iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G Review

The tablet market has't found long-term traction, and we now see a lot of manufacturers shying away from this product category. There are still a few major players like Apple and Samsung showcasing products like the iPad Proand the Galaxy Tab S3, but the smaller manufacturers such as iBall, Micromax, and Intex that cater to the lower price segments have slowed down, releasing fewer new models than before. Today we have one such tablet from iBall, which claims to be different. The company says that it is designed for work as well as entertainment, and what's also interesting is that it runs Remix OS, a fork of Android. Is this enough to make the iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G reinvigorate the tablet market? Let’s find out.

iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G look and feel

                         This iBall tablet looks like it was inspired heavily by the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 and its siblings, so much so that it’s practically a knockoff. An original design might have been a better idea since the Yoga Tab 3 is available at roughly the same price. iBall has used plastic for the construction of this tablet and it does not feel premium. It has a cylindrical bulge on one side which houses a kickstand to keep the tablet upright when used in landscape mode.

When holding the iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G in portrait mode, it feels like you are holding a book with the pages folded back around the spine, which helps grip it better. There area speakers at either end, but this positioning means that audio isn’t directed towards the user. Also, the speakers aren’t very loud to start with which makes it harder to enjoy media.

The front of the tablet is dominated by a 10.1-inch display with a 5-megapixel selfie camera above it. On the top edge, you'll find a DC power input, a 3.5mm audio socket, a Micro-USB port, a mic, the power button, and the volume buttons. With all the connection points at the top, the other sides are blank. Just like the Yoga Tab 3, iBall has positioned the SIM and the microSD slots behind the kickstand which acts like a cover of sorts. We found that the kickstand is made of metal and is a pain to use because you have to pry it open with your fingernails. There's also an 8-megapixel rear camera with a single LED flash.

iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G specifications

The tablet’s 10.1-inch display sports a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and has decent viewing angles. While we found the big screen adequate for watching content on, the resolution could have been better. We have seen smaller tablets like the Xiaomi Mi Pad (Review) pack in a high-res display, which drastically improves the viewing experience. Powering the Brace-X1 4G is a MediaTek MT8783 octa-core processor which is clocked at 1.3GHz, with an integrated Mali-T720 GPU. The tablet also gets 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The OS occupies close to 6GB leaving you with only about 10GB of space for all your stuff. Thankfully, storage is expandable and you can use a microSD card of up to 64GB.

The device has a single SIM slot and supports 4G and VoLTE. You can use a cellular data plan to access the Internet on the go, and you can also make voice calls using this tablet. As there is no earpiece you’ll need to use headphones, a Bluetooth accessory, or the main speakers.

iBall has provided a DC charger which keeps the Micro-USB port free. There's also a USB-OTG adapter in the box so you can easily connect peripherals or storage devices. The tablet gets Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support but in terms of sensors, you'll have to make do with only an accelerometer.

iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G software and performance

The iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G runs Remix OS which is based on Android Marshmallow. For starters, Remix OS feels like a mashup between Windows 10 and Android, as it has a Windows-like desktop rather than the usual homescreen. The traditional Android navigation buttons are found to the left of the taskbar, and there is a Start button which displays all the apps installed on the device. Icons for installed apps are also available on the desktop. The navigation buttons still perform the same functions as they do on any Android device, and long-pressing the Overview button displays a list of open apps.

When apps are launched, each one runs in its own window, which lets you have multiple apps visible simultaneously. Remix OS also adds icons of these apps to the taskbar just like Windows and you can switch between them by tapping on their icons. Closing apps requires you to drag the icon upwards from the taskbar.

Notifications are done differently as well. You don’t have the traditional notifications shade anymore. Instead, like Windows 10, you get notifications tucked away in the rightmost corner of the taskbar. This also means that there are no quick settings, so you'll have to hop over to the Settings app to do most things. Only brightness, volume and Wi-Fi controls are available in the taskbar, and this took us time to get used to.

There are quite a few preinstalled social networking apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, as well as Dailyhunt, BeautyPlus Me and games like Bubble Bash 3, Midnight Pool and Modern Combat 4. While they take up some space you can uninstall all of them. Remix OS also has its own app store called Remix Central which lists app recommendations from Remix. Thankfully, the Google Play store is also available.

Remix OS tries to deliver a PC-esque experience on top of Android, which makes it interesting.

In terms of performance, the Brace-X1 4G is reasonably capable. We did not face lags while using the device and it could run a few apps simultaneously. However, we noticed that the tablet would get warm while playing games. It also shut down without warning a few times when the battery level was low.

We ran benchmarks and got 34,270 in Antutu, and 536 and 1,781 in Geekbench's single and multi-core tests. The tablet also managed 9 hours, 23 minutes in our HD video loop test. This means that you can binge watch a couple of movies or episodes of your favourite TV series. We found that it lasted for close to a day and a half of manual usage. In real-world terms people don't usually use tablets continuously like they do with smartphones, meaning it's possible to stretch this out longer. However, we did also find that the Brace X1-4G's battery level drops significantly even when it is left in standby. When the battery finally wears down, it does take time to charge it up using the supplied adapter.

iBall Slide Brace-X1 4G cameras

Taking photos with this tablet feels quite awkward because of its size, shape and weight. It sports an 8-megapixel camera with a single LED flash at the back, and a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The stock Android camera app is used, and it doesn't seem to be optimised for bigger screens. Icons appear huge, and going through the menu while holding the tablet with one hand is inconvenient.

We also saw that the buttons are positioned towards the top of the device when holding it in portrait mode which isn’t comfortable to use. The camera takes quite some time to focus and may need multiple taps on the screen at times, which can be annoying. Photos weren’t sharp, and most of them lacked detail.

While we see the popularity of tablets declining, we must say that this iBall tablet introduces something new in the segment. Remix OS tries to deliver a PC-like experience which some might find good for productivity and there's definitely more flexibility than stock Android. For example, you can run more than two apps simultaneously and use the common keyboard shortcuts you’re used to. It might take some time to get used to, but it looks like iBall is clearly targeting people who want more than just a tablet for entertainment.

While the software was good we felt let down by the hardware. The display has a low resolution which is a major disappointment, and overall the specifications and quality of the Brace-X1 4G don't live up to its asking price of Rs 15,999. Also, with the device shutting down abruptly it is quite hard for us to recommend it seriously.

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Gold, 64 GB) (6 GB RAM)

Samsung Sings

                          In this smart gadgets world,Enters in this smart world let's Meet the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro - the smartphone that hits the sweet spot between efficiency and elegance. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 octa-core processor, 6 GB RAM and Qualcomm Adreno 510 GPU, this smartphone offers powerful multitasking. Its 64 GB of onboard memory is perfect to store almost everything you love - videos, songs, photos and e-books. The 15.24 cm FHD touchscreen breathes life into everything displayed. The 4000 mAh battery ensures that the fun doesn’t stop until you want it to. Further adding to this phone’s appeal is its 16 MP front and rear cameras

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro 

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro smartphone was launched in October 2016. The phone comes with a 6.00-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro price in India starts from Rs. 31,900. 

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is powered by 1.44GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor and it comes with 6GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro packs a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 16-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro runs Android 6.0 and is powered by a 4000mAh non removable battery. It measures 169.90 x 80.70 x 6.90 (height x width x thickness) and weigh 189.00 grams.

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.

Specifications

• SIM Type
  • Dual Sim
• Hybrid Sim Slot
  • Yes
• Touchscreen
  • Yes
• OTG Compatible
  • Yes
• Sound Enhancements
• Dual Speakers
• 
• 
  

• Operating System
  • Android Marshmallow 6
• Processor Type
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 MSM8976SG
• Processor Core
  • Octa Core
• Processor Clock Speed
  • 1.95 GHz
• nternal Storage
  • 64 GB
• RAM
  • 6 GB
• Expandable Storage
  • 256 GB
• Supported Memory Card Type
  • microSD
• Memory Card Slot Type
• Dedicated Slot
• 
  
• 
  

• Primary Camera
  • 16MP
• Primary Camera Features
  • f/1.9 Aperture Lens, Auto, Continuous Shot, Download,
  •  Food, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Night, Panorama, 
  • Pro, Voice Control, Beauty, Auto Focus, Face Detection
• 
  
• 
  

• Secondary Camera
  • 16MP
• Secondary Camera Features
  • f/1.9 Aperture Lens, Selfie, Wide Selfie, Voice Control, 
  • Gesture, Face Detection
• Battery Capacity
  • 4000 mAh
  • 
    
  Flash
  • Dual LED Flash (Rear)
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Reversing Paralysis

Scientists are making remarkable progress at using brain implants to restore the freedom of movement that spinal cord injuries take away.

The French neuroscientist was watching a macaque monkey as it hunched aggressively at one end of a treadmill. His team had used a blade to slice halfway through the animal’s spinal cord, paralyzing its right leg. Now Courtine wanted to prove he could get the monkey walking again. To do it, he and colleagues had installed a recording device beneath its skull, touching its motor cortex, and sutured a pad of flexible electrodes around the animal’s spinal cord, below the injury. A wireless connection joined the two electronic devices.

The result: a system that read the monkey’s intention to move and then transmitted it immediately in the form of bursts of electrical stimulation to its spine. Soon enough, the monkey’s right leg began to move. Extend and flex. Extend and flex. It hobbled forward. “The monkey was thinking, and then boom, it was walking,” recalls an exultant Courtine, a professor with Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.In recent years, lab animals and a few people have controlled computer cursors or robotic arms with their thoughts, thanks to a brain implant wired to machines. Now researchers are taking a significant next step toward reversing paralysis once and for all. They are wirelessly connecting the brain-reading technology directly to electrical stimulators on the body, creating what Courtine calls a “neural bypass” so that people’s thoughts can again move their limbs.

At Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, a middle-aged quadriplegic—he can’t move anything but his head and shoulder—agreed to let doctors place two recording implants in his brain, of the same type Courtine used in the monkeys. Made of silicon, and smaller than a postage stamp, they bristle with a hundred hair-size metal probes that can “listen” as neurons fire off commands.

To complete the bypass, the Case team, led by Robert Kirsch and Bolu Ajiboye, also slid more than 16 fine electrodes into the muscles of the man’s arm and hand. In videos of the experiment, the volunteer can be seen slowly raising his arm with the help of a spring-loaded arm rest, and willing his hand to open and close. He even raises a cup with a straw to his lips. Without the system, he can’t do any of that.

Just try sitting on your hands for a day. That will give you an idea of the shattering consequences of spinal cord injury. You can’t scratch your nose or tousle a child’s hair. “But if you have this,” says Courtine, reaching for a red espresso cup and raising it to his mouth with an actor’s exaggerated motion, “it changes your life.”

The Case results, pending publication in a medical journal, are a part of a broader effort to use implanted electronics to restore various senses and abilities. Besides treating paralysis, scientists hope to use so-called neural prosthetics to reverse blindness with chips placed in the eye, and maybe restore memories lost to Alzheimer’s disease (see “10 Breakthrough Technologies 2013: Memory Implants”).

And they know it could work. Consider cochlear implants, which use a microphone to relay signals directly to the auditory nerve, routing around non-working parts of the inner ear. Videos of wide-eyed deaf children hearing their mothers for the first time go viral on the Internet every month. More than 250,000 cases of deafness have been treated.

But it’s been harder to turn neural prosthetics into something that helps paralyzed people. A patient first used a brain probe to move a computer cursor across a screen back in 1998. That and several other spectacular brain-control feats haven’t had any broader practical use. The technology remains too radical and too complex to get out of the lab. “Twenty years of work and nothing in the clinic!” Courtine exclaims, brushing his hair back. “We keep pushing the limits, but it is an important question if this entire field will ever have a product.”

Courtine’s laboratory is located in a vertiginous glass-and-steel building in Geneva that also houses a $100 million center that the Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss funded specifically to solve the remaining technical obstacles to neurotechnologies like the spinal cord bypass. It’s hiring experts from medical-device makers and Swiss watch companies and has outfitted clean rooms where gold wires are printed onto rubbery electrodes that can stretch as our bodies do.



The head of the center is John Donoghue, an American who led the early development of brain implants in the U.S. (see “Implanting Hope”) and who moved to Geneva two years ago. He is now trying to assemble in one place the enormous technical resources and talent—skilled neuroscientists, technologists, clinicians—needed to create commercially viable systems.
Among Donoghue’s top priorities is a “neurocomm,” an ultra-compact wireless device that can collect data from the brain at Internet speed. “A radio inside your head,” Donoghue calls it, and “the most sophisticated brain communicator in the world.” The matchbox-size prototypes are made of biocompatible titanium with a sapphire window. Courtine used an earlier, bulkier version in his monkey tests.

As complex as they are, and as slow as progress has been, neural bypasses are worth pursuing because patients desire them, Donoghue says. “Ask someone if they would like to move their own arm,” he says. “People would prefer to be restored to their everyday self. They want to be reanimated.”

Samsung Galaxy S8 : New innovation.

Samsung's first opportunity to recover from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle will come with the launch of its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S8, in the spring of 2017.

While we don't know too much about the device, Samsung has announced that it will include a new digital assistant powered by Viv, the artificial intelligence startup Samsung bought earlier this year. Oh, and Viv was founded by the same people who built Siri.




This is a foldable Samsung phone?
Samsung has been working on bendable displays for years, but 2017 could be the first time we actually see it in a phone.



Dutch tech site galaxyclub.nl discovered a patent application filed to the Korean patent office by Samsung, and it appears to show renders of Samsung's long-rumored foldable smartphone, or "Project Valley."








Korean news site The Korea Herald also reported on Wednesday that Samsung will release a foldable smartphone in 2017, which lines up nicely with the discovery of the patent. Check out what we could gather from the images submitted with the patent:The patent shows a device with hinges on the edges and back of the phone that looks similar to the on Microsoft's Surface Book laptops.
The company recently filed a patent for such a device, fueling speculation that it's coming soon.

The future for Samsung's Note phones are uncertain, following the unprecedented recall of the Galaxy Note 7 this year.

There have been some scattered reports that Samsung may abandon the Note altogether in 2017. But if the Note does make its return, then expect to see it in the fall.

Nest Cam IQ review: A seriously smart (and expensive) indoor security camera

The setup process for the IQ remains largely unchanged from previous Nest Cams. If it's your first Nest purchase, you'll need to download the iOS or Android app, create an account, and then add theNest Cam IQ from the device list. You'll be asked to scan a QR code located on the bottom of the camera and to choose the location you intend to use the camera (living room, bedroom, office, etc.). Once you've done that, it's simply a matter of plugging the camera into an outlet and connecting it to your Wi-Fi network.
We pitted the IQ against other recently reviewed models, including the Logitech Circle, the Arlo Q, and the IQ's predecessor, the Nest Indoor Cam, analyzing daylight and nighttime (infrared) image quality, motion sensitivity, and speaker and microphone performance. Because the IQ features an all new image sensor, we also tested its zoom chops and ability to recognize and learn faces.

Nest has always had a clear vision for what a home security camera should be. One of the more controversial aspects of this vision is the belief that they should always be recording. Unlike most of its competitors, Nest cameras don't offer a free tier of video storage. Competitors like the Arlo Q and Logitech Circle do, in large part because they only record video (usually in 10-15-second spurts) when someone or something triggers them. If you want to access saved video recordings with a Nest Cam, you have one choice: pay an extra $10/month or $100/year for a Nest Aware subscription that will preserve your recordings for 10 days. If you don't, you'll simply get alerts and photo snapshots of recorded events.The IQ's night vision performance is even better than the Nest Cam's (which was already very good), as is the sound quality coming from its redesigned speaker. But perhaps the biggest draw is IQ's new 4K, 8-megapixel sensor. This has the potential to cause some confusion, so it's worth briefly elaborating on. The camera itself streams and records at 1080p, not 4K. The bandwidth storage required for the latter would simply be too prohibitive. Instead, the IQ uses that extra resolution to do things like track and zoom in on people it sees.
Conclusion

The Nest Cam IQ is without a doubt one of the most well designed and capable indoor security cameras we've tested. But to really take advantage of its smarts, you'll need a Nest Aware subscription. That's at least a $400 investment for one camera for one year. If you're a well monied home security buff, the choice is easy: get an Nest IQ. If you're not, there are options that make a lot more sense.
Details

Price: $299

Dimensions: 4.9 x 2.9 x 2.9 inches

Cable length: 10 feet

Camera: 8-megapixel (4K) color sensor with 12x digital zoom

Video: Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080) at 30 frames/sec, HDR, H.264 encoding

Field of view: 130 degrees

Light: 15W Philips Hue white ambiance LED (included)
Grade: 3.5/5

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