Review: Alienware Alpha, the Best of Both Gaming Worlds

December 17, 2014 By Roxanne Briean 1 Comment

There has always been some sort of competition in the gaming world: console versus PC as a gaming platform: Xbox versus PlayStation for the console lovers, multiplayer versus single-player and the list can go on.

Alienware, however, one of the leading names in the gaming technology industry has decided to do a little spinoff from the top grade gaming desktops and laptops and come up with something completely new.

It’s not exactly a computer, but it’s not a console either. Or rather, you could say it’s both: it’s the Alienware Alpha.

Image Source: MaximumPc

Initial inspiration for the Alpha was undoubtedly the Steam Box initiative, an announced gaming platform to be developed by Valve until the company went completely quiet about it. The original Valve device was supposed to come with the innovative, much acclaimed Steam Controller and a Linux-based operating system meant to turn the Steam Box into a superior gaming experience, bringing all of your favorite Steam games to your wide screen television set.

So when Alienware decided to take it upon itself to deliver that which gamers all over the world craved, they scrapped the original Steam Box idea, and went to ship it with a Windows installed and an Xbox 360 controller.

Alienware Alpha: The Best of Both Worlds

So the Alienware Alpha is in essence, a small-sized desktop (around 20 x 20 x 5cm) that you can hook up to your TV and enjoy all of your regular Steam PC games on a wider display, and by using a regular Xbox controller.

The Alpha models start at $549.00 for a configuration with 4^th Generation Intel Core i3 2.9 GHz Processor, 4 GB RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU 2GB GDDR5 video card for the cheapest and most modest version, ending at a maximum of $899.00. For that price you can get yourself a quad-core i7-4765T with 8 GB of RAM.

Image Source: StaticWorld

For a device that you can carry around even easier than you would a PS or Xbox, the power invested in it is astounding – by using a series of launchers and emulators, the Alienware Alpha manages to give you an experience almost identical to playing on a console but gives you a backup plan for when the power of a computer is needed.

For PC gamers, the Alienware Alpha may prove to be one of the best ideas ever developed – while the Xbox One and PlayStation are very powerful consoles that will render most new releases in terms of games in breathtaking sceneries and incredible effects, PCs simply have more games being released on a monthly basis with support and most games on PC end up giving off better graphical performance than consoles, anyway.

Say Hello to the Alienware Alpha ‘Hybrid’

While the Alpha was thought out of as a PC gaming console hybrid, at its basis it can be very well used just as you would any regular computer. Give up the Steam Big Picture and the Alpha basic UI and you’ll be dealing with a very familiar computer setup. Mouse and keyboard might be necessary for preliminary setup of the console AND in case of particular games that were developed both for mouse & keyboard and controller.

The upside that no emulators or setting up will be needed for the Xbox controller that you get with it. The first time you will be powering up your Alienware Alpha, you will be greeted by the Windows 8 layout that guides you through the initial setup phases. Only on second launch are you taken to the Alpha’s own UI that acts as a user-friendly bridge between the Windows component that makes the Alpha function and the rest of the device – more specifically the Steam implementation and optimization.

Image Source: OtakuGame

The Alpha’s UI does a really good job at protecting you from all the things that disrupt your gaming time on your regular computer – Windows processes, pop-up windows and everything else that might prove to be bothering or disruptive are completely turned off to mimic the gaming console experience. So far, the Alienware Alpha hasn’t given a particular amount of attention towards platforms other than Steam.

Origin games cannot be launched, in spite of downloading and installing working just fine, and developers claim that this is intended due to Origin’s Windows interface not being well-suited to life on a television screen. However, the Alpha is receiving constant updates nearly every month, leading us to believe that it is just a matter of time until we can enjoy the games on our other platforms as well.

Main Specifications

Although the Alienware Alpha could not compare to a full gaming desktop, but rather to your more powerful gaming laptop, it has a critical edge over them. While most laptops that we use for games leave little to no room for upgrades or even basic hardware replacements, the Alpha gives you a lot more space.

The Alienware Alpha’s standard LGA1150-socketed CPU can be upgraded, RAM memory can be completely swapped out for the two SO-DIMM slots and the hard drive is easily removed and replaced. The only note-worthy component that you will have to stick to until the very end is the graphic processing unit, which is slapped to the motherboard and will remain that way.

Image Source: Forbes

But the GPU really does not show signs of disappointment. Out of all the tests run on the Alpha in comparison to Xbox One and PS 4, even with a laptop-made, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card the rendering of most games tested scored positive in favor of the Alienware Alpha. Put side by side with the console counterparts, the lower end Alpha models did seem to fall a little behind on frames per second, occasionally recording slight hiccups in FPS or drops.

The Alpha has been gifted with 4 USB slots, two 2.0 on the front for your keyboard and mouse where necessary, and two 3.0 on the back, possibly to compliment the external storage, if the 500 GB of space you get for the lower end version and the 2 TB on the high-end is not enough space for you. Alongside the USBs, the console includes both HDMI in and out ports, similar to the Xbox One.

Gaming Experience Compared to PCs & Consoles

Looking at the Alienware Alpha from some perspectives, the device really does feel like it’s in its alpha stage of development. While the Origin concerns forcing you to switch to the Windows desktop in order to be able to install and run Electronics Arts games such as Titanfall and Crysis 3 are being addressed and patches are incoming every other week or month.

A lot of games seem to not be optimized for the way the Alpha works, forcing you to tinker around with the options and customizations until you actually manage to reach a satisfying display since PC games tend to assume you have less capable hardware than you actually do. Voice chat is definitely possible but still requires you to set it up from the Windows desktop – which, once again, requires a mouse and keyboard to operate.

Image Source: Best of Micro

Another aspect where the Alienware Alpha lacks is the fact that you cannot turn your system on from your couch. Until a fix in installed for this particular issue, Alienware recommended using sleep mode for the console, since it can be woken up by a simple press of a button on the connected controller. Some users, however, have reported issues with this backup plan, claiming their audio would be completely muted upon waking the system up.

There are a few other differences between the Alienware Alpha and its console counterparts still. Xbox One and PS4 offer Blu-eray drives, media apps, livestream for your games and more complex and varied ways of chatting with your friends – both in writing and in voice.

The Alpha cannot play movies in the console mode, has no optical drive, does get access to media as long as you install it in Windows mode but never directly from Steam. A direct live-streaming option from Steam Big Picture is not possible, but once again it can be done if you choose to do it via Twitch from Windows Mode, just like you would on your regular gaming desktop or laptop device.

Chatting has to go through the same “through Windows first” pass, really defining the “wannabe console” concept that still resides at the bottom of the Alienware Alpha.

Verdict: Alienware Alpha is Worth the Effort

From many points of view, the Alpha really does feel like it has been rushed into the slightest. If you are willing to put up with a little more work to set things up and get used to the way the device works, the payoff is pretty immense. Performance-wise, chances are the Alpha is going to make you way happier than you would expect, and couch-potatoing in front of your favorite PC games instead of sitting at your desk for it in front of a limited in size screen is slated to win as well.

Updates are happening all the time, and while the Alienware Alpha cannot afford to proclaim itself the console killer it was originally designed to be, it holds a very solid foundation to build its kingdom on. The company is promising plenty of upgrades including faster performance, faster boot times, more diverse functionality, and more accessible user-computer interaction.

Image Source: PCMag Au

They are also accepting and appreciating user opinion and feedback on their support page which you can access directly here.

In comparison to consoles, the Alpha appears to be a lot quieter and sinks in 2 to 3 times less power usage than its console counterparts. The way that it was built also prevents an unfeasible amount of overheating during heavy load, allowing the performance in game to remain leveled and jitter less than we normally experience on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

Other downsides reported by users so far also include the current hard disk and GPU options. The hard drives offered even for the high end versions of the Alienware Alpha do not exceed the SATA 5400 rpm status which can really end up dragging down on performance at one point. The other complaint of sorts that users have had against the company’s hardware choices for the Alpha is the relatively limited laptop-model graphics processing unit.

There is no news from the developer whether a full-fledged GPU would at any point be implemented into the device, but it is clear that it would overhaul the processing quality of games at a level that would hardly be contested by the Xbox One and PS4 markets.

The conclusion is that the Alienware Alpha is not a console replacement. Yet. It has done a lot of great things to challenge the status quo of the gaming world and there is no doubt it’s on the right path to go. This is a product meant to appease PC gamers who are looking for an alternative, more pleasurable way to enjoy their favorite controller-driven titles in a more comfortable, high quality manner.

Smartphone Technology Advances with the New Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Processor

December 17, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

The American global semiconductor company Qualcomm recently revealed the latest mobile device processor unit chip, the Snapdragon 810, meant to be hosted in 2015’s new flagship smartphones and tablets. It was first announced in April 2014, along with rumors of how the 810 model was going to mark several milestones in the industry. Now that the secret is out, Qualcomm is making a statement about the company’s attempt to bring mobile devices closer than ever to desktops and gaming consoles.

The latest chip revealed by the producer is designed for premium tablets and mobile phones destined primarily for devices coming out in early 2015. The company’s course of action was different for this upgrade, in comparison to previous ones. Instead of the regular focus on speed upgrades, Qualcomm decided to take a detour and focus on developing other applications of the Snapdragon 810.

Image Source: https://images.dailytech.com/

They have stated that the company has started viewing the market from a different angle – instead of focusing on just making their chips faster, they have started working on improving the technology as a whole and plan to make a move towards other gadgets in the future. Qualcomm might become a name present in not just mobile phones and tablets, but we soon might be seeing it in cars, home appliances, servers, wearables such as health trackers and smartwatches and much more. So by designing and pushing forwards in the area of LTE chipsets, Qualcomm is also developing into an Intel-dominated market, relying on a different, completely new perspective that might change the future of cloud storage prices.

But back to our main focus here – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. Its promised features are a surprising leap upwards from its predecessors, the Snapdragon 805 and Snapdragon 808 SoC that have found their way in this year’s market leading smartphones and tablets, along with Apple’s Ax processing technology.

The chip’s goal is not just being faster, but brings a staggering improvement on battery life and supports 4K video in its entirety. It is officially the first 64-bit processor developed and put in practice that will finally allow the RAM capacities on handheld mobile devices to leap forward, starting with 4 GB of memory and above.

Here is a short, basic overview over what the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 launches will be bringing us start 2015:

Superior camera: better photos and camera features, like UbiFocus and ChromaFlash and HDR video;
Better video: Ultra HD capture and playback at low power;
New ways to interact: voice activation, ultrasound pen, gestures;
Superior modem 3x20MHz Carrier Aggregation with CAT6 at 300Mbps;
Better GPS: low cost and low power integration supporting global constellations;
Faster WiFi Speeds: 2-stream 802.11ac;
Longer battery life: 20nm process, LPDDR4 Memory, Advanced Power Management, Advanced Packaging
Higher Performace: Optimized ARMv8/64-bit Adreno 430;
Superior voice quality: HD voice, Fluence^TM noise cancellation.

The Snapdragon 810 chipset has moved on from the usual Krait CPUs and uses ARM’s big.little architecture and is comprised of a combination of four Cortex-A57 cores that run at an approximate 2GHz speed and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.55GHz. While Qualcomm has made it known that they believe in the concept that says the efficiency / quality ratio is much more important than number of cores, they don’t seem to be backing off from packing octa-core components in their technology.

Image Source: cdn

The combination of 2 types of cores gives the host device the ability to switch between 2 cores when it is required in order to hold a symmetry between power and stability. This is the reason Qualcomm is adopting this technology, which in essence ultimately improves battery life for the device. The battery life is really one of the most considerable challenges mobile devices have to deal with these days, in their transition into fully capable computer-replacing gadgets.

So what is Qualcomm’s take on graphics? Well, the Snapdragon 810 also features an Adreno 430 GPU for some pretty outstanding capabilities and a recorded 30 percent improve in graphics performance over the previous model. The GPU is stated to support programmable blending, geometry shaders and OpenGL ES 3.1 hardware tessellation, which – together with the octa-core Snapdragon 810 – would increase the graphics performance but also reduce power consumption by nearly 20 percent.

What this entails is that the gaming market would be given ample possibilities to expand overnight into the mobile market starting with the launch of more and more Snapdragon 810 and subsequent models of the processing unit. All this could ultimately mean smart devices could be making a transition into portable, half-sized gaming gear sometime into the future.

Considering the chip also supports 4k video means both recording and streaming video directly to a big-screen TV but also gives mobile device developers the possibility of incorporating much sharper image screens in their devices. The video processor is the first of its kind to incorporate a hardware H.265 encoder that finally gives the Snapdragon 810 the edge in both capturing and driving a 4k screen. High detail, richer pictures, and delivering 4k video at 30 FPS (frames per second) is possible via the new technology.

Recording can also be done at 1080p video quality, and in that case could reach up to 120 frames per second. In what concerns the camera power that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 will be able to bring to the market is 14-bit camera dual image signal processors which only means full HDR video and camera sensors that could be going as high as 55 megapixels.

Image Source: https://static.androidnext.de/

One of the other new features that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 takes on is the bandwidth capabilities it brings. It adds support for LTE Category 9 Carrier Aggregation connectivity. In other words and based on what we have seen so far, the processor will be able to push the limits of mobile downloading speed up to 300 Mbps over three 20 MHz LTE carriers.

his is a considerable increase from its previous Snapdragon 805 model that can, at this point, only go as far as 150 Mbps. However, this 100 percent increase in download speed does not only rely on hardware potential, but also on carriers and their supported maximum data transfer speed. Qualcomm announced in a statement that this will be the first premium tier 64-bit processor to enable LTE Advanced globally with a single design

The original demonstration of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset was made on a custom designed reference tablet-like device only available to developers, but seized the opportunity to showcase another interesting trait of the possibilities that Snapdragon 810-powered devices would be bringing in the new year. What we are talking about here is the Corephotonics’ dual-lens camera which opens the path to optical zooming in mobile devices.

Image Source: https://www.loadthegame.com/

Digital zoom, which is the technique incorporated by most devices these days simply relies on in-camera image processing by enlarging the image area of choice, at the cost of image resolution and quality. Optical zoom however relies on the same technology film cameras use, but has until now been relatively limited in small devices such as smartphones and tablets. Ever since this year’s Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm has discussed the chances of making this technology available through their products and now, it seems that it’s nearly ready to go live.

With the zoom lens, a camera could achieve a 3x zoom in photos without losing any quality or crispness of the photo. So firstly, we learned that we are dealing with a potential replacement for gaming gear, now cameras. And this is only the beginning, so what’s next?

As a last addition to the seemingly endless possibilities of the Snapdragon 810 comes the audio versatility that it would bring. The fact that it supports Dolby’s new mobile Atmos sound technology, giving way to simulating surround sound in headsets is one of them. Voice commands are given some priority as well, the sensors picking up more and being constantly online, even if the display is turned off.

Sound and video recording in places where background noise is present is also made easier. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 implements the ability to suppress background noise automatically by only pointing the hosting smartphone or tablet towards the source and taking over from there.

Image Source: anandtech

So now comes the greatest question, being murmured on every person’s lips: which phones and tablets will be incorporating the new Snapdragon 810? The year is nearly over and companies are wrapping up tablet production, settling for reaping the benefits of 2014’s great results. We have had an amount of impressive tablet names come out this year, such as the iPad Air 2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Google’s Nexus 9, and native hybrids such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and ASUS Transformer Book T100 – which proved in a nonchalant finger snap that tablets are the future and probable replacement of laptops.

However, until further announcements (or leaks, why not?), there’s no telling yet whether the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 will be honoring any tablet release in the next few months. In what concerns smartphones, we know a couple of things.

Image Source: https://www.nextpowerup.com/

Once again, this information relies on official statements and announcements, leaks but also common sense and deduction. While the enigmatic reply from the company was that the new chip will be hosted in early 2015 releases does not exactly give out any certain names, we can go as far as figuring out which actual releases it could be referring to. Three of the largest titles that stand out and on the way to the market in 2015’s first semester are the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 and Sony Xperia Z4. Should you be excited? Definitely, since they will be the first of their kind to incorporate the power of the new-generation processing unit.

Samsung Galaxy S6

A 5.5” 2,560 x 1,440 Quad High Definition display awaits in the Samsung Galaxy S6, sporting a display resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio with 4 times as many pixels as the 720p HDTV video standard. Powered by the Snapdragon 810, it will be getting 4 GB of RAM, a 20 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front facing one.

The Galaxy S6 will be coming with 3 storage size variants, either 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB of space, not giving up the microSD slot either, giving users an impressive amount of space for your apps, music, photos, videos and anything else you could think of.

The feature that has stirred most enthusiastic turmoil in the world of smartphones however is the Galaxy S6’s rumored design. Attempted before in the Galaxy Note 4 Edge and originally planned for the phablet but partially scrapped at the last moment is the curved edge screen.

The experimental technology could be put to use at a higher potential in the S6, giving the phone 2 strips of curved glass on the sides that will give way to new directions in phone developing in the future. We do not yet know whether the curved edge design is a main feature of the S6 or whether the smartphone will be coming in two variants, both regular and curved, just like the Galaxy Note 4.

HTC One M9

Early December leaks speak of a new HTC model, also known as HTC Hima. The message was short and cramped and packed a series of impressive stats and features. Expected to be brought to all the carriers in the United States sometime in March next year, is a powerful successor to the M8 model that will make the best of the new Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system as well.

It is rumored to be bringing us 3 GB of RAM, a 5.2 inch display with FHD resolution, either 64 or 128 GB of storage space and a 2,840 mAh battery.

The HTC One M9 might be the first to experiment with Snapdragon 810’s camera-related capabilities as it is rumored to be bringing a 13 megapixel or UltraPixel 4MP front camera, along with the 20.7 megapixel rear camera.

Sony Xperia Z4

The third title in the flagship device category scheduled for “early 2015” releases is a 5.5 inch screen display that also makes use of the QHD 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. The RAM records are also pushed with the new Sony Xperia Z4, also said to be getting no less than 4 GB of memory.

Storage will be getting some attention too, going up to 32 GB of internal storage over the regular 16 GB. No news on a front facing camera, but the regular one will not be going below the 20.7 megapixel usual. Android Origin rumors are suggesting that the Xperia Z4 will be dedicating audio some extra grams of attention, including in its construction a dedicated amp, with a strong stress on audio quality.

12 Days of Deals Make for Happy Microsoft Shoppers [Real-Time Updates]

December 15, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Microsoft is right on schedule with its yearly Christmas promotion, “12 Days of Deals”. If you haven’t taken advantage of it yet, you still have almost an entire week left to browse around and take advantage of the remaining offers. The promotion started on the 8^th of December and will not be over until the 21^st.

The way this works is pretty straight forward: Microsoft will offer a special, unique deal every other day for the entire 12-day duration leading up to the holidays, in a limited stock. This year’s theme seems to be top technology gadgets and devices – laptops, tablets, 2-in-1 PCs, and much more.

Some offers will certainly catch your eye, but be wary! The sale starts every day at 8AM ET with a limited amount of items, so hurrying up might be a good idea or you risk missing out on some really great offers.

So far, Microsoft’s offers have been more than generous, ranging from tablets to unlocked phones and even video games.

Day 1 of Deals

Day 1 of the offer, on December 8^th was a Toshiba Encore Mini tablet that you could get for just $79.00 – instead of the regular $119.00 – and would earn you a free 16GB Micro SD card included in the package. The tablet comes already packed with the latest Windows 8.1 version in 32-bit variant, planning to give you power and efficiency packed into a handy 7-inch, widescreen display tablet.

The Toshiba Encore Mini is meant to help you with most aspects of your life – check your emails, communicate with friends, family and coworkers, watch movies, play games or shop online. It can do it all, and it does it well, incorporating powerful multitasking capabilities. To top it off, Microsoft is offering a year long subscription to Office 365 for the tablet, to help keep you in touch with your work when it needs to be done on-the-go. The package includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and 1 TB of OneDrive online to keep your documents safe and available between all of your devices.

The technical specifications of the Toshiba Encore Mini will work brilliantly with whatever you choose to do, the tablet packing an Intel Atom Z3735G 1.33 GHz processor that includes the Intel Burst Technology up to 1.83 GHz. While there is only 1 GB of RAM, it’s DDR3L-RS class at 1333 MHz frequency. The tablet is also complimented by a 16GB SSD hard drive that will ensure fast data transfer between your devices. Communication is made easier on the tablet just as well with the addition of two cameras, both rear and front, rendering video calls an easy thing to do.

Day 2 of Deals

Day 2 offered the first-comers an unlocked BLU Win HD Phone for the price of $129.00 instead of the regular $179. This is probably one of the most affordable Windows phones you can get. The 5 inch display and bold quad-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 200 processor compliment the colorful phone and allow it to stand out as one of the best deals you can get, be it during the 12 Days of Deals, or otherwise.

Its 8 GB of storage can be easily expanded through micro SD cards of up to 32 GB and, unlike so many other smartphones out there, this one does have a dual SIM capacity, allowing you to operate under 2 phone numbers from the same phone, regardless of carrier.

Naturally, the BLU Win HD Phone also comes with the latest Windows Phone 8.1 Update, bringing several features to the table such as Word Flow, Wi-Fi Sense and Live Folders, alongside with the new Windows personal assistant Cortana.

Other tech specs include 1 GB of RAM, the 5 inch IPS HD capacitive touchscreen with a 1280 x 720 resolution, at 294 pixels per inch and 16 million colors, and dual cameras: an 8 megapixel camera with autofocus capabilities on the back, and a 2 megapixel one on the front meant to make video conferences possible off of your mobile device.

Day 3 of Deals

Changed the tone of the sales slightly and focused on a different side of the tech market: video games and consoles. People who visited the Microsoft 12 Days of Deals web store after 8 AM were able to get a brand new Xbox One Console with a $50 off promotion, alongside a free game for the console. The game offers were rather limited but still popular titles such as the latest Destiny, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare or the lighter Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare for Xbox One.

Only two models of the Xbox One were part of the offer on December 10^th however, the brand new 500 GB Xbox One including a wireless controller and chat headset, or the refurbished Xbox One with Kinect that also allowed you access to two game downloads: Dance Central Spotlight and Ryse: Son of Rome.

Day 4 of Deals

Microsoft decided to take it up a notch in its fourth day of promotion by offering one of the more impressive hybrid tablet ASUS T100 Baytrail. This is the kind of device that will wink at you if you’re undecided about getting a tablet or a laptop.

Firstly, it runs the full Windows 8.1 version, not the RT, cut-down alternative of the operating system. Secondly, its hardware power is not something to be taken lightly – a quad-core 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Bay Trail Z3740 processor is complimented by 2 GB of RAM memory, both of which will contribute to something the Asus Transformer Book T100

Day 5 of Deals

Gave a little attention to audio devices by releasing a convenient sale for the Jambox Mini – a wireless Bluetooth speaker released by Jawbone that you can connect nearly any mobile device to play your tunes at a high sound quality. The Mini Jambox is a simple gadget that gets updated through your mobile phone or tablet; any improvements brought to the technology are rendered through the Jawbone App that gets constant updates and tweaks to its functionality.

The Mini Jambox was put on sale at a price of $69, $60 less than its regular price.

Day 6 of Deals

The promotion took another turn towards the gaming community on December 13^th when Xbox One games such as Sledgehammer Games’ Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Bungie’s Destiny were released at particularly low prices – $29.99.

Day 7 of Deals

Two days ago was the 7^th day of the 12 Days of Deals and we are back on track with hardware and technology. The offer of the day involves a sleek, unlocked affordable Nokia Lumia 635, sold at just $179.00. The Lumia is the first phone that came with the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, featuring Cortana – the new personal assistant that learns what you like or need and develops on the way.

It does not fail to bring another new feature of the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system – the Word Flow keyboard that will make typing easier than ever.

Image Source: https://cnet2.cbsistatic.com/

The 16:9 aspect ratio of the 4.5 inch screen will ensure that you can watch all the media you desire on the Nokia ClearBlack Technology display. But that is not the only thing the Nokia Lumia 635 smartphone can do, packing a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processing unit itself and 512 MB of RAM. Sure, it won’t be your laptop replacement but can easily get most of the job done, wherever you are.

The phone comes with 8 GB of storage memory, and another 7 GB you can get for free via cloud storage on OneDrive to keep your documents, photos, videos and other files safe and backed up. Both cameras of the phone – back and front – incorporate continuous autofocus technology and will make video streaming as comfortable and clear as it can get.

The offer starts at 8AM ET this morning where you will be able, for a limited amount of time, to get this phone for $129, unlocked and with no commitments whatsoever.

Day 8 of Deals

Starting tomorrow, December 15^th, you will still have 4 days’ worth of chances to take advantage of the 12 Days of Deals Microsoft is throwing out this year.

On the eight day of deals Microsoft customers could enjoy a 200$ discount for the coveted Asus TransformerBook. In other words, the price of the device dropped from 499.99$ to 299.99$. This was one of the best deals.

Specs for the ASUS TransformerBook

15.6-inch HD touchscreen
Intel Core i3-4030U

4GB memory/500GB HDD
Up to 5 hours battery life

The company hasn’t made any statement as to what the offers in the following days will be, preferring to keep it a surprise for every morning of the promotion. However, prior leaks have made their way out here and there, and while they were never confirmed in an official manner, most have turned out to be true.

There is a complete lack of information regarding one of the days of the promotion, even originating leaks not having been able to cover it. Does this mean Microsoft has a bigger surprise for us? We will have to wait and see what the 17^th of December has is store for us.

If you have only found out about this promotion now, don’t worry. While products that have already been on sale have little chance of returning on the first page, there are plenty other that might suit your needs or make for a wonderful last minute present. If you want to get ready to catch an early start and maybe get to take advantage of the deals, here’s a speculated list of what is there to pop up on the 12 Days of Deals webpage these days:

ASUS Flip 15.6” for $399 – December 15^thonly
Fitbit Charge + Yurbuds for $129 – December 16^th only
HP pavilion x2 10.1” 1366 x 768 Atom for #249 – December 18^th only
12-Month long Xbox Music Subscription for $49.90 – a 50% off deal that will come online on the last day of the promotion, December 19^th.

In the meantime however, the Microsoft promotional website is up for careful inspection and more information on products and other deals.

Direct link to the promotion: click here

Shipping information: click here

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumor Roundoup & Design Concepts

December 15, 2014 By Roxanne Briean 1 Comment

It is nothing unusual anymore, getting new smartphones to be excited about every other month. And we have certainly had a very busy year in 2014, with amazing phones and tablets coming out to impress us with new processors, state-of-the-art cameras and dazzling displays.

Considering Samsung’s regular annual plan, with the Galaxy Note 4 freshly out since September this year and the Samsung Galaxy Alpha delivering some fixes and apologies for the faults of the Galaxy S5, nobody felt overly surprised when rumors of a Galaxy S6 started travelling around.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: galaxys6updates.com/)

Ever since the Galaxy S6 was officially revealed by Samsung, there has been plenty of speculation regarding specs and its ready to impress design. The enthusiastically awaited iPhone 6 rival is not expected to show up until spring of 2015, now known under the name “Project Zero”. The smartphone is believed to be bringing an upgraded screen and recently revealed processors.

Taking into account Samsung’s clockwork-like release schedule, with MWC 2015 to be held between March 2^nd and March 5^th we have reason to believe there is a good chance the new phone will be released with that occasion. Or alternatively, that we would at least hear a confirmation of the release date during the manufacturer’s press conference.

On another note however, it’s no secret that Samsung’s profits in 2014 have been dwindling and looking at a 60% drop in annual earnings right now, so a timely release that jumps out of the rhythm might be just the thing they need to pull out to the surface.

So the information that we have right now is split in two grand categories: things we know and things that have been rumored. Surely there’s no reason to say that some of the rumors do not hold ground, but it is probably wiser to only take official news for granted. So let us start with what we know.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Facts & Specs

Display

The super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen seems to be a favored technology for most, if not all recent Samsung devices, and one of the best on the market.

For that reason the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be adopting it itself. Following several leaked benchmarking results from the Chinese website cnmo.com we seem to be looking at a 2,560 x 1,440 QHD display with an over 16 million color capacity. QHD – a feature that stands for Quad High Definition – is a display resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio that has four times as many pixels as the 720p HDTV video standard.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: samsungalaxys7.com)

This 1440p technology has been already embraced by the LG G3 released earlier this year and is used in several laptop models, along with the latest Galaxy Note 4. The size of the display seems to have been decided upon and no less than a 5.5” one, set at 534 pixel density.

Hardware & Power

In April this year, Qualcomm processing unit developer revealed its latest Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 processors, announcing them as being the planned technology for “early 2015 releases”. They are 64-bit processors running on 6 and 8 cores respectively, promising outstanding battery life and performance. According to Qualcomm, the processing units allow UHD 4k ultra video, up to 55-megapixel cameras and a calculated 20 percent boost in graphical performance.

While Qualcomm hardware has been a priority choice when it comes to processors, there is a strongly viable alternative for the Samsung Galaxy S6 – the Exynos 7 that is an octa-core CPU, sporting 4 Cortex-A57 and 4 Cortex-A53 cores. This could be an alternative for different markets, as it has been hinted at by SamMobile and other sources. While there is no actual information on how much RAM will be put in the Samsung Galaxy S6, 64-bit processors are capable to sustain and actually function best with 4 GB of RAM or above. But that is a milestone that that we might be thinking of a little too early.

The Galaxy S6 will be coming with 3 storage variants – 32, 64 and 128GB. While the possibility of a microSD slot has been hinted at and judging by past experience of the company’s products, there is no definite confirmation of it being included in the final device.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: samsungsvi.com)

Reports from South Korea however have mentioned a new type of flash memory – commonly known as UFS (Universal Flash Storage) – that might be incorporated in this much expected smartphone. Universal flash storage will be offering the possibility of higher speed, low power drain in comparison to SD cards and integration into embedded applications.

The camera specs that we have heard of up until now are not even close to modest: 20 megapixel camera with a dual shot feature, simultaneous HD video and image recording, touch focus and up to 4,992 x 3,744 resolution images. The secondary, front facing camera does not fall off short of the standards either at 5 MP, 1080p quality video at 30 frames per second, with a dual video call feature.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumors & Speculation

Mind you, this is just leaked information which you would normally not have much reason to believe but several sources suggest this information holds ground to actually be real. However, until Samsung makes any official statement or announcement, do take this information with a grain of salt.

Connectivity

There has been a report by South Korean online publication Naver according to which Samsung is developing a tri-band LTE Cat. 10 modem for the Exynos chips (no mention of the Qualcomm ones though). These modems would make your smartphone go as fast as 450Mbps, 150 more Mbps than the current Cat. 6 standard.

Sure, the technology implications behind this are quite costing and wouldn’t just naturally make your phone as fast as your fiber internet connection on your desktop, the speed sadly relying a lot on the carriers and the maximum data transfer speeds they support.

Screen & Phone Design

The design of the phone seems to be the subject most people choose to discuss about, heavily fueled by recent leaks and rumors. Let’s start with the lighter portions of it. It would appear that Samsung has decided to give up the plastic exteriors in exchange for something that inspires more quality.

Seeing metal in the phone’s design would be a welcomed change, even if it would turn out to be a few grams more taxing then the regular mold. Rumors do speak of graphene as one of the materials used in elements of its design – sleek, elegant, clever but expensive.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: www.concept-phones.com/)

The largest source of excitement however is the possibility of a curved, “edge” screen. To be more precise in regards to what we mean by “edge”, just take a look at the Galaxy Note 4 Edge. The right hand side of the screen extends to the very edge of the phone, slanting and curbing into a special zone that will display your notifications and whatnot. It is rumored that the Galaxy S6 will be adopting not one, but two of the edges for its display.

There’s enough reason to believe that too: in an interview with the IHD Technology analyst Jerry Kang, it has been revealed that the model was planned for the Galaxy Note 4 Edge was supposed to have dual-edges but that Samsung, at the 11^th hour decided to scrap the design idea and supposedly save it for the Galaxy S6.

That, and technological limitations that butted in and would have otherwise delayed the project much longer made the mobile device giant to think it over twice and postpone the innovative idea.

Now, rumors do split in two different directions. One would suggest that the dual-edge screen is a main feature of the new device, while the other one suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be coming in two different versions, much like the Galaxy Note 4: one with a classic design while the other would incorporate the curved edge shape.

That not only sounds realistic, but easily understandable at the same time. The curved edge of the Galaxy Note 4 is notoriously interesting, but it does come at a hefty price. The Edge version of the phone will burn an extra $150 hole in your pocket.

Not to mention that most users have not felt very compelled by the new design, claiming it was a bit strange to get accustomed to, that holding the phone felt uncomfortable and getting used to navigating a menu off the side of a phone took a considerable amount of time. We can only speculate in what way Samsung would decide to put a dual-edged screen to use.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: samsungsvi.com)

But that lets us question what the classic version would entail. It has been stated by the company that the Galaxy S6 is meant to be a breath of fresh air for both consumers and the business itself. The reason the project was named “Project Zero”, instead of the usual “Project J/K/L/etc.” pattern is that Samsung is rethinking everything all over again, starting from scratch with their phone design.

Maybe the curved screen would get a second chance. While the curved, concave screen that we have seen before in other electronics such as television sets does definitely have its advantages such as keeping a larger-sized screen in an easy-to-hold phone, it does not really fit into the complete revamp ideology.

Questions continue to arise and sadly we will have to satisfy our curiosity with speculation until an official statement will clear it up for us.

Battery

If you think of the bold hardware overhaul we are looking at in, however still mostly speculated, Samsung Galaxy S6 it’s understandable to feel worried about the battery life that we will be expecting to get from it. Sure, the new chip and processors are sworn to be optimized into lesser power drainage, but until developers find a reliable way to power up phones using natural sources, high performance will continue to be taxing on power usage.

Design Concept for Samsung Galaxy S6 (Image Source: gadgetmaxim.com/)

Upon hearing news of the phone being water and dust resistant for prolonged amounts of time, users have expressed some fear and resentment towards the possibility of the phone having a completely sealed case, not a very common trait in most Samsung devices but still not out of the question.

Conclusion

Rumors will continue to flow from all directions over the following 3 months for sure. Right now, there’s very little we can be 100% certain of, despite the leaks and the scattered hints that the company is throwing us here and there.

What is certain, nevertheless, is that the Samsung Galaxy S6 is meant to be a revolutionary device, ready to rewrite the series’ history and wipe away the company’s less-than-what-was-promised Galaxy S5 release. We can only hope and make the best of what we know so far. Only time will tell.

Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Plans Revealed for HTC One M7 & M8

December 15, 2014 By Roxanne Briean 10 Comments

It has been a whole month since the eagerly awaited Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system update has been released, bringing a new visual layout, performance optimization improvements and power usage efficiency to Android devices.

It was a surprise announcement confirmed and released at the same time with the Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9, somewhere during mid-October. It was followed by Google finally making its source code available on November 3^rd, thus marking the official release for general availability and a green light for manufacturers to start implementing it on their devices.

Image Source: www.ibtimes.co.uk

Anyone who has already upgraded their OS to Android 5.0 Lollipop will be able to tell you all the good things that the update came up with. It is surely one of the most important releases in terms of operating systems, revamping the whole idea behind the interface that Android devices display to their users and its corresponding features.

Designs and Features for Android Lollipop 5.0

It would appear that developers have given up on some of the features that stuck with the previous variants the whole way, since its inception. Instead, as soon as you make the upgrade, you are greeted by a clean, simple interface that does not hold back on the premium, elegant feeling.

The new menu feels familiar and yet, refreshed and different – while the grid idea stays even in the new operating system, it now flies out like a window on the Nexus 9, with a more bi-dimensional artwork to it.

Developers have named the style Material Design, which focuses on the way the fundamentals of light, surface and movement are keys to how objects move and interact in relation to each other. The system is not heavy on shadowing, but the more simplistic fashion is still bringing several animation flourishes that maintain the feel of the operating system far from boring.

Personalization has always been a strong point of Android operating systems, and the Android Lollipop really takes the crown in that department. The simplistic looking interface became easier to use than ever, letting you have a shot at customizing your own, personal, version of it.

The notification system has gone through its own metamorphosis process, now behaving less intrusive than before, and joining the quick settings buttons in the pull-down menu in an intuitive way. The lock screen is happy to display new functionality as well, now presenting a drop-down like menu for the notifications, replacing the hidden swipe-down function of older Android OS versions.

Important information has never been easier to access without even having to unlock your phone, a change that mimics the iOS to some extent. On top of that, the notification system is now highly customizable itself, letting you choose what shows, when it shows and where it shows most of the time.

Seamless Performance for Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 Lollipop feels responsive on more than one level. One would be the dynamics in the lock screen – most gestures will probably earn you a reaction in some way, making the operating system feel very interactive and capable. On another level, we would be discussing system performance on the upgraded operating system.

While it was expected that the Lollipop would run like a well-oiled machine on the new Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 that brought it into the spotlight, due to it being heavily optimized for that family of technical specifications, there was some concern regarding older models.

Thankfully, due to the less loaded, simplistic and light nature of the Android 5.0 Lollipop, older devices running on as low as 512 MB of RAM have shown no complaints so far, manufacturers making sure to give this wonderful option to lower-end devices just as well as high-end ones.

Image Source: https://b-m.mx/

The camera and recording component is also getting plenty of love from the new operating system, the application that goes with it having gone through an almost complete revamp itself. It still goes by the general rule that seems to guide the direction in which Android 5.0 Lollipop is heading – less clutter, more space and comprehensive usage for your delight. The camera app is showing off some new features such as the Photo Sphere, Panorama mode and the Lens Blur and many more optimization options to go with your usual photo snapping and video recording. Changing resolution, quality levels and location data are all part of the customization process of your camera usage, whether you will be using this on new Android releases or older models.

All in all, there’s not much we can say against the Lollipop upgrade for Android devices. Not only that it brings a much-needed visual and functional upgrade to existent devices, but it managed to improve performance and battery life altogether, boost up security and pave up the way towards the next generation of smartphones. The latest OS upgrade really does show promise and with the updates and preemptive introduction of support for files and development tools leads us to believe the developers are proud of it and that the Android 5.0 Lollipop is here to stay for a long time.

Android 5.0 Lollipop Says Hello to HTC One M7 & HTC One M8

Flagship Android device owners were able to rejoice on Wednesday when the company push-released the latest, most expected operating system update over-the-air, thus starting a two-week phase in which most HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 users can finally get their hands on the upgrade.

It has barely been out for less than a few days and we are already being shown the 5.0.1 version that seems to be bringing a few bug fixes and minor tweaks to the original version, proving – in case we needed proving – that developers are showing very high hopes for this operating system. It is the biggest upgrade we have seen in a very long time, if not ever, and will surely be hosted on the new, surprise devices incoming as soon as the next year starts. With no time to spare, let’s take a look at how the new operating system has been dealing with its implementation on HTC devices so far.

Image Source: theunlockr.com

The update can be grabbed over-the-air, meaning you can download it straight from your settings menu and apply it whenever you feel fit. Although there have been some leaked versions of the Android 5.0 Lollipop travelling before the update release, we can only speak of the changes on the latest, official download of the operating system.

Judging by the state of things that the HTC One Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade entails, the update seems to be well in its final developing and testing phase. The promise that most recent Android smartphones will receive an upgrade to the new operating system in no more than 90 days starting with the moment it’s sent in code to manufacturers might prove to take less than expected, given how far the Android 5.0 Lollipop has already come.

Some of the HTC users might however find themselves embarking on a little longer wait, as Google Play Edition devices won’t be released until this Friday. The delay was caused by several attention-worthy bugs that could not be let go, in spite of the system still being in testing phase.

The screenshots and opinions of the few who managed to get their hands on the update do give us some insight into what we should expect from this operating system update on HTC devices. The OS seems to have kept the best of both worlds: the lock screen looks very similar to what we have been used to, minus the notification system that pops up to show off the new flexibility of the software. Important information and events can be viewed without unlocking your HTC, a simple swipe taking you to the corresponding application upon unlocking, or marking it as read – depending on your preference.

The drop-down menu seems to have made it safely to the HTC devices as well, allowing you to view the notifications with a two-finger pull-down, or accessing many of the quick settings with a regular drag. The design of the menus seem to rely on hues of gray or classic white, and swiping through them brings out the new Android 5.0 Lollipop animations into focus. A very clever Easter egg has been added to the operating system, which can be easily accessed from your settings.

Image Source: androidandme.com

If you go to your About Phone menu and hold a tap on the Lollipop listing as current operating system, you’re in for a surprise. This launches an application that’s your Lollipop-customized, Android-tested and approved version of Flappy Bird – even more difficult than the original.

There’s no telling if this is planned to stay as more devices receive the Lollipop update, but it sure is a very entertaining, hidden feature.

The security feature that allows you to create a temporary, guest account on your phone in a similar manner to how accounts work on Windows computers, is a very nice addition to the device. It can be accessed from the drag-down menu of your HTC and takes less than seconds to set up.

Wrapping up…

Animations are subtle yet omnipresent, which gives the HTC a more animated feel in comparison to what we’ve been used to so far. The device did not appear to have any problems running as smoothly as technology can give you nowadays.

While the operating system is bringing some tweaks to power usage, reckless on-screen time with display brightness set all the way up did not reward us with more than 6 hours until the battery was starting to demand a charger’s attention.

Not very different from what any regular smartphone user is accustomed to, but taking all of the customizations and options the Android 5.0 Lollipop gives you to reduce batter drain, you could be looking at not having to charge your phone for a very long time in moderate-usage conditions.

As of right now, all HTC One M8/M7 model users can proceed to download the Lollipop update to their device, other HTC models still awaiting official release of the operating system.

Considering the 90 day update promise that was started on November 3^rd, most of us should be looking at the next 2 months for potential updates. What we do know is that HTC is working hard on the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for all of its devices, and on a new look to the HTC Sense.

Halo, Destiny & Other Xbox One Games go on Sale on Amazon

December 13, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

As we’re nearing the end of the year 2014, it’s time for sales, deals and offers to make their way towards other parts of the market. Xbox One has exceeded any other console sales since it was released in November 2013 and was officially acclaimed as the leading console of the year, making developers everywhere not have a second thought at releasing their titles on the console.

Microsoft and Amazon have taken it upon themselves to bring various Xbox One titles to the online shop in markets that haven’t received that much attention in the past. The offer is varied and broad, 20, 30 or even 40% off deals popping up all over the Internet. Microsoft, Amazon, Kotaku and Steam are only a few examples.

So for a limited time only, Xbox one on Amazon is offering a handful of releases that you can grab at a staggeringly low price. Microsoft is having a special offer that will start every day at 8AM for 12 days that will ensure you will have your favorite games and electronics by Christmas.

Here are a few of the biggest titles you will be able to get your hands on during these offers.

1. Destiny

Image Source: www.amazon.com

Produced by the same names that made Halo and Call of Duty comes a first person shooter with some role-playing game elements that speaks of a hypothetical Earth where humanity has been stranded in one last remaining city. The outside world, beyond the walls of the city is filled with creatures of untold power. The game leaves you as one of the Guardians of the last safe place on the planet to defend it and reclaim everything that has been lost. You are given incredible abilities in form of weapons, gear and powers to roam this world of mythic science fiction. One thing that makes Destiny stand out is the artwork and graphics – the world surrounding you is breathtaking and spectacular in every single way possible. The level of detail is astounding and will make you stop in awe in your exploration.

The gameplay will, at one point, possibly remind you of other titles such as the Borderlands series – whether we’re talking about the way the game progresses or the multiplayer aspect of it. The missions that will be given to you focus around particular areas and require you to defeat the zone’s incoming monsters or retrieve key items. Despite the mission format of the game, it does feel more open-world oriented at times, the focus moving discreetly on exploration and discovery.

Multiplayer-wise, the game gives you the option of teaming up with 2 more people to take on challenges and more difficult missions or alternatively, the Raid mode meant to form 6-man teams to face off against the most difficult tasks that Destiny has to offer, including complex team fights, puzzles and more.

You can get this game at a discounted price directly from Microsoft or via Amazon at discounted price.

Microsoft 12 Days of Deals: click here

2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Image Source: www.amazon.com

Times have changed since the first release of the Halo series, which has left a mark in its wake. The entire franchise has officially been remastered, packed up in one big batch and released for us to rejoice in its 60 fps beauty. Halo:

The Master Chief Collection delivers the entire story of the iconic Master Chief from start to finish, including Halo 2: Anniversary, maps and campaigns from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4, along with access to the live-action digital series Halo: Nightfall and the soon to come Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta. It was released back on November 11^th this year and has been acclaimed by Master Chief’s fans all over the world.

Made for the Xbox One, this collection will allow you to relive through the ultimate soldier’s greatest adventures, with graphics updated for the new console and CGI-remade cutscenes with the help of Blur Studio. The story that has followed us for so many years is back and remains loyal to the original, and this time accompanied by a series of new achievements, along with free reign of all difficulty and play modes from the very beginning.

Access to the Halo 5 beta will be running from December 27^th 2014 to January 22^nd 2015, and will not receive open beta status, so this might be a unique chance for you to indulge in more Master Chief goodness earlier on.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is being featured on sale for XBox one on Amazon with a great discount.

3. Ryse: Son of Rome

Image Source: www.amazon.com

Considered probably one of the more moving releases of 2014’s fall, Ryse: Son of Rome offers a baffling cinematic experience.. In an age when the Roman Empire is starting to wither, giving room to chaos and depravity, the protagonists’ family is murdered by barbarians right under his eyes. It is your mission and ultimate goal to seek revenge. It is your mission to lead your forces into massive battles to save Rome from threats. It is your mission to rise.

One of the features that the game was acclaimed for as far back as 2013’s E3 is its very realistic, very brutal style of combat. There is little to no dead time in this game, your hero being forced in grueling fighting most of the time. But unlike hack & slash titles that do keep you engaged almost continuously in a flash of special effects and combo streaks, Ryse: Son of Rome combat relies on counters and follow-up strikes, reminding us a little of the Batman Arkham titles.

Graphics are a chapter where Ryse: Son of Rome really shines. Whether it’s the Roman setting that you’re flung into – the Coliseum, domes, arenas – or whether it’s the wilderness of the battlefield that you are trekking through, Crytek seems to have put an outstanding amount of effort in it. Furthermore – and this is probably one of the most impressive traits of the game – is the digital acting that forms the foundation of every single combat scene in the game.

Digital acting is taken to the next level by not leaving it for the central characters alone, rendering the hundreds you defeat in righteous combat expressionless heaps of animated meat. Instead, both your character and every enemy you slay have a wide range of facial expressions that only boosts the original argument pro-Ryse: combat really does take “realistic” to a different level.

4. Battlefield 4

Image Source: www.amazon.com

This one is a classic and we won’t believe anyone who ever says never heard of it. It’s the shooter/action genre defining title that has made a confident statement all throughout its carrier. Combat galore in dynamic destructible environments is never a dull thing, and the developers have surely put in a lot of extra work hours into this particular feature of the game. Everything you touch, shoot, slash or blow up will display spectacular responses. In the gaming world, it is known as Levolution – the ability to change the landscape in real-time with interactive environments.

Battlefield is never a lonely place. The 4^th release of the title is bringing multiplayer to the next level, allowing you to join in armed struggles between up to 65 players. And to make things even better, a series of vehicles bring out more chaos to the all-out battle(field) by air, sea and land making for intense battles.

The graphics quality of this game demands respect. The Frostbite 3 engine does deliver most of what you expect of from the gaming industry, even more than a year later following its release. Effects are rendered extremely well and particle dispersion due to collision and destruction feels unusually realistic. Dynamic weather compliments the sceneries and the audio rendering of the entire game – single or multiplayer – top-notch.

Speaking of single player. It’s easy to forget that the Battlefield series actually also has a single player mode since thousands and thousands of people bustle up to take on each other in multiplayer.

The campaign revolves around a never ending war between America, China and Russia but starts with you being sent alongside your Tombstone Squad on a covert mission in a chaos-ridden Shanghai to extract a group of VIP’s, letting the plot unfold as more mysteries about the superpowers agendas are revealed. But let’s be frank. Who exactly ever bought Battlefield 4 for the single-player campaign? Maybe the same guy who bought WinRAR. Bless him.

5. Dead Rising 3

Image Source: www.amazon.com

Put on your protection glasses, grab a chainsaw and relax because this game I sense was made for venting anger and frustration in a bloody but safe manner, from the quiet comfort of your home. Dead Rising 3 is a game packed with action and ridiculous amount of weapons and character customization where your sole purpose is survival in a world filled with – surprise! – Zombies.

Thousands, no, tens of thousands of the walking dead will give you ample opportunities to try out every single weapon that comes your way, wear whatever goofy outfit you choose and gain all the experience you can muster.

It’s unsure how much of the game you are supposed to take seriously, even the characters of the story displaying a series of inconsistent behavior and ironic replies. There will be a counter at the bottom of your screen that will constantly display the total amount of deaths you’ve caused with your own hands. Zombie deaths that is. Second-deaths. The open-world map will not let you run dry of enemies, swarming with distinctively detailed places for you to explore in this world that has gone through a sudden zombie outbreak.

And because if anything, Left for Dead 2 taught us that the only thing better than holding a gun against a horde of zombies is you and a friend both holding guns against a horde of zombies. Dead Rising 3 is no different; the co-op mode is even more fun than the single-player, marginally increasing the difficulty of the playthrough, but making it more exciting proportional to the increase in zombie numbers.

Its looks don’t particularly challenge graphics giants of the last two years, being a 720p only game but still offers a decent to good graphic quality that will satisfy your curiosity of what it would look like if you slashed a zombie with a light saber. Or ten.

Get it while it’s hot for Xbox One on Amazon,

Surely the list of Xbox One games that is currently in the promotion, at considerable price reductions goes on. Some of the other titles you could get for your console are Need For Speed Rivals, Sunset Overdrive, Kinect Sports Rivals, Forza Horizon 2, Lego Marvel Superheroes, Minecraft, NBA 2K15, Thief, Fighter Within and much, much more. As we are waiting for the holiday video game sales to kick in on the other platforms, Xbox One titles do not seem to have received much attention on other websites yet, so throwing a glance on the list of discounted games you can get for Christmas this year via Xbox One on Amazon is a good starting place for your holiday shopping.

You can find the complete list of discounted games here:

Other Discounts:

– XBox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle – 349.99$ from 399.99$

– Madden NFL 15 Xbox One – 44.99$ from 59.99$

– Lego Marvel Super Heroes XBox One – 19.99$ from 29.99$

– Call of Duty: Ghosts XBox One – 19.80$ from 39.99$

– Grand Theft Auto 5 XBox One – 49.50$ from 59.99$

– NBA 2K15 XBox One – 29.99$ from 59.99$

Happy gaming!

Apple iOS 8.1.2 Update – What’s Apple Up to Now?

December 12, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Apple has sold around 500 million iPhones, since the release of the original iPhone in 2007, which officially makes the iPhone the most popular phone in history. Smartphone users are usually divided in two: Android users and iOS users. You cannot really like both, because they’re very different, so clashes between the two groups have been going on for 5 years, or so.

But not matter what operating system you use, there will be bugs, there will be issues and there will be annoyances. Because there is no perfection, especially when it comes to operating systems. Still, if you were to ask any tech-savvy person, they will tell you that, as a rule, iOS is a bit more stable and bug-free than Android. Apple is releasing updates almost every other month, and while sometimes, an update isn’t really needed, other times, they are imperative.

Two days ago, Apple released an update to their iOS, called iOS 8.1.2. The decision to release this now took many by surprise, as it was quite unexpected. Today, we’re going to analyze this decision to launch a new iOS update, we’re going to take a look at what the update implies and we’ll see the issues iOS has dealt with in the recent past.

iOS is believed by many to be the best operating system for smartphones in the world. As mentioned earlier, when compared to Android, iOS gets no viruses, less bugs and system crashes. Android proponents argue that Android is much more customizable and personal. But in the end, it all comes down to personal preferences, really! Saying that one is simply better than the other, is not going to help anyone.

Apple’s iOS and iPhone

The first iPhone was launched in 2007, but Steve Jobs started planning the iPhone in 2005. The original iPhone was launched in June 2007 and the first iOS was announced on January 9, 2007 and released with the original iPhone. It was a smartphone operating system like the world hadn’t seen before. Keep in mind that the first version of Android was released in 2008 and before the iOS, there was Symbian and other clumsy operating systems that worked great for non-smartphones.

Apple really did invent the smartphone operating system and because of that, many people consider Apple to have a clear advantage over Android. iOS shaped the way we perceive smartphones and it will continue to do so until something better comes along.

Life after iOS 8.0

But let’s return to more recent iOSs. Out of all the versions of iOS put forth by apple, iOS 7.0 has to be one of the most successful ones. It had a fairly uneventful life, it did its job right, had minimal bugs and issues and people were even happy with it. But then came iOS 8.0, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to stir things up. Maybe it was the fact that the launch of the iOS was quite hurried because of the pressure put on it by the new iPhones, maybe they should have worked more on it, but iOS 8.0 had a plethora of issues and people in general weren’t happy with it at all. Little did they know that the update meant to fix all those issues would be the biggest fail in the history of Apple.

Ever since Apple launched their new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, in the fall of 2014, they have had a string of unfortunate mishaps that have begun to chip away at the shiny Apple armor. First came Bendgate, the scandal about the iPhones that would bend in back pockets and then the now infamous iOS 8.0.1 fail.

The iOS 8.0.1 update went so horribly wrong, that many people were left unable to use their phones. The most complains had to do with dropped calls and TouchID fingerprint malfunctioning. Wondering just how many people were affected by the faulty iOS 8.0.1 update? Apple revealed the numbers and they are quite staggering: 40,000 iPhones had issues following the update.

After some serious, but swift, consideration Apple decided to pull the iOS 8.0.1 update. It was something Apple had never done before, launch an update and then only hours later, pull it off the market. Not only that, but before removing the update, Apple told their customers not to update. So many people found it hard to believe that Apple would do such a thing, that it issued a statement to confirm that they had indeed pulled iOS 8.0.1:

We have received reports of an issue with the iOS 8.0.1 update. We are actively investigating these reports and will provide information as quickly as we can. In the meantime we have pulled back the iOS 8.0.1 update.

The next day after they pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update, Apple released a new update, iOS 8.0.2. Many have joked that Apple engineers pulled an all-nighter, but we don’t think it’s a joke at all. We believe that some heads rolled at Apple and most did crazy overtime hours. Apple released this following statement along with their iOS update:

iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1.

Apple Pay and iOS 8.1

After the waters were called down by iOS 8.0.2, Apple released iOS 8.1. The most important update that came with this new operating system, aside from the fixes of bugs and various other tweaks, was the much anticipated Apple Pay. The company had been advertising this new service for quite a while, so when it was finally here, there was some serious buzz around it.

Unfortunately, Apple Pay only works on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus because the service uses the dedicated secure chip and NFC (Near Field Communication) connectivity to communicate with retailers. These two iPhone models also have a secure element that will store credit card information on the smartphone. In addition, they have a device account number, that is unique to each iPhone and that is going to add to the security of your information. With Apple Pay, your credit card information is completely safe!

Apple Pay supports credit cards and debit cards from MasterCard, Visa and American Express, issued by banks including the Bank of America, Citi, Chase, Capital One and Wells Fargo. Did you know that these banks make up 83% of credit card purchase volume inside the United States?

Another very important update that came with iOS 8.1 was the return of the classic Camera Roll. Apple decided to remove the feature without any notice when it introduced iOS 8, but hey had received so many complaints about it, that they decided it was wise to listen to their clients and have the feature return.

The Latest Apple iOS Update – iOS 8.1.2

At the beginning of this week, Apple released their latest iOS Update, the iOS 8.1.2. The update is a small one, around 20MB, but that cannot really tell us anything about the changes that will happen to your smartphone, once you download it. iOS 8.1.2 is available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, 5C and 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and all versions of iPad Air and iPad Mini.

Even though the iOS 8.1.2 update has only been on the market for a few days, some iPhone users have already started complaining. The main complaints dealt with battery life issues, installation problems, messages issues, the usual range of Wi-Fi problems and problems with front-facing camera and email, but there is no big issue so far. Not one that would require another less-than timely update.

No iOS release was ever perfect; in fact, if it were, there would not have been any need to improve it and update it. The bottom line is, however, that iOS 8.1.2 is not ridden with issues. It does, have some, but not many. For example, if you have an iPhone 5 and have updated to the new iOS 8.1.2, then you might notice a decrease in performance, but that really doesn’t have anything to do with the update itself, but with the fact that updates are optimized for the latest model of phone, and the older your phone is, the weaker its configuration gets and the worse the operating system performs.

We strongly advise all iPhone users to simply stop updating at some point, preferably right before iOS 9, which will most likely slow down your iPhone 5 quite a lot. Apple doesn’t allow all of its iPhone to upgrade to the latest operating system and this is exactly why, because the tech specs simply can’t handle it. But this is also a way to compel people to upgrade their phones.

iOS 8.1.2 Jailbreak

One more thing you need to keep in mind if you’re planning to stay with iOS 8.1.2 is the fact that you can jailbreak the update. It’s highly uncommon for Apple to release an update to its operating system that can be immediately jailbroken. Usually, when Apple release an update, hackers go back to the drawing board and start coming up with hacks for the new update, but this time that won’t happen because iOS 8.1.2 can be jail broken with the exact same tools as the previous version. We don’t know if Apple did this on purpose, or it was an oversight (quite a large one, might we add), but if you would like your latest iOS to be jailbroken, you can do that!

How to Downgrade to iOS 8.1.1 from iOS 8.1.2

As we mentioned earlier, Apple released their new operating system, the iOS 8.1.2, earlier this week and the main reason why they released it without much notice was to fix a serious issue that affected purchased ringtones. Many iPhone users who bought ringtones from App Store, found that they couldn’t use them if they switched their devices. This caused Apple to speed up the release of their iOS 8.1.2 ahead of its time.

As always, for a very limited period of time (until Apple stops singing it), Apple gives people the option to downgrade if they are not happy with the new operating system. Because even if the iOS 8.1.1 was flawed for some people, it worked perfectly for others. Even if iOS 8.1.2 offers bug fixes for many people, it also comes with bugs and flaws for others.

Next, we will tell you how you can downgrade to iOS 8.1.1 if you’re not happy with the new iOS 8.1.2. If you want to downgrade to iOS 8.1.1, then we recommend you do it as soon as possible, because it’s going to be impossible to do it in a week or so. Then, you will never be able to downgrade. It’s something that has worked for Apple for years and we think they’ll never permanently put the possibility for downgrade on the table.

Let’s begin! To downgrade you need to know that you can’t just open iTunes and downgrade from there. The first thing you need to do is to back up our device because downgrading will erase everything from your iPhone of iPad.

Next, you will need to head over to this website and then download the iPSW iOS 8.1.1 for the iOS device you have. We warn you that the files are pretty big, so depending on your internet connection it could take from anywhere from 3 minutes to a few good hours to download it.

Once the file is in your computer, you need to connect your iOS device to your computer and then open iTunes. Head over to the device’s summary page and then, if you’re using Windows, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and the Option/Alt key if you’re using a Mac. When you click Restore, you need to be holding the key down. This will allow you to browse to find the iPSW file, which iTunes will use to start and complete the restore iOS 8.1.1 process on your iPhone or iPad.

After the installation process is complete, your iPhone or iPad will be running the old iOS 8.1.1! How you proceed after this is entirely your business, but we do recommend that you restore your backup by going to iTunes and click on Restore Backup. Depending on how much you had on your device, the whole process of restore will take around 2 to 20 minutes. Once that is done, you’ll be operating your device as you were before the iOS 8.1.2 update.

We suggest you do the downgrade only if you are experiencing some major issues with the updated iOS 8.1.2. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time with the downgrade. Also, you could wait for the mysterious iOS 8.2 major update which is believed to be approaching with fast steps.

iOS 8.2 – What and When?

Yes, the iOS 8.2 is coming and hopefully it will bring with it less bugs than we’ve seen with iOS 8.1.0, iOS 8.1.1 and now the iOS 8.1.2. There is no denying that iOS 8 has been causing more issues than all of the previous versions of iOS and many hope that this will change with the release of iOS 8.2.

On Wednesday, Apple released the beta version of the iOS 8.2 to developers. This release saw the implementation of additional support for the WatchKit SDK and it fixed a number of issues related to languages. A beta version of any operating system is first released to developers for testing, in case you needed things cleared out.

If you, like the majority of Apple lovers, are not a developer, then you’re going to have to wait just a little longer, before you can download the new iOS 8.2 for your iPhone and iPad. But if you’re a developer and you’re lucky enough to have gotten your hands on the new update, then we wish you good luck on developing your app for the Apple Watch. Because this is what WatchKit does; with the new iOS 8.2, we should expect plenty of new apps made especially for the Apple Watch.

With the new iOS 8.2 beta, Siri now supports Singapore English and more information about international languages should be made available soon. If you are an Apple developer, then you can download the iOS 8.2 beta via the Apple Developer Center or as an over-the-air update.

Have you experienced any problems with iOS 8.1.1? Did you update to iOS 8.1.2? What do you think about it? Are you planning to downgrade or upgrade? Drop us a line and tell us about it!

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Reception, Release Info & Prices

December 12, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Samsung is not lagging behind when it comes to innovation and brilliant ideas. As a matter of fact, most of their inventions end up getting picked up on the way by electronics producers all over the globe. Be it phablets or curved smartphone bodies and displays, Samsung has been there. Now, the Korean giant seems to have had new ideas and ways to apply the curved screen technology into the next great thing: the Galaxy Note Edge.

While its classic brother was far from being called a disappointment and actually created a lot of hype on its behalf, Samsung still decided to push it further with a second, slightly delayed release of a variant on the original Galaxy Note 4.

The difference between models came as a surprise to most, incorporating the curved display concept in a new, different way. The variant, known as Galaxy Note 4 Edge reveals a more unusual frame, with the right hand side of the screen slanting and curving around the edge into a separate, thin display showing icons and notifications of its own, interactive through a capacitive touchscreen surface.

Samsung’s Curved Display – A Bold Innovation

The result of this new, peculiar functionality really does add up to the phone’s productivity once you get used to it. Whether it’s just checking time, latest notifications, news or weather, using the side screen will not interrupt the content on your main display, actually giving it more space for anything you decide to put it to use for.

Just like the regular display, the side screen is a simple tool to use and still offers some versatility in customizing it, giving you free reign of what you want it to do, what shortcuts to hold and when to come into effect. Developers have named it a revolving UI that really ends up acting like a multifunctional home screen that you swipe through to navigate through widgets and advance, ultimately circling back to the beginning.

Regular applications such as the camera app will make use of the extra space the edge has to give by moving options and control keys to the side to ensure you can set up your photos perfectly. In addition, swiping from the top of the Edge screen will give you access to a range of tools you can use on the go, such as a flashlight, timer, voice recorder and a convenient ruler. The Edge’s functionality is a very subtle way Samsung is allowing you to check notifications or other pieces of information without having to turn your phone on and unlock it, making it excellent for use during meetings or on-the-go situations.

Design Pros & Cons

The phablet certainly doesn’t inspire the friendliest user experience on first look, we’ll give you that. In spite of the screen being almost the exact same size as its classic counterpart, adding the strip screen on the right hand edge does make the device wider and not the most comfortable thing to hold in one hand. Surprisingly however, most users have mentioned that they were surprised with how much the side screen does NOT really affect the state of business.

The asymmetrical design might at one point suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge is biased only towards right-hand users but there was no way the company would have left that through, is it? With the 180 degree rotation capability added in the fray, the phablet can immediately suit lefties just as well, displaying the curved edge on the left side and rotating all the content around for your use.

To top it off, the trademark stylus that comes with the phone can be used on both the flat face and the curved edge as well. Not only that, but with this occasion the S Pen has been given some attention, granting it mouse-like controls that allow copy-pasting, dragging, window resizing and extra amount of functionality.

Short Overview of Specs & Performance

Technical specification-wise, the Galaxy Note Edge is in no way different form its classic counterpart. The Quad HD resolution display, despite the glass-covered curved strip on the side, is still an impressive 5.6” screen, slightly wider than the original, making the whole device measure 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm.

In term of processing units, it has been endowed with the best the marked held at the time of release – more specifically a Qualcomm 2.7 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 805, the only technologies to surpass it right now being the newer versions of the same brand, Snapdragon 808 and 810 respectively, only planned to be incorporated into early 2015 releases such as the fabled Samsung Galaxy S6 that everybody has been talking about.

A hefty 3 GB of RAM awaits on this phablet champion, making it a viable competitor for many full-fledged tablets and even modest laptops in terms of performance, giving you a mere 8.3mm thin, flexible device to take care of most of your computerized responsibilities of the day.

The camera of the Galaxy Note Edge was originally planned to be a 20 megapixel monster but then reduced to a lower, 16 MP sibling. It is, however, packed with goodies to make up for the slightly lower resolution: optical image stabilization to reduce the motion blur you might be getting when taking photos on the run with a fast autofocus and rich HDR tones. Besides the powerful rear camera, the Galaxy Note Edge is complimented by a 3.7 megapixel front-facing camera that has received a rather unusual but frankly, easy to explain focus on selfie quality, giving two options for 90 degree selfie, and a 120 degree “wide-selfie” option.

Still no Lollipop for Samsung Flagships

The only downside of the Galaxy Note Edge at the current time is its operating system – with Android 5.0 Lollipop making a spectacular entry in the kingdom of Android devices, you would hope the new phablet would be the lucky host of the revamped OS. Sadly, the Edge only brings the Android 4.4.4 KitKat to the table, with no news of when the Lollipop update will be hitting this model. Currently, the latest spin-off of the Android operating system is only being tested on a select number of models, with the promise of the update being pushed to most Android devices by the beginning of February 2015.

Release information & Prices

Although the announcement for the Galaxy Note 4 Edge has been made in a timely manner, it wasn’t until November 3^rd that carriers started to announce the actual release date for the phablet. Official Samsung statements set it on course for release and delivery on the 14^th of November for most carriers, while AT&T seized the opportunity and rushed the device to the keen solicitors a whole week early, on November 7^th.

1. AT&T

While news of an early release boomed all over the United States when the carrier made the statement, there was a fair amount of confusion as to what being “on display” in select retail locations entailed. Originally, the device was reported to be a limited edition model available in fixed quantities that was going to come in on a “country by country” basis. That was later on dropped as the Galaxy Note Edge decided to stick and is still being delivered and sold in most retail stores. It was announced at the same time with the Galaxy Note 4, as well as Gear Circle and Gear VR.

AT&T is currently offering the phone with various price plans and contracts. Purchasing the phone with no commitment will cost you a total of $945.99. If you’re looking at starting up with AT&T or just to renew your 2-year contract, you can get as low as $399.99, provided you decide to stick with the company for that long. As an alternative to the previous offers, you can also opt for monthly installment payments for 12, 18 and 24 months respectively. The 12-month plan will cost you a monthly $47.30, the 18-month long would mean an additional $39.42 to your regular price plan, while the 24-month installment will go as low as $31.54 per month.

2. Verizon

This particular carrier has chosen to remain relatively quiet on the matter instead of jumping on the bandwagon of releasing the Galaxy Note 4 Edge early. As a matter of fact, we are two weeks into December already and the release of the phablet is still not set to a date. Visiting the phone’s webpage on www.verizonwireless.com only displays a sign-up option for release information and preorder updates that promises to send you regular updates to your e-mail.

So far, the only e-mail received on the matter was a pretty discouraging “The device you want is coming SOON.” reply, with no further ado or pleasantries. While the webpage is flowing with specs and capability information, we have yet to see any other information on behalf of Verizon, including pricing or price plan offers for it. The only encouraging piece of news that we have received on the matter is that on the 19^th of November, the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 Edge passed through the FCC, giving it the pass for the United States.

3. Sprint

The carrier, quick on its toes to follow in the as-soon-as-possible trend of releasing new devices, took it upon itself to offer the Galaxy Note 4 Edge on the 14^th of November, preorders having started a considerable amount of time prior to the actual launch. It was announced and confirmed as a Sprint-supported device along with the classic version and the Gear VR, promising customers a 24 hour delivery for the ones who signed up for a 2 year contract with it.

In comparison to AT&T, Sprint is making the device available at a lower full retail price – $840.00 if you don’t want to be bound by a 2-year contract. With a contract commitment however, the Galaxy Note 4 Edge does not go under the $429.00 threshold. Sprint only offers 24 month long installment payments, which will be taxing you $35 every month over a period of 2 years, summing up to the grand total of $840 + taxes.

4. T-Mobile

T-Mobile also started selling and delivering the Galaxy Note Edge early on the 14^th of November, giving their customers a chance at the newest Samsung release for a 24-month plan. The pricing has been set at a stable $36.25 per month, totaling a price of $870 over the length of 2 years, without any other payment options as of right now.

5. US Cellular

In a press report before the Galaxy Note Edge made it live, it was announced that while the classic version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will arrive in October, the Edge would only make its appearance in the stories after the holidays. There is no set date for the device’s launch yet, but we are probably looking at January 2015 for the phablet to make it live via US Cellular.

It was a surprise arrival nevertheless, the company having not made any statement on whether it will be selling the Galaxy Note 4 Edge back in September when it was first announced. The classic version of the phone is currently on sale in both the online and retail shops of the carrier at a full price of $749.00, allowing us to estimate that the Edge version will probably be set at around $900 when it does hit the shelves.

User Reviews & Reception

There’s a continuous trend in the world of technology and mobile communication that rules the way most new devices are received upon release. The 2-3 month-long hype ends in either long lines in front of retail stores or UPS vans being waited for like it’s Christmas night. Upon getting their hands on the Galaxy Note 4 Edge, consumers seemed to have split in two camps. A common opinion is undoubtedly the fact that the device packs a top-notch series of specs and competes with most other phablets in a bold and fearless manner.

The difference however sticks its head out when the discussion swings towards the utility of the curved screen. While the general opinion cannot deny its innovative nature that marks the initial steps towards a huge change in future technology, many users have questioned whether this one, tiny difference is worth the considerable price difference between the classic Note 4 and the Edge.

Most people who have purchased it however seem to be happy with the phone that, in some respects seems to be more of a fashion statement than a mandatory feature; and to the tech lovers this would surely allow the owner to stand out. The other side of the battlefield however decides to hold on to their finances in expectancy of Samsung’s next big thing: the rumored Galaxy S6 that has been said to be adopting the curved screen on both sides, hopefully with revolutionary utility.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Fire HDX – The Perfect Tablets

December 11, 2014 By Roxanne Briean 2 Comments

The Amazon Kindle has become a staple device in many households. It’s something we adore using and love gifting. It’s a simple device that helps us improve our life. The Amazon Kindle is an entire library in a single device and that is something absolutely amazing.

The Amazon Fire is a surprisingly powerful and smart tablet computer and today, we’re going to take a look at the history behind the Amazon Kindle eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle HD and HDX tablets and why the Kindle Fire is the perfect gift to give your friends and loved ones this season.

A Brief History of eBook Readers

Why a brief history? Because eBook readers don’t really have much of a history. We can say that it all began in 1992 when Sony released the first eBook reader, called the Data Discman. It had a little screen and ugly body, it looked nothing like the Amazon Kindle looks today and it worked only with CDs. The device was highly unpopular, perhaps because of the design, except for Japan. Sony had aimed it at students and young people, but it didn’t manage to make a splash outside Japan.

Before the frumpy Data Discman, in 1968, a PhD student named Alan Kay came up with the concept of Dynabook. A personal computer/eBook reader that looked pretty much like an Amazon Kindle eBook reader. He wanted it to be a personal computer for children of all ages, but the Dynabook simply didn’t come true. It stayed in concept form until 2008, when it was already a bit too late for it to take form.

Amazon released their first eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle in 2007. It was something the world hadn’t really seen before and it became immensely popular in no time. It was a brand-new device that people all over the world suddenly needed.

When the tendency, these days, is to condense all the devices we require, need and want, into a single device, the popularity of the Kindle took many by surprise. Then again, it’s pretty awesome to be able to put an entire library into a single device, isn’t it?

Amazon Dips Its Toes in the Tablet Market

In 2011, Amazon just had to get a piece of the tablet pie. They ruled the eBook market and felt the need to put the Amazon name on the tablet market also. That year, Amazon released its first LCD tablet, called the Kindle Fire. It was an Android-based tablet with its own operating system, called Fire OS 1. It was the first Amazon device that didn’t have E Ink, a massive leap and risk taken by Amazon.

The device was successful and in 2012, Amazon released the second generation of Amazon Kindle Fire, called Kindle Fire HD. It is available in two screen sizes: 7’’ and 8.9’’. This version of the Fire was so successful, that Amazon refreshed the line by putting the Kindle Fire into a new body, the body of their next generation of Fire, the Kindle Fire HDX. The HDX was released in September 2013 and it is the third and latest generation of Amazon Kindle Fire line. With the launch of the HDX, Amazon removed the Kindle from the naming of all Fire products and they are all now called Fire HD and Fire HDX.

Kindle Fire HDX

The Kindle Fire HDX was launched in September 2013 and it is available in two sizes: 7 inches and 8.9 inches. In September 2014, Amazon refreshed the line of Kindle Fire HDX that have faster processors and more powerful graphics than the previous model of HDX.

The 7’’ model from the first generation (2013) featured a screen resolution of 1920×1200 with 323 ppi, a Quad-core 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU and da Qualcomm Adreno 330@450 MHz. It had 2GB of RAM and internal storage up to 64 GB; it lacked a back camera, but it did have a front-facing camera of 1.2 MP which was capable of HD recording. It featured Fire OS 2 (which is a fork of Android 4.2.2). The 4500 mAh battery gives it life for up to 12 hours and its weight is also great: 10.7 oz (303 grams) for the Wi-Fi version and 11.0 oz (311 grams) for the Wi-Fi plus cellular version.

The 8.9’’ model from the first generation (2013) had a better screen resolution compared to the 7’’ model: 2560×1600 with 339 ppi, but the same Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM. Internal storage is also up to 64 GB and it has the same operating system as the smaller model, Fire OS 3. It does have an 8 MP back camera and as opposed to the 7’’ model, this one is no longer for sale, as it has been discontinued. So, if you want a 2013 Kindle Fire HDX, you are going to have to go the 7’’ model. If not, go for the 2^nd generation model, the one from 2014.

The 2014 model comes in just one size: 8.9 inches. It has the same screen resolution of 2560×1600 with 339 ppi, as the 2013 model, but comes with a newer generation operating system, Fire OS 4. This model also features a newer and better processor, a quad-core 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with a GPU QualcomAdreno 420@450 MHz. It has 2 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal storage, an 8MP back camera and a 1.2 MO HD front-facing camera. The battery gives you juice for up to 12 hours and it weighs a little over the weight of the 2013 8.9’’ model (which we must admit, is a bit strange): the Wi-Fi only model weighs 13.2 oz (375 grams) and the Wi-Fi plus cellular, 13.7 oz (389 grams).

If we were to choose one thing that we absolutely love about the Kindle Fire HDX (both generations), it has to be the pixel density. As a reference, you should know that Retina-class iPads have a screen resolution of 2,048×1.536 with a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch. The non-Retina iPads, have an even weaker resolution, of 1,024×768 with 132 ppi. With this in mind, the Kindle Fire HDX sure looks like a winner, doesn’t it?

Mayday, Mayday, Amazon!

Another feature that we haven’t yet discussed and we’re going to present now is the Mayday button. If you need help with your Fire HDX, all you need to do is tap the Mayday button from Quick Settings and you can connect to a tech advisor from Amazon who will guide you through by actually drawing on your screen and doing things for you on your very own tablet. This amazing feature is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and it is absolutely free.

What’s great about it, is that you can see the tech advisor on your screen, which is much less strange that if you couldn’t be able to do that, but they can’t see you. So, if you need help at 2 AM in the morning, when you’re not looking your best, it doesn’t matter at all! Amazon put some serious thought into this feature before they implemented it into all of the Fire tablets.

You only need two things to gain access to Mayday: a registered Amazon account and a very good Wi-Fi connection. The Amazon account is what you need to buy eBooks, so it’s nothing that you wouldn’t do. But, know that if your Wi-Fi is not very strong, then you might experience some connection problems, so remember this before blaming Amazon. Also, know that the session may be recorded for quality assurance, as Amazon puts it. The Mayday feature is something quite special and we’re sure that Amazon has won over a lot of clients with it.

Kindle Fire HD

Kindle Fire HD has reached its third generation in 2014. We’re not going to mention the technical specifications of the previous two models, simply because they have been discontinued. If you’re looking for a second hand model, then we strongly suggest you buy it from a trusted source, especially one that allows you to return products.

The 2014 generation of Fire HD has two models: one with a screen size or 6 inches (15 cm) and the other with 7 inches (18 cm). No more 8.9 inch Fire HD for you! If you want that kind of size, then Amazon is twisting your hand into buying their upper level tablets, the Fire HDX. They are indeed better, specification-wise, but also more expensive.

The Fire HD 6 has a quad-core processor, two high-performance ones (1.5GHz) and two lower-power ones (1.2GHz). Amazon claims that this will deliver two times the speed and three times the graphic performance of the previous Fire HD model. The 6-inch display has a resolution of 1280×800 with 252 ppi, which means that it has over a million pixels. The two front and rear cameras take amazing photos and can capture HD videos. The Gorilla Glass display adds to the reliability of the Fire HD 6. The 6-inch tablet measures 6.7’’x4.1’’x0.4’’ (169x103x10.7 mm) and weighs 10.1 oz (290 grams). The HD 6 has a mono speaker, Dolby Audio and a built-in microphone.

The Fire HD 7 has the same quad-core processor and the same cameras. It is pretty much identical to the Fire HD 6, except for the larger display, naturally. The Fire HD 7 measures 7.5’’x5.0’’x0.4’’ and weighs 11.9 oz (337 grams). The HD 7 has dual stereo speakers, Dobly Audio and a built-in microphone.

The Fire HD is available in five colors: white, black, citron, cobalt and magenta. You should know that the Fire HD does not have the Mayday button; customer support is done through email, phone and web. Also, there is no 4G available on the Fire HD, only on the HDX.

The Price

Now that you know pretty much all you need to know before getting an Amazon tablet, it’s time to take a look at the prices for these awesomely smart tablets and see which one is for you!

The Fire HD 6’’ (2014) – Amazon is marketing this as the most powerful tablet under $100. To be honest, they are absolutely right! The Fire HD 6’’ starts at $99 for the 8GB model and for what’s under the hood, this is a complete bargain. When it came out, the Wall Street Journal exclaimed: Finally, a $100 tablet worth buying. This tablet is also available in the 16GB of internal storage version.

The Fire HD 7’’ (2014) – Starting at $114 for the 8GB model, the Fire HD 7’’ is also available in the 16GB version.

The Fire HDX 7’’ (2013) – You will pay $179 for the 16GB model. 32GB and 64GB versions are also available, but you will need to shell out more money. The HDX are indeed more expensive than the HD models, but they are truly top-of-the-line products, comparable to the best tablets out there. As we mentioned earlier, the HDX has a better screen resolution and ppi than the latest iPad Air 3!

The Fire HDX 8.9’’ (2014) – The HDX 8.9’’ tablet is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The 16GB version costs $379. Our final verdict is that this tablet is worth the money. It will impress you; it will deliver and it will not disappoint. If you can afford it, go ahead and get it, you will not regret buying it, we can assure you!

Five Reasons Why You Should Buy the Fire HD and HDX

The Kindle Fire is a spectacular device!

The Fire tablets are without a doubt some of the best tablets in the world. If you’re looking for a great eBook reader, get a Kindle, but if you want a tablet, forget Samsung and even Apple, give Fire HD and HDX a change and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime means unlimited streaming of TV episodes and movies, access to over a million songs (ad-free) and reading a Kindle book a month, also for free. When you buy a Fire device, you get 30 days free trial! Millions of people already adore Amazon Prime and you will, too, once you get a Fire HD or HDX.

Great Gaming Tablet

The HDX is just perfect for gaming! The latest games will play smoothly on this tablet. If you plan to buy it for a friend who is into games, know that your gift will be appreciated. Even if you don’t plan to get the HDX, the HD is going to be satisfactory enough. Keep in mind that both the HD and the HDX are some of the most powerful tablets on the market at the present time. Whether you get one tablet or the other, you’re not cutting corners!

ASAP

Amazon has ASAP, which is short for Advanced Streaming and Prediction. This allows you to play a video, the moment you hit the play button. No more waiting around for buffering! It learns what movies you like and gets them ready for you. That’s something quite extraordinary that you can only experience with an Amazon device.

Kindle Fire HD for Kids

How can you not love a company that makes a tablet designed for kids? The package includes a year of Free Time Unlimited, a 2-year special guarantee and a kid ready carrying case. The tablet costs $149, but you can find it at a discount, especially during the holiday season. What is a special guarantee, you ask? Well, Amazon will give you a new tablet to replace your broken one, no matter what happened to it. That’s pretty cool, you have to admit. So if your kid drops and breaks it during the first two years of its purchase, you get a new one, for free! No other tablet manufacturer offers that!

Fire HD for Kids makes a perfect first tablet for children. You, as a parent, have control over what your child views online, naturally, so you don’t have to worry they are being exposed to various damaging content.

All the photos were taken off the official Amazon website. The information about the prices, was also taken from Amazon. The prices for the Fire HD and Fire HDX tablets may vary online or in physical stores. When buying online, make sure you correctly identify the product you want to buy, before hitting the buy button.

Do you have an Amazon Kindle Fire? Are you happy with it? Are you planning to get a Fire HD or Fire HDX for you or your friends and family? Did this article help you decide? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it!

iPhone 6 Review: Price, Features Performance & Beautiful Design

December 11, 2014 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

There seems to be recurring theme we are dealing with here: the American giant comes up with a smartphone planned to impress and mere months later the hype turns to the next big thing. The same thing happened with the iPhone 6. Apple took a considerable turn from its previous device designs and came out with something people had been eagerly awaiting for ever since rumors of the sixth version of the iPhone ever started travelling around.

The result? The company’s latest addition to a long family of phones brings new challenges to the table of the smartphone market. The improvements are definitely tangible and a pretty big leap in comparison to the iPhone 5, when it was first released.

The iPhone 6 comes in to show off the most powerful Apple processor, an upgraded camera, a battery to make its host proud and numerous upgrades.

Taking Apple users’ demands for a larger device to compete with its Android rival in consideration, the company had two options: give in to the demands and go for a device that would lightly step into the field of phablets, or maintain the organization’s belief and apply their technology to feasibly-sized phones. The verdict turned out to be a definite “Why not both?” from Apple, giving their users the power to choose between a still-larger-than-iPhone 5 4.7” screen and the staggering 5.5” display iPhone 6 Plus.

The tech specifications are not different between the two versions of the iPhone 6, but naturally the experience slightly differs between the classic version and the Plus.

Design

So for the first time since the iPhone 3GS, the design has reverted to rounded edges to compliment the new release, which make the phone pleasant to hold. The reason Apple has been wary of larger screens until now is the downside of having to use both hands to be able to operate it properly and make use of even the most basic features such as texting. Luckily, the classic version of the iPhone 6 shows off a larger display and still holds on to that belief by letting you use the device in every way you see fit – be it texting, taking photos, reading or using apps.

The iPhone 6 is certainly the thinnest version ever made with a thickness of 0.27” in comparison to iPhone 5’s 0.30”, and still rates as one of the thinnest phones on the market. Its back is a combination of metal and plastic strips that are not the most iPhone-y thing you’ve ever seen but serves its purpose of improving the signal.

The screen of the iPhone 6 is made of shatter proof glass with an oleophobic coating, wrapped around the edges with a rounded material to make the device resistant to the occasional water droplets or wisps of dust.

The buttons seem to have been shuffled around a bit as well. The power key has been moved from the top of the phone to the right side, which makes this the first time Apple changes the classic position of the power button for so many of its devices (I’m thinking iPods here). All the keys seem to have been raised, which makes using them a little easier than before and the design for the volume buttons has been changed into thin, elongated keys that are easier to press than the iPhone 5’s round ones, very noticeable trait especially when a plastic or rubber case comes into play.

While it’s somewhat understandable why you would switch the headphone port from the top of the phone to the bottom – the way it happened with the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 transition – next to the device’s speakers, I think I speak for quite a few iPhone users out there when I say that seeing the port still there for the latest Apple mobile device release upset me in the slightest.

The camera of this version of the iPhone stands out. Literally. In order to keep the phone as thin as possible while not sacrificing camera quality, Apple seems to have chosen to let it peek out of the back of the phone. It is not an upsetting feature, despite strangely unfamiliar to people used to the iPhone design. The lens of the camera is covered with sapphire glass to prevent scratches on its surface even if you place it down on a rough material.

Both the classic iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus come in 3 colors only – Silver, Gold and Space Gray – strangely skipping on the usual black model. The capacity of the phone deviates from the 16/32/64 classes that we have got used to, and instead goes for a 16, 64 and 128 GB of memory capacity respectively.

iPhone 6 Price

The price of the phone ranges from $649 for the lowest memory capacity of the normal iPhone 6 model and goes up to $949 for the high-end iPhone 6 Plus, if you wish to purchase it outside of contract. If you’re ready to start with a new mobile company or simply upgrading, most carriers will offer a considerable discount on purchasing it, taking it as low as $199.

Processor & Camera

The iPhone 6’s processor is definitely a hike up the processor social ladder. The A8 chip built on second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, which is estimated at approximately 25% speed increase in comparison to the iPhone 5s. The A8 is made on a 20 nanometer process and contains 2 billion transistors. In spite of that being twice as much as its predecessor, A7, it has been reduced in size by 13% and has 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM included in the package. The iPhone 6 is the only Apple product that includes the A8 processor right now, with the exception of the iPad Air 2 that incorporates the A8X variant, released on October 16^th this year.

The camera of the iPhone 6 models does not put up much of a fight in the face of Samsung and Sony rivals when it comes to megapixel capacity, Apple having decided to stick to the 8MP camera while competitors go as high as 21. But it’s not all about the sensors when it comes to quality photos and videos – the quality feels like a bit of an overhaul over the iPhone 5 from several perspectives.

One of them is the focus power of the camera – the new device incorporates a feature called Phase Detection Autofocus that works a little differently when it comes to detecting light sources. In essence that means the camera takes less time to autofocus and give way to crisp-clear photos in no time. There is a technical difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,

the latter coming with an optical image stabilization feature. Its purpose is to reduce the amount of blur that results from shaking hand movements, and also seems to be doing better in low-light environments as well. In comparison to its predecessor, iPhone 6 does a way better job at capturing photos, detailing images in high-color palette and really showing off some impressive quality. While it’s a very good camera, it still falls short from some of the competitors’ devices, such as the Galaxy S5.

The front facing camera hasn’t gone anywhere and comes with several improvements itself, the most important being along the lines of the application that accompanies it. You can now select filters before taking a photo and the HDR mode will take care of your photos in low light environments.

Display & Keyboard

iPhones have never had a problem with the display, actually making it ahead of most other phones way before rival devices would incorporate the technology to prove otherwise. Color accuracy has not changed much since the previous model, but greyscale and contrast seemed to have received slight uplifts. Resolution is still not the strongest feature of Apple phones: the iPhone 6’s 1,344 x 750 resolution may be higher than the 1,136 x 640 one of the iPhone 5/5S but proves to be scoring the same pixel density (326ppi).

The aspect ratio remains the same 16×9 we got used to but due to the extra 0.7” of the screen, you can now fit more applications per page than ever, the grid being a 6×4 now. The iPhone 6 Plus however does it better; not only does it have a higher pixel density, scoring 406 ppi, but the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution is certainly a big step outside of the regular comfort zone that is iPhone displays. The usual HD Retina Display that the Apple products have been spoiling us with for years is just as wondrous as ever, keeping your display visible no matter what angle you are looking at your screen from.

In addition, the iPhone 6 is also introducing dual-domain pixels, a feature which arranges the display’s subpixels in a manner that will reduce the contrast you normally get when viewing the display from an angle. Simply said, the display is just as bright and colorful whether you are looking at your phone from the side, or straight on.

The new version seems to be trying to make as good use of the larger display as humanly possible – features such as display zoom and the one-handed mode are meant to make your life easier in your transition to the iPhone 6. The display zoom magnifies your icons, text and a few other parts of the UI while the one-handed mode will bring content to your hand instead of you having to stretch all the way for it. Certainly not something you’re meant to use all the time as it tends to become confusing or inefficient, but surely handy.

The keyboard isn’t in the slightest different from what we got accustomed to until you flip the phone over and go in landscape mode. Suddenly, you will be able to notice a series of punctuation marks and options on the side of the regular keyboard, making your typing easier than before, not having to open the symbols menu for every single basic mark. Not the hugest surprise considering this is iOS 8’s doing, but it certainly feels like the upgrade was meant for the newest iPhone.

Battery Life & Other Details

Let’s face it: battery life is a touchy subject when it comes to smartphones. Considering they basically fulfill most things a lower-end computer would, we involuntarily begin tapping at them for prolonged amounts of time, whether we’re talking emailing, texting, reading news, watching media or taking photos. That proves to be quite a problem when you start realizing that you are starting to run low on battery before you’re even halfway through the day.

The iPhone 6 really tries to give a helping hand to keeping your device alive for as long as possible, its new technology promising 50% less power usage on the processor alone and a better battery altogether. There’s no denying it, the phone does last longer than what we are used to, going as far as 12 hours on medium amount of usage. Take it up a notch however, and the batter will be drawing its last breaths surprisingly soon. The technology, in all respects, is heavily improved from the earlier versions of the iPhone, we are just “not there yet” when it comes to making our 16-hour long mobile usage dream come true.

The sound quality of the iPhone 6 is really booming over the iPhone 5S, though the latter was far from complain-worthy. The speakers are powerful and give off a crisp sound, even off the bottom of the phone. There are updates in the works in what regards the high-res audio file support, making 24-bit, 192Khz possible. The fact that Apple decided to boost the memory capacity to up to 128GB will only make it easier for you if listening to music and watching videos is your preferred past-time.

Verdict

There are plenty of reasons for which we could call the iPhone 6 the best phone of the year but we’re not going to go there as it all falls down to preference for most part. Either way, the phone definitely delivers where it aims to – excellent quality, great hardware, beautifully designed and comfortable.

Alienware Alpha: The Best of Both Worlds

Say Hello to the Alienware Alpha ‘Hybrid’

Main Specifications

Gaming Experience Compared to PCs & Consoles

Verdict: Alienware Alpha is Worth the Effort

Here is a short, basic overview over what the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 launches will be bringing us start 2015:

Samsung Galaxy S6

HTC One M9

Sony Xperia Z4

Day 1 of Deals

Day 2 of Deals

Day 3 of Deals

Day 4 of Deals

Day 5 of Deals

Day 6 of Deals

Day 7 of Deals

Day 8 of Deals

Samsung Galaxy S6 Facts & Specs

Display

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumors & Speculation

Connectivity

Screen & Phone Design

Battery

Conclusion

Designs and Features for Android Lollipop 5.0

Seamless Performance for Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 Lollipop Says Hello to HTC One M7 & HTC One M8

Wrapping up…

1. Destiny

2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

3. Ryse: Son of Rome

4. Battlefield 4

5. Dead Rising 3

Other Discounts:

Apple’s iOS and iPhone

Life after iOS 8.0

Apple Pay and iOS 8.1

The Latest Apple iOS Update – iOS 8.1.2

iOS 8.1.2 Jailbreak

How to Downgrade to iOS 8.1.1 from iOS 8.1.2

iOS 8.2 – What and When?

Samsung’s Curved Display – A Bold Innovation

Design Pros & Cons

Short Overview of Specs & Performance

Still no Lollipop for Samsung Flagships

Release information & Prices

1. AT&T

2. Verizon

3. Sprint

4. T-Mobile

5. US Cellular

User Reviews & Reception

A Brief History of eBook Readers

Amazon Dips Its Toes in the Tablet Market

Kindle Fire HDX

Mayday, Mayday, Amazon!

Kindle Fire HD

The Price

Five Reasons Why You Should Buy the Fire HD and HDX

Design

iPhone 6 Price

Processor & Camera

Display & Keyboard

Battery Life & Other Details

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