Computer Act!ve - UK (2022-04-27)

Reviews

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DO I REALLY NEED...

A USB-C hub

monitor?

What is it?

Dell has launched a

range of high-resolution monitors, called

UltraSharp USB-C Hub (pictured), with

high-resolution screens and multiple

ports built in.

What do they do?

The idea is that you leave peripherals

such as your mouse, keyboard, webcam

and other devices connected to the

monitor. Then, when you hook up your

laptop, you only need to use a single

USB-C cable. This will display your

laptop on the monitor screen, connect

it to the network and provide enough

power to charge it.

What’s the catch?

We think Dell might have overdone

it with the ports. We counted three

USB-C ports and five USB 3.0 ports.

There’s also an Ethernet, HDMI, two

DisplayPorts and a headphone jack.

It makes for a pricey monitor, costing

£686 for the smallest 27in model

(www.snipca.com/41619).

So can I do without it?

Yes. You could buy a regular monitor

and USB-C hub for half the price.

VERDICT A great smart doorbell with

a clever parcel camera to protect your

deliveries, and no ongoing subscription

charges

★★★★★

ALTERNATIVE Ring

Doorbell 4 £179 Ring

doorbells are cheaper to

buy, but they require an

ongoing subscription for

storage of video

SPECIFICATIONS
2K (2560x1920-pixel) main camera •• 1080p
(1600x1200) package camera •• 160-degree field
of view (main camera); 97-degree field of view
(parcel camera) •• Detects human faces and packages

• • Two-way audio •• 16GB local storage •• Wi-Fi 4 ••
  165x53x28mm (HxWxD) •• 250g •• One-year warranty
  http://www.snipca.com/41590

On Sale 11 May

Realme GT 2

Superb new

Android phone,

but is it our new

favourite?

Chillblast Fusion

Reaver

An affordable PC that’s

powerful and versatile

VIDEO DOORBELL ❘ £229 from Amazon http://www.snipca.com/41629

Eufy Video Doorbell Dual

Lord of the rings

recording 30 videos of 20 seconds every

day. It’s a little more expensive to buy

than rival doorbells, such as the Ring

Doorbell 4 (£170, http://www.snipca.com/41592),

but with a basic Ring subscription

costing £25 a year, the Dual offers much

lower running costs.

We found colour daytime footage

captured by both cameras was clear and

detailed. If it’s dark, night mode kicks in

and footage is recorded in black and

white, though it’s still perfectly clear.

The Dual is clever enough to identify

when packages are left in its field of view,

so it can send you an alert and also

‘guard’ the package by playing a

pre-recorded message if anyone

approaches. It can also recognise familiar

faces to let you know who is at the door,

alerting you when the kids get home

from school, for example.

The doorbell is battery-powered

(lasting at least three months) or can be

connected to existing doorbell wiring.

Eufy is the home-appliances brand
of Chinese tech manufacturer
Anker, and isn’t as well-known in
home security as rivals Arlo and
Ring. However, it has been quietly
building its profile with affordable
home-security products loaded
with clever features.
The Video Doorbell Dual is the
company’s latest offering and has a
unique design that includes two
cameras. There’s a front-facing 2K
camera with a 160-degree field of
view, while a downward-pointing
97-degree HD lens is trained on
the floor, capturing any packages left
on your doorstep.

When the unit’s button is pressed, a
notification is sent to the Eufy Security
app on your smartphone, from where
you can view a real-time feed from
both cameras. A two-way microphone
and speaker lets you converse with
your visitor.
The device comes with a base station,
which has to be connected to your router
via an Ethernet cable. This links to the
doorbell unit wirelessly and produces a
chime when the doorbell button is
pressed. It also stores up to 16GB of video
footage. This means – unlike with many
video doorbells that require you to pay a
subscription for online storage – footage
can be saved and reviewed for free.
Eufy says the base station can hold up
to six months worth of video, based on

Issue 630 • 27 April – 10 May 2022

High-quality footage,

local video storage and

parcel protection