5 useful accessories that unlock the potential of your tablet

 

Compliance with the claimed capacity, multi-level protection system, support for end-to-end charging, slim and lightweight housing.

 

 

Short cord included, only one USB output.

 

The Zmi logo is emblazoned on the thin and light body of the power bank, which comes from the Middle Kingdom, indicating that the "daughter" of Xiaomi had a hand in its creation.

With a capacity of 10000 mAh, the physical dimensions of the external battery are not much different from Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000 Price from 1 299 ₴. The type of elements used helped to get small dimensions — lithium polymer batteries can boast not only of their compactness, but also a number of additional advantages: no memory effect, low self-discharge, a large range of operating temperatures and many recharge cycles.

The case of the device is made of impact-resistant ABS plastic, and all the elements are located on one of the ends of the external battery. These include a USB port for charging gadgets, a microUSB slot for replenishing the energy reserves of the power bank itself, 4 LED indicators of the remaining charge and a mechanical button. The last control will be needed to force the display of the charge level or resume battery operation after one of the types of protection is triggered. Multi-level protection against overloads, voltage surges, overheating and short circuits ensures a long service life of the power bank.

The actual capacity of the model practically does not differ from the stated figures. A full battery tank is enough for two tablet charges Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 VE 8.0 2016 32GB 32 GB or for three cycles of replenishing the energy reserves of the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 4a 16 GB . One USB port imposes restrictions on simultaneous charging of several gadgets, but in contrast to it is the function of end—to-end charging — both the power bank and the device can be charged at the same time.

The model is available in two versions: conventional and with the prefix "Smart". The "smart" version of the battery turned out to be more "pumped" — it supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology and is equipped with a Bluetooth module for the ability to monitor charge and discharge schedules through a linked application. The difference in cost between the modifications of the device does not exceed $ 6-8, so many prefer the smart version of the power bank.

 

The ability to expand memory to Apple products, compliance with the claimed speed characteristics, an elongated Lighthing connector, a metal case.

 

 

Removable caps are easy to lose, limited functionality of the JetDrive Go app.

 

While most owners of Android tablets are puzzled by the choice of a microSD memory card to expand the volume of their gadget's data storage, owners of Apple technology have to be content exclusively with the device's built-in memory. A flash drive with OTG support can serve as a way out of the situation.

At one end of the Transcend JetDrive 300 Go is the usual USB plug, and at the other is the Lighthing connector, with which the flash drive connects to the iPhone or iPad. Both openings are covered with transparent plastic caps. By the way, it is easy to lose them, since the caps are not tied to the drive housing.

When you connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone or tablet, the JetDrive Go application is automatically launched, through which all data on board the drive is managed. Without the programme, the flash drive does not work and acts as a plug for the Lighthing connector. The functionality of the linked application is somewhat limited — you can use it to listen to music, create backups or save photos and videos, but you will not be able to install applications in the memory of the drive.

When connecting the Transcend JetDrive Go 300 to a computer via the USB 3.1 interface, data is read almost at the values stated by the manufacturer (about 130 Mbps), and writing is carried out at a speed of about 65 Mbps. The Lighthing port limits the speed of information exchange at around 20 Mbps. These numbers are enough for comfortable copying of data without a long time.

 

Multiplatform, fast switching between devices, Cyrillic and Latin characters, tablet stand, long-term battery life.

 

 

A lot of weight, the case creaks, a bunch of keys.

 

Typing on a tablet or smartphone is not a quick thing. The Logitech K480 wireless keyboard, which works with both Android or iOS gadgets and Windows devices, can help speed up the correspondence process.

The keyboard supports pairing with three devices, and switching between them is carried out by turning a special Easy-Switch wheel. To connect with Apple gadgets, a separate "i" key is placed on the body of the model, all other devices are connected by pressing the "PC" button. Logitech K480 is detected by gadgets quickly and does not require "dancing with a tambourine" in the initial parameter setting.

Visually, the keyboard seems more airy than it actually is. Its weight is more than 800 g, which is necessary to maintain the balance of the tablet when it is installed in a stand on the manipulator body. Good grip with the table is provided by rubberized legs. The model is available in two colour versions: snow-white and black, which is diluted with an acid-yellow gutter for a mobile gadget.

The keys on the manipulator body are arranged in a heap and have a slightly rounded shape. The buttons of the arrow control unit are particularly close to each other. In most cases, two types of layout are applied to the keys: Latin and Cyrillic. The buttons are pressed gently and pleasantly, but be prepared that the Logitech K480 is noisier than keyboards in laptops.

The keyboard case creaks slightly under pressure, which, however, you can close your eyes to. Especially in light of the strongest side of the device — long-term battery life. On one set of AAA batteries, the keyboard is able to work for about 2 years, relentlessly delighting its owner with the possibilities of convenient input from any type of device.

 

Wireless connection, support for Android and Windows devices, excellent ergonomics, long-term battery life.

 

 

There is no vibration motor.

 

The gamepad from the Danish brand SteelSeries is very similar to the joystick for the console Microsoft Xbox One 500GB . With the only caveat that it connects to mobile gadgets exclusively via Bluetooth wireless network.

Looking at the case of the gamepad more closely, several more differences from the brainchild of Microsoft become visible — the SteelSeries Stratus XL sticks are arranged symmetrically, and 4 LED indicators are built into the front panel of its case, serving to display the remaining battery charge and the number of active connections (up to 4 devices are supported simultaneously). As batteries, the model uses two "finger" batteries, the charge of which lasts for about 40 hours of battery life.

In the hands of large and medium-sized gamepad fits like a glove, fingers at the same time reach out to all controls. Both sticks are also covered with rubberized caps, which ensures their excellent grip with the fingers. For owners of small palms, the ergonomics of the device may seem imperfect, but it does not cause significant complaints from users.

The model is compatible with both Android-based gadgets, including televisions and media centers, and with equipment running Windows OS. For iOS devices, there is a separate modification of the gamepad with a mention of the Apple operating system directly in the model name.

Together with the game accessory, it becomes easier to lay dashing turns in Asphalt 8 or complete missions in GTA San Andreas. That's just in some games there is not enough response, because the vibration motor is not included in the design of the gamepad. But when you connect the gamepad to a TV or computer, you can use it as a mouse — in this case, the stick is responsible for the movement of the cursor, and the triggers work as the left and right buttons.

 

Excellent sound quality, JBL Connect+ technology (synchronization of more than 100 speakers), fits the size of a bicycle bottle holder, IPX7 protection, long-term battery life.

 

 

There are no significant disadvantages.

 

The three previous generations of JBL Flip portable speakers have won a lot of fans around the world. The fourth version of the speaker was released at the consumer electronics show CES-2017, the most interesting premieres of which we talked about as part of the material "Results of CES 2017: the five most interesting premieres".

In comparison with the popular predecessor in the person of JBL Flip 3 the body of the speaker has practically not changed externally. But he got improved protection — compliance with the IPX7 standard allows you to dip the device under water to a depth of 1 m without any negative consequences for its performance. What can we say about the rain — a sudden downpour at a picnic will help to have fun waiting out high-quality music, because it is not necessary to hide the speaker in a dry place.

According to the manufacturer, the sound quality was improved by about 20%. It is not possible to measure this figure objectively, but according to the personal impressions of users, the increase in sound quality is audible to the naked ear. And this is against the background of very worthy previous products of the series. The speaker produces a clear and rich sound with a deep and juicy bass. There are practically no equal acoustics in its price segment.

In addition to two 40-mm speakers and two bass emitters, there was a place for a built-in 3000 mAh battery in the device case. It provides continuous playback of tracks for 12 hours. A separate button on the side allows you to quickly switch playback between two mobile gadgets. And thanks to Connect+ technology, it will be possible to link more than 100 JBL speakers into one, thus creating a powerful speaker system.

The charms of the speaker will be appreciated not only by ordinary consumers, but also by fans of cycling. The fact is that the JBL Flip 4 fits perfectly into a standard bottle holder — pedaling to your favorite music is much easier, especially downhill. And in general, the speaker will show itself from the best side everywhere — there are practically no facets of what is illegal for it.