Tag: tech

Tech Armor ActivePower 12000mAh Portable Power Bank (Review)

It is the age of gadgets, and one thing’s for sure – with the ultimate power of the internet to accompany them, we’ve never been more plugged in than we’re today. To stay connected, one need power, and in order to store power in those traditional rechargeable batteries, you’d have to experience an inconsistency in your work, especially, when you are traveling. So, what is the solution? A portable consistent power source, which can be easily carried around and has enough juice to recharge the gadget at least twice. This is where a power bank comes to the rescue!

Well, there is a huge list of companies that sell power banks, each varying just a little on specifications. In this case, it is really difficult to figure out which one can be a right investment. Fortunately, we were able to add one more power bank to our list of reviewed item. Tech Armor may be a stranger to most of you, especially if you’re at the European or Asian Continents, and you’d be right about that. It is actually a company that sells the mobile protective case, power banks and other mobile accessories.

Unboxing

Inside the box, you’ll find a 12,000 mAh Power Bank, a white USB cable, some manual and user guide. Nothing fancy, just usual stuff here. The packaging was alright. Guys at Tech Armor were kind enough to send me extra lightning cable along with the power bank in case I had an iPhone instead of a device with the microUSB port. I am pretty sure you’ll have to buy the lightning port separately if you do not have one. The box only ships with microUSB port.

Build Quality & Design

The best thing about Tech Armor PowerBank is its Build Quality and design. The velvety finish on top, good quality plastic case and rounded body look and feel really good in person. It is actually smaller in size than it appear in the picture, which is another advantage over other PowerBanks.

There are two USB ports, ideally, one is for Smartphones and another is to charge gadgets with higher capacity batteries such as Tablets. My Samsung Galaxy S6 didn’t appear to charge as quickly as it would with bundled charger. I ended up using Tablet port on the power bank for a faster charge, only to find out that it didn’t dramatically speed up charging process. It clearly indicates that these two ports have a different power supply, but no fast charge capabilities. This is where things started to move downwards.

There is a power button on the side, which is the only physical button you’ll find on the device. Holding the button for few seconds will trigger the ‘torch’ located at the top of the microUSB port. The power indicator on top has 4 LED lights, indicating the percentage of juice left on the PowerBank.

Performance & Ease of use

The TechArmor PowerBank doesn’t appear to deliver the backup it promises. The 12,000 mAh capacity should be able to charge my Huawei Honor 6 Plus at least 2.5 times. However, during my test, I found that it would hardly go up to 1.8 times, which mean, the PowerBank itself would require me to charge before filling up my phones battery twice. It is a serious red flag right there.

Additionally, the PowerBank takes too long to recharge itself. It took 5-6 hours to charge up to 100%. Frequent travellers would really want to stay away from this as it is highly unreliable.

What do we think?

Tech Armor ActivePower 12000mAh External Battery Portable Dual USB Power Bank has great build quality and design. The small case is easier to hold in hands and carry around. However, the device has many drawbacks, given it is not cheap. The few minor bugs would’ve been acceptable if the device was made available at lower price. The Tech Armor PowerBank targets mid-market segment as it is available at $49.99 on their Official Website. When recognized players such as Huawei (AP007 Review), Xiaomi, Lenovo, and OnePlus has already settled with PowerBanks Prices around $20, I don’t see a point going for this overpriced device.

If your priority is design, look and feel over the performance and reliability, you’re in good hands. However, we would strongly suggest you look elsewhere.

March 21, 2016
Upcoming trends in Laptop Technology for 2016

Next year will be huge for new developments in technology, especially for laptops. 2015 was a big year in its right, from flexible 2-in-1 laptops finally reaching optimum functionality, to the refinement (and price drop) of touch screens. 2016 tech will be building off the success of this year, and you can bet some big splashes will be made. Read on to find out about four of the upcoming laptop tech trends to look for in 2016.

8K Screens

Once a distant dream that rivaled science fiction, 8K screens will be a reality in 2016. While you still may have to wait for the TV of your dreams, these ultra-high-definition screens will be available in the coming year on laptops and desktops. For comparison, the highest definition mainstream computer screen on the market is the visually impressive Mac desktop, at 5K. Its screen will look dingy compared to these beauties, which are also super thin. However, due to the innovation of this tech, the price tag will still be pretty hefty. If you can afford it, snap one up, but your patience will be rewarded if you wait a while for a lower price.

Weightless

Image via Flickr

Obviously, the new tech can’t be completely weightless, but it can get pretty close. Many new laptops, will be a far cry from the clunky laptops that debuted earlier this century. Lenovo came out with a laptop this past year that is one of the lightest, at 1.72 lbs. Thin is the new small: Since laptop sales have taken a hit the past few years; laptop companies have taken note of the public’s interest in lighter weight laptops that still keep a healthy screen size. When looking at purchasing one of these feather-light computers, make sure you find out what features are included — some companies don’t put ethernet or DVD drives in these machines to help keep them thin, so if those are important to you, keep your eyes peeled for one that better suits your needs.

Longer Battery Life

Battery life seems to get better every year, and 2016 will be no exception. With some companies stating that their laptops will run up to 17 hours while running the full gamut of programs, you’ll be less tied down with wires and more free to travel with your laptop. And longer battery life doesn’t necessarily mean a heavier laptop, making them ideal for travelers. If you’re interested in one of these old computers, check out the stats online before you buy, and expect some degradation over time, which happens with all batteries. There are steps you can take to keep your laptop battery running as well as it did the first time you charged it, including not blocking the air vents by resting your laptop on a pillow or cushion, causing it to overheat.

AI Inclusion

Microsoft’s new AI program, Cortana, made huge waves in the tech community, but it didn’t seem able to reach its full potential on the 2015 computers. However, with the mass roll out of the vastly improved Microsoft 10 on most laptops, you can bet that Cortana will be making an even larger impact in the coming year. With increased functionality, not to mention even more universal usage across all of Microsoft’s platforms, including the XBox One, Cortana will be one of the top, if not the top, AI to look out for in 2016. Microsoft’s program has already shown remarkable promise and will only continue to get better as it is updated and learns from its current users. Office 16 will also be working closely with Cortana, allowing vocal commands and responses that will make her your in-computer assistant.

Next year will see companies building on already established preferences to make them even better and more practical. If you’re thinking of buying a new laptop, it’s worth waiting until the 2016 batch gets released — you may be surprised at the quality and range that will come out in the new year.

Image courtesy: Flickr

November 7, 2015
Top 10 digital tech gifts you should consider on father’s day

Father’s day is here and we all are searching for something very unique. There are lots of gifts that can be wrapped up and handed over to your father, but some unique and tech gadgets can change the scenario.

Of course! most of the people across the world still finds traditional gifts as one of the best proven method to make your loved ones happy, but getting something unique and techy is something which can get you to the next level. Why not make this day more greener and tech friendly?

There are so many gadgets and technologies which can bring a new smile on someone’s face in a digital world. Picking a very few of the best gadgets available for the occasion is very difficult, but we succeeded to get it done.

Let’s have a look at the top 10 tech gadgets which can make this fathers day special.

1. Self Making Bed

With everyday passing by people need more comfort to their ageing body – why waste it on doing some work what you don’t like to do. You can gift a brand new “Self making bed” to your father and get a little burden off their sholder. Made by Spanish furniture maker OAGA, it can straighten up those sheets and pillows in a mere 50 seconds, using a mechanical arm with two rollers. You can even set it to automatic, where it starts making the bed if no one is in it for 3 seconds. That might be a bit dicey, in my estimation.

2. c1 Electrik Bike

Why not make this fathers day greener? You can get a brand new Green c1 Electric bike which can bring some comfort and greener world together. It’s a two-wheeler with a gyroscope holding it upright — reminiscent of the gyroscopically stabilized Segway. To me, the C-1 looks like the love child of a motorcycle and a pint-sized electric car.

3. iXoost iPhone dock

This has got to be one of the most outlandish iPhone/iPod docks I’ve ever seen. The iXoost Manifold Dock has a series of tubes with tweeters or woofers at the business end, and the whole thing is decked out in leather trim, carved out of a solid block of aluminum. Guess what? It’s all made up of spare car parts. Dad would love to have this.

4. NuForce Cube 3

You will be surprised to see how much such a tiny 2-inch (2.3″ x 2.3″ x 2.36″, to be exact) box could accomplish when it comes to the sound. Once I plugged in my iPhone, I was astonished at the sheer amount of sound emanating from this minuscule device. It is great tool for your Laptops and other portable devices.

5. LiquiGlide Super-Slippery Coating

Tired of waiting for that ketchup to finally come out of the bottle, or digging around for the last mini-dollop of mayonnaise? Thanks to the brain trust at MIT, now there’s LiquiGlide, a magic new coating that makes the inside of containers super-slippery. Made of proven-safe substances that are already used in foods, it’s completely non-toxic and can be applied to glass, metal, ceramics or plastic. This can definitely help out your dad while he’s eating.

6. Medisana VitaDock Scale
It would seem sinful to call this gorgeous electronic device a bathroom scale, but that’s just what it is. Step on this $200 TargetScale Body Analysis Scale with Target Function, and it precisely measures your weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat and a lot of other things you might not want to know. It transmits all that data via Bluetooth to a VitaDock app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

7. Nikon D800

We could write volumes about this magnificent Nikon D800 digital SLR camera — we’ve been testing it all week — but what you really want to know is, why is this better than a smartphone camera? The answer: spectacular low-light performance. It has an enormous image sensor (it’s full-frame, about the size of 35mm film) compared to that of smartphone cameras (slightly smaller than your pinky fingernail), giving it the ability to almost see in the dark.

8. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook

We’re keeping an eye on the pack of Ultrabooks currently in mid-explosion, and now Lenovo surprises us with its claim of the lightest Ultrabook ever: It’s the impressively named ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, a 14-inch laptop touted as “amazingly thin and extremely powerful.” Packed with one of those prodigious new Intel Ivy Bridge processors, this one presses all the right buttons, with a backlit keyboard, high-definition display, a RapidCharge battery that reaches a “near-full” battery charge in a half an hour and an under-3-pound weight.

9. Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad

If your dad owns an iPad, here’s a lovely ultrathin keyboard from Logitech that perfectly matches your iPad 2 or new iPad. It magnetically attaches to the iPad just like Apple’s super-cool iPad covers, and when you’re ready to type, you just place the iPad in a slot and you have what looks like a tiny laptop.

10. Super-Convenient USB Reader for Android
One advantage Android phones have over their competitors is their ability to connect to USB devices, and this USB reader uses that advantage to give those already versatile phones even more capabilities. On board this $40 Sanwa USB reader is a plethora of slots, accommodating microSD, SD and miniSD cards, and it can even accommodate a mouse or a game pad. It works with a variety of Samsung, Sony and Toshiba Android devices.

June 17, 2012