Specifications: 14-inch LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixels, quad core Intel Atom x5, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD slot for storage expansion, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, mini HDMI output, 0.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 10, 1.36Kg
Pros: Lightweight and stylish design, bright 14-inch full HD display, loud speakers, smooth performance, compact size charger
Cons: Average viewing angles, poor webcam, thick bezels around display
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You may not have heard of i-Life, but it is counted amongst the fastest growing PC companies in the Middle East and Africa. The company was first established in 2012 and has now has set its sights on the India market. The first product in their roster is the i-Life ZedAir — a lightweight laptop with a very budget-friendly price.
We were immediately impressed with the way the ZedAir looks. It looks almost exactly like the Apple MacBook Air: the same silver colour, the way the design tapers from back to front and even the placement of USB ports. But it obviously doesn’t ‘feel’ the same. The Macbook Air is all aluminum while ZedAir is all plastic. Complaints of a rip-off design aside, it does not look or feel cheap. Thanks to the excessive use of plastic, it weighs just 1.36kg. The design makes it easy to carry around and the compact charger (it’s like a phone charger) adds to the overall portability.
On the left is the charger port, a USB port and a mini HDMI out port while the right side gets another USB port, microSD slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. The keyboard is chiclet style and we found it to be comfortable for typing. The ZedAir’s trackpad is black in colour and has a matte finish — it matches the keyboard and adds to the appearance of the laptop.
The display is one of the highlights of the machine. We liked that it comes with a large 14-inch screen and that it has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The anti-reflective matte finish on the screen is an added bonus. However, there are some cost cuts here as the viewing angles are average — but this is a common issue for entry-level laptops and given the price, you should overlook this. Brightness levels are excellent but there is no keyboard shortcut to adjust brightness which is an odd choice.
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The specifications are what you usually get at this price: a quad core Intel Atom x5 processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 32GB flash storage. There is a dedicated microSD slot for storage expansion but there no other option to increase the internal storage. The big advantage of the flash storage is that the laptop boots up and runs smooth as long as you stick to basic usage.
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With brightness levels at 60% and normal use (web + documents), we regularly got 6 hours of battery life on a full charge. Some other things we liked include the surprisingly loud dual speakers, dual microphones, LED indicators on the front and the sturdy hinge design. What we did not like was the poor-quality front camera and the thick bezels around the screen.
Overall, the i-Life ZedAir is an entry-level offering that is great for students and for basic home use. It has genuine Windows 10, delivers good battery life, smooth performance and sold build quality at an affordable price without making too many major omissions. At the time of writing, it was available on Flipkart for Rs 11,990 making it even more value for money.
While we see many new launches at trade shows like CES and IFA, it’s the crowdfunding platforms and tech breakthroughs that actually keep innovation alive through the year.
Here's a round up some of the unique products we’re betting on.
(Text: Karan Bajaj)
While we see many new launches at trade shows like CES and IFA, it’s the crowdfunding platforms and tech breakthroughs that actually keep innovation alive through the year.
Here's a round up some of..
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NEX is Vivo’s latest all-screen smartphone design.
They’ve announced two in the range already: NEX A and NEX S. NEX A has a Snapdragon 710 processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage while the NEX S has a Snapdragon 845, 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage.
The other big difference is the fingerprint scanner: NEX A has a conventional one on the rear while NEX S has one under the display.
Both have a 6.59-inch super amoled displays with a screen to body ratio of 91.2% and 4,000mAh battery.
Since the front is dominated by the screen, Vivo has placed the 8MP front camera in a unique (motorised) pop-up mechanism.
On the back is a 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup with 4-axis optical image stabilisation.
(Image: www.vivo.com)
NEX is Vivo’s latest all-screen smartphone design.
They’ve announced two in the range already: NEX A and NEX S. NEX A has a Snapdragon 710 processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage while the NEX S ha..
Read More
This amazing design from Oppo has an allscreen design — it has a 6.4-inch curved OLED screen with a screen-to-body ratio of 92.2%. Look around the phone and you won’t see a camera module or any sensors anywhere.
So where are the cameras? Everything is hidden in a motorised pop-up system that comes up when you’re unlocking the phone (face unlock) or when you launch the camera app.
Up front is a 25MP camera with iPhone X-style 3D facial scanning systems (dot projector, flood illuminator etc) while the rear has a dual 16 + 20MP camera setup.
Specifications include a Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and a 3,770mAh battery.
(Image: www.oppo.com)
This amazing design from Oppo has an allscreen design — it has a 6.4-inch curved OLED screen with a screen-to-body ratio of 92.2%. Look around the phone and you won’t see a camera module or any senso..
Read More
This is the world’s first, professional-grade, 360-degree, 3D, 8K, VR camera. It records true 3D video and captures still photos at 12k resolution. It’s also capable of automatically stitching images together for a 360 degree photo.
In terms of features, you get six-axis image stabilisation, HDR image/video capture, RAW format support, dual SD card slots for storage, HDMI output, Ethernet and WiFi.
The built-in artificial intelligence (AI) chip does object detection to ensure that your subject is always in focus. It also supports 3D VR live streaming on Facebook and YouTube.
The 4,800mAh battery inside gives you up to 60 minutes of continuous shooting. A companion app lets you preview and control the camera.
(Image: www.en.detu.com)
This is the world’s first, professional-grade, 360-degree, 3D, 8K, VR camera. It records true 3D video and captures still photos at 12k resolution. It’s also capable of automatically stitching images..
Read More
TicPods Free are a new generation of wireless earbuds. To start, TicPods feature automatic in-ear detection — music pauses when you remove them and it resumes when you put them back. Next, it has intuitive touch controls for various actions.
With the TicPods, you don’t need to take out your smartphone — you can hear who’s calling and accept/reject the call, control music playback as well as activate your voice assistant. There is active noise cancellation plus noise isolation too. They’re IPX5 water resistant and come blue, orange or white.
Like most wireless earbuds, it comes with a charging carry case and total battery life is about 18 hours. These are also the only wireless earbuds that give you the option to buy a single earbud if you lose one of them.
(Image: www.indiegogo.com)
TicPods Free are a new generation of wireless earbuds. To start, TicPods feature automatic in-ear detection — music pauses when you remove them and it resumes when you put them back. Next, it has int..
Read More
GoSho is an ultra-compact (just 3.5-inches square), cube-shaped DLP projector capable of a showing a 200-inch wide-screen display. It offers a brightness of 180 ANSI lumens, an 8,000:1 contrast ratio and can display up to 2k resolution.
For wired connectivity, it has HDMI input and a USB port. It also has built-in WiFi for streaming and support for Apple Airplay.
The 11,000mAh battery inside can deliver up to 4 hours of continuous play. What’s more, you can even pair it with Google Assistant or Alexa and control it via voice.
(Image: www.gosho-1byone.com)
GoSho is an ultra-compact (just 3.5-inches square), cube-shaped DLP projector capable of a showing a 200-inch wide-screen display. It offers a brightness of 180 ANSI lumens, an 8,000:1 contrast ratio..
