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HP intros top of the line Spectre x360 convertible laptop

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As many mobile device makers are holding their pre-MWC press events, HP has unveiled a new laptop – the Spectre x360. This is actually a convertible PC, and HP says that we’re looking at its “most premium and versatile” computer ever.

The Spectre x360 can be used in a few different ‘modes’ – there’s the laptop mode obviously, as well as the tablet mode, but you can also choose ‘tent mode’ for playing, and ‘stand mode’ for watching entertainment. Read more »

Archos unveils tablets and laptops for schools: Android, Windows 8.1 and Chrome OS

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Archos has joined The “Grand Digital for Schools Project,” which will do a trial run of equipping 50,000 middle and high school students with tablets and laptops. Next year the program will ramp things up to 1 million students.

Archos has unveiled devices – laptops and tablets with keyboard docks – in three sizes and three OSes – Windows 8.1 Professional, Android and even Chrome OS. Read more »

Windows RT is not dead yet, says Microsoft

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If you are among the owners of a Windows RT tablet, you may have wondered whether about the future fate of Windows RT devices and whether they might get updated to Windows 10 eventually.

It turns out Windows RT devices will get updated with some of the features of the upcoming OS, but not the OS itself.

Even though Windows RT appeared as the OS of choice on a few quite capable tablets, it never managed to gain traction mostly due to the lack of support for x86 desktop applications.

Today, it’s mostly outphased by a slew of tablets running proper Windows 8.1. Read more »

Intel Compute Stick adds Windows 8.1 to any TV for $150

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Intel is staying close to emerging new technologies – the Internet of Things, smartwatches and now HDMI sticks. With the rising popularity of Google’s Chromecast and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Intel’s Compute Stick stands out with a complete Windows 8.1 with Bing copy for just $150.

The stick is powered by a quad-core Atom processor, not unlike the ones found in phones and tablets. Read more »

Razer launches Forge TV Android gaming console and Nabu X smartband

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Razer is getting out of its comfort zone for CES 2015. The gaming peripheral company announced an Android-based gaming console dubbed Forge TV. For good measure, Razer also revealed the Nabu X, a simple and affordable smartband with just three LED lights.

The Razer Forge TV is quite compact at just 4 x 4 inches and houses a Snapdragon 805 chipset with a quad-core 2.5GHz Krait 450 CPU, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 GPU. Read more »

Lenovo unveils Yoga 3 convertibles, ThinkPad Yogas and an 8″ Yoga Tablet

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Aside from the carbon ThinkPad X1, Lenovo also brought out new Yoga convertible laptops. The Lenovo Yoga 3 comes in 11″ and 14″ sizes, both powered by a 5th generation Intel processor. The signature move of the Yoga are the four modes – Laptop, Stand, Tend and Tablet – thanks to the hinge that opens all 180°.

The Windows Yoga line continues with an 8″ tablet that can use a pen instead of a stylus and three ThinkPad models that aren’t as portable as the Yoga 3 but pack additional features. Read more »

Lenovo unveils ultraportable 13.3-inch LaVie Z laptops

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After the announcement of the new iteration of the legendary ThinkPad X1 Carbon Lenovo has unveiled yet another addition to its laptop lineup. The LaVie Z HZ550 and HZ750 are 13.3 inch premium Ultraportables that promise superb performance in a slick, light and convertible body. According to the Chinese tech giant the two models are currently the lightest 13.3-inch convertible laptops on the market thanks to the special super-light Mg-Li (Magnesium-Lithium) Alloy used for their chassis. Each of them is built-around a special hinge, with a 180-degree field of movement on the HZ550 and a full 360-degree on the HZ750.

The two PCs are not only visually impressive, but also pack quite the punch in the specs department. Both are powered by Intel’s brand new 5th Generation, “Broadwell” processors. The higher-end HZ750 is equipped with an i7, while the HZ550 carries an i5 chip. The LaVie line boasts a set of mighty fine displays. The HZ550 comes with a 13.3inch LED (non-touch) Anti – Glare panel with WQHD resolution, while the HZ750 boasts a touch screen of the same size, available in either Full HD or WQHD. Read more »

Acer outs a 15-inch Chromebook with Intel Broadwell silicon

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Acer took the wraps off a Chromebook with a 15” display and Intel’s latest generation Broadwell silicon. The Taiwanese manufacturer will showcase the budget-friendly Chrome OS device during CES in Las Vegas this week.

The 15” Acer offering is the Chromebook with the largest display to date. Read more »

Samsung unveils new Series 9 ultrabook, Series 7 AiO

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Samsung slipped in two new computers in 2014 even though New Year’s Eve is less than 48 hours away. One is an updated Series 9 ultrabook, the other a Series 7 all-in-one PC.

Interestingly, both lack the ATIV branding that Samsung used for its Windows/Windows Phone devices. Read more »

HP Chromebook 14 Touch goes official

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HP took the wraps off a high-end Chromebook with a 14″ touchscreen. The Chromebook 14 Touch is the most capable Chrome OS device offered by the manufacturer.

The notebook’s biggest highlight is its 14″ 1080p WLED touchscreen. Read more »

12-inch Apple MacBook Air rumored to enter production in early 2015

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Apple’s MacBook Air line of laptops currently comprises of devices with just two screen sizes – 11″ and 13″. However, they may soon be joined by an intermediary model, a MacBook Air with a 12-inch screen.

This has previously been rumored to enter production in the fall of 2014, which obviously hasn’t happened. Now though, a new rumor out of Asia says that we should expect factories to start making the 12-inch notebook in the first quarter of next year. Read more »

HP EliteBook Folio 1020 duo debuts as world’s thinnest and lightest business laptops

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Today HP put out a press release detailing its future EliteBook Folio lineup and primarily EliteBook Folio 1020, which looks pretty amazing. The laptop family is said to be the industry’s thinnest and lightest business-grade lineup ever.

Initially the California based giant is planning to offer two units in the new family – 1020 and 1020 Special Edition (SE). Both will feature a razor thin 15.7 mm body, made from magnesium-lithium alloy and reusable carbon fiber and will weigh just over 1kg (1.2 kg for the Folio 1020 and probably a little bit more for the Special edition). Read more »

IDC: Google Chromebooks preferred over Apple iPads in schools

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According to the latest IDC Q3 report regarding bulk tech purchases for education needs, Google Chromebooks are now preferred by the majority of schools than Apple iPads. While the lead of Chromebooks in the education sphere isn’t jaw dropping, it’s a sign that many schools prefer the cheaper, yet functional Chromebook alternative.

Chromebooks lead the way with 715,500 units, whereas the iPads have slipped to 702,000. The laptops running Chrome OS sell as low as $199 and are made by a range of manufacturers including Samsung, HP, Dell and Acer. Read more »

HP Envy x2 goes official as a Microsoft Surface 3 alternative

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HP took the wraps off the Envy x2 of family of convertible PCs. With a multi-angle kickstand, fabric keyboard cover, and available stylus, the device is a cheaper, slightly less capable clone to the heavily marketed Microsoft Surface 3.

HP Envy x2 is available in configurations with 13” or 15” IPS display. Read more »

Raspberry Pi Model A+ is the smallest yet, cheap too

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The latest Raspberry Pi mini computer has landed and it has the smallest footprint in the family. Compared to the Model A, the A+ is 21mm shorter (65mm vs 86mm).

Achieving the smaller size is due to the removal of an Ethernet port and the move from an SD card to a microSD one that now fits with a push-in and is ejectable compared to the friction fit of the SD of old. Read more »