Android

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet [year]

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet 2024

March 28, 2019 Richard Gomez 0

Reports of Sony's impending exit from the smartphone business have been doing the rounds in the recent past, but that hasn't stopped the Japanese tech giant from announcing a successor to the its Xperia Z2 Tablet – the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet. Once again Sony is targeting the entertainment junkies with its new tablet.
In typical Sony fashion, the Xperia Z4 Tablet is slimmer, weighs next to nothing, and is waterproof. With the Z4 Tablet, Sony leverages its tried and tested OmniBalance design aesthetics from its Xperia Z range of smartphones for the Xperia Z4 Tablet. We think this design approach works in the favour of the Z4 Tablet but it doesn't look too different from the previous generation tablet from Sony.
A soft stainless steel trim runs along the edges. Additionally, Sony uses a material called mineral glass on the rear; it has a textured pattern and feels a lot like soft plastic to touch. In fact, our very first takeaway after spending time with the tablet was that ..

Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2 - [year] Review

Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2 – 2024 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..

Need for Speed [year] Review

Need for Speed 2024 Review

August 16, 2017 Richard Gomez 0

It's hard to imagine that the Need for Speed franchise has been around for more than two decades now. With its debut on the poorly received 3DO console and sequels finding its way on a host of platforms and devices ranging from Android to Zeebo, we've had a staggering 21 years of Need for Speed, and just as many games in the series.
Need for Speed games are a yearly fixture, much like Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, and FIFA. However the franchise took 2014 off in order to reboot the series. The end result is known simply as Need for Speed. Ever since the reboot was announced, publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has been talking up the return to the franchise's roots, taking inspiration from classics like Most Wanted and Underground. That might have been the intention, the end result is a completely different beast, and not in an entirely good way.
Need for Speed (2015) is set in Ventura Bay, a fictional city based on Los Angeles. You find yourself as the game's s..

Google Nexus 10 review [year]

Google Nexus 10 review 2024

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

When I first turned on Google's new tablet computer, I immediately thought of it as a mere conduit to Google services.
Besides giving you quick access to Gmail and YouTube, the Nexus 10 steers you to digital movies, books and other content available for sale through Google's online Play store.
Because of that, I wasn't thinking of the Nexus 10 as an alternative to Apple's general-purpose iPad – even with a price tag that's $100 cheaper, starting at $399. It took more thought and time with the Nexus to change that perception. After all, apps available for Android smartphones work on the tablet as well.
Still, the Nexus really shines when it comes to media – especially content bought through Google.
For the past year, Google has been trying to challenge Apple and Amazon by selling digital content.
The Play store is Google's version of iTunes for Apple devices. There, you can get a variety of apps, some free and some for a small fee. You can buy or rent movie..

Meet the Man Who Holds the Future of the Internet in His Hands

Meet the Man Who Holds the Future of the Internet in His Hands

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

It took years for the Internet to reach its first 100 computers. Today, 100 new ones join each second. And running deep within the silicon souls of most of these machines is the work of a technical wizard of remarkable power, a man described as a genius and a bully, a spiritual leader and a benevolent dictator.
Linus Torvalds – who in person could be mistaken for just another a paunchy, middle-aged suburban dad who happens to have a curiously large collection of stuffed penguin dolls – looms over the future of computing much as Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs loom over its past and present. For Linux, the operating system that Torvalds created and named after himself, has come to dominate the exploding online world, making it more popular overall than rivals from Microsoft or Apple.
But while Linux is fast, flexible and free, a growing chorus of critics warn that it has security weaknesses that could be fixed but haven't been. Worse, as Internet security has surged as a subject..

Le 1s [year] Review

Le 1s 2024 Review

February 8, 2016 Richard Gomez 8

LeEco (the company formerly known as LeTV) is the latest to join the long, long list of Chinese smartphone manufacturers trying their luck in India. The company doesn't have any of the advantages of being an early mover, and no matter how shockingly low it can push prices, it won't be the first to be doing so. Still, there's a lot to like about the Le 1s, which is quite full of interesting features considering its budget price tag.
LeEco hasn't gone only for impressive specifications; it's clearly trying to achieve a level of desirability, as you can immediately see from the Le 1s's metal body. While the much more expensive Le Max (Review | Pictures) took on the might of mainstream flagships and came up looking just a little short, LeEco is hoping that the Le 1s will have much wider appeal.
Look and feel
There's only so far you can go with specifications, and so LeEco has decided to bring premium materials and build quality to the budget smartphone sp..

Dell Venue 7 Review [year]

Dell Venue 7 Review 2024

March 2, 2019 Richard Gomez 0

We were fairly impressed with the Dell Venue 7 and Venue 8 which we reviewed almost exactly a year ago. Dell has only just decided to get serious about the Android tablet world, and despite some flaws, the first two Venue models were pretty good for their asking prices. In the time since then, Dell has launched an updated model in India. These were first shown off at Computex 2014, and are currently available in our market.
The big new thing this time is the inclusion of voice calling. A lot of people feel that if you're going to have a SIM card for cellular data, you might as well be able to make and receive voice calls. On the other hand, there's the staggering impracticality of holding a 7-inch tablet up to your face or plugging in a headset every single time the phone rings. Dell has left the choice up to the buyer, and so versions of the 2014 Venue 7 (and Venue 8) with and without voice and data are available. We have the voice-enabled 2014 Dell Venue 7 in for review tod..

InFocus M680 [year] Review

InFocus M680 2024 Review

January 6, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

InFocus has been a player in India for less than a year now, but it has been releasing a steady stream of new models, most of which we have received well. The US-based company, which specialises in projectors and office communication equipment, is working with Chinese electronics giant Foxconn to put its name on a line of smartphones aimed at emerging markets. Through this relationship, InFocus is trying to carve out a space for itself, and it seems as though the periodic flash sales it holds are receiving quite a lot of attention.
It can't be easy to compete in the Indian smartphone market, where a disruptive new device comes along nearly every other week. Still, InFocus appears to be gunning for the budget segment with a combination of low prices and premium features. Let's see if the new M680 can take on existing low-cost champions and leave a good impression.
Look and feel
We liked looking at the InFocus M680 from pretty much every angle except head-on. The front face is ..

Samsung Galaxy Tab global 7 - [year] review

Samsung Galaxy Tab global 7 – 2024 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..

Counting Sheep That Won't Put You To Sleep

Counting Sheep That Won’t Put You To Sleep

February 21, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Divide by Sheep is a puzzle game that requires math, advanced planning, and sometimes just a little bit of luck. That description might sound less than exciting, but the game makes up for this by making you drown the sheep, feed them to wolves, slice them to pieces, and generally have some fun with the cuddly critters. Developer Bread Team has created some of the fluffiest looking cartoon sheep in the world, and then gone out of the way to let you torture them with impunity as you ostensibly try and save a few of them from inevitable death. The game has been released now for iOS and Steam, with an Android version in the works.
There's a bit of a story at the beginning of the game, setting things up, but much like Cut the Rope, the exposition is minimal, and safe to skip. The comparison makes sense – while Cut the Rope was a physics puzzler and Divide by Sheep is a series of math puzzles, the two games have a lot in common, such as fiendishly clever gameplay hidden under a very cu..

OnePlus X [year] first impressions

OnePlus X 2024 first impressions

February 22, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Soon after the launch of the OnePlus 2 back in July, OnePlus started creating buzz about another handset due this year which would cater to a different audience. The OnePlus X, the Chinese company's third smartphone, was finally unveiled on Thursday at simultaneous events in New Delhi and Beijing, among other cities.
OnePlus had also announced plans earlier this month to start manufacturing phones in India, further further affirming that the company considers India one of its most important overseas markets.
At the launch event, we asked OnePlus India General Manager Vikas Agarwal how the OnePlus X fits into the company's smartphone lineup, as the older OnePlus One still has better innards. Agarwal, without specifying an exact time frame, confirmed that the One will eventually be discontinued – though not this year. This made it clear that the OnePlus X is here for a reason, and the company wants to make sure that it caters to consumers looking for a powerful device but who c..