date with security patches (and on Android 14). So we'll watch this space on that. It's fair to say that, mostly, HelloUI is a paint-job. A very nice and pretty paint-job, but most of the core functionality of the skin was there before. Some exceptions, but not a huge amount.

HelloUI sticks with the tried-and-trusted (almost) vanilla flavour of Android, which we know and love. Well, I do! The usual range of 'gestures' are available, like 3-finger screenshot, chop-chop for torch, twist-twist for camera, one-handed mode, swipe-to-split screen, Quick Launch (tap the back), lift-to-unlock, flip for DND, Edge Lights, Gaming control panel and so on. The UI has been improved and modernised but most of it is consistent with MyUI. The Security functions have been brought across to most of these modern Moto Edge phones now from the ThinkPhone and offer toggles for all sorts of protection and detection, network security, checking apps, offering a Secure Folder for them too. Some of it is Android 14, like Privacy dashboard and SOS stuff, but mostly it at least feels home-baked and well worked out. As we know, it's questionable as to whether Android really needs this level of protection for the average user, but I guess it doesn't hurt.

Personalising Themes and Fonts is basically similar as well, but again, made pretty and modernised in look/feel. Some might say 'cartoony' but I actually think they've done just enough, not too much. So yes, icon shape, font choice system-wide, fingerprint animation, edge lighting - all present to tinker. The AI generated Wallpaper is new - "Made with AI" - this lets you grab or select a photo, then generates a kind of pattern based on what you offer it - including pointing it at yourself or today's outfit and Style-Syncing! Frankly, it's a bit rubbish and needs much work to get anywhere close to what Pixel and Samsung are doing, but at least they're trying something a bit different from the pack!

Like Samsung, Moto have also been diving into Apple-copying and offer a choice of Control Centre Notification drop-down instead of the standard Android one. Thankfully it is a choice (at least for now) which I appreciate as I really don't like the big-buttoned, clunky Apple-style Control panel UX. Nasty. Google Feed to the left of course, which is optional, size and numbers of homescreen icons/layout, but also - more Apple et al - the option to change the standard App Drawer with laying one's icons all across multiple homescreens (or in folders). Again, it's a choice, so great. Some may like it - particularly defectors - but I like it just the way it was, thank you!

The Side Bar was added to last year's models a while back and that's a neat addition. Not as exhaustive as the developer-driven Samsung version, but still useful and much nicer to use than, say, the Sony Xperia one (which was mostly turned off here)! Assign whatever apps you like to the bar, sit the customisable handle where you like, resize it, then choose whether you want apps to opened up full-screen or in a floating window (with various resizing, docking or closing tools). Works well and I use it all the time.

There's still no 'proper' Always on Display and Peek Display has not come back, so we have various ways of arranging Lock Screen now (which is new) and adding widgets to that (like with others so far) in a limited fashion. I like the one which is very Samsung-like which gives a clock/weather and choice of circular status icons - not a huge choice, but enough. The sleeping display can be woken by incoming notifications of course, or by nudging the phone or lifting it and so forth. This area works in tandem (or not) with face unlock (which is very good - easy to set up and reliable) and the under-display, optical fingerprint scanner (which works similarly reliably in my tests). So depending on how you're set up, the lock screen, sleep-screen, waking-screen, notifications and on-screen buttons for glimpses of what's come in, will work differently. Again, a good choice and for me, it works well enough. I would rather have an always-on display, but this is a decent-enough second-best.

I do think that the paint-job is a nice one and has been thought through well by the developers. Lots of options, pretty and colourful - but not clunky, cartoony and over-the-top. Lots to play with a decent level of customisation. The integration with Smart Connect (formerly Ready For) works well in tandem with HelloUI and I'll come to that.

In the meantime, we'll turn back to the hardware and supplied chipset. That being the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm). From what I read, this is a decent, modern chipset and a step-up from the Edge 40's Dimensity 8020 but arguable not matching the Edge 30 Ultra's 8+ Gen 1. Or does it! Geeky testbench work will reveal (or not) all sorts of technical data about chipset performance, but the truth is, for me, most modern smartphones with most modern chipsets perform perfectly well for the vast majority of people doing the vast majority of their tasks. It'll be people pushing phones to their limit with heavy gaming or rendering video who will want/need faster/better hardware, but for the rest of us it's just fine. I have experienced no slowdown using this phone in any way at all - even copying large amounts of data by cable from the PC. I have indulged in some basic game-playing (my usual car-racing test) and I see no breakup, breakdown or juddering. I really don't think that the 98% of users need to worry - and the 2% won't be reading this, considering this hardware, anyway!

The very well-specified Edge 50 Pro that I have been supplied with has got 512GB of storage space and 12GB RAM but depending on region, there are also 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM and 256GB 12GB RAM variations at different price-points. Whether or not the user can make use of this amount of storage and RAM is personal to them, but my view is always that more is better! Supporting Smart Connect and increasing amounts of processing for AI activity means that if you have more, you won't be wanting later. And Moto seem to be, at least in my region, even with their less expensive phones, putting decent components, like these, right inside from the off. There's also no microSD expansion port, so again, it makes sense to get more storage built-in at the outset, if it's affordable.

The battery is a 4,500mAh unit and, as I mentioned above, is capable of charging with the 125W brick in the box. This produces staggeringly fast charge-speeds, from 0-100% in less than 20 minutes. There's also 50W wireless charging available (though good luck getting a Moto one in the west) and even 10W reverse-wireless thrown in. As I say, I can't test the (speedy) wireless but can confirm that Moto's claims for the 125W speeds seem to be spot-on. Armed with fast wireless charging and the ability to charge up on-the-go if needed, I can't see how anyone could complain about the options. Well done again, Moto.

The battery's performance is fabulous in my testing here, as is so often the case with Moto phones. It seems to simply last and last all day - and then for another day if pushed. Because of all the above, of course, it's not really that much of a concern, but great that it is so good. In my 10% Reading Test it returned the best part of 3 hours and the all-day, average use for me test, yes - towards to the end of Day 2. But armed with 125W and Qi Charging, as I say, whatever your use of the device, however much you kill it, there are great options waiting in the wings.

The sound coming from the speakers is decently loud, with decent-enough quality for the vast majority of people. Audiophiles might complain a little when comparing to the best of the best just now, but again, the vast majority will be fine with the output. Particularly if not sitting the phone side-by-side testing/comparing like us! This is in keeping generally with the Edge series phones over the last few years, Moto clearly continuing to use decent components. There are equalisation options of course, via Dolby Atmos with a wide range of tweaks that can be made including, new (to me at least on a Moto), Spatial Audio. This adds a broader soundstage and can be appreciated more in landscape, at desk-distance. As always, when playing with equalisation, there are payoffs - often in terms of volume, but there's enough of that here to cope with the shift. The speakers' output is not up there with Galaxy S24 Ultra or Sony Xperia, but it's perfectly good enough and nice to hear.

As for earphones and headphones, I can tell you that there's no surprise to find no 3.5mm legacy audio-out port but testing with basic adapters from the USB-C port, dedicated USB-C earphones and various bluetooth options, the output is very good indeed. The latest Bluetooth 5.4 is supported here and I'll point you here to my separate review of the Moto Buds+ which I was also sent to test and was very impressed with for the price. I cover the Dolby Atmos options with earphones more over there. Also tested here though, various Sony headphones, Samsung buds, a whole range in between and have always been pleased with the sound.

Smart Connect seems to be living up to its name as I explore - and seem to find something new every time! It used to be called Ready For (thankfully they changed that now) and it does what it says on the tin and more. A system to connect smartphones, tablets and PCs to share files, mirror screening and control devices remotely. Using the various tools on offer, users can share files between devices, mirror the phone's screen in a number of ways on a number of devices for gaming or media consumption, control a TV, monitor or PC using other devices. In this phone's case, it can be done wirelessly or with a USB cable. Some of the cheaper phones in some Moto ranges only support wireless, but as tested by me in other blog post reviews, that's also very good now too. Cable is certainly better with a PC so as to keep one's phone's battery topped up!

Starting with the PC, like some components of Microsoft's Phone Link, Smart Connect can stream Apps from a connected device, create a mirror of the phone's screen in a handy right-side pop-out, sync wallpaper, transfer files, create a desktop environment with either big-button controls or a Windows-like UI. Utilise the other device as a webcam for whatever messaging app you want to use with video - making use of its cameras (with various adjustment tools), create an on-the-fly connection hotspot for the PC via the phone/device, make calls, take calls, route audio, make use of a Smart clipboard - which I do all the time, copying stuff from the phone to PC and back (easier than Quick Share) and much more. In some ways, it's more fully-featured than Samsung's DeX and it seems that Motorola are more interested in developing for it than them. If you have a Lenovo Chromebook, you also get specific hooks into that, like a PC Mode. It's a veritable playground and productivity tool.

Then there's the TV and a user-friendly front-end with big-buttons or a desktop-like experience, a Games-centric hub or Video/streaming control suite. This, with this phone, can, again, be done wirelessly or wired with an HDMI adapter and USB-C cable. It works fabulously well and armed with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, a person could set up a 'proper' mobile office with whatever monitor they could find. Or take one with them! No keyboard or mouse? No worries as the phone can be used as an air-pointing device (point it at the telly and move) or via a trackpad on the phone's screen. It's all very clever stuff and I haven't found many flaws really. Well thought out and executed. Even wireless lipsync/latency is covered (though some apps are better than others in this respect). If you get the chance to play with Smart Connect, I'd strongly recommend that you do - or better still, grab yourself a Moto device that supports it and get stuck in.

The camera options are lots of fun and very functional. There's a 10MP f2 3 x optical zoom in the mix, a 13MP f2.2 auto-focusing wide-angle (for some stunning close-ups), a 50MP main shooter with OIS and 'fast' f1.4 aperture - and even a very decently performing 50MP f1.9 Selfie. I've had some fun with the cameras and on testing the f1.4 lens against another of Moto's f1.8 otherwise equivalent, I can certainly see a shallower depth of field in shots, with no need for AI creating it or even Portrait mode - this, from the main shooter, no tricks. Tons of modes to play with in the camera's app as usual, from Spot Colour, Night Vision (which is actually decent), document scanning, pro-mode to tweak and tinker manually, to some degree, the Portrait mode with 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm (35mm equiv.) settings, slow motion video and yes, oodles of other stuff. As usual, I've had great fun playing but I'm no digital photographer (bring back film, I say!) so as usual, I'll hand you over to our good friends at GSMArena who conduct a deep-dive starting on this page. Do check them out as they conduct great reviews and provide us all with a great deal of data, opinions and help.

Last, but not least, is connectivity which I have tested with Bluetooth, as above, providing very good connection which various pieces of test equipment holding on for good distances and through various obstructions and the 5G connection here is solid for data. Making calls is great (being heard and hearing), GPS I have tested on various mapping/location apps and services and it seems to be good, NFC has been working nicely - in fact, in shops using Google Pay/Wallet it connects to various terminals without a hitch (unlike some, much more expensive, phones, I might add). The phone I have here has got a single nanoSIM Card slot but the phone can also be hooked up using an eSIM - so all bases covered.

I've really enjoyed my time with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. So much so that it will be holding my SIM Card going forward, which is not something that I can say for many phones that come through my review clutches! It has a wonderful screen, very good camera options, the very smart Smart Connect, huge storage and RAM, amazing Turbo power options, nicely updated UX with HelloUI, a perfectly capable chipset and is beautifully built and designed. I think you have the idea now that I like it a lot! It stands out, even for me, a self-confessed MotoFan - and amongst the other Motorola phones available to me. Very highly recommended indeed.

Immaculate (2024)

We follow the story of Cecilia who has had a childhood trauma in which she ‘died’ for 7 minutes. Surviving the incident, she thought it was some god or other who had done it for her and so vowed to be a nun. Off she goes when she’s old enough to Italy to take her vows - she seems to have chosen catholicism and christianity for whatever reason - and start working/living in some ancient convent where the fit and healthy care for the old and knackered nuns.

We spend some time getting to know Cecilia, played by the top-heavy Sydney Sweeney (who spends most of the film in a flimsy gown showing off her major assets), as she struggles with the language and culture of the country and regime. Sweeney is actually rather good in her role and certainly seems to have more about her than simply the camera's focus on her two major points!

Anyway, turns out that one day she is pregnant, even though she’s never been infiltrated by any human male, so the religious people around her claim that it’s a miracle and has come from their god and it must be some sort of second coming of the previous alleged immaculate event!

SPOILERS from hereon in so beware
Turns out that one of the priests is trying to get DNA from one of the nails that allegedly came from Israel from the previous god-child on a cross and invoking said second coming by experimenting, calling on his previous career as a biologist, on various nuns over the years, getting them pregnant and hoping for the best! Later on we see a lab, below quarters, where the evidence is stored of all the failed attempts! So it’s turned at this point into kinda Mad Scientist territory!

There’s lots of gore, torture and abuse, burning crucifixes into various nun’s skin, chopping heads off chickens, cutting out of tongues, attempted drownings, beating people to death with crucifixes, strangling others with rosary beads, mutilated corpses, burying people alive in coffins, cutting open of stomachs to get to what’s inside and burning offending people and lab contents!

In the end, the audience doesn’t get to see what comes out of her as in the final scene the camera focuses on her face as she looks down at the grunting creature, she bites through her own umbilical cord, grabs a boulder and smashes it down, destroying whatever it was!

So yes, as everyone else seems to be saying, a reverse version of Rosemary’s Baby to some degree. It’s actually quite entertaining, if pretty over the top and cliched with lots of creaking doors and daft jumpscares (where the music plays a better part than the visuals). All good fun and suspenseful at times with Sweeney carrying the show almost single-handed and big juggedly! Available on various streaming services.

Moto Buds+

The Moto Buds+ (Plus) are a fine addition to the MotoAddict's treasure trove! They're not the best-sounding earbuds in the world, but they are very good indeed, plug in nicely via Moto's App to any device with a supporting OS, are well-featured and don't cost the earth.

The buds which Moto sent over for review are Forest Grey (a.k.a. Black!) but you can also snag them in a very nice Beach Sand colour too. In the little box you get a USB-C to USB-A cable, small, medium and large ear-tip thingies, no charging plug and the 'water repellent', decently magnetised-closing case with the buds inside. It's a landscape style clamshell plastic case which is not as slippery as some that end up on the floor(!) rather here having a slightly matt, not glossy coat. The case and buds are made of plastic, of course, and typically with Moto, have no official IP-rating of any sort. Just claims of 'splash and spill' resistant.

I was able to use the buds without changing the tips, so I guess my ears and ear-canals must be pretty standard! I have to admit at this stage that I'm really not a fan of in-canal earbuds, having tried years ago, not liked and then always went for the outer-ear style since, like, for example, the Edifier W320 or, more recently the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 (non-Pro version). So this was to be a bit of a challenge for me to see if I could tolerate the other kind - and if I thought there were benefits.

The 520mAh case has wireless charging, slowly of course, taking about 2 hours, but still good to have at this price-point of, at time of writing, £129 in the UK. Plug the cable in and faster speeds are attainable and with the right charger you can get it all back up to charged, buds'n'all, in about an hour. Once charged up, Moto claim a total of 38 hours of playtime (with ANC off), buds getting 8 hours (or 5 with ANC) before needing a return to the mothership for a boost. In my ongoing tests, I can't argue with that - all seems like a reasonable claim. With them being in-canal, I don't really feel the need for ANC, so get the longer playtimes. Also, you can get a 3-hour boost with a quick 10-minute charge. There's a LED on the front of the box which is green when all's good and red when charging is needed.

The buds themselves, which have a 45mAh battery in each, are of the Stem design, made famous and popular by Apple originally (I think), so touch controls are available via the appendage. These can be set via the app, which, because of Android/Google's Fast Pair, fires up on the screen, offering to install, as soon as you open the box - certainly with Moto and Samsung phones here. I understand that there's no support for Apple devices, but I have not verified/tested that myself, not living in that world! There's a pairing button inside the open case, if needed. Gestures in the shape of single tap, double-tap, triple-tap and tap/hold can be assigned independently for each bud in the app, offering a good choice for the user.

Also in the app is access to a range of equalisation controls, piggybacking the Dolby Atmos on a Moto phone, with switches for Spatial Audio (which really does seem to make a difference, like Moto's Sound Virtualiser I've found), Head Tracking (with a Moto phone - more on that later), battery status graphical readout, dual connection (TWS) for hooking up to two devices at the same time for easy-switching and the various ANC/transparency modes.

Transparency allows the user to hear what's going on around them so conversations can take place, Noise Reduction (ANC) seems decent enough, though challenged more-so by sharp/unexpected noises than perhaps more expensive 'pro' buds - and Adaptive (with Gemini logo!) to leave it to work out for itself! Head Tracking is inside the Spatial Audio setting and I can't seem to make it work or do anything, even armed with the latest Motorola Edhe 50 Pro. So maybe I'm doing something wrong. I have experienced this on other systems, so I do know what I'm looking for in this pseudo-3D audio world! As you turn your head away from the source of the music/video it's supposed to 'leave' the sound in the location of the source - so if you turn your head left, it favours more sound from the right bud. But maybe this is a bug that needs fixing in a software update.
Update - a few days later, this Head Tracking feature now appears to be working as described. There's been no updated software on my Motorola Edge 50 Pro, nor the Buds, so not sure what's happened - but the good news is that yes, it's working and it's clear when moving the head around that the sound remains coming generally from the direction of the source. Nice one.

Back in the app, there's also a toggle for Wearer Detection which works well - take the buds out and it pauses playback. Put them back in and it starts again (within a reasonable time spell). They are also smart enough to respond to someone wanting only one bud in, with the other back in the case, by switching both stereo channels into mono through the one in use (without having to rely on phone/Accessibility settings). There's a toggle for High Definition audio which can be thrown and used if you want to use more battery and have a LHDC-supporting phone, like a Moto! Otherwise, it's SBC or AAC via Bluetooth 5.3. Incidentally, there's been a deal done with Bose here so that the tagline Sound by Bose can be added. I really don't know if that's tokenistic or meaningful, but you get what you get - there's no toggle to switch that on/off of course (much like AKG and Samsung) so I can't really tell what it might sound like if it hadn't been 'tuned' by them! "Certified by Bose to deliver an unprecedented audio experience". Apparently.

And the sound is great, I have to agree. I think if we're nit-picking, you can get more volume and bass from more expensive buds, but if you have a Moto phone and are happy to save £200 in the mix, you can't go far wrong with these. I'm no audiophile, but they sound great to me and, I suspect, 98% of the potential target market users - leaving the 2% to nerd-out on minimal advantages of more expensive or so-called 'pro' models. Real adjustments that make a real difference can be made in the app, very pleasingly for different music genres and taste.

Using the buds for call management seems to work well enough. Tested here, I heard the other party perfectly well after tapping the bud to answer/end and they reported hearing me perfectly well, too, even when conducted via a busy high street with hubbub and vehicles passing. There are three microphones built-in which support this, so seem to do a decent job. I've set up a tap/hold on the left bud to access the Google Assistant/Gemini and that seems to work well enough - tested asking generic questions and specific ones about my data in various Google apps. If you're too close to the phone, that seems to take over, splashing the data on the screen but I've also tested out-of-earshot of the phone and all's good.

These are a great pair of buds. I have got used to them easily and yes, even I can see that the sound from the in-ear-canal style of buds, creating a good seal, does nothing but help the audio experience. They are comfortable in my ears and easy to control via the array of gestures. The battery life is excellent and sound (with options) perfectly good for most people. They are well-made and I have confidence in Moto's decision not to increase the cost of the hardware by paying for IP-certification. This has been a long-standing method for them and with phones, through various nano-coating techniques, they have kept the cost down. Yes, it is best to use these with a Moto phone, but there's still enough of offer via the app (or not, even) via standard Bluetooth connectivity with other OEMs' devices. Recommended very much.

JBL Clip 5

The 2024 JBL Clip 5 is an impressive dinky little bluetooth speaker which is beautifully designed, made and featured. I didn't have hands-on with the Clip 4 so can't compare it with that but I do have the Marshall Willen here and have been enjoying that for many months, so hopefully that's a useful comparison as well as my thoughts on the Clip 5 as-is.

The unit is about £60 here in the UK at time of writing and can be snagged in a range of colours - the blue I chose, black, red, pink, purple, white and even camouflage! The blue is very smart, but clearly they're after the youngsters with the colours - but also the snazzy design and look/feel.

It fits beautifully in the palm of the hand with its 'pebble' curves and rounded edges and sweeping 'clip' up-top with a sturdy action/tall space for clipping to a range of handles, bikes, bags - or whatever really. The world is your oyster! This makes it feel like genuine fun as an audio accessory rather than a stuffy, blocky, conservative kind of unit that most bluetooth speakers tend to be. If such a shape can have dimensions, then I guess it's about 5" x 3" x 2". But you really don't notice any of that beyond it being dinky, because of the design and light weight.

There's a nylon-looking 'mesh' which wraps around the whole speaker only broken up by rubbery-looking plastics which house the clip, ports and buttons. And logo! Yes, emblazoned across the front of the unit is the JBL logo which they have clearly tried to make a feature of, stylising the "J" and (at least on this blue one) giving the letters a stylish orange/red trim. Above that are 'cartoony' and big Play, Volume Up and Volume Down 'buttons' which the user presses into the body of the speaker. They don't feel 'mushy' but rather have a nice enough click-reaction 'underneath' the mesh.

The 'clip' is colour-matched to the colour of the unit with the moving part of the clip (the opening) being more of the rubbery-like material and the rest of it more shiny/slippery plastic. There's another logo on the right "Clip 5" and on the left, a recessed 'panel' housing the Power, Bluetooth and Auracast (more of that later) buttons. Inside the 'recess' each of the 'buttons' is further recessed, making it clear when they are being pressed. It all feels very much like environment-proofing and sure enough, the unit is IP6/7-rated, so for water and dust.

I have hung the speaker in the shower and it got drenched a number times with no evidence of it being any the worse for wear. Still worked fine afterwards and dried out quickly with the water disappearing from the materials quickly enough. On the back, there are 'rubber' stripes - 5 of them - which makes it stick solidly to a desk or table - and the same is true of the JBL logo on the front, incidentally, if you want it on a desk upside-down. According to JBL they have in-part used "post-consumer recycled plastic and fabric" for the construction.

I can't seem to find a diagram of where the speaker/s inside are but most of the higher frequencies seem to come from the front when putting the unit to the ear and bass/rumble(!) from the back. Which is handy when on a desk/table as the bass resonates nicely through whatever it's touching. Down the bottom there's a USB-C port (with colour accenting to match the surround of the logo on the front) which you're supposed to let dry out, if wet, before plugging in a charger. There's no charger in the box, incidentally, just a USB cable.

JBL claim that the 1,400mAh battery lasts 12 hours between charges, but they don't say under what conditions/settings, but clearly you'll do better at 50% volume and less bass on equalisation than if you're booming the bass at full volume. Better again at 25% volume. I guess! I have only charged it once since it arrived and have used it on and off for a couple of weeks now and the battery, via the app, is showing 45% remaining. I'm guessing that the 12 hours is probably based on that 50% volume and I have no reason to doubt it. I don't have the conditions to do a 50% volume battery test, until depleted, I'm afraid - I'd get lynched by the neighbours!

What I do know is that it takes the best part of 3 hours to charge with a 5V/1A charging cable/plug, which is what its rated to receive. The 12 hours can be extended if needed by using the unit on what they call Playtime Boost. However, when this is selected from the app, it strips out the body and character of the sound (which I'll come to). It loses most of the bass and favours higher frequencies. I wouldn't say it's in any way 'tinny' but any depth is drained.

Which is a shame because for those 3 hours, for those who need it, you lose what is a fabulous output from the unit. It's incredibly loud for its size, bassy and, as I said earlier, resonates with a rumble through anything it's touching (particularly the back of the unit). Has to be heard to be appreciated, of course, but I have absolutely no complaints as it challenges the output of some of my bigger speakers here. No problem filling a big room or even serving an outdoor BBQ or party. Obviously it's going to be limited in that respect compared to bigger units, but I'm still very impressed.

The JBL Portable app is downloadable via the Google Play Store (and Apple's equivalent, I'm led to believe) and makes for easy-peasy bluetooth connection to phones. I just turned on various phones here and Android is simply smart enough to know what you're up to and offers to lead the user by the hand to get it set up. Hassle and frustration-free, unlike in the old days! 

Once installed, the sound can be adjusted by the equaliser with various pre-sets or a 'custom' with sliders to make it how you want it. I have found that the "JBL Signature" setting is indeed the best option/well-tuned by them and so am happy to leave it there. But yes, on Custom, there's a further marked change in bass and higher frequencies for those who want to boom even more! Whatever you do, it doesn't seem to distort at all, even at top volume, maximum bass.

There's also the ability to use two of these speakers as a stereo pair, again, a simple setting in the app to throw a switch. I don't have two (and I'm not buying another) so won't be testing this, but as I understand it, anyone who does, can expect, yes, split stereo channels, one for each speaker. Bluetooth 5.3 is present on the device, incidentally.

For the even more ambitious, the speaker supports the new Auracast system. Again, I don't seem to have enough other gear to test this properly but as I understand this new tech, it means that a user with an Auracast phone (for example) can 'cast' audio to any compliant other gear, phones, speakers or whatever. I see that the best use for this might be in, for example, a museum or other public place, where one device can feed guide information to anyone who has a device which is compliant. But yes, also in a party situation where one source of sound can be thrown around to as many speakers or headsets as are supported. The user presses that Auracast button on the side to get hooked up to the array. I shall explore this sometime soon when I (probably) understand it better and have more compliant devices to test it with. Worth noting that this is currently limited to JBL's own speakers for now - but presumably can be updated via the app in future.

Incidentally, you don't have to use the app if you don't want to - you can just pair it up manually with a device, but you'd be missing out on getting updates downloaded, those equalisation options and other options mentioned above. There's no microphone on the Clip 5 so no chance of taking/making calls, using Assistant and so forth. This is a speaker. That's it!

As for the Marshall Willen, my tests here show that the two speakers are very closely matched in terms of volume and quality of sound, even though the Willen has 10W output and JBL, 7W. They are both IP6/7 rated but the Marshall App is woeful in comparison with the JBL's. There's also an ongoing problem with some Marshall speakers, the app and Android 14 - short version is that it's a right fiddle to get it connected and using the app at all. However, paired up with an Android 13 devices, all's well. Marshall need to sort this though - it's been months and months of looking at the 'apology' splash-screen when trying. Update Aha! It looks like they might have fixed this as when I connected to an Android 12 device it allowed me to download firmware update v20 to the Willen, then, when back on an Android 14 device it was playing ball. Still a bit of a poor show that a user needs two devices in order to get it working! I happen to have two here, but many users won't have.

The battery life of the two is technically comparable, being around the 12/15-hour mark, 'moderate' volume (whatever that means) and looped playback/connection to source. Unlike the Clip 5, the Willen does have a microphone, so users can get the speaker to route phone calls. There's also more obvious control over playback on the Willen with the multi-control button offering a range of functions, including those related to phone calls. The JBL is controlled in this way by multi-presses (mainly) on the 'Play' button, but of course, not the phone bit!

Then there's the 'clip' on the JBL, which is partially matched on the Willen by the inclusion of a rubbery 'strap' on the back which can be unlatched, wrapped around a suitable upright or bag/coat/bike loop to secure it with similar results for the active. It's not as quick and easy as the Clip 5's clip. Many people will be drawn to the Willen for the classic Marshall styling however, the name and 'amplifier' accents and appearance. And you can't beat that for the right target buyer!

Both of these are great little pocket speakers, packing a punch way above their weight, loud and producing great quality for their size and portability. Throw in a decent battery performance, water/dust-proofing, great build quality in different ways and very similar real-world pricing (at time of writing) and what's left is mainly a choice for style, look and feel. I love them both, for different reasons and would recommend either without hesitation.

Abigail (2024)

A bunch of lowly hoods are brought together in the typical nobody-knows-each-other style, not supposedly sharing anything about themselves, by a dastardly criminal to carry out a job. Think Reservoir Dogs, Ocean's 11 or even The Lavender Hill Mob. The job in question is to kidnap a rich bloke's 12-year-old daughter, who is a keen ballerina, dump her in a broken down big house for 24 hours and watch over her while the ransom is organised.

As I'm sure you know, if you're reading this, the little girl turns out to be a vampire and the gang of six are lined up one-by-one to be feasted on as she turns the tables on them all! It's a comedy, really. A caper. But with blood, guts, gore and thrills aplenty! There are some twists and turns along the way but most of it is fairly predictable in that respect. All very far-fetched but an enjoyable romp nonetheless!

Alisha Weir (Matilda: The Musical, Wicked Little Letters) plays the title role and is clearly having great fun with it in the midst of the chaos. The 'star' of the show however and person with the most screen time is the very pretty Melissa Barrera (In the Heights, Keep Breathing, Scream) doing a great job holding the cast together around her. The rest of them do a pretty decent job as well, if you take it for what it is and not too seriously. I guess this, for most, was a fun outing between their proper jobs! The late Angus Cloud makes a one-scene appearance right at the death(!) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul's Gus Fring), a couple of scenes trying to be scary in a different way. (He should stick with the genuinely frightening Fring character!)

Sets are great and photography thoughtful and well imagined. There's not a huge amount of suspense, tension or mystery about it, as it does come across more like a comedy, but they have chucked in some shots at jump-scares here and there. The fun bits and laugh-out-loud moments are when various people explode and scatter their bodies over the rest of the cast in a million pieces! Anyway, that's about it really. All good fun and certainly worth a Friday night gander after the pub. Available on various streaming channels.