Archive for 2015

By March 3, 2015 Read More →

Microsoft delivers some new devices

Marketing_2_640XL_Home_SSIM_4G_low_res-490x320Today in Barcelona, at Mobile World Congress, Microsoft unveiled new devices, services and partner offerings to help every person and organisation on the planet achieve more.

–          The Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, affordable smartphones running Windows 8.1 with signature Microsoft experiences built-in. The 5” Lumia 640 and 5.7” Lumia 640 XL deliver powerful hardware and a year’s free Office 365 personal subscription, and will be upgradeable to the Windows 10 service when it becomes available later this year. Lumia 640 pricing is estimated at 139EUR for 3G and 159EUR for LTE; Lumia 640 XL pricing is estimated at 189EUR for 3G and 219EUR for LTE (actual market pricing may vary).

–          The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard, an ultra-thin and lightweight accessory that works with iPads, iPhones, Android devices and Windows tablets.

–          The AT&T Mobile Office Suitea cloud-based, mobile collaboration solution for small-to-medium sized business customers, exclusively from AT&T and Microsoft in the US.

 

The company also demonstrated live, for the first time, the latest build of Windows 10 for phones, including the new browser, Universal Office, Maps and Imaging Apps on devices including the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL.

 

Today at Mobile World Congress 2015, Microsoft Corp. introduced Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, two new smartphones that give people greater flexibility and freedom to choose when and where they get things done. Both phones are upgradeable to Windows 10, which offers more personal computing and greater productivity, and will be available later this year.

In a competitive marketplace, Microsoft continues to deliver innovative smartphone experiences at all price points. Both devices offer the seamless integration of hardware essentials — with a choice of screen sizes and camera capabilities — and Microsoft services to offer incredible productivity with affordability. With Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, people are prepared for anything — for work, at home and on the go:

  • Smoothly and quickly access important documents or run popular websites, apps and games thanks to the onboard 1 GB of memory and powerful Qualcomm ® Snapdragon ™ processor featuring quad-core CPU running at 1.2GHz.
  • Enjoy photos and videos on a crisp high-definition (HD) display — either 5 inches on Lumia 640 or 5.7 inches on Lumia 640 XL.
  • Power through the day with battery to spare with a long-lasting battery — 2500 mAh for Lumia 640 and 3000 mAh for Lumia 640 XL.
  • Capture detail-rich photos even in low light with the 8MP camera on Lumia 640 or 13MP ZEISS optics on Lumia 640 XL. Both feature LED flash, a front-facing camera for Skype video calling, and Lumia Camera software right out of the box.
  • Enjoy the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 and the Lumia Denim update, complete with one-swipe Action Center, Word Flow and Live Folders. People can also upgrade Lumia 640 and 640 XL to Windows 10 and enjoy its benefits as it becomes available later this year.
  • Have the best of both worlds with LTE support available on dual-SIM models for the first time. In addition, all dual-SIM models will feature Smart Dual SIM to help ensure people never miss a call.

Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL customers will be able to access new Windows 10 features and innovation through the Windows Insider Program, as well as upgrade to Windows 10 later this year. Key features and improvements of Windows 10 include new universal apps such as Office, Mail and Calendar, and Photos; Internet Protocol-based messaging from Skype and others integrated directly into the messaging experience; an entirely new browsing experience with the new Project Spartan browser; and extended integration of the Cortana personal assistant.

Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which includes the latest Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote) on the Lumia as well as on one PC or Mac and one tablet, plus 1TB of OneDrive storage, and 60 free minutes of Skype Unlimited Worldwide calling per month.**

“Our newest Lumia devices build on our momentum in the affordable smartphones space,” said Jo Harlow, corporate vice president for Phones at Microsoft. “With the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, we continue to make innovation accessible to more people. We have packaged competitive hardware with innovative Windows software and Microsoft services to help you achieve more, wherever and whenever you want.”

Lumia 640 XL will begin rolling out globally in March and will be available in matte cyan, orange and black, as well as both matte and glossy white. Lumia 640 will be available starting in April and will be available in glossy cyan, orange and white, as well as matte black. Both Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL will be available in single-SIM and dual-SIM LTE and dual-SIM 3G variants. Lumia 640 XL will also be available as a single-SIM 3G variant. Pricing will vary by market and operator; Lumia 640 is estimated to be around 139 euros for the 3G model and 159 euros for the LTE model, before taxes and subsidies. Lumia 640 XL will be around 189 euros for 3G and 219 euros for LTE, before taxes and subsidies.

Posted in: News, Press Releases
By March 2, 2015 Read More →

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge

Samsung-Galaxy-S6Samsung have been working hard to make something that will make up for the lack of enthusiasm around the Samsung Galaxy S5 but not without fault. In what could seem like an insane gamble Samsung have discarded a few specification that they have frequently aped Apple over, the ability to remove the battery and expandable storage. Thankfully the removable battery isn’t quite as criminal as one might think give that Samsung have put extra effort into drastically reducing charge times to the point were 20 minutes plugged in on their fast charger will be good for half a day, ask any Note 4 user and they will be beaming ear to ear. My guess is that the slow roll out of 4G, cheapening online storage solutions like Dropbox and Google Drive mean that the SD Card is not used as frequently as it was 5 years ago, so are Samsung taking steps or just dropping another device to appease the yearly regeneration?

Yes and no, every flagship from HTC, Samsung and Apple needs to be faithful to the previous model as to not alienate fans, however it needs to appeal to a new crowd, borrowing ideas from what is making their rivals attractive to rope in new users. Certainly the Galaxy S5 was a handsome device that really knew only one major criticism, the building material. This has been Samsung’s major stumbling block over the last number of years. Last years Note 4 arrived and wowed the audience with it’s use of a metal frame. Expanding upon this Samsung have looked at the metal frame, reinforced it and added Gorilla Glass to both the front and the back for maximum protection. Whilst you are not going to want to drop it, there is much more of a chance this will withstand the casual drop that has left many crying over the years. Samsung are boasting that the body is 50% stronger than previous models.

Touchwiz has been given a much needed overhaul. For some, this will be a good thing, for new users a great deal more appeal but for seasoned veterans it will bring an end to the Oracle like knowledge of how to do things, hopefully. The phone can glow different colours depending on who is calling and quick messaging for calls you cannot take using the heart rate sensor on the back.

This year phone manufactures seem to be declaring war on the SLR. The onboard camera has come a long way, especially in the last couple of year and both Samsung and HTC are happy to have folk make comparisons between the output quality of their phone’s camera to that of an SLR camera. Both the front and rear camera’s f/1.9 aperture allows the user to capture 60% more light. Employing real-time HDR for the first time on both the front and rear sensor makes for an impressive camera setup.

Samsung-Galaxy-S6-Edge

Which brings us to the Galaxy S6 Edge. We have seen this tapered screen effect on the Note 4 Edge and those who use it, love it. It’s too early to speculate how well this will fare in the mass market however it’s a option that will provide a much needed choice for the customer however it’s also an acquired taste. 

  • 64-bit Exynos 7 Octa porcessor
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB, 64GB or 128GB UFS 2.0 storage options
  • 16 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front facing 
  • 5.1-inch Quad-HD Super AMOLED display @ 577 ppi
  • Dual-mode wireless charging with support for both WPC and PMA charging pads
  • 10 minutes charging for 4 hours of use,
  • Fast charging 0% to 100% battery in about an hour
  • NFC
  • Bio-metric heart-rate sensor
  • fingerprint scanner
  • Depth: 6.8mm (7.0mm edge)
  • Weight: 138g (132g Edge)
Posted in: News, Phones
By March 1, 2015 Read More →

HTC Grip sees gripe

B_BYtXoWwAAKDMTHTC are entering the wearables market this year with a dip stick. Much like the HTC Flyer years back HTC are not taking any chances with an emerging market without testing the water first. Their first wearable, like many other companies, is a fitness band. Simple, rubber, black and safe. Working closely with Under Armour the Grip is know as a sport band connecting with Bluetooth to and Android device. GPS is inbuilt and a 100 mAh battery that will see only 5 hours of life, unless you turn GPS off. There is a soft touch material inside to keep sweat at bay.

The lack of battery life will no doubt put people off, Samsung’s option lasts a good deal longer however that exists entirely within the Samsung eco-system. Huawei and Acer have similar devices on their roadmap and if they drop a better battery in then there is little reason to recommend the HTC Grip.

Honestly this feels like an afterthought and with HTC announcing two big devices in Barcelona, this is likely to be ignored however it will hopefully not put HTC off working on wearables.

 

By March 1, 2015 Read More →

The HTC One 2015 (M9)

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The Internet has been awash with rumours and speculation regarding the HTC One M9 and things have gotten quite savage. Seasoned leakers had their credibility questioned, HTC themselves rumoured to be leaving red herrings all over the show and mock ups of dreamy devices arrived on the biggest sites as most likely candidates. No one could be trusted, until now.

The HTC One has been refreshed for 2015 under the model number M9. Much like the previous M8 and M7 this flagship device boasts the best HTC can produce, with a carefully selected specification list, a closely considered design HTC have produced an update that is both an in-keeping fan pleaser and a high end status symbol that adds elegance to the flooded and cutthroat high end Android market.

In an early preview HTC have shown off the goods on a technician’s preview ROM that is likely to receive a few tweaks before it hits market. HTC denied requests to benchmark the phone as it runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor the however the ROM was not perfected at the time and scores would not be accurate. Recent reports surrounding the LG Flex 2’s identical processor overheating is not an issue HTC is concerned with. Both HTC and Qualcomm have not noticed any similar problems with the 810 and are certain the chip will deliver the power without reaching unacceptable heat levels, especially when you consider the chip in housed inside the M9’s metallic case.

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Whilst the M9 is similar to the M8 and M7 the specs are updated to take on a new year and new challenges. The camera has been upgraded to a 20mp shooter with the Ultra Pixel shooter from before being brought around the front for selfies. HTC have made a lot of effort in the past year to position themselves as the leader of the selfie phone and they have succeeded, The Ultrapixel technology really lends itself to the forward facing position. Of course HTC are still building on the camera results so sample photos are not available until launch and finalised firmware. The battery capacity has been increased from 2,600mAh to 2,840mAh.

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The Boomsound continues from the M7 alongside the equaliser from the M8, now HTC have added the Dolby Audio to enrich the experience. 24 bit audio is also compatible with the M9.

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Four colours will be available to start with, Pink, gold, silver and grey. Whilst these do not have exotic colour names they do give you a better idea what to expect with using realistic names. The silver version pictured above includes an elegant gold twinge around the sides, this will help distinguish M8 users from M9 users however this isn’t as big an update in styling as some users might like and folks will probably have to ask before they can tell its the newer HTC One.

DSC_3533

One of the biggest additions HTC have made is a software update for HTC Sense, a Theme generator, This learns what you use, where and when, be it apps, or games. It can suggest content you might want depending on your location and time of day. An example being a railway timetable application where you are in the proximity of a railway station. Images from your gallery are shown when you are near somewhere you may have taken photos at before. The lockscreen mimics this feature and suggests local facilities and amenities nearby. 

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Overall the update to the HTC One isn’t a big one, but a logical one. There is nothing revolutionary here and HTC may suffer from the same backlash that Apple have seen each year, especially when it comes to the protruding camera housing. Some may like the “if it ain’t broke” approach however others have trusted HTC for innovation over the years and may be disappointed.

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 processor
  • 3GB RAM
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop 
  • 4G LTE speed
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac network
  • Bluetooth
  • 5″ Super LCD3 touch screen
  • 1920 x 1080 resolution 
  • 32GB internal memory
  • microSD slot up to 128GB compatible
  • 20.0MP and 4.0MP front-facing cameras
  • Up to 20 days of standby time lithium-ion battery
Posted in: News, Phones
By February 27, 2015 Read More →

Panasonic 4K Pro: Finally get to see what the director REALLY intended

ef80mssooflvwhf3mklvPanasonic today announced the introduction of ‘4K Pro’: an enhanced 4K experience that combines the professional-level processing power of Panasonic’s new 4K Studio Master Processor with super-bright Wide Colour Phosphor panels that cover a maximum of 98% of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) colour range.

Because of the limitations of traditional TV technology, viewers have long had to accept that it is difficult to experience at home what film directors truly intended when they put together their masterpieces.

However, Panasonic’s guiding principle with regards to TV picture quality has always been to strive to faithfully reproduce the director’s vision. 4K Pro represents a considerable step towards casting aside past screen limitations and is made possible by a cross-fertilisation of Panasonic’s professional AV business technology with the ‘reference’ picture quality knowhow built up while developing its renowned plasma TVs.

What is 4K Pro?

For Panasonic, 4K resolution is just one part of an immersive and accurate picture experience. So while the new 4K Pro picture engine certainly maximises the impact of 4K’s 3840×2160 pixel count, it also deploys a whole raft of technologies – including both panel design and processing systems – to address all the other key aspects of TV picture quality too.

The 4K Studio Master Processor

Panasonic’s proprietary 4K Studio Master Processor has been designed from the ground up to produce pictures that are totally faithful to a director’s vision. It draws on the huge resource of picture knowledge accumulated by Panasonic’s internationally respected professional AV business, the Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, and its plasma TV division to deliver unprecedentedly accurate colour, uniquely satisfying contrast, and phenomenal brightness and dynamism.

Accurate Colour Drive: Through its Accurate Colour Drive, Panasonic has introduced to consumer TVs advanced colour management technologies, such as 3D Lookup Tables, which have previously only found in professional monitors.

3D Lookup Tables provide a volumetric approach to colour space control whereby a change in any one input colour causes cross-colour changes in all of the table’s output colours. The result is a much more accurate rendition of colour tones at different brightness levels than you get with normal TVs, which conventionally employ either very crude or no lookup table technology.

Even screens that do offer 3D Lookup Table usually only offer red, green and blue control, whereas on the Panasonic CR850 and CX800 TVs the table also references the cyan, magenta and yellow colours across a total of 8000 registry points (versus a typical 100). This enables the Panasonic TVs to provide the sort of professional-grade colour accuracy used by directors when they’re editing their films.

Black Gradation Drive: Normally LCD TVs control their backlights and gain settings separately, using 8-bit processing to deliver 256 steps of gradation. With its 4K Studio Master Processor though, Panasonic has brought the backlight control and gain adjustment picture controls together under the same processing umbrella for the first time, so that they can work in tandem to deliver more accurate local light levels. What’s more, it uses 10-bit driving to produce 1024 steps of gradation. What this means in picture terms is that you see vastly more shadow detail and subtler, more accurate colour toning in dark parts of the picture, avoiding that hollow, flat, washed-out look commonly seen with dark scenes on normal LCD TVs.

Native HDR Content playback: the 4K Studio Master Processor is enabled to support the playback of native High Dynamic Range (HDR) content when the appropriate standards have been finalized. HDR uses a combination of specially created content and super-bright, colour-rich screens to deliver images containing a much wider luminance range than any traditional TV. This means you can enjoy pictures with more contrast, richer colours, and greatly enhanced shadow and colour detail.

Wide Colour Phosphor Panels

The second key 4K Pro element in the Panasonic CR850 and CX800 TVs is their use of LED panels which include new Wide Colour Phosphor technology and have been custom built to complement the work of the Panasonic 4K Studio Master Processor. Thanks to the Wide Colour Phosphor technology, these panels can reproduce a remarkable 98% of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) colour space.

Coupling these spectacular new panels with the 4K Studio Master Processor translates into you being able to see a range of colours on your TV much closer in tone and subtlety – especially in areas of red and green – to those you would see if you went to see a film at your local cinema. In other words, once again Panasonic TVs are uniquely well qualified to let you enjoy pictures at home that look almost exactly the way directors wanted them to look when they shot them.

 

Bright and Eco-conscious: As well as helping colours achieve a more cinematic range, Wide Colour Phosphor technology has considerable brightness and eco benefits. For instance, it uses approximately only half the energy of a conventional Quantum Dot panel to produce the same level of brightness, making it extremely cost effective to run. This makes Wide Colour Phosphor technology ideally suited to the playback of High Dynamic Range content.

By February 26, 2015 Read More →

Panasonic unveils Home Screen 2.0 powered by Firefox OS

dhzk8ggjhzlg32nag96kPanasonic has collaborated with Mozilla to introduce a new, intuitive user interface for its 2015 TV line-up, powered by Firefox OS. Panasonic’s 2015 4K UHD (Ultra HD) LED VIERA TV line-up is equipped with a range of new functions and features, including my Home Screen 2.0 and Info Frame, designed to ensure you can enjoy your favourite channels, apps and devices faster and more efficiently than ever.

New, intuitive, customisable user interface

To provide a graphically rich, intuitive interface that makes it quick and easy for you to track down your favourite content with ease, Panasonic has introduced Firefox OS in the 2015 4K UHD VIERA TV line-up.

The platform, incorporating the new my Home Screen 2.0, is specifically designed to allow you to access preferred content quickly and easily. The home screen can be completely personalised to suit your preferences and is divided into easy to navigate ‘decks’. Three decks come as default with the platform:

The Live TV Deck

You can watch live broadcasts and build up a personalised ‘home screen’ of your most-watched channels.

The Apps Deck

Use Firefox OS’s graphically rich interface to access all the TV apps available on VIERA. These apps will include everything from the most popular video on demand partners to games.

The Devices Deck

Any devices connected to your TV, either by cables or WiFi, will appear in this deck, providing rapid access to external sources such as: tablets, smartphones, computers, Blu-ray players, SD cards, and USB storage drives.

A new search tool is also available via my Home Screen 2.0 that allows you to find and access content from all available source options, including internet video services, websites and any external devices you may have connected to your TV.

When you’ve found the content you’re looking for, the new user interface also lets you bookmark your favourite channels, apps, web pages and connected devices by using the Pin function for quick access at a later date.

The new user interface also incorporates Info Frame, which combines everything from local weather reports to recommended TV shows, TV listings and your favourite website, all on a single screen.

Connectivity across all your devices

Firefox OS is built on open standards, allowing you to send photos, videos or other content to your Firefox OS-powered TV from any smartphone, tablet, or computer with a Firefox browser or other compatible application.

This means that you do not need to be constrained into one ecosystem or brand.Sending content to the Firefox OS TV requires no additional hardware – you simply need to make sure that your Panasonic Firefox OS-powered TV is on the same WiFi network.

Greater flexibility for app developers

Firefox OS provides superior flexibility to developers to create brand new applications and services through WebAPIs that unlock the power of the Web and enable connected experiences across platforms. In addition, for the first time, Firefox OS will allow TV on-screen notifications from applications, and, in the future, from compatible connected appliances.

Firefox OS and my Home Screen 2.0 are available on the CR850, CR730, CX800, CX750, CX700 and CX680 series in the 2015 line-up.

By February 25, 2015 Read More →

What would an iPhone 6C look like?

phpd80nfd3DFuture has produced a convincing render of a plastic-coated version of the iPhone 6, following in the footsteps of 2013’s iPhone 5C. Based on Apple’s previous release habits, an iPhone 6C would feature the same internals as the iPhone 6, with a more powerful iPhone 6S launching alongside it.

However, whilst it has yet to be confirmed whether Apple will travel the a budget version route again to keep the manufacture price to profit ratio at a maximum we enjoy the rumour game it and this is not beyond the realms of possibility. Perhaps a similar offering will await the larger alternative, the iPhone 6 Plus … C.

Previous reports suggest that the iPhone 5C was the best-selling smartphone in the UK last August, with demand unaffected by the launch of the iPhone 6. All will be reveals when Apple refreshes its iPhone line in September this year.

 

Posted in: News, Rumours
By February 24, 2015 Read More →

Three IT services which could boost business

Businesses of all kinds today rely heavily on IT. Whether technology is driving your front line or is propping up your infrastructure behind the scenes, it’s something which business leaders need to be paying close attention to, is simple as using a cross browser testing.

Why Businesses Need IT Services In The Modern Age, business is often about staying ahead of the competition and this is as true in the world of technology as it is anywhere else.

Here, we take a look at a number of technological services which could help boost your business, both in terms of security and productivity.

1.       Gigabit internet connection

Not long ago, a 100 megabit connection might have seemed like the cutting edge speed. But if there’s anything we’ve learned during this digital age, it’s that things move very quickly. Gigabit internet connections are particularly effective in an office environment due to the large number of people using the same web connection. While home connections typically see only a handful of people sharing bandwidth, office demands can be significantly higher, creating the need for a better connection.

2.       Cloud services

Efficient handling of data is a crucial part of business. Key company information needs to be readily available at all times, but it also needs to be held safely and securely. When done properly (see this Forbes piece) using cloud services is undoubtedly the smartest way for businesses to allow distributed staff members to access central information resulting in enhanced productivity.

Storing data remotely also removes a number of the dangers which come with local storage, such as the possibility of fire damage and the corruption of files.

3.       SSL VPN

When businesses set up an infrastructure for the remote storage of data, security is a number one issue – as this BBC article points out. The use of SSL VPN can streamline the process, removing the need for any costly software, instead allowing the secure connection to a corporate network to take place within a simple web browser.

Thus, the SSL VPN service is not only a boost to the system’s security, but it can also offer a boost to a company’s productivity, allowing swift and secure access to central networks from anywhere in the world. When lookin to learn how this can be of use in your line of business, experts like Andy Defrancesco can show you.

When in business it is vital to choose the right IT service for your business to ensure maximum productivity and sales. Among these three excellent it services, which one would you choose?

By February 23, 2015 Read More →

Are we finally going to see 4K Blu Ray?

blu_1The official standard for 4K Blu-Ray has been finally been decided upon. The finalised standard will be different from your average Blu-Ray disk, with a 66GB Dual-layer and a triple layer 100GB being the storage medium for Ultra HD Blu-Ray. Having spoken to Ron Martin, vice president of Panasonic’s Hollywood lab, last year in Berlin Blu-ray development was looking for a different way to store data. This new method, moving from the H.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding) compression technology to the newer H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) successor, was a logical and widely supported solution.

4K Blu-Ray disks and the new players, pioneered by Panasonic, required to run them are expected to release at some time this year. The 4K video will be encoded with the relatively new and ultra efficient HEVC and will be gaining HDR (High Dynamic Range) which will provide much more detailed Bright and Dark tones. Colour will also be receive a notable boost with the Ultra HD Blu-Ray spec supporting 10-bit sampling and 4:4:4 colour, instead 4:2:0 colour which standard HD Blu-Ray uses.

3D is not included in the change, an omission that will leave many unphased, but a loyal handful a little bitter. That’s not to say 4K 3D Blu-Rays will not be a thing, just not at launch

Posted in: News
By February 20, 2015 Read More →

Inateck USB 3.0 HDD Docking Station Unboxing

vlcsnap-2015-02-18-20h58m32s26Gareth takes a look at Inateck’s USB 3.0 HDD Docking Station for 3.5″ and 2.5″ HDD and SSD storage. Easy to set up, cheap to buy, decent build quality and promising big speeds Inateck provides another cheap as chips solution.

  •  Designed for 2.5”/3.5”SATA HDD/SSD and equipped with USB 3.0 super speed interface
  • Super Speed USB 3.0 offer Speed up to 5Gbps, Ten times that of USB 2.0
  • Compatible Operating Systems: Windows 2000/ XP /Vista/ 7/ 8, Mac OS 9.1/10.8.4 above
  • Hot Swap , Plug and Play , No Reboot and Additional Driver is needed; LED activity indicator, clear and informative display; Perfect solutions for your external storage
  • Tool – Free design allow to mount Hard Drive in three second without Tools and Mounting Screws , Allow to accessing multi Hard Drives Externally and Easily

 

Pick one up from Inateck here.

Posted in: News, Videos/Unboxings
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