Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By May 30, 2014 Read More →

ZOTAC unleash the most powerful graphics card

ZT-70901-10P_image1ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today unleashes the singlen most powerful graphics card ever made for gaming and professional computing – the ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z.

By combining the power of two flagship NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics processor onto a single graphics card, the ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z delivers the absolute best experience for high-quality 4K gaming and immense compute power for full-precision workloads.

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“The ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z enables the most demanding users to have the power of a supercomputer in a single graphics card. A ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z will handle everything extreme enthusiasts can possibly use it for, including stunning 4K gaming and computing complex mathematical calculations,” said Carsten Berger, Each NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics processor in the ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z packs 2,880 processing cores for a combined total of 5,760 cores. The dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics processors are paired with 6GB of GDDR5 video memory per GPU, or 12GB combined, to ensure smooth 4K gaming and plenty of headroom for NVIDIA Surround technology lets gamers embrace triple monitor gaming for a massive field of vision for unmatched immersion. Single-display gamers with NVIDIA G-SYNC ready displays can take advantage of the game-changing technology for unprecedented fluidity and smoothness.

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General details

  • New ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN Z graphics card
  • Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs (GK110)
  • Engine clock: 705 MHz (base)
      • 876 MHz (boost)
  • 5,760 processor cores (2,880 per GPU)
  • 12GB GDDR5 memory (6GB per GPU)
  • Memory clock: 7000 MHz
  • 768-bit memory interface (384-bit per GPU)
  • PCI Express 3.0 interface
  • NVIDIA GPU Boost 2.0 technology
  • NVIDIA Surround capable
  • NVIDIA FXAA & TXAA technology
  • NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync
  • NVIDIA SLI read
  • NVIDIA SHIELD gaming portable ready
  • NVIDIA NVENC video transcoding acceleration capable
  • DirectX 12 technology
  • OpenGL 4.4 compatible
  • Blu-ray 3D ready
  • Loss-less audio bitstream capable
  • ZOTAC Boost Premium software bundle
      • Nero Kwikmedia
      • XBMC
      • UNIGINE Heaven DX11 Benchmark
          • ZOTAC Splinter Cell Compilation game voucher (select SKUs)
      • Splinter Cell Double Agent
      • Splinter Cell Conviction
      • Splinter Cell Blacklist
Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
By May 27, 2014 Read More →

The LG G3 – A Quad HD smartphone

 lg-g3-official-1Today the world is going wild for the LG G3, LG’s latest flagship. In synchronised events in London, New York and San Francisco LG have updatged their much loved LG G2 with a feature set that will directly compete and perhaps best the flagships of Samsung, Apple and HTC. Much like the HTC One (m8) the G3 has a lightweight metal body and rocks an impressive QHD 2560 x 1440p 5.5-inch display, that works out about 530+ppi.

Housing this delicious Gorilla Glass 3 screen, most interestingly, is virtually no bezel at all.  LG G3 measured 8.9mm in depth, 75mm long and 146mm wide. Inside there is a quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2GB of RAM in the 16GB model, and 3GB of RAM in the 32GB model. This is expanded by a microSD card slot supporting up to 128GB. All of this is powered by a removable  3000mAh battery, similar to that we saw in the LG G2. Other features include Infrared, wireless charging LTE-Advanced, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and USB 2.0.

The LG G3 camera offers a 13-megapixel sensor featuring OIS+ (optical image stabilisation), dual LED flash, 4K video recording and a new Laser Auto Focus feature. On the front is a 2-megapixel “Selfie Camera” that shoots in Full HD. For this front facing camera the pixel size has been increased, ala the HTC One, to help with low level lighting and optimise the selfie frenzy that many are having to deal with.

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LG have added a couple of extra mics’ and upgraded the speaker. The rear buttons, a volume rocker and hold button carrier over from the LG G2 have been tweaked for comfort and design aesthetics.

One feature that really set the G2 apart was KnockCode – a way of waking up and unlocking the device with a user-defined sequence of taps on the screen. The G3 has a few new features of play with, Contact Lock to allow you to hide naughty pictures sensitive files and a kill switch… to avoid embarrassment incase those naughty pictures sensitive files fall into enemy hands.

LG G3 will be available on 27 June. A Carphone Warehouse Spokesperson added

“Fans of LG’s G series are typically more tech savvy than the average customer and the G3 certainly doesn’t disappoint in terms of high end specifications. LG has somehow managed to cram an incredible 5.5” Quad HD screen, super-fast processor and top spec camera into one relatively lightweight handset with impressive and long lasting battery power. We’re predicting that this will be the geek chic device of 2014 that customers will want to snap up.”

Customers can pre-register their interest in the new handset from tomorrow (28.05.2014) at Carphone Warehouse and pre-order their handset from Carphone Warehouse from early June.  No prices have been set at this time however £400+ seems like a good starting place.

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Posted in: News, Phones
By May 27, 2014 Read More →

HP 14 Chromebook video review

hp-chromebook-14_4Gareth takes a quick look at HP’s larger Chromebook, the 14. Easily the best looking of the larger Chromebooks the 14 has a number of differences over the other Chromebooks on the market whilst delivering the same Chrome Operating System experience.

HP 14 Chromebook specification:

  • 14”, 200-nit display with 16:9 aspect ratio
  • 20mm thin – 4.08 lbs / 1.85 kg.
  • Intel Celeron 1.4GHz  Processor
  • 2 x USB 3.0
  • 1 x USB 2.0
  • Full size HDMI Port
  • Bluetooth®4.0 Compatible

 

 

Posted in: Laptops, Reviews, Videos/Unboxings
By May 26, 2014 Read More →

Is Google Tangoing the tablet

Project-TangoIt looks like one of Google’s next tablets will be unlike anything we have seen before. According to a recent report, Google plans to bring Project Tango to an upcoming tablet product. Not much is known at this time, but the report explains that the Project Tango tablet will have a 7-inch display. It will also include two rear cameras, infrared depth sensors and “advanced software that can capture precise three-dimensional images of objects.”

Quote:
Google is planning to produce roughly 4,000 prototype Project Tango tablets to distribute to developers next month. The tablets will feature a 7-inch screen, two back cameras, infrared depth sensors and advanced software that can capture precise 3D images of objects.

Bryan Ma, an analyst at research firm IDC, said, “It is critical to open the new technology to developers first as the key is how you can translate the technology into practical applications.”

As you can see, this is one of Google’s next big developer push products. As usual, they keep coming up with “out of the box” ideas and throwing them at developers to see if they will stick. We will keep you apprised if/when we get any further details.

Posted in: Rumours, Tablets
By May 25, 2014 Read More →

Benchmarking comparison – S5 Vs. Note 3 Octa Core

vlcsnap-2014-05-25-17h15m21s129It’s hardly a battle to the death, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Octa Core are two of the fastest phones on the market. Today we have a look at just how quick they are when compared to each other.

The S5 boasts a Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 with a Adreno 330 and 2gb of RAM. The Note 3 is not your typical off the shelf Note 3, instead this is the Octa Core version with an Exynos 5 Octa 5420 Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 and quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 with a Mali-T628 MP6 and 3gb of RAM.

 

Posted in: Phones, Videos/Unboxings
By May 24, 2014 Read More →

Nvidia stepping back from mobile tech

Nvidia-WallpaperIt seems oddly strange timing, NVIDIA’s CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has announced the company’s plans to take a step back from developing technology specifically for the mainstream tablet and smartphone markets. NVIDIA is currently preparing their next-gen Tegra K1 chip. It’s extremely powerful and recently destroyed the competition by a wide margin in some artificial benchmarks. 

This is why NVIDIA’s move seems a bit puzzling at first. After reading Huang’s perspective on the subject, it seems a bit more sensible. NVIDIA has realized their higher-end technology isn’t meant to compete with the menagerie of mediocre mobile models available. While NVIDIA was striving to take on their biggest rival, Qualcomm, the smaller MediaTek was swooping in to dominate in the low-end markets. This was basically rushing NVIDIA from two sides. 

To be clear, NVIDIA is not at all abandoning mobile. On the contrary, they are instead refocusing their efforts on future tech and on markets they have always been good it. That is automotive mobile and mobile gaming respectively. Huang indicated he does not want NVIDIA’s flagship Tegra brand conforming to inferior standards. NVIDIA sees the Tegra as a powerful line which should not have its standards sacrificed in the name of more efficient chipsets. In other words, NVIDIA wants to be the Lamborghini or Ferrari of mobile chipsets, instead of catering to mass production markets eventually relegating the Tegra line to that of a value sedan. 

In retrospect, this move makes a great deal of sense. NVIDIA has always been one of the two big titans in the gaming world. They are experts at fighting in that market. Of course, the mobile auto industry is new, but if NVIDIA can get there first, they can get a leg up on the rest of the mobile industry while their competitors’ focus on smartphones and tablets.

It sounds like NVIDIA will still have chipsets for tablets, but they will more than likely be geared towards gaming. Of course, the NVIDIA Shield device is also their baby, and Huang renewed their commitment to that product. In fact, Haung made it clear that he believes NVIDIA Shield will be the device which transforms Android into a great gaming platform.

Posted in: News, Science & Technology
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By May 23, 2014 Read More →

The New Sleek and Powerful Acer TravelMate B115P

TM B115 touch_frontToday Acer announced a new modestly specced and even more modestly priced laptop. Geared toward the student and as a road warrior work machine, the Travelmate B115P have some attractive features to warrant consideration:

• New FlowCurve design with 21.2mm slim body
• Intuitive Windows touch controls
• 10 hours battery life
• Fan-less design for whisper-quiet computing

Acer has today unveiled the new TravelMate B115P laptop with stylish new FlowCurve design, improved mobility and up to ten hours of battery life. Together with its quiet fan-less chassis and Windows-based touch control, the B115P delivers a great mobile computing experience.

Weighing only 1,190 grams with a 21.2mm body, the B115P features an Intel Celeron Dual Core processor, 4 GB memory and 500GB HDD, offering users a lightweight and powerful solution. The device is also encased with a sleek aluminium top cover and is strong enough to withstand everyday use.

Powerful Design
The B115P comes equipped with all the essentials needed for a busy working day. With an intuitive HD multi-touch display, full-sized keyboard and large precision touchpad with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy, users are able to work quickly and efficiently no matter what the task. It also features a HD webcam with High Dynamic Range (HDR) to provide clear image for video conferences while powerful speakers ensure music is enjoyed to the full.

Users can rest assured that documents are secure as Acer Office Manager enables small businesses to deploy security policies, monitor IT assets and set maintenance whilst Acer ProShield lets users easily maintain their credentials, data protection and web accounts. Business contacts can also be quickly saved to smartphones via Contact Pickup while Face Login enables quick login using facial recognition.

Enhanced Productivity
The B115 comes equipped with Windows 8.1 allowing simple access to all Windows apps. Users can Skype with friends or work colleagues, complete work with Office tools, access online files anywhere with SkyDrive, or find their favourite apps using the Windows Store.
In addition users can touch, write and create content with Acer Touch Tools. Acer Screen Grasp allows users to capture and grab images which can be placed on Acer Scrapboard perfect for creating a collage. Finally, Acer AccuFinger is designed to help users tap tiny items on the screen for much more accurately.

For the Education market, Acer Classroom Manager (ACM) is also available and allows teachers to improve the efficiency of content sharing and communication by centrally instructing students on their computers. ACM enables teachers to better monitor students, help them to focus, and maximize their time by making it easier to access and share content. In addition, with the Student Journal application enables lesson details to be captured and saved.

The TravelMate B115 is also available as an alternative to the touchscreen B115P.

The TravelMate B115P will be available in the UK in early July with an SRP of £349.

Posted in: Laptops, News
By May 23, 2014 Read More →

Archos Smart Home Bundle now available exclusively through Clove Technology

archos-smart-homeOur buddies over at Clove.co.uk have bagged exclusivity on the Archos Smart Home bundle. This all in one solution or home security and automation is now available for £199.99. For that price you get the 7″ Smart Tablet to control a combination of satellites. Six satellite units, 2 movement sensors, 2 mini cameras and 2 weather sensors.

It all looks like a great set up for a low price and we will hopeufully have a hands on with the kit soon.

 

Home automation and intelligent security monitoring has taken a giant leap forward thanks to Poole based Clove Technology who have just launched the new Smart Home range of products from ARCHOS.

Clove Technology Managing Director, Chris Love, says “Having a smarter home which understands its environment, knows who is coming through the door and could automatically text you when the kids get in is now available at the fraction of the price of systems put into million pound properties just a few years ago”.

The ARCHOS Smart Home is a innovate kit comprising of a 7” Smart Home Tablet, two (2) movement tags, two (2) mini cam’s and two (2) weather tags that work together to allow your home to become smarter and yourself more informed.

The six (6) provided wireless components communicate with the tablet using the Bluetooth Smart data transfer standard. Able to be positioned indoors and out, the components have a communication range of up to 20 meters indoors.

Powered by lithium batteries, these innovative modules are capable of lasting a whole year without replacement; the kit offers a tidy, cable free solution for the modern home.

Easily programmable with three simple steps, the use of a Trigger, Action and Schedule allow you to configure the system to work for you the true power of the system is only realised when you have it in hand and see it in use.

Mike Edwards, UK Managing Director of ARCHOS, commented. “We are very excited about this new range of products we are launching and the way they can offer a simpler more cost effective solution to many aspects of home automation. There are additional products to complement the range further coming soon and we are pleased to be working with Clove Technology exclusively on this launch.”

The UK exclusivity runs for a period of one month from June 1st when the first kits will begin shipping from Clove.

The ARCHOS Smart Home is available for order now, at a price of £199.99 from Clove.

For further more detailed information on the Smart Home and how it works visit our Explore Archos Smart Home page.

Posted in: Gadgets, News
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By May 22, 2014 Read More →

Viewsonic drop an All in One PC with Android

unnamedViewsonic is one of those companies who are not afraid to try something different. Whilst an all-in-one PC is hardly breaking news, how many are running Android? This combines a 24″ IPS display with Android Jelly bean inside some reliable Viewsonic hardware. One of this main targets of this machine is Amazon Workspaces, a shared virtual desktop that allows users a cloud based desktop experience across their devices.

 

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing visual solution products, presents its VSD241 smart display as the ideal desktop device for Amazon Workspaces. With its powerful NVIDIA® Tegra processor and its professional grade 24-inch LED IPS panel and multi touch screen features, the ViewSonic® VSD241 is the complete package for education, health care and small/medium businesses looking for alternative desktop solutions for their virtual desktop environments.

Amazon WorkSpaces addresses the increasing demand from customers for a virtual cloud desktop service. Customers have been frustrated by the available options of traditional desktops that are hard to manage and keep secure, that are expensive and deliver inconsistent performance. Amazon WorkSpaces aims to address these issues by offering secure, easy-to-manage, high-performance desktops in the cloud at a fraction of the price of traditional PCs. Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed desktop computing service in the cloud which allows customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users to access the documents, applications and resources they need.

The VSD241 raises the bar of smart client performance and flexibility to provide an all-in-one solution. The 24” VSD241 is a self-contained Android Jelly Bean-based smart display which delivers an excellent user experience, courtesy of an NVIDIA® Tegra quad-core processor, making it perfect for local Android apps and cloud-based computing. Plenty of network connection options are integrated including integrated networking (RJ-45 Ethernet), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® support for easy connectivity in any environment. With Google® GMS certification, users can also experience a variety of multimedia applications for Android, from social networking to cloud services.  Because the VSD241 is a fully functional display, it can also be used as a traditional or secondary touch screen monitor for personal computing.

“With educational institutions, medical facilities, and corporations looking for ways to cut costs, but not wanting to sacrifice productivity, the VSD241 will increase efficiency in any VDI setting. Recognizing the changing way people compute, ViewSonic was first to introduce Android based smart display technology in 2012. Now we’re taking this innovation to the next level, giving our customers the best possible desktop experience for Amazon Workspaces.” said Stuart Frisby, Product Manager for Cloud Computing at ViewSonic Europe.

The VSD241 is available immediately in Europe for a MSRP of £399/€489 ex vat.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
By May 18, 2014 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 18-05-14

ThumbA round up of the more interesting stories from the last week with Gareth from tracyandmatt.co.uk

This week:

  • No Nexus 6!
  • HTC One Mini2 surfaces
  • Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime
  • GTA San Andreas on Amazone App Store
  • Google Play Store PayPal billing
  • LG G3 shots
  • The Arcbook
  • Samsung Chromebook 2 UK price

 

Posted in: News, Videos/Unboxings
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https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks