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  • Laptop Lookout: Dell XPS 13

    Laptop Lookout: Dell XPS 13

    The razer-thin, Dell XPS 13 has been my  favorite consumer laptop for a few years, thanks to its attractive design, gorgeous screen and strong battery life. Dell’s laptop is now available in two different models, both of which we recommend.

     

    The Great

    • Attractive design
    • Vibrant screen
    • Strong performance
    • Good battery life overall
    • Runs cool

    The Not

    • No USB Type-A Ports
    • Improved webcam still looks up your nose
    • Steeper starting price
    • White option is pricier

     

    The Conclusion

    The new XPS 13 9370 is the slimmest and lightest model yet, with a stunning new rose gold and white color scheme. It also sports an extremely vibrant display, which is available in 4K resolution, better performance and up to 12 hours of battery life. However, if you want an even-longer, 16 hours of endurance and access to full-size, USB Type-A ports, the older, XPS 13 9360 could be an even better choice.

     

    Dell Xp is the standard all widely adopted laptops are measured, and usually sound wanting. Its the supreme, the alpha. It has everything most of us need, with none of the stuff we don’t at a price we can handle.

    Like most laptops in 2018, there is the choice to buy a high-end configuration, complete with the specs that you need for your daily duties. If you need a faster processor, there are two models featuring a 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U (4GHz with Turbo Boost) to choose from.

    Quick Specs Look

    CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U (quad-core, 8MB cache, up to 4.0GHz)
    Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
    RAM: 16GB DDR3 (2,133MHz)
    Screen: 13.3-inch, Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) UltraSharp InfinityEdge touch display
    Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
    Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 1 x USB-C 3.1, micro SD card reader, headset jack
    Connectivity: Killer 1435 802.11ac Wi-Fi,  Bluetooth 4.1
    Camera: Widescreen HD (720p) webcam with 4 array digital microphones
    Weight: 2.67 pounds (1.21kg)
    Size: 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.3-0.46 inches (3.02 x 1.99 x 0.78-1.16cm; W x D x H)

     

    The Final Thought

    Dells XP laptops are already best in class, so  to make its laptop thinner, Dell switched to a smaller battery and got rid of USB Type-A ports. As a result, some users will prefer the previous XPS 13 9360,  which is still for sale and is powered by the same Intel 8th Gen Core CPUs. It’s a little more expensive than it was previously, but the Dell XPS 13 makes up for the higher price tag by noticeably boosting the performance.

  • IOT Credit Card is the Solution

    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.

     

     

     

  • The Best Preorder Deals for the S9

    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.  

     

     

  • Jurrasic Park Alive is the AR Game We Deserve

    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.

  • Nokia 8 Sirocco Brings Welcomed News.

    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.

    Image result for nokia 8 sirocco

    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.
    Image result for nokia 8 sirocco

    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).”
    Related image

    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.

  • Amazon Buys Ring Doorbell Company

    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.

    Image result for ring doorbell

    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.

    Ring doorbell

    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.

  • Fitbit’s New Smart Watch Unveiled

    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.

    Image result for fitbit smartwatch

    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.

  • What has Vivo Done Now, The Apex

    What has Vivo Done Now, The Apex

     

     

    The Vivo Apex is nothing more than a concept phone right now, but it’s tremendously impressive. Not only are the bezels practically non-existant — 1.8mm on the top and sides, 4.3mm on the chin — but there is no notch at all. It begins with a massive 6-inch screen that has eliminated the bezels to an impossible 1.8mm on three sides and 4.3mm on the bottom.

    The Vivo Apex is almost completely bezelless. The frame around the face is so slim, there is no  room for the front-facing camera.Flip over the front-facing camera and in 0.8 seconds an 8-megapixel lens rises up from the phone’s top edge. then wham, there is your selfie camera. The lens rises fairly slowly in the prototype. Im worried about a movable or mechanical piece on my smartphone. It will break somehow.

    To produce in-call sound, the company has developed what it calls Screen SoundCasting Technology. A vibration motor under the display vibrates to produce sound through the screen. Yes you read that correctly,  the Apex OLED panels that vibrate to create the sound for your videos, calls and gaming.  the speakerphone demo  on the prototype sounded loud and rich.

    Vivo showed us at the CES in January an in screen fingerprint reader. Now Vivo has expanded the in-screen fingerprint reader. On the Apex, the target takes up almost half the bottom of the phone, instead of just a small circle. That opens all sorts of doors to simultaneously scan two fingerprints for added security, or place your finger down at any odd angle, instead of hitting it perfectly dead center.

    The last truly impressive thing to take from this is the Vivo Apex  software seems to be a complete copy of iOS, down to the graphics assets on the homescreen and in menus. It would be nice to see another iOS inspired software option. especially in a truly cutting edge phone.

    Quick Specs Look

     

    • 6-inch edge-to-edge OLED display with 1.8mm bezel on top and sides and 4.3 mm on the bottom.
    • Screen resolution: 2,160×1,080 pixels
    • 8-megapixel front-facing camera
    • In-screen fingerprint reader supports dual fingerprint recognition
    • Dual rear camera
    • Hi-Fi audio chip creates more room for the battery by consolidating the DAC and three amplifiers into one

    The Final Thought

    it’s an incredibly baller phone, but it’s just a concept. That screen shows remarkable engineering and the pop-up camera isn’t as strange as you might think. I’d be happy to spend more time with the device if Vivo ever decides it’s ready for the show. I am anxious to see if the Chinese manufacturer continues innovating to fruition.

     

  • 5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    Think you know everything about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+?  We have been posting, researching, speculating on the next big thing in the android world for a year now. Finally it has be unveiled, and we were mostly correct but here are 5 unsuspected things we were surprised to learn about the S9

    1.The bezels are thinner then the S8, but the phone is more durable

    The top bezel lands at 8.21mm with a 0.39mm reduction, while the bottom bezel measures in at 6.99mm. Impressively, that’s a reduction of 1.01mm. In both cases, the reduction in bezels actually brings the size of the device down by 1.2mm and 1.4mm on the S9 and S9+ respectively. Samsung has made the S9 more durable compared to its predecessor. In short, this comes as the result of using a different type of aluminum.

    2. The camera is quieter and does much better in low light

    I was blown away by how well the S9+ performed in dim conditions, because the variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ goes as wide as f/1.5. Samsung says that its new flagships let in 28 percent more light. With the support of a  wider aperture, f/1.7,  that kicks in when the ambient light is 100 Lux or below.  100 Lux is the light you’ll see on overcast day or in most office settings.  At the same time, Samsung added dedicated memory to its camera in order to reduce noise.

    3. Dedicated Fingerprint

    This is a new feature for this year’s flagship phones and is for the Secure Folder element. This folder is a compartment for files and apps that you want to keep separate from the rest of the phone. It uses your Samsung account and you can access it using the same security protocol, fingerprint, passcode, iris recognition etc as you do to unlock your phone. Once you’ve moved files to the Secure Folder, nobody can see them without your passcode, fingerprint or whatever.

    4. We Get to Keep the Headphone Jack

    The S9 and S9 Plus have retained their headphone jacks, unlike other phones in the class, including the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus, Pixel 2 XL, or the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. That’s a blessing for audiophiles who just aren’t satisfied with the current state of wireless audio and for people who even have a designated pouch for their dongles but still lose them. Admit it dongles are tiny and easy to misplace.

    5. That Sound Really Bumps

    Dual stereo speakers to the device for the first time . The S9 finally  have Dolby’s surround-sound Atmos technology built-in.  Samsung created a device that offers premium sound experiences with stereo speakers tuned by AKG. Whether users are watching their favorite movie or streaming their favorite artist’s latest album, sounds are clear, crisp and rich in quality.


  • SmartPhone Spotlight: Nokia 8 Sirocco

    SmartPhone Spotlight: Nokia 8 Sirocco

    Nokia has officially launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco  at the MWC 2018, which will be available from April 2018 . In fact, this is the most powerful phone that will support  Android One.

    The Great

    • Premium Line
    • Solid Stainless steel build
    • Qi wireless charging

    The Not

    • No headphone jack
    • Poor battery performance
    • Snap dragon 835 not 845 processor

    The Conclusion

    a Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual rear facing camera, a fingerprint sensor, face unlock and Android 8 Oreo onboard – ensuring the Nokia’s 8 Sirocco has a sizable spec sheet to justify a lofty price tag. With a slew of new  android flagship phones launching from every direction, the Sirocco will have its work cut out to steal some of the market share.

     

    The smartphone is constructed from a single block of stainless steel  a lot like the Apple iPhone X. This makes the Nokia 8 Sirocco a very durable smartphone with stainless steel being much stronger than the Aluminium. It will be  IP67 water and dust resistance. As for size  it measures just 7.5 mm at its thickest point and 2 mm at it thinnest. This will be the first Nokia Android smartphone to support wireless charging as  well.

     

    Quick Spec Look

    The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a 5.5 inch pOLED QHD+ 2560 x 1440 px display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The display offers a dual curved design with the vacuum moulding technology with Gorilla Glass 5. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

    The Nokia 8 Sirocco comes with dual primary camera setup, powered by Zeiss. The primary 12 MP sensor has an f/1.75 aperture with 1.4-micron pixel size and the secondary 13 MP telephoto lens has an f/2.6 aperture. The device has a 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and 1.micron pixel size. In fact, the primary camera setup found on the smartphone is exactly similar to the Nokia 7 Plus’s camera specifications.

    The device does offer additional features like NFC, 4G VoLte, Bluetooth 5.0, and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. However, this is the first Nokia smartphone to remove the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

     

    The Final Thought

    Underneath that glossy exterior sits a Snapdragon 835 which enables VR goodness, but is still yesterday’s news compared with the brand new Snap Dragon 845.  This gives one big reason to pass on Nokia’s new bad boy, but nothing stands out as a good selling reason to grab one.