Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By January 31, 2014 Read More →

Two Chromebooks coming from Lenovo

Lenovo-IdeaPad-Yoga-13-modesHere is a bit of news for Chrome OS and Lenovo fans out there – the popular PC manufacturer has just announced two new laptops! The Thinkpad 11e and the Thinkpad Yoga 11e come in two versions, sporting Windows 8 and Chrome OS (wouldn’t it be nice if they could dual-boot?).

These Chromebooks are said to be aimed towards education, but they seem to be great options for the regular consumer too. Specs were not specified, but we do have some details you might want to know.

Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook

As the name entails, the ThinkPad 11e sports what is now the standard in terms of Chromebook displays. Of course, we are talking about an 11.6-inch HD, LED display. HD probably does mean 1366x768p resolution, which is what most other 11.6-inch Chromebook displays have.

You will also get “over 8 hours of battery life”, but that is not what makes the ThinkPad 11e special. Its main feature is its construction, which comes with a rugged nature. The laptop will feature “rubber bumpers, reinforced ports and stronger hinges.” It’s a Chromebook built to last.

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook

The ThinkPad Yoga 11e will not be as resistant, but it will be a much more functional and flexible (literally) tool. This laptop takes on Lenovo’s signature Yoga design, allowing a laptop to take on 4 different configurations. It adapts to the type of use you want to give it at any given moment.

You can transform Yoga laptops in the following configurations: laptop, tablet, tent and stand. You can see the image below to see examples.

The TinkPad Yoga 11e also comes with an 11.6-inch display, but it sports an IPS panel. This will give the screen much better viewing angles and color accuracy. It’s also important to note that this is the third Chroembook to come with a touchscreen! I know many of you will fancy that.

All versions are set to be released during the Spring of 2014. Price is a bit more vague – Lenovo says the Chromebooks will start at $349. Are you getting one of these bad boys?

Posted in: Laptops, News, Tablets
By January 31, 2014 Read More →

Retro Tech Addicts Podcast 10: Life is Good

RTA Logo MTAGareth and Phil enjoy a warm and fuzzy recollection of days gone by in this the latest instalment of the Retro Tech Addicts podcast.

This week Gareth and Phil take a closer look at the tech-giant LG and discuss a variety of the company’s products and hostory.

 

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Posted in: Podcast
By January 30, 2014 Read More →

Samsung to halt Windows notebooks in favour of Chromebooks

Samsung-Chromebook-ConnectiSources within the supply chain serving the South Korean electronics giant, are reporting that Samsung “will no longer launch conventional notebook models except Chromebooks” from 2015. ‘Samsung will no longer launch conventional notebook models except Chromebooks…’

The company was one of the first on the block with Google’s thin-client cloud-based OS, launching one of the first Chromebooks back in 2011. A refreshed version of their best-selling ‘Samsung Chromebook’ is rumoured to arrive near Easter, utilising an eight-core ARM processor.

A rumour like this is probably most unlikely however when thinking of Dell’s decision to discontinue shipping Windows 7 on their hardware there might be something in it. With that said, the report does give a potential reasoning for such a switch. Samsung expected to ship 17 million notebooks in 2013 but only managed to shift 12 million. As a result, insiders say the company has lowered its notebook forecasts for 2014 to 7 million units. Do it make sense to drop an entire platform when notebook and laptop sales are down and tablet sales are up?

 

Posted in: Laptops, News
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By January 29, 2014 Read More →

Some New Mini-Games for Glass

Google-Glass-Mini-Games-MatcherWhile Google still works on getting Google Glass ready for official public consumption, the company has been to building five simple games for the wearable technology in the hopes that it will encourage developers to make more games for it. There are already a couple of games out from third parties however on a whole things are pretty sparse.

These new games are all current available on Glassware to try out for those few people who were approved and managed for fork out $1500 for an early version of Google Glass. If you’re looking for some seriously advanced gaming to be found with these five titles, you won’t find it. These games are pretty simple but do illustrate different things you can do with Google Glass in conjunction with games.

Interested in seeing what these games are like? Well lucky for you Google has released a short video showing each one which you can watch above. It will be interesting to see if this does spur on some additional developer interest for Google Glass when it comes to games.

 

Posted in: Apps & Games, News, Science & Technology
By January 29, 2014 Read More →

Google Announces Prescription Glass Frames for Google Glass

TitGoogle announced their newest upgrade to the Google Glass wearable smart-glasses, only this time it isn’t a software or hardware upgrade, but is actually a structural one. They now have prescription glass frames available that are specifically designed to fit with Google Glass. They are called the Titanium Collection, and that doesn’t just describe their aesthetics. These new Google Glass frames are literally made of ultra-light titanium alloys. 

Their Titanium Collection includes “four feather-light titanium frames and two new styles of twist-on shades, designed just for you.” Now you can consider getting Google Glass without worrying about looking like a full-blown dork, just a half-dork! (We kid about this because some of us here at HQ are actually becoming more intrigued by this device regardless of how it looks to other.)

 

Posted in: Gadgets, News, Science & Technology
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By January 28, 2014 Read More →

A 4G router arrives at Solwise!

mailerSolwise are pleased to announce their first 4G/LTE router has finally arrived! The Solwise 4G-LTE-S4 is a full 4G router that includes 150Mbps 11n WiFi and WAN connectivity. The ‘S4’ router includes a  4G modem with SIM slot (standard size) so just insert your 4G SIM card, configure the unit with the login details for your 4G data account and you are then ready to share your 4G data connectivity. No need for a dongle. The S4 also supports 3G data SIM cards. 

The S4 has two antenna connectors for 4G and 1 built-in WiFi antenna. The antenna connectors allow you to attach an external antenna which may improve the 4G signal into your home.   The S4 works for UK standard 800MHz, 1800MHZ, and 2600MHz LTE (4G) bands.

Speed (4G) 100Mbps download; 50Mbps upload
Speed (3G) 42.2Mbps DC-HSPA+ download; 5.76Mbps upload

NET-4G-LTE-S4 – £215.06 including VAT
http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-routers-4g-lte-s4.htm

Solwise offer a number of 4G antennas to compliment the new S4 4G Router.
http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-outdoor.htm

Posted in: News, Science & Technology
By January 27, 2014 Read More →

ZOTAC TurboBoosts 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano Series

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_12ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today turbo boosts the 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano series with the new ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series mini-PCs. The new ZBOX nano duo integrate Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors with Intel Turbo Boost technology to take the palm-sized form factor to new performance heights. 

“The new ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series are our most powerful palm-sized mini-PCs yet. The addition of Intel Turbo Boost technology enables the two ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series to deliver performance comparable to much larger systems while consuming much less energy,” said Carsten Berger, senior director, ZOTAC international.

Users that want a taste of Intel Turbo Boost technology can opt for the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID68 series with a high-performance Intel Core i5 4200U that can turbo boost up to 2.6 GHz. Demanding users that require the best performance available from the compact form factor can step up to the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID69 series with an Intel Core i7 4500U processor that turbo boosts up to 3.0 GHz. 

There’s plenty of connectivity on the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series with plenty of USB 3.0 ports, eSATA for fast storage expansion, DisplayPort and HDMI outputs and high-amperage charging front USB 2.0 ports. High-speed 802.11ac wireless networking and lightning-fast Gigabit Ethernet enables the ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series to maximize networking performance via wired or wireless home networks.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series!

 

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_2

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_3

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_15

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_20

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ZOTAC is pleased to TurboBoost the 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano series with the new ID68 and ID69 series mini-PCs.

General details

  • ZOTAC TurboBoosts 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano Series
  • New ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series
  • ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 series
    • Intel Core i5 4200U
    • 1.6 GHz, dual-core, 3MB L2 cache
    • Intel TurboBoost up to 2.6 GHz
    • Intel HD Graphics 4400
  • ZOTAC ZBOX ID69 series
    • Intel Core i7 4500U
    • 1.8 GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache
    • Intel TurboBoost up to 3.0 GHz
    • Intel HD Graphics 4400
  • PLUS models available with preinstalled memory and hard drive
    • 4GB DDR3
    • 500GB HDD
  • HDMI & DisplayPort outputs
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0 w/ external WiFi antenna
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • High-amperage USB charging capable (yellow ports)
  • Bundled VESA75/100 mount

 

 

Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
By January 26, 2014 Read More →

Archos have 3 Smartwatches at low, low prices

Archos-SmartwatchWe have mentioned before that Archos is introducing a new, cheap take on the wearables phenomenon with their smartwatches. These Bluetooth reliant assistants are due to pair with both Android or iOS phone, after a quick install of the Archos Smartwatch management app on the relevant phone. After which the user selects the notifications to vibrate and alert you of whats going on in your pocket. Much like a few other smartwatches out there. Archos are giving you a choice of what screen technology you have to display notifications. For $129 you can have E Ink touted to last for 1-2 weeks on a single charge. A $99 LCD won’t last quite a long at  2-3 days on its battery due to this having a touchscreen backlit screen. Lastly, the french manufacturer will be producing a $50 Memory LCD version featuring a  black and white, always on screen good for 1-2 weeks. Like most smartwatches the pair will charge with a dock. 

Posted in: Gadgets, News
By January 24, 2014 Read More →

Fancy, new stands docks for the Nexus 7

asus-wired-charging-dock-nexus7-2013Asus recently put some cool Google Nexus 7 2013 Edition accessories up on their site. For now it looks like its for information/future purposes only because they didn’t share a purchase date or pricing. Both of the devices are charging docks/stands for the Nexus 7 2013 Edition. One is wired and the other is wireless. Here’s a breakdown of info on each device straight from Asus’ website.

 

Wired Charging Dock: ASUS Dock for Nexus 7 (2013)

  • Charge the Nexus 7 (2013) while in use, making it perfect for use on a desktop or counter.
  • Slide-in design props up the Nexus 7 (2013) in either landscape or portrait orientation.
  • HDMI output to view HD 1080p content on an HDTV or LCD display (HDMI cable not included)
  • *Only compatible with Nexus 7 (2013)
  • Positions the Nexus 7 (2013) perfectly for you to watch movies, play games, or surf the web, or even type notes using a wireless Bluetooth keyboard.

asus-wireless-charging-dock-nexus7-2013

Wireless Charging Dock: ASUS PW100 Wireless Charging Stand for Nexus 7 (2013)

  • Elegant Pyramid design with delicate texture and compact outlook
  • With Qi standard, compatible with most tablets or cellphones which also support Qi.
  • Wireless makes charging easy, built-in the status LED design

Even though they haven’t shared any pricing or availability details just yet, overseas the wireless dock has been selling for approximately $50 USD equivalent. We will keep an eye out for more details, but feel free to chime in on this thread if you see something before we do.

Posted in: News, Tablets
By January 23, 2014 Read More →

The Nexus 8 this summer?

Nexus 8The latest Android tablet rumour is that Google is planning to release a Nexus 8 tablet in the middle of this year. Supposedly, the success of the Apple iPad Mini has forced Google to take notice and offer a compelling alternative in that size range. Some also say that the Nexus 7 (2013) is loosing ground to the wave of cheaper 7″ tablets hitting the market over Christmas.

An interesting side note about this rumoured Nexus 8 tablet is that Google is mulling over using Intel’s Bay Trail architecture instead of NVIDIA or Qualcomm this time. Whilst Samsung seem to be top pick for a refresh of the Nexus 10 later this year, LG covering things phone-side, Asustek is the likely favourite to produce this. The LG G Pad 8.3 was a killer upon release, even having a Play Store variant. Lenovo will also be a strong contender as their contribution to the Android hardware world has be fairly impressive. Google will have a tough decision of who to go with.

Posted in: News, Tablets
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