The problem with new Chromebooks

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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.

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New breed of Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass fights germs as well as scratches

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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.

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Toshiba unveils first-ever 4K laptops -- but do consumers actually need them?

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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.

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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional scanner with Scanner Pro

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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.

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Roku announces its software is coming to Smart TVs

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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.

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Pure delivers wireless streaming from any service

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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.

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Pafwert generates strong passwords you can actually remember

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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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Android hits the road with Audi, GM and others

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Android is certainly no stranger to your car, as we all carry our devices along wherever we go, though hopefully you aren’t using yours as you drive. Now Google aims to take the idea of Android in vehicles and improve upon it, in much the same way that Ford has done with Sync.

The company announces a new Open Automotive Alliance bringing together Android with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Nvidia. The effort aims to make your mobile device more useful and much less distracting when you are out on the road.

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Qualcomm unveils new processors for home entertainment and in-car infotainment solutions

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Hours after Nvidia announced its new Tegra K1 processor, rival US company Qualcomm took the wraps off two new chips, called Snapdragon 802 and Snapdragon 602A, designed for home entertainment and in-car infotainment solutions, respectively.

The Snapdragon 802 is an iteration of the year-old Snapdragon 800, which was presented at CES 2013. The processor is aimed at the next generation of smart digital media adapters, set-top boxes and TVs. Unsurprisingly, it comes with 4K support and a number of technologies designed for efficient power consumption and resource-intensive applications, such as games.

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Philips unveils 27-inch hardcore gaming monitor with Nvidia G-Sync

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When it comes to PC gaming, hardcore enthusiasts will do anything to get an edge. Extremely high-end graphics cards can cost thousands of dollars. The custom computers built by these gamers can rival the price of a nice used car. They will even buy dedicated sound cards and Ethernet cards to offload minimal CPU cycles just to squeeze out a tad more performance. In other words, money drives performance in PC gaming -- you must pay to play. However, once you build the ultimate gaming PC, with a top of the line mouse and keyboard and all the newest games, what is left to buy? A monitor of course.

A monitor's specs can vary from one to another and for many users, most screens will be "good enough". However, for the hardcore PC gamer, there is never "good enough", only the best. While 4K monitors are all the rage lately, they are not ideal for gaming, as performance takes a massive hit when driving such a resolution. Until 4K gaming becomes the norm, gamers must look elsewhere. Philips has an interim solution with its new 27-inch hardcore gaming monitor. What makes this monitor so special? Read on...

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Nvidia announces its new mobile Tegra K1 'super chip'

Nvidia Tegra K1 CES 2014

As in previous years, most of the fun associated with CES actually happens before the famous trade show officially starts. Major tech companies rush to announce their new products ahead of the big opening day (January 7, for CES 2014) in an attempt to steal the show, like Lenovo just did with its Windows 8.1-based ThinkPad Tablet 8. For those who are not already there, CES could likely be over before it kicks off.

Nvidia is also part of the pre-CES announcements, as the US company has already announced a new mobile processor, called Tegra K1. The new chip is based on the Kepler architecture, that is used in the GeForce GTX 790Ti video card. "For the first time, next-generation PC gaming will now be available on mobile platforms", says Nvidia.

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HP puts Android on the business desktop

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All-in-one PCs are popular in the office and in customer-facing environments because they’re stylish and take up less space than conventional models.

HP has been an active player in this field for a while and has now updated its range of all-in-one (AiO) models with four new systems including -- for the first time -- one that runs Android.

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SteelSeries Stratus is a console-style wireless controller for iOS 7

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There are some near console-quality games available on the iPad, so it makes sense to have a console grade controller to play them with. Gaming peripherals and accessories maker SteelSeries today introduces the Stratus, a wireless gaming controller specifically designed for devices running iOS 7.

The controller, which claims 10+ hours of battery-life (and takes two hours to charge), connects to your iPhone or iPad using Bluetooth, freeing up Wi-Fi so you can play the games on the big screen via AppleTV using AirPlay Mirroring.

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Lenovo unveils ThinkPad X1 Carbon, its ultra-light 14-inch Ultrabook

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Lenovo is making lots of announcements today, chief among them being the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14-inch Ultrabook. Designed using carbon fiber (which is lighter than magnesium and aluminum but stronger than both), the X1 Carbon weighs just 2.8 lbs, making it the lightest 14-inch Ultrabook in the world.

The X1 Carbon features the Adaptive Keyboard, which dynamically adjusts based on the software or application being used, and also integrates voice and gesture control. The PC comes with an improved ColorBurst Display which, according to Lenovo, "provides sharper, brighter images at higher resolutions with better viewing angles for a superior visual experience".

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Lenovo announces ThinkPad Tablet 8 -- a Windows 8.1 slate with great specs

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 8

Even though CES has yet to officially commence (it starts on January 7), tech companies have already started to announce products that will be showcased at the well-known trade show. One of the latest is Chinese maker Lenovo, which just unveiled its newest Windows 8.1 tablet, the ThinkPad Tablet 8.

Unlike some other 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablets that we have seen so far, the ThinkPad Tablet 8 is the first to actually rival, specs-wise, the latest Android flagship slates and Apple's iPad Mini with Retina display. Heck, it is so intriguing that I might actually buy one (assuming that it will be available, locally).

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