Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast Launched by Google

July 9, 2015 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

Google has launched an Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast – it costs $15.

The little dongle-shaped Chromecast was launched way back in 2013, and it has been one of the most popular devices for those wishing to stream Google Cast apps – Netflix, and YouTube reign supreme. Also, the dongle can mirror select Android devices.

Of course, owners could watch other content as well through HDMI ports – almost every new TV set comes with an HDMI port, so the need for Chromecast is growing with each passing year.

The little device has come along nicely since 2013 – its popularity skyrocketed, and most blame this on Netflix. The big G’s iteration of the Chromecast supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n bands, instead of the sought-after 5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11ac bands which increases bandwidth – let’s hope that in the near future, Comcast, and other companies that are plaguing our internet will offer a reliable internet connection.

Google has listened to its community and its Ethernet adapter is the perfect option for those who wish to add a wired connection – not only your speed will skyrocket, but the connection will be more reliable. It’s about $15, and if you have a hard-to-reach WiFi hot-spot, then this is the best solution.

But, unfortunately for some of us, the Chromecast Ethernet Adapter which was added in Google’s Store on Wednesday is now listed as Out of Stock.

At the current moment, we don’t know when Google will replenish the stock, but we’re sure that it won’t be long – it sold out in a day; if Google doesn’t capitalize on this, they must have a horrible sales strategy.

Also, for those living outside of the US, I have some bad news. Google might be selling their Chromecast Ethernet Adapter only in the states, so tough luck guys.

” This optional accessory lets you connect your Chromecast directly to your router to create a fast and reliable connection for your Chromecast.”, the Ethernet Adapter’s Google Store details.

Those who were lucky enough to be able to order one can connect their Ethernet Adapter with an included USB, and run an Ethernet cable from the router to the power supply – then, just plug it in, and voila, you can enjoy the high-speed internet lane!

But Google isn’t the only one to tackle this kind of technology. Lenovo launched this May its own version of media streaming dongle-shaped device called Lenovo Cast. It’s puck-sized, and it costs $49, and it will be available worldwide starting this August – it can mirror Android devices to TV screens at 1080p resolution.

There are rumors that Google is planning on announcing a next-gen Google Chromecast this year – probably called something like Chromecast 2. Keep it simple, and easy to remember.

We’re going to update the article as soon as the Ethernet Adapter comes back in stock, so be sure to check this page once in a while.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4

OnePlus 2 Will Cost Less Than $500, Says CEO

July 8, 2015 By Kenneth Scott Leave a Comment

OnePlus 2 will be releasing this month, and the company’s new product will be one of the most affordable high-end devices available on the market. The Chinese manufacturer has officially announced the specs for their unreleased product, and it’s exactly what we were expecting – borderline jaw-dropping capabilities.

So, before we go into what makes the OnePlus 2 a top-notch device, we should talk a little bit about the pricing. It will cost under $500 – at the current moment we don’t really know how long south the price will go, but rumors have it that it will be between $399, and $449.

The company’s CEO, Pete Lau has taken to Twitter to confirm that indeed the price will be less than what initial rumors said – ” We’ve seen price estimates for the OnePlus 2 upwards of US$500. Honestly, it’s never been about the money.”

The second-generation flagship smartphone from the Chinese-based manufacturer will directly compete with Apple’s, and Samsung’s high-end smartphones, just like TheOne. It will feature the sought after Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. When OnePlus 2 will be released later this month, it will be the cheapest smartphone holding that model of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.

The guys, and girls over at Android Central revealed that the OnePlus 2 will come equipped with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM – the newest kind of RAM that works perfectly with the Snapdragon chipset, in order to ensure a longer lasting battery life.

Regarding the LPDDR4, the company notes that – ” Why did we choose LPDDR4 for the OnePlus 2? Another notable benefit is lower power consumption for better battery efficiency. That means you’ll be able to use your favorite apps (and more) without draining the battery. With LPDDR4, you get twice the bandwidth performance as the LPDDR3 at the same power consumption profile.”

OnePlus 2 Concept

The official release date is 27th of July, and so far, the OnePlus 2 seems to be a worthy successor to TheOne.

But Apple is yet to announce the release of their new iPhone device, and who knows what’s going to be released until the end of this year that might trump the OnePlus 2.

But besides the awesome specs that it comes with, you can pair the new OnePlus 2 with their new cardboard VR headset.

” This is not just a product; it’s an initiative. We aren’t making any money by offering OnePlus Cardboard. In fact, we are losing money with each one. There will come a day in which we will be able to travel the world and immerse ourselves in amazing things without ever leaving the comfort of our homes. OnePlus Cardboard exists to drive this idea forward.”, a spokesperson for OnePlus has noted.

Only time will tell if their new product line will be as great as their first iteration.

What do you think? Are you going to be a proud owner of the new OnePlus 2? Or are you waiting for a new Samsung, or Apple smartphone?

Source Image: 1, 2, 3, 4

GoPro Unveils Hero4, Their Tinniest Camera Yet

July 7, 2015 By Michael Turner 2 Comments

It isn’t news that GoPro is trying to innovate constantly, but their new GoPro Hero 4 is the darnedest camera yet – super tiny, and quite affordable!

The Hero4 Session is going to be available for purchase starting this July the 12th, for the price of $399 – it’s almost the same price as previous models.

The sport camera maker’s Hero4 Session will weigh about 2.6 ounces, that’s about 73 grams for you metric users. That’s about 0.3 ounces less than what their tinniest camera weighs – the Hero4 Silver weighs about 2.9 ounces.

The California-based company has noted that their new camera won’t need an additional waterproof case, because it’s already built to resist up to 33 feet under water.

The company has noted that their new camera will also be way easier to use – I didn’t thought that was even possible. You have one button to put on the camera, and start recording. That’s super efficient when you’re planning on taking a quick video – hey, time is of the essence when you’re trying to be an artist, and capturing that perfect shot will make your video stand out.

Investors don’t seem to be scared if GoPro can keep it’s growth pace, although we’ve seen a reduction of 81 cents per share, and down to $50.94. Last October it was about $90.

If you’re planning on capturing The Loch Ness monster, this little waterproof Hero4 might be the one for you.

As we are accustomed to, GoPro’s new camera can be worn as a helmet cam, so you base jumpers can capture your favourite experiences.

Also, the new trend regarding selfie sticks – Hero4 can be used as one, but just don’t do it a Disney park, because you’ll get kicked out. The Star Wars franchise owners have banned the usage of the selfie stick on their perimeter because of safety reasons.

Disney spokeperson Kim Prunty has stated that the company – ” […] strives to provide a great experience for the entire family and unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast.”

But I digress.

Hero4 is witnessing some competition from Polaroid that sells it’s Cube camera for about $100 – that’s way cheaper than what GoPro’s Hero4 Session is, and it has almost all of its functionality. Also from Xiaomi’s Yi which sells under $100 – price may differ from retailer to retailer.

But why pick the GoPro Hero4? That’s easy. Quality over quantity. The California-based camera maker is known around the world for their top-notch products. I would rather pay a buck more and have something that will last me a life time, than pay for something cheaper that will break in a year or two.

What do you think? Is GoPro’s new camera worth it? Or are you sticking with your old one? Tell us in the comments section below!

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Google’s Self Driving Cars Aren’t at Fault for Accidents

July 7, 2015 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

Google’s self driving cars have been involved in two accidents during June of this year – humans were at fault in both of the cases. As we previously discussed earlier this year, the big G set free their self driving cars in Mountain View, California.

Google’s self driving cars are accompanied by two safety drivers on board – ready to jump and take controls if the need arises, but it seems they weren’t quick enough, and two accidents occurred due to human error. Neither of the accidents resulted in injury, they were only minor scrapes.

One of the accidents consists of a Google Lexus stopping at a red light, and the one driving behind bumped into it at 5 miles per hour. There were minor scrapes, and nobody was injured.

The second accident was even more anti-climactic. The Google car was stopped at a red light when the car behind bumped into it at 1 mile per hour – no damage occurred, not even a scrape.

Now, Google is testing their new tech in Austin, Texas. They have take all the safety measures, states a spokesperson. Permits from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Transportation, police and other authorities have been acquired by the company, but somehow, they completely forgot to announce this little experiment to the public.

Some say that Google isn’t really acting that legally when it’s about self driving cars – more so, because laws don’t exist for this kind of thing.

But why is Austin the first city where Google has decided to test their new tech? Welp, the reason behind this, according to a Google spokesperson, is that – ” We’ve loved how much Austin embraces innovation.” Or, maybe, how Austin embraces Google spending big bucks on their city.

The June report, according to Google, states that there are 2 Google Lexus self driving cars around the Mountain View area, and other 25 vehicles prepared for internal testings. Of course, we can’ really predict when the big G wants to innovate some more around the world.

Google isn’t the only one developing this kind of technology. Tesla, of course it’s Elon Musk we are talking about, has been developing their self driving cars around the same time that Google has started, but they have a fleet of only 12 autonomous vehicles.

Also, Delpi, the car manufacturer, is developing new tech regarding sensors, and soft-ware based on self-driving systems.

The future seems bright, hopefully Google isn’t going to unleash the A.I. Apocalypse on us – even Elon Musk is afraid of this, and when great minds like him suggest that we shouldn’t dwell that much in A.I. it would be best that we would heed the warning.

What about you? Do you think Google’s self-driving cars aren’t at fault? Or do you think that they are mischievously lying in their monthly reports?

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Aston Martin and its $2.3 Million Hypercar

June 30, 2015 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Aston Martin has built a $2.3 million hypercar – if you’re in love with carbon fiber, I have some pretty good news for you.

The only way to build super fast, super light, and mind blastingly expensive cars is to go the carbon fiber way – which is also stronger than steel by the way.

Well, Aston Martin’s new hypercar named Vulcan is a track-dedicated vehicle, unlike the McLaren P1, and Ferrari LaFerrari – which are also built out of carbon fiber, but not entirely. The Vulcan – I love the name – doesn’t have the unnecessary things like leather interiors, and paint, air conditioning, and radio. After all, it’s made for the tracks.

Aston Martin’s Vulcan isn’t street legal, so if you’re thinking to buy one to show off around the block, think again – manufacturer Aston Martin even charges you extra because they are illegal.

At the beginning of 2015, Aston Martin announced that they are building a hypercar that will sell for $2.6 million, and the company recommends potential buyers to first try out the 540-horsepower V12 Vantage S so they can get accustomed to what the Vulcan may feel like.

Aston Martin says that the following specifications aren’t final, but you should expect something on these lines.

800-horsepower;
7-liter V12 engine;
0-60 in less than three seconds;
Top speed of 200 mph;

Now, the Aston Martin Vulcan isn’t the most expensive hypercar available on the market. McLaren has a $3.3 million car, sorry, not car, but behemoth named P1 GTR. And Ferrari has a tiny little automobile called the FXX K that can output 1000 horsepower. Sheesh, and here’s me with my 130 horsepower Ford Mondeo just inhaling all the dust.

Aston just showcased the interior of their new hypercar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England – an event where a company shows off their expensive automobile, so wealthy British people buy their stuff. Yay for being so rich you don’t even care about money when you buy a $3 million car that you can’t even drive on the road like normal people do – ” but mom, now I need a track for my new car, you can’t leave me hanging like this, what will the other oligarchs think of me?!” says a filthy rich 1 percent’er.

But in al fairness, the Aston Martin Vulcan looks superb – it’s what Bruce Wayne would buy for his alter-ego Batman. No, sorry, it’s what Bruce Wayne would build for Bats.

There are only 24-limited edition Aston Martin Vulcans available at the moment, so you better head down real quick to your car dealership and tell them you want the new Vulcan. But seriously, it’s most likely that it will sell immediately.

If you want to compete in Le Mans, go for it. If you want to compete in the neighbourhood who gets to the super-market first, methinks it’s a little bit of an overkill.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4

Apple’s Issues With Storage May Be A Thing Of The Past

June 30, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Apple’s issues with storage may be a thing of the past, thanks to Samsung.

9to5Mac cites as source KoreanTimes, which state that Apple is in negotiations with Samsung – they want the South-Korean company to build them a crucial component for their new iPhone product line. Rumours have it that Apple wants to ditch Toshiba, SK hynix and SanDisk, and go with Samsung as their only storage component manufacturer.

Their iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones come with a standard 16 GB storage, and some consider this to be way too small for what you can do with a device in 2015. By the time the new iPhone comes out, 16 GB of storage may not be enough for what the average Joe needs. More so, operating systems may increase in size in the near future.

Apple wants to stay ahead of problems that might arise in the (near)future.

We already know that Samsung is in Apple’s good grace, because they will reprise their role as chip makers for the California-based company, but their relationship might turn another leaf.

Apple’s standard iPhone 6 model comes with a built-in storage of 16 GB – users can choose upwards to 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB.

Apple might scratch off completely the 16 GB model, thus making Apple aficionados pay more buck for a standard model – which rumours have it will stand at 32 GB.

In 2014, photo app Ice Cream reports that iPhone 6 16 GB users run out of storage space too often. Apple is listening to its community, and considers that – ” The belief is more and more as we use iCloud services for documents and our photos and videos and music, that perhaps the most price-conscious customers are able to live in an environment where they don’t need gobs of local storage because these services are lightening the load. “ says Phil Schiller, the company’s head of marketing.

IceCream / Ondevice Research 2014

If the rumours are true, Apple is shifting its focus on storage space for its new iPhone device, and they consider this a big deal, even though they seriously don’t show it. Apple is trying to make iCloud services popular, but it’s aware of the fact that not everyone is keen on jumping on the bandwagon which is currently dominated by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

Also, as a side note, Apple is considering that the iPhone 5C’s 8 GB of storage space is incredibly small, and it might interrupt its line pretty soon – only for it to come out with 16 GBs, and even 32 GBs.

Apple will most likely announce something official this Fall, as the company is known not to respond to rumours.

What do you think? Good, or bad decision on Apple’s side? Would you pay more for a standard model that has double the storage space that the current iPhone 6 has?

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Faster Internet Near, Researchers at Qualcomm Institute Say

June 29, 2015 By Kenneth Scott Leave a Comment

Faster Internet awaits us in the near future, researchers say at Qualcomm Institute say.

At UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute, researchers have not only made fiber optic data transmissions faster, but they completely out-done themselves. Researches have increased the power of optical signals almost twenty times of what we currently have.

You shouldn’t be afraid anymore that our fibre optic networks can’t hold all that data being trasnferred, and that the system will overload.

While researching, at one point, the data was being distorted because it travelled so fast, for so long, and researches were needed to use pricey electronic regenerators in order to boost the signal. But they seem to have solved this annoying nuisance.

Nikola Alic, a corresponding author from the Qualcomm Institute at University of California – San Diego had this to say – ” Today’s fibre optic systems are a little like quicksand. With fibre optics, after a certain point, the more power you add to the signal, the more distortion you get, in effect preventing a longer reach.”

Researchers at Qualcomm Institute have managed to send data over a record-breaking 12.000 kilometres through fiber optic without using the expensive electronic regenerators, and the data received wasn’t distorted and could be used without problems.

“Our approach removes this power limit, which in turn extends how far signals can travel in optical fibre without needing a repeater.” Alic has noted.

Why is this possible? Because of advancements in wideband frequency combs that researches have managed to further develop at the Qualcomm Institute.

This new advancements in frequency combs ensure that the signal distortion called Crosstalks that appears once streams of information are bundled together through long distances, can be predicted, and thus, fully reversible, at the receiving end of the fibre optic!

This is great news for those of us stuck in with lousy internet. But a question arises. Are we going to have to pay more for a faster internet, or prices will remain the same?

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Best Laser Printers of 2015 – Monochrome Edition!

June 25, 2015 By Michael Turner Leave a Comment

If you’ve got a lot of text to print, and you need it printed fast, then you should probably look for a monochrome laser printer. Who thought that in 2015 a mono printer would be so crucial for businesses?

What is a monochrome laser printer?

A monochrome laser printer prints only black, and white, using only a black tone cartridge – small businesses, and enterprises alike get the most use out of them, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be helpful if you’re working from home, or you’re planning on printing a ton of essays.

Well, without further ado, I present you this year’s round-up of the best laser printers available – affordable too!

Best Laser Printers #1 Brother DCP-1510

The Brother DCP-1510 may have been marketed towards small businesses, but its limitations say otherwise. It’s still the best small laser printer for study groups, and students.

It ain’t even that expensive. It costs about $185, but I’ve seen it at the low price of $150.

The Brother DCP-1510 is part of the laser printers trio that Brother just released – quick, affordable, inexpensive prints. Does it merit the great value for money statement? I think so, and here’s why.

It’s not really that heavy – weighing 7 kg, this means that you can carry it around from office to office, dorm to dorm, study group to study group without crippling your back. Also, it won’t occupy all of your desk, because it measures 385 x 340 x 255 mm – you can fit it in a corner, and print your heart out!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a WiFI or Ethernet connection, and if you’re looking for laser printers that have those features, I suggest you scroll down and read the next reviews. It can connect through a USB 2.0 port to a single PC.

Brother focuses on simplicity, and speed for their DCP-1510 model, and with that price-tag don’t expect the laser printer of your dreams. It doesn’t even have a middle feeder tray, and it only features the standard 150 paper tray at the bottom.

The whole printer feels like it’s made out of sturdy material, but the scanner cover isn’t made out of the same cloth, and you should be careful while manoeuvring it – if you get mad at something, don’t take it out on your printer, or you’ll regret it in an instant.

This Brother black and white laser printer has a control panel, but it isn’t riddled with options – just your basic needs. The 2-in-1 ID copying isn’t an ideal feature that I want to see on a printer, but the team over at Brother thought it might be a great addition that will entice students in buying it.

It can print, or copy 20 pages per minute, and the printing quality is great, but not exceptional. Graphics, and images are quite sharp, but you can notice the paler tone. Still, pretty great for monochrome laser printers.

It has 16 MB of standard memory, and it can print up to a maximum resolution of 2400 x 600 dpi.

Although it ain’t the best laser printer for a small business, it’s one of the best for students – affordable, and it can be easily carried to the next study group!

Best Laser Printers #2 Dell B1265dfw

The Dell B1265dfw is a little bit more expensive that the previously discussed Brother laser printer, but it does have more features. The Dell B1265dfw costs about $280.

Considered the best home office laser printer, the Dell B1265dfw weighs about 11.1 kg, and measures 406 x 338 x 384 mm. The Dell laser printer doesn’t stop at being just monochrome, and it has some multifunctionality features too.

It features an all black industrial design, and it can blend into any background. Easily unnoticeable more so, because when you put it to work, the noise it makes isn’t annoying, nor disruptive – I kinda’ find it soothing, and remembering me of that one time that I went to the beach when I was a kid.

Although it’s mainly marketed towards small business owners, it can be your very own personal laser printer – it’s not that expensive, and it can print, copy, scan, and fax without problems. Well, the thing is that it’s targeted at low output users, and although it would be more than enough for an average day, if you encounter heavy workload, it might become a little bit of a nuisance.

It has a basic 250-sheet paper tray at the bottom, and a single sheet feeder tray for more special kinds of media, and a 40-page ADF on top.

Now, unlike the previously discussed Brother laser printer, the Dell is a triple threat connectivity wise – it features a USB 2.0 port, 11n WiFi, and Ethernet on-board! Its software is easily installable, and Dell has made it even more easier to connect to a WiFi spot by including a WPS button on the control panel.

It supports mobile devices, and cloud printing, but you won’t find an USB port for flash drives, or a memory card slot.

Now, regarding the control panel. It ain’t that high-tech, but it’s better than what we’ve encountered so far – that doesn’t say much, to be honest. You can find the control panel on the right of the laser printer, and even a fool can use it because it’s highly intuitive.

Not many laser printers at this price range can print 26 pages per minute like the Dell, and printing quality is pretty great. Printed images are quite dark, and scanned pictures have a blue tint.

The maximum printing resolution is 1200 x 1200 dpi – which, in this reviewer’s opinion is more than enough. It also has 128 MB of standard memory.

All things considering, it’s a borderline cheap black and white printer.

Best Laser Printers #3 Samsung Xpress M2875FW

I’ll try not be biased here, because the Samsung Xpress M2875FW is my device of choice, and I consider it one of the best laser printers on the market at this moment – not only because I own it, but because it’s made out of sturdy high-quality materials, it’s reliable, and super fast.

The Samsung Xpress M2875FW costs $330 – and slowly, we are moving towards the mid range monochrome laser printers, and leaving the affordable tier behind.

Other tech reviewers consider this Samsung printer as the best small office laser printer, and it totally merits its status – it weighs about 11.3 kg, and it measures 401 x 362 x 367mm.

Design wise, it might stand out because the top half is black, and the bottom half is white – the top half also sports the control panel, which, when I first tried out, was way more hard to play with than I originally thought.

It features all of the elements a top-notch multifunctional laser printer should have and adds – print, copy, scan, and of course, fax. High quality results at 28 pages per minute. The only thing that I found highly annoying about the Samsung printer is the fact that although it is designed to hold up to 250 sheets of A4, you need to extend the tray out the back of the unit to do so. Why would you implement such a horrible thing? The majority of laser printers don’t require you to do so.

Connectivity wise, it’s pretty great. It has an USB 2.0 port, Ethernet connection, and it features Wireless 802.11 b/g/n. It also has WiFi Direct, and my Samsung S6 discovered the Samsung printer in one second. Haven’t tried it with other mobile devices, but other tech reviewers haven’t encountered issues with older smartphones, or tablets.

The 600 MHz processor, paired with 128 MB of standard memory makes the printer output 28 pages per minute, and sheets with graphics embedded can be printed up to 24 pages per minute – duplex versions stand at 12 pages per minute.

The default brightness setting might be too dark for your taste, I know it’s for mine, but you can change it in the options menu – whether it is from the control panel, or from your software of choice.

Regarding the control panel, at first I had a couple of problems with discovering how to actually use it, but after a few days I caught the jest of it.

Unlike previously discussed laser printers, the Samsung one has a great printing resolution – it stands at 4800 x 600 dpi

Best Laser Printers #4 Kyocera Ecosys M2030dn

So long affordable laser printers, welcome mid-range laser printers! The Kyocera Ecosys costs about $670 – which some of you might consider way too much to spend. I fully agree, but it’s one of the top laser printers that don’t require you to mortgage your house.

If you’re willing to pay this much for a laser printer, you expect the best quality prints. Kyocera doesn’t disappoint in that area – prints are exceptional, but printing isn’t that fast compared to what you can find for this kind of money.

The Kyocera laser printer is marketed towards small-to-medium businesses – if you’re thinking of buying this for home use it might be overkill. Here’s why.

This mid-range performer weighs about 18 kg, which makes it kinda hefty. Measuring at 494 x 430 x 448 mm, and with a colour design that ranges from cream to grey, it will most likely blend in the background.

You might think that at about $700 this laser printer will feature out of this world speeds. 30 pages per minute may top what we’ve discussed until now, but I was expecting a little bit more for this price. Manufacturers didn’t improve this model as much as we thought, and it features a 667 MHz processor, a 512 MB standard memory and it can output a maximum printing resolution of 1800 x 600 dpi.

Even though it ca print at a maximum res of 1800 x 600 dpi, the prints are high quality, and more important, this laser printer is one of the most reliable printers on the market – failure rate is almost nonexistent.

Its control panel has some buttons built-in that may require some reading beforehand – the manual is quite explicative, but it will require some time to get all the things right. I didn’t quite understand how I could forward images to PC folders, FTP servers, via email and TWAIN, but that may be because I skimmed the whole manual.

It’s worth mentioning that it does have a USB port 2.0, USB Host Ethernet connectivity, but it doesn’t have wireless. What it does include is a nice slot for an SD-card, and a slot for an optional print server.

The control panel also doesn’t feature touch screen, but it doesn’t pose as a serious issue. I’m quite fond of physical buttons, rather than using touch screens. The elephant in the room is that I do indeed have giant sausage fingers!

Image print quality was not what I was hoping for – it is indeed great, but not excellent.

Best Laser Printers #5 Xerox WorkCentre 3615

The Xerox WorkCentre 3615 is one heck of a laser printer, but it will cost you an arm and a leg – $1000!

Yup, $1000 for a monochrome laser printer – it definitely isn’t for study groups, nor for your little home business. It’s marketed towards medium-sized businesses!

This mono laser printer has all the multifunctionality features – and add to that the ability to print, copy, fax, and of course, scan.

It’s heavy weighing at 21.5 k, and it measures 495 x 492 mm – it occupies a relative small space, but it depends on your workplace. The WorkCentre 3615, design wise, sports the traditional blue, and cream colours that Xerox is known for.

A 60 sheet ADF can be found on top of the printer, and the main input tray can hold up to 550 sheets. You can expand its capacity further with three more tray, thus resulting in a capacity of 2350 sheets.

Its control panel features a top-shelf touch-screen which is exceptionally bright, and clear. The Xerox WorkCentre 3615 has an USB 2.0 port, Ethernet connectivity, and also WiFi – which is optional.

This beast of a laser printer can print 45 pages per minute which makes it the fastest laser printer in our round-up.

There’s isn’t that much to say regarding the quality of prints – they are exceptional, and printed images feature a sharp contrast, which of course, you can tweak in the options menu.

Depending on what you require, you can change its settings quite easily.

It has a 525 MHz processor, and 1 GB standard memory. It features a max printing resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Blade is the First 3D Printed Supercar!

June 25, 2015 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

You wouldn’t download a car, would you? Yes, yes I would, if that means I can 3D print it!

Blade is the first 3D printed supercar from San Francisco-based Divergent Microfactories. It weighs way less than your average vehicle – 90 percent less; and it can reach 60 miles per hour in about 2.5 seconds. CEO Kevin Czinger says that even though the world is going green, trying to find ways to reduce the costs of manufacturing vehicles should also be a priority – and it also saves energy due to the fact that it doesn’t require so much hard work to assemble.

Now, Blade isn’t just a prototype available for events, or whatever auto-moto shows there are. It’s a functional supercar that you could drive on the road – that is, if you have enough money to buy it. It’s unknown at the moment how much Blade will cost, but rest assured that it’s going to stand near the Buggati Veyron’s price tag.

Its design speaks future, and the big gull-wing doors offers a sneak peak on what the trend of designing supercars is heading – not really a big fan of this design. The two-seater Blade has a powerful 700 horsepower engine, and because its 3D printed chassis, it’s way more lighter than any other supercar.

It weighs about 1,400 pounds, that is 635 kilograms for you metric users.

Blade’s chassis weighs under 100 pounds, and it can be assembled in under half an hour – capital costs are significantly less than manufacturing your average supercar, and according to CEO Czinger, they used only a 50th of the usual factory capital cost.

Because it weighs less, it uses less fuel to run, making it the best eco friendly supercars in the world. Who said you can’t drive at blazing speeds on the highway, and still love mother nature?

Although 3D printing is the key to manufacturing Blade, larger parts weren’t build using the 3D printing method because it would take too much time.

Divergent Microfactories CEO Kevin Czinger said that – ” Society has made great strides in its awareness and adoption of cleaner and greener cars. The problem is that while these cars do now exist, the actual manufacturing of them is anything but environmentally friendly. “

Take a look at the clip just down below where the team at Divergent Microfactories talks about their Blade supercar.

Czinger also adds that building a factory that could create Blade-like vehicle will entail in costs that compare with opening a microbrewery factory – $10 million according to Forbes also.

Brad Balzer, who is the company’s project lead engineer said that – ” the nodes and carbon-fiber tubes were tested and that they held up well.”

Now, we should see some reports about how safe the 3D printed supercar really is, and jump on the bandwagon of 3D printed cars if it works out to be less expensive.

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Google Play Music is Now Free, Sort Of, In America

June 24, 2015 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

Google Play Music is now kinda’ free for users residing in America, but it’s ad supported following Spotify’s model.

Google couldn’t have announced this at a better time, for them. Apple Music is almost a week away from us, and Google announcing this new option for their music streaming service might cripple Apple’s plans of dominating the market. Sure, it’s going to be ad supported, you can’t use the service in offline mode, and it excludes some songs from its repertoire.

The free version will consist of curated playlists, which are tailored for different parts of the day – I don’t think you want to hear melodic death metal just before you go to sleep.

Google Play Music, the free version, will run on Google-owned Songza radio app – which the big G bought last year.

Google product manager Elias Roman said that – ” Even if you’re not already a Google Play Music subscriber, we’ve got you covered. Google Play Music now has a free, ad-supported version in the US, giving you a new way to find just the right music – and giving artists another way to earn revenue. The new free, ad-supported version of Google Play Music is launching first in the US. It’s available on the web today, and is rolling out this week to Android and iOS. “

With Apple Music launching on the 30th of June, Google might have just shifted some of the hype towards them. It wouldn’t have been such a big news if Apple Music wasn’t launching, but Google knows that timing is essential.

Audiophiles might just join Google Play Music after having but a taste of what the music streaming service is all about – the monthly subscription costs $10.

According to reports, Google Play Music had around 815,000 paying subscribers in the US last December.

The free option for Google Play Music doesn’t seem to be expanding to other countries anytime soon, but their paid subscription is already available in 52 countries across the world.

Apple Music is already facing some serious issues, but the whole scandal with Taylor Swift was the cherry on top. I know, they twisted it around, but does it seriously take a huge artist to pull its most popular album, Taylor’s 1989, for Apple to realize that not paying royalties to musicians for the first three months of the free trial is just plain absurd?

The shame Apple, the shame.

Taylor Swift Apple Scandal

We should be happy that the competition is so big – this means that we, the users, should get only the best quality of service.

I’m a fan of Google Play Music, but I’ll definitely try Apple Music out to see what’s it all about – hey, free three months!

What about you? Are you sticking with Google Play Music? Or are you switching to Apple Music? Tell us in the comments section below!

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4

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