Monthly Archives: June 2017

Hands on: Teclast X3 Plus review

June 7, 2017TabletsApple, Apple iPad, hands on, ipad, ipad 3, LED, Microsoft, microsoft surface, microsoft surface 3, Microsoft Surface Pro, MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 4, review, Surface, surface 3, surface pro, Surface Pro 4, tablet, TechRadar, Teclast, Teclast X3 Plus, Windows

Here’s a Chinese manufacturer that has decided to stick to what it does best rather than diversify. Teclast only designs and sells tablets (and their close cousins, 2-in-1 convertibles) when its rivals flog smartphones, laptops, mini PCs and countless other products.

Focusing on one core category of device has led to Teclast producing some quality Windows-based tablets like the X5 Pro (a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 lookalike), the Tbook 16 Power (a Microsoft Surface 3 clone) and the X98 Plus II (loosely based on the Apple iPad 3).

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This time around, the X3 Plus has landed on our desk, a tablet which Teclast has positioned between the Tbook 16 Power and the top-of-the-range X5 Pro.

Online Chinese retailer Gearbest sent us the review sample and sells the Teclast X3 Plus for around £207/$295 (about AU$395). Note that while this price includes delivery, it is exclusive of any taxes that may be levied by HMRC or the courier companies on behalf of the vendor. Want to buy tech from online Chinese retailers? Read this first.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/teclast-x3-plus

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Review: Nothing exceeds like excess

June 6, 2017Cars2017 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO, alfa romeo, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, bike, BMW, BMW M3, how to, luxury, Mercedes, review, Slashgear

When is ‘more’ simply ‘too much?’ That’s the question I found myself asking again and again from behind the wheel of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, a luxury sport sedan seemingly so intent on occupying extremes that I wouldn’t be surprised if its Italian masters came out with a Vanilla Ice Signature Edition further down the line. Chugging Mountain Dew and challenging horses to straight-line tests of speed from the back of a sport bike might not be in the Quadrifoglio’s repertoire, but this sultry turbocharged weapon alternately frustrated or frightened me nearly every time I picked it up, no matter how longingly my eyes caressed its outrageous curves.

I didn’t expect that my week with Alfa Romeo’s red-hot challenger to established performance stalwarts like the Mercedes-AMG C63 S and the BMW M3 would end in an indictment, but here we are. The Giulia Quadrifoglio presents the premium shopper holding $75k in their pocket with one of the most beautiful designs on the market, matched with a chassis that manages to strike the balance between fast and friendly in a way that its Teutonic rivals have seemingly forgotten how to achieve.
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https://www.slashgear.com/2017-alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-review-nothing-exceeds-like-excess-06487593/

Audio Technica AT-LP3 review

June 6, 2017Wearablesaudio, Audio Technica, music, record player, retro, review

The recent popularity of suitcase turntables with fully automatic functionality has reduced the record player to a toy, a retro trinket.

They appear to cater for those too busy to put down their craft beer or curtail an anecdote about trekking to Machu Picchu in order to lift the needle, rather than the genuine hi-fi or music enthusiast.

But in the AT-LP3, Audio Technica has fashioned a turntable with all the ease of use and affordability of such suitcase record players, but one that also follows the rules of hi-fi.

We need those rules: particularly ones that tell us no matter how much technology you use to make things simpler for the listener, it should never steal the spotlight away from the performance.

Features & build

In terms of facilitating the entry-level listener, there’s little else we could imagine being asked of the AT-LP3.
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https://www.whathifi.com/audio-technica/lp3/review

Apple HomePod hands on

June 6, 2017Audio & Video3D, Apple, Apple HomePod, hands on, home, honeycomb, iPod, music, portable, review, sonos, Sonos Play, Sonos Play:1, speaker, Surface

According to Apple, the iPod reinvented portable music and the Apple HomePod aims to do the same with our music at home.

You can choose between two colours of HomePod, White and Space Grey. Photographs make it look perfectly reasonable, but in the flesh it looks much more appealing. And while the design is striking enough to make a statement in your living room, the unit is demure enough to blend in.

Design and build

The HomePod is a small, cylindrical unit that stands a couple of centimetres taller than a Sonos Play:1. It’s wrapped in a 3D honeycomb mesh, which Apple claims was chosen because of its excellent acoustic properties.

The top surface of the speaker is touch-sensitive and can be used to control the playing or pausing of music and adjusting the volume with a simple tap.
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https://www.whathifi.com/apple/homepod/review

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two colors of HomePod, White and Space Gray

Smart watch faces and better workouts: What’s new in watchOS 4

June 6, 2017WearablesApple, Apple watch, developer, fitness, siri, smart, smart watch, watch

Apple’s 2017 Worldwide Developer Conference has seen a flurry of new announces for watchOS 4. There are brand new watch faces, new fitness features and a whole new way to interact with your favorite gym equipment.

All of these new features will hit your Apple Watch this fall, when watchOS 4 is live for the public. We’ve got a long way until then to go, and we’ll no doubt learn about other new features Apple just didn’t have the time to talk about on stage.

This is where you’ll be able to see all the biggest and best new features for watchOS 4, and we’ll continue to update this as we learn what the developer betas unveil.

New Watch faces

The Apple Watch is getting three new Watch faces and one new complication. The Siri face uses machine learning to tell you the things you need to know in a vertical carousel. For instance, if you’ve got a meeting in another city there’ll be a little box telling you how long it takes to get there.
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https://www.wareable.com/apple/watchos-4-release-date-features-guide-9435

Apple iPad Pro 10.5 vs iPad 9.7 (2017): What’s the difference?

June 6, 2017TabletsApple, Apple iPad, Apple iPad Pro 10.5, camera, hands on, ipad, ipad air, ipad air 2, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 10.5, lens, smart, tablet, wwdc

Apple announced a new 9.7-inch iPad at its March 2017 event, replacing the iPad Air 2 but ditching the Air name, while at WWDC 2017, a new iPad Pro was revealed.

The Apple iPad 9.7 (2017) is the cheapest way to get your hands on an Apple tablet, but how does it compare to the latest iPad Pro 10.5, which takes the place of 2016’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro model?

Apple iPad Pro 10.5 vs iPad 9.7 (2017): Design

Similar designs, but iPad Pro is slimmer and slightly larger
Smart Connector and raised rear camera lens on iPad Pro
iPad Pro comes in additional rose gold colour option
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https://www.pocket-lint.com/tablets/buyers-guides/apple/140754-apple-ipad-pro-10-5-vs-ipad-9-7-2017-what-s-the-difference

Amazon Echo vs Apple HomePod vs Google Home: the battle of the smart speakers

June 6, 2017Audio & VideoAmazon, Amazon Echo, amazon prime, Apple, Apple HomePod, echo, Google, Google Home, Google Play, home, music, prime music, review, smart, speaker, speakers, tablet, TechRadar

Apple has unveiled the new Apple HomePod, its play into the smart speaker space that’s coming later this year for $349 (about £270 or AU$460). That’s a fair bit more expensive than the two leading speakers, the Amazon Echo and Google Home but, according to Apple, it has a few tricks that the other two can’t match.

So which of these three speakers deserve a spot on your mantle? We’ll break it down feature-by-feature in a second, but first let’s review what smart speakers are and why the three biggest tech companies in the world are making them.

Smart speakers are, by their definition, a Wi-Fi speaker taken to the extreme. Not only can they stream music directly from your phone or tablet, but they can grab streams of online music from popular services like Google Play Music and Amazon Prime Music. They’ve also got a smart assistant built-in.
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https://www.techradar.com/news/amazon-echo-vs-homepod-vs-google-home-the-battle-of-the-smart-speakers

Hands on: iPad Pro 2 12.9 review

June 6, 2017Tabletsentertainment, hands on, ipad, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 2 12.9, review, TechRadar

We’re big fans of the first iPad Pro 12.9, and to see it rebooted is a great thing. Yes, it was a bit expensive (and that hasn’t changed much with the unveiling of the iPad Pro 2 12.9, as it’s colloquially being termed) but it did something no other iPad did.

That was offering a truly big-screen experience with excellent entertainment powers… and the same thing lives on the new device, but with an improvement.

The design of the device is pretty much similar to the previous model – dimensions of 305.7mm x 220.6mm x 6.9mm make it clean and clear, plus it’s incredibly light in the hand… more so than the last model, curiously.

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We’re not sure what’s been dropped to improve that weight, but the chassis is the same size and yet it’s not so heavy in the bag.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ipad-pro-2-129

Hands on: Aorus X5 MD review

June 6, 2017Computers & ITAorus X5 MD, Asus, Asus ROG Zephyrus, gaming, gaming laptops, gigabyte, gpu, GTX, GTX 1070, hands on, Nvidia, review, TechRadar

Computex 2017 saw the launch of Nvidia’s MaxQ technology which allowed some of the company’s more intense GPU offerings (cards usually relegated to high-end desktops) to be crammed into some truly tiny gaming laptops due to its heavy focus on performance and cooling efficiency.

The Aorus X5 MD is the latest announcement from Gigabyte’s brand of premium gaming equipment and, along with the likes of the Asus ROG Zephyrus, is one of the first to benefit from the reduced form factor that MaxQ technology allows for.

This addition to the family has been shown off alongside an updated X7 DT and the all-new beastly X9 which features dual GTX 1070 GPUs and a 17-inch display, but the X5 MD.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/hands-on-aorus-x5-md-review

Three Things We Love About the Ford Ecosport Trend 1.5L AT

June 6, 2017CarsFord, suv

A Week with Ford’s Compact SUV

Ford Philippines lent us a pair of Ford Ecosports a few weeks ago, the standard Trend 1.5L AT and its Black Edition — which basically means it has black trim including its 16-inch alloys, and we’ve needed a little time to gather our thoughts to share our experience with the compact SUV.

Personally speaking, it was the perfect time for them to lend out one of their vehicles to us, as I have had to prepare for my wedding and needed something more reliable than my old clunker of a car to get around the metro to run some last minute errands for the big day.

Here are the three things we loved about Ford’s compact SUV.
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https://www.unbox.ph/wheels/three-things-we-love-about-the-ford-ecosport-trend-1-5l-at/

iPad Pro 10.5-inch hands-on: iOS 11’s big cheerleader

June 6, 2017Computers & ITApple, hardware, iOS, iOS 11, ipad, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, mobile, notebook, Slashgear, wwdc

“In every generation there is a chosen one,” and in the case of iOS 11 it’s the new iPad Pro 10.5-inch that is the unofficial cheerleader for Apple’s big new mobile update. Both revealed at WWDC 2017 today, the new iPad Pro and the new iOS version go hand-in-hand. Indeed, Apple pointed out, iOS 11 will be the biggest iOS update for iPad ever.

First, though, the new hardware. At first glance the iPad Pro 10.5 looks terribly familiar; it’s only really when you see it in photos alongside the old version that you can see the main changes. Although it’s almost exactly the same size – it has increased in size a little, Apple tells me, though it’s still about a pound in weight – the bezels have been shrunk dramatically.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/8qgECMZ2ZPE”]Picture 10 of 12[/su_youtube]

The upshot is a 10.5-inch display where previously you got 9.7-inches. It doesn’t sound like much, but it nudges the delta between this new iPad Pro and the larger 12.1-inch version even closer. Whereas before, if you really wanted a notebook replacement, you’d probably want to go for the bigger iPad Pro, suddenly that looks even more unwieldy than it already kinda did.
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https://www.slashgear.com/ipad-pro-10-5-inch-hands-on-ios-11s-big-cheerleader-05487556/

2018 Kymco Like 150i ABS Review

June 6, 2017Cars2018 Kymco Like 150i ABS, guns, Japan, review, safety, scooter, Sprint, Vespa

Scooters are big in European and other markets – around here, not so much. “Scooters and soccer,” Kymco PR rep Peter Jones tells us, “they’re just not a part of our culture.” Still, Kymco doggedly sticks to its guns, offering a full line of scooters where many OEMs have reduced or eliminated their scooter offerings.

“The coolest person you know, that’s a scooter rider,” Jones goes on to say, and 54-year-old Taiwanese firm Kymco’s latest offering caters to the coolest of them. It’s the Like 150i ABS, a product that clearly takes aim at Vespa’s Primavera (and Sprint) 150. It offers similar performance, safety and style, but at just $2,599 is half the price of its Italian cousin’s $5,099 MSRP. The new Like also promises connectivity and coolness for 2019, when the Noodoe instrumentation package will be offered.

The new Like follows Kymco’s tried-and-true formula. Steel frame, plastic bodywork, air-cooled motor. But now it’s all been tweaked so it’s not just durable and affordable, it also offers looks, performance and handling that will likely (heh, heh) hang with the best Japan or Italy has to offer.
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https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kymco/2018-kymco-like-150i-abs-review.html

Apple Watch Series 2: Why GPS tracking for runners is so impressive

June 5, 2017Wearablesapp, Apple, Apple watch, Apple Watch Series 2, fitness, Garmin, GPS, smartwatch, watch

A breakdown of how one of Apple’s most impressive Watch Series 2 features works

I’ve been living with the Apple Watch Series 2 for a while now and it’s still in my opinion the best smartwatch to own right now. As a runner, I’ve been switching between Apple’s smartwatch and the Garmin Forerunner 935 GPS sports watch to see how the well the Watch Series 2 works for runners.

But while fitness app support and battery life have still left me underwhelmed, I’ve been blown away by is how quickly the Series 2 picks up a GPS signal. Apple promised seconds and it really is that quick. There’s no waiting around whether you’re in a built up city or out in the countryside. You wake up the Watch, go to the Workout app, select outdoor run and you’re ready to go.

So how does the Series 2 make it so easy to get out and run? I’ve been doing a bit of investigation to understand exactly how it all works.
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https://www.wareable.com/apple/apple-watch-series-2-gps-explained

2017 KTM Duke 250 Review

June 5, 2017Cars2017 KTM Duke 250, bike, game, KTM, motorcycles, orange, review

When the first Duke hit the streets a few decades ago, it was not here to make friends. The bike changed the game and re-wrote the rule books. A bold call to all to head to the straight narrow and embrace the life that lives at the very limit.

In 2011 the Duke family gained a new member, namely the small 125 Duke and was followed by the 690 Duke and the 990 Super Duke R in 2012. We got the first Duke 200 in 2013, and since then there has been no turning back for the Austrian Orange. Releasing the refreshed 390, they had completed the goal of leading the boards of the segment. But, looks like KTM had other things in mind for us.
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https://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/ktm/2017-ktm-duke-250-ar176738.html

Totem Sky review

June 5, 2017Audio & Videoreview, speakers, Totem Sky

Ask us to name our favourite premium standmounters, and we’d have no hesitation in recommending ATC SCM-19s (£2150/$3225) and PMC’s Twenty5 22 (£2450/$3675).

Both are exceptional performers with talents broad enough to worry far pricier alternatives. It’s a measure of how much we like Totem’s Skys that we feel they should now be added to that short and rather exclusive list.

Build

The Skys are easy speakers to underestimate; at a casual glance they just look so ordinary.

As is Totem’s way there’s little that’s overtly glamorous here, but look carefully and there’s plenty to suggest the company has an obsessive way with engineering.
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https://www.whathifi.com/totem/sky/review

Snapdragon 430 (+Adreno 505) vs Helio P10 (+Mali-T860) – performance, benchmarks and temperatures

June 5, 2017Wearablescomparison, HELIO P10, Lenovo, Mediatek, mobile, moto, processor, Qualcomm, Snapdragon, Surface

Snapdragon 430 and Helio P10 are two of the popular mobile chips developed by Qualcomm and MediaTek. Both of them are mid-range processors and there are a great many smartphones on the market making use of these chips. It is namely for this reason that a comparison of the two would be quite intriguing. We would like to first have a look at their specifications and then juxtapose their results from various benchmarks, and conclude with surface overheating tests. For the purposes of this comparative article we have made use of the Lenovo K6 and Moto M operating with Snapdragon 430 and Helio P10.

The first smartphones using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8952 hit the market in the second half of the last year. Lenovo K6 is the first device with this chipset that we have tested. Snapdragon 430 is a 64-bit mobile processor built on the 28nm process technology.
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https://laptopmedia.com/highlights/snapdragon-430-adreno-505-vs-helio-p10-mali-t860-performance-benchmarks-and-temperatures/

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Spec sheet

Best tablet 2017 – UPDATE : Buying guide & the best tablets of 2017

June 5, 2017Tabletsandroid, Apple, home, kids, Microsoft, Netflix, Operating Systems and, tablet, TV, watch, Windows

Find your perfect tablet from our list of all the latest Apple, Android and Windows tablets

There has been a steady decline in tablets entering the market, with companies such as Microsoft now labelling their tablets or 2-in-1 devices as laptops. Still, tablets are incredibly versatile devices that are great to have around the home, on the go or for the kids to play around with. Surf the internet, tap out a quick email, watch TV via iPlayer or Netflix, play games – tablets are the go-to devices for when you want to sit back and enjoy everything the internet has to offer. However, with hundreds of different models all in different shapes and sizes, not to mention different operating systems and prices, it can be hard to know where to start.
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https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tablets/1403363/best-tablet-buying-guide-the-best-tablets

Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT C-Dreamer Review

June 5, 2017Cameras105mm, Laowa, lens, Olympus, Panasonic, prototype, review

Introduction

Laowa may not be a well-known player to most of you but recently they caused quite some stir with their Laowa 105mm f/2 STF – a manual focus lens featuring an unusual apodization element for optimized bokeh rendering. Before that they released a 15mm f/4 Shift and a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens with 2:1 magnification. You probably agree that all this sounds existing?! Well, this time they have something in the queue specifically designed for Micro-Four-Thirds cameras – the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT. Once it’s released (planned: April 2017), it’ll be the fastest ultra-wide angle lens available for the system. We received a late prototype (serial-no #000006) for testing.

Now you may ask why another 7mm-ish ultra-wide lens is needed. After all there’s the Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO and Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 ASPH. Well, other than being faster than either of them, it is smaller … WAY smaller.
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https://www.opticallimits.com/m43/1001-laowa75f2mft

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it almost doubles the amount that we’ve seen from other ultra

The Top 20 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers of 2017

June 3, 2017Audio & Videoaudio, Beats, benchmark, Bluetooth, music, portable, portable Bluetooth speakers, speaker, speakers, streaming

Here are the top 20 best portable bluetooth speakers of 2017 that are simply outstanding in terms of audio performance, portability and overall design. They are amazing speakers that balance these defining qualities of portability, convenience, sound and appearance, and set a remarkably high benchmark for manufacturers of portable speakers. These top 20 portable bluetooth speakers represent a true breakthrough in portable audio technology – whether it’s for indoor use or for outdoor sports, we guarantee that these incredible portable bluetooth speakers will impress you with some serious beats and stellar music performance. Some of these portable speakers are also selling at great discounts at the time of writing, so don’t forget to check them out before they sell out!

#1 Anker SoundCore Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Anker SoundCore is hands down one of the best portable bluetooth speakers now selling at a whopping 55% discount with outstanding sound quality, a whopping 24 hours of battery life and advanced Bluetooth 4.0 technology for high quality audio streaming.
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https://www.bassheadspeakers.com/best-portable-bluetooth-speakers/

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These top 20 portable Bluetooth

Eve V preview: What makes the crowd-funded Surface Pro rival so special?

June 3, 2017Computers & ITdeveloper, Eve V, hybrid, laptop, Microsoft, PC, Surface, surface pro, tablet

A crowd-funded tablet/laptop hybrid might not usually catch the eye, but clearly Microsoft feels there’s something special about the Eve V. It highlighted the relatively unknown product during its Computex keynote.

This is especially significant considering it is broadly in the same market as Microsoft’s own Surface Pro.

We caught up with the developer to learn a little more about the unusual design process and a little about its ethos. And perhaps the most unusual aspect is the small company’s determination to remain independent of any investors.

The Eve project started off as an experiment in 2015 to see if an unknown PC/tablet brand could be successful, launching and selling its products online.
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https://www.pocket-lint.com/laptops/reviews/141227-eve-v-preview-what-makes-the-crowd-funded-surface-pro-rival-so-special

2017-Yamaha-XSR900-Abarth-EU-Nimbus-Grey-Static-014

Yamaha XSR900 Abarth Review

June 3, 2017Carsfiat, motorcycles, retro, review, Yamaha, Yamaha XSR900, Yamaha XSR900 Abarth

When the best of two worlds meet, something spectacular is always bound to happen. And this is what the Yamaha XSR900 Abarth all about. The child of the Japanese Blue team and the Italian powerhouse has surfaced, and it looks absolutely stunning.

Abarth, an Italian tuning brand that turns normal family Fiat cars into their sporty mad-runner nemesis has for the first time tried their hand on motorbikes, thanks to the firm’s association with Yamaha’s MotoGP team. They have collaborated with Yamaha to produce for 2017 a limited-edition “Sport Heritage café racer special” based on Yamaha’s XSR900 847 cc inline-triple neo-retro motorcycle.
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https://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/yamaha-xsr900-abarth-ar176746.html

How Much RAM Do You Really Need?

June 3, 2017Computers & IT, Wearablesmemory, PC, ram

“How much RAM do I need?” It’s one of the most frequent questions asked by anyone buying or upgrading a PC, and while there are some reasonable stock answers that people usually share, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, and very little of the advice you do see has any real testing to back it up.

We’re here to fix that. By testing a variety of use cases on different allotments of RAM, we can get a very good idea what sort of uses can be comfortably done on which allotments of RAM, and even give you an idea of how you can stretch the RAM you’ve got.

What is RAM and how does it work?

Let’s start with the most basic elements of the question. RAM is where data is stored before processing. RAM stands for Random Access Memory, and it consists of dynamic memory chips that can be written and rewritten with data very quickly. Unlike your hard drive, however, the memory used for RAM is also volatile, meaning that it only holds onto that data while the chip is powered, so it’s not designed to hold information long term.
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https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-much-ram

2017-Suzuki-VStrom-1000-1000XT-First-Look-Preview-9

First Look: 2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 And 1000XT

June 3, 2017Cars2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000, Suzuki

The way our Suzuki rep ’splained it, is that it’s a 2018 model if it’s being produced in 2017. Go figure… anyway, the V-Strom 1000 was new in 2015. For 2018, it’s received a few significant upgrades to make it even more likeable, not to mention safer, including the addition of the new 1000XT version in the lead image.

2018 V-Strom 1000XT

Available in this lovely yellow or shiny black, the XT gets strong, suitable-for-offroading tubeless-style wire spoke wheels in the appropriate 19- and 17-inch sizes, along with hand guards and a fat aluminum handlebar.

And here’s the standard model, available in Glacier White, with cast alloy wheels that are a bit lighter than the wire jobs if not quite as dent-resistant when you’re intent on ramming rocks and things.
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https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/suzuki/first-look-2018-suzuki-v-strom-1000-and-1000xt.html

Sony A1E (XBR65A1E) 4K UHD OLED TV review: This could be the best OLED TV money can buy

June 3, 2017Audio & Video4K, LCD, oled, Quantum, review, Samsung, Samsung Q9F, smart, Sony, TV, uhd

This is absolutely one of the best OLED TVs we’ve seen thanks to Sony’s image processing. Our only qualm is that there’s no available data on OLED lifespan when displaying HDR content.

What do you get when you put an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display in the hands of the Sony with their decades of experience enhancing TV images? A better OLED TV. Having only seen another company’s OLED TVs in the consumer space, we’d gotten the idea that the technology was simply challenged when it came to rendering fine details. Not so with the A1E, whose facility with picture minutiae, while not LCD-like, is a substantial improvement.

We recently had the pleasure of setting an A1E next to a brand new LCD-with-quantum-dots Samsung Q9F (we’ll post our review next week) and having at it for an amazing week of viewing and testing. Sadly, the experience left us somewhat torn between which we liked most.
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https://www.techhive.com/article/3192654/smart-tv/sony-a1e-4k-tv-review-this-could-be-the-best-oled-tv-money-can-buy.html

Tablo Dual OTA DVR review: Less clutter at a cost

June 3, 2017Wearablesbest buy, DVR, hardware, review, software, streaming

Built-in storage makes the Tablo Dual simpler to setup, but you might still be better off with the old model.

From a marketing perspective, it’s easy to understand why the new Tablo Dual DVR exists. Unlike its predecessor, which required users to bring their own hard drives, the $250 Tablo Dual has 64GB of built-in storage, so users can start watching and recording free broadcast channels with just the box and an over-the-air antenna. That makes the Tablo proposition much simpler at a retail store like Best Buy, which will sell the Dual exclusively in the United States.

But for many people, the original Tablo two-tuner DVR, which remains available and regularly sells for $200 or less, is a better deal. Both devices run the same software and have nearly all the same features, so users may be better off putting that $50 savings toward an external hard drive instead of the built-in storage.
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https://www.techhive.com/article/3199027/streaming-hardware/tablo-dual-ota-dvr-review-less-clutter-at-a-cost.html

Lume Cube Dual Review

June 3, 2017Camerascamera, Cube, LED, lithium-ion, portable, review, smartphone, waterproof

The Lume Cube is a tiny 1.5inch cube light that can be used anywhere as an additional light source or flash and is waterproof down to 33 metres (100 feet). You can use more than one, for multiple light sources. Here we’re looking at the twin pack, which includes two Lume Cubes.

Features and Handling

A single 1500 Lumen LED gives a 6000K colour temperature, and 150 Lux at 3m. There are two buttons on the top of the Lume Cube, and you can dim the light from off to full power, with 10 steps. Simply press the button to change the power output. The cube is 1.5inches in size and portable with a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

The compact size and tripod socket means you can mount the light on any tripod – or using an adapter, the top of your camera. An adapter is available to let you attach the Lume Cube to your smartphone, as a light source. There’s also an optional diffuser kit available.
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https://www.ephotozine.com/article/lume-cube-dual-review-30551

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid review

June 3, 2017Cars2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, electric, hybrid, Hyundai, Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, review, Toyota

All hail the new hybrid king. Meet the new 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: the car that took on Toyota for the title of most fuel efficient car in America without a plug… and won. At a maximum combined estimate of 58 mpg, the Ioniq has effectively out-Priused the previous king of the hybrids.

But those are just numbers and test cycles. I wanted to know how the rest of the Ioniq measured up, so I hit the road recently in a shiny, new Limited model to find out.

I should note that the Ioniq Hybrid is not alone. It’s actually one-third of a trio of green vehicles that all use this hatchback chassis, but have different electrified power trains. In addition, there’s the Ioniq Electric and a Plug-in Hybrid. I’ve included my driving impressions for those models, as well, taken from a Hyundai driving event earlier this year.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2017-hyundai-ioniq-review/

LG OLED55B7V review

June 3, 2017Audio & VideoLG, LG OLED55B7V, oled, review, sound system, speaker, speakers, TV

LG’s 2017 OLED range is pretty unusual. Rather than ramping up the picture-processing features as you go up the range, all ten TVs (five models, each in two sizes) have the same panel and the same processing and features. The differences come in the form of the aesthetic design and the built-in speakers.

In theory, it means anyone planning to partner their TV with a separate sound system (something we’d always recommend) should be perfectly well served by the most affordable model in the range.

Actually, and perhaps stranger still, there’s not a single most-affordable model but two identically priced and specced models: the C7 and this B7. Both are available in 55in or 65in versions.

These models even have the same speaker systems, the only real difference being the shape of the stand. The point, it seems, is exclusivity – the C7 is only available through Currys.
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Read full post here:
https://www.whathifi.com/lg/oled55b7v/review

First Look: 2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650 And 650XT

June 3, 2017Cars2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650, Suzuki

Suzuki summoned the usual suspects to Lake Arrowhead, California, to show off the latest updates to its excellent ADV bikes. That’s the new V-Strom 650XT in the lead photo, distinguishable from the base model 650 by its wire-spoke tubeless wheels, yellow paint, hand guards and lower engine cowl/modesty panel. An aesthetic overhaul now makes it barely distinguishable from the big V-Strom 1000; know the 650 by its silver engine cases and lack of SUZUKI on the sides of its plush seat.

And here’s your base model V-Strom 650, with new lighter cast wheels which mount the same 19-/17-inch rubber as the XT.

Suzuki says seat height is 32.9 inches, curb weight is 470 pounds (476 for the XT pictured).
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Read full post here:
https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/suzuki/first-look-2017-suzuki-v-strom-650-and-650xt.html

Most Anticipated Nvidia Max-Q Gaming Laptops

June 2, 2017Computers & IT3D, Acer, Acer Predator, Acer Predator Triton 700, gaming, gaming laptops, geforce, GTX, Intel, notebook, Nvidia, NVIDIA GeForce, processor, SSDs, touchpad

The end is nigh for chunky, bulky gaming laptops, at least if Nvidia’s Max-Q design approach leads to new standards. Announced at Computex, Max-Q helps make gaming laptops thinner, as well as improve speeds and reduce fan noise.

While Nvidia announced that Max-Q will enhance laptops featuring its GeForce GTX 1080, 1070 and 1060 GPUs from major vendors starting on June 27th, we’re still learning which specific notebooks will feature that tech. Here’s are the models that have been announced so far:

Acer Predator Triton 700

Acer’s first Max-Q notebook is the 0.74-inch Predator Triton 700. Starting at $2,999, it features a 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 G-Sync panel with an Intel 7th-Gen Core processor and a pair of overclockable Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs and dual NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration. It also packs two of Acer’s own AeroBlade 3D fans that the company claims offer 35 percent more airflow than what competing systems provide. There’s just one problem: its glass touchpad sits above the keyboard and is difficult to touch, so we hope you own an external mouse!
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Read full post here:
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-nvidia-q-laptops

to use Ginger

Limited mode

touchpad