My family plays musical computers today, as mom receives my wife's Toshiba Chromebook 2—to replace the end-of-life original Microsoft Surface RT. Last week, my beloved took possession of my Google Pixel after I received the newer model, released on March 11.

While writing the above paragraph, my mother phoned to let me know the laptop arrived. "Oh do I like this Toshiba! This can't be a 13-inch screen. It seems so much bigger". The reaction is more than just because of the move from the RTs 11.6-inch panel. Among the Chrome OS category, the Toshiba's screen is exceptionally bright, and crisp, setting it apart from every model other than Google's own.

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Android Device Manger is Google's approach to helping people track down lost smartphones and tablets. Now the feature is rolling out to Android Wear so if you should lose your phone, you can find it with your watch.

At the moment the Android Wear version of the feature is pretty basic; you can use your watch to call your phone. This is great if you have mislaid it nearby, dropped it down the back of the sofa or buried it under some books, but not so helpful if you've left it on the train -- don’t expect to be able to home in on your phone using GPS at this stage.

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When it comes to computing, I am rather platform agnostic. Quite frankly, I can jump between multiple operating systems to achieve my goals. While Windows is my go-to for heavy lifting, I often use Chromebooks too for lighter work, such as writing and web surfing.

Earlier this year, Acer announced the Chromebook C910 -- a commercial grade laptop running Google's Chrome OS. The 15.6 inch screen met the needs for many, since Chromebooks often have smaller displays. Today, Acer announces that the C910 is getting a refresh, with an optional 5th generation Intel Core i5 processor. With this CPU, the manufacturer claims that it is the world's fastest commercial Chromebook.

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Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) has become one of the leading products form managing large groups of computers, whether or not they're running Windows.

In order to improve its usefulness still further, add-on provider Adaptiva is launching the latest version of its flagship SCCM solution. OneSite 4.5 is focused on enhancing visibility and security while optimizing the speed at which enterprises can perform server-less software deployments.

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To be clear, right from the start, I write this from a Chromebook. It's my production system, though it has its limitations. Certain tasks send me scurrying to my home office in a frantic search for a Windows PC. Microsoft's operating system certainly still has its raison d'être -- both Photoshop and Plex server are among those in my household, though other minor needs exist.

Windows 10 is the belle of the ball right now with the tech press falling all over itself to run stories about the latest build, even non-stories are apparently in fashion, just as long as you can work the proper keywords into the headline. But the question remains, who needs it?

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Animation is difficult. 3D animation is horribly difficult. But Plotagon offers an interesting shortcut, an easy way to build your own 3D animated movies, without requiring any technical knowledge or artistic ability at all.

There’s a catch, of course -- two, really -- but this free Windows, OS X and iOS app still has plenty of entertainment potential.

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Despite the recent announcement by Google that it has introduced a vetting process on the Play store it seems that there are still rogue apps to be found.

Mobile security company Lookout has uncovered 13 apps with adware. Worse still these display malware-like characteristics that make them hard to remove. The company has alerted Google to the apps and they've already been removed from the store.

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It could be argued that with Windows 10 still a work in progress it’s too early to express disappointment and dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s forthcoming operating system. But with a summer launch announced, the truth is we’re probably not likely to see too many major changes in the coming months. What’s on show in Build 10041 is probably quite close to what we’ll get in the finished thing, albeit with some spit and polish.

When Microsoft announced it would be listening to users and implementing changes based on feedback, I was excited. Sure, a camel is a horse created by a committee, too many cooks spoil the broth and all that, but at least it meant that the sort of blatant usability problems Microsoft managed to somehow miss in Windows 8 wouldn’t occur in Windows 10. However, as time has ticked past I've started to doubt that Microsoft is listening as closely to Windows Insiders as it claims to be.

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Amazon Prime members benefit in many ways -- there's the Netflix-like video streaming service, complete with original content, the Kindle lending library, and music streaming. But perhaps the best of all dates back to the roots of the program. Amazon Prime was created to bring free two-day shipping to loyal customers. It's an incentive to buy from there and not stray to other sites.

Since then we've seen crazy things like drone delivery, but also more realistic options like Prime Now. A service that can deliver your package in just hours? Sign me up, right? Well, not so fast, as it's limited to certain areas of the US. That's expanding though, and does so again today.

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I’ve been hesitant to comment on the FCC’s proposed Net Neutrality rules until I could read them. You’ll recall the actual rules weren’t released at the time of the vote a couple weeks ago, just characterized this way and that for the press pending the eventual release of the actual order. Well it finally published the rules last week and I’ve since made my way through all 400+ pages (no executive summary commenting for me). And while there are no big surprises -- much less smoking guns -- in the FCC report, I think that taken along with this week’s Wall Street Journal story about an Apple over-the-top (OTT) video service the trend is clear that the days of traditional cable TV are numbered.

What booms through the FCC document is how much it’s written in response to the Commission’s loss last year in Verizon Communications Inc. v. FCC. Most of the more than 1,000 footnotes in the order refer to the legal defeat and place the FCC’s current position in that legal context. FCC lawyers have this time really done their homework, suggesting that it will be difficult for cable interests to win like they did last year.

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The average family has multiple devices capable of taking photos and videos. Seagate Personal Cloud from Ebuyer provides a central repository for all of this media, and can automatically back up content from your computers, smartphones and tablets.

You can access movies, music, photos and files from any supported device on your network, and stream media directly to Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, and some Smart TVs. You can also access your files remotely over the internet, and sync content with cloud storage services.

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Now is not a great time to be a technology enthusiast in Europe. As you may know, local prices of anything from smartphones to motherboards are set in accordance to the USD. And it has appreciated considerably in relation to the Euro, which is now in the proverbial toilet. Put two and two together and have inevitable price hikes -- vendors don't want to sell at a loss, after all.

The extent of the damage to the vendors' bottom line depends on how much they're willing or can afford to lose. For a smartphone maker like OnePlus, which doesn't have high margins, the answer is not a lot, as it just announced it will soon command higher prices for its One "flagship killer" on the old continent.

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Google has released Google Maps for iOS 4.4, a new version of its map app for iPhone and iPad users.

The new build promises one-tap access to a full-screen map, the ability to view transit colors when viewing public transport directions and the ability to filter search results for Zagat-rated restaurants.

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Opera Software, the company behind the web browser of much the same name, has acquired SurfEasy, a provider of VPN security. SurfEasy's software bolsters the security of internet users by adding a layer of encryption that helps to protect privacy.

More than this, the software also makes it possible to bypass some online restrictions and to access sites that are region locked. Few details have been revealed yet, but it's possible we could see VPN features integrated into future versions of the desktop and mobile Opera browser.

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It’s been a while since Microsoft launched a flagship smartphone. The company is seemingly more focused towards making cheap smartphones and pushing these low-end devices to emerging markets. In the latest attempt, the company today launches the Lumia 430. Priced at $70 USD before taxes, the Lumia 430 is the "most affordable" Windows Phone smartphone to-date.

But surprisingly, the hardware offered by this dirt cheap smartphone isn’t as bad as one would expect. The Lumia 430 sports a 4-inch display with WVGA screen resolution. Inside the smartphone there's a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage which could be expanded up to 128 gigs using a microSD card. The device is powered by a 1,500mAh battery, which is rather small, but the company promises up to 8.4 hours of talk time on a single charge or up to 19 days of life in standby mode.

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