Month: April 2018

Xolo Play Tegra Note review [year]

Xolo Play Tegra Note review 2023

April 3, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

First things first: the Xolo Play Tegra Note is not purely a Xolo product. Xolo itself has had no involvement with designing and configuring it. The Tegra Note was created by Nvidia as a reference platform to show off the power of its Tegra 4 ARM processor. Despite it being the fourth generation of mobile silicon from Nvidia, no manufacturer has announced any plans to use it in any current or future device. With inventory lying around and no customers in sight, Nvidia changed its strategy and decided to create its own consumer products.
Thus, the Tegra Note and the Shield handheld game console were born. The Shield is an Nvidia branded product sold by the company itself, but Tegra Note is treated a little differently. Just like Nvidia creates reference graphics cards based around its graphics processors and allows all its partners to simply duplicate and put their own stickers on them, multiple brands around the world have simply licensed the Tegra Note design. In exactly the same way..

Samsung Galaxy Tab global 7 - [year] review

Samsung Galaxy Tab global 7 – 2023 review

April 10, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 was a success and proved that there was room in the Indian market for a hybrid device, which combined the best of both phones and tablets. The Galaxy Tab 3 series is hoped to mark a comeback for the company in the tablet segment, after quite some time.
The South Korean giant unveiled the Galaxy Tab 3 series with three new tablets for the Indian market, and rather than experimenting with an odd screen size, this time the company has gone back to its roots and come out with a 7-inch tablet and two 8-inch tablets. We got the chance to play with the new Galaxy Tab 3 211 (7-inch) tablet. Will the new Galaxy Tab 3 211 carve a niche for itself or further muddy the already distinctly murky 7-inch tablet segment? We try to find out in our review.
Design/ Build
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211 is built along the lines of Samsung's high-end smartphones. Out-of-the-box, the tablet looks like a blown-up version of the Samsung Galaxy SIII or Galaxy Grand smartphones. But un..

HP ElitePad 900 [year] review

HP ElitePad 900 2023 review

April 10, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

The HP ElitePad 900 is a Windows 8 tablet that targets enterprise users. It was announced in October 2012 but reached the Indian market only last month. Windows 8 is the first iteration of the desktop operating system that was optimised for touch use. In fact after the release of the OS, hardware makers decided to offer hybrid devices that mash keyboards and touch screens together in different ways.
The USP of the EliteBook is its optional accessories, also called “Smart Jackets” that extend its capabilities with additions such as extra battery life, connectivity ports, a keyboard, a stylus or memory-card slots. We try to find out if the tablet can become your only computing device replacing the laptop.
Design/ Build
The HP ElitePad 900 is one of the more sleek Windows 8 tablets that we've come across. Its form factor is pretty similar to the iPad barring the thickness. The ElitePad is even a little lighter than the current generation iPad. The tablet is mostly made of aluminium ..

Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2 - [year] Review

Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2 – 2023 Review

April 10, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Delhi-based Amkette has a number of Android-focussed devices, such as the Evo TV which is an Android set-top box; it's also launched the Evo TV MC, which is cheaper and puts the focus mostly on media playback. In August, the company also launched the Evo Gamepad Pro, a controller for Android devices that can be used for gaming, or to navigate an Android set top box interface.
Now, just a little over six months later, Amkette has released the Evo Gamepad Pro 2, available online at Rs. 2,599. Gadgets 360 spent nearly a week with the gamepad, playing various games using it, and found that it was a fairly capable gamepad that's cheaper than similar gamepads from other established brands such as Mad Catz or Steelseries.
Since it's only been six months between the two gamepads, it's not surprising that the controller hasn't changed much. The one big change – pun intended – is to the size of the controller. The first version of the gamepad had a smaller clip to hol..

QiKU Q Terra [year] Review

QiKU Q Terra 2023 Review

April 12, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Another day, another Chinese smartphone maker enters India. This time, it's a joint venture between Qihoo 360 Technologies and the handset maker Coolpad, who have formed the brand QiKU. Its debut offering, the Q Terra, is yet another “flagship killer”, if you will, but comes with a unique set of features which should help it stand on its own feet. Priced similarly to the Moto X Play (Review), let's see if the company's debut offering in India has what it takes to get noticed.
Look and feel
The Q Terra is a massive phone and there's no getting around this fact. QiKU has tried to minimise this by shaving down the bezels to a razor-thin 1.4mm and leaving only enough plastic on the top and bottom for the earpiece and navigation buttons. The end result is quite stunning, mostly because almost all you see is the display. The near borderless design looks cool, but it isn't the most practical. We had to put up with many accidental presses of the touchscreen and naviga..

Lenovo Vibe P1 [year] Review

Lenovo Vibe P1 2023 Review

April 17, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Earlier this year, Lenovo began merging its Mobile Business Group with its subsidiary Motorola Mobility, and stated that future smartphones would be designed, developed and manufactured by the Motorola division. This led to speculation that Lenovo could be on the verge of killing some of its own smartphone models , including the Vibe range.
However, the company soon clarified that it doesn't intend to kill the Vibe brand and will continue to market both separately. This will come as good news for fans of Lenovo's Vibe range of smartphones, which has recently produced some quality products such as the Lenovo Vibe S1 (Review | Pictures) and the Lenovo Vibe Shot (Review | Pictures).
(Also see: Killing the Vibe Range Won't Help Lenovo or Motorola)

The company's latest devices are the Vibe P1 and P1m, both of which feature massive batteries and promise longer runtime than similarly priced competitors. On our test bench today is the Lenovo Vibe P1, which offers all the u..

Microsoft HoloLens [year]

Microsoft HoloLens 2023

April 22, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Microsoft didn't use skydivers or stunt cyclists to introduce what it hopes will be the next big leap in computing technology. Instead, with its new HoloLens headset, the company is offering real-world examples to show how you might use three-dimensional digital images – or holograms – in daily life.
And that might be what it takes to get people to buy a computer they wear on their face.
I got a brief peek at what wearing the HoloLens could be like in different scenarios: performing a simple home repair, pretending to be a scientist studying the surface of Mars and exploring a colorful, animated game that added new dimensions to an unremarkable room.
Microsoft unveiled HoloLens at its headquarters this week, on the same day the company touted its upcoming Windows 10 software release. What I saw of the device seems unfinished, but it shows potential.
A crowded field
Some of the world's biggest tech companies are working on wearable devices that aim to create realistic, three-d..

Homefront: The Revolution Preview Is Better Than Its Trailer

Homefront: The Revolution Preview Is Better Than Its Trailer

April 24, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Homefront: The Revolution has had a remarkably painful development cycle. From the studio's employees reportedly not being paid for months on end by its then owners Crytek, to being bought by German publisher Deep Silver (responsible for Saints Row and the Metro series), the game has seen its fair share of troubles. The fact that's in a playable state at Gamescom 2015 with a release window set for next year is admirable in itself.
We managed to spend some quality time with this open-world first person shooter set in an alternate history where Philadelphia under occupation by the Korean People's Army (KPA). Considering how poor the game's trailer was at Microsoft's Gamescom event we had very low expectations for Homefront: The Revolution. The trailer showed off a structure of conquering locations and progression similar to open-world games like Far Cry and Assassin's Creed wherein you'd capture key areas on a map to progress through the storyline. It ..

Review: Olympus SZ-30MR [year]

Review: Olympus SZ-30MR 2023

April 29, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Introduction:
Olympus's latest addition to their Super Zoom (SZ) series is the new SZ-30MR. It is a compact Point and Shoot camera packed with new and unique features like Multi-Recording (MR), Full 1080p High Definition still and video shooting, 3D, and 24x Super Zoom. Best of all, it is small enough to fit into your pockets and purses.
Design and Build:
The SZ-30MR is a well-built compact camera. It looks good but we're not sure how long that will last as the chrome build could wear off with time. The front facing portion is dark grey with a matte and chrome finish. The body is a little on the bulkier side since it incorporates a large 24x Optical Zoom lens which is also found in similar Point and Shoot cameras like the Sony DSC HV 100V with 30x Optical Zoom and Canon SX 30 with 35x Optical Zoom.
The built of the camera is quite sturdy. The hand-grip on the right enables you to keep a tight grip on the camera and it is very helpful when clicking pictures without a tripod. T..

Review: Olympus PEN E-P3 [year]

Review: Olympus PEN E-P3 2023

April 30, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Olympus has brought out the latest in its PEN series of cameras, the Olympus PEN E-P3. It retains the same retro look of its predecessors but is packed with lots of new features that makes it one of a kind. It is faster, with a shutter speed of 60 miliseconds, and also has new add-ons like the inbuilt flash which is like a pop up element in the camera. Will this camera be the sum of its good looks or can it deliver?
Design and Build:
Designwise, this camera will remind you of the old timers with film reels. It feels very solid and steady. The body is of brushed aluminium and on the right side of the device is a faux leather hand grip, which prevents your hand from slipping off the smooth surface. The grip is removable.
The front of the camera has a Lens Release button. The top of the device has the in-built flash, a rotary dial with the different shooting modes, click button and the on/off button. Just below the in-built flash is a button which, when pressed, makes the flash pop up..