DigitFreak

Tag: wireless

  • Logitech k230 Compact Wireless Keyboard can be your budget travel companion [Review]

    Logitech k230 Compact Wireless Keyboard can be your budget travel companion [Review]

    Logitech K230 is a clever little wireless keyboard that boasts some very interesting features. As we all know these products don’t always afford to deliver what they advertise as a prime feature. It will be great to see how this keyboard stands for its remarks, especially when it claims to offer some crucial proficiency, such as whisper-quiet keys, long battery life and being compact without compromise.

     The Good  The Bad
     Plug and play  No Caps/Num lock indicator
     Long battery life  Up/down key is small
     Compact design  Some Function (Fn) shortcut keys are missing
     128-bit AES Encryption  Not as quiet as advertised

    Design & Impression:

    Having a curious mind is a bless and curse at the same time as I can’t afford to be patient for anything. My mind always looks out for answers to my question crafted by my unstable brain. So, while the shipment was still on the way, I couldn’t resist going through all the websites where users have shared their views and experience with the keyboard. I had so many questions, viz., Is it compact enough? Can I use it while lying on my bed without interference? Will it work with my Logitech M235 Wireless mouse via Unifying connector? The top row of the keyboard seems so small in pictures, how will it affect my usage? Battery Will really last 18 months? and so on.

    I couldn’t wait to unwrap and test the keyboard when it finally arrived. I took it out from the box relentlessly and downloaded Logitech Unifying software, paired my keyboard and Mouse with single USB receiver and it worked; even so flawlessly. In fact, every single keystroke made to express my thoughts about this gadget is an input from it.

    Logitech k230 Wireless keyboard on table unifying connector logitech mouse m235 wireless

    I am delighted to have this keyboard as my daily driver, as it does what I intend to do without it placing itself as an obstruction. The compact design allows me to carry it in my backpack (yes, I have actually tested it) along with my mouse, power cords, the laptop and few clothes if I have to leave for more than a day.

    Logitech has added a little personalization option as three swappable battery slot covers. These plastic covers are shipped in three colors; blue, pink and light gray, which can be switched according to the interior of the house or most preferably, your mood.

    IMG 20160719 190328

    It actually ingeniously hides the battery slot situated at the front left of the keyboard, which otherwise could be very plain-looking. There are two pre-bundled AAA sized batteries to power the device, which according to Logitech will be sufficient for 24 months of usage or 4 million keystrokes. My previous keyboard from Microsoft couldn’t even manage to run for 6 months, while they actively advertised it to be capable of providing 15 months of battery life. Whether or not Logitech holds true for its claim is yet to be seen, but I will still categorize it as an added bonus if it manages to give half of the juice it claims.

    IMG 20160719 190345

    The body of the keyboard is made up of plastic, however, it doesn’t feel cheap. I do admit that it isn’t one of the sleekest devices out there but the infusion of chicklet and the standard layout is wonderful. This keyboard is designed differently, yet it manages to intrigue me every day. There are thin bezels on the top and right side and battery cover on the left, while the bottom of the keyboard has it all bare, unprotected; living a very dangerous life (if you know what I mean). I took few days to get used it, maybe because my previous keyboard had a really thick bezel around it.

    IMG 20160719 190132

    However, when I finally realized how amazing it is to type with this gadget and ditching the bezel at the bottom might be the best thing they did with the design because it makes unbelievably easy to clean the keyboard; Just shake and tap the keyboard while holding it vertically and you’re good to go.

    IMG 20160719 190151

    The keys on this compact device are not as silent as the company would tell you on their list of product’s features. The built-in AES 128-bit encryption makes sure that your data is safe and nobody can intercept the keystrokes that you send to your computer wirelessly, which is a welcome quirk. The top row (function keys) is very narrow and sometimes can be a little nuisance. It also lacks many anticipated keys that you’d expect on a wireless keyboard (including display brightness adjustment and wifi switcher etc.), more so if you’re using it for your laptop.

    IMG 20160719 190142

    Additionally, there is no LED indicator for Caps/Num lock buttons, which is preferred by many people to be included for convenience. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but I can understand if you’d want to look somewhere else for that matter.

    What do we think?

    IMG 20160719 190429

    Logitech K230 Wireless Keyboard (PN 920-003357) may not be the best keyboard you can have in the same price range, but I am sure it can make its way to the top 5 in the list. Comparing it with the premium keyboards that cost 2-3 times more would be unethical. There is some downside to it, however, the overall feature and quality you’ll receive for the money invested will be 100% justified.

    Buy it From:

    Amazon India

    Amazon US

  • 1byOne Ultra Compact Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard International Giveaway

    1byOne Ultra Compact Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard International Giveaway

    We had a tremendous response on our previous giveaway, following the success a new US based company sent us a very compact gadget to expose it to our readers. It is our pleasure to provide a platform to host these giveaways for DigitFreak readers.

    The 1byOne Ultra-Compact Tri-Folding Wireless Keyboard is an ultra slim portable gadget, precisely built to accompany you when you are away from the luxury of a standard keyboard. You can simply type long documents and respond to tedious emails on the go with this super compact keyboard on your smartphone/Tablets. Heck, it even works on smart TV or any other gadget that supports Bluetooth connectivity. Yet, we couldn’t recommend it as a viable option to our readers. Find out why on our full review.

    Winner of CoolPad Note 3 Giveaway

    Winner of CoolPad Note 3 giveaway

    The winner of CoolPad Note 3 sent us this image today (22nd March 2016). Congratulations!

    1byOne Foldable ultra-compact Wireless Keyboard Giveaway

    This international giveaway is powered by DigitFreak, co-sponsored by our gadget partner 1byOne US.

    Want to win the 1byOne Wireless Keyboard? 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/gadget will work on your network/country. (You know how these things go). We’ll announce the winner here on DigitFreak, once they send us their Image with the gadget upon receiving it.

    1byOne Compact Wireless Keyboard International 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.
  • What is Airplay and how does it Work?

    What is Airplay and how does it Work?

    But there are certain limitations as you can stream media from Apple to Apple device only like iPod, iPhone or iPad. You can even use itunes to configure your computer with an airplay speakers set, Apple TV or a receiver. But the great thing is about wireless technology as you will be performing all this with wireless technology.

    The wireless has the power to operate within the range of several hundred square feet.  So, let suppose that you own an airplay speakers set and you want it to set these at one end of your house. The second speaker set has been idealized for the other end. You just have to configure both these speaker sets with your iPhone and you can play a single song at both ends while sitting in your living room.

    It hasn’t yet finished here as you can derive more benefits out of Airplay, if you are using online media streaming. Suppose if you are enjoying a movie on your iPhone but you feel the sound little depressed then you can boost the sound with the help of airplay technology and get the real sound out of your airplay speakers.

    airplay

    While considering about the compatibility of airplay speakers and airplay software, you should not forget that you can even configure your airplay software with third party speakers. Although it may not be an easy job at first hand but with little effort you can configure the airplay technology with third party speakers. Many third party manufacturers have been granted with Apple license and they can use their software while making compatible with Apple software.

    It is not a difficult job to connect your device with Airplay speakers and you can broadly use two methods. The first and one click method will be using your wireless router for creation of home network. You just have to connect your speakers with the router and then connect your device with wireless network to enjoy the fun.

    While the second method will require Apple airport express to connect your airplay speakers and your device. You can find a quick guide on the brochure and start making fun. Good luck!

  • Microsoft Wireless Desktop 800 USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo [Review]

    Microsoft Wireless Desktop 800 USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo [Review]

    I ordered “Microsoft Wireless desktop 800 USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo” one day, when I was annoyed by the fact that I have to carry my laptop on my lap all the time while typing or working on it.

    If you work on a laptop everyday like me, You would probably understand what I am talking about. I just hate it when I have to work on my laptop, sitting in a single position because you can not always use the keyboard effectively at every sitting positions. This is what led me to buy the wireless keyboard and mouse, so that I could work within my comfort zone.

    This is just me, but you might have some similar situation where you wanted to go wire free and work on your desktop or laptop from a feasible distance. Microsoft Wireless Keyboard and Mouse is the perfect companion for such scenarioes, And guess what? It falls right under the budget of Rs 1,500 (~$25).

    Box Accessories

    The package includes a Microsoft Wireless Keyboard, Mouse, USB transmitter, Manual, 2 AA size battery and 2 AAA size battery.

    Build Quality & Design

    IMG 20150401 165401371 1

    The “Microsoft Wireless Desktop 800 USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo” has a really sturdy and premium build quality, which makes it stand out in the crowd. The button are really soft to press, and they doesn’t seem like getting chunky any sooner. The curved layout of the keyboard button makes it really easy to type and compose texts.

    I am typing this article on the keyboard and so far I am loving it. The buttons are so soft that it feels like you’re moving your hand over butter. There are several easy access hot keys, like the calculator, Play/Pause button, Mute button and volume up or down button.

    IMG 20150401 170033172 1

    The wireless mouse provided by Microsoft is equally good and delivers the performance promised by them. Microsoft Optical Technology benefit from responsive cursor control that takes advantage of 1,000 dots per inch (DPI) tracking, which makes sure you have a precision control over the mouse cursor.

    Features

    Both Keyboard and mouse can be operated from the distance of 30 foot range, with virtually no interference with the 2.4 GHz wireless technology. The Snap-in Transceiver provides plug and play feature, which means you don’t have to install any additional drivers to make the hardware work. There is battery life indicator on both Keyboard and Mouse, which glows red when battery is low.

    IMG 20150401 165925622 1

    There is a power on/off button at the bottom of the mouse, which is really helpful to save battery while the device is not in use. However, this feature is missing on the Keyboard, but Microsoft claims that Both keyboard and mouse can have battery life of upto 15 months.

    Another drawback of the keyboard is smaller function keys (F1 to F12), which is little annoying for developers and debuggers. If you don’t use them often, you’ll probably never notice it.

    Mouse is little on the heavier side because of 2 AA size battery, but you will get used to it after sometime. I didn’t noticed any lags while using the keyboard and mouse simultaneously what so ever. My experience with this combo product has been really good so far. You can’t expect much from the $25 (~Rs. 1,500) product. You can definitely go for it.

    GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
    Interface Wireless
    Brand Microsoft
    Model Desktop 800
    Type Standard Keyboard
    Part Number 2LF-00001/ 2LF-00020
    OS Supported Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X v10.4x -10.6x
    Battery Life Up to 15 months of battery life.
    Features
    1. Secured Wireless Connection; Enjoy the 2.4-gigahertz (GHz) wireless technology, which delivers a reliable connection with up to a 30 footrange, with virtually no interference.

    2. Easy Access hot keys; Quickly access frequently used tools, like the zoom and audio controls by using shortcut keys.Quickly access frequently used tools, like the calculator and audio controls by using shortcut keys.

    3. Microsoft Optical Technology; Benefit from responsive cursor control that takes advantage of 1,000-dots-per-inch (DPI) tracking.

    4. Snap-in Transceiver; Plug the wireless receiver into your computers USB port when youre ready to work. Then snap it into the bottom of your mouse when you travel, and the mouse will automatically turn off.

    5. Battery Life Indicator; Avoid getting caught with a dead battery. The battery status indicator glows red when the battery is running low.
    WARRANTY
    Warranty Summary 2 Year Limited Warranty

  • [How To] Boost your Home Wi-Fi with some simple steps

    Your old Wi-Fi router might be a little outdated when it comes to the full satisfaction, But there are always ways you can get the best out of your gadgets with a little common practices.

    Wi-Fi is one of the most common and important gadgets which is used in Millions of homes, and yet it’s also ne of the most frustrating. If you’re plagued by slow speeds, bad reception, and other Wi-Fi issues, here are 10 ways you can power up the Wi-Fi in your home.

     

    Boost your Signal with a little bit of hacking

    You can extend the range of your Wi-Fi router with little bit of hacking into it. Install the DD-WRT firmware which gives you tons of great security features and other enhancements, and gives you the option to boost your transmitting power. Lifehacker has an easy tutorial over this topic, which lets you install the firmware easily.

    The hack may be dangerous for your router, but most routers can handle an increase up to 70mW without causing any issue. so, it might not be much of the concern for you, but checking the avg. or max. values for your router would be helpful. 

     

    Control Bandwidth hogging Applications

    Most of the times it’s the people in your house who are getting best out of your Router, by playing online games, video chats, torrent files, or uses services like Netflix — which may give you the impact that your Wi-Fi is not functioning properly. It is good to check out for it. Services like these hogs bandwidth and makes internet slower for everyone else.

    Luckily, you can use something called Quality of Service (QoS) – to regin in those bandwidth hogs. With QoS, you can proritize certain applications (say Video Chat) over others (like Video games) so the most important application get the bandwidth they deserve. There are plenty of articles (tutorials) on the internet, Google is your friend.

     

    Reboot your Router automatically on a Schedule

    If you’re one of the many folks that has to reboot their router every so often so it doesn’t drop out, there is a solution. You can run a few tests to make sure the problem isn’t caused by heat, old firmware, or excess downloading, but an easy way to solve the problem is just automatically reboot it once a day or so. You can do this with DD-WRT or just a regular old outlet timer. When you’re done, you shouldn’t have to reboot your router so often (which is great if your router’s all the way up in the attic).

     

    Find the Right Wireless Channel

    If you have neighbors, their routers may be interfering with yours and causing the signal to degrade. Wireless routers can operate on a number of different channels, and you want yours on a channel with as little interference as possible. Use a tool like Wi-Fi Stumbler or Wi-Fi Analyzer to find the perfect channel in your house.

     

    Find the Perfect Spot for Your Router

    Routers may be ugly, but that doesn’t mean you should hide them behind the TV cabinet. If you want the best signal, you’ll need it out in the open, free of any walls and obstructions. Point the antennas vertically, and elevate the router if you can (one reader found that his attic was the perfect spot). Lastly, make sure its in the center of your house, so you have the best coverage possible throughout your home.

     

    Use the Latest Wi-Fi Technologies

    One of the best ways to make sure your network is as fast and reliable as possible is to use up-to-date hardware. We’ve gone through the basics of router hardware before, so check out the first lesson of our networking Night School for the full lowdown. The main thing you need to know: Wireless A, B, and G are old and slow, and wireless N will give you the fastest speeds around. Note that you’ll need both a wireless N router and a wireless N card in your computer if you want the full speed boost.

     

    Replace your router’s antenna

    The antennas supplied with your router are designed to be omnidirectional, meaning that they broadcast in all directions around the router. If your router is near an outside wall, half of the wireless signals will be sent outside your home, and much of your router’s power will be wasted. Most routers don’t allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. If your router’s antenna is removable, you can upgrade to a high-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals in only one direction. You can even aim the signal in the direction you need it most. Consider a Linksys high-gain antenna—they’re powerful and easy to install. Or shop for other high-gain antennas.

     

    Add a wireless repeater

    Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Just place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless router, modem router, or access point and your computer, and you can get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Check out the wireless-N repeaters from Linksys, Hawking Hi-Gain, ViewSonic, D-Link, and Buffalo Technology.

     

    Reduce wireless interference

    The most common wireless technology, 802.11g (wireless-G), operates at a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz). Many cordless phones, microwave ovens, baby monitors, garage door openers, and other wireless electronics also use this frequency. If you use these wireless devices in your home, your computer might not be able to “hear” your router over the noise coming from them.

    If your network uses wireless-G, you can quiet the noise by avoiding wireless electronics that use the 2.4 GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones and other devices that use the 5.8 GHz or 900 megahertz (MHz) frequencies. Because 802.11n (wireless-N) operates at both 2.4 GHz and the less frequently used 5.0 GHz frequency, you may experience less interference on your network if you use this technology.

     

    [various sources]

  • How to Secure a Wireless Network from Hackers?

    How to Secure a Wireless Network from Hackers?

    The reason we secure a wireless network is to stop people from using the services of our network who don’t have permission to utilize them. It is harder to secure a wireless network from hackers as compared to a classic wired network. This is due to the fact that a wireless network can be accessed anywhere inside the range of its antenna.

    In order to secure a wireless network from hackers, we should take proper steps to save ourselves against security issues. If you don’t secure a wireless network from hackers, you might end up without its service. The consequence might also include the utilization of our network to attack further networks. To secure a wireless network from hackers, you should follow these simple wireless networking tips:

    1. Strategic antenna placement:

    The first thing you have to do is to position the access point’s antenna in a place which restricts the range of its signal to go further than the required area. You should not put the antenna close to a window because glass can’t obstruct its signals. Place it in a central location of the building.

    2. Use WEP:

    WEP stands for Wireless encryption protocol.  It’s a customary technique for encrypting traffic on a wireless network. You should never skip it as that will allow hackers to get instant access to the traffic over a wireless network.

    3. Change the SSID, disable the broadcast of SSID:

    SSID stands for service set identifier.  It is the recognition thread utilized by the wireless access point due to which the customers are capable of starting connections. For every wireless access point arranged, select an exclusive as well as unique SSID. Also, if it’s attainable, hold back the broadcast of the SSID out over the antenna. It won\t appear in the listing of offered networks, while being able to provide services as usual.

    4. Disable DHCP:

    By doing this, the hackers will have to decode the TCP/IP parameters, subnet mask as well as the IP address in order to hack your wireless network.

    5. Disable or modify SNMP settings:

    Change the private as well as public community settings of SNMP. You can also just disable it. Otherwise the hackers will be able to utilize SNMP to get significant info regarding your wireless network.

    6. Utilize access lists:

    For additional security of your wireless network, and if your access point support this feature, employ an access list. An access list lets us determine precisely which machinery is permitted to attach to an access point. The access points which include the access list can employ trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) now and then in order to download modernized lists to steer clear of hackers.