Sony VAIO goes flipping smaller
Sony’s VAIO | Flip range of convertible laptop/tablet hybrids launched back in October last year. This week the company uses CES to release a new, smaller 11-inch model for users who want maximum portability.
The Flip uses a clever three-way design which means it can be used as a laptop, a tablet or in 'Viewer Mode' which basically props the screen up on a stand that's built into the chassis.
Windows Phone still struggles to gain considerable traction in China, Japan, US
Windows Phone may have managed to overtake Apple's iPhone in a small number of markets, based on sales, and become the third most popular smartphone operating system, but it -- and the devices that run it -- do not get much love from US consumers who are still buying Android smartphones and iPhones in droves.
Based on a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, in the US Windows Phone continues to struggle to gain considerable traction as the OS only had a paltry 4.7 percent market share, in the three months ending November 2013. This may represent a whopping 80.76 percent increase compared to the same period from 2012, but it is not large enough to even remotely threaten the local dominance of either Android or iOS. The results of the report are based on smartphone sales.
New raft of partners to help push Firefox OS in 2014
Firefox OS may have been with us since last year, but it's yet to make any sort of headway into the market. At CES, a new batch of partners has been unveiled which it is hoped will propel Firefox OS to mass popularity. Just as Android is not limited to use in phones and tablets, so Firefox OS has applications in other areas, and this is something demonstrated by the latest partnership with Panasonic. Working with Mozilla, the company will produce Firefox OS-powered smart TVs.
But of course there is great scope for Firefox OS to be used as a mobile platform, and this has already been explored to some extent. ZTE has produced a phone running Mozilla's operating system and in the coming year the company will be developing a "new Firefox OS line to give users more choice". But the success of an operating system is not just about getting customers on board -- developers are also vital.
Android set to pass the billion user mark as device shipments grow in 2014
A new market forecast by research specialist Gartner predicts that device shipments (that's PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones -- no toasters or coffee makers) will reach 2.5 billion units in 2014, up 7.6 percent from last year.
It also sees Android passing the one billion user mark across all devices this year, with 75 percent of Android volume coming from emerging markets by 2017.
Forget the MacBook Air, Samsung's new ultrabook touts even more battery life
Battery life has long been the Achilles' heel for Windows laptops, as manufacturers have mostly focused on other areas such as outright performance, portability or touchscreens. Consumers who have needed to use their device unplugged for a considerable amount of time have had to attach an external or extended capacity battery, turn to an Apple MacBook (Air) or even switch to a tablet.
Samsung, though, is looking to change the perception that Windows laptops and great battery life do not mix. The South Korean maker's latest ultrabook, the ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition that was just unveiled at CES, touts 14 hours of battery life. If the device can deliver on its promise, it will be a game changer.
Dropbox makes Pause Sync more accessible, revamps setup wizard
Cloud backup and sync provider Dropbox has released a major new stable build for desktop with the launch of Dropbox 2.6.2 FINAL for Windows, Mac and Linux. Version 2.6’s headline new feature is brand new, redesigned installers for Windows and Mac platforms, but there are some useful functional improvements too.
The redesigned installer aims to make the process as simple as possible, automatically downloading and installing the new version with significantly less user interaction than previously.
Samsung Galaxy Pro tablets are 12.2-inches of fondle-friendly productivity
When it comes to tablets (and other things), size matters. After all, a tablet, like other computers, is a tool. If you go to Sears for a screwdriver, you will find tiny ones for eyeglasses and enormous ones for automotive and lord knows what. In other words, you buy the tool that meets your needs. Much the way that different-sized screwdrivers have different purposes, so do tablets.
For instance, if you want to create content, a larger tablet like an iPad Air or Surface 2 would be ideal. Conversely, if you only want to consume media, maybe you can get by with a Nexus 7. But what if you need your tablet for serious business? Like, multiple-windows-open-simultaneously type business? The bigger the better then, right? Well, Samsung announces that it wants to meet the unmet needs of these users, with the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO -- 12.2 inches of fondle-friendly productivity.
Sign me up for 'Sponsored Data'
I would dump DSL tomorrow and switch the family to cellular data, if not for cost. Downstream wireless is faster than my home Internet and would always be there -- wherever the phone goes; use it as personal hotspot for PC or tablet. But pesky, expensive data caps hold me back.
So I'm intrigued by one of the oddest and most provocative announcements coming on Consumer Electronics Show 2014 Day 0: AT&T "Sponsored Data". The carrier turns around the Net Neutrality debate by encouraging data gluttons to pay up so that cellular customers can consume more while paying less. It's a novel concept, and I like it. Netflix, this is for you, baby. You might resist, but I'll love you forever if you sponsor me. Surely, I'm not alone.
The problem with new Chromebooks
It's Consumer Electronics Show 2014 Day 0, and we have hands-on with new Acer and Toshiba Chromebooks -- and both share the same flaw: Yes, flaw. Not enough memory, like HP Chromebook 11, among other newer models. I know margins are tight on these things, but how much more costly really would be 4GB? I can say from absolute experience that 2GB simply isn't enough, particularly if the objective is Chromebook replacing Mac or Windows PC.
Shared memory takes a good chunk out of that 2GB, let alone Chrome running atop Linux. What are these manufacturers thinking? One foot in the Chrome OS outdoors, but rest of body inside Windows? Because Chromebook with 2GB of RAM, even running a Haswell processor, stretches to replace a Windows PC. Make that 4 gigs, and the experience can be as good or better. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, you can stop laughing now. I can hear you all the way down in San Diego.
New breed of Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass fights germs as well as scratches
Corning Gorilla Glass is well known for its ability to fend off scratches, but the latest version has a new trick up its sleeve as well -- germ-fighting capabilities. Hypochondriacs and neurotics around the world rejoice! Touching your phone need not be the disgusting, bacteria ridden vomit-fest it has been up until now! Getting touchy feely with phones is something we have become used to over the years, and while it's probably easy to pull up some statistics to prove the notion that your toilet is more sanitary than your phone, it's safe to assume that your handset is a swarming mess of unpleasantness just waiting to transfer all manner of disease, infection and other unthinkable things.
All this could be a thing of the past thanks to Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass. Made with ionic silver, an antibacterial agent, Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass retains the toughness its predecessors became famous for. Think of what your phone goes through. Everything your hands come into contact with end up touching your phone. It's put down on all manner of surfaces, shoved into pockets with unmentionable disgustingness lurking in the depths. It's not hard to imagine a Petri dish-like bacterial colony building up and wreaking havoc.
Toshiba unveils first-ever 4K laptops -- but do consumers actually need them?
I have been enjoying a 32-inch Dell 4K monitor for a few weeks now; testing it for an upcoming review. First things first, yes 4K is awesome -- no, it is godly. However, there is not much 4K content out there. All movies in that format which I watched, were on YouTube. Watching frolicking puppies in glorious 4K is fun, but it will not likely spur sales.
While 4K is great on a large 32-inch monitor, do consumers or professionals really need or want it on a small 15-inch laptop screen? Toshiba seems to think so. But do you? Read on and tell me.
Turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional scanner with Scanner Pro
It’s not enough that the iPhone and iPad have designs on replacing your computer, they’ve one eye on rendering your scanner obsolete too. Thanks to apps like Scanner Pro, which is free on the App Store until the end of this week (January 9), you can transform your iOS device into a fully functioning mobile scanner.
Scanner Pro makes it easy to not just turn your iPad or iPhone’s rear camera into a portable scanning tool, it also provides tools for optimizing the results, helping you create good quality digital documents quickly and with the minimum of fuss.
Roku announces its software is coming to Smart TVs
Roku has been making its tiny set-top boxes since 2008, and it continues to refresh the lineup and add new features and channels. Now the company announces it is also thinking outside the box, launching its software on upcoming Smart TVs.
Roku has partnered with hardware makers Hisense and TCL to build the sets. The new panels will come in a range of sizes beginning at 32-inches and going up to 55.
Pure delivers wireless streaming from any service
Wireless speakers allow an enormous amount of freedom when listening to music around the home. But when you want to stream from online sources you'll often find that you're restricted to ones that are compatible with your system.
Audio specialist Pure using CES to announce an extension to its Pure Connect platform which allows its Jongo wireless stereo and multiroom music system to be used with any music streaming service including Pandora, Rdio, Deezer and Spotify, as well as any other audio or radio app.
Pafwert generates strong passwords you can actually remember
If all the regular high-profile website hacks have persuaded you that using "password" as your password is a bad idea, then you could use a password generator to produce something more cryptic. There’s a problem, though. Most generators create random passwords like "dml&$s2j" or "lBH6-aa5", which are secure, but also very difficult to remember.
Pafwert is a password generator with a difference. Instead of churning out random text strings, it uses a far more intelligent algorithm to produce passwords which are both secure and memorable.
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