Gadgets and Gizmos - Mobile Phones, Tablets and Digital Appliances - Blogsolute https://www.blogsolute.com We. Computer. People. Sun, 28 Mar 2021 06:26:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.17 115487123 5 Things You Should Know About Laser Therapy https://www.blogsolute.com/laser-therapy/31699/ https://www.blogsolute.com/laser-therapy/31699/#respond Sun, 28 Mar 2021 06:25:42 +0000 https://www.blogsolute.com/?p=31699 Laser therapy is a wondrous medical innovation that has been saving lives for years, but it’s still not well understood. There are many who have misconceptions with regard to what it can do and who it is for. Aside from that, there is also the problem of patients who suffer from health issues not knowing […]

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Laser therapy is a wondrous medical innovation that has been saving lives for years, but it’s still not well understood. There are many who have misconceptions with regard to what it can do and who it is for. Aside from that, there is also the problem of patients who suffer from health issues not knowing about it. This ignorance can then cause certain kinds of diseases that start out as mild inconveniences to become worse as time passes.

It’s not enough to have some idea of what laser therapy is supposed to be able to do either. This can lead to assumptions that would do more damage than not knowing anything about it at all. Its uses can vary quite a bit, after all, and affects several body parts from the eyes to the internal organs. Not only will knowing more about the practice help save lives, but it can also lead to healthier, happier lives.

It Is Incredibly Versatile

To say that there are a lot of uses for laser therapy would be underselling the medical technology a lot. This procedure is so versatile, it can be used for everything from life-saving surgeries to simple, life-enhancing sessions. It can be used to treat tumors and cancer symptoms, as well as repair vision or cosmetic improvements. The list goes on and on and those are only the ones that have been discovered to date.

There is also something to be said about the dynamic nature of the laser itself, which can shift in intensity. Much of this depends on the type of laser physical therapy equipment being used, the fuel source, and the set frequency. This means that it can be used for tasks that require either a mild or intense touch. Any sensitive part of the body such as the eyes can be subjected to the process without worry, for example.

It Is Safe and Efficient

Laser therapy is one of the most efficient methods for treating certain types of health issues that anyone could ask for. Depending on the kind of session that you were doing and the targeted problem, it can be done quite fast. Some require coming back a few times in order to get rid of the issue once and for all. In other cases, one session is enough, but this applies to cosmetic areas, more often than not.

In the case of the latter, for example, this includes the removal of warts, moles, and other forms of blemishes. This does not apply to all kinds of marks on the body such as extensive and deep scarring, though. There is also a much lower chance of things going wrong when using lasers since it’s done via machines. On the other hand, other procedures that involve blades can be an issue when held by incompetent hands.

It Improves Daily Living

There are many health problems that can impede patients from living the kind of lives that they could have. Examples include those with disfiguring cosmetic cases or conditions that have to do with the eyes and vision. With laser therapy, it can be a simple matter of burning away the causes of those problems to correct them. This will then help make the daily lives of patients much easier and involve less of a hassle.

Laser therapy can also help with injuries or postoperative healing, with cauterization being one of its most popular uses. This is a good way to reduce inflammation and would cut down on the amount of time for recovery. It can even be used to soothe many of the chronic ailments that numerous patients suffer from via nerve damage. Lasers can be used to do things like getting rid of kidney stones, as well, which provides huge relief. 

It Saves Lives

There is no denying that laser therapy or laser surgery are needed in order to help save lives. The technology provides a level of precision that is not possible for human hands, making it perfect for more delicate operations. You can also consider the fact that laser therapy can return or correct people’s vision, which is beyond advantageous. When you can see without the help of vision aids like glasses or contact lenses, you become less vulnerable to accidents.

Perhaps the clearest examples of how laser therapy can preserve life, though, has to do with tumors and cancerous growths. Laser sessions can reduce or outright eliminate these, which would then make them less of an issue to patients. The earlier these symptoms of cancer are dealt with, the higher the chance of a full recovery for the patient. There is also the fact that using lasers to deal with such dangerous elements is safer due to its precision. 

It Can Be For Everyone

While doctors tend to differ in terms of when they would recommend doing laser therapy, it can still be for everyone. This means that regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, there shouldn’t be any reason why they can’t get this treatment. If the need calls for it, there are plenty of options with regard to the energy source, frequency, intensity, focus, equipment, and more. 

By adjusting all of these aspects, there should be nothing stopping a patient from getting laser therapy. It’s also worth noting that allergic reactions are not that common when it comes to this procedure. This makes it safer for more people.

Conclusion

There are many benefits that come with laser therapy and most of them can be life-changing. Those who can’t see, who have embarrassing skin problems, or who have contracted cancer can be treated by the process. Understanding the points made here can help avoid major health issues later and improve your daily life too.

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Methods for Programming your Robots https://www.blogsolute.com/methods-for-programming-your-robots/31688/ https://www.blogsolute.com/methods-for-programming-your-robots/31688/#respond Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:29:01 +0000 https://www.blogsolute.com/?p=31688 If someone told you a few decades ago that you could control robots with incredible accuracy and that they would replace human workers, you would have told them that they watched too many science fiction movies. This would have been understandable because 40 to 30 years ago, robots were nowhere near as sophisticated as they […]

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If someone told you a few decades ago that you could control robots with incredible accuracy and that they would replace human workers, you would have told them that they watched too many science fiction movies. This would have been understandable because 40 to 30 years ago, robots were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now. They were too clumsy, and could only be given the most basic task. They could only support human workers, not do the whole job for them.

Nowadays though, this does not seem too far-fetched. There are now computer programs that will allow you to control robots with ease. These methods are particularly useful for industrial purposes Here are some easy-to-follow methods that will allow you to control robots with ease.

1. Offline Programming

Of all the robot programming methods, offline programming is one of the most popular. It is usually used in robotics research and is designed to test out control algorithms before they are transferred to a real robot. By using this type of programming, industries can reduce downtime, and enhance the overall efficiency of the whole operation. This type of programming is very efficient and does not interfere with the production process too much. Overall, offline programming’s defining characteristic is its versatility, and it allows the robot to be programmed via a virtual mockup of a task or robot. This makes offline programming a perfect testing ground for simulation software.

The advantage of using offline programming is that it is very intuitive, and can be used quite easily. It is also a very versatile type of programming that allows you to test out your robotics software, and if you notice any inefficiencies during the tests, then you could opt not to use it.

As efficient as offline programming may be, it does have some setbacks. First things first, the process might take more time in the long run. While this type of programming does reduce downtime during the actual work process, someone will still have to test out the simulations. This means a good number of hours or even days will have to be devoted to the testing process. There is also the fact that virtual models won’t be able to fully represent the real world accurately. So the program will still need tweaking after it has been installed on the robot.

2. Teaching by Demonstration

The teaching by demonstration method mainly involves navigating the robot via a force sensor or a joystick installed to a specific part of the robot. Through these sensors, the robot will be able to store each position and movement in the robot computer. Using this method, operators could use the robots in their applications with little to no fuss.

One of the key advantages of teaching by demonstration is its ease of use through intuitive control. Unlike other types of programming, there is no longer any need to use multiple buttons or controls. The operator could just manipulate the robot with ease. It is perfect for highly detailed tasks such as welding or carving applications. 

Like any other type of programming, teaching by demonstration does have some setbacks. One key disadvantage is that programming has to be done to the robot in real-time. So there is no reduction of downtime because the robot has to be used in order for the program to succeed.

3. Teaching Pendant

The teaching pendant method is by far the most popular type of robot programming. A majority of robots in most industries are programmed using this method. This programming method usually consists of the main control panel called a pendant. While the pendant first started out as a large calculator or board, however, the pendant’s aesthetic has changed through the years. Nowadays teaching pendants look like a tablet or Ipad. They usually have a touchscreen feature that allows the operator the ability to control the robot with relative ease. The robot is programmed very much like teaching by demonstration. The operator uses the pendant to manipulate the robot into various positions and the operator saves each position into the robot’s memory. Once the robot has saved all the positions, then the operator could just control the robot with ease.

The key advantage of the teaching pendant method is that it is very popular. Which means a lot of operators know how to use them.  They are perfect for simple and repetitive movements such as painting or digging a hole. Although pendant training is great for simple movements, they are also great for precise positioning and can be coordinated quite easily. This type of programming is perfect for top-quality robots such as the factory robot arm made by EVS. EVS is a robotics company that has been in the robot arm business for decades, and their products could be programmed via all three methods. Although, the pendant method is usually the most popular of the three. 

The only setback to using the pendant training is that it is not as seamless as other operators would want it to be. When a program has to be installed, the robot must be put into a so-called teach mode where all operations for the robot have to stop. This equates a lot of down-time for the robot, and operations will also have to stop until the program has been installed. Although pendant training is quite common, there are various types of pendants, and operators will need to learn how to use the pendant and its many fixtures. 

Conclusion

In the past few decades, the field of robotics has reached new heights and innovations when it comes to their programming. So if you are interested in robotics, and you want the option to control them as easily as possible, then you should try out these great robot programming methods. By doing so, you will be able to control your robots in the most effective and efficient way possible.

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New Age Tech Ideas to Charge Your Phone For 2019 https://www.blogsolute.com/new-age-tech-ideas-charge-phone-2019/31595/ https://www.blogsolute.com/new-age-tech-ideas-charge-phone-2019/31595/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:05:44 +0000 https://www.blogsolute.com/?p=31595 It’s no news how much phone-dependent humans have grown to be. Here’s the beauty of a smartphone: Rather than running to catch a bus, order an Uber; instead of staying bored, play a video game. The good side: our everyday tasks have become so simplified that stress levels has decreased. The bad side: we can […]

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It’s no news how much phone-dependent humans have grown to be.

Here’s the beauty of a smartphone: Rather than running to catch a bus, order an Uber; instead of staying bored, play a video game.

The good side: our everyday tasks have become so simplified that stress levels has decreased.

The bad side: we can do little or nothing we love when they are dead.

New Tech Ideas to Help Keep Your Phone Charged

So, let’s take a look at ways you can keep your phone alive without having to go through the hassle of using conventional long-wired chargers, as technology has developed new ideas, as expected.

1. Anker Solar charger

Whether you are out hiking or on the pitch playing soccer, getting away from a charging source alongside staying under the sun could be great disadvantages. So, possessing a gadget which converts the sun’s heat into useful power for your phone would be a life-saver. That’s exactly what solar chargers bring to the table.

For instance, take a look at the Anker solar charger. With the aid of three solar panels installed to its sides, Anker 21W solar charger converts the sun’s rays to electricity; which is then channeled via a USB port to your device. Luckily, since it has 2 USB ports, you can charge your phone and your tablet simultaneously.

However, if there is one thing that is a bummer, it is that this solar charger isn’t rechargeable. To derive more energy from the sun, you might want to get a solar generator. Check out Solargenerator guide.

2. Omnicharge Power bank.

Trapped on an island or stuck in a traffic jam with a dead phone? Omnicharge to the rescue! Omnicharge has a number of different models, however, one which stands out in the Omnicharge series is the Omni20+.

With a significant number of USB ports, all your gadgets- your iPad, iPhone, tablet, headphone- can be all connected to it simultaneously. Despite its many number of ports and connections, Omni20+ is still small enough to carry around in your backpack or purse. Its 1.4-pound weight verifies this fact.

As the name suggests, the Omni20+ has a whopping 20,000mAh storage capacity; which suggests how long you can go without getting stranded due to a dead phone. 

3. Charging backpack

Recently, there had been issues of insecurity in my neighbourhood. So, even after dropping my kids off at school, I needed a means of reaching out to them after closing hours. I had them take along smartphones to school- but then, they rarely had access to charging spots.

That’s when I heard of the charge backpack- ECEEN hiking daypack backpack to be precise. Come rain or shine, with its 3.5-watt solar panel and a built-in 2000mAh waterproof Li-polymer battery pack, you can charge on the go.

Luckily for you, it wasn’t just built to charge your phone. It has a lightweight- meaning all your camera gears can fit in conveniently. Also, upon flipping of the panel attachment, you could release distress signals in case of an emergency.

Its design is simple and stylish; perfectly designed for people on the go.

4. Magnetic tip Multi-Cord

The most annoying part of charging is the many different cords pertaining to each gadget. An iPhone uses lightning cords, cameras use miniUSB while some other devices use microUSB.

The magnetic tip special cords solve this problem. With an easily detachable mouthpiece, you can fit the kind of end your gadget accepts- then you can use the magnetic cord to charge them all. One cord for all your devices; brilliant!

Wrapping up

I love every single item on this list- they are all perfect for specific situations! However, in case you are carrying laptop, make sure you follow the tips to increase battery life because charging big devices isn’t always possible on the move.

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Awesome Productivity Gadgets for Workplace https://www.blogsolute.com/awesome-productivity-gadgets-for-workplace/29889/ https://www.blogsolute.com/awesome-productivity-gadgets-for-workplace/29889/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:10:47 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=29889 Depending on the make and configuration notebooks designed for mobile businesses are described as being rugged, semi-rugged, or business rugged. If you are in need for one, this comprehensive list will help you out.

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Technology is changing everything around us, so why not the way we do our business? A few decades ago most retailers or shopkeepers operated entirely without computers. But today businesses everywhere require a host of gadgets– tab, laptop or computer, etc. If you want a loan to start tour business click here to get the best qualified team to help you For instance, today many delivery trucks or their drivers need to be equipped with electronic notebooks. After all, one thing most businesses look for whether they are operating indoor or outdoor is productivity, I suggest to check out synel website where you can find a way to mange your time wisely.

But being continuously mobile in a harsh environment can be detrimental for a notebook or any hand-held mobile device.  The device requires being durable with rugged configurations that can take a beating and still work. These are similar to cell phones and tablet PCs, used by courier companies. Depending on their make and configuration notebooks designed for mobile businesses are described as being rugged, semi-rugged, or business rugged.

Is it the right gadget for your workplace?

business laptop

While there are several business laptops in India, finding the right one for your work is not an easy task. Tough, sturdy, reliable, but not too heavy and can survive long work days are just some of the things you might be looking for to increase productivity and accountability at work. With so many rugged, semi-rugged, or rugged business notebooks available in the market, it can get difficult to pick one. To make it simpler, we found few notebooks which can boost your productivity and are worth considering.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-54

tough business laptops

Equipped with the new 5th Generation Intel CoreTM i5-5300U vPro processor, this semi-rugged business laptop Panasonic Toughbook is said to be the most reliable and versatile in its category. The CF-54 outfitted with Intel Turbo Boost Technology with 4GB RAM expandable up to 16GB, is aimed at professionals who are always on the move. The screen enables the user to operate the laptop even in sunlight and is considered one of the best gaming monitors. With a spill resistant keyboard, vibration, shock resistant features and being 2.5 feet drop-shock resistant; it offers the right type of ruggedness.

The device also happens to be one of the popular business laptops in India which are useful for service engineers in the automotive diagnostic industry, field work, and other business verticals. Along with an 11 hr. Battery life, it also has an option of hot swappable battery feature enabling you to change batteries without shutting down the computer. Other features include a fingerprint reader and contactless smart card reader, and options like Serial Port, VGA, PC Card, Rugged USB, 2nd LAN, etc.

Overall the Toughbook CF-54 is the perfect blend of ruggedness, mobility, and productivity.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-31

tough business laptops

The 6th Toughbook CF-31 is the ultimate winner of sorts- created as one of the toughest industrial laptop creations by Panasonic. It has qualified all the main tests for extreme ruggedness and field work efficiency and can survive vertical drop as deep as 6 feet when in closed top mode. When on an active mode, the device can manage to stay intact falling from the height of 3 feet! Incredible, isn’t it? It is tipped with water resistance and has extreme ruggedness to withstand critical temperature and pressure conditions. Tests show that exposure to 6 inches of rain water and 140 kg of pressure, the device remains to be functional and usable. Quite neat for people who look for reliability and efficiency.

No matter what the workplace is – indoors or outdoors, Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 is unrivaled regarding cutting-edge tech products. It’s packaged battery lasts more than 13 hours without the need of backup, which makes it a perfect pick for outdoors workplaces like construction sites where the power supply is limited.

Fujitsu LifeBook S936

tought work laptop

You can use this notebook conveniently during your official tours, with its big battery that lasts for up to 15 hours. The S936 has an expandable memory of up to 20GB, excellent expansion capabilities. It also comes with an incredible range of ports including, three- USB 3.0 and a LAN one. The device manages to stand out from similar laptops due to its palm vein sensor option and the integrated Smartcard reader.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon

The laptop makes for a good business laptop as well. It has a 14-inch display screen and a three-year onsite warranty by default. You can use the laptop for an entire working day without charging, thanks to its decent operational battery life. In short, it is a great workplace gadget for those constantly on the move.

Getac S410

toughest work laptops

Getac S410, offering a 14-inch HD (1366×768) display or 14-inch FHD display (1920 x 1080), for professionals who work both indoors as well as outdoors. The laptop has a touch screen clearly visible in bright light. We also loved the feature of being able to freely switch between touch modes including rain touch, glove touch, and pen mode.

Ending notes

Finally, all these laptops are unique in their way. But picking one comes down to determining, which one will be able to best overcome most of the environmental limitations related to your workspace and yet work efficiently.

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Moto 360: Elegance on my Hand https://www.blogsolute.com/moto-360/29556/ https://www.blogsolute.com/moto-360/29556/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2014 08:55:52 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=29556 Just in: Moto 360 Smartwatch- first round shaped Android wear gadget, bought out of curiosity much more than a need. Through this article, I want to share what I felt like after playing with it for last 48 hours. Click on image to see Full size First impression out of the Box Stainless steel frame […]

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Just in: Moto 360 Smartwatch- first round shaped Android wear gadget, bought out of curiosity much more than a need. Through this article, I want to share what I felt like after playing with it for last 48 hours.

moto-360-wrist

Click on image to see Full size

First impression out of the Box

Stainless steel frame tied to leather belt holding a digital display at the center. Wrist Watch, as it should be!

Circular design and elegant display with numerous watch faces gives it an appearance of a real normal watch. So, in the urge of wearing a smartwatch, you are not trading style-statement of wearing an actual old-school watch.

Moto 360 runs on Android Wear which is a platform by Google for Wearable gadgets. On starting up, it asks to install Android Wear on your phone so that it can connect and sync information.

moto-360-android

What is its Usability?

Concept is fairly new and hence the question. It is a watch that goes beyond being just a time piece- an information gadget which you can wear on your wrist.

It has an inbuilt Pedometer and Heart Beat meter which keeps track of steps walked and heart rate respectively. Most of the people buy a smart watch for health and fitness purpose only. No, not me.. I am just an enthusiast, an early adopter of technology.

Being connected to your phone, you can opt to get notifications on watch for Facebook, WhatsApp, Hangout Chat, etc. So, you don’t have to open phone or take it out from pocket every time it pings. Makes ignoring unimportant stuff easy while important ones can be replied from there itself.

Not a virtual keyboard (obviously, you cannot type text on that 1.5 inch screen), but you can send a text reply to messages using the voice typing feature.

And did I tell you that it can be voice commanded just like any other Android Smartphone by saying “OK Google”.

Where does it get Power from?

Moto 360 came with a wireless charging dock. I just have to place it on the dock and it starts charging without plugging anything. Cool?

charging-moto-360

It is powered by 320mAh battery which can run it for a day (as claimed) but in reality it doesn’t. If you keep on poking it,it lasts hardly for 8 hours on heavy usage. So, you have one more device to remember to get charged before leaving.

While it is charging, it is just a watch displaying time and nothing else. Screen stops reacting to your touch and tap. So, it doubles as a bedside clock.

Is it For You?

Yes, if:

  1. You want notifications but you don’t want to spend tons of time on your phone.
  2. You want a timepiece that actually does something without paying much more for it.
  3. You want a watch you can upgrade and customize.

Overall, I feel that Motorola has given a great thought towards designing. Wearable, in my opinion, should compliment your personality because it will always be on hand and Moto 360 does that. Beautiful, comfortable, lightweight digital timepiece!

It is priced at Rs. 17,999 and comes in two color variants: Black and Silver. Exclusively available on Flipkart in India.

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Never Forget Mobile Phone’s Charging USB Cable at Home https://www.blogsolute.com/chargekey-smallest-usb-cable/29216/ https://www.blogsolute.com/chargekey-smallest-usb-cable/29216/#comments Thu, 20 Feb 2014 06:03:23 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=29216 With Phone’s becoming smarter, battery drains have increased significantly. While traveling or moving away from home, one thing essential to be carried along (of course after Mobile phone) is its USB Charging cable. Smart device you are carrying is nothing without its charger. Pretty much dumb, isn’t it? Considering this issue and importance of carrying […]

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With Phone’s becoming smarter, battery drains have increased significantly. While traveling or moving away from home, one thing essential to be carried along (of course after Mobile phone) is its USB Charging cable. Smart device you are carrying is nothing without its charger. Pretty much dumb, isn’t it?

Considering this issue and importance of carrying Charging cable, NOMAD has come up with a revolutionary product called ChargeKey. It is basically a USB charging cable for Phone, tablet, etc but really portable. This way one can never forget to carry charging cable.

ChargeKey: Portable USB Charge Cable

Smartphones and tablets these days can be charged just by plugging into USB of Computer / Laptop so no need of even power adapter. While travelling, it is easy to find someone with laptop or a place with desktop computer which can act as power source for charging. [sws_pullquote_right]So small in size that you can tie it up in keychain or maybe carry in wallet. [/sws_pullquote_right]

Not just charging of battery but also this cable can be used for data transfer or sync between devices. Just like your 3 feet cable which enables mass storage device on phone when connected to computer. Only diffreence is that ChargeKey is way smaller in size.

ChargeKey: Small and Flexible

Cable between microUSB and USB connector in regular charging cable is replaced by a flexible rubber material of size approx 1 inch.

ChargeKey is available in two variants namely microUSB which is standard and widely used in Android devices, Windows phone or any other platform devices except Apple. Other kind of ChargeKey is especially available for iPhone, iPod and iPad which has different kind of connector.

ChargeKey is priced at $25.00 which can be purchased from NOMAD’s official website.

Did you find it innovative? Let me know by commenting below.

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The Lava Xtron+ Review- A Tablet with Stellar Hardware but Poor Software https://www.blogsolute.com/lava-xtron-review/28108/ https://www.blogsolute.com/lava-xtron-review/28108/#comments Tue, 09 Jul 2013 01:09:31 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=28108 The budget Android tablet market has changed a lot since the last year, when every Indian manufacturer was jumping on this booming business. Nearly every single budget tablet launched in that time period boasted impeccable hardware specifications, though their actual performance was terrible. Flash forward to 2013 and we can definitely see this trends improving […]

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The budget Android tablet market has changed a lot since the last year, when every Indian manufacturer was jumping on this booming business. Nearly every single budget tablet launched in that time period boasted impeccable hardware specifications, though their actual performance was terrible.

Flash forward to 2013 and we can definitely see this trends improving significantly. Due to the recent efforts by companies like MediaTek, who’re leading the way for development of faster and cheaper chips, it has now become possible for companies to manufacture tablets with better hardware while keeping the cost low at the same time.

One such example is Xtron+ — the latest Wi-Fi only budget tablet from Lava that promises impressive performance at a low price of only Rs. 7,000. Here’s our review.

Initial Impressions

Lava Xtron Back Plate

Lava Xtron  (4)  Lava Xtron  (10)  DC-IN Charging port

When held by the back, the Lava Xtron+ can impress anybody with its sleek silver faux-aluminum plate and the model name printed on it. But when turned over, the Lava Xtron+ looks like any other budget 7-inch tablet with a bland front and a large bezel. While I do acknowledge that the Xtron+ is a budget tablet, but Lava could have at least tried a little to differentiate it from the Chinese crowd.

The ports and buttons are located at their usual positions including an HDMI port and a hot-swappable SD-card slot at the top. The speaker grilles are also, thankfully, located at the top and not at the back. Interestingly, the tablet also has a separate physical back button at the right edge. This is ridiculous, Lava!

It even uses an outdated DC-IN charging port, similar to what a generation old Nokia phones used to have. USB charging is also unsupported, which is a huge drawback.

Hardware

Lava Xtron  (7)

Talking about the Lava Xtron+’s hardware, the tablet boasts a dual core Cortex A9 CPU with each core clocked at 1.5Ghz and a Mali 400 GPU. I was unable to find any further information about the CPU except for its architecture, but my best guess is that it’s a MediaTek produced one. The A9 CPU architecture definitely places the tablet a step ahead of the competition, where almost every tablet in the Rs. 5,000-10,000 range has an inferior Cortex A7 CPU.

Other than that, the tablet has 1GB of RAM, which should be enough for a decent multitasking experience for all users.

Praises aside, GPS and Bluetooth are sadly omitted from the Xtron+, probably for keeping its price low. Since the tablet does not support mobile networks, relying on mobile network towers for pinpointing of location is also striked out, making GPS navigation completely impossible on this tablet unless you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

The omission of Bluetooth means that tethering, pairing and file transfers over Bluetooth isn’t supported as well.

Storage

On specifications sheet, the tablet claims to have an internal storage of 8GB. However, there’s a small caveat.

Instead of using a single 8GB flash internal storage, the Xtron+ actually uses a combination of 500 MB internal flash storage and a built-in SD card of 5.84 GB (excluding the space used for system files). The outcome is that the user is left with very less space for storing apps since they’re by default installed in the internal storage.

In practical, most apps can be moved to the SD card, but those having widgets (Facebook , Twitter, YouTube, etc.) as well as system apps (Hangouts, Calendar, etc.) are immovable. This can be a big problem once you start accumulating such non-supported apps.

Built-in SD storage are also not known to have good transfer speeds as compared to internal flash storage. Though the Xtron+ managed to achieve a write speed of 6.22 MB/s and 11.19 MB/s read speed, which should be fairly enough for normal data transfers.

Display

Lava Xtron  (9)

Sunlight visibility Lava Xtron  display (2) Lava Xtron  display (3)

The front of the Lava Xtron+ holds a 7-inch sharp IPS LCD display having a resolution of 1024 x 600. It’s a bright screen and with a pixel density of 170 PPI, it is pretty sharp too. The best part about the display is that, despite being an LCD screen, it’s not a battery consuming monster. I always found its battery usage to be lower than processes. The screen is prone to scratches though and is highly reflective.

This resolution, however, doesn’t seem to fit very with Android. I noticed a few visual artifacts in various places such as the recent apps screen and the launcher. Unfortunately, Lava probably decided to ignore them without any corrections.

Software

Lava needs to hire better engineers.

While everything looked good about this tablet until now, the software is a disaster. The Lava Xtron+’s firmware has been poorly setup for a tablet. It seems as if Lava has accidentally used a phone specific firmware for the Xtron+ rather than a tablet specific one, since several key tablet features of Android are missing.

High Battery Usage by Cell Standby

Lava Xtron  Cell standby high battery consumption

After spending a few hours with the Lava Xtron+, I noticed that the battery was diving downwards at a ridiculous rate. This kind of usage was very strange, so I opened the battery stats page only to find that Cell standby had consumed nearly 60% of the battery.

What?!

Cell standby is the battery used by radio cells for mobile networks. This tablet DOES NOT have any radio cells! The engineers working on this tablet didn’t even bother to setup the firmware properly and instead chose to simply download Android, flash it in the tablet and put it up on sale.

Mobile networks setting

A further visit to the settings page revealed that the Mobile networks page is still present there — in a tablet that doesn’t support mobile networks. Classy, Lava.

Multiple User Accounts is Missing Too

Multiple user accounts, which was one of the key tablet features introduced in Android 4.2, is missing from Xtron+ as well. This further confirmed my suspicion that Lava might have accidentally used a phone specific ROM of Android.

Launcher has not Been Setup Properly

The 1024 x 600 pixels resolution doesn’t seem to fit properly with the Android launcher and results in un-even grid sizing and spacing issues. On home-screens, the last row of icons overlaps with the dock separator. A majority of the users are not going to notice this until they put their hands on some other Android device.

Next is the virtual buttons. If you observe carefully, they’re not symmetrically placed at the center. As a graphics designer, this irked me a lot.

Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues

Lava Xtron  Wifi Connectivity issues

The tablet tends to lose Wi-Fi connectivity a few minutes after it goes to sleep. I’ve no idea whether Lava did this on purpose for saving battery or not, but it’s definitely not a good thing since the user will be missing out of all sync notifications during that time period.

Near Vanilla Android 4.2 Experience

Thankfully, the Android experience is nearly uncluttered by any OEM-installed cruft, other than a few pre-installed apps, which included Saavn (an excellent free music streaming service), an anti-virus app and a terrible file explorer. I obviously uninstalled the latter two soon after setting up the tablet and others are recommended to do the same too.

A budget tablet maker Lava cannot afford to create a custom skin for its Android devices like Samsung (TouchWiz) or HTC (Sense) do and that’s a good thing since I’ve always preferred the vanilla Android experience over custom skins.

None of that excuses the poor software of Xtron+ though and it leaves much to be desired. The fact that all the issues can easily be solved by a firmware update, could still make it a great tablet nevertheless. But going by the release-and-dump trend among Indian manufacturers, I highly doubt if it is ever going to happen. I hope you prove me wrong, Lava.

Performance

Apart from a handful few, most of the apps loaded quickly and doing casual gaming on the the Xtron+ was a cinch too. But do not expect it to run this boy to run graphics intensive games (for example, all Gameloft games) without significant lags.

Chrome, as usual, runs terribly on Xtron+, but it’s Google at the fault here since it refuses to run smoothly when feeding it anything less than quad cores. I’d recommend users to use the much faster, good old Browser.

Camera Quality and Multimedia

Lava Xtron  (11)

Another section, another huge mistake. Budget tablet manufacturers, including Lava, don’t seem to understand that tablets are not camera devices. They are largely used for making video calls rather than taking photos with two hands.  The Xtron+ comes with a 2MP rear camera, but only a meager 0.3MP camera is fitted at the front, which although shoots some good photos, demands a reversal of role.

front camera viewfinder front camera actual photo

Front camera: Viewfinder (left) and the actual photo (right)

rear camera viewfinder rear camera actual photo

Rear camera: Viewfinder (left) and the actual photo (right)

Adding to the list of bundled software issues, the zoom ratio of the camera app’s viewfinder is also badly adjusted and fails to display the view being captured in full.

The rear camera’s performance is exactly what one would expect from a 2MP camera  — best when left unused. But hey, it’s a budget tablet. One cannot ask for anything more at this price point.

Battery Life

Lava Xtron  high Battery usage of cell standbyThe battery life is perhaps the most important aspect of any device and is hard to overlook. The software, camera quality, etc., no matter how amazing they are, become totally unusable if the device cannot run for more than a few hours.

The 3000mAh* battery that comes with the Lava Xtron+ isn’t anything special, but its battery life is something to talk about. It exceeded my expectations by a fair margin and that too when it’s software is plagued by the Cell standby issue.

The Flipkart listing page reports the battery capacity to be 3,700mAh, which is probably wrong since the official specifications page on Lava’s website reports it to be only 3,000mAh. The battery is non-removable so verifying the claim was not possible for us.

Battery life tests

Screen on time: 6:30 hours

(Continuous playback of videos with the display and speaker volume set at 50% brightness and volume respectively)

Web browsing: 5:50 hours

Moderate usage: 12-15 hours

(Regular web browsing, gaming and reading eBooks with auto-sync turned on)

Overnight battery drain: 10% in 12 hours.

Again, remember that these figures include the battery consumption by Cell standby. The battery life can definitely be further improved if the the issue is fixed.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Xtron  - Verdict

  The Good
  The Bad
  • Powerful CPU and adequate RAM
  • Ships with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
  • Great battery life
  • Affordable price
  • Plethora of software issues
  • Multi-user account feature is missing
  • GPS and Bluetooth are not present
  • Low internal storage can be a bit of a problem
Score: 5/10

To wrap the impressions in a few words, the Lava Xtron+ perhaps has the best hardware in its price range, including both the internal goodness and the sharp display. But the poorly optimized software and missing functionalities from Android 4.2 demands more attention from Lava and until they’re fixed, rating it anything at above 5 is totally impossible for us.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you’re looking for a tablet only for casual gaming, web browsing, reading and the battery issue isn’t much of a problem, then you should definitely go for this tablet.

No, if you expect future updates (read: new Android versions) and the lack of Bluetooth and GPS is a problem for you.

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Droid Razr is NOT World’s Thinnest Phone, Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Is https://www.blogsolute.com/worlds-thinnest-phone/26330/ https://www.blogsolute.com/worlds-thinnest-phone/26330/#comments Sat, 12 Jan 2013 17:34:57 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=26330 Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, which is being exhibited at CES 2013 claims to be the World’s thinnest Smartphone. I remember the controversy when iPhone 5 (7.6mm) was launched and claimed to be thinnest. But, it was soon proven wrong by Verizone’s Motorola Droid Razr which was just 7.1 mm thick followed by Oppo Find […]

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Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, which is being exhibited at CES 2013 claims to be the World’s thinnest Smartphone. I remember the controversy when iPhone 5 (7.6mm) was launched and claimed to be thinnest. But, it was soon proven wrong by Verizone’s Motorola Droid Razr which was just 7.1 mm thick followed by Oppo Find 5 of 6.9 mm thickness. Close competition, huh?

Now, Alacatel has went far ahead slim and announced One Touch Idol Ultra which is just 6.45 mm in thickness. And its weight is nearly 119 grams.. you won’t even realize it when its in your pocket.

Worlds Thinnest Smartphone- Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

Other highlights of this gadget are: the screen of 4.7 inches AMOLED qHD Display (960×540 pixels), a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, 512 MB of RAM and an 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel on front. The device runs Android 4.1, better known as Jelly Bean, and features a large variety of colors.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Hands on

Don’t know what does it means for Motorola or Apple but it has surely hurt the feelings of ZTE who also announced their phone to be thinnest smartphone. ZTE Grand S is the name of phone unveiled at CES 2013 and company claimed their 6.9 mm thick device to be thinnest in the world.

That’s a difference of merely a half millimeter. And that makes ZTE Grand S to be second thinnest phone in the world.

Rumor says that Huawei is also planning to announce the world’s thinnest smartphone during this CES. Let’s see what they have to be served.

I really don’t know when did the race became to produce the thinnest phones. Do you really care about the thickness of a phone while purchasing?

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[Sponsored Video] Avoid Common Photography Pitfalls With GALAXY Camera https://www.blogsolute.com/galaxy-camera-photography-pitfalls-video/26082/ https://www.blogsolute.com/galaxy-camera-photography-pitfalls-video/26082/#respond Sun, 30 Dec 2012 09:02:00 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=26082 Samsung has redefined the Professional photography by introducing a revolutionary product called GALAXY Camera. It combines the power of photography with intelligence of Android to be called as SmartCamera or in Samsung’s words- Connected Camera. What makes GALAXY Camera better than conventional Cameras? With GALAXY, you won’t be facing common photography pitfalls. Better, I should […]

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Samsung has redefined the Professional photography by introducing a revolutionary product called GALAXY Camera. It combines the power of photography with intelligence of Android to be called as SmartCamera or in Samsung’s words- Connected Camera.

What makes GALAXY Camera better than conventional Cameras? With GALAXY, you won’t be facing common photography pitfalls. Better, I should say, You will overcome those pitfalls with this smart device.

Along with the high-performance photography features, GALAXY Camera has computing features. Powered by Android 4.1 Jellybean and has internet connectivity feature using 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi.

So, this Connected Camera allows users to shoot, enjoy, edit and share high quality images and video from anywhere, at any time through a single device.

Galaxy Camera Photography Pitfalls

In a recent Advertisement Campaign, Samsung tried to depict the common photography pitfalls and how you can overcome them with arsenal features of Samsung GALAXY Camera.

1. Photo Bomber – Unwanted person/ element in photo capture can be easily removed in device itself using inbuilt Photo Editor called Photo Wizard.

2. Me Too – It is another common situation where everyone wants the group photo in their phones for personal collection. So, instead of capturing it again and again with different devices, GALAXY Camera could send it to all via Bluetooth.

3. Instant Viral – There are con-incidences during an event which are really funny. GALAXY Camera’s slow motion effect can compliment such recorded videos and make them go viral with one click sharing on Social web.

4. Lost at Sea – GALAXY Camera has inbuilt feature to store your photos on cloud (Dropbox) so, you don’t lose any in case of damage.

5. Eyes Wide Shut – While capturing a group shot, not every face in the screen is perfect. In such cases, GALAXY camera allows you to choose the best face from captured photos. So, you don’t have to capture it again to get the best shot.

6. Iron Curtain – At the live event / stage show, when you are far way from the podium, it becomes difficult to get a good shot. Not only because you are at a distance but also because of the distraction in the view. In such case, GALAXY Camera’s 21X Zoom can help you get the best clear quality picture.

Photography will never be the same again!

This post is sponsored by Samsung.

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Comparison of Mobile Maps: Nokia vs Google vs Apple Maps https://www.blogsolute.com/nokia-vs-google-vs-apple-maps/25362/ https://www.blogsolute.com/nokia-vs-google-vs-apple-maps/25362/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2012 04:56:54 +0000 http://www.blogsolute.com/?p=25362 Along with offering the best in class features in operating system, one thing which manufacturer is now most cared about is Maps application. When Nokia and Google were already in the game, Apple too entered with their own maps application. Is really important to have a Map app when you travel, even more if you […]

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Along with offering the best in class features in operating system, one thing which manufacturer is now most cared about is Maps application. When Nokia and Google were already in the game, Apple too entered with their own maps application.

Is really important to have a Map app when you travel, even more if you go to another country, you get on the plane leave your car at your local Busy Beaver Airport Parking, and go on to another country, but if you haven’t go yet, is difficult to guide yourself without a map.  Question arises which one is better?

Here is an overview of the features offered by each one of them along with the infographics to help you decide in better way.

nokia vs google vs apple maps

Nokia Maps

Once called OVI maps, originated back in 2001 is now default map application for Windows Phone devices. Nokia acquired the geographic information systems company Navteq back in 2007. Today, Nokia Maps is one of the best and most accurate Maps application for mobile devices. It also includes Nokia Drive which is free turn-by-turn navigation app with full offline support and voice guidance.

Features:

  • Turn-by-Turn Navigation (“Go to the next left”)
  • Using Augmented reality. You get a picture of a landmark or location (restaurant, bar, hotel) to see. This makes it a lot easier to find the right place you are looking for.
  • Download maps and use them offline
  • Maps in 3D
  • Satellite
  • Routes of public transport in 500 cities worldwide
  • Maps of buildings – unfortunately airports and stadiums only available in 38 countries
  • Night mode – makes it more pleasant to look at the map in the dark
  • Directly usable – Sophisticated GPS receivers GLONASS which sets your location in no time

Google Maps

Google Maps are good and with continuous improvements and additions like Google Street view, Local Search, etc. are making it better. Thanks to years of work, massive computing resources, and thousands of people hand-correcting map data, accuracy is maintained.

Features:

  • Maps in 3D
  • Find nearby businesses – restaurants, bars and tourist attractions
  • Satellite
  • Turn-by-Turn Navigation and Live Traffic Data
  • Google Maps Street View, which allows you to see images of city streets
  • Offline use of maps
  • Works as a route planner, including the use of public transport
  • Different layers to apply: road traffic, altitude, coordinates and places an entry in Wikipedia
  • Maps of buildings – less extensive than Nokia Maps

Apple Maps

New entry and Youngest in the Map application field. Company ditched Google maps from their device to make place for its own. They are simply bad, even Tim Cook apologized for Apple Maps mistake. Consistent improvements have been made since then to correct the wrong data. But is it enough to be able to compete against the other two giants? The answer is still NO. The satellite images are greatly improved and the weird errors have been removed, but Apple Maps offers simply just less than Google and Nokia.

  • Maps in 3D
  • Turn-by-turn navigation, unfortunately only online
  • Satellite

In short, features offered by Maps application can be summarized as:

Nokia Maps Google Maps Apple Maps
Offline maps yes yes no
Turn-by-Turn Navigation yes yes yes
Public transport yes yes no
3D Mode yes yes yes
Satellite yes yes yes
Augmented Reality yes no no

I can see that the clear winner is Nokia Maps. Also, check out the infographics published by Nokia.

nokia vs google vs apple Maps

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