XGIMI Aura 4K Projector

4.0

Quick Verdict: Yes, it can project up to a 120” image without issue. Yes, it sounds great. However, if you use certain popular streaming services, you may find they don’t work. The XGIMI Aura is undeniably a high-quality product; however, it is important to note that it is not flawless.

Pros:

• Automatic keystone and focus correction works really well
• Manual adjustment of keystone is excellent
• Sound is impressive, and low fan noise makes it even better
• Comes with Android TV built-in

Cons:

• Requires you to sign in with a Google account
• Netflix isn't supported
• HDMI-CEC needs improvement

Check Price at XGIMI Check Best Offer

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

I love a short-throw projector. I love that the projector can be close to the wall it’s projecting on, freeing up plenty of space in your home.

TVs get ever more affordable, but a short-throw projector can project a much larger image for the price.

The XGIMI Aura is a short-throw, 4K UHD laser projector with sound provided by Harmon Kardon.

However, as good as it is, and it is good, the XGIMI Aura isn’t perfect. 

Design and ports

The XGIMI Aura is large. It’s 606 x 401 x 139.5mm (that’s 23.86 x 15.79 x 5.49 inches) and weighs 11kg or 24.25 pounds. 

The Aura has ports on the back, including three HDMI, three USB, ethernet, headphones, and optical output for audio. 

The ports on the back look nice when in use but, in practice, require some caution. Leaning over the unit to plug an HDMI cable in while the projector is on means risking looking into the light. 

XGIMI has taken this into account and turns off the laser to protect people’s eyesight when they detect anything in the path of the beam. 

I suspect they’re using the same technology to detect the wall when autofocusing, and it reacts quickly enough.

I accidentally did this twice, and both times it shut off the light quickly with no lasting damage or bright spots in my vision. 

From a design standpoint, the projector is black and silver-gray and will look right at home in a living room or bedroom.

The top surface is an arc, with a black stripe that breaks up the two silver-gray surfaces. The laser light engine sits in that black stripe.

The remote control is silver and black, with curved sides. The buttons are textured, domed, or otherwise designed so you can tell the difference between them by feel.

XGIMI Aura 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector

4.0

$2,499.00 $1,781.99

Pros:

• Automatic keystone and focus correction works really well
• Manual adjustment of keystone is excellent
• Sound is impressive, and low fan noise makes it even better
• Comes with Android TV built-in

Cons:

• Requires you to sign in with a Google account
• Netflix isn't supported
• HDMI-CEC needs improvement

Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 03:59 am GMT

Setting up the XGIMI projector

The projector runs on Google’s Android TV operating system.

Setting it up is a lot like setting up an Android phone: you enter your account information and select apps you’d like it to download and install.

One of the first things I did after setting it up was to install the latest firmware update, which promised improvements to HBO Now’s streaming app.

It was reassuring to see updates available, as that shows XGIMI is paying attention to streaming app performance.

Features

The Android home interface feels like other Android TV devices, with Search, Home, Discover, and Apps on the top left, inputs, Wi-Fi, settings, and a clock on the top right.

There’s a row for advertisements directly below that, followed by Favorite Apps, Play Next, and selections by Prime Video and Google Play movies & TV.

Play Next is mixed. It does show an episode of Star Wars: Andor that I can resume, but the last thing I was watching was Jack Ryan on Prime Video.

It’s not clear why it doesn’t show the most recent thing I was watching.

If I accepted some terms and conditions, Google Assistant could also index what is available on the different streaming services and be able to search or launch shows by voice. 

XGIMI Aura 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector

4.0

$2,499.00 $1,781.99

Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 03:59 am GMT

Auto-focus

The XGIMI Aura auto-focuses, as well as adjusts auto-keystone.

This means that if the projector isn’t exactly level or the screen or wall isn’t a perfect 90 degrees to the projector, it can fix the picture without manual adjustments. 

Of course, if you want to dial in the manual adjustment, you can. There are 8 zones you can use around the edges of the picture to straighten out the image manually.

Picture quality

This is a 4K UHD HDR projector with a staggering 2400 lumens. 

In human terms, that means it can display more detail, better picture quality, better colors, and be bright enough that you can use it in the daytime with an appropriate projector screen. 

The picture is excellent. The sound quality is better than almost any other projector. The fan noise is almost silent. 

These things make for a great viewing experience and only confirm my decision to use projectors instead of TVs.

The projector fast-boots in 12 seconds. That’s very fast, and fast makes it feel better. There’s no long waiting to get into the entertainment. 

The audio is provided by Harmon/Kardon and is Dolby and DTS HD compatible. 

Struggles

There are a few rough spots that prevent this projector from being the best thing ever. 

Using it with the built-in Android TV system isn’t perfect. Not all apps you’d want for streaming services work. 

The streaming services that do work don’t have a large enough 4K content library to take good advantage of the 4K projection.

Netflix

Using the Netflix app via the built-in Google Play Store warns with error -14, “not optimized for Netflix.”

When trying to watch Glass Onion, it says, “sorry, your account can’t be used on this device.” 

It’s not immediately clear why: the previews for shows play just fine. Selecting an episode or the start of a movie shows the error. 

Other projectors I have used in the past do work with Netflix. It would be easy to say, “Clearly Netflix -can stream to projectors, and can play show previews to this one, they just don’t want to.”

But that’s not the whole story.

The problem is this: Netflix uses DRM to make sure that the Netflix app is running on an approved Android device.

Android and Android TV are two separate things. The Android TV version of the app uses both DRM and checks to ensure the projector or TV is a Netflix-approved device.

Netflix limits HD and 4K playback to “Netflix Certified Devices.” The way around it is… load a very old version that doesn’t have their DRM check in it.

Loading the older Android phone app on an Android TV projector gives you an app that allows you to watch Netflix in SD and uses the remote as a mouse to emulate touch events.

It is every bit as clunky as you imagine.

This isn’t an unfixable situation: The Google Chromecast device with remote control is an Android TV device, and Netflix certifies it.

They could certify the XGIMI AURA. But this is the state of things today if you wanted to use the projector for all your streaming needs.

HDMI-CEC

If you want to use an external streaming device like an Apple TV, Roku, or even a PlayStation, you would use an HDMI port and probably want to use HDMI-CEC. 

HDMI-CEC is a feature that allows the projector to listen for power on and off from an HDMI device and respond to volume commands from that device. 

This is super helpful because it means you can control the projector’s power and volume from your chosen device’s remote. 

Frequently, when an HDMI device signals a power-on, a TV will set the input to the device that triggered the power-on. It just makes sense; you woke it with an external device, and you probably want to view that external device. 

XGIMI Aura 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector

4.0

$2,499.00 $1,781.99

Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 03:59 am GMT

HDMI-CEC on the XGIMI Aura is abysmal

An HDMI-CEC device like an Apple TV or Playstation will power on the projector. 

If the remote control has volume, the HDMI-CEC device will also control the projector’s volume. That’s where the good news ends.

It will not set the projector to the correct input. You have to do that manually. This is a bug in XGIMI’s implementation of HDMI-CEC.

From the Android documentation on implementing CEC:

“When an HDMI playback device wakes up, it attempts to wake the connected TV and become the current active source through HDMI CEC One Touch Play.”

If you put the CEC device to sleep, it will power off the projector. If the CEC device falls asleep on its own, the projector will remain on, and waking up the CEC device won’t work to get the video back to the projector.

Power cycling the external CEC device will restore the video to the projector. This is, again, a bug in the implementation.

Further, if the CEC device falls asleep and the projector turns off, it gets into a state where the CEC device will not cause it to power back on. This is hugely frustrating.

Manually selecting inputs sucks. The power-on state focuses on the first icon in Favorite Apps, which is, by default, the Google Play Store.

To change input with the remote, it requires multiple button presses to change to HDMI 1.

Or, you can take your chances with Google Assistant, using the microphone in the remote.

Google Assistant has its own issues

Saying “HDMI 1” results in, “Sorry, I couldn’t find any matching devices, and “try saying, HDMI2, Open HDMI 1.” Then, surprisingly, saying “Open HDMI 1” gets the same “Sorry” result. 

Saying “Switch to HDMI 1” gets “Sure, switching to HDMI 1 on XGIMI-HD-AURA” and works.

But how frustrating it is that Google Assistant isn’t smart enough to know the input names, doesn’t work with the suggested voice prompts, and does work with the magic “switch to” command.

“Change to HDMI 1” also works. But how would you know that?

XGIMI didn’t make Google Assistant. They can’t be blamed for its failure. But they did make the remote control. 

XGIMI Aura 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector

4.0

$2,499.00 $1,781.99

Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 03:59 am GMT

The remote

The remote is an elegant aluminum shell device, topped with a black panel and buttons, and an easy-to-use trigger on the back ejects the batteries.

In use, the remote sucks. Buttons are black with red print or gray print. The center D-pad is textured with concentric lines, but there’s no way to feel which one is up or down.

The back is domed, the contextual menu button is dished, and the home is domed.

Volume down and up have raised – and +, but they’re so small you can’t really tell them by feel. They are all the same size. 

It is not fun searching by feel for volume and hitting back instead. 

Ironically, the button you need to use the least is the easiest to see and find. The autofocus button is black against the silver background of the remote. 

Here’s why this sucks: You want to use the remote in the dark. Making the majority of a remote black, with same-sized buttons that are also black, is going to make it difficult to use by sight or by feel.

XGIMI isn’t the only company with bad remotes

This is also a problem that the Apple TV remote suffers from, and they tried to improve it by giving the Menu button a raised ring.

What makes the Apple TV remote, a remote that has been widely criticized, better than XGIMI AURA’s remote?

The buttons are larger. There are fewer of them. And, they’re raised with a hard edge, so you can find them by feel rather than domed like XGIMI’s.

The sound on the XGIMI projector is fantastic. It is one of the best I have heard from a projector. The problem is, it’s too loud.

If you want to watch it late at night, your choices are mute or too loud. A few more choices between those two options would be welcomed.

Lack of a 4K catalog

4K is a mixed blessing. Netflix has a great 4K catalog but doesn’t work on the projector. 

HBO Max does function, and there was even a firmware update to further improve HBO Max, but the platform has a limited 4K catalog. House of Dragons and 33 other titles are all you get. 

Disney+ does work in 4K. The picture is glorious.

Prime Video, which regularly has the jankiest performance, works just as terribly as it does on other streaming devices, but in different ways.

Why Amazon can’t make a good app is one of the wonders of the universe. (Skipping 10 seconds causes the loading symbol for 10 seconds? Why, Amazon, why?) But the picture quality is stellar.

Should you buy

The XGIMI Aura sells for $2,399 dollars. This price is discounted from a regular price of $2,799.

Yes, it can project up to a 120” image without issue. Yes, it sounds great. If you use certain popular streaming services, you may find they don’t work, however. 

If you use an external device, get used to setting the input and having to power cycle the external device regularly. This could perhaps be fixed in a firmware update, but it doesn’t work well enough yet.

For your $2,399, you really should be able to watch Netflix. This isn’t XGIMI’s fault, but it is the result of using Android TV and not working it out with Netflix. 

For the $2,399 asking price, the projector should switch inputs when powered on by an external device. I am honestly surprised that it shipped without that behavior. 

XGIMI Aura 4K Projector

4.0

Quick Verdict: Yes, it can project up to a 120” image without issue. Yes, it sounds great. However, if you use certain popular streaming services, you may find they don’t work. The XGIMI Aura is undeniably a high-quality product; however, it is important to note that it is not flawless.

Pros:

• Automatic keystone and focus correction works really well
• Manual adjustment of keystone is excellent
• Sound is impressive, and low fan noise makes it even better
• Comes with Android TV built-in

Cons:

• Requires you to sign in with a Google account
• Netflix isn't supported
• HDMI-CEC needs improvement

Check Price at XGIMI Check Best Offer

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

The post Review: XGIMI Aura 4K UHD projector appeared first on KnowTechie.

A future where you never use a “forget password?” link, and never get phished again. It really could be a magical thing and help change the face of account security.

But first, a little history of why this problem exists and what a passkey will solve.

The problem with passwords

Passwords suck. Banks and employers make you change them every three months. You can’t reuse them. Some make you have less than 8 characters, while others want an intro, a main character, a plot with 3-act structure, symbols, numbers, and upper case letters.

People suck at using passwords. People use their birthday, their anniversary, and literally, ‘password12345’. And they re-use them, and write them down.

Then came the password managers

And they were good. But the problem with a password manager is that you have to manage a lot of passwords.

A password manager records your passwords when you enter them into a site the first time and automatically fills them each future time. For new sites, it will offer to create passwords. And, it will encrypt them all to keep them safe.

READ MORE: How to find saved WiFi passwords in Windows 11

Then came two-factor authentication, or 2FA. 2FA is the idea that you enter your username and password, and generate a six-digit code with an app or SMS.

The code changes every time, so it’s more secure, and it comes to your phone, so it’s ‘something you know’ (the password), and ‘something you have (the phone). Those are the two factors.

What’s new

Instead of 2FA that relies on you having a password and receiving an SMS (insecure), or setting up an app to receive codes, this all gets simpler.

It seems a little silly that you have to create a password, use the phone to remember it, and then get a code to enter from the phone. That’s a lot of manual work for something that is stored at a remote computer and has a history of getting hacked.

What if all that went away? What if services didn’t have to store a password in the first place, so there’d be no password to get hacked?

Passkey, Apple’s name for FIDO2 (Fast IDentity Online 2) uses Touch ID or Face ID to create a key for a website or service. When you go to sign in, you’ll be asked to use Touch or Face ID, instead of a password.

Benefits of this system:

• The key is end-to-end encrypted
• The key is synchronized in iCloud, so it’s synchronized to your Apple devices
• The key is stored in your local Apple device
• It’s cross-platform

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits of a system like this.

Cross-platform?

That last detail is important. Cross-platform support is what’s going to make this catch on and eliminate passwords everywhere over time.

I asked Tim Cappalli of Microsoft what cross-platform means. You can find their response below:

Because the integration for Windows is via the browser at first, Windows 10 users can take advantage of this.

The way it works is, that when you go to a site on a PC, the site will display a QR code. Hold up your phone’s camera to the code, and it will prompt the phone to authenticate.

The method will ask for your Touch or Face ID. The phone will then provide the key back to the site, and you’ll be logged in.

Android

Google has been making FIDO2 password-less authentication available to Google accounts on Android 7+ devices, starting with Pixel devices.

Users can use their fingerprint or screen lock method instead of typing in their password when visiting Google services and websites. The fingerprint is said to never be sent to Google’s servers.

Converting passwords to Passkey

If you’re like me, you have around 1,700 passwords. As you go to sites, an iPhone with iOS 16 will offer to convert them to Passkey, making it easy to never have to deal with a password again. While also preventing passwords from being compromised ever again.

Unknowns

There are still a few things we don’t know about Passkeys. We know that it will be supported in iOS16, iPadOS16, macOS 13 Ventura, Safari, Chrome, Edge, Android, Windows 10 (at the browser level), and Windows 11.

What we don’t know is, what this means for the people that switch platforms. Sometimes, Android users buy iPhones. Sometimes, iPhone users buy Android phones. If Passkeys are stored securely in iPhone and synchronized through iCloud Keychain, how would you port them to Android?

You’re going to want Passkey

Even if it seems like passwords are a comfortable, known way of getting into sites and services, they’re vulnerable to bad hacks.

Using Passkey, even though it seems very new, is going to be better over time. It’s a building block to get to a future where hacks don’t happen as much, or as widely, and one where everyone can go without passwords: Apple, Windows, iPhone, and Android users alike.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Someone got Doom to work on Apple’s forgotten OS
• iOS 16 will finally let you see saved WiFi passwords on iPhone
• Apple’s 2022 Macbook Air features the M2 chip and a new design
• Netflix says 100 million accounts share passwords, but not for long

The post A future without passwords – what Passkey means for everyone appeared first on KnowTechie.

Sean Hollister of The Verge and Brian X Chen, writing for the New York Times, both got the Apple repair kit and attempted screen repairs (Chen attempted battery repairs initially). Both of them screwed it up.

But first, how does Apple’s repair program work? Well, for starters, you’ll need the tools to fix whatever device you’re working on. Instead of sending specific tools needed for the project, Apple sends out a 79-pound toolset, which requires a $1,200 hold on a credit card.

Along with the tools, they’ll ship out the parts and the service that will authenticate the parts to work with your device once the parts are installed (parts are VIN-locked).

When all is said and done, you return your old parts for a core exchange (basically, turn in the used part for a small refund).

Where did The Verge and New York Times go wrong?

Both outlets had lots of negative things to say and missteps along the way. Let’s break it down.

Here’s where The Verge went wrong

Sean Hollister ignored the step that tells you to clean off all the old glue that creates a waterproof seal between the screen and body of the phone.

“While instructions suggest it’ll just peel off in a few big pieces if you pull with tweezers (which didn’t come in the box), I gave up after 10 minutes of picking away at tiny fuzzy blobs of glue. I was just going to be adding more adhesive anyway, after all. Later, I discovered this was not my best idea.”

No, it was not. Glue occupies a physical space. When you add more, it has to go somewhere, either into the phone or by keeping the screen further away from the body of the phone.

If you don’t remove all the old glue before putting in new, it won’t go back together properly.

Here’s where The New York Times went wrong

Brian X. Chen did a little better. Chen started by practicing with the iFixit kit on an older iPhone XS. Once that repair went well, he went to try a battery replacement on an iPhone 13.

He remembered to remove the two screws that secure the screen the first time on the practice iPhone XS. On the iPhone 13, he forgot to remove them and then used the Apple tool to remove the screen.

Here’s the thing about tools: they can be unforgiving. Chen said on Twitter to me, “my point is that the disassembly machine had no room for error. A split second and it was over.”

The screen disassembly machine presumes you followed the instructions and removed the screws. Whether they’re in or out, it’s going to try and lift the screen.

Tools do what you tell them

There’s an essay by Neal Stephenson called “In the Beginning… Was the Command Line“. It talks about computers, and how the terminal command-line interface is unforgiving.

If you delete files in it, they’re deleted. The mouse interface put them in Trash or Recycle Bin, where you could restore them from before they were really gone.

In the essay, Stephenson compares the command line to the Milwaukee Hole Hawg drill:

“The Hole Hawg is a drill made by the Milwaukee Tool Company. If you look in a typical hardware store you may find smaller Milwaukee drills but not the Hole Hawg, which is too powerful and too expensive for homeowners. […] It is a cube of solid metal with a handle sticking out of one face and a chuck mounted in another. The cube contains a disconcertingly potent electric motor.

Stephenson goes on to talk about the dangers of the drill and how user error forced a dangerous situation involving a worker using the drill.

“…But I never blamed the Hole Hawg; I blamed myself. The Hole Hawg is dangerous because it does exactly what you tell it to. […] The danger lies not in the machine itself but in the user’s failure to envision the full consequences of the instructions he gives to it.” (emphasis mine)

And that’s the point I’d like to make about Apple’s tools. Chen says they’re unforgiving. But they’re supposed to be. They have one imperative. Heat the glue. Remove the screen.

They don’t have interlocks and don’t care if you’ve removed the screws first or not. You’re a reasonably intelligent human, check if you removed the screws or not.

Right, so what happened next? The machine attempted to remove the screen with the screws still attached, which predictably broke the screen. I still think this is user error and not the fault of Apple’s tools.

Chen’s screen replacement and VIN-locking

Chen broke his screen in the process. Fine, mistakes happen. He obtained a used OEM Apple (not a third-party knockoff) screen and attempted to install it.

It installed and functioned, but then threw error messages saying that the screen had been replaced with unknown parts.

This happens because Apple uses a technique called VIN-locking. In cars, computer modules are programmed with the VIN (vehicle identification number) of the car, so that they only work with that car.

Frequently, but not always, it’s possible to take a module for a car and reprogram it so that you can use junkyard or used eBay parts, saving money and keeping parts out of the landfill.

In Apple’s case, the screen has a chip that has to be programmed to match the logic board of the phone it’s installed on. When the screen and logic board mismatch, the error is displayed.

Apple’s service has a customer service phone line that you’re meant to call to confirm the serial number, which will authenticate the new part and make the error go away.

Apple doesn’t like used parts

The problem is, used parts aren’t a part of Apple’s process at the customer service number, and the representative didn’t have the right steps to get Chen’s phone into the correct diagnostics mode.

Chen instead had to search online to find the right steps to get into diagnostics mode.

Even then, he still gets error messages because the legitimate Apple screen can’t be programmed with a new “VIN.” It’s still locked to the old phone it came from.

What I like

79 lbs of tools sound like overkill. Apple’s paying a lot to ship these back and forth. But I have an appreciation for good purpose-built tools.

It’s possible to do the job with the iFixit kit, and by some measures, it’s a better kit, but I’m glad Apple’s offering exists, and I think Chen was out of place blaming the tools for his own mistakes.

What I dislike

First of all, 1200 bucks on credit hold is a lot for a repair. And seems a bit ridiculous if we are being honest.

On top of that, VIN-locking sucks. I understand that Apple doesn’t want third-party screens on the phones, because a worse screen or non-color calibrated screen will make people think iPhones suck, when substandard parts are what suck. But VIN-locking is a serious impediment to repair.

The problem with VIN-locking, besides how much it sucks when you’re trying to repair something, is that you have to rely on the authentication service to continue to exist.

Just as apps go stale and no longer work on newer hardware, or apps that rely on web services die, we’re counting on a phone line to be up and staffed in order to authenticate parts repairs. That seems fragile and undesirable.

Should you repair your own phone?

If you’re competent at removing glue, screws, and following instructions, sure. If this is your first or second repair, consider using a shop to do it. The tools themselves aren’t the problem.

If you were the kid that took apart your toys, and successfully reassembled them, this might be for you. If you choose to ignore instructions, or are forgetful, maybe this is for the independent repair shop that you should bring your phone to for repairs.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Don’t expect to see Apple’s VR/AR headset at WWDC this year
• How to turn on your iPhone’s camera flash
• Apple Music is finally available on Waze
• Apple will launch AirPods Pro 2 later this year, but still no USB-C
• The best Father’s Day gifts and gadgets for 2022

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The post Where The Verge and NYT went wrong with Apple’s repair program appeared first on KnowTechie.