Month: March 2018

Laptop Lookout: Microsoft Surface Pro LTE
Its almost here! The New Microsoft Surface Pro is coming. Better than ever, the new Surface Pro gives you a best-in-class laptop, plus the versatility of a studio and tablet. The stunning PixelSense Display supports Surface Pen and touch, while up to 13.5 hours of battery life gives you plenty of juice to work all day and play all night.

The Great
- Top Tablet, PC Notebook
- Better performance and battery life from its CPU update
- Flexable keyboard
- LTE antenna
The Not
- Keyboard cover and Surface Pen are still sold separately.
- No USB-C and Thunderbolt options
The Conclusion

I truly love this thing, it’s a beast. For such a small package it really is amazing. It powers 3 monitors for me through the dock, bunch of USB devices, do Photoshop, web dev, emails, everything. Make sure to not go cheap on the processor or ram or you’re stuck with a brick. Microsoft says it, The ultimate laptop with versatility of a studio and tablet.

What To Do..

So here is my problem, I need to solve for the following. I need to replace a laptop, with a powerful desktop, and a tablet. It has to run Lightroom, Photoshop, Visual Studio, Office stuff and Age of Empires all at once. I need a pressure-sensitive pen for drawing and to convert it to a workstation . I want a decent and equally powerful tablet form factor for reading, games, and video watching with decent tablet battery life

What to do, what to do.. And there is an easy, elegant answer.. the Surface Pro with Advanced LTE. Surface Pro delivers even more speed and performance thanks to a powerful Intel Core processor that runs full desktop apps with ease plus 50% more battery life than Surface Pro 4 and 2.5x more performance than Surface Pro 3. With brilliant color on the high-resolution PixelSense Display with a stunning screen that responds to your touch, its heaven. The Surface has been great, whats the new one do?

Whats New?

From a hardware perspective, the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is almost indistinguishable from its non-LTE sibling, the surface pro (2017) which in turn is remarkably similar to the 2015-vintage surface pro 4.

A close inspection of the exterior reveals one difference. Behind the kickstand, the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced includes an expansion slot that’s about 5/8 of an inch wider than its non-LTE cousin. That’s just enough room to squeeze a nano SIM tray alongside the familiar MicroSD memory card slot. Surface Pro’s LTE connectivity makes it the first “true mobile computer.

A Cat 9 modem supports cellular connections up to 450 Mbps in speed, and an embedded SIM allows connections to pay-as-you-go data services without the need for an external SIM card. GPS support is also included, making this a useful option for any application that requires precise location information and navigation.

The Final Thought

The Surface has everything thing I need to truly replace my PC, laptop and tablets. It works, its great and im not stuck only get mobile versions of apps and websites. While the upgrades since 2015 are minimal, they are useful and necessary with out any gimmicks and features I don’t need and wont use.
March 12, 2018
Laptop Lookout: HP ZBook X2
Its not a Notebook, barely a laptop but it a great PC solution. Hp is Introducing the world’s most powerful detachable PC with remarkable performance and versatility to push your favorite Adobe applications to the limit. Yes it’s a full-performance workstation-class laptop experience with full-sized keyboard and integrated stand. With HP Quick Keys, keep working in your Adobe® apps without the use of a keyboard. The full-sized Bluetooth® keyboard stays active when detached, so you can keep working.

The Good
- Adobe featured
- great stylus
- Great shortcut OS features
- Good Keyboard
The Not
- Battery-life not great
- Lacks graphic performance
- Overpriced
The Conclusion

I cant call it a 2 in 1, its barley a laptop but much more then a notebook or tablet. Really its everything and does it all pretty well but is a master of none.

This is no notebook. This is a specialized tool designed to serve as a complete solution for digital artists, photographers and other creatives. It’s massive, but designed to provide easy access to shortcuts. It also has a professional-grade stylus and a matte 4k display that feels as if you’re drawing on paper.

The Design

You’ve never seen a laptop like this before. The ZBook is industrial in a way that looks powerful. It’s a large octagon of metal. The back is a very plain gunmetal gray with a reflective Z logo and a whole bunch of vents for cooling. The pull-out kickstand could use a little more to put you fingers in the small notches on the side, but it pulls out almost flat, up to 165 degrees.

With a 4k Display and only a 14 inch bezel surrounding it makes it very attractive to look at. Windows Hello is in place with an infrared camera and webcam stuffed in the top. The best part of the design is the 12 programmable shortcut buttons built down the sides. Down the right side you will find a fingerprint reader, an SD card slot, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI output, a pair of Thunderbolt ports and a barrel-shaped charging jack.Its a big heaver then the others in its class at 4.9lbs but it feels much more rugged and sturdy. The metal body helps this.

The Power

It has the power, it has all the specs of a workstation PC: a quad-core i7 processor (from Intel’s Kaby Lake-R line), an Nvidia Quadro M620 graphics card, and up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD in a versatile desgin. These are the top line specs so you are gonna have to pay more to get the juice. It also rocks a Wacom EMR-enabled and battery-free stylus with 4,096 levels of pressure, comparable to many of Wacom’s gaphics tablets. Then there’s the four modes that the detachable 2-in-1 can be used in. That includes a docked mode where the device can connect to two external 4K displays simultaneously and a “detached” mode where the keyboard functions as a Bluetooth keyboard.

The Final Thought

Its got some neat, unique features and functions. The short-cut keys, the kickstand. Its got the versatility being a tablet, 2-1, and powerful PC. Yes its the most powerful detachable pc tablet laptop but at what cost? It’s a good fit for for artists, 4K videographers, and anyone who needs massive power in a versatile form…
March 12, 2018
IOT Credit Card is the Solution

The Dynamics company introduced new functionalities for its Wallet Card, an Internet of Things (IoT) connected credit card at the WMC 2018. Two-way communication between banks and cardholders is a highlight, as faster connections could mean safer cards and quicker account changes. Now consumers will be able to communicate with their bank via a connected credit card. I know you are thinking, what does this mean and why would I want this. First off it means safer cards and quicker account changes.

Dynamics CEO Jeffrey Mullen said in the release “We had promised that we would unveil new features with incredible strategic and financial value for both banks and consumers,”. “Today, we start to deliver on that promise by unveiling that the connected Wallet Card has the ability to wirelessly send consumer requests to a bank through the card’s telecommunications connection. For the first time, a bank can ask a customer a question on the card’s display and get an immediate response. With these new consumer insights, the bank can provide better and more informed services.”

The size and shape of a standard credit card, the Wallet Card contains a cell phone chip and antenna for data transfers, along with a magnetic stripe, programmable EMV chip, and a programmable contactless chip, the release said. All of the communication with the bank appears on a 65,000 pixel display on the front of the card.

Whats this one do?

There are 3 big features that creates new opportunities for communication and value this will bring to the end card user. one it will let the bank verify purchases. Lets say if an FI suspects a fraudulent purchase using an existing card, the bank can ask a consumer to verify on their card that they made a particular purchase and the consumer can quickly respond. It will allow the banks to offer on-the-spot credit limit increase . Instead of the declining a transaction, the FI can ask a consumer if they would like to increase the credit limit on their card.

It will also give the financial institutions the benefit of adding cards. If the FI believes a consumer might benefit from a new card offering, the bank can ask if the cardholder would like to download the new card immediately. Or if you need to Upgrade cards , the bank can ask a consumer if they would like to upgrade their card to one that has additional features or value.

The Final Thought.

Seems cool. Sign me up. Makes clearing all those subscription services easy to cancel if I can just tap my card and get a new card number.

March 8, 2018
Cutting the Cord? 5 Best Streaming Services in 2018

The days of having to tune in live, buy discs or subscribe to expensive cable/satellite packages in order to watch your favorite shows and movies are gone. Streaming services started as an add-on to DVD and digital download offerings with a trickle of second-run movies and TV shows. But speedier internet connections, an abundance of dedicated streaming video devices, and an explosion of mobile video has allowed services like Netflix and Amazon to bulk up their streaming libraries, invest millions in original content, and give traditional pay TV providers a run for their money. These services have grown up from their days as cable TV adjuncts; they’re now full-fledged cable replacements for cord cutters. If you are looking to cut the cord, here are the 5 best streaming services in 2018.

1. Netflix

$11 per month

The great-granddaddy of streaming services remains the best. As you probably know, Netflix provides unlimited streaming of TV shows, movies, comedy specials and original programming (including Orange Is the New Black, Stranger Things, Master of None and the fourth season of Arrested Development) for one monthly subscription fee. No other service has yet given Netflix an honest-to-goodness run for its money in terms of selection, quality and performance consistency. You can even create up to five different profiles on a single account to make sure that your favorite content doesn’t mess up recommendations for your friends and loved ones.

2. Hulu

$8 per month

If you want to keep current with the latest network TV shows but don’t feel like investing in a cable subscription or an HD antenna, Hulu is the best solution. This service provides access to most major network shows (aside from CBS’ programs) and a handful of cable shows the day after they air. It also lets subscribers access a show’s current season — or often all of the program’s seasons. In addition, the service hosts a number of original shows (including joint ventures with the BBC, like The Wrong Mans and season 4 of The Thick of It), a selection of offbeat movies and a surprising amount of classic anime series. Even with a paid subscription, you have to sit through commercials, but far fewer than if you watched the same shows on cable.

3. Amazon Video

$99 a year or $8.99 per month

For those who do most of their shopping online, Amazon Prime is a no-brainer. For $99 per year, you get free two-day shipping on your purchases, a free Kindle book each month, and unlimited access to both Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Like Netflix, Amazon Video is a veritable buffet of movies, television and original programming, like Alpha House, Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. Thanks to a deal with Viacom — which controls Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon — Amazon Prime arguably has a better selection of comedy and children’s programming than its competitors. The service also offers unlimited access to an extensive collection from HBO’s back catalog of classics such as The Sopranos and The Wire. The separate Amazon Video provides easy access to current movies, but it’s an à la carte service.

4. PlayStation Vue

$35 per month

PlayStation Vue is about as close as you can get to a cable subscription without actually getting a cable company involved. The service, which is available on a wide variety of systems, is Sony’s first foray into delivering live TV to its customers. Choose from four different packages: Access ($50 per month), which gives you basic channels, Core ($55 per month), which adds sports, Elite ($65 per month), which adds niche programming and Ultra ($75 per month), which adds certain premium channels. Although the service is expensive, it provides up to 90 live channels – including local sports and news – and lets you record your favorite shows.

5. Sling TV

$20 per month

If you like the idea of a cable subscription but feel it’s just too expensive and offers more content than you want, Sling TV might provide a happy medium for you. On paper, Sling sounds a lot like a traditional cable service: Pay a monthly subscription fee in exchange for about thirty real-time channels. But there’s no contract and no set-top box rental fee. Sling is especially handy for sports fans, as it offers a variety of ESPN channels. For cord-cutting sports fans, this alone is worth the price. Other popular networks, like NBC, BBC America, CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS and the Food Network, sweeten the deal. If you sign up for Sling Blue, which is the service’s multi-stream option, and bundle it with the more bare-bones Orange, the combo will cost you $40 per month.

Conclusion

Let’s face it, cable tv is dead. It had a solid run and lived a long and fruitful existence but now – sorry to say – the time has come to cut the cord. If you are ready to cut the cord, this rundown has the most popular services. Which one is best for you?

March 8, 2018
The Best Preorder Deals for the S9

Finally, the wait to preorder the new Samsung Galaxy S9 is over! Starting this week, customers can preorder the innovative Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ through Samsung and other leading cellular retailers. I have personally scoured the web and contacted all my insiders at every vendor I know to find the best preorder Deals for the Samsung S9.

1. Samsung Direct

With a direct order from Samsung, you can take advantage of direct pricing of $719 for the galaxy s9. With a $300 trade-in offer for my Galaxy s7, and samsungs no interest financing option I can purchase the phone for just $18 a month. They are also offering a 12 month upgrade option. Basically, after 12 months, you’ll be eligible to upgrade your phone. Just return the phone in good condition, and they apply a credit to your account for up to 50% of the initial financed amount.

In Short for a little more then the cost of a Netflix subscription I can get the newest Galaxy, every year, on release day for $18 a months.

Net Cost $216 per year

2. Verizon

The big red machine is offering the same $300 off for my galaxy S7, dropping the price from $33 a month to $21 a month. By switching to Verizon they will give me an additional $150 prepaid visa card. The down side to this deal is that Im stuck on Verizon service for 24 months.

Total Net cost : $149 a year for 2 years

3. Xfinity Mobile

This came as a bit of a surprise but The Samsung Galaxy S9 can be purchased for $719 from Xfinity Mobile, and the S9+ can be bought for $839. Two-year monthly installment plans with $30 payments are available. Xfinity Mobile is also offering up to $350 savings on Samsung’s new phones when trading in eligible smartphones, but only $300 for my S7. There is also a promotion to give you a $200 prepaid card for purchasing a Samsung device.

Total Net Cost: $110 a year for 2 years.

March 8, 2018
3 Cool Updates From Samsungs Television

1. Translucent Ambient Televisions

For years, Samsung has been trying to make TVs look pretty even when you’re not watching TV. The company just announced the latest lineup of its flagship QLED TVs with an all-new feature called Ambient Mode. Basically, thanks to some hardware trickery, Ambient Mode can replicate the texture on the wall behind your TV and almost make it disappear. It’s sort of like an invisibility cloak for your TV.

The demo of this new feature worked well, blending it perfectly with the brick wall behind it. I am super excited to blend a TV in to my living room wall. It would be perfect, until you see a bunch of wires hanging from some random bricks in my fireplace. that leads us to number 2

2.A New Single Translucent Cable Wire

If i have a tv the can be translucent mounted to my wall but the tangle of cords jutting out of the back of the TV, pushing it away from the wall and then dangling down to wherever the cable box, PS4, and Wii U reside, is ugly and pointless. So Samsung did something that strikes you, innately, as both backward and forward thing—it moved all the ports of the TV.

On the 2017 Q9 TV from Samsung they have managed to pack 6 input ports in to a minuscule cord. The Cord is translucent, making it less visible against a bare wall. It will connect to a unit like Samsung’s current One Connect Box, which includes USB 3.0, coax, and multiple HDMI ports. THis seems like the answer to the translucent TV cord issue..

3. The Wall, Summer

MicroLED is a technology that shrinks traditional LEDs to a smaller size, and gives them the ability to produce their own light. Think OLED, but take out the organic part. MicroLED doesn’t require a discrete backlight, and there’s no need for LCD shutters. In turn, this creates a brighter, more contrast-rich television that can turn pixels off individually. This has brought us the next level of cool from Samsung… The Wall.

Yes, yes we have all seen from the unveiling at the CES 2018 in Jan.. so tell me something I don’t know. Samsung’s the Wall is the next big thing. It seemed to be just a concept with actual production and availability in the distant future. Even Samsung said “we are still years away, their next step is a 2-5 year plan for a 75 inch MicroLED set”. With a big announcement today, we have an answer.. August.

We will see the Wall available to consumers August 2018. Given the customization nature of The Wall and the technology it uses, chances are it won’t be cheap when it does come out this summer. I am still guessing 10k.

March 7, 2018
Jurrasic Park Alive is the AR Game We Deserve

In the key of Pokemon Go, Jurassic World Alive is the AR game we have been waiting for. This game is set to explode in the same way Pokemon Go took over the summer of 2016. Alive is the latest franchise to try their hand on the Pokémon Go formula. Yes, we finally we get dinosaurs unleashed around our local neighborhood.

The Dinosaur Hunt

Jurassic World Alive puts players in the role of a new recruit in the Dinosaur Protection Group (DPG). Players are tasked with saving dinosaurs from another extinction by tracking them, collecting DNA samples and creating new hybrid species in a lab. Those man-made dinosaurs can be assembled into a team and fight in player-versus-player arena battles, which kind of seems counterproductive to the whole dinosaur protection thing.

“Players discover dinosaurs by locating them on a map and deploying an in-game drone to collect DNA samples,” developer Ludia explains. You’ll also be able to snap a photo with your favorite dinosaurs, level up the beasts you capture, and, unlike in Pokémon Go, you’ll be able to battle them with other players. The game’s map screen, as shown in the debut trailer, even looks a lot like Niantic’s Pokémon AR game. Ludia previously developed a pair of park management-style Jurassic Park games for mobile.

When Can We Play?

Alive is expected to come to both Android and iOS in the spring, putting its release very close to the new film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which debuts on June 22nd.

The Final Thought

I hope this is the game that can reach the success in the AR platform. We have all been waiting for the true AR gaming standard and would love to hunt dinosaurs in real simulation. I am overly excited to play this game, more then any grown man should be. I wont be as embarrassed to be walking around playing this as I was Pokemon Go and I know My 4 year old nephew and myself will have hours of fun with this. Lets hope they as John Hammond would say “spared no expense” in the development of this monster and it lives up to the hype.

March 7, 2018
Nokia 8 Sirocco Brings Welcomed News.

At Mobile World Congress today, the Nokia 8 Sirocco made news of its release and the unexpected upgrades it got. The resulting looks are impressive to say the least, and the fingerprint reader has been moved to the rear to reduce the bezels at the front. The entire phone has curved points at the edges, with a design that hides the usual antenna lines. The changes and upgrades appear to make the phone sleek, light, and comfortable.

The Specs

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is equipped with Qualcomm’s 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. At the center is a 5.5-inch OLED display (2560 x 1440). HMD is also using a dual-camera system at the rear with a 12-megapixel primary camera and ZEISS optics. The front-facing 5-megapixel camera also has a wide-angle (84-degree) lens. The software will support HMD’s “bothie” mode. As HMD has switched to a glass device, there’s also wireless charging on the Nokia 8 Sirocco. Unfortunately, HMD removed the headphone jack. You’ll need to use USB-C or Bluetooth headphones, or make use of the USB-C to 3.5mm headset adapter in the box.

More News

“The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available in April priced at 749 euros ($920). Alongside the Nokia 8 Sirocco, HMD is also launching two mid-range devices. The Nokia 7 Plus has the same camera system as the Nokia 8 Sirocco, but it swaps the exterior for a ceramic coating. The Nokia 7 Plus includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The 6-inch LCD display (2160 x 1080) on the 7 Plus is 18:9 so it’s extra-tall. The bezels look similar to Google’s Pixel 2 XL display, and HMD has placed the fingerprint reader at the rear to help with that. HMD plans to make the Nokia 7 Plus available in April for 399 euros ($490). HMD is also introducing a refreshed Nokia 6. The new Nokia 6 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 processor, with 3GB of 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of storage. HMD has moved the fingerprint reader to the back of the 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) device. Additionally they added a 16-megapixel camera at the rear with ZEISS optics. The updated Nokia 6 will be available in April priced at 279 euros ($343).”

The Summary

With all the welcomed upgrades and tech going into the Sirocco, Nokia may be making moves to enter the ring with the big “smart phone” dogs. The companies almost novelty strength of their phones, has kept them relevant for this long so lets see what they got. I am eager to see how this new phone operates and competes against Apple and Samsung.

March 1, 2018
Amazon Buys Ring Doorbell Company

News broke today that Amazon has purchased the Ring Co., best known for their smart doorbell system. The terms of the deal are still unknown, but it’s expected that Amazon will likely keep the product as is with an upgraded Amazon Ecosystem. Ring already supports Alexa voice control and I would imagine we can expect more upgrades to come. The rumored purchase price was for $1 Billion dollars, but this is not confirmed.

What the Sale Means for Ring?

The two companies aren’t specific about their plans. In a statement, Amazon told Engadget it was “excited” to work with Ring and aid in its “mission to keep homes safe and secure.” the company said it could “achieve even more” by allying itself with Amazon as it focuses on its “vision for safer neighborhoods.” With this purchase in addition to Blink, Amazon now own two major companies that produce doorbells and wireless security cameras. Amazon’s apparent mission is find a cornerstone in the home safety market.

This purchase should help Amazon have the hardware to rival the GoogleNest System. Nest partnered up with Google and has been expanding their presence most recently with the Hello Video Doorbell. We can all imagine that Amazon will make a similar addition to the Ring especially after they recently changed their policy to state the following:

The Policy Change

“Where permitted by applicable law, you may choose to use additional functionality in your Ring product that, through video data from your device, can recognize facial characteristics of familiar visitors. For example, you may want to receive different notifications from your Ring Doorbell depending on whether a visitor is a stranger or a member of your household. If you choose to activate this feature, we obtain certain facial feature information about the visitors you ask your Ring product to recognize. We require your explicit consent before you can take advantage of this feature.”

The Summary

This recent purchase could mean big things for Amazon and the smart doorbell company. Because of the Google and Nest partnership, Amazon could feel threatened and need to make moves to stay atop the voice activated and video world. Never the less, Amazon should increase the doorbell’s capability and features. I await to see what upgrades the company gets.

March 1, 2018
Fitbit’s New Smart Watch Unveiled

Recently Fitbit’s CEO James Park, said that the company is working on a “mass appeal smartwatch” following fading sales of its Iconic line. As of today, the company unveiled it’s new smartwatch at the MWC in Barcelona, Spain.

First Looks

Early images were obtained of the company’s upcoming smartwatch, and it doesn’t look bad! The unnamed watch still has some work and fine tuning ahead of it, but Fitbit appears excited for its upcoming launch.

Similar to the Ionic, this new smartwatch will run the new Fitbit OS platform that allows for app support, notifications, and more in addition to Fitbit’s standard fitness-tracking suite. The new watch is expected to be quite a bit smaller than the Ionic, and it’ll come in black, silver, rose gold, and matte colors with an assortment of different bands. As the product is released, I’m sure we’ll see all sorts of bands and special addition color schemes.

It’s expected that the smartwatch will be water-resistant up to 50m and comes with the Ionic’s SpO2 sensor that can eventually track and monitor your sleeping habits and nighttime issues such as Sleep Apnea. At the moment it does not appear that the watch will come with GPS. We can likely expect the watches to come with NFC so Fitbit can keep pushing its Fitbit Pay platform, but there’s no word on this just yet.

Additionally, Fitbit want to expand and “appeal to a larger, more general smartwatch audience”, Wareable’s source says that this watch will also come with a lower price than the Ionic which currently retails for $299. At a cost significantly lower than the Apple Watch, this one is definitely worth trying on.

Summary

With a sleek and polished look, I’m eager to see what the watch will look like at the time of it’s release. I am hoping that there is some upgrades regarding battery life as well. As for now looks like im sticking with my 1985 Casio, but when Fitbit releases there new awaited watch, I may have to upgrade.

March 1, 2018