TABLETS AND MORE
Check out these new gadgets in time for back-to-school
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
The first thing I noticed picking up Samsung’s newest tablet was that it’s a featherweight. At a time when manufacturers are whittling down devices to be the skinniest and lightest they can be, Samsung has taken a lead with its new Galaxy Tab S2. It comes in two sizes: A 9.7-inch, 32-gigabyte model, Wi-Fi only, priced at $600, and an LTE version of the 9.7-inch, the price to be announced by wireless carriers; and a 32-GB, eight-inch tablet at $500. Its super AMOLED display has a 4:3 aspect ratio, same as the iPad Air 2 and the Google Nexus 9. At 5.6 millimetres, it’s 16 per cent thinner than its predecessor and even thinner than Apple’s iPad Air 2. The larger screen Wi-Fi version weighs 391 grams and the smaller tablet 275 grams, both lighter than their iPad counterparts. On-board storage is 32 gigs, but a microSD slot can add another 128 GB. It has a split-screen view so you can have two apps on the screen at the same time. Available for pre-order now, the tablets are due out Sept. 16. samsung.ca.
Asus ZenPad S 8.0
If you’re shopping for an eight-inch Android tablet, another to consider is the Asus ZenPad S 8.0, now available in Canada, retailing at $400. I’ve been trying one out for the last week or so and it lives up to its premium billing with features like the front-facing DTS-HD dual speakers and an IPS display screen than delivers 2,048 by 1,536 resolution at 324 pixels per inch, the same as Samsung’s newest tablets. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio, and with 4 GB of RAM and Intel’s 64-bit Z3580 chip, it has plenty of performance power. It has the Asus lowlight camera mode, described by the tag line ‘See What Others Can’t See,’ and the 8-MP rear-facing camera will shoot low light scenes that might need a flash with other cameras. asus.com.
Slide Zipbuds earbuds
A new way to manage earbud cords from the company that created the cords that zipped together, the new Zipbuds Slide have cables that — as the name suggests — slide together. That effectively seals the cables together and eliminates annoying tangles. The Slide earbuds have a noise-filtering microphone and come with ear tips in three sizes for a custom fit. They work with any smartphone, tablet or mobile device with a 3.5-mm headphone jack. $50. zipbuds.com.
Jackery Air
The recent storm that cut power to hundreds of thousands of residents in British Columbia turned my local Starbucks into a power station as customers lined up to plug their smartphones into a power bar provided by helpful staff. It was a reminder that extra power never goes amiss. Of course a power pack, which needs to plug in to recharge wouldn’t have helped had the failure stretched much longer, but in the short term, it’s useful — a must for travel and other times when there’s no power outlet available. The Jackery Air is billed as the thinnest portable external battery and it works with a range of iOS and Android devices. The 5000-mAh rechargeable power capacity will give you two full charges for your iPhone or extend battery life for most mobile phones by 200 per cent.
$40. jackery.com.
Tile, second gen
If you’re forever losing your keys you might want to try out the newest Tile. The second generation of this handy Bluetooth tracker comes with a ring that’s three times louder than the Tile it replaces — it’s now 90 decibels. Plus if you double tap the ‘e’ in Tile, it will ring your lost phone, even if it has been turned to silent, as long as it’s within 30 metres. It works with both Android and iOS apps, but if you lose both your phone as well as the Tile, there’s a web app that will help find your phone. A drawback for Canadians is the price. With the Canadian dollar hovering around 75 cents, that adds an automatic 25 per cent or more to the $25 US Tile, plus $21 for delivery to Canada and that doesn’t count taxes or duty. thetileapp.com.