Category: Gadgets

Anyone who has done fitness knows how convenient it is to watch yourself in the mirror while exercising, controlling the correctness of exercises and improving your movements. But imagine if such a mirror becomes more than a mirror and can combine a trainer, classmates, a music player, and will allow you to conduct a full workout in the comfort and safety of your home! Mirror’s cutting-edge product has opened up new perspectives and opportunities for fitness that have become especially in demand during the pandemic and lockdown periods. No wonder its benefits were appreciated by the experts at World Future Awards, who recognized Mirror as the winner in the category of Sport.

Who might be interested in the Mirror

Mirror founder, professional ballerina and founder of the boutique fitness studio chain The Refine Method, Brynn Putnam, came up with the idea for this device when, as a young mother, she was unable to attend a quality workout. She assembled a team of experts, and in 2018 she unveiled her award-winning product. Mirror is the perfect solution for those who, for one reason or another, cannot go to gyms and do fitness in the usual offline format but want to stay in shape. It will also suit users who prefer the comfort of home to the need to get to gyms and contact other people. And in general, in a pandemic situation, the possibility of using a relatively compact device that combines a mirror, a gym, a fitness instructor, and a music player has gained special appeal and relevance.

Device design

At first glance, this is a very stylish and elegant… mirror. Yes, when turned off, it is an ordinary mirror, which will fit perfectly into the interior of your home. You can easily mount it on a wall or use a stand. The only point that must be provided at once is the space in front of the Mirror for free exercises. The size of the mirror is 56.0*22.4*1.4 inches, and its weight is 70 pounds, so it is difficult enough to move it alone.

The magic begins when you turn on the Mirror with a switch on the device itself or through the mobile app. The mirror surface transforms into a 43-inch full HD 1080p display with a 178° wide viewing angle. Audio is played through the 4 x 15W high-fidelity speaker system, but you can also connect the Mirror to an external sound system via Bluetooth. As you watch interactive fitness content, you continue to see your reflection as well, comparing your movements to those of your instructors and adjusting them as necessary.

Workouts with the Mirror

To start enjoying all the benefits of the Mirror, you need to install the mobile app, available for iOS and Android. The devices quickly connect to each other via Wi-Fi, after which you need to fill out your profile (height, weight, goals, desired types of exercise, available equipment, etc.). The abundance and variety of classes are truly impressive. Users have hundreds of options available, from short stretching sessions to cardio workouts lasting an hour or more. The wide range of class types for different levels of fitness ensures that everyone will find something they like and choose the right instructors, among whom there are professionals known for their work with celebrities.

The user-friendly app allows you to customize your workouts by filtering them by type, duration, instructor, and equipment. The experience of many users has shown that a few sessions are enough to determine your preferences and find the optimal workout mode. And as a pleasant soundtrack and motivation, you can enjoy music playlists available directly in the app, or stream your own music through the built-in audio system of the Mirror.

Among the many advantages of the Mirror, the ability to see almost live the subtleties of each exercise and form and to reproduce them immediately stands out. The interactive nature of the device, the best instructors who constantly expand the list of workouts and make them more diverse, give you the guarantee that you will cope with any exercise and workout level.

Mirror purchase options

You can buy the Mirror online on the official website of the company. The basic package has a single configuration that includes the mirror itself and the stand, and it costs $1495. In the more expensive packages, the bundle is supplemented with various useful accessories from the Mirror brand. The richest package, the Mirror Family, offers a set of tools for effective fitness for the whole family. In addition to the Mirror itself and the rack, it includes two heart rate monitors, two Fitness Band Packs, two pairs of weights, and a variety of other accessories designed by the Mirror and the famous lululemon brand. A package like this will cost your budget $2045.

When planning to purchase the Mirror, you should also consider the fact that you will likely need to pay $39 per month for live and on-demand workouts. The bottom line is that your persistence and determination, coupled with the aesthetic, technological, and motivational capabilities of the Mirror can work wonders, and all your spending will be rewarded with your health and beauty!

WFA Verdict

The modern design, high-quality hardware, user-friendly and responsive software, and wide range of Mirror’s functionalities made the platform extremely relevant and in-demand in the era of COVID and lockdowns when many people lost the opportunity to go to the gym and lead their usual lifestyle. The Mirror allows you to enjoy the benefits of exercising at home while maintaining the ability to get feedback from instructors and social connections with your classmates.

The Mirror is an expensive purchase that will fully justify the money spent if you exercise regularly and if you enjoy every workout with this device.

When the French company Devialet introduced the first generation of the Phantom speaker in 2015, it became obvious that the wireless speaker industry would no longer be the same. Both its design and technical capabilities were far ahead of their counterparts and took sound quality to a new level in the relatively compact size of the device. The new version of the Phantom II speaker went even further. Boasting an even more refined and sophisticated design, it delivers a sound that’s cleaner and more powerful than ever. Following a rigorous research process, the expert commission at World Future Awards was able to give the Phantom II it’s due and announced it as a winner in the category of Best Wireless Speaker. Let’s take a closer look at this product and see what it has to offer the most demanding audiophiles.

Design

The first time you see the Phantom II, you might wonder if it really is one of the most technologically advanced audio systems available today. In fact, the unusual appearance of the speaker evokes associations more with sci-fi movies about flying in space than with the source of the sound. The egg-shaped enclosure of the Phantom II is not only an eye-catching design but also a clever technical solution that allows for the most compact placement of all components inside and ensures optimal performance.

With a depth of 219 mm, a width of 157 mm, and a height of 168 mm, Devialet’s Phantom II weighs an impressive 4.3 pounds. Not the lightest wireless speaker, but when you hear it and find out what it’s capable of, you realize that every gram in it is worth it. There is a full-range speaker in the center of the front panel, and bass drivers on the sides. Phantom II’s spherical design and speaker placement provide a listening experience that is hard to expect from such a compact speaker. If you want to enhance that experience, don’t deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying the stereo sound of two Phantom II speakers in Duo mode. You’re sure to discover your favorite music, movies, and games in a whole new way.

Sound

Phantom II is available in three versions – 95 dB SPL (350 Watts), 98 dB (400 Watts), and 98 dB Opéra de Paris | Devialet (400 Watts) (special version with gold leaf side plates). The playback frequency range for all versions is 18 Hz to 21 kHz. These figures are really impressive, as well as the manufacturer’s claims that the performance of the speaker surpasses any previous measurements by a factor of 10 and 1000. In reality, it is difficult to reduce the listening experience to specific numbers, but there is no doubt that the sound quality of the Phantom II at both the lowest and the highest frequencies is worthy of the utmost praise.

Phantom II is the epitome of Devialet’s unique and advanced acoustic expertise. For example, the HBI® Heart Bass Implosion system allows the bass drivers to create ultra-dense sound with the lowest frequencies in the world. The manufacturer has struck a harmonious balance between the naturalness of analog amplification and the compactness of digital amplification with the ADH® Analog Digital Hybrid system. Active Cospherical Engine technology facilitates the formation and uniform propagation of sound waves regardless of the drying angle.

Connectivity

With its compact dimensions, Devialet’s Phantom II has an extensive toolbox of different connection methods. The speaker is equipped with Bluetooth module, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, UPnP, Ethernet RJ45 jack, and 3.5mm jack.

Although there are touch buttons on the speaker itself, you can also control it using the mobile Devialet App. By installing the app on your smartphone, you get full remote control of your Phantom II and the ability to install software updates on your device.

Price

The uncompromising approach of the Devialet team to the quality of materials, assembly, and the search for advanced engineering solutions determine the high price of the product, which may discourage some customers. Indeed, this speaker is not designed for the average user. Its buyer is a person who will accept only the best options in both sound level and design of the speaker system.

Devialet products, including the Phantom II wireless speakers and accessories, are available for purchase online and offline at authorized dealers listed on the company’s website. The Phantom II 95 dB is priced at $1200 regardless of color (Iconic White or Matte Black). The Phantom II 98 dB costs $1400 and the Phantom II 98 dB Opéra de Paris costs $1800.

When you intend to revolutionize your field, modesty proves to be an unnecessary quality. Soberly assessing its potential, the French acoustical engineering company Devialet strives to make the best sound in the world as universal as possible. Its wireless speaker Phantom II is an innovative product that vividly illustrates the outstanding capabilities of modern high-end speakers. The panel of judges at the World Future Awards praised Phantom II’s impressive stylish design in combination with cutting-edge engineering and technological solutions and named it a winner in the category of Best Wireless Speaker.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the best products, software, and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home, and entertainment, that are making the world better, smarter, or even a bit more fun. As a product that set a new bar for quality and opened up new possibilities for wireless speakers, Devialet’s Phantom II deservedly took its place among the WFA winners.

Phantom II is an ultra-compact wireless speaker with a performance that is tens or thousands of times better than previously known. The unique Analog Digital Hybrid technology developed by Devialet and implemented in Phantom II provides all the benefits of analog and digital amplification, allowing you to enjoy unparalleled sound clarity and transparency. The Heart Bass Implosion system helps you achieve the lowest frequencies in the world. With sound heights from 18Hz to 21kHz, the speaker delivers crystal clear sound even at 900 watts. The architecture of the speaker includes two powerful bass drivers, creating an ultra-dense sound that you can not only hear but also feel with your body.

The Phantom II’s futuristic design enhances the device’s high-quality sound experience. The minimalistic, sleek-looking speaker delivers sound and volume that are hard to expect from a device of its size. To keep the listener in control of this powerful sound, Devialet has developed a mobile app available for Android and iOS users. This app allows you to literally set up your desired sound in minutes, conveniently control the volume, and keep track of operating system updates for the speaker.

Times of change require new solutions and innovative approaches to familiar things. The fitness industry is no exception, and high-tech combined with creative solutions have already repeatedly demonstrated the ability to change the lives of millions of people for the better. This year, the World Future Awards is delighted to present you the Mirror, the home gym of the future, which has been named a winner in the category of Sport 2021. This game-changing product offered a dramatically new perspective on at-home workouts and a groundbreaking healthy lifestyle experience.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating and promoting the best products, software and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home and entertainment, that are making the world better, smarter, or even a bit more fun. Mirror has been recognized by the WFA as a pioneering product that makes the world a better place and brings the future closer.

Mirror is a New York-based fitness platform company that unveiled a unique device, the Virtual Fitness Home Trainer. The exerciser is a 43-inch LCD panel that works like a mirror when turned off. When turned on, it is the world’s first interactive smart gym with a built-in 5-megapixel camera, allowing the user to see their reflection in the center and fitness content in the form of classes in different disciplines. These classes are filmed in a production studio; they are taught by professional instructors in yoga, Pilates, cardio, strength, boxing, barre, and stretching. The catalog of classes is constantly being expanded, and a wider selection of interactive materials is available to users.

The company has also developed an app that allows you to control workout music playlists to be played through the Mirror’s built-in stereo speakers or a Bluetooth-connected sound system. By syncing with the Apple Watch or a connected heart rate monitor, the device can track the user’s heart rate during a workout.

Mirror uses its own hardware and software that allows the platform to offer weekly live classes, on-demand workouts, and personal training sessions in which the set of exercises and level of exertion are individually adjusted basing on the user’s level of training.

«The idea of Mirror was born before the COVID pandemic, and even then, the possibility of comprehensive fitness activities at home was highly relevant. We are very pleased to be among the winners of the World Future Awards and to offer this unique experience of personalized training without the need to go to gyms and without being tied to a specific location to an even greater number of potential users».

For maximum convenience, Mirror offers accessories to make workouts more comfortable and effective (including ankle weights, Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor, fitness bands, and fitness clothing).