Monthly Archives: May 2015

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Review

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

 

You could call Amazon’s Kindle Fire the anti-Nexus. While the newKindle Fire HDX may be based on Android, it’s resolutely designed to cater for avid customers of Amazon’s store, tailoring just about every part of the experience to streamline your shopping (whether digital or physical). Amazon may be selling the Kindle Fire HDX 7″ practically at cost, but that doesn’t mean the specifications underwhelm: one of the fastest processors paired with an incredible 7-inch 323 ppi display make for a pocketable powerhouse. Thrown in Mayday, Amazon’s new rescue service for confused novices, and you’ve a tablet that wants to be a jack of all trades. Does it succeed? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Hardware and Design

Smaller than the last 7-inch Kindle Fire in all dimensions, not to mention lighter in weight, the new Fire HDX 7 may look like its predecessor at first glance but it’s a far more successful design in the hands. Amazon has stuck with the sober blacks of previous models, here covered for the most part in a soft-touch rubberized plastic that makes the bulk of the rear grippy. A glossy strip of black plastic running across the upper edge gives a little visual interest – it’s also where the stereo speakers are, and where your fingerprints are regularly collected on the shiny material.
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https://www.slashgear.com/amazon-kindle-fire-hdx-7-review-01299910/

Apple Watch is the best smartwatch around, says Consumer Report

Wearables, , , , , ,
Apple Watch is the best smartwatch around, says Consumer Report

The smartwatch market is saturated with good wrist-wear, but which is best? That’s always going to be a matter of preference, but Consumer Reports is typically a good barometer for which item in a category is ‘best’. Recently, Consumer Reports stacked the top 11 smartwatches up (maybe literally, I don’t know) to see which belonged at the top of the heap. Hate it or love it, the Apple Watch is the best on test for Consumer Reports, with the Apple Watch (steel) taking top honors.


Consumer Reports tested for things like step count accuracy, screen readability, ease of use, scratch resistance, water resistance, and various other little nuances (like heart rate tracking; the reviewer didn’t have a wrist tattoo).

Apple Watch took top honors, scoring well for its ability to be read in various lighting situations, ease of use, pairing, scratch resistance, and IPX7 water resistance. The heart rate and step counting was also a big plus for Apple Watch.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-is-the-best-smartwatch-around-says-consumer-report-06382310/

Apple Watch may soon be available for in-store pickup

Wearables, , ,
Apple Watch may soon be available for in-store pickup

When the Apple Watch became available for purchase, those who stayed up late or woke up really early were among the lucky ones to snag one for a quick delivery. As minutes ticked away, so did the delivery timeframe. First Apple Watch delivery shipped into June, and it now seems to be settled into a July delivery for those who’ve ordered. A new report details Apple may soon allow hopeful Apple Watch wearers to pick theirs up in-store rather than have it delivered.


The option to pick up in-store — which is currently inactive, so don’t even try it — is said to be waiting on stock levels to rise. As stores receive shipments of Apple Watch, the button will become active, letting us get a bit more instant gratification.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-may-soon-be-available-for-in-store-pickup-06382374/

HP Spectre 13 Review: The MacBook for Windows users

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , ,

 

If you’ve ever used a Windows PC and longed for the build a MacBook offers, your wait may be over. The HP Spectre 13-inch Ultrabook is a device unlike many never seen: sleek, sexy, and without a hint of compromise. While it absolutely looks the part, the real question comes down to performance. Does the Spectre have what it takes to keep our attention after turning our head with its sexy design? We find out.

Hardware

I’ve made several silly comments in the past regarding HP’s plastic builds, and their latest devices (Chromebooks, mainly) don’t dissuade from that commentary. The Spectre, however, is some of the best aluminum we’ve laid hands on outside of a MacBook Pro. Top to bottom, front to back, inside and out — this one is pure metal sexiness. There’s really no way around it, the Spectre puts the ‘ultra’ back into Ultrabook.
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https://www.slashgear.com/hp-spectre-13-review-the-macbook-for-windows-users-30322900/

Apple Watch heart rate monitoring is near (EKG) perfection

Wearables, , , ,
Apple Watch heart rate monitoring is near (EKG) perfection

 

A lot has been made of Apple Watch’s heart rate monitoring of late. While Apple admitted the niche market of wearable owners with dense wrist tattoos won’t be satisfied, we’re still wondering if the actual method used for monitoring your heart rate, photoplethysmography (which nobody should ever try to say) is any good for the rest of us. A new study, which ran Apple Watch in a side-by-side test with a dedicated heart rate monitor, showed the Apple Watch was equally adequate at measuring heart rate.


The device Apple Watch was measured against is the Mio Alpha, which has a 99% EKG accuracy rate. That’s based on a study by San Francisco State University, whose specific purpose was to gauge how accurate Mio Alpha was versus an EKG reading.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-heart-rate-monitoring-is-near-ekg-perfection-08382671/

Acer TravelMate X313 Convertible Ultrabook Review

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Acer has introduced a new ultrabook, the hybrid laptop/tablet TravelMate X313. With this device comes a removable tablet component with an accompanying keyboard-equipped case, allowing users to pop the main computing unit from the rest of the device and use it while on the go or lounging around for the evening. We’ve given the TravelMate X313 a solid run; check out what we found in our full SlashGear review.

Hardware

The TravelMate X313 has a 10-point multi-touch 11.6-inch IPS display with 170-degree viewing angles and a 1366 x 769 pixel resolution; the device measures in at 0.39-inches thick, with a total weight of 1.74lbs. Under the hood, users will find an Intel Core i5-3339Y and Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB of RAM, and 120GB of SSD storage space. Rounding it out is Dolby Home Theater V4 with dual stereo speakers.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-travelmate-x313-convertible-ultrabook-review-19322802/

Nokia Lumia 930 hands-on: Icon gets an international cousin

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America, do not fall in love with the orange rear of the Nokia Lumia 930. The Finnish firm’s new high-end Windows Phone may like to flaunt its baboon-like backside, far brighter than the sober black or white rear panels on Verizon’s Lumia Icon, but for fans of color there’s no point in holding your breath for a US release.

That’s because, as it stands, the Lumia 930 is the Icon for the audience abroad. After giving Verizon a month or so of exclusivity, a mildly-changed iteration has been revealed alongside an upgrade to Windows Phone 8.1 that swaps out the CDMA carrier’s radios for more globally-friendly options.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Launching in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and India from June – with a $599 pre-tax, pre-subsidy price tag – the Lumia 930 looks the same for the most part. The front is still dominated by a Gorilla Glass 3 covered 5-inch Full HD ClearBlack display, with beautifully tapered edges, while the squared-off sides of the phone still double as the antenna.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-930-hands-on-icon-gets-an-international-cousin-02323534/

Nike CEO ‘excited’ about possible Apple collaboration in future

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Nike CEO ‘excited’ about possible Apple collaboration in future

Nike and Apple have long had a good-standing relationship when it comes the convergence of technology and athletics. One of the first products that came from the relationship was the Nike+running initiative, which started with a small chip placed inside a running shoe paired with a connected iPod. Today that product has evolved into the Nike+ Running app for the Apple Watch, which Nike CEO Mark Parker recently praised as a “great experience.” That comment was made in a recent interview with CNBC, where Parker added that he was “excited about the potential that the Apple-Nike relationship has.”

Part of the interview focused on Nike’s decision to exit the wearable hardware market and instead work on apps and services for existing mobile devices. Parker mentioned that the company is already developing new fitness apps with both Apple and Android in mind, but from some of his comments it sounds like they are definitely cozying up with Apple specifically.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nike-ceo-excited-about-possible-apple-collaboration-in-future-09382794/

Apple may refresh iTunes radio, offer free trial for streaming

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While we wait for the assumed launch of the service, Apple’s streaming ambitions are being widely rumored. Last we heard, Apple was muscling music labels to disavow themselves of ‘freemium’ streaming. Now we get a better idea of why that might be; Apple wants to offer a free trial and limited free listening, according to a new report. Apple is also said to be leaning toward a curated radio service, which is why they are hiring away big-name talent from terrestrial radio.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-may-refresh-itunes-radio-offer-free-trial-for-streaming-08382732/

Lenovo Yoga 2 13 Review

Computers & IT, , , , , ,

 

Remember Lenovo’s Yoga 2 Pro? The company has rolled out a similar model, the Yoga 2 13, featuring the same multi-mode design and similar specs. Aimed at the more casual user, the Yoga 2 13 rests on the foundation set by its higher-res sibling, but does it hold up to the Yoga device standards we’ve come to expect? Read our full review to find out.

Hardware

If first impressions are everything, the Yoga 2 13 makes an excellent one. Bearing a design that is distinct from the traditional Thinkpad style but with underpinnings that any brand fan will recognize, the machine is several things: solid but slim, with a large trackpad, shallow keyboard, and crisp, bright display. Lenovo was spot-on with the latest Yoga’s design, and any issues you find with it in that regard will come down to personal preferences.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-yoga-2-13-review-02336130/

Samsung Gear VR now available for Galaxy S6, S6 Edge

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

While the first version of Samsung’s Gear VR headset was released last year, it was only compatible with the company’s Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, which was released at the same time. Now virtual reality enthusiasts can get their hands on a newer, slightly smaller version to use with their new Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge. Following the news that the consumer version of the Oculus Rift will be launchingin early 2016, Samsung has officially made the new Gear VR, which features some of the same technology powering the Oculus, available on its online store for $199.

With a full name of Gear VR Innovator Edition for S6, the new headset maintains the same overall form factor as the previous model: your smartphone attaches to the front of the unit, allowing the user to experience VR through its display while wearing the headset. Since the phone’s touchscreen is obscured by being attached to your face, the unit is controlled with a small touchpad on the right side.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-gear-vr-now-available-for-galaxy-s6-s6-edge-09382789/

Fitbit’s IPO to help them keep pace with Apple, Jawbone

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Fitbit’s IPO to help them keep pace with Apple, Jawbone

 

Fitbit is probably never going to command the wearable space. Even if their hardware is better than Jawbone’s (and it is), Fitbit now has Apple Watch, Microsoft, and Android Wear to contend with. Fitbit also doesn’t seem interested in playing nice with Apple, now the largest company in the wearable space. Fitbit doesn’t work with Apple’s HealthKit, and Apple has stopped selling Fitbit in their company stores. In filing for their IPO, Fitbit laid out some strategic plans, and they may have a lot to do with Jawbone and Apple.


In the filing, Fitbit says competitors have advantages:

Longer operating histories, ability to leverage their sales efforts and marketing expenditures across a broader portfolio of products and services, larger and broader customer bases, more established relationships with a larger number of suppliers, contract manufacturers, and channel partners, greater brand recognition, ability to leverage app stores which they may operate, and greater financial, research and development, marketing, distribution, and other resources than we do.

You can directly point to Apple with those comments, no doubt. Fitbit is also talking everyone else; major Android Wear partners are all — as a company — larger than Fitbit. Jawbone just closed another funding round worth $300 million after releasing flagship wearables that most reviews (ours included) suggest need a lot of work.
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https://www.slashgear.com/fitbits-ipo-to-help-them-keep-pace-with-apple-jawbone-08382725/

HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 Review

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , ,

 

Does business-friendly have to mean boring? HP is hoping the answer to that is no, with the EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 promising the dependability of an enterprise notebook with some of the style borrowed from the company’s consumer ultrabook range. It’s a tough balance to strike, though, so has HP got the mixture right?

Hardware and Design

“Business” used to be code for big, grey, and bulky in laptop-speak, but as consumer notebooks have raised their game, so their more serious-minded counterparts have had to improve too.

So, the EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 gets a chassis made of brushed metal and sturdy plastic, with a magnesium alloy lid and aluminum surfacing when you open it up. It comes in at 13.5 x 9.25 x 0.63 inches and tips the scales at 3.34 pounds, meaning it’s not quite the lightest 14-inch notebook out there, but neither is it unduly heavy.
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https://www.slashgear.com/hp-elitebook-folio-1040-g1-review-25342594/

Lumia 640, refreshed Lumia 635 sighted with 1 GB of RAM

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While the Windows Phone world still wait with bated breath which current Lumia models will be getting a Windows 10upgrade, it seems that Microsoft might already be working on the next generation of its budget smartphones. A certain Lumia 640 was recently leaked with the expected budget specs. But somewhat a bit more surprising is sighting of its predecessor, the Lumia 635, with a “refreshed” model. This new Lumia 635 bears one and only one different: it will now have 1 GB of RAM.

The Lumia 635 1GB, which is said to be how the new version of the device will be called, is practically the same as the Lumia 635 512MB. This means you will get a 4.5-inch FWVGA 854×480 screen, a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, 8 GB of storage, and a lone 5 megapixel rear camera without even a flash.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lumia-640-refreshed-lumia-635-sighted-with-1-gb-of-ram-23370032/

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook Review

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Lenovo has expanded its Yoga laptop line to include Google’s svelte Chrome OS with the nifty ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook. Though Chromebook to the core, the Yoga 11e is very much a ThinkPad, from the iconic dark design to the familiar keyboard, and that makes for an interesting combination. Unlike some alternative Chromebook options, the Yoga 11e can be transformed into a full tablet mode, and it offers this functionality alongside a sophisticated design, squashing the mental image many conjure at the mention ofChromebook. How does it hold up compared to the competition? Read our full SlashGear review to find out!

Hardware

The ThinkPad 11e Chromebook is designed to be durable, and you can feel that durability the moment you pick it up. The edges, gently rounded, meet flush whether the device is closed or opened fully into tablet mode. The bottom of the laptop has an interesting rough plastic texture, but the lid and other plastics are smooth. The hinges are quite solid, and support the laptop without issue when it is propped up into tent mode.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-thinkpad-yoga-11e-chromebook-review-02343959/

Apple Watch of a different breed: Macintosh II software running on Android Wear

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

AppleWatch-150310

 

Did you read our in-depth Apple Watch review and decide it’s not for you, but still want to show your loyalty to the Macintosh on your wrist? Well, after the custom built 1970s-themed Apple II Watch, next on the list of options is a wearable running the System 6 operating system from the 1987 Macintosh II. As long as the fact that it’s running on an Android Wear device don’t bother you, you can experience System 6 and its desktop, windows, and menu bar in their full glory on a 1.6-inch screen!

This creative hack comes from YouTube user Corbin Davenport, who already has plenty of experience bringing aging operating systems to the wearables of today. Last fall, the 16-year-old developer managed to run Windows 95 on a Samsung Gear Live smartwatch, in addition to the original Doom as well as Minecraft. This time around, he’s bought the Macintosh II software to the same Android Wear device thanks to emulator app Mini VMac II.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-watch-of-a-different-breed-macintosh-ii-software-running-on-android-wear-10382884/

Acer Chromebook 13 FHD Review

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

With the Acer Chomebook 13, the brand summons the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor to stand out from the pack. With high-end processing power the likes of which only otherwise rest inside the NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet, what else is needed to create the perfect Chromebook? How about one of the finest keyboard we’ve experienced on a Chromebook as well as a trackpad that would make most Windows notebooks jealous?

What we’re seeing here on the Acer Chromebook 13 is the finest Chrome OS-based notebook experience outside of the highest-end Chromebook Pixel. At a fraction of the cost of that metal beast, the all-plastic Acer Chromebook 13 presents a powerful value option.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-chromebook-13-fhd-review-04344007/

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus: Which is for you?

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It’s the biggest First World Problem of 2014, and something guaranteed to give Apple fans sleepless nights: which do you pre-order, the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus? The latest-gen iOS 8 smartphones have ratcheted up the confusion by throwing in not one but two screen sizes, and to make things even more complicated, many will be placing orders without having actually seen them in-store. So, which is the right iPhone 6 for you?

For the most part, the two new iPhones are the same. Each runs the same Apple A8 processor and the same iOS 8 software; each has LTE, will support VoLTE on compatible carriers in time, and includes the usual conveniences of Touch ID and iCloud support.

size-comparison

 

The iPhone 6 Plus is obviously bigger – 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches and 6.07 ounces, versus 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches and 4.55 ounces for the iPhone 6 – though in return you get a bigger screen. The 5.5-inch Retina HD display of the iPhone 6 Plus runs at 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution, whereas the 4.7-inch version comes in at 1334 x 750 resolution.
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https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-6-vs-iphone-6-plus-which-is-for-you-11345920/

Lenovo N20P Chromebook Review

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook isn’t the company’s only Chrome OS machine, and latest to the batch is its new N20P Chromebook. Unlike the 11e, the N20P isn’t styled after the company’s famous all-black ThinkPad notebooks, instead sporting a smooth gray body and lid. What we ultimately get is a Chromebook quite a bit thinner than the aforementioned model, and no less powerful. Read the full SlashGear Review for all the details.

Hardware

The Lenovo N20P Chromebook is available in two configurations, with the only difference between the two being the processors: the cheaper of the two models ($329.99) comes with a 2.16GHz Intel Celeron N2830 processor, and the other ($349.99) comes with an Intel Celeron N2930 1.83GHz processor. That aside, both offer 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (via an SSD), and integrated Intel HD Graphics.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-n20p-chromebook-review-11343955/

Galaxy S6 Edge vs. Note Edge; Samsung gets edgy

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Now that we can call Samsung the edgiest smartphone maker on the planet, with their two curved-screen devices that tumble off the side of the device, it’s time to compare the two. Should you opt for the larger Note Edge, or is the Galaxy S6 Edge right for you? Two sloped sides, or one? It’s a tough question to answer, but if you’re slipping your credit card out to buy a Note Edge, you might want to wait. Then again, it might be your best bet.


Specs are one thing, but neither distances itself from the other wildly in that regard. In a larger sense, each edgy smartphone is nothing more than an iteration of its namesake device. A Note Edge is a slope-y Note 4; the Galaxy S6 Edge simply adds a bit of flavor to the Galaxy S6.

There are some obvious advantages the Note Edge has over the Galaxy S6 Edge. The larger screen will find favor with some, and the addition of a stylus is handy for the productive. In a review I wrote on our sister site Android Community, I was complimentary of Samsung’s weird new smartphone.
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https://www.slashgear.com/galaxy-s6-edge-vs-note-edge-samsung-gets-edgy-01370929/

Six things you should know about Samsung’s Galaxy S6, S6 Edge

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In Barcelona, Samsung did the expected. We’ve got two flagship phones, one of which is curvy in all the right ways. Not only are the two phones really intriguing, they’re downright nice. Finally, Samsung has distanced themselves from plastic and gone with more premium materials. While the two devices are out, there’s still a lot you might not be aware of. Rather than get exhaustive about what’s new, we thought we’d summarize the headline-grabbers for you. Here are — wait for it — six things you should know about the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

One has a curved screen

Guess which one! Really, as gimmicky as it may sound, the Galaxy S6 Edge is actually really neat. Instead of staring at a flat slab of screen, yours will bleed off the edge of the phone.As I noted in a comparison, it’s as if Samsung were trying to cheat their way out of bezel. It works, too. The screen takes a second to get used to, but it’s awesome.
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https://www.slashgear.com/six-things-you-should-know-about-samsungs-galaxy-s6-s6-edge-02371619/

Samsung Galaxy S6 details to mirror Galaxy S5 and Note 4 Edge

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Imagine a world where Samsung takes the successes of its past releases and makes a phone with a combination of winning elements. That’s the world we’ve been living in for the past several years. The Samsung Galaxy S5 showed us for the 4th year in a row that Samsung does exactly that – takes what works and makes it into a hero phone. This week we’re exploring what this strategy will mean for the Samsung Galaxy S6 as it’s revealed in March at Mobile World Congress 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S6

As we’ve discussed several times before, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is expected to be presented as a new start for Samsung. With a less-than-fantastic year with the Galaxy S5 acting as a sort of wake-up call for the company, they’ll likely add something new to the device – not necessarily with specifications or software, but in presentation.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s6-details-to-mirror-galaxy-s5-and-note-4-edge-13364302/

Acer Aspire Switch 11 review: the best of both worlds

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , ,

 

Acer is back with another convertible PC: the Acer Aspire Switch 11. As with this machine’s previous iteration, the Aspire Switch 11 is both a tablet and a laptop, being whichever you’d like it to be in any given moment. This is nothing new, but these type of machines can often miss the mark when it comes to usability. Such isn’t the case with the Switch 11 — though a bit on the thick side, this convertible PC works wonderfully as a laptop and even better as a tablet. Will it meet your needs? Read our full review to find out!

Hardware

The Acer Aspire Switch 11 is composed of two pieces: the display, which is a tablet and is where most of the hardware lies, and the keyboard, which snaps into the tablet for those times you need a laptop. The keyboard features a proper hinge akin to what you get with a ClamCase, something that is sorely lacking among convertible PCs — too many still come with without a hinge, making them only effective when used on a flat surface. When the Switch 11 is in laptop mode, you can use it anywhere you’d normally use a laptop, whether that’s on a proper desk or in the recliner while propped up on your knee.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-aspire-switch-11-review-the-best-of-both-worlds-23374948/

The BlackBerry Leap ditches the keyboard to lure young professionals (hands-on)

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  • With its 5-inch, 720p touchscreen and bog-standard rectangular shape, the BlackBerry Leap doesn’t do all that much to stand out. And maybe that’s a good thing. According to BlackBerry, the phone is aimed at “young career builders” who won’t necessarily have any allegiance to BlackBerry’s older, keyboard-equipped hardware, but who are still in need of what the BlackBerry pedigree implies: a secure, business-focused productivity platform.

The Leap will be available in the UK on April 29 for £205 — that converts to about $300, or AU$400. It’ll be available globally later on directly from BlackBerry’s website. The device runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1, which tweaks the look and feel while also baking in a few new tricks, including improvements to multitasking and how background apps are managed. App selection remains BlackBerry’s Achilles’ heel, but BlackBerry 10 devices can also run Android apps: you can sideload an APK file, or download a selection from the Amazon app store, which comes preinstalled on the Leap.

But the biggest change is the keyboard: the Leap eschews the physical keyboard we’ve come to expect from BlackBerry for a virtual one. It supports multiple languages and will step in to correct your egregious typos, and generally behaves much like a virtual keyboard on a modern smartphone should. More importantly, the lack of a physical keyboard means you’ll have the full 5-inch display to play with. Its screen is also very bright, though the 1,280-by-720-pixel resolution is a touch low for a modern smartphone at this size.

The phone feels chunky, though at 0.37 inch (9.4 millimeters) it isn’t exactly onerous to hold. It also looks rather plain — some would argue it’s professional-looking. A 2,800mAh battery and a few power consumption tricks built into BlackBerry OS should net up to 25 hours of battery life. And the 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8960 processor feels nice and zippy while bouncing around menus and the like.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/blackberry-leap-preview/

HTC One M8s boasts Android Lollipop, metal build for the midrange

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htc-one-m8gunmetalgold.jpgHTC

 

It may sound like a variant on last year’s One M8 phone, but this new HTC One 8s is its own mix of new and revisited features on a midrange handset whose design hearkens to both the M8 (and therefore, to this year’s M9 as well).

The M8s is no “mini” device. Its 5-inch screen and curved, metal body are pretty much full-size. That display also comes with a 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution, which is just right for the size. Following the law of diminishing returns, your eyes would have to really strain to notice major sharpness differences between that and the the 5.1-inch Galaxy S6’s 2,560×1,440-pixel display.

HTC cloaks Android 5.0 Lollipop with version 6.0 of its Sense interface, a throwback to the M8 vis-a-vis the M9’s Sense 7.0 OS layer.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/htc-one-m8s-preview/

Review: Lenovo Yoga 3 14 convertible laptop

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Lenovo has another Yoga notebook very similar to the ThinkPad Yoga 14 we recently reviewed, and it’s called the Lenovo Yoga 3 14. The increasingly convoluted names aside, the Yoga 3 14 is a bigger version of the Yoga 3 11-inch model, bringing with it the same design and general functionality. There are several Yoga-brand PCs available at this point, and so the big question is: does the Yoga 3 14 stand out among them, or is it a rehash of a laptop we’ve already seen a time or two? Read on to find out!

With the Lenovo Yoga 3 14, we see the same flexibility that has marked other Yoga-brand laptops and tablets: it can be folded completely flat or folded all the way back into a tablet-like mode (though it is, of course, thicker than your average tablet). These flexible modes allow you to utilize the laptop is just about any setting — positioning it with the keyboard down and the display vertical is nice for watching movies, for example, while folded completely open gets the keyboard out of the way when you’re using a stylus.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/lenovo-yoga-3-14-review/

New ‘liquidmorphium’ Turing Phone claims to be ultra-secure and stronger than steel

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The premium Turing Phone promises world-class security through a chip on the phone.

What do liquidmorphium and late British cryptographer Alan Turing have in common? They’re both key selling points for the Turing Phone, a new Android 5.0 Lollipop handset aimed at keeping your data extremely secure.

What’s this liquidmorphium stuff?

Apparently, it’s “an amorphous alloy of zirconium, copper, aluminum, nickel and silver” whose atomic structure is more like glass than like aluminum or steel.

Turing Robotic Industries CEO S.Y.L. Chao says that production uses a lot less waste, making this a greener option than more traditional methods. In addition, the resultant metal chassis is stronger than aluminum and steel, and has a shiny darker metal look.

At the end of the day, I suspect that liquidmorphium won’t have much bearing on whether or not you want to buy it, but I will admit that at least it’s fun to say. Try it with me, now: liquidmorphium. Terrific.
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https://www.cnet.com/

5-inch, dual-SIM Microsoft Lumia 540 sells for $150 in Europe, Asia, Middle East

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Microsoft is at it again, releasing the next in its line of increasingly indistinguishable Lumia phones.

This time it’s the Lumia 540 Dual SIM, for which the biggest claims to fame are its large, 5-inch screen, its double-barrel SIM slots and its low price: $150, or, converted, about £100 and AU$200.

Digging into the specs, we get a 1,280×720-pixel HD resolution for that 5-inch display, which is about as low as you can go on a screen of this size and still have it be readable. An 8-megapixel camera on the rear includes autofocus and an LED flash, while the 5-megapixel front-facing shooter has wide-angle selfies covered.

Inside, a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor keeps the phone going, as does its removable 2,200mAh battery. You’re also looking at 1GB RAM and only 8GB of internal storage, which you can supplement with up to 128GB more through a microSD card slot and 15GB in the cloud.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/microsoft-lumia-540-dual-sim-preview/

MacBook Retina Review – The Portable Performer

Computers & IT, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Well it’s about damn time the MacBook grew up. For years now, many of us OS X devotees have peered over the fence with envious eyes as Windows machines were given far more portable form-factors. Lenovo has been leading the pack in svelteness, and Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 has been appealing with its detachable keyboard, but at the end of the day Windows simply doesn’t do it for me. The arrival of the new MacBook, however, meant those days of coveting notebooks could be long gone, with Apple taking the proven design of the MacBook Air and cutting out every last scrap of excess until – for the most part – only the features that matter remain. That’s the theory, at least; I took the MacBook on the road to see if it was also the same in practice.

 

The Looks

Oh boy, does the new MacBook have it. Apple has a good track record for producing handsome laptops, but it’s moved things to another level this time around. In fact, even as I write this review, it’s hard to not be mesmerized by the sharp lines.
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https://www.slashgear.com/macbook-retina-review-the-portable-performer-09378135/

LG G4 review

Phones, , , , , , , , , , ,

This powerful, fast beauty takes too few chances

lg-g4-leather-product.jpg

With its lightning quick processor, big and bright display, and 16-megapixel camera that can shoot both JPEG and raw file formats, it’s easy to see how the LG G4 is a stellar device. It’s also one of the most enjoyable LG handsets to use thanks to its interface’s welcomed facelift, and has both expandable memory and a removable battery (an old-school rarity these days with marquee handsets).

Despite all its pros, however, the handset feels like a slightly tweaked, but ultimately repackaged LG G3. Sure, there’s a new leather-clad option, and there’s nothing wrong with the G3 per se (especially when you retain everything we liked about it, like the laser-guided focus and better-than-full-HD resolution). But when your newest offering doesn’t progress far enough beyond your previous endeavor, it’s hard to get excited about it.
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Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g4-review-the-hero-android-needs-09382785/