Lenovo ZUK Z2: Promising smartphone, with a few caveats [Review]
Lenovo is already a well-established brand in Western Europe thanks to its personal computer brand which counts the legendary ThinkPad range and German manufacturer, Medion, amongst its ranks. It also absorbed storage vendor Iomega, IBM’s Intel-based server business and NEC personal computer range.
The company has acquired phone manufacturer Motorola, inheriting yet another iconic brand whose name still carries a lot of value for a mainstream audience. But the latest move of the Chinese company, which is also the biggest PC vendor in the world, has been surprising.
Microsoft's Surface Phone set to have a fingerprint sensor
Windows Phone sales are currently insignificant -- according to Gartner, during Q2 2016 Microsoft’s mobile operating system claimed a share of just 0.6 percent worldwide -- and with no new Lumias on the horizon, it seems a fair bet to say the platform is doomed.
But not so fast. Microsoft is still banking on Windows 10 Mobile, and it’s long been rumored that the company has plans for a Surface Phone. There’s nothing concrete known about it at the moment -- will it be a single device, or a whole new family? -- but one thing that does seem likely is it will have a fingerprint sensor built in.
Box and IBM team up to increase productivity in cloud workflows
Thanks to a new partnership between Box and IBM, Box users will be getting a new workflow solution which will allow any business users to build, manage and track custom and pre-built workflows.
The new solution, called Box Relay, will be a part of the "all new Box", to be presented during BoxWorks 2016, Box's annual San Francisco conference.
Google shows off improved battery life with Chrome 53
Chrome has long been held up as an example of software being battery hungry. It's something that Google has been working to address with the Android version of the browser; now the company has turned its attention to the desktop build.
In a new video that highlights the improvements that have been made in recent months, Google compares a Vimeo video running in Chrome 46 to the same video running in Chrome 53 on identical hardware -- a Microsoft Surface Book, since you ask. The results are impressive.
Corel PaintShop Pro X9 adds project templates, interactive gradients
Corel has shipped Corel PaintShop Pro X9, the latest edition of its veteran image editor. New features include Project Templates, prebuilt desktop publishing-type layouts to help you create greetings cards, brochures, photo collages and more.
An Interactive Gradient Fill tool allows fine-tuning a gradient by dragging across the image and watching a live preview.
Logitech G unveils eSports-focused 'Pro' gaming mouse
As a casual gamer, I don't necessarily need hardcore gaming accessories designed for professional eSports competitors. With that said, I place a high value on quality products. If there is a well-built mouse or keyboard that can improve my gaming performance, I am all for it.
The problem, unfortunately, is that many products designed for 'gamers' can look downright ridiculous. Look, just because a mouse, for instance, is designed for playing games, doesn't mean it has to look like an alien spacecraft. Today, Logitech G (as in Gaming) unveils its newest gaming mouse, called simply 'Pro'. Guess what? The wired mouse's design is both simple and elegant, while not being boring (you can customize the RGB lighting). Finally!
Moon Express gets FAA 'approval' for Moon mission
Last week Moon Express, a contender for the Google Lunar X-Prize (GLXP), announced that the company had received interagency approval from the White House, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of State and other U.S. government agencies "for a maiden flight of its robotic spacecraft onto the Moon’s surface to make the first private landing on the Moon".
This heady announcement got a lot of press including this story I am linking to because it was in the New York Times, the USA’s so-called pape of record. If the Times writes "gets approval to put robotic lander on the Moon" it must be true. Only this story isn’t true. Yes, the FAA kinda-sorta gave Moon Express permission to land on the Moon. But by the same token, the FAA has no power to deny Moon Express -- or anyone -- the right to land on the Moon. It’s not in their jurisdiction.
ViewSonic VP2468 professional 24-inch monitor has incredibly thin bezels
While 4K displays are popular nowadays, 1080p variants are still wonderful. Quite frankly, depending on your needs, a 1920x1080 display could even be preferable. Gamers, for instance, may not have the GPU required to game on 4K. Not to mention, on Windows 10, some legacy programs and settings can look pixelated and blurry when up-scaling above 100 percent. 4K with Linux is even worse, but I digress.
Today, ViewSonic announces an absolutely gorgeous 24-inch 1080p monitor. The "VP2468" display has incredibly small bezels and professional-grade color accuracy. This monitor should prove brilliant for both home and business users, not to mention gamers too. But is the price too high?
Linux Kernel 4.8 will add Microsoft Surface 3 support
If you are a Windows user, and want a really great computer, you should consider Microsoft's Surface line. Not only do they serve as wonderful tablets, but with the keyboard attachment, they can be solid laptops too.
While many Linux users dislike Microsoft, some of them undoubtedly envy Windows hardware. While it is possible to run Linux distros on some Surface tablets (I've done it), not everything will work flawlessly. Today, release candidate 1 of Linux Kernel 4.8 is announced, and it seems a particularly interesting driver has been added -- the Surface 3 touchscreen controller. Will Microsoft's lower-priced (starting at $499) hybrid computer become the ultimate mobile Linux machine?
Microsoft confirms Windows 10 and Surface subscriptions are on their way
Ever since Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be free "for the first year", and also referred to the new OS "as a service", there has been speculation that the software giant would start charging a monthly fee for Windows 10, much as it does for Office 365.
Two weeks ago, a mention of Windows 10 subscriptions appeared in an Insider Preview build, suggesting that changes to the operating system’s model were on their way. Today, Microsoft reveals all by announcing new subscription service offerings for Windows 10 and its Surface line of tablets.
Microsoft's back to school deal helps students save $300 on Surface and Xbox One bundle
Microsoft today introduces a pretty sweet back to school deal, giving students the option to save $300 with the purchase of a Surface device and an Xbox One console. Part of the bundle are three free extras, one of which is a wireless controller.
The promo is valid for all configurations of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, and starts at just $878. For the money, students get the base Surface Pro 4 and a 500GB Xbox One game bundle. The two devices are normally available to students for $809.10 and $279, respectively, when purchased separately.
Microsoft to kill off Surface 3 in December
If you're in the market for a Surface 3, now is the time to buy one. Microsoft says that production of the Surface 3 will come to an end in December this year, and warns that stocks are already starting to run low.
It's not yet clear whether the end of production for the cheapest Surface device signals the end of Microsoft's Atom-based devices. But it certainly seems as though the company is keen to focus its attention on the Pro range as well as the Surface Book.
What is the most popular Surface tablet?
While we know how much revenue the Surface line generates, as Microsoft posts these figures in quarterly earnings reports, the same cannot be said about unit sales. The software giant prefers to keep these numbers under wraps, leaving us in the dark with regards to which one of its Windows-powered tablets is most popular.
However, a new report by cross-promotion network AdDuplex shares some light on the matter, giving us a usage share breakdown for the six most popular Surface devices, including the most expensive and controversial of the bunch, the Surface Book.
Microsoft sells 1.1 million Surface units in Q1 2016
Two-in-one and pro slate devices have earned their vendors higher revenue, managing to stabilize average selling prices, a new report by Strategy Analytics says.
The report, entitled "Global Tablet Vendor & OS, Unit & Value Market Share by Region: Q1 2016", says Microsoft and Apple sold more than a million of their pro slates last quarter.
Microsoft introduces Surface Membership Plans
The first Surface tablets struggled to find an audience -- to put it politely -- but with Surface Pro 3 (and then Surface Pro 4) Microsoft finally got things right.
The company wants its range of slates to be a viable alternative to iPads for businesses and so has quietly introduced a membership plan that will allow firms to get the latest Surface devices, upgrade when available, and pay for things monthly.
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