• Home
• /
• Lifestyle
• /
• Tech

Roll into town

Take time out, save some time and have a little fun with the Merlin E-Scooter

The very first device ever reviewed on HD was a little e-reader from Merlin Digital. Fast forward to today and they have something to offer - completely different from what we usually feature here - that will speed things up for when you don't feel up for a walk. Ladies and gents: the Merlin E-Scooter.
Merlin Digital is a Dubai-based company that has been around for quite some time. Their latest offering is a 14kg beast that's robust enough to have you flitting through the streets (it's one of the world's lightest), save you time getting to your destination, and is still fairly easy to carry around those spaces where using it is not permitted. You can unfold and fold the E-Scooter in a matter of seconds - just make sure everything's secured properly, such as the lock and screw on the T-bar. There's a little LCD display on the left handle bar, with four buttons: one each for power and headlight, and a couple for speed assist. The display shows your speed, distance travelled and speed assist level (1-5).
I decided to take it for a little spin from my humble abode near BurJuman, all the way to Ibn Battuta Mall. with a little help from the Dubai Metro, of course. The E-Scooter also includes a carry bag, so you can fold it, tuck it inside and pull it around like luggage. It won't kick up a fuss on the public transport systems, and will easily fit in your car.
Give it a little kick, push down the trigger accelerator on the right handle and you're ready to scoot. I personally would've liked the accelerator to be like a throttle grip (as on an actual motorbike), in which you would only need to control the handle; having your thumb control the trigger accelerator is extra work for your hand, aside from holding the handle bar.
Merlin claims it tops out at 25km/hr, but I was only able to max it out at 21km/hr, which is still not bad. Here's where we start to have issues, though... a full charge, which takes three hours, will give you a range of about 30km. That is basically a bit over an hour of riding around, depending on what speed you choose.
Audiova Conduction Headphones - a Bluetooth headset that ?uses bone conduction technology - comes included. It doesn't need to be put in your ears (just on the bone area near your ears) allowing you to take advantage of Bluetooth headset functions without blocking the sound you need to hear while on the scooter.
AND SO.
The Merlin E-Scooter will work great for certain situations, but it doesn't come cheap. Also, don't forget the law: make sure you have a reflective vest (included) and a helmet (not included) when riding one of these. alvin@khaleejtimes.com
THE LOWDOWN
Build-  Aluminium/steel; 14kg
Controls - Trigger accelerator with five speed levels; LCD display
Battery- Up to 30km on single charge (3hrs to charge)
Accessories - Audiova Conduction Headphones; reflective vest
Price - Dh3,449
Pros - Portable, durable
Cons-  Charging time takes a while, battery life not long, might've been better with a throttle grip
Editor Rating - 8/10
EXTRA BYTE
Welcome to the world's thinnest and lightest tablet, which continues to bring you a Super AMOLED screen. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Office Solutions and is compatible with a Book Cover Keyboard for that notebook feel.
(Wi-Fi - Dh1,599 for 8" and Dh1,999 for 9.7"; LTE - Dh1,799 for 8" and Dh2,199 for 9.7")

• Hard Drive