Category: Recommended Products

1byone Tri-folding Pocket size Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard (Review)

Technology has made this world a better place certainly by making our life effortless every day. As in particular, the invention of smartphones, IOS & Android & Windows system tablets have undoubtedly fluid the communication system. Moreover, voice calls, tweeting or texting is much viral among the people nowadays.

on the other hand, writing documents, notes and typing long email messages in the smartphones were not possible until the innovation of Bluetooth keyboards. Besides that to make our work more convenient the 1byone company has launched a tri-folding wireless Bluetooth keyboard which can be easily carried anywhere and also can be fitted into your pocket. Owing to the reason we can obviously state that pocket-sized folding keyboard is much handier than a physical keyboard or other big sized Bluetooth keyboards.

Box Accessories

The packing includes a Bluetooth, user manual and a USB charging cable.

Build Quality & Design

The portable ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard is well made by plastic on the front side and aluminium alloy on the backboard. The rubberized feet on the bottom works as a stand to the keyboard which also do not let the aluminium back get scratched somehow. The metal hinge allows the keys in the folds to retain the standard keyboard’s layout brilliantly. The design of the keyboard is impressive but not unique as the same style can be spotted with different brand logo. I think there is a bigger anonymous manufacturer who provides the device to multiple resellers.

There is a visible protruding segment present in the middle column on keyboard’s back, which is highly noticeable when it is closed, supposedly housing the main circuit board and battery. Also, there is 1byone logo, manufacturer information and additional standard symbols located at the bottom of the middle column. The charging port is located at the top edge of the same extended segment.

There is no dedicated power button on the keyboard to turn it on or off, the another welcome feature as you don’t have to keep reminding yourself to turn it off. Additionally, there is an automated power off feature, which is a little inconvenient. I will talk about it later.

Features and Flaws

The keyboard pretty much has the standard layout, other than the number keys are shifted to one whole row or column? and the num pad is missing.

For this review, I tested the keyboard by using it to type emails and long documents on my Laptop as well as smartphone and iPad. During my testing period, I didn’t notice any typing lag. Except one time when it was bit slower to register my input when my old Android phone was experiencing the lag system wide.

To connect the keyboard with the Bluetooth enabled device, you simply have to unfold it and press Fn+c. It will trigger the blue LED on top on the keyboard panel, indicating that the keyboard is ready for pairing with the device. Once paired, the LED will stop blinking and your keyboard is ready to use. The amazing part is that once paired with the device, you can simply unfold/fold the keyboard to connect or disconnect it with the paired device. There are additional function keys such as volume rocker and media controller, which can be activated by using ‘Fn’ key.

Sometimes if you press Ctrl+A the keyboard lifts up on that side, making it a little unstable at times.

Also, It might be a problem for those who has a habit of using right shift button as it has been shrunk a tad bit to fit it right on top of ‘right arrow’ button. While typing documents and performing certain tasks which involved the ‘Shift’ key, resulted in accidental pressing ‘Up arrow’ button. The Up & Down arrow buttons could inherit the ‘Split’ key design from that we see on Apple Laptops, which would have allowed the standard ‘Shift’ button. Pretty much like this one:

Some keys especially which lie on the line of the folding area doesn’t work properly as I had to press it multiple times to make it register my input.

In spite of drawbacks, the keyboard can be contributing for touch-typist and beat the burden out of swiping or thumbing. The keyboard doesn’t remain flat on the table or desk while working due to the metal hinges but it doesn’t pose much trouble to the user. Built-in 210mAh lithium battery, works for up to 114 days in standby mode without charging, with 64 hours continuous use. In addition, the sleep mode of the keyboard is automatically enabled to save power if the keyboard is unattended for 15 minutes. The keyboard can be brought back from sleep by simply pressing any key, but unfortunately, it takes a little while to function normally. It is a nice feature, but it may be a bit hassle for some users as most people lack patience because we expect the keyboard to be always ready for our input.

What do we think?

1byone could be a great travel companion, letting you work away from your desktop as it allows you to work wirelessly on the wide range of Bluetooth devices. The 1byOne Trifolding Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard is Available on Amazon India at ?5,278 (and $35.99 in the US), which put it right on top of the medium segment. As mentioned earlier, while researching for this article, I found that various companies are selling the same keyboard but with different branding (logo) and even cheap price. It is highly likely that they are all importing this gadget from China or another country for rebranding with the personalized company logo. (Example 1) (Example 2)

When gimmicks and flaws are combined with the high price range, it is difficult to recommend this gadget to our readers.

March 10, 2016
This tiny glass disc has storage capacity of 360TB (That’s 368,640 GB!)

Have you ever heard of ‘time capsules’? Well, it just got a serious upgrade!

Researchers at Southampton University in the UK developed a tiny glass disc that can store data up to 360TB (that’s 368,640 GB of data) which can be preserved for 14 Billion years. Yes, you heard it right!

The technique uses femtosecond laser pulses to write data in the 3D structure of quartz at the nanoscale. These pulses can write data in three layers of nanostructured dots separated by 5 micrometres (that’s 0.005 mm).

The team behind the new 5D discs says these discs could be most useful for institutions who deal with large archives: libraries, museums, and anywhere else extensive records are kept (like a Facebook data centre).

So where do the five dimensions come from? First there’s the three-dimensional position of each dot within the layers, and then the extra dimensions are the size and orientation of the dot. The nanostructures created by the technology can be read using an optical microscope in tandem with a polariser (a filter designed to block specific polarisations of light).

The team has now written a series of major works to small glass discs— including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Newton’s Opticks, the Magna Carta and the Kings James Bible. They also point out that the data is extremely stable: It could endure for as long as 13.8 billion years at temperatures up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Source: Southampton University

February 17, 2016
CoolPad Note 3 (8676-I02) International giveaway | DigitFreak
It’s hard to believe that we’re already a month into 2016, but sure enough, here we are in February! We hope you’re all having a fantastic year so far, but we thought maybe we could make it a little better for one of you. So, we’re giving away CoolPad Note 3 to a lucky DigitFreak reader! There are several ways for you to enter to win this phone, so keep reading for all the details.

Read our Review: CoolPad Note 3 (Full Review).

Winner of Asus Zenfone 2 Laser Giveaway

We’re still awaiting more information from the winner (The Prize has yet to reach the winner. Images are unavailable atm).

Update: We just received this image from the winner of Asus Zenfone 2 Laser Giveaway (16th Feb 2016).

CoolPad Note 3 Giveaway

This international giveaway is powered by DigitFreak, co-sponsored by our media partner JoyCreak.

Want to win the CoolPad Note 3? Jump to the widget at the end of the post to participate in the giveaway.Normal contest rules apply here. One entry per method per person. This one’s open to all folks everywhere such contests are legal, but we can’t guarantee the phone will work on your network. (You know how these things go.) The contest ends on March 12th. We’ll announce the winner here on DigitFreak once they send us their Image with the smartphone upon receiving.

CoolPad Note 3 Giveaway

Terms & Conditions
- The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
- If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- You must be the age of majority in your Country of residence.
- We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
- Only 1 entry per person. Do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- This giveaway is operated by DigitFreak.
- The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
February 13, 2016
CoolPad Note 3: A cool companion at an affordable price [Review]

The smartphone market has been flooded with new mobile phone companies, many of which we don’t even recognize. Unless we are specifically being told about their reputed history in the Chinese market, chances are we would end up categorizing them as a new start-up company. Honestly, when Amazon started promoting CoolPad Note 3 on their homepage, I was baffled to witness their greedy strategy to promote the unrecognized brand at a wide platform, exclusively! After a simple google search of ‘CoolPad,’ everything started to make sense, which eventually explained the motive behind Amazon’s decision to support this brand.

Actually, CoolPad isn’t a new company. It is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, which is like any other popular brands, is one of the largest manufacturers of the smartphone. It is no different than widely accepted other popular brands, such as OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi etc. It started expanding itself to other parts of the world of distinction.

Unboxing

Before opening the box, we noticed a white block with “CoolPad Note 3” at the center and *4G* written at the bottom right corner of the front face. There were no description or specification texts to be found anywhere on the box. Anyways, we moved on, still being little confused about this.

Inside the box, we found a brand new smartphone, an earphone, travel adapter (5V, 2A), a data cable, a quick start guide and a warranty card.

Build Quality

The CoolPad Note 3 is 5.5-inch (720p) smartphone with seemingly decent specifications at an astonishingly low price. The body is made up of plastic, which is expected at this price range, and should be easily accepted given you’re investing very little compared to the other smartphones that come at a hefty price for a full metal body. According to the company, the smartphone’s frame is made up of Aluminum-alloy, so you shouldn’t be much worried about the quality of the inside, which is what matters the most.

The smartphone has curvy back, which felt amazing while operating the phone. It sits ergonomically in the hands while typing as well.

There is a rear camera with led flash, secondary microphone, a fingerprint sensor at the top, and a speaker vent along with the Coolpad logo at the bottom of the back side. The power button is on the right side, volume rocker on the left side, 3.5mm audio jack at the top and a micro USB port along with a microphone at the bottom.

This dual sim smartphone supports dual standby 4G sim cards. There is a 3000 mAh battery, and capability to expand the storage up to 64GB.

At 9.3mm thick and 155g in weight, this is not an easy phone to handle. The tapered rear edges and matte finish do help somewhat, but you’ll wind up shuffling it up and down in your hand, and you’ll have to be careful of your grip at all times.

Camera

The smartphone comes bundled with 5MP front selfie camera and 13MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash. It has f2.0 aperture with 5 element HD Lens, which will supposedly take better pictures in a low-light environment.

The 5MP front camera takes decent selfies, which looks good on a bigger screen such as desktop, laptops etc. The colors appear to be little washed off after being processed by the camera software. It is far away from the actual color which we see before taking the selfie. However, it is much better than any other smartphone’s camera I’ve tested so far in this price segment.

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The rear camera is much better than the front camera module. It takes clear images in daylight, and virtuous images with proper lighting. The camera suffers a little in a darker environment, however, it can be mitigated by turning on the flash. There are noticeable grains spread all over the images, which can be annoying at times. The long shot suffered from blurry objects, unclear edges and grainy texture over the top.

On the bright side, the default camera app has some amazing tools/tweaks that will be praised by selfie lovers. The ability to slim-down the jaw-line in real time, Pro and beautification mode helps a lot to create a unique image.

Both front and the Back camera can capture Full HD High-resolution videos, but lacks Optical Image stabilization. You can’t expect these high-end features with the smartphone in this price segment.

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Click on image to see original

Hardware and Performance

CoolPad Note 3 is powered by 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 Octa-core SoC coupled with Mali-T720 MT2 GPU. Performance-wise it goes head-to-head with Samsung Galaxy J7, which is currently priced at Rs 14,999 ($252.99). The 5.5-inch screen has a resolution of 720×1280, for an effective density of 320ppi. LTE is supported on Band 40 on both Micro-SIMs. Wi-Fi, including 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio are standard.

Our Benchmark report reveals that the phone is a great performer in its price segment. Additionally, while playing games and performing hardware-intensive tasks, we noticed no lag whatsoever. The phone, however, did get little warmer around the fingerprint sensor, but it was barely noticeable.

CoolPad Note 3 Benchmark
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The battery didn’t disappoint us either, which kept the device alive for the entire day of usage. For average users, the battery should last 20-24 hours without any problem. You’d probably end up charging your phone once at the night. However, if you’re an avid gamer, it will hardly last 6-7 hours with a single charge.

The display on the phone is a beauty. It is not the best display we have ever seen, and frankly, we won’t ever will in this price segment but, the IPS panel on this phone just works. The sunlight visibility is good, adaptive brightness works as it should, and viewing angles are decent. Overall this phone might just be your day-to-day companion for media consumption.

The Coolpad Note 3 comes with Android 5.1 and the company’s own Cool UI skin. We weren’t too impressed with the cosmetic changes Coolpad has made to stock Android – a lot of it felt unnecessary (though your mileage may vary), especially the customizations made to the Settings app, in which it isn’t possible to search for specific things. Needless to say, like any other Chinese smartphone, this phone lacks app drawer. If you really want to have stocked android feeling, you will have to download the third-party launcher. There are tweaks and UI enhancements by the company, which definitely allow this phone to stand out from the Smartphone crowd that flaunts the same stock user interface and features. Other than that, there isn’t much to point out.

What do we think?

CoolPad has bigger plans for the future, the company is set to establish a dedicated manufacturing hub in India under the “Make in India” initiative. If they choose to make their next smartphones in India, it will definitely allow them to cut the price of the smartphone even lower, or bring better hardware specifications at a reasonable price bracket. The company also mentioned earlier that they are taking the market very seriously, and they’re looking forward to having a refreshing smartphone line-up every few years to compete with others.

Initially, the phone was only available through flash Sale on Amazon. However, now that the company has shifted their sales under Open purchase, it is easy to recommend to others. There’s only one strong competitor that provides better specifications with the full-metal body, 1080p display and widely adapted Snapdragon chipset – Huawei Honor 5X, priced at Rs 12,999 ($199.99), which will be our first recommendation is you have a flexible budget.

What it boils down to is the fingerprint sensor. If this is the feature you really want at an affordable price, then this is the smartphone for you.

February 9, 2016
4 amazing gadgets specially targeted to gamers in 2016

With each year that ticks by, new gadgets for gamers are announced. Some of these never make it past the demo stage but the few that do are always worth the noise. This year, most of the buzz have been around virtual reality gadgets (VR), but there is a whole range of new, exciting gadgetry that can improve the traditional gaming experience. This piece takes a look at some of them.

Samsung Modular TV

The TV sector has remained largely uneventful for a fairly long time now with the emphasis being placed, predominantly, on better visuals. However, Samsung recently shook things up this year with something radically different. Their Modular TV is a 170 inch TV made up of different smaller squares. The squares can be split up to show different views or combined to show one view. If you have ever wanted a TV setup like what TV directors enjoy daily, this is a good option.

With this setup, you can be playing your favourite games on one or more parts of the screen, whilst your wife is logged into new bingo sites like www.bingosweets.com for some gaming. Interestingly, you don’t have to buy the complete blocks for the 170-inch frame. You can start with as many blocks as you need and scale up in future!

Sony Short Throw Projectors

The Sony Short Throw portable projector is another cool gadget for gamers. This bit of kit is around the size of a box of tissues and comes with a featured speaker. The size of its projections is 23 inches, but Sony states that it can be adjusted to a larger size – exact specs are still under wraps.

The device also features an HDMI port which will be a welcome addition for gamers who would prefer to take their gaming with them when they can. When combined with some of the most powerful smartphones on the market today, a gamer’s paradise can be created anywhere.

Portal’s Optimum New Router

As a gamer, internet lag is one of the most annoying things you can ever deal with. This router from portal promises to change things for the better. The router will utilise up to 250% more of the 5ghz spectrum than any other router, whilst also have the capacity to constantly search for optimal settings and looking for possible interferences or issues. When the router finds an issue, it will quickly adjust itself to ensure you never have to deal with lag again.

Virtual Reality

Of course, it has to be on this list but we saved it for last because we know how tiresome it’s been waiting for the products to finally hit the shelf. The good news is that many of the products from the big names (Oculus, Samsung, HTC etc.) should arrive as early as June.

That said, although many gamers may embrace VR there is a growing sentiment in gaming circles that Augmented Reality, like Microsoft’s HoloLens, will have a more profound impact on the gaming experience.

February 8, 2016
Top 5 Gadgets that are important in your day to day life

The invention of a Mobile replaced lots of daily gadgets we use. Clocks, Radio, Calendar, Alarms, Torch lights, Timers and Landline phones too. The mobile phone did not retain its top position even for a decade. Smartphones came into picture replacing mobile phones, camera, recorder and with the internet connection reduced the need of Computers and Laptops. There are cool gadgets on the market and makes human life easier by many means.

The price tag is what everyone worried about buying gadgets. Now the market has numerous collections from different brands. The Top 5 Gadgets on the market are Smartphones, Tablets and iPads, Laptops, Cameras and SmartTV and Watch mobiles.

Smartphones, Tablets and iPads

This handy Cool Stuff engages every person in the home with the features it possesses. Clocks to music system come in a smartPhone. A home with a single wifi connection can manage all the stuff. The Tablets and iPads are the best buddies to children. It lets adults stay in touch with their loved ones through social media. Even Banking is made easy through this gadgets. The online shopping brings the shop to home. GPS in the Smartphones replaces the maps and helps to show the way. They hold applications which are useful in daily lives. News across the globes reaches to sight within seconds.

Laptops

Image Credit: YouTube

Laptops are the modern replacements for the computer. The Laptops are more attractive to people because of mobility. Laptops can be carried along to different places. The Laptops are even made weightless. The Laptops exist in a various range of price based on the specifications. Various online stores are available which gives dealings on the occasions. The High specification laptop is available with EMI options. The Credit cards allow EMI without interests in case of buying a laptop. So it is not hard to own a Laptop which is an essential gadget to students and Office people.

Still Cameras and Handycams

The Social media allows to share our life events and travel moments to the friends. This fact drives everyone to own a still Camera or a Handycam. The ladies are fond of posting selfie pictures. They often look into notifications to check the number of likes received. The people who have kids in the home are fond of making videos about the activities of their little ones. There are Smart cameras which directly connects to the social networks and let you share what you click.

Smart TV

It is smart when a gadget performs more than its purpose. The TV with the regular programs helps to stay connected with friends. It let you snap between programs and youtube. Allows a video call through the Skype can be termed as Smart TV for sure. These are the next version of the TV that people started replacing with their old ones.

SmartWatch Mobile

The SmartWatch mobile was a hit last year. People started buying it as crazy as they bought Smartphones. The rates are starting from Rs.2000. Tie around the hand. The watch dial shows a clock when it slide open shows a keypad. It comes along with earphone and mike which help you maintain privacy.

These gadgets play a big hit in the market. They are affordable to all set of people with proper planning.

February 3, 2016