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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  Extra mile: Easy riders
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Extra mile: Easy riders

On your year-end road trip, these devices could prove to be your best friends

Ricoh WG-4 Premium
Ricoh WG-4

If you’re taking a break from the routine or planning that year-end road trip, three new gadgets—a multifunctional navigational tool, a waterproof camera and a pair of light yet snug headphones—could be the companions who will make a difference.

MapmyIndia Buzz

17,990

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MapmyIndia Buzz

During our tests, the Buzz managed to receive GPS signals easily when mounted, even though there was no direct line of sight with the sky. This may not be the standard operation for using maps while driving, but it proves that the Buzz has a powerful receiver. With a clear line of sight to the sky, the Buzz locks the satellite signal in 40 seconds, though it could take another 15-20 seconds if there are disturbances, like clouds for instance.

The device runs the Android operating system—4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), to be precise. But despite being an older operating system (OS), there is still a massive library of apps that users can download from the Google Play store. The pre-loaded apps include a media player, email client and Web browser. There is no SIM-card slot on the Buzz, and it relies on Wi-Fi for connectivity.

MapmyIndia pre-loads the NaviMaps, Locate (friends and family tracker) and ReachMe (location-sharing via messaging or mail) apps on the device. There is also the Buzz app, which is essentially the dashboard for all these apps.

The 7-inch screen offers acceptable performance—the text is easy to read, there are good viewing angles and it’s bright enough to allow good visibility of maps. But the resolution is basic and the colours, rather subdued.

For a tablet, the Buzz’s battery life is quite good—about 4 hours of continuous video playback is possible before it needs charging. If you’re using NaviMaps, however, the battery drains out after 15km of navigation. You will need to keep it plugged in during GPS use.

Ricoh WG-4

20,995

Ricoh (formerly Pentax Ricoh Imaging) may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of buying a camera. Consider these numbers, however—waterproof till 14ft underwater, 6.5ft shock-resistant, freeze-proof up to -10 degrees Celsius, 100kg crush-proof, and dust-proof. This is definitely a camera that can be used outdoors without worrying too much about damage.

The WG-4 is a looker, and immediately makes it clear that it is built to withstand the elements. It is an all-plastic affair but the quality of materials used is excellent. The rubberized finish adds to the air of invincibility. There is a lot of text pasted all over the camera, and that takes away somewhat from the otherwise rather attractive look.

The 16-megapixel sensor is the CMOS type, and features optical image stabilization. This is paired with a 4x optical zoom. The picture quality was better than expected—the colours are rich, yet maintain a level of accuracy that most sensors of this size cannot reproduce.

This is definitely not a sharp lens, and Ricoh has deployed post-image processing that isn’t aggressive in enhancing the details. It is good for realistic images, but does mean that areas closer to the edges look a tad softer than they should. However, if you do focus right, particularly for macro shots, you can easily work around this.

The 3-inch LCD screen is bright and gives you a fair idea of how the picture will look. However, the on-screen interface feels rudimentary and could do with some sprucing up.

The WG-4 is a good camera to carry if you are careless with gadgets, or simply need a device that doesn’t get bogged down by the elements and the occasional dunk in the swimming pool or the waterfall.

Sony MDR-XB450

2,190

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Sony MDR-XB450

Weight is always an issue with headphones, less being better as a rule. Without compromising on quality, these cans weigh 165g, which is light. The plastic material used for the ear cups and headband is of good quality, and so is the soft leather-like material that actually presses against the ear. We found no fault with how it feels against the skin, but you’ll want to remove these headphones for a couple of minutes every hour or so, just to get some air circulation going.

The audio experience will depend on the kind of music you are listening to. Unlike some headphones that start on a neutral sound foundation and are equally comfortable with most genres, these headphones focus on a select demographic. Anything that is heavy on low frequencies (bass)—trance, dance and remixes, for example—will sound good. If your songs lean towards the vocal elements, the experience may not be as good. It doesn’t handle mid-range frequencies very well and ends up muffling the spoken word.

There is no active noise cancelling, but the snug fit blocks out a considerable amount of ambient noise, which will be useful while travelling.

What makes the XB450 worth considering is the price—you will get a lot of earphone options at this price, but hardly any full-fledged headphones that can do an acceptable job.

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Published: 29 Nov 2014, 12:58 AM IST
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