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  • HP Chromebook X2 Detachabley Terrific

    HP Chromebook X2 Detachabley Terrific

    So we have made it to a place in time where Chromebooks can run Android applications as natively as a Google Pixel 2, it is only natural that we’re starting to see detachable, hybrid Chromebooks that double as tablets.

    Now HP is leading the charge in the 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook space with its Chromebook x2. Like the HP Spectre x2 before it, the HP Chromebook x2 is a thin and lightweight tablet that can be magnetically hinged to and unhinged from its included keyboard at will. That’s where the similarities end between the HP Chromebook x2 and its Windows-based predicessors.

    HP is making Chrome OS devices that can do away with the keyboard. It just unveiled the Chromebook x2, a 12.3-inch laptop that’s really a detachable tablet — unlike the earlier Chromebook x360, you can leave the keyboard behind instead of merely flipping it behind the screen (though you can do that too). There’s an included pen for note-taking and sketching, and you’ll find a 13-megapixel rear camera on top of a more conventional 5-megapixel front shooter.

     

    Hows it Running?

    The Chromebook x2 has a Core m3 processor from Intel’s prior generation of Kaby Lake chips, 4GB of RAM (it can be configured with 8GB, too), 32GB of storage, a 2400 x 1600 resolution, stereo speakers, a 5-megapixel front camera, a 13-megapixel rear camera, two USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack, and an estimated 10.5 hours of battery life. It weighs a little bit more than an iPad Pro, and it’s a little bit thicker than an iPad Pro, but not by much.

    HP also emphasized that the keyboard was designed to hold firmly enough to the tablet that it should feel like a clamshell laptop when the two are connected. I haven’t seen the Chromebook x2 in person, but HP’s images make it look relatively nice. While the Chromebook x2 looks like a bargain compared to the iPad, it’s expensive for a Chromebook, which people often buy for around $300.

     

    The Final Thought

    So if you’re looking for a more premium Chromebook, and you don’t want to shell out $1,000 for Google’s Pixelbook, the Chromebook x2 seems like a potentially interesting middle-ground. But we won’t know for sure until it comes out later this summer on June 10th.

  • Spring 2018 Dell Lineup Includes All-In-Ones and Gaming Laptops

    Spring 2018 Dell Lineup Includes All-In-Ones and Gaming Laptops

    Dell has refreshed their computer lineup for Spring 2018 with some new choices in all-in-one machines as well as blazing fast gaming laptops called Dell G.

    All-In-Ones

    Two new Inspiron models land featuring different screen sizes and resolutions. The Inspiron 24 5000 has a 23.8 inch 1080p screen, while the Inspiron 27 7000 features 1080/4K on a 27 inch screen. The Inspiron 27 7000 even has optional HDR support (although it’s not as bright as a true HDR television).

    They are sleek looking computers, similar to Dell’s XPS laptops in their style. Metallic cases, simple lines and no bezels.

    Both of the Inspiron models are powered by 8th generation Intel Core processors. They can hold up to 32 GB of memory. The best video card you can opt for is a GTX 1050, which can handle most new games at 1080. If you’re looking to game at 4K on the Inspiron 27 7000, the 1050 will not be enough power.

    The Inspiron 24 5000 starts at $850 and the Inspiron 27 will be at least $1000 when it launches in May.

    Dell G

    Evolving from the Inspiron 7000 gaming series, the new Dell G laptops are aimed squarely at those who want to game on-the-go. They aren’t flashy like Dell’s Alienware computers, but their sharp aesthetic suits us just fine.

    The Dell G laptops come in three flavors: G3, G5 and G7, with each incremental step featuring more powerful hardware. You can get a 15 or 17 inch screen for each model.

    The G3 features 8th generation Intel processors and a GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU. Limited to 1080p, they should have no problem running the newest games.

    The G5 and G7 feature the same GTX 1060 Max-Q but have better cooling for lengthy gaming sessions. The G5 and G7 can also be upgraded to 4K screens with an HDMI 2.0 output to connect to a bigger screen.

    The G3 15 starts at $749, the G3 17 and G5 start at $799 and the G7 15 starts at $849.

  • The Genesis Essentia Takes the Cake.

    The Genesis Essentia Takes the Cake.

    NEW YORK—The New York International Auto Show was chalk full when it came to concept cars. Jaguars debuted the anticipated I-Pace and Hyundai’s Kona Electric vehicles created quite the buzz. But the star of the show was the jaw dropping, strictly protoype car, Genesis Essentia.

    The Essentials.

    The Essentia has a lightweight carbon-fiber body and a multi-motor electric powertrain engine. The grille is an “evolution of the Genesis Crest” and the clear hood allows for an glitsy and impressive view of the pushrod suspension. It gets “quad lights,” similar to what Genesis premiered on the Air outlets behind the front wheels reduce drag. The sleek body matches the extremely slim, borderline dangerous head and tail lamps. The body’s perfectly ergonomic frame almost completely eliminates undercarriage turbulence. “Slim lights are difficult because it’s hard to get them bright enough with the given surface area,” a designer stated, “But this will be a Genesis signature, driven by tech.” He alluded to the fact that South Korea has become a world leader in LED technology, adding to the cultural DNA of the car.

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    The super futuristic-looking interior features an oversized and almost panoramic display stretching the length of the dash and hand sewn seats that match the interior doors and footwell. That main widescreen in front of the driver is operated by a central rotary controller. Genesis commented on all the expected technology that comes with the car and it’s pretty impressive…vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, pairs with smarthomes, features voice recognition, etc.. According to the car designers, “The last thing we want to do is create a retro design, even though we talked about which cars meant a lot to us, and the Cobra Daytona Coupe as well as the Ferrari Lusso came into the discussion, but modernism is just as important, plus we use unique design solutions that make this a modern car,” Selipanov told Ars. “We’ve recently launched concept cars here at NY, so we decided to show something even more special and inspirational indicating strong brand direction. We also had the idea this should be an electric GT, but overall, our guiding theme of athletic elegance would be foremost.”

     

    The Summary.

    Even though the Genesis Essentia is likely to stay the prototype car of our dreams, the design efforts made will not be in vein. These prototypes often set precedents and create so much influence on mainstream car manufactures. I hope to see it’s impressive designs and features resounding through companies for years to come.

     

  • Xiaomi Rumors and Gossip

    Xiaomi Rumors and Gossip

    Xiaomi is getting ready to launch a gaming-oriented phone, similar to what we’ve seen with the Razer phone. The phone is slated for an official unveil next Friday, April 13, and a new teaser out  gives us a glimpse at the design language. So far not alot of details have been released, we all know what it will probably look like.

    Unlike previous Xiaomi phones, the upcoming device will feature the Black Shark branding and not the Mi label, suggesting this could be the first phone in a new gaming-focused sub-brand.

    While we don’t know much, my inside sources tell me it will host the Snapdragon 845, with 8gb of ram and a 256 gb hd.  The hd size gives good indication this will be aimed at the gaming market. The Razor supported a 120 Hz refresh rate, Its safe to expect the same.

    As can be seen in the image, the Black Shark Phone looks set to take on the shape of an X with the top and bottom sides of the device being much more angular than traditional smartphones. In fact, a total of eight sides are featured on the device’s frame. Because of this, the company chose to include the antenna bands on both the top and bottom corners, meaning four antenna bands will be included – the Chinese OEM’s device is the first to feature this antenna layout. Beginning clockwise, the top-left corner will be dedicated to the GPS and Wi-Fi antennas, while the right side will be reserved for LTE. Moving on to the bottom, the right-sided antenna will be for Wi-Fi MIMO, and the left module will once again be dedicated to LTE. Now, although this is only a sketch, Black Shark itself later confirmed the accuracy of it, stating that the layout should help improve signal reception even when a user is gripping the device.

     

    The launch is set for next Friday the 13th, we should know all about Xiaomi’s upcoming Black Shark phone then. Until then we can fantasize about holographic screen projections and full VR experiences. See you next friday

     

  • Apple Promises a New Mac Pro for 2019

    Apple Promises a New Mac Pro for 2019

    The last major redesign for the Mac Pro series of computers was debuted in 2013 and hasn’t really changed since. But now, Apple is finally promising a new Mac Pro model to be released in 2019.

    Creative Professional Criticisms

    The last Mac Pro was released with much fanfare and is an amazing piece of engineering. But it was met with a healthy dose of criticism. The most common complaint is the inability to easily upgrade the system. As time has gone on, the lack of hardware upgrades has been a sticking point as well.

    For creative professionals who need all the power Apple can throw at them, this is a bad thing.

    Backed into a Corner

    Techcrunch reported that last year, Apple admitted that it had “painted itself into an architecture corner by being aggressively original on the design” of the 2013 MacPro. There was nothing left to do than start over with a new design.

    The lack of a modular design and depending on thunderbolt as the only real path for expansion was met with groans for the most part.

    New Model Dropping in 2019

    Techcrunch reported that back in 2017, no promises were given on the delivery date for a newly redesigned Mac Pro. 2018 was not a guarantee, and now it has been confirmed there will be no new Mac Pro this year. However, Apple confirmed that a newly designed version of the pro computer would be in the 2019 lineup.

    “We want to be transparent and communicate openly with our pro community, so we want them to know that the Mac Pro is a 2019 product. It’s not something for this year,” said Tom Boger, vice president of hardware engineering. “In addition to transparency for pro customers on an individual basis, there’s also a larger fiscal reasoning behind it.

    “We know that there’s a lot of customers today that are making purchase decisions on the iMac Pro and whether or not they should wait for the Mac Pro,” Boger continued.

    Pro Workflow Team

    One thing that Apple really wants to drive home to its pro customers is that they are focusing on workflow. They have heard the complaints and are listening. To that effect, Apple has been sitting with pro users to learn about their workflows and try to address any related problems.

    They realize that modular systems are still important to some users and so they have confirmed that the new Mac Pro would be a modular system. Furthermore, Apple is working on a display for a modular system.

    Whether creative professionals will return to the Apple fold remains to be seen. It may be too late for some who have already migrated to Windows computers. Apple is clearly wooing the professional community, however, and seem to want to fix their past mistakes.

  • Apple to Make Their Own Processors for All Products

    Apple to Make Their Own Processors for All Products

    Good news everybody, apple is planning to use its own chips in Mac computers beginning as early as 2020, replacing processors from Intel , according to people familiar with the plans.

    Code Name Kalamata

    The initiative, code named Kalamata, is still in the early developmental stages, but comes as part of a larger strategy to make all of Apple’s devices — including Macs, iPhones, and iPads — work more similarly and seamlessly together, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The project, which executives have approved, will likely result in a multi-step transition.

    The shift would be a blow to Intel, whose partnership helped revive Apple’s Mac success and linked the chipmaker to one of the leading brands in electronics. Apple provides Intel with about 5 percent of its annual revenue. That’s not an unnoticeable hit. Intel’s stock dropped sharply on Monday after Bloomberg reported that Apple would ditch Intel chips for an in-house model on Mac computers.

     

    “The market is over reacting to Apple’s announcement for using an internally developed CPU for its Mac systems as early as 2020,” analyst Kevin Cassidy wrote in a note to clients entitled “Potential Apple Move Not a Major Threat to Intel” on Monday. “According to IDC, Apple had 7.3% traditional PC unit market share in 4Q17.

     

     

     

    “We think that Apple is looking at ways to further integrate their hardware and software platforms, and they’ve clearly made some moves in this space, trying to integrate iOS and macOS,” said Shannon Cross an analyst at Cross Research. “It makes sense that they’re going in this direction. If you look at incremental R&D spend, it’s gone into ways to try to vertically integrate their components so they can add more functionality for competitive differentiation.”

     

     

     

    The Final Thought

    Many of us remember when Apple made their own chips previously. There G line chips where far superior to intel’s and created the Mac resurgence in the early part of the century. Apples A series chip far out perform anything snapdragon cant slap out, so this is a welcome hurrah.

  • Speak Up For a Cause with Amazon’s Alexa

    Speak Up For a Cause with Amazon’s Alexa

    Your favorite smart assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, has a new skill and it’s going to benefit great causes! Using Amazon Pay, you can now ask Alexa to donate to a number of charities. Alexa Donations is as easy as telling her to play your favorite song.

    There are only 48 charities and non-profit organizations that you can currently donate to using Alexa Donations. You are able to donate to ones like the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, and some internet-oriented groups as well. Amazon says this list is going to grow! Donations can be anywhere from $5 up to $5,000.

    You may be wondering, how exactly does donating with Alexa work?

    Donating is as simple as anything Alexa can do, you use your voice! You could say, “Alexa, donate $10 to the American Red Cross” or whichever charity you choose. Another option would be to say “Alexa make a donation” and the virtual assistant would then prompt you to tell her which organization and how much you would like to donate. If you are not sure what organization to donate to, she can help with that, too! Can it get any easier than that?!

     

    Next question, is Alexa going to keep credit card information safe?

    The charity you donate to may have access to your name and email. But have no fear, absolutely NO credit card information is shared with any of the charities. Amazon claims that the company has already had over a million people make donations using Amazon Pay, so it is very trustworthy!

     

    All in all, Alexa can do virtually anything! Which organization will you donate to first?

  • RED the Smartphone

    RED the Smartphone

    In 2017, the cinema camera making company RED announced it was working a smarthphone with a holographic screen Consumers were unsure what this meant until September 2017. Essentially, the phone would provide a 3D viewing experience on screen, projecting things like buildings and landscapes in an interactive map. A user could essentially take a virtual tour via the phone screen, looking around, above, behind, or in-between various objects.

    The RED smart phone is currently available for pre-order, for the fairly hefty price tag of $1,195. No official release date has been announced, but the company says its Hydrogen One smartphone will ship this summer.  Jim Jannard, RED’s CEO and founder, gave the update in January.  RED says that the Hydrogen One phone is still months away from being released. But it does at least have a timeline: the phone is supposed to enter mass production and then ship sometime this summer.

    What Is It?

    There have been a few basic details about the phone around since last July, and Jannard has now revealed a few more: it’ll run a Snapdragon 835 processor (Jannard writes that it’s an “835x,” which doesn’t currently exist, so it’s unclear if that’s a typo or some upcoming variant), have a dual SIM slot, and include a 4,500mAh battery, which is relatively huge. (The Note 8, for comparison, has a 3,300mAh battery.) The downside to this phone being released a full year after it was announced is that, while the 835 is a top-of-the-line chip, it’ll be succeeded by the Snapdragon 845 by the time the Hydrogen One actually makes it to market. That’s not necessarily a huge deal, but for a phone this expensive, it’s not great, either.

     

     

    This 4V — or ‘four view’ — tech is what makes the Hydrogen One exciting on paper. With it, the phone can handle normal 2D media, stereo 3D, augmented reality, virtual reality and augmented reality, without additional glasses or headsets. The company hasn’t been forthcoming in explaining how this will work, although it did offer a slightly bemusing description in its update: “The 4V files match the pixel resolution of a traditional 2D file, which is great for downloading. The resolution perception is just different. The horizontal resolution of 2D is now split into depth layers. It gives a completely different feeling. All the pixels are there… but instead of ‘looking at’ a pic, you are immersed in the image. It is quite spectacular.” RED is best known for its high-spec camera,  so if it pulls this off, it certainly will be quite spectacular. At least both skeptics and supporters will only have to wait a few months to find out.

     

    The Final Thought

    Alot of anticipation, hesitation, and skepticism are surrounding the. good be peaches, could be lunch meat we wont know till this summer. Ill with hold any true judgement until then, stay tuned.

  • Space Grey Accessories are Available Now From Apple

    Space Grey Accessories are Available Now From Apple

    Previously Apple issues its black out accessories options only with the top of the line iMac Pro. As stunning as they are the space gray Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse that debuted alongside the iMac Pro couldn’t be purchased separately. Well for all of us bored with the elegant white the day has finally come.

    The added charge for the darker color of each device is $20, putting both the Magic Keyboard and Trackpad at $149 compared to their usual $129 price. The Magic Mouse is $99 (regularly $79 in white). All of the space gray products are shipping this week and will likely arrive in your local Apple store in standalone form very soon, as well.

    This may seem trivial but options are options and us mac boys take what we can get for our small slivers of customization. Apple has likely just made its aesthetic-obsessed Mac fans very, very happy, with the wireless Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 in its Space Gray color going up for sale on their own. Although I would bet big that they will sell out fairly quickly

    Im sure you remember the sales posting on eBay, with this space grey set going to for up to $1000 in some bids. Id like to think that all those people that purchased those aftermarket are kicking them selves now, but we all know money isnt that much a thing to some of them.

    On a down note the company’s wireless keyboard is still silver-only. Come on Apple, really? I guess Apples attitude is best reflected in an old Rolling Stones song. You cant always get what you want, but if you try some times you can get the space grey Trackpad you need.

  • Low Cost iPad for Students, Gracias Apple

    Low Cost iPad for Students, Gracias Apple

    Big news everybody, Apple has introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad. It supports the Apple Pencil, which means students will be able to take notes, draw and more on a growing array of apps. Starting at $329 ($299 for schools), the 1-pound iPad has an A10 processor that offers faster speeds than Apple’s previous generation slate. At $299 there is no reason any student would buy a different tablet.

    The new 9.7-inch iPad closely resembling the existing iPad Pro It’ll feature 10 hour battery life and LTE support along with an 8-megapixel HD camera, 9.7-inch Retina display, and the same Apple A10 Fusion chip that powers the iPhone 7. They have added a  new dedicated apps for schools, starting with the new Apple School Manager tool that will allow education admins the abilities to manage everything. Apple also teased software features such as smart annotations to help teachers mark up papers, and augmented reality support which will “enable new ways to learn.

    Apple also revealed a series of apps for the classroom, such as Schoolwork, and a progress tool called Apple Teacher, allowing users to see what other teachers are working on in the classroom. Meanwhile, its new ClassKit platform allows developers to create puzzles, tests and lesson plans for students.

     

    The new iPad works with the Apple Pencil to support art projects — similar to what comes packaged with the higher-end iPad Pro tablet. “Instead of dissecting frogs … students can dissect frogs with Apple Pencil,” Apple executive Greg “Joz” Joswiak told attendees. This should solve the age old debate and the students holding out in science class once and for all.

    What Did Tim Have to Say

    Tim Cook took to the stage to discuss Apple’s focus on education, saying: “At Apple we care deeply about education because we love kids and we love teachers”.

    Cook said education has been a big part of who Apple is for 40 years. “We had a unique insight into how technology could inspire kids to unleash their creative genius. And we believed that technology could help teachers deliver a unique and personalised learning experience to all kids. We’ve never stopped believe this, and we’ve never stopped working on it.”

    He added: “We know our products can help bring out the creative genius in every kid”.

    In fact, ”Macs and iPads are used throughout schools by students for everything from music to language arts and even advanced robotics”.

     

    The Final Thought

    All in all this is an exciting announcement and should pay dividend in our school systems for years to come. At $299 a vast majority of america can afford to make this jump to better learning. This could be the start to the overhaul our school systems need.