Projecting The Top 5 Laptops of 2014

Laptops are facing a lot of competition from tablets and even large smartphones, but they’re still the mainstay device for getting work done. Here are the best of 2014. 

 

13-Inch Macbook Air

The 13-inch MacBook Air has always been one of the lightest (just under 3 pounds) and thinnest laptops, and it has incredible battery life. Its most recent iteration packs Intel’s latest silicon and can run for 12 hours or more in common usage scenarios.

The MacBook Air 13 offers a modest 1,440 x 900 resolution display, a bit of a throwback to the days when screens were almost an afterthought in laptop design. But that’s easy to overlook when you have a design this good.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

This could be considered a controversial top pick because the Surface Pro 3 is not a laptop, and many business laptop users insist on a tried-and-true, traditional clamshell design. But Microsoft has reached a high degree of refinement with its third-generation Surface Pro after two generations of more or less experimental designs.

The design is impressive: At only 1.8 pounds (2.3 pounds with the keyboard) and 0.3-inches thick, it’s about the same weight (with the keyboard) as the uber-svelte 11-inch MacBook Air and packs all the power of a typical laptop, including the option for Intel Core i7 processors.

Toshiba Chromebook 2

Chromebooks run Google’s Chrome operating system, and that’s just fine if you spend most of your time in the Chrome browser anyway, especially when the hardware comes cheap.

Topping the list is Toshiba’s latest entry, the 13-inch Chromebook 2, which goes above and beyond the typical stripped-to-the-bone hardware of this category and delivers a brilliant 1,920 x 1,080 display.

The Toshiba offers probably the best experience you can have on a Chromebook, though it’s a minimalist one because of the limitations of the Chrome OS and the Chrome store.

Dell XPS 15

With the XPS 15, Dell has designed a laptop that might make you think twice about buying its Apple rival, the revered 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina.

Inside are a quad-core Intel processor and Nvidia graphics to push around those 5.7 million pixels. It’s reasonably light (4.4 pounds) for its size (a 15.6-inch diagonal display), and it’s only 0.7-inches thick at its widest point. The chassis is made of brushed aluminum with a carbon fiber bottom. It’s quality all around.

HP Stream Laptops

The HP Stream laptops are exceptional for one reason only: price. The HP Stream 11 is available at the Microsoft Store for $199, a good deal considering that you get a full Windows 8.1 laptop with a one-year subscription of Office 365 Personal, to boot.

The Stream 13 sells for $229. Think of it this way … based on pricing at the Microsoft Store, you could buy four Stream 11s for the price of one MacBook Air.

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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Rumors Depicting the Date, Specs & Price of Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Six months after the Surface Pro 3 was released, Microsoft is reportedly gearing up for the release of the fourth version of the gadget - the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Latinos Post reported.

According to Crossmap.com, the upcoming version of the Surface Pro will have a bigger display screen than the previous versions, but will also be lighter than the Surface Pro 2 and 3.

Additionally, Latinos Post revealed that the Surface Pro 4 will have a greater CPU than its predecessors and will be running on the upcoming Windows 10. Also, the gadget is believed to have an increased RAM compared to the older versions of Surface Pro.

Although not much has been said about the price of the upcoming gadget, The Telegraph believes that it will have a higher price tag than the Surface Pro 3, which is being sold from US$800 to US$1400, with the smaller version having a lower price tag.

With regards to the release date of the gadget, Gospel Herald reported that the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 will be released at the same time as Windows 10, which will make it the first device to run using the newest Windows system.

After being faced with problems during the release of earlier Surface Pro devices, Microsoft has strived to focus on creating better devices that will be a hit with fans, and as a result, they were able to make the highly successful Microsoft Surface Pro 3, according to the International Business Times.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Rumors & Speculations

Rumors that a new generation of Surface Pro will be released after Surface lineup general manager Brian Hall wrote on Microsoft Surface Blog that the accessories of the Surface Pro 3 "are designed with our product roadmap to be compatible with the next generation of the Pro line Surface."

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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Showcasing The Top Android Apps of 2014

The Year 2014, is on the verge to end, so here we have listed the best Android apps of 2014, everything from games to functional apps to glorify Android smartphone.

Captain America: TWS

[Price: $2.99]

First up on our list this month is Captain America The Winter Soldier. It was released by Gameloft as sort of the official mobile game for the movie. You control SHIELD teams to take down the big, bad guys. It’s free to try for a couple of levels and $2.99 to purchase after that. It’s a fun little action game and definitely worth at least a try if you’re into Marvel stuff.

Deadlings

[Price: Free with in app purchases]

If you’re more into some 2D platformers, Deadlings is a pretty decent game. It features over 100 levels, two game modes, four playable characters, and a fun and goofy story line. It’s free to play with in-app purchases. Word is the in app purchases are only a minor annoyance so that’s some good news. If you like platformers, it’s definitely worth checking this one out.

Microsoft Office

[Price: Free]

Even though Microsoft Office was officially released late last summer, they made the huge decision in March to make the app free to use for Android users. This means no more Office 365 subscription and you can just open it and use it. It does require a Microsoft account and that automatically signs you up for a OneDrive account. Google Drive is still better, but keep an eye out on Microsoft Office because it’s starting to be a really good option.

Milk Music

[Price: Free]

Milk Music is a unique app. It was released by Samsung so it’s only compatible with their Galaxy line up of devices and it’s only for US residents. Aside from those very debilitating issues, Milk Music is actually pretty good. It is free to download and use.

Smash Hit

[Price: Free / $1.99]

We covered Smash Hit in our new indie app of the day segment and we’re going to talk about it again here because it’s simply a gorgeous app. It is an endless runner style game where you throw balls at various glass objects to avoid being hit. It’s free to play but you can buy the premium version for $1.99 which gives you the ability to save your progress if you so choose.

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 to be Announced in the First Week of January 2015

It looks like Samsung is getting ready to launch its newest flagship phone sooner than expected. Previous reports suggest that the S6 will be launched in March at the World Mobile Congress. However, analysts from Mira Asset Securities believe that the new smartphone could be introduced at next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which will be held from Jan. 6 to 9.

A Dutch website claims to have leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy S6, and according to toptienmobile.nl, the upcoming Samsung flagship phone will bear some similarities to the iPhone 6.

"A striking feature of the prototype are the thin left and right edges of the screen, and the displacement of the front facing camera toward the center of the top," the website said.

Meanwhile, a leak which came from reports in China where the phone has allegedly been benchmarked using the AnTuTu app reveals the phone's unconfirmed features. The leak suggests that the handset will have a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440.

The S6 is also said to be powered by a 64-bit octa core Exynos processor and 3GB of RAM. The smartphone is rumored to have 32GB of internal storage, a 20 megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 5 MP front-facing camera. It is also expected to run on the Android 5.0 Lollipop rather than Android 4.4 KitKat.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S6's release date, it is predicted that the handset could be released on April 2015, as previous Samsung release dates were also scheduled on an April. It can be recalled that the S4 was launched in April 2013, while the S5 was released in April 2014.

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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11 Best Cases for iPhone 6

Check out our favorite iPhone 6 Plus cases that add style, protection and features to your new iPhone with a 5.5-inch display. Apple’s biggest iPhone yet is tough to hold with one hand, the slippery design makes for an even greater chance that you will drop it. We’ll show you the best iPhone 6 Plus cases yet, with new options that arrive throughout the year.

OtterBox iPhone 6 Plus Case

 

Tech21 iPhone 6 Plus Case

Spigen iPhone 6 Plus Case with Kickstand

Apple Leather iPhone 6 Plus Case

Michael Kors Crossbody iPhone 6 Plus Clutch

Clear iPhone 6 Plus Case

RokForm AluminumA iPhone 6 Plus Case

Distil Union Wally Stick On iPhone 6 Plus Wallet Case

Zagg Invisible Shield Glass Screen Protector

Speck CandyShell Grip iPhone 6 Plus Case

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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HP Launches EliteBook 755 With AMD Processor

With all of the focus on convertible, hybrid, and ultralight notebooks we often forget that there are an entire class of users that don’t need or want high portability with all of the tradeoffs, they have tablets for that. 

 

Typically AMD occupies the value side of these lines but with this model AMD is at the value end of the product and occupies the richest configuration and it is this configuration that seems most interesting.

AMD vs. Intel

Intel is moving solidly against ARM and working to create very competitive tablets and smartphones. They have had some success with the former and a couple of design wins in the latter but ARM still is the most common processor in these two markets.

The HP EliteBook 755 is a proof of concept showcasing this kind of a move is possible. And while the richest configuration is a bit hard to find, it may be worth the effort if you are in the market for a large laptop computer.

HP EliteBook 755

It is interesting to note that most of the configurations that HP sells of this product is Windows 7 which, for most, is actually an advantage. Starting at a very reasonable (for this class) $749 for a dual core configuration with a 1366x768 HD screen and a 500 magnetic drive and ending with a still reasonable $1,159 for a quad core system, Windows 8, and a 1920x1080 screen and a 180GB SSD drive this is a relatively complete line of AMD based offerings.

What you’ll notice is that the line has a very rich feel which is consistent with the Elite brand (this is HP’s Lexus line for small and medium business). The design language is based on a brushed metal finish which looks wonderful though I did notice that on a cold day the touchpad is initially really cold.

Weight is light for this size class at between 4 and 5 pounds it runs only about a pound and a half more than many Ultrabooks so you get a lot more screen for a little more weight.

Wrapping Up: Size Does Matter

If you are willing to carry a small amount of extra weight and don’t need a day of battery life (you’ll be hard pressed to get to 5 hours with a product in this class) this may be the perfect laptop class for you and the HP 755 Elite Book AMD edition sets the bar against which you should measure other offerings.

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High-Res OLED Screen by Sony Can Attach to Any Eye-Wear

If you’re not a fan of Google Glass-style displays yet, Sony hopes you might give its new detachable OLED a chance.

The Japanese electronics manufacturer has announced a prototype head-mounted display that can easily attach to any sort of eyewear and display information on its high-res OLED module.

The device is much closer in design to Glass than Sony’s previous head-mounted wearable, SmartEyeglasses, which are glasses that can project basic green text and graphics across the lenses.

The 0.23-inch color OLED microdisplay, which Sony says is one of the smallest in the world, has a resolution of 640 by 400 pixels, which is slightly better than Glass at 640 by 360. It extends from the board and an optical unit reflecting the display contents is positioned near the right eye so vision isn’t blocked.

“The distinguishing feature of the display is its high-resolution OLED, which allows for a high level of contrast and imagery that can be clearly seen in both indoor and outdoor environments,” a spokeswoman at Sony’s Tokyo headquarters said.

The control board has “arithmetic processing capabilities on par with smartphones that was made possible by high-density packaging technology,” Sony said.

The device has storage of 16GB that could be expanded depending on development. It can be paired with a smartphone to display information while playing outdoor sports, such as distance maps during a golf game or showing the view from a linked action camera.

Check-Out This Rollable OLED Screen by Sony

Sony did not give details about when it would sell the SmartEyeglasses when it showed off its latest prototype at the IFA electronics show in Berlin in September, but it said Wednesday it will start mass production of the new Single-Lens Display Module in the coming year.

“The SmartEyeglasses are designed to be worn for long periods of time and can be used to read SMS messages,” the spokeswoman added, “while the device announced today is designed more for shorter periods of use while focusing on another activity.”

A prototype version of the new device called “SmartEyeglass Attach!” is slated to be shown off at CES 2015 next month in Las Vegas. The company may also supply the device to eyewear makers or other firms working on applications for entertainment, sports or workplace uses, and will provide SDKs to developers.

About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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