Monthly Archives: May 2015

SONY’S PREMIUM HT-ST9

Sony’s premium HT-ST9 sound bar boasts Bluetooth headphone support

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Just when we thought Sony’s soundbars couldn’t get any more expensive than the $1,299 HT-ST7, along comes the new HT-ST9 at $1,499.

Cosmetically it looks very similar to both the ST7 and ST5, but if you take off the front grill some of the improvements become clearer. The ST9 now includes coaxial mid/treble drivers for its front three channels, which the company says improves sound quality.

The sound bar features seven channels of amplification — the front three channels, plus four additional front-mounted speakers. It appears that any surround effects are software-based and not physical, but the unit does include a wireless subwoofer.

 

ht-st9hero04-1200.jpg

As a premium product the ST9 includes many of the features of Sony’s new mid-range receivers, such as support for Bluetooth headphones and multiroom music via Sony’s SoundPal Link app. Google Cast and hi-res playback are also supported.

While many soundbars feature only an optical cable connection, Sony distinguishes itself by including HDMI at even the budget level. The HT-ST9 includes three HDMI inputs plus an output with Audio Return Channel compatibility. It almost goes without saying that these ports feature the latest HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 standards.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/sony-ht-st9-preview/

New MacBook 2015 review

Computers & IT, , , , , ,

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OUR VERDICT

Apple has reinvented the laptop with the new MacBook, but there’s room for improvement. If you can stomach its flaws, it’s such a beautifully-designed machine that they probably won’t matter.

FOR

  • Terrific design
  • Clear screen
  • Surprisingly good speakers

AGAINST

  • Runs sluggish at times
  • Expensive
  • People will miss ports

Knock it for its USB Type-C port. Bash it for its wimpy horsepower. But don’t even try to deny that Apple’s new MacBook is one of the most attractive, impressively-engineered laptops that the world has ever seen – there’s simply nothing quite as slick out there.
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https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/09/2015-macbook-review/

Get a Nexus 5 smartphone and 1 year of service for $199.99

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It may not be state-of-the-art by today’s standards, but this unlocked Nexus 5 is still a premium smartphone — now at an entry-level price.

I continue to regard Motorola’s Moto G as one of the best entry-level phones you can buy, but the current-gen model is limited to 3G connectivity — and you still have to pay for service, most likely to the tune of at least $30 per month.

That’s what makes today’s deal so intriguing: It’s a premium smartphone with an entry-level price tag, and the first year of service is included gratis. What’s the catch? Nothing significant, if you ask me.

Ending Monday, StackSocial has the refurbishedGoogle Nexus 5 with one year of service for $199.99 shipped. That service includes unlimited calls and text messages, plus 500MB of 4G data, all on Sprint’s network. (More on that in a bit.)
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https://www.cnet.com/news/get-a-nexus-5-smartphone-and-1-year-of-service-for-199-99/

How to get your Moto 360 working with an iPhone – without a jailbreak

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Moto 360

There’s mounting evidence that Google wants to get Android Wear working with iOS, but it’s likely that Apple will have something to say about that – and in any case the two operating systems don’t play nice just yet.

Or at least not officially, but there’s now a fairly simple way to get the Moto 360connected to an iPhone or iPad and it doesn’t even require you to jailbreak or root any of your devices. You will, however, need access to an Android device to complete the initial setup.

As shown by YouTuber Jeremy Judkins you start by downloading ‘Wear Connect for iOS’ from Google Play and launching it on your Moto 360.

From that you turn on ‘iOS Service’, then head over to your iOS device and download ‘BLE Utility’ from the App Store. Launch the app, hit the ‘Peripheral’ button and then hit the menu option on the watch to connect it. After that you should start getting notifications from your iOS device. Simple.
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https://www.techradar.com/news/wearables/how-to-get-your-moto-360-working-with-an-iphone-without-a-jailbreak-1293458

Nokia’s next act: A return to smartphones, report says

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With the Lumia line now in Microsoft’s hands, what’s left of Nokia is reportedly planning to get back into the smartphone business as early as 2016.

A remnant of onetime phone giant Nokia could be planning to come back to a business the Finland-based company famously abandoned not so long ago: smartphones.

Nokia Technologies is working on a secret project that will result in the company announcing a new smartphone as early as 2016, Recode is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans. According to the report, Nokia would unveil the device and then license its design and name to another company that would handle production and sales.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/nokias-next-act-a-return-to-smartphones-report-says/

One of the LG G4’s best features has been kept a secret

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LG G4

LG has now confirmed its G4 handset supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology, after being quite insistent it wouldn’t be available.

The technology for Snapdragon wielding smartphones allows you to charge up your phone much quicker than before – a feature previously seen on the LG G Flex 2 – yet the company explicitly said it wasn’t available on the G4 at the launch event.

Since then, LG has confirmed to Android Central the feature is available and the G4 has appeared on Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 pages confirming it’ll be there on day one.
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https://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/one-of-the-lg-g4-s-best-features-has-been-kept-a-secret-1293476

Lenovo to sell A7000 smartphone online in Asia

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The Chinese maker of smartphones and PCs will partner with regional online retailer Lazada to sell its budget A7000 handset through flash sales.

 

Lenovo is turning to online flash sales as it pushes its handsets in Southeast Asia, partnering with regional e-tailer Lazada to sell its latest budget phone, the A7000.

The partnership will see Lazada sell the A7000 phones in six countries in the region. Customers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will be able to buy the phone on May 12, while those living in Vietnam and the Philippines will be able to do so on May 13. While it’s not the first time both companies have been working together — they had previously worked together on a smartphone launch in Indonesia — it’s the first time Lenovo is hitting six Asian markets together with an online third-party retailer.

Announced back at Mobile World Congress in March, theAndroid Lollipop-equipped $169 A7000 packs Dolby Atmos sound and has a 5.5-inch HD screen (that’s 1,280×720-pixels), 4G LTE and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor. It has a rear 8-megapixel camera and a front 5-megapixel shooter.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/lenovo-partners-e-tailer-lazada-for-launch-of-a7000-smartphone-in-southeast-asia/

Sony’s Xperia Z3 makes triumphant return to T-Mobile

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The smartphone, which is Sony’s answer to popular Android-based devices, mysteriously disappeared from T-Mobile a month ago, and neither the carrier nor Sony would say why.

 

The Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone has made its return to T-Mobile about a month after it unceremoniously dropped off store shelves.

Customers looking to buy Sony’s flagship smartphone can find it once again through T-Mobile for no money down and 24 monthly installments of $20.83 — or for $500 to buy it outright.

The Xperia Z3’s return comes nearly a month after it suddenly disappeared from T-Mobile’s store shelves. The carrier wouldn’t comment at the time on exactly why the Z3 wasn’t available and, in a statement to CNET, said only that it works “closely with phone manufacturers, including Sony, to continually adjust our device portfolio based on supply and customer demand.” Sony was silent on why its device was not available.

In a statement to The Verge on Friday, T-Mobile revealed more details on the month-long sales hiatus, saying that it “waited to receive additional inventory from Sony to support taking orders.” The company said that it plans to have the Xperia Z3 back in stores this week.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/sonys-xperia-z3-makes-triumphant-return-to-t-mobile/

10 best mobile phones in the world today

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Best mobile phones in the world today

Here at TechRadar, we check out every phone under the sun, putting the ones that matter through our rigorously vigorous testing process to create our indepth mobile phone reviews.

However, with so many to choose from, we’ve spent hours whittling them down to a top ten, taking into account the power, specs, design and most importantly: value for money, although we’ll always point you in the direction of the latest handsets – after all, nobody wants to be carting around a phone that doesn’t get any updates in a year’s time, right?

  • Find a good deal with TechRadar: mobile phone deals

So whether it’s one of the many slick Android handsets, the latest iPhone or one from a range of other cool operating systems, we’ve extensively tested them all so you don’t have to!

Here are our rankings for the best smartphones around, currently available in the UK.
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https://www.cnet.com/

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 Review

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 Review

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If you’re one of the few that is looking for a decent mid-range well rounded Android tablet that also manages to come in the same shape as the iPad, we might have something just for you. Today on the SlashGear test bench is the new Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. Running on a standard build of Android, but rocking an iPad-like 9.7-inch 1024 x 768 resolution display check out if this tablet is for you after the break.

What we have here is a tablet that Lenovo has designed to be well built, well priced, and budget friendly. Coming in at just $349 with 16GB of internal storage it’s an ideal offering, although the Nexus 7severely undercuts it — while being more powerful. First you’ll need to see our hands-on and unboxing, then lets dive into the tablet and see what we think. Shall we?

Hardware

In the very recent past Lenovo’s hardware and build quality has always been one of the low points of their tablets, but with the S2109 they’ve surprisingly done a much better job in that department. Offering it at a low price at the same time doesn’t hurt either. The build quality and hardware is improved, but it still isn’t up to Samsung or Apple standards.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideatab-s2109-review-13238537/

Archos 101 XS Review

Archos 101 XS Review

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This week we’ve got our hands on the Archos 101 XS tablet (part of the G10 series) with included keyboard dock, featuring a dual-core OMAP 4470 processor and a 10.1-inch display as well as Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This tablet brings on a nearly completely vanilla version of Android, here bringing on an un-skinned version of the software essentially the same as the Google Nexus lineup of tablets and smartphones. The unique build here is the star though, this tablet being rather unique with its keyboard dock that connects magnetically and protects the display when you’re not using the device.

Hardware

This device rolls out with a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 pixel resolution 10.1-inch display surrounded by a rather unique looking bit of chassis. You’ll be working with this device in white with slightly darker gray nearer the display, and the device brings on Archos’ own “Coverboard.” This Coverboard is both a protector for the display and a keyboard dock.

The Coverboard’s keyboard is made up of a collection of chiclet-style keys that are easy to type with when compared to the touchscreen interface. It’ll be difficult for you to get used to this keyboard if you’re used to a MacBook or if you’re using a keyboard on a desktop computer with massive keys – they are indeed physical keys here, so you’ll be able to do real typing, but beware their connection to Android.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/archos-101-xs-1093134/review

iPhone 7 release date, news and rumors

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Ten things we d like to see in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7

Latest update: Apple is reportedly already ordering camera components for the iPhone 6C, suggesting that it both exists and will be with us fairly soon.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been with us long enough now that we’re getting a little tired of them. Fickle, we know. But the mooted specs and features of the new iPhone (probably called the iPhone 6S, with the iPhone 7 coming in 2016) are starting to trickle out.

Current highlights include Force Touch, the Apple SIM, a DSLR-quality camera and double the RAM of the iPhone 6, so you’re free to start getting excited.

We’ve also rounded up 10 things we think should appear in the next iteration for Apple to finally have the all-conquering handset it’s been trying to create for so many years.

What would you like to see in t
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https://www.techradar.com/

SONY READER PRS-T2

Sony Reader PRS-T2 Review

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To many, the war of the eReaders is between Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Though Sony has never managed to get quite as big as either of those two companies in the eReader space, it’s back with a new Reader and looking to become a serious contender. DoesSony’s Reader PRS-T2 help the company stand out in the bigger picture, or does it fall flat in a sea of eReaders vying for your attention, and more importantly, your dollar? Read on to find out.

Screen and pre-installed apps

The Sony Reader PRS-T2 sports a 6-inch pearl E Ink touchscreen, and like nearly every other eReader out there, one of the big draws of the screen is that you can read it in direct sunlight. The screen actually looks great when it’s in direct sunlight, and it looks just as good when you take it indoors. The goal behind E Ink displays is to make it feel like you’re reading the page of an actual book, and the Reader PRS-T2 definitely succeeds in that respect. Reading on this is a pleasure – the text on the screen is always nice and sharp, and as an added bonus, Sony has cut back on screen flashes with this latest in the Reader line. Instead of flashing every time you turn the page, the screen flashes once every 15 page turns. Ghosting can sometimes be an issue as a result, but really it isn’t something that’s noticeable all the time. Most likely, you’ll be too absorbed in the book you’re reading to notice, as it isn’t enough to actually make reading any more difficult.
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https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/sony-prs-t2

Amazon Kindle Fire HD review

Amazon Kindle Fire HD review

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Last year Amazon entered the tablet and hardware market on an entirely different level with their Kindle Fire tablet. Now just 10 short months later we have a completely evolved product from the retail giant. Today we’re taking a look at the new Kindle Fire HD 7-inch tablet. Everything you didn’t like about the original (including that Playbook styling) has been improved for round two so lets take a look and see how it does.

Meet the Kindle Fire HD. This time around everything’s been completely improved. It’s faster, more powerful, lighter, thinner, and even looks a bit better too. The styling has seen a massive change from the original, and the curved edges and aluminum band around back gives it some character. No longer is this just a black squared rectangle that wishes it ran Android.

Hardware

As we mentioned above everything has been improved with the Fire HD. That old and dare I say ugly design of the original has been replaced with a unique, custom, and elegant design that surely will have a few happy. While it could still use some improvements (like a smaller bezel) it certainly is prettier than its older brother.
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https://www.trustedreviews.com/

10 best home cinema projectors 2015

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Best Projectors

Home entertainment always looks better when it’s been super-sized. Whether you want to splash Blu-ray movies across a large white wall, magnify your gaming experience, or want to throw photographs or slides from a mobile device onto a 100-inch plus screen, a home cinema projector should be your first choice of display.

To help bring the big-screen home we’ve tested ten top models of home cinema projector. They range from pocketable Pico projectors, to cinema grade 4K Ultra HD models; the surprisingly affordable to reassuringly expensive. The days of fuzzy old pub projectors are long gone.

With HD now ubiquitous, you can get great results from 1080p source material. Indeed, our top pick is an Epson Full HD model that won’t break the bank, yet is equally outstanding with movies as games and sports.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/best-projectors-you-can-actually-afford/

AMAZON KINDLE PAPERWHITE

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Review

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire has been the star of the show as late, but we can’t forget they have a huge hand in the eReader world. Amazonisn’t ready to leave their bread and butter behind and with that we have the all new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, the first Kindle with a front lit or built-in light for perfect reading anywhere. No longer will night readers have to keep a nearby lamp on and disturb others, or clip on a retro-style light. Does the new Paperwhite deliver on its promise for perfect reading anywhere? Read on to find out.

Earlier this month along with the Kindle Fire HD tablets Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos took to the stage and announced this new and improved 6-inch Kindle reader. Being the first of its kind (from Amazon at least) we’re giving it a thorough look. With an improved experience, better hardware, and of course a front-lit screen this is worth a second glance.
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https://www.slashgear.com/kindle-paperwhite-2018-review-ereader-eink-features-hands-on-08552903/

Lenovo IdeaTab A2109 Review

Lenovo IdeaTab A2109 Review

Tablets, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s time to have a peek at Lenovo’s next big crack at the tablet game with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a massive set of built-in apps on a quad-core processor-toting 9-inch tablet by the name of IdeaTab A2109. This device’s NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with 4-plus-1 technology allows it a massive amount of battery life as well a lovely collection of games that are unique to the NVIDIA Tegra architecture. Meanwhile the tablet is one of Lenovo’s best – but is it worth the less than perfect display and device weight?

Hardware

This device is 259.8mm x 178mm x 11.65mm (9.3″ x 6.5″ x 0.46″) in size and 570g, that is, just under 1.3lbs. The device is certainly not the lightest 9-inch tablet on the market, nor is it the thinnest – but it sounds great. It’s got 2 stereo speakers with SRS Surround Sound, both of them with ever-so-slightly raised bits of plastic near their grilles to assure sound delivery even if the device is flat.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideatab-a2109-review-10251158/

Hands on: Samsung Gear VR (S6) review

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OUR EARLY VERDICT

VR still has a long way to go, and not a lot of people will buy this… but if you buy and S6 you definitely should think about it.

FOR

  • Smaller design
  • VR is just awesome

AGAINST

  • Still bulky
  • Expensive

Samsung’s relaunch of the Gear VR so soon after the last model is odd: everyone expected it to be a simple case of sticking your new Galaxy S6 in the same port and it would work just fine.

It’s hard to work out whether anyone would be annoyed about Samsung bringing out another model so soon after the last one. It’s always irritating when a company does that, but in this instance it feels like getting angry about a brand making a new case for its new phone, rather than using the one from last year.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/wearables/samsung-gear-vr-s6-1286670/review

Hands on: Oculus Rift review

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OUR EARLY VERDICT

Oculus has upped its game once again with the newest Rift prototype, dubbed Crescent Bay, and given its first ever standing-up demo. It’s more immersive than ever, but there remains room for improvement.

FOR

  • High-res display
  • Highly accurate positional tracking
  • No latency or lag
  • Most immersive Rift yet
  • Integrated audio

AGAINST

  • Still not ready for consumers
  • Specs can still be improved
  • Still no perfect input device

Update May 2015: We have a consumer Rift release date! Sort of.

Oculus revealed it plans to start shipping the Rift to the general public in early 2016. It also teased what Rift will look like when it starts arriving for customers. Pre-orders open up later this year, though we still don’t have a price for the VR viewer yet.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/gaming/gaming-accessories/oculus-rift-1123963/review

nokia-lumia928

Nokia Lumia 928 Review

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Now that Verizon has its own Nokia hero smartphone working with Windows Phone 8, it’s high time the platform takes off, isn’t it? At the moment, the Nokia Lumia 928 is one of the nicer Windows Phone 8 devices on the market, and if it weren’t for the release of the Nokia Lumia 925 (having been revealed this month right on top of the 928), it’d be an easy thing to say that this is Nokia’s finest effort to date with this OS. As it stands, this device is ready instead to be the heartiest Windows Phone 8 smartphone in the USA.

Hardware

The Nokia Lumia 928 works with a body and a set of innards that make it a very close relative of the Nokia Lumia 920, a device that’s being sold by AT&T right this minute. The 928 works with a 4.5-inch AMOLED display with 1280 x 768 resolution, carrying with it Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for scratch and break protection, ClearBlack technology so your blacks are as black as can be, and PureMotion HD+.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-928-1153579/review

SONY XPERIA ZL

Sony XPERIA ZL Review

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With the Sony XPERIA ZL, the company took a double-tiered approach to a hero smartphone release – unlike what Samsung and HTC have done with their HTC One and GALAXY S 4, Sony has created a machine that’s got the same innards as the XPERIA Z, but with a body that’s almost like an alternate reality iteration. Here with the XPERIA ZL, Sony has taken the display, the software, the processor, and the camera technology from the XPERIA Z, putting it in a body that’s both more rugged and thinner than the hero.

Hardware

The XPERIA ZL works with a body that’s less wide than the ZPERIA Z, complete with a smaller bezel and rubbery back panel that makes it a bit less prone to busting on a violent drop. Here the device is much easier to grip, but no longer works with the waterproofing provided in the Z. You’ll also notice there’s no massive barrage of port covers, either.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-xperia-zl-review-24283526/

Best workstation: the top enterprise desktops

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best workstation

What comes to mind when we say workstation? If you’re thinking some big, spaceship-like contraption, you’d traditionally be right. But these days, workstations are sleek and trendy machines that still provide intelligent performance for most applications. They’re useful tools for designers, engineers, financial analysts and researchers running more demanding applications, like rendering complex graphics, financial analysis and computations and digital content creation. There are even a few amazing options that come in laptop form.

But, with so many on the market, what merits do the office “power users” look for when deciding upon which workstation is the best investment for an increase in productivity, limited downtime and improved reliability?

Update: For a mid-range desktop workstation entry, the Dell Precision T5810 is an excellent choice. Hampered only a single processor socket, the Precision T5810 delivers strong performance thanks to its Haswell-based Xeon X3 chip. Users can configure the system with either an AMD FirePro or Nvidia Quadro graphics card and up to a whopping 128GB of DDR4 RAM.
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https://www.techradar.com/news/top-10-best-workstations

Verizon BlackBerry Q10

Verizon BlackBerry Q10 Review

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BlackBerry’s rolling the dice this year, with a complete overhaul of their operating system and releasing all new devices. We’ve taken a look at both the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 in full, with the latter being a 2013 version of a classic BlackBerry device that we’ve grown to know. All four major carriers have signed on to offer the Q10, and we’ve decided to take a look at Verizon’s variant to see what the device offers on Big Red. While we’ve reviewed the Q10 before, this’ll be the first time we’ve taken a look at the handset on a US carrier, so let’s see what the QWERTY-equipped device has to offer for us Americans.

Hardware & Design

We got to try out the Q10 for just a little bit back in January during BlackBerry’s launch event, so there weren’t really any surprises when we gave the phone a more-thorough handling. The device will be very familiar to any BlackBerry user, as it sports the overall same design and physical keyboard as past devices. What’s changed however, is that you now get a physical QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display. The 3.1-inch AMOLED square screen is plenty large enough to navigate around without having to squint your eyes, yet there’s still room for a full keyboard down below.
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https://www.slashgear.com/verizon-blackberry-q10-review-11286068/

Nintendo NX: A closer look at the mystery console

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Nintendo NX

UPDATE: During a recent Q&A with investors, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata cleared up some of the confusion about the Nintendo NX. “Because we are calling it a ‘new concept’, we are not thinking of this as a ‘simple replacement’ for the 3DS or the Wii U,” Iwata said.

Well, that didn’t take long. Less than two-and-a-half years after Nintendo launched the Wii U, the console stalwart has revealed plans for a new console, codenamed Nintendo NX.

There’s good reason for the expediency: while Sony (and to a lesser extent, Microsoft) can potentially match their earlier successes with their latest batch of consoles, the Wii U will almost definitely go down in history as Nintendo’s worst-selling console.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nintendo-nx-detailed-in-new-leak-as-a-portable-cartridge-based-console-26449662/

Nokia Lumia 925 Review

Nokia Lumia 925 Review

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Nokia is on a roll with Windows Phone 8 – when it comes to filling out its range, anyway. The Finnish company has spent 2013 slotting a Lumia into almost every possible gap in the market, and now has a third flagship-spec model in the shape of the Nokia Lumia 925. The latest to bear PureView branding, and arguably the best-quality handset running Microsoft’s platform that we’ve seen to-date, the Lumia 925 ticks all the boxes on paper, certainly. Is this the smartphone to sign two years of your cellular life away to? Read on for the full review.

Design

Nokia’s smartphone design language has evolved nicely since it previewed what would become trademark Lumia polycarbonate style with the MeeGo-powered N9. We’ve perhaps not seen anything quite so minimalistic in its pillowy plasticness since that – even the first Lumia, the 800, seemed a little fussier than the N9’s finish – but Nokia has certainly remained distinctive, opting for bright color options where its rivals go muted, and hand-pleasing organic forms rather than sharp edges.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-925-review-15286479/

Nokia Lumia 521 Review

Nokia Lumia 521 Review

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If you thought the Nokia Lumia 520 was good, boy are you going to have a great time with the Nokia Lumia 521. Essentially the same device as you’ll be getting internationally, this T-Mobile iteration of the entry-level Windows Phone 8 device brings the same package (with slightly different radio connections and a few extra apps) to the USA, here with the same bright white back cover as we saw across the sea (one of three, as it were).

Hardware

With the Nokia Lumia 521 you’re rolling with a 4-inch display (running at WVGA) which, if you’re using anything sharper at the moment, will be just a bit more pixely than you’ll want to live with. This machine is, instead, made for those users upgrading from feature phones – and it’ll do a fine job of it.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-521-review-06288960/

Best laptops 2015: which notebook should you buy?

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Best laptops

Updated: The new MacBook from Apple is a hard bargain that’s even harder to resist.

With Windows 8.1 being bumped off to the wayside for Windows 10’s arrival, Ultrabooks taking off in popularity and laptop-tablet hybrids seeing more releases, figuring out what is the best laptop is more difficult than ever.

Cheap laptops, like Chromebooks, are more powerful and capable than ever, while high-end devices are often perfectly good replacements for your desktop computer, able to cope with more intensive programs. To pick the best laptop for your needs, it’s important to start off by deciding what it is you’re going to be doing with it.
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https://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/laptops-preview-2015-1282018

BlackBerry Q5 Review

BlackBerry Q5 Review

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BlackBerry needs a new smartphone for the mass market, and theBlackBerry Q5 is its attempt to deliver. Cheaper than the Q10, though offering another sturdy QWERTY keyboard for text-addicts, the Q5 pares back the specifications (and, it has to be said, the design) to boost the BlackBerry 10 line-up by 50-percent. Is it third time lucky for the plucky Canadian company, or three strikes and you’re out? Read on for the SlashGear review.

Hardware

We criticized the Z10 and Q10 before it as restrained and relatively uninspired in their design; the BlackBerry Q5 elevates those qualities to new levels of blandness. Where the Q10 had, at least, its curvaceous corners and sturdy, bracing struts delineating the QWERTY rows, the Q5 gets none of that. Blunt edged, the matte plastic errs on the bland side of sturdy, and there’s a little more creak to the casing than we’d like to see, given the back panel is non-removable. The color variants – which BlackBerry didn’t have for us to review – look better than the black.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-q5-1151185/review

T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z

T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z Review

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Sony’s Xperia Z has been a sleeper agent of sorts: launched to great fanfare at CES in January, overshadowed by the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One at launch, and yet grabbing upgrade sales from under Samsung’s nose in Europe. Not bad for a company once written off in smartphones, and now Sony is hoping to repeat that success in the US, with a launch on T-Mobile USA. Does the waterproof Xperia Z do enough to distract from the heated US mobile market? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Hardware

We’ve already reviewed the original European version of the Xperia Z, and so we’d recommend reading that beforehand. The phone borrows plenty from Sony’s Japanese handsets, with a beautiful 5-inch, LCD TFT 1920 x 1080 display powered by the company’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, a slimline waterproof case with inset toughened glass panels, and a 13-megapixel camera with an Exmor RS Mobile sensor.
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https://www.slashgear.com/t-mobile-sony-xperia-z-review-10289783/

Building holograms with Microsoft HoloLens (hands-on)

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Three months ago I strapped on Microsoft’s HoloLens for the first time and instantly became a believer. The clunky tethered prototype was a far cry from the sleek, cable-free experience revealed on stage, but once I paced the surface of Mars and poked holographic sheep I was convinced that Microsoft’s vision of augmented reality would be the ideal way to interact with, well, everything.

Tonight I got a second taste of HoloLens. This time, instead of walking through canned demonstrations I put on my developer beanie and built a holographic experience of my own — with a lot of pre-written code and some guidance from a proper software developer, of course. And no more clunky harness for me: I wore the real deal, that sleek headset we’ve seen in so many of Microsoft’s demonstrations.
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https://www.cnet.com/