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I originally wanted to review this little gadget last year, a few weeks after it came up. However, as usual, laziness, jobs, and thoughts about thesis overpowered me. So, instead of reviewing this device, I ended up abusing it instead :p. However, thanks to that, I think now I know how I feel about this device. Enjoy the review! Though it’s a little bit late… Smartfren’s Current LTE Mi-Fi Lineup If you live in Indonesia, I’m sure you know about Smartfren. It’s probably the only CDMA operator left in the country (after Flexi’s acquisition by Telkomsel and Esia’s bankruptcy. Esia’s dead, isn’t it? CMIIW), and the highest-growing LTE operator. Highest-growing? Yes. Compared to major GSM operators (such as Telkomsel, XL Axiata, and Indosat), Smartfren has the largest LTE coverage to date. It’s amazing, considering how one of the major operators had a head start, but still loses to the CDMA operator. One of M2S Ads Anyway, to let people use their LTE, Smartfren outed a range of affordable smartphones and Mi-Fi devices, one of which I reviewed here. After a short while, Smartfren released another Mi-Fi device, the M2S, which is manufactured by LG Innotek, a subsidiary of LG Electronics, …

XiaoMi’s Power Bank Family With the increasing number of non-removable batteries in flagships (even Samsung has moved away from its trademark Galaxy trend, which is SD Card and removable battery), the option to buy a spare battery is no longer a viable option. However, since we have to move forward with technology, we have no choice but to accept and adapt ourselves to these changes. What should we do, then? Simple, get power packs (or power banks, say a few people). The Power Bank’s Official Shot I’ve just got myself this little guy. Manufactured by the increasingly popular Chinese brand Xiaomi, this huge-but-compact power pack houses a total of 16,000mAh worth of juice (although Xiaomi also offers smaller 5,000 and 10,400 choices as well) to extend your gadget’s life. It’s quite affordable, it’s compact, it’s heavy, and it looks quite sexy. So, should you buy this thing? Let’s find out, shall we? Packaging and Design Packaged neatly in a white box The packaging is quite different compared to the brand’s smartphones. If their smartphones are housed in a brown box, the power pack is housed in a clean white box. Inside, you’ll find the power bank, along with a booklet …

(Update: Due to comments of one of our readers +Detrio Detrio, I’ve updated the conclusion in this review. Be extra careful when using this device, as any cosmetic damage will void the warranty.)In this modern day and age, Internet has been moved from tertiary necessity to secondary (or even primary for certain people in certain countries). Internet connection is no longer tied to messy, limited cable, for wireless is the current way to go. Unfortunately, even so, not all areas in our life is covered by wireless networks. Although this limitation has been slightly overcome with cellular data connection, some devices still don’t support SIM cards such as laptops and Wi-Fi only tablets. Wi-Fi tethering would certainly kill our phone’s battery, so what’s the solution? That’s right, Mi-Fi. Mini Wi-Fi router which supports SIM cards and cellular data connection on the go. M2Y’s Official Shot One example of Mi-Fi is the ZTE MF90 I’ve reviewed quite some time ago. Recently, a new model has popped out on the horizon. Outed by Smartfren to promote its newly-launched 4G LTE network, the M2Y is the sibling of its counterpart, the M2P, and cheaper than its newer brethren, the M2S. Smartfren is one …

What do you do when you have a Windows tablet that doesn’t include a keyboard dock? No, you neither throw it into the trash can or merely play games with it. You’ll buy a set of wireless mouse and keyboard and of course, a USB OTG cable and put them together. That way, you’ll have yourself a complete ‘hybrid’ notebook, albeit cheap. Now, I’m pretty certain that you’re thinking that there’s no such set that has the right size for your tablet. It’d make you look very ridiculous, and you’ll be ashamed to bring it with you, even to your favorite café. Fortunately, I have a solution that I recently found. The Logitech mk240 Keyboard + Mouse Combo. It’s not the best solution, but at least it can save you some cash and a little bit of embarrassment. Logitech mk240 Mouse Combo Official Shot (White) With the width almost equal to a widescreen 10″ tablet, this might be the closest-to-perfection keyboard to pair with your lonely Windows tablet. It’s quite thick, but quite easy to carry, considering you have an extra slot in your backpack. Besides, it also includes a mouse in case you have a hard time navigating through …

First Impression: This thing is a brick compared to my good ol’ LG G2 ZenFone 2 Official Shots As much as I hate admitting it, my LG G2’s charging port was broken and it could no longer be detected by PCs. The service center I’ve been to said that the channel responsible for connecting the disk to the PC broke and replacements were needed. The phone was usable, but since somehow LG made the G2 lollipop update exclusive to PC Suite (although Samsung and other manufacturers deliver it via OTA), my G2 is stuck at KitKat. Fortunately, my father, who has been setting his eyes on my G2 due to its OIS-equipped camera, offered me an alternative. He had just bought the ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML with 4GB RAM and offered me to trade it with the G2. I accepted the offer. Don’t get me wrong, I love the G2 and I don’t want to lose it. However, there are times when you need to say good bye. Now my G2 is in my father’s good hands. Okay, that story aside, let’s talk about the new handset. My first impression said it all. The new smartphone looks like a brick …

Illustrations of Wearables Wearables? Yeah, that’s the current tech trend. Pioneered by proprietary systems (like Nike’s Fuel Band, Pebble’s Smartwatch, and Sony’s own SmartWatch prior to SW3), wearables now have various looks and operating systems. Even major mobile OSes like Android and iOS have their own wearable platform (Android Wear and Apple Watch). Sure, they’re quite expensive and their usefulness is still in question. However, what if you want to try out one? It’s always exciting to try out something new, isn’t it? Enter the MiBand. This fitness tracker wearable manufactured by a new major phone manufacturer comes with a quite attractive design, compact size, and interchangeable bands should you ever get bored of it. What’s more is that it comes with a low price, approximately U$17 compared to other similar fitness wearables. So, how does the new wearable compare to your hard-earned cash? Let’s find out. The Package The package is neat, small, and simple When you want to review something, the first thing you look at is the package. It gives the impression to the reviewer of what to expect… and Xiaomi certainly does the right job. Why, because it captures your attention immediately with that color and …

Update: Thanks to a feedback from a reader (+CharlesAlva), I’ve discovered a few bugs that may hinder with user experience. I’ve just updated the article to uncover those bugs. Update 2: I’ve managed to update to stock ROM (not user debug). I’m going to post the steps I went through to install it later today. Stay tuned.Update 3: Something came up. I can’t post it today. I’m going to post it in a few days. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience.Update 4: It’s Up! You can read it here. Enjoy! In Indonesia, people of higher society has one interesting stereotype: local brands are inferior compared to imported brands. This stereotype is applied not only to food and fashion items (some excluded), but also to electronic devices as well. Most higher end people wouldn’t even bat an eye for local products. Most of them would rather just take a Samsung or an iPhone instead. However, I think that’s about to change, thanks to an initiative by Google which were launched last year, Android One. Android One is a set of devices aimed at first-time smartphone buyers or those who look for budget smartphones. For this low-budget category, Google has been partnering with local handset …

Another day, another review. Well, not actually. This is my first review after a few months of being inactive. Anyway, today I’m going to review an external battery unit or a portable charger (or a power bank, some might say) by MiLi: the Power Prince Plus. I am aware that this might be an old product, but since I got it on a steep discount (approximately U$13), it shouldn’t hurt to get one and review it immediately. Okay, before moving to the review, let’s cover the surface first. This unit is capable of holding 6,000mAh of charge, allowing it to almost fully charge an iPad once or a smartphone once to three times, depending on the battery. Oh yes, and this device is also certified for use in Apple’s iDevice lineups, so you shouldn’t be afraid to use it on your iPhones, iPods, or iPads. That’s it for the basics. Hit the break if you want to read the full review. Happy reading 😀 The Package The box is pretty neat for a spare battery unit, which isn’t a surprise since MiLi is considered as one of the premium battery brands in the market (at least in Indonesia).The package is …

HUB3 Official Image of Retail Package Honestly, I’ve never thought that I would ever need a USB hub. In case you don’t know what a USB Hub is, it’s an accessory that allows you to ‘multiply’ one of your USB ports to more than one (usually 4 ports). Anyway, I thought that way because my old Dell Inspiron has 4 USB ports. That’s more than enough for me. In fact, I was surprised that there are only a handful of laptops that actually have 4 USB ports, regardless which version of USB it has. Now, I have two additional computers: a MacBook Pro and an Acer Iconia W510 tablet. Both of them have limited USB ports; in fact, I have to use an OTG cable for the latter. That fact forces me to finally turn to USB Hub. Yesterday, on Christmas day, I came across this little product. It’s pretty rare to see a hub that uses USB 3.0 ports, so I decided to take a look. It was a little bit pricey, but I thought it was going to be worth it in the coming years. USB 3.0 devices may still be limited in number, but it would eventually …

BlackBerry Battery Bundle Press Shot Ah, it’s been a while since I wrote my last review in this blog. Well, that’s because I don’t have anything new to review, and the time to write it. College life has made me crazy… Anyway, I’m back to the review world with this accessory made especially for BlackBerry. I know that in less than 10 hours, this thing will be obsolete thanks to the new BB10 but heck, upgrading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’m planning to keep my good 9930 until BB10 is proven solid, and has a QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry isn’t BlackBerry without the best QWERTY keyboard in the market. And so, I think God also supports my plan for not upgrading :p. A few days ago, I found this little thing on my father’s desk. It was… fortunate, very, since I was looking for a way to charge my spare battery on the go. I asked him if I could have it, and he said yes, which gives me that childish smile in my face :p. What’s unfortunate was that it’s missing the Y-Cable, which should’ve come with the bundle, and the battery unit. But heck, I’ve already had the …