READY TO GO, WITH YOU
This week, it’s all about portability, whether it’s a tablet, a smartphone, or a Roku small enough to slip in your pocket.
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+
Lenovo’s newly announced Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ delivers some road- warrior worthy features, not the least of which is its impressive 18- hour battery life. Running Android 4.3, this successor to Lenovo’s original Yoga Tablet 10 has full 1920 by 1200 HD resolution and a ‘ smart display’ feature that automatically adjusts the screen depending on the ambient light. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 processor, has an eight- megapixel rear camera and a front- facing camera for video chatting. Using the cylindrical battery as a base, the tablet can be shifted into three diff erent modes — hold, tilt and stand — depending on whether you’re reading, watching a movie or sitting at a desk and using the optional keyboard. Internal storage is 16 or 32 gigabytes with a micro- SD card slot making that expandable to 64GB.
lenovo. com
Nokia X, X+, Nokia XL
Once the largest seller of mobile phones, Nokia saw its market share slip considerably and it’s soon to be taken into the Microsoft fold with that company’s acquisition of Nokia coming close to getting approval — that is unless the Korea Electronics Association’s petition to the Fair Trade Commission regarding its concerns over patents slows the closing of the deal. Meanwhile, Nokia surprised some market watchers by releasing a new series of phones based on the Android operating system, albeit with Microsoft services such as Skype and OneDrive. The fi rst in the lineup, the Nokia X has a four- inch screen, a three megapixel camera and like the Nokia X+ it will come in a range of colours including green, red, cyan, yellow, black and white. The Nokia XL, as its name suggested, has a larger fi ve- inch display screen with a two- megapixel front- facing camera for video calls and a 5MP rear- facing camera with a fl ash. They’re all dual SIM phones, useful for travelling or if you divide services between two carriers. nokia. com.
Roku Streaming Stick HDMI version
This slick little Streaming Stick plugs into your TV, giving you access to more than 750 channels of movies, TV shows, music, news, sports, YouTube and other streaming content, up to 1080p high defi nition. This $ 60 device, a mini version of the traditional set- top box, comes with a remote control and it also can be accessed through free Roku apps that are available for both Android and iOS devices. It also lets you cast Netfl ix, YouTube and your own videos, photos and music from your mobile device to your TV. Available for pre- order now from Amazon. ca, London Drugs, Future Shop, Best Buy, Staples and other retailers, the Streaming Stick is due out in April. www. roku. com/ ca.
ChargerLeash
This quirky little gadget could put an end to that sinking feeling you get when you get to your hotel and try to plug in your power charger, only to realize you left it at the last place you stayed. The charger leash is a charging cable that’s compatible with USB chargers and sounds an alarm when you unplug your device, reminding you to pack up your charger as well. It’s also useful in airports where you may be plugging in your smartphone or tablet. While I don’t recommend turning your back on your phone or tablet, at least the ChargerLeash will sound an alarm if someone tries to make off with it. And it has a smartphone app that senses when you’re home and silences the alarm. It comes in four diff erent models to adapt to various ports and sells for US$ 23 and up.
chargerleash. com. gshaw@ vancouversun. com vancouversun. com/ digitallife