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Strontium Nitro iDrive USB 3.0 Review [year]

Strontium Nitro iDrive USB 3.0 Review 2024

April 22, 2019 Richard Gomez 0

Since the very first iPhone came out over eight years ago, Apple has adamantly refused to let users manage their own storage. Not only has there never been support for storage expansion, but you are restricted from browsing through the contents of your device so you can at least see what's going on. The idea is that users never have to be faced with pointless choices about what goes where, and security barriers are more important than interoperability.
Apple has not exactly been generous with storage, and most people buy base models with less space than they'd ideally like because of the high cost of stepping up. 16GB fills up very quickly when you take lots of photos and videos, or if you need lots of apps.
Strontium is one of a few companies launching external modules that plug into iOS devices' Lightning ports for a storage boost. While the Nitro iDrive USB 3.0 looks and feels like a standard pen drive – especially the dual-connector ones now available for use with An..

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..

Xiaomi Mi Pad [year] Review

Xiaomi Mi Pad 2024 Review

April 9, 2019 Richard Gomez 0

After taking the smartphone world by storm, Xiaomi is trying to repeat its success where tablets are concerned. We've been almost universally impressed by what the Chinese company has managed to produce given the prices it charges, and the rest of the industry has had to scramble to match this new competitive force. As customers and compulsive bargain hunters ourselves, Xiaomi has brought nothing but good news this past year.
Recent launches haven't had as much of an impact as the first few did, but that's set to change again with the new Xiaomi Mi Pad. While there are plenty of Android tablets in this price range already, the company is promising high-end features and the kind of quality that competitors do not deliver. Apple, in particular, stands out as the prime target – not the horde Android manufacturers offering oversized phones.
Xiaomi's biggest constraint has been its strategy of hosting weekly online flash sales, which might be great for generating some in..

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..

Lenovo Tab A7-50 3G - [year] Review

Lenovo Tab A7-50 3G – 2024 Review

November 29, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

There definitely is a market for tablets which can be used as phones. They might not fit in a pocket or be comfortable to hold for very long, but you can browse the Web and enjoy movies on a large screen without having to carry multiple devices around. Lenovo's offering is budget-minded and competes with the likes of tablets from local as well as international brands. Its street price of Rs. 13,999 puts it roughly in the middle of the price range as far as this segment is concerned.
Lenovo's Tab A7 series is available in a variety of configurations. We have the A7-50 3G with us for review, which is also known as the A3500-HV. The HV suffix indicates that this model supports 3G data as well as voice calling – other variants listed online, which might or might not necessarily be available, do not support 3G voice. The front of the box only says Lenovo Tab A7, so make sure you check the labels on the back.
Look and feel
There isn't very much you can do to make a tablet stan..

Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe [year]

Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe 2024

February 17, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

If there's one thing we have too many of, it's ZenFones. Asus's popular range of smartphones has so many variants and different configurations that it's hard to keep track of everything that comes out of the Taiwanese manufacturer's stables. The company's 2015 product range varies in price from as low as Rs. 7,999 for the Asus ZenFone Go to Rs. 29,999 for the top end 128GB variants of the Asus ZenFone 2 and Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe.
Speaking of the latter, it's our review product of the day. Asus announced the ZenFone 2 Deluxe in August this year as its top-spec variant. It's essentially a ZenFone 2 with cosmetic changes, and is only available in the two highest configurations here in India: 4GB RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. In fact, it's priced the same as the ZenFone 2 for those same two variants as well. Is there more to the Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe than meets the eye? Let's find out.
Look and feel
This is the only department i..

Croma 1177 [year] Review: A Tablet With a Twist

Croma 1177 2024 Review: A Tablet With a Twist

September 12, 2018 Richard Gomez 0

Croma has been selling house-brand products for a while now, with varying degrees of success. There's definitely a risk involved when a company puts its brand on products sourced from outside; more so in categories that already have their fair share of cheap made-in-China OEM/ODM products.
The large-format retailer has now decided to put its stamp on tablets in addition to home appliances. Two models have been launched; the Croma 1179 with an 8-inch screen and the Croma 1177 with a 10.1-inch screen and a detachable keyboard case. We have the latter, which the company refers to as a “2-in-1”, with us for review today.
While the device is sold exclusively by Croma, it does not carry the Croma brand in the same way that its appliances do. The box and device itself clearly state that it is manufactured for and imported by Datamini. If you were following the branded PC market in the late 90s and early 2000s, that name might ring a bell – the company was well-known for its Festiva range..

Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i Review: Console Quality iOS Gamepad

Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i Review: Console Quality iOS Gamepad

February 14, 2016 Richard Gomez 0

Purists always argue that gaming on a smartphone is inferior to console or PC gaming, and quite a big chunk of their argument has to do with the unintuitive nature of touchscreen controls. In a way, they are right. Racing, fighting, and first-person/third-person shooter titles are the most affected by the placement of on-screen buttons. For example, the original Bioshock on iOS was panned by critics for its poorly implemented virtual buttons.

However, there is a solution in the form of game controllers that either plug in to smartphones or work as standalone Bluetooth accessories. Apple opened this avenue to third-party manufacturers with iOS 7, albeit with a long list of conditions.

The Logitech PowerShell, MOGA Ace Power and SteelSeries Stratus are a few examples of gamepads made for iOS devices and certified by Apple. However, all these controllers had some flaw or the other; if one had tiny analogue sticks another was too expensive. Mad Catz, a gaming peripherals manufacturer t..