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Cube T8 8-Inch Phablet Mixes Android 5.1 and 4G

Posted: 05 Aug 2015 01:47 PM PDT

Budget tablets rarely sport 4G connectivity, and when that happens, manufacturers usually don’t include phone functionality into them. Cube T8 is a clear exception, as it has some rather impressive specs at a small price.

Cube has quite a few tablets in its portfolio, running Windows, Android, or both. The T8 is based solely on Android 5.1, but given the price, I can understand the lack of a dual-boot environment.

MediaTek’s MTK8735, on which the T8 is based, is a 64-bit chipset that’s designed specifically for phablets. It includes a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.3Ghz, and while there’s no word on the manufacturer’s website about the GPU, some sources claim it’s made by AMD, which sounds really weird. Cube equipped the T8 with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM, which might not sound like a lot, but judging by the performance of other devices, I’d say that this is enough for Android 5.1.

To make sure that you’re using the device to its entire capacity, the manufacturer made the T8 a dual-SIM phablet, meaning you can use one SIM for data and another one for voice and texts, or just two SIM cards from two different operators. I’m not sure what combination of frequencies is supported, but at least one SIM will work in 4G networks, both FDD and TDD.

Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, dual-mode Wi-Fi (working in the 2.4 and 5Ghz frequencies), OTG, and GPS, which is yet another great feature to see in a budget tablet. A data connection paired with a GPS sensors can really save lives in an unknown area. In addition to that, it’s far better to use an 8-inch GPS while driving, rather than staring into a 4 or 5-inch display. Assuming that the GPS is accurate, this might really represent a great solution while traveling.

At 1280×800, the 8-inch display isn’t jaw-droppingly good, but on the other hand, it’s also less harsh on the 4,000mAh battery, which allegedly can keep the devices running for up to 5 hours when playing videos. For a casual user, that should be enough.

Cube T8 is currently sold by GearBest for $95.99. This price is more than adequate for its specs, and more than that, it’s less than what the manufacturer itself sells it for.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Cube i7 Remix tablet that puts productivity first, or the UNU M7006 Android tablet.

Dot: a smartwatch for the blind

Posted: 05 Aug 2015 01:23 PM PDT

Dot is a smartwatch in braile, developed in South Korea, and especially prepared for users who can’t see and use a visual interface to read like in traditional smartwatches.

Traditional smartwatches developed for the masses were designed to display messages in a visual manner. The truth, though, is that this makes them inviable for the thousands of potential users who would be interested but have some kind of visual deficiency. For them, this kind of watch is simply not an option, which is exactly what Dot, a South Korean smartwatch, is attempting to fix. The Dot smartwatch (both company and product share the name) has the ability to display messages in braille, configure alarms and show directions. These are very basic features for any smartwatch, but its the first of its kind aimed for the visually impaired, and the first one to attempt a dynamic braille interface.

This braille interface was developed in 4 sets of six dots using said alphabet, which go up and down so the user can “read” which dots are up and which aren’t. This display can be regulated according to the users’ proficency, and can show up to 100 “letters” per second, which is insanely fast. The point is, users can regulate this to match their skill level, which is a very welcome feature. On the other hand, this watch has a battery that lasts some 10 hours at full use, which for the average user means a full charge every 5 days or so, according to its creators. It also has a vibration function to notify the user of messages or alarms, and can connect to any smartphone via bluetooth. Creator Eric Ju Yoon Kim, who is also the CEO and co-founder at Dot, expressed that the idea behind this device was to create a “wearable” that was more intimate when it comes to how visually impaired users interact with it. He said "up until this point, if you got a message from someone on iOS, say, from your girlfriend, you have to hear Siri’s impersonal voice to read it to you.Wouldn’t you rather read it yourself and hear the voice of your loved one in your imagination?".

Kim says that he’d also like to see Dot’s technology used in other devices such as ATMs, microwaves, or any other device that requires showing users information in order to operate them. The company behind Dot is only focusing on this smartwatch at the moment, and are trying to raise funds to make it go on sale around the world for less than $300 USD.