Tag: tablet

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Technology

Gole1 PC scores goals with small size, dual operating systems

There are many PCs and tablets on the market with Intel processors. But few of them can fit in one’s pocket or come with Windows and Android operating system compatibility out of the box.

Gole1 is being marketed as the smallest and cheapest all in-one Intel PC available. But it more closely resembles a tablet. It comes with a 5-inch, HD touchscreen display and the dual operating systems. Users can switch from Windows 10 to Android 5.1 by using the “Switch to Android” app icon on the Windows desktop. Gole1 is powered by the Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 processor and runs Windows 10 Home.

Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, four USB ports and a microSD card reader that supports up to 64 GB of storage. It can also be connected to a TV or projector via HDMI. The device offers two hours of power with the built-in 2600mAh battery, but its power can be extended by any 5V/3A Micro-USB power bank.

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Apparel Connected Objects

The The PowearIN jacket is the one that keeps your gadgets going

What used to be a day at the office is anything but. Today the demands of a connected world dictate the office be anywhere at any time and as such, people need easy ways of carrying their devices and powering them, too.

Enter the awkwardly titled PowearIN, a technical jacket that’s a device in and of itself. By considering all a connected user on the move needs, the company of the same name has created a jacket that stuffs more than forty separate features into its design. Its INbutton, sporting five buttons and rotary-styled operation, is central to what it can do and allows users to control four separate modes: a music mode, a lighting mode, a power mode, and a camera mode.

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Reviews Technology

Remix Ultratablet review

Review Score: 4 out of 5

Microsoft’s Surface has has seen a number of twists and turns in its young life, but two constants have been the presence of add-on magnetically attached keyboard covers and the unsurprising presence of Windows (and now, proper Windows in the Surface 3). Indeed, the Surface was always intended to be a showcase for Windows. But what if there was a Surface that didn’t run Windows?

That seems to be much of the idea behind the Remix Ultatablet, an Android tablet that has a strong resemblance to the Surface 2, such as an integrated multi-position kickstand (complete with microSD slot underneath) and a magnetically attaching keyboard cover. It’s missing a few niceties of the Surface 3. These include the ability for the top of the keyboard to magnetically attach to the base of the tablet, providing better stability and a kickstand that has a fluid range of angles. And while the Surface devices have a full-size USB port, the Ultratablet’s is a USB-on-the-Go connector requiring an adapter. On the other hand, Jide Tech includes the keyboard, which is a $129 add-on for the Surface. The tablet’s 11.6″ display lies between the current Surface 3 and Surface 3 Pro.

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Cell Phone Accessories Food and Beverage Tablet Accessories Travel

Airhook makes airline trays useful when they’re in the upright and locked position

Anyone who flies knows that the tray table is an uncomfortable evil that food and drinks often claim at the expense of tablet-resident entertainment or productivity.

Airhook is a compact, portable solution that works with the existing tray tables but makes them more useful. The simple design features a collapsible hook that gets widged between the tray and the seat into which it folds. The cupholder portion folds down, making a convenient storage place for a drink throughout the duration of the flight – including take-off and landing.  The Airhook also features a docking station for a variety of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, with a bungee cord that helps lock the device in place from the top.

The design is well-executed, and the designers are selling Airhook for $20 each, to raise $15,000 by July 26, 2015, expecting delivery by December 2015. However, frequent travelers may find that the elastic may stretch with continued use, making the device less stable as time goes on.

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Arts Tablet Accessories

Sketchmi lets younguns sketch whatever on their tablets

Many artists have switched over to the tech side of things to become graphic designers. They use software and computers to make art. Still, many would prefer to have the convenience of technology, while still using good old fashioned pen and paper.

Sketchmi brings these two worlds together. This product is essentially a tablet case that’s most compatible with the iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPad 3, though it may still work with other models. To use, simply place on the tablet like a case. Add a sheet of paper over the screen to use for tracing a cool picture found on the Internet or from a personal photo library.

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Connected Objects Uncategorized

Calou drags the wall calendar into the digital age with e-ink

In an era before Outlook and Google Calendar, people tended to keep their personal schedules in a pocket planner and group or family calendars on a wall calendar. Smartphones have replaced the former but their larger siblings — tablets — haven’t really replaced the latter. Part of the reason for that is because these calendars should be viewable at a glance, which mean a constant display.

Calou is the closest a digital product has come to recreating the classic wall paper. Like an e-reader such as the Amazon Kindle, t uses e-paper technology to maximize battery life. Calou’s developer, Hamburg-based TECHNIKmanufaktur, says that the iPad-sized product can last two week without being charged. The tablet is encased inside a wooden dish-like enclosure that has a magnetic front for small notes and photographs.

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Technology

Remix tablet offers a cure to Android users with Surface envy

When it comes to traditional laptop-style computing, Google has pushed Chromebooks for the world of keyboards and mice. Nonetheless, some companies such as HP have taken a few stabs at putting Android in a 2-in-1 laptop-style device.

Now, Beijing-based Jide Tech is looking to infuse Android into a device that’s a dead ringer for the Microsoft Surface with Remix. Like Microsoft’s spin on a tablet-laptop hybrid, the 11,.6″ Remix has a kickstand and a removable cloth-textured keyboard/trackpad cover that attaches via magnets. And the similarity doesn’t end there. The company has added the ability to run apps in windows as well as a Windows-like file manager and taskbar.

Jide Tech seeks $100,000 by April 24 and the Remix is available in limited quantities at prices up to $349. A ridiculous $39 early bird sold out quickly. Units are expected to be delivered by May 2015 and the company assures that the product is already in production in China and it simply needs to bring it to the U.S. and other markets.  What appeared to be a simultaneous campaign on Indiegogo turned out to be fraudulent and has been removed.

As noted, Android-based keyboard devices have not seen the level of success that Chromebooks have despite having so many apps available. It’s also somewhat surprising that the new device wlll not have the latest version of Android — Lollipop — that is rolling out to new devices. While the Remix  was a clear value-based alternative to the Surface Pro, the recent introduction of the Surface 3 at $499 makes the original far more competitive although that price doesn’t include the Type Cover.

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Tablet Accessories

Gerp Mount alleviates tablet shoulders, has many more tricks up its sleeves

patent-claimedAs comfortable as smartphones are to hold, tablets unfortunately don’t enjoy the same reputation. With the increased size comes an increased strain on the arms, shoulder, and neck of the user holding it up, causing a sense of discomfort that can’t easily be addressed.

The Gerp Mount is looking to relieve the issue with its ergonomically-constructed, rugged utility mount. Although it’s primarily advertised as a tablet grip and hands-free stand, the Gerp’s versatility truly shines in the variety of ways a user can use it outside of a tablet. To be frank, using it as a tablet grip is pretty redundant in most cases, but using it as a makeshift clothes rack or attaching a GoPro or a GPS to the grip makes so much more useful in places like the home and the car. The downside to all the different attachments necessary to do so is the loss of overall focus, simplicity, and aesthetic appeal as a result.

Those who are attached to their tablet with welcome the $80 Gerp Mount and set of accessories with open palms. The $15,000 campaign is looking to ship the product by April 2015.

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Chargers/Batteries

Get a tan and power your devices with the SolarPad

The impressive functionality of the smartphones, tablets, and wearables in people’s lives makes it an absolute bummer when they die. Usually, power banks swoop in to save the day, but even those need to eventually be plugged in themselves. In response, products have emerged that charge devices with solar energy, but take a long, long time to do so.

The SolarPad solar charger comes in an iPad Air form factor and is outfitted with monocrystalline cells that are fully charged in just three and a half hours of direct sunlight. The product’s use of coated bamboo is attractive and keeps it that way, making it a worthy addition next to the beautifully designed devices everyone totes around. SolarPad features 2 USB ports for dual charging, and a USB in for daisy chaining or wall charging as well.

Every solar charger tries to pack solar panels onto something new, like the SolarHug and the SunnyBAG, so it’s refreshing to see it designed to be on its own. The SolarPad boasts a seven year warranty, so users won’t have to worry about anything but soaking up some sun. The product goes for $97, and its $35,000 campaign is looking to have it shipped out by March 2015.

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Tablet Accessories

Proud To Play covers iPad for the young and elderly

IPad covers that increase the usability of the tablet are valued accessories. Most are sleek and work mainly on flat surface, everything the Proud To Play iPad cover isn’t. Instead, the cover offers a sturdy and bulky EVA foam construction. The Proud To Play is no looker, but it makes up for its appearance by being usable in the lap along with on any flat surface thanks to the sphere on its back.

The device was originally designed for elderly people suffering from dementia so the iPad’s physical buttons are shielded by the cover to cut down on mistaken button presses and physically limit the device to a single app. The company envisions the cover’s use in child and work environments, but the cover’s bulkiness makes it hard to believe anyone would want to transport it around. The attempt is admirable, but the Proud To Play ultimately doesn’t do anything a Sevastone, or many other alternatives, couldn’t. Backers can buy one cover for €35 (~$43), or buy one and give one for €65 (~$80). A donation of €20,000 (~$24,693) will get the product out and shipped by February 2015.