Meet the new, reversible USB

The official design for the next-generation, reversible USB has been finalised, and it can be plugged in upside down.

USB 3.0

 

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has announced that it has finalised its redesign of the USB.

Called USB Type-C, the specification -- which was announced last December -- aims to solve several problems with current USB design; possibly the most exciting of which is the eradication of "right way up" with a reversible plug. Like Apple's Lightning connector, it can be plugged into its port either way.

The new USB is also designed both to be small enough to fit mobile devices, yet robust enough for laptops and tablets.

"Interest in the USB Type-C connector has not only been global, but cross-industry as well," said USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman Brad Saunders. "Representatives from the PC, mobile, automotive and IoT industries have been knocking down our door anticipating this new standard. This specification is the culmination of an extensive, cooperative effort among industry leaders to standardize the next generation USB connector as a long-lasting, robust solution."

The USB is comparable in size with micro USB 2.0 Type-B connectors, with a port size of 8.4 by 2.6mm, yet will be compatible with SuperSpeed USB at 10Gbps (USB 3.1). It will also support USB Power Delivery up to 100W, with additional support for scalable power charging and future USB performance needs.

It won't, of course, be compatible with existing USB plugs and receptacles. While the industry begins the slow transition, USB Type-C ports will coexist with other USB ports on devices, and new-to-existing cables and adapters will be made available so that consumers will be able to use the new connector with their existing tech.

The specification for USB Type-C can be downloaded from the USB Implementers Forum.

Article by Michelle Starr

How to securely overwrite deleted files with a built-in Windows tool

Most Windows users know that when you delete a file on a PC, it isn't truly gone and can still be recovered. In fact, those deleted files are actually just sitting there on your hard drive until they are overwritten with new data.

To truly wipe data, users often turn to apps like CCleaner or Eraser that wipe free space for you. But Windows also has a built-in feature called Cipher that will overwrite deleted files for you and may even free up some extra disk space in the process.




Commanding Windows

To use Cipher we have to dive into an area of your Windows machine that some hassle-free readers may have little experience with: the Command Prompt.

Don't worry, though. While the command line can be a scary place, Cipher is a fairly safe feature. That said, it's always best to make sure you have your data backed up before giving something like this a try.

Also, make sure you type the command correctly to avoid any unintended consequences. Cipher isn't just a tool to overwrite deleted data it can also be used to encrypt data, which is not what we want in this case.




Dump the deletions

To get started you have to open a command prompt. To do this in Windows 8.1, hit the Windows key + S and type command prompt into the search box. Wait for the results to show up and then click the command prompt option. In Windows 7, it's easiest to click on Start > Run and then type cmd into the box and press enter.

Now for the easy part. If you have a standard Windows installation type or copy and paste the following command: cipher /w:C

What this tells Windows to do is to start the Cipher program. The '/w' switch says to remove any data from the available unused disk space, and C tells Windows to carry out this action on the C:\ drive.

If your data is on a different drive such as a partition labeled D:\ simply substitute C for the correct drive letter. For most people, however, C will be the right choice.

Now, just sit back and wait for Windows to do its magic. This is one of those tasks you should run when you're not using your PC. Consider running it overnight or during downtime on the weekend.

Windows will also advise you to close as many running programs as possible to help the machine do a better job of clearing up your hard drive.

Not only will cipher clean up your drive, it may also have the added benefit of returning some extra disk space to you

Article by Ian Paul

The World's First Commercial Space Launchpad Is To Be In South Texas

Elon Musk has announced that Space X is to build the world's first commercial space launchpad-and it will be near Brownsville in south Texas, reportedly America's most impoverished region.

The state is pushing over $15 million into the facility, which is hoped to create 300 jobs and inject $85 million in capital investment into the local economy. The cash injection comes from numerous sources, including $2.3 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund and $5 million from the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

Governor Rick Perry explained that "Texas has been on the forefront of our nation's space exploration efforts for decades, so it is fitting that SpaceX has chosen our state as they expand the frontiers of commercial space flight." The plan is contingent upon final approval of local agreements and receipt of additional required permits, but, otherwise, an economy in need looks like it's about to get a hi-tech shot in the arm.

Article by Jamie Condliffe.

PLAYING VIDEO GAMES IS GOOD FOR CHILDREN

According to the British news site The Telegraph, Oxford University recently found that a small amount of regular video game play can be beneficial for teens and children.

Conducted on nearly 5,000 children aged 10-15 with varying levels of game playing habits ranging from no time spent playing to multiple hours per day, the study concluded that children who spend an hour or less each day playing video games tended to be better adjusted and happier individuals.

"Young people who engaged in a little video game playing were associated with being better adjusted than those who had never played or those who were on video games for three hours or more," the study said. "Those who played video games for less than an hour...were associated with the highest levels of sociability and were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives. They also appeared to have fewer friendship and emotional problems, and reported less hyperactivity than the other groups."

The study went on to explain why the games these children played were beneficial, stating that the games gave the kids "a wide range of novel cognitive challenges, opportunities for exploration, relaxation, and socialization with peers" that rivalled the benefits of "non-digitally mediated" forms of play.

The children who engaged in moderate amounts of play spanning from one hour to three were found to display no positive or negative effects, while children who played "excessive" amounts of more than three hours a day were found to be less well-adjusted than their counterparts. The study suggests, however, that this was largely due to the fact that the children missed out on other "enriching activities" and were possibly exposed to themes and content better suited for adults in their gaming time.

The study also mentions that factors such as family life and personal relationships tended to have a much more significant effect on a child's behaviour than their game-playing habits.

Report author Dr. Andrew Przybylski concluded that the effects on children both positive and negative were relatively small, which indicates that "both the broad fears and hopes about gaming may be more exaggerated."

Article by Cassidee Moser.

Samsung Gear Fit evolves with newest software

A new display mode, extra controls, and sleep tracking: Here's what's suddenly new and improved about the Gear Fit.

It's a common truth in new tech: a company releases a firmware update, and suddenly there are all-new features to discover.

The newest firmware update to Gear Fit, which will be what anyone buying one will have available to them, introduces a bunch of new features. Some of them really do change the Fit quite a bit.

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT, UP CLOSE (PHOTOS)

 

 

 

 

Portrait mode: Yes, finally, you can flip the Gear Fit's display to stretch out vertically, so you don't have to twist your wrist. It seems to work with every feature, even notifications. Some work better than others.

Sleep tracking: A new mode will track sleep data, much like other fitness bands such as the Jawbone Up and Misfit Shine do.

More watch faces: Additional watch faces have been added, including some cool ones that take better advantage of vertical-display mode.

Customize your Fit via Manager app: Now you can swap the layout of icons, and even change the home screen and add your own photo to the Gear Fit's background.

Extra coaching options: I found some new ways to control the coaching mode while running, setting the heart-rate coaching awareness to "auto," or setting the device to coach around your own maximum heart rate.

Better syncing with S Health: Samsung promises that a lot of the weirdness I found before has been fixed.

Credit goes to Samsung for making these changes so quickly. Sometimes it takes a while for wearables to get much-needed updates, or they never get them at all.

Article by by Scott Stein

Why the plastic body of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is its secret weapon

Some Samsung Galaxy fans were hoping the S5 would get a swanky aluminum body befitting its flagship status. It didn't happen -- but that's a good thing. Here's why.

The S5 retains the removable battery and memory expansion options -- key features for many users.

Around six months ago, long before the Samsung Galaxy S5 was officially unveiled, rumors started kicking around that it would have aluminum body. The thinking was

a) in order to differentiate the S5 from the S4, Samsung should make the new model swankier and

b) true flagship models like the iPhone 5S and HTC One -- and the now the HTC One M8 -- should feature sleek metal "unibody" designs, not "cheap" plastic bodies.

Thankfully, it didn't happen.

While Samsung switched from a smooth, glossy plastic back to a dimpled one, we didn't get aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or some other exotic metal. Nor did we get a curved display. In fact, the S5 isn't so different from the S4. Sure, the screen's a touch larger and the processor, battery life, and camera have been slightly upgraded while a fingerprint sensor and some water resistance have been added.

As bland as that sounds, it's not a bad thing, especially when you consider that the removable plastic back is one of the Galaxy line's important selling points and one of the biggest reasons to buy a Galaxy instead of an iPhone.

For starters, the removable back gives you access to the battery, so you can replace it when it stops holding its charge like it used to. Or you can carry around an extra battery to swap in case you run out of juice.

The HTC One M8's battery isn't removable, but HTC smartly added a memory expansion slot.

True, an embedded battery does have its benefits. It allows designers to slim devices down those extra few millimeters (see Dolcourt's "It's time to kiss the removable smartphone battery goodbye") and embedded batteries typically offer longer "useful life" over time.

For instance, according to the folks at batteriesinaflash.com, "Apple estimates that its sealed battery laptops only lose about 20 percent of their ability to hold a charge after 1,000 discharges of the battery." The same site says that many laptops see a large dip in battery life after less than two years of use. The same holds true for smartphones with removable batteries.

But if anything goes wrong with your iPhone's battery, you're supposed to take it into an Apple Store or an Apple-authorized repair shop to get it replaced (Apple charges $79 for iPhone battery replacement and $100 for an iPad battery replacement)

The other plus to the S5's removable back is the ability to access the memory expansion slot and add memory. As people use their phones to shoot more video -- and watch more of it -- your storage can dry up pretty quickly, especially if you have a bunch of games and photos on your device. There are plenty of cloud archiving options available, but I know plenty of frequent travelers who store dozens of movies on their phone's memory card (don't ask me where they get those movies).

The S5's plastic back has dimples.

Yes, HTC smartly added an "external" memory expansion slot to the One M8 (you could say it was really stupid not to have the slot in the original HTC One). In some ways, I prefer that easy-access design, but with the S5's waterproofing feature, keeping the expansion slot tucked behind the removable back is the way to go.

Doing the math again, Samsung's 64GB Pro Micro-SDXC card costs around $60 online. You can get a 16GB iPhone 5S for $199 with a contract -- the same price as the 16GB GS5. But bumping up to the 64GB iPhone 5S will run you $399 (with a contract) or $200 more. You could pick up three 64GB cards for the same price.

With previous Galaxy phones, the removable back also tied into other accessories. You could swap in backs with integrated front covers, backs that left room for extended batteries, and a back that allowed for wireless Qi charging -- to name a few. For most people, those options aren't much of a selling point, but I expect we'll see similar accessories for the S5.

In the end, the S5's upgrades, like iPhone 5S', may not seem terribly exciting. But at least Samsung didn't sacrifice functionality and flexibility for swankier looks. That flexibility -- the removable battery and expandable memory in particular -- is ultimately what differentiates Samsung's Android phones from Apple's iPhones. And that's why I'd never buy an Android phone that didn't offer those features.

Article by David Carnoy

Qualcomm's 2015 Snapdragon Chips Promise Lightning Fast Phone

Qualcomm has just revealed the specifications for its 2015 mobile chips-and if you thought this year's offering sounded good, you are in for a massive treat when you read about these newer slabs of silicon.

The two new Snapdragon chips, known as the 810 and 808, are both 64-bit, and billed as high performance hardware designed for flagship Android devices. They aren't joking.

Both chips, made using 20 nanometer production techniques, will be smaller, lighter and more power efficient than this year's offering. But the octa-core 810 is the one you really care about: it will sport four Cortex-A57 cores for power-intensive tasks, along with four lower-power Cortex-A53 cores for other times, to keep power consumption down. The chip will support 4K displays, LPDDR4 RAM-that's faster and more efficient than the current LPDDR3 standard- as well as packing voice activation and dual Image Signal Processors for better imaging. Phew.

In terms of the GPU, the on-board Adreno 430 is supposed to be 30 percent faster than the current 420, while Cat 6 LTE-Advanced is baked right into the chip. Finally, there's a 2-stream multi-user MIMO, which, in simple terms, means your Wi-Fi connection will be way faster, too. As for the 808, it will feature just six cores-two A57 and four A53-and support 2K displays. Its Adreno 418 GPU will be 20 percent faster than the current Adreno 330.

All told, that's a lot of features to squeeze into a pair of chips. If Qualcomm delivers on its promises, the phones of 2015 should melt our faces off. We can't wait.

Article by Jamie Condliffe,

Apple iWatch rumored for third quarter

Company is targeting shipments of 65 million smartwatches for 2014, claims a new report out of Taiwan.

This rough mockup shows what CNET thinks an Apple iWatch might look like. 

Will the much-rumored Apple iWatch finally debut later this year? Yes, at least according to one of the latest rumors.

Apple will reportedly unveil its long-awaited smartwatch in the third quarter of 2014, according to Taiwan's Economic Daily News. Based on an alleged bill of materials, supply chain sources told the news site that Apple is aiming to produce 65 million iWatches by year's end.

The watch itself will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, say the sources. Richtek Technology will make the chips, while TPK will create the watch's sapphire touch panels. Further, Apple is developing the watch's processor but will farm out chip production to Samsung, the sources added.

Samsung and other tech players have unveiled their own smartwatches, so Apple is already fashionably late to this party. But Apple could shake up the smartwatch market with a device that outshines rival products. Beyond pairing with your iPhone, an Apple iWatch reportedly would serve as a health and fitness tracker by tapping into an iOS 8 app called Healthbook.

This latest in a long line of iWatch rumors should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Reports of an Apple smartwatch have been surfacing for quite a while now. But other recent reports have pegged a 2014 launch for the iWatch.

Apple shares were up nearly $3 to about $526.40 in pre-market trading on Tuesday.

Article by Lance Whitney

DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ makes it easier to grab smooth aerial video, photos

DJI's Phantom 2 Vision is pretty much the benchmark for ready-to-fly (RTF) quadcopters for aerial photos and video. Well, it was the benchmark until the new Phantom 2 Vision+ arrived.

The quadcopter itself seems unchanged from the Phantom 2 Vision. You'll find all the same convenience features like color-coded, self-tightening propellers for easy installation and replacement, and a slot-loading battery pack (no connectors to mess with here) that delivers up to 25 minutes of flight time. If you don't stop to charge up its batteries or read the manual, it can go from out of the box to up in the air in about 10 minutes.

The camera on the Vision+, though it looks different, also seems to be the same, at least in specs: an f2.8 lens paired with a 14-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that can capture Adobe DNG raw or JPEG images and video at up to 1080p at 30fps. You can also control ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance, and choose from 140-, 120-, or 90-degree field of view.

 

 

The biggest change is what is supporting the camera. With the original Vision, the camera was on an antivibration platform stabilized only on the tilt axis and the tilting range during flight (remotely controlled through the mobile Vision app) had a range of 60 degrees. The Vision+, however, has a three-axis gimbal similar to the one available for use with a GoPro camera on the Phantom 2.

The gimbal actively stabilizes the camera in roll, pitch, and yaw directions keeping the video looking smooth even with sudden movements. Plus, the camera can now do a 90-degree tilt letting you shoot straight down.

DJI PHANTOM 2 VISION+

 

 

 

The quadcopter's integrated GPS autopilot system allows it to hover at a specific altitude and hold its position so you can get the exact shot you're after. The GPS also gives you a return-to-home fail-safe that will signal the Phantom to fly back to your takeoff spot and land in case you travel out of range or simply panic.

And if you're after more of a drone experience, the Phantom 2 Vision+ is fully compatible with DJI's Ground Station capabilities, which lets you plot a GPS path for the Phantom to navigate autonomously.

Also new for the Vision+ is increased range for the Wi-Fi extender. Sitting on a bar attached to the radio controller, the extender delivers the first-person view from the Vision+ camera to an Android or iOS device using the DJI Vision app (that can also be clamped on the controller). The Vision was capped at 300 meters, but the Vision+ can travel up to 700 meters (2,296 feet) away.

The app not only lets you pilot from a first-person perspective and control the camera, but it's also what delivers important telemetry and flight information such as altitude, direction, flight distance, and speed.

Lastly, DJI added a safety feature to prevent flights that are too close to large and small airports.

We'll have a full review in the near future, but if you know you want one, the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ is available for pre-order for $1,299.

Article by Joshua Goldman

Lenovo IdeaCentre B750 review: An extra-wide-screen all-in-one

The Good With one of the only 21:9 screens we've seen on a PC, the Lenovo IdeaCentre B750 offers a ton of desktop space to fill with browser windows and productivity apps. With the right software, Blu-ray and HD movies can play without letterbox bars, and games feel much more immersive.

The Bad The midlevel graphics card, left over from last year, can't push the higher screen resolution and high-end game settings at the same time; bundled media player software oddly doesn't help with 21:9 playback, and the lack of a touch screen feels dated.

The Bottom Line A refreshing new way to look at all-in-one desktops, the Lenovo B750's Blu-ray-friendly, extra-wide display is great for movies (if you add some extra software), and games greatly benefit from a wider field of view. It's different, and fun to use, but it cries out for a touch screen.

Lenovo's B750 all-in-one desktop PC isn't the first system we've seen with a wider-than-normal screen, but it's still a relatively rare animal. And, with a discrete GPU, high-end CPU, and excellent IPS display, it's also a fun alternative to run-of-the-mill all-in-ones, and hopefully something we'll see more of in the future.

The B750 swaps the usual 1,920x1,080 screen, a 16:9 aspect ratio (the same as HDTV screens), for a 2,560x1,080 screen, which works out to 21:9, or the same as many theatrical release films. Technically, the aspect ratio is 64:27, but that's commonly rounded to 21:9. This wider style of display may never become a mainstream trend, but it's a nice change of pace and serves three major goals.

 

First, you can display HD video content, such as Blu-ray movies, without the traditional letterbox black bars you'd see on 16:9 displays. Note, however, that you'll need special media playback software for this.Second, PC games gain a new level of immersion by adding a wider field of view, essentially giving you extra peripheral vision in games that support that 2,560x1,080 resolution. Many of the games we tried, from Call of Duty to BioShock Infinite to Skyrim, worked well, although some will need config file tweaks to force the higher resolution.

Third, the wide desktop allows you to put full apps and browser windows side by side, much as one might do on a multiple monitor setup. For example, putting a Web browser and Word doc next to one another, or a large video playback window and another app.

At $1,449 for our configuration, which included a current-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, a big 2TB HDD, 8GB of RAM, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 graphics card, the B750 feels fairly priced, considering its unique features. My most notable complaints are two-fold: the older video card (Nvidia is up to the 800-series now) suffers from serious frame-rate drops when trying to push the higher native resolution; and the otherwise excellent display isn't a touch screen, making Windows 8 hard to use, and making the entire system feel dated.

 

SPECS COMPARED

	Lenovo IdeaCentre B750	Dell XPS 27	Apple iMac (27-inch, September 2013)
Price	$1,449	$2,099	$2,199
Display size/resolution	29-inch, 2,560 x 1,080 screen	27-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 touch screen	27-inch, 2560 x 1,440 screen
PC CPU	3.4GHz Intel Core i7-4770	3.1GHz Intel Core i7-4770S	3.4GHz Intel Core i5 4670
PC Memory	8GB 1,600MHZ DDR3 SDRAM	8GB 1,600MHZ DDR3 SDRAM	8192MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
Graphics	4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 760A	2GB Nvidia GeForce GT750M	2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 775M
Storage	2TB, 7,200 rpm hard drive	2TB, 7,200 rpm hard drive	128GB SSD 1TB hybrid hard drive
Optical drive	Blu-ray/DVD/DVD RW combo	Blu-ray/DVD/DVD RW combo	None
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0	802.11a/c wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system	Windows 8.1 (64-bit)	Windows 8 (64-bit)	OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.5

 

Design and features

The Lenovo B750 cuts a different desktop footprint than other all-in-one PCs, just because it takes up so much room. The screen itself measures 29 inches diagonally, but it's an entirely different aspect ratio, so that translates to a shape that's wider and shorter than a regular 16:9 monitor of the same size would be. You won't mistake this for a high-design all-in-one like the Apple iMac or even Dell's excellent XPS 27, and at 32.5 pounds it's heavy enough that you'll want to move it only when absolutely necessary.

 

The wide body requires a wide stand, and the v-shaped base extends nearly the entire width of the system. The stand is hinged in the back, but it can pivot the display only slightly up and down. The body is largely plastic, with a sleek edge-to-edge glass screen overlay that would make you think the display was touch-enabled, even though it's not. However, a row of simple capacitive touch controls sit under the screen on the black lower bezel and can control brightness, volume, and a few other functions.

Bundled with the system are a basic Lenovo wireless keyboard and mouse. The keyboard is slim and angles up at the rear. It includes a full number pad, but I like my space bars a little wider, and the backspace button is too small. The plastic mouse is as basic as it gets; if you want to use the B750 for gaming, I'd suggest a more specialized model with more buttons and a sleeker shape.

 

But the real star here is the display. The giant IPS screen has a native resolution of 2,560x1,080, which is the same vertical resolution as a standard 1080p screen but a horizontal resolution 1.3 times as wide as 1,920. Why would you want that? Productivity is one reason -- you can create two side-by-side windows, each housing a 1,280x1,080 Web browser window or office document. It's not as much real estate as you'd get from combining two 1080p monitors, but not having the physical break between screens as with a dual-monitor setup gives you a seamless view that may be easier to work with.The bundled DVD/Blu-ray software, PowerDVD, didn't seem to have an aspect ratio option that would present the Blu-ray content in a 21:9 format, so I eventually gave up and downloaded ArcSoft TotalMedia, which did allow for this. Note, also, that while watching a Blu-ray on a 21:9 screen is fun and immersive, you are losing some resolution, as the full image, including the black letterbox bars, is 1,920x1,080. In this case, you're essentially zooming in on that image, cutting off the top and bottom, to fill the screen. Still, I'd call it a worthwhile trade-off and a reminder of how ridiculous it is that HD movie content has one aspect ratio (actually several, but one modern primary aspect ratio), while HDTV content has an entirely different aspect ratio.

 

The final reason you may want a 21:9 display is for PC gaming. Fortunately, this system has a discrete graphics card, giving it the muscle to play most current games. That card is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 760, a decent card but one from last year's Nvidia line, since replaced by the 800 series. It's not top-of-the-line but fine for mainstream PC gamers. However, pushing games to the wider 2,560x1,080 resolution, when a game even supported it, caused a notable drop in performance. We had to compensate by lowering the detail level in some games.

The end effect is still very impressive, giving you an expanded sense of peripheral vision in games, which is even more immersive in some ways than playing in stereoscopic 3D, which can have a tunnel-vision effect. Skyrim, the expansive fantasy RPG, worked well, although I had to force the correct resolution in a config file. Metro: Last Light and BioShock Infinite both also benefited from the added field of vision, although their detail levels needed to be knocked back for smooth gameplay.

Seeing this wider screen up close while gaming, I quickly got used to it, making it a letdown to go back to a normal 16:9 display. To take it one step further, I can see how having a curved 21:9 display would be even more immersive, although I'm not aware of any curved 21:9 PC monitors for sale right now.

Audio from the 2.1 speakers was good for internal sound, helped by a rear-firing subwoofer on the back of the chassis, but you'll still want to hook up external speakers if you're DJing a party from your desktop.

 

CONNECTIONS

Video	HDMI in, HDMI out
Audio	Stereo speakers plus subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	4 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Networking	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	Blu-ray player

 

Connections, performance, and battery

One of the nice things about working with a full all-in-one desktop computer rather than a laptop, tablet, or even hybrid "tabletop" all-in-one is having plenty of room for ports and connections. Here, you get a total of six USB ports, although one is needed for the included keyboard/mouse dongle, as well as both HDMI-in and HDMI-out connections. The former is interesting in case you want to hook up an external source -- a tablet, laptop, game console, or other device -- and just use the B750's display.

 

With what's frankly a pretty robust 3.4GHz Intel Core-i7 4770 CPU, the B750 is a very powerful mainstream/premium desktop. It was faster in some benchmark tests than a couple of our other favorite all-in-one PCs, the latest Apple iMac and Dell's XPS 27. Outside of desktops and laptops built for serious PC gamers, you're unlikely to find anything much faster, especially for under $1,500.

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 graphics card in the system is good for mainstream gaming but a few stops short of the top of the line (and part of last year's 700-series of cards from Nvidia). We tested games two ways -- at the same 1,920x1,080 resolution we use to test other PCs, and also at the higher 2,560x1,080 resolution. At 1,920x1,080, the B750 ran BioShock Infinite at high detail settings at 23.5 frames per second; bumping up to 2,560x1,080 gave us 17.9 frames per second. In Metro: Last Light at both resolutions, a challenging benchmark, the scores were 10.0 frames per second and 7.7 frames per second, respectively.

 

If those all sound too low to play, you're right -- but those are running at high-detail settings. Dial things down to medium or lower, and both of those games, as well as others, including Skyrim, Hawken, and Modern Warfare 3, all play smoothly.

While gaming is a major attraction of this unusual screen size/resolution, it's disappointing that you can't crank game detail levels up. I'd be willing to pay a bit more for a newer, higher-end GPU.

Conclusion

The Lenovo B750 is unusual, and it's not for everyone. But if you're looking to skip the multiple monitor setup while still maximizing screen real estate, it's an interesting way to go. And "interesting" is the operative word here. Games, while requiring a detail/frame rate trade-off, take on a new immersive quality on a 21:9 screen, and movie-watching feels more cinematic.

Even better, with a high-end CPU, a big 2TB hard drive, a decent GPU, and a massive extra-wide display all for $1,449, it's a decent deal if you're looking for a desktop that's a little different without breaking the bank. But beyond the specs and price, I just found it fun to use. With a few tweaks, such as a touch screen and a faster GPU, it could be a hard-to-beat alternative to more common all-in-ones.

Article by Dan Ackerman

Sony's A7s matches full-frame with 4K

Sony's announced its first 4K-video-capable still camera, a surprisingly big reveal for the low-profile National Association of Broadcasters' show. Based on the same body as the A7 and A7R, but once again with completely different insides, the A7S incorporates a lower-resolution -- but still full-frame -- 12-megapixel sensor.That's a perfect resolution for a camera like this. It's enough pixels for lots of pro work but few enough to keep a broad tonal range and fast sensor readout, which will minimize lag and processing overhead when shooting video. Ultra High Definition/Quad Full HD (3,840x2,160 pixels) requires a minimum of 8.3-megapixel resolution, while full cinema 4K (4,096x2,160 pixels) needs 8.8 megapixels.

Unlike the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, however, the camera can't do any 4K internally, even at lower frame- or bitrates; you've got to rig up an external hard drive and do it via HDMI. And, disappointingly, it only does 8-bit 4:2:2 capture, compared to the GH4's 10-bit. That said, it should have a far better tonal range than the GH4 because of the larger sensor.

And while the potential dynamic range sounds great for still photographers, it has the A7R's wimpy contrast AF system. Sony hasn't yet mentioned pricing, but I suspect that it's destined to sit above the A7R in the product line, which would put the price north of $2,300 (£1,390).

Sony also announced that it has an XLR mic kit and 28-135 f4 FE-mount lens under development.

For your comparative enjoyment:

	Canon EOS 70D	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4	Sony Alpha ILCE-7 (A7)	Sony Alpha ILCE-7s (A7s)
Sensor (effective resolution)	20.2MP CMOS n/a	16.1MP Live MOS 12 bits	24.3MP Exmor CMOS 14 bits	12.2MP Exmor CMOS 14 bits
Sensor size	22.5 x 15mm	17.3mm x 13mm	35.8 x 23.9mm	35.8 x 23.9mm
Focal- length multiplier	1.6x	2.0x	1.0x	1.0x
Sensitivity range	ISO 100 - ISO 12800/ 25600 (exp)	ISO 100 (exp)/ 200 - ISO 25600	ISO 50 (exp)/ ISO 100 - ISO 25600	ISO 50 (exp)/ ISO 100 - ISO 102400/ ISO 409600 (exp)
Burst shooting	7fps 16 raw/65 JPEG	7fps 40 raw/100 JPEG (12fps with fixed focus; 40fps with electronic shutter)	2.5fps (5fps with fixed exposure and focus)	2.5fps (5fps with fixed exposure and focus)
Viewfinder	98% coverage 0.95x/0.59x	OLED EVF n/a-inch 2.36 million dots 100% coverage 1.34x/0.67x	OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x	OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x
Autofocus	Dual Pixel CMOS 19-pt phase-detection AF all cross-type; center cross to f2.8	49-area contrast AF; DFD	Hybrid AF system 25-area contrast AF; 117-pt phase- detection	25-area contrast AF
AF sensitivity range	-0.5 to 18 EV	-4 to 18 EV	0 - 20 EV	-4 - 20 EV
Shutter speed	1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 x-sync	60-1/8,000 sec.; bulb to 60 minutes; 1/250 x-sync	1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb	1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb
Shutter durability	100,000 cycles	200,000 cycles	n/a	n/a
Metering	63-zone iFCL	1,728-zone	1,200 zones	1,200 zones
Metering range	1 to 18 EV	0 to 18 EV	0 - 20 EV	-3 to 20 EV
Flash	Yes	Yes	No	No
Wireless flash	Yes	Yes	No	No
Image stabilization	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical
Best video	H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/ 60p/50p	MP4/MOV 4096 x 2160/24p, 3840 x 2160/30p/25p/24p @ 100Mbps (IPB); 1080/60p/ 50p @ 200 Mbps (All I)	AVCHD 1080/60p @ 28Mbps, 1080/60i/ 24p @ 24Mbps	XAVC S UHD/30p/25p 4K via HDMI; XAVC S 1080/60p @ 50Mbps; 720/120p
Audio	Stereo; mic input	Stereo; mic input; headphone jack Optional XLR	Stereo; mic input; headphone jack	Stereo; mic input; headphone jack
LCD size	3 inches inches articulated touch screen 1.04m dots	3-inch tilting touch-screen OLED 1.04m dots	3 inches tilting 921,600 dots	3 inches tilting 921,600 dots
Wireless	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi, NFC	Wi-Fi, NFC	Wi-Fi, NFC
Battery life (CIPA rating)	800 shots (210 Live View)	500 shots (1860 mAh)	340 shots (1080 mAh)	360 shots (1080 mAh)
Dimensions (WHD)	5.5 x 4.1 x 3.1 in 139.0 x 104.3 x 78.5 mm	5.2 x 3.7 x 3.3 in 132.9 x 93.4 x 83.9 mm	5.0 x 3.8 x 1.9 in 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm	5.0 x 3.8 x 1.9 in 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm
Body operating weight	27.2 oz 771.1 g	19.8 oz (est) 560 g (est)	17.2 oz 487.6 g	17.2 oz 487.6
Mfr. price (body only)	$1,119.00	$1,699.99	$1,699.99	tbd
Primary kit	$1,349.00 (with 18-55mm STM lens)	n/a	$1,999.99 (with 28-70mm lens)	tbd
Alternate kit	$1,549.00 (with 18-135mm STM lens)	n/a	n/a	tbd
Ship date	September 2013	May 2014	December 2013	June 2014

Article by Lori Grunin

Spring cleaning: Make your iOS device feel new again

In the spring-cleaning spirit, we show you how a few simple changes can make your iOS device feel brand new again.

 

Spring is finally here! In addition to nice weather, warm nights, and baseball parks filling up, it's also time start checking off items on the honey-do list around the house. In addition to cleaning up some cobwebs, sit down with your iOS device and show it a bit of love as well.

A few simple tweaks can go a long way in making your device feel brand new, be it changing a wallpaper or rearranging some icons on your home screen.

Reset home screen layout

 

 

Speaking of your home screen, it's time to reorganize your apps. There are a few different ways to go about doing this, but the easiest way is to reset the home screen layout on your device to the factory layout. This won't actually delete any apps off your iDevice; instead the icons will be placed in a random order. All of your folders will be dismantled, and (potentially) years of hard work organizing everythingjust right will be undone.

Launch the Settings app on your device, select General and then scroll to the bottom of the list where you'll find Reset; tap on it.

Right now we are only concerned with resetting the Home Screen layout -- find its listing and tap on it. When you go back to your home screen, your icons will be scattered all over.

Delete unused apps

After you've reset your home screen layout and you're forced to drag each app to its new home, take this time to decide if you truly need each app. Odds are, you have accumulated a lot of apps over time, most of which you no longer use.

In case you forgot how to delete an app, just tap and hold on the icon until it starts to dance (this is the same way you move apps around). You'll notice an X appears -- tap on it and the app will disappear (after a prompt).

Reset device settings

You know, if you really want to get crazy and change up your device, you can reset all of your current device settings (leaving all installed apps and accounts in place).

Look, I know it seems a bit extreme, but it's easy to enable or disable a feature in settings, end up hating what it does or forget you could even change it. By starting with a clean slate, so to speak, you have a chance to revisit your personal preferences.

Go into Settings > General > Reset and select "Reset Settings." You will be asked for your device passcode (should you have one) before you can confirm this action. Again, your data and media will be safe, but your device settings will go back to factory defaults. Do not select "Reset Content and Settings," unless you want to watch your photos, videos, text messages, and apps vanish from your device.

Free space

 

 

Now is also a good time to unload your photos and videos to a computer. The annoying iCloud alerts telling you you're out of storage can often be eliminated just by clearing your Camera Roll.

Connect your device to a computer to begin transferring photos. Mac users can use iPhoto or Image Capture to sync media to the computer. Windows users can use iTunes, or the File Explorer to move pics and vids to a desired folder.

After the sync is complete, be sure to delete the content from your Camera Roll.

Also, you'll want to make sure any old TV episodes or movies you've downloaded from the iTunes Store are removed from your device. Unless you plan on watching and re-watching a particular video, it's doing nothing more than taking up precious space on your device. Launch the Settings app, tap on General followed by Usage. Here you can see which apps are taking up the most room. Tapping on an app listing will let you view which app files are hogging space. In the case of the Videos app, it will show you video files and let you delete them with the familiar swipe gesture across the file name.

Article by Jason Cipriani

Top picks for replacing that old Windows XP laptop

With support for Win XP ending, it's time to upgrade your ancient computer.

If you're still running Windows XP on one or more PCs at home or at work, you're not alone. Even after 12 years, more than 25 percent of PCs still use the XP operating system, and many still will even after the April 8 deadline for Microsoft to cease official support.

For any XP system you have, chances are the hardware it's running on is very old, and it may be time for an upgrade, even without needing a new, more secure OS. Below are some picks, from inexpensive to premium, that will get you into Windows 8, or even (gasp!) a different operating system.

 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Acer Chromebook C720P, $299
A new, low-cost way to get online

A Chromebook is essentially a low-power PC that runs a Google operating system called Chrome. That largely restricts you to online tasks, but includes Gmail, Facebook, Netflix, and other cloud-based apps, sites, and tasks. This Acer model adds a touch screen, making it our favorite.

 

Smaller eight-inch tablets running full Windows 8 are finally getting good enough to recommend. This Lenovo model is well built and has an optional, camera-friendly cover. Hook up an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and it becomes a usable basic desktop PC, as well.

 

Acer Aspire E1-472G, $599
An inexpensive way to get gaming

A perfectly fine budget-priced laptop that stands out from the crowd, thanks to the inclusion of a basic discrete Nvidia graphics card, making it possible to catch up on all the years of PC games you missed while on Windows XP.

 

HP Spectre 13 Ultrabook, $999
A slim, touch-screen laptop that hits all the right notes

A great example of the 13-inch ultrabook, this slim, lightweight system has a very bright touch screen, good speakers, and an extra-wide touch pad for all those windows 8 gestures.

 

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro, $999
A high-res hybrid that's easy to use

XP users are probably still scratching their heads at the idea of a hybrid that is part laptop, part tablet. The Yoga line from Lenovo is still our favorite because it doesn't compromise the laptop shape, and it includes an extra high-res screen.

 

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch), $1,099 
If you're looking to leave Windows behind

If you're still running Windows XP, then Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 didn't sufficiently tempt you to upgrade. That might mean you're looking to jump ship entirely, and there's no better way to do that than with a 13-inch MacBook Air, which I consider to be the single most universally useful laptop ever made.

 

Asus G750, $2,999 
A giant gaming rig to put consoles to shame

Maybe you've stuck with that XP laptop for so many years just to save up for a big splurge. Different configurations cost more or less, but this $3,000 build of a high-end Asus gaming laptop gave us the newest top-end Nividia card, the GeForce GTX 880M, and benchmark scores that just about justify the price.

Article by Dan Ackerman

Pushbullet for Android review: The app you never knew you needed

The Good Pushbullet transmits items from desktop PC to Android device, or Android to PC, quickly and reliably.

The Bad You can push links, notes, and more to friends, but there's no way to control who can or can't send items to you.

The Bottom Line Pushbullet is the easiest way to transfer files, links, notes, lists, and

Pushbullet is one of the fastest and easiest way to get links, notes, lists, files, and addresses both from your desktop computer to your mobile device and vice versa. All of this is done from the Pushbullet Android app, the service's Web site, or one of the browser extensions for Chrome or Firefox.

Thanks to a recent update in March 2014, you can now also view new notifications from your phone on your desktop. After having used it for several months, I can confidently say it has changed the way I interact with my phone for the better. Perhaps it will do the same for you.

Getting started

To get started with Pushbullet, simply install the app and pick the Google account that you prefer to use. Next, go to Pushbullet.com on your desktop and use the same Google account to log in there.

It's important to note that you can set up Pushbullet on as many Android devices as you need, and from your desktop, you'll be able to easily choose to which device you want to push data.

Push it

Once you're all set up with Pushbullet via the app and site, you can start pushing text notes, addresses, lists, links, and files (up to 25MB) immediately. From the Pushbullet Web site, just pick which device you want to push to and choose what you want to send. You can drag and drop files from your computer to push them, and there are simple text fields where you can add notes, lists, and addresses. For now, Pushbullet can send notes, links, checklists, addresses, photos, and file attachments.

 

You can send links, notes, images, and other files from your phone to your computer

 You can also use the Android app to push files, notes, and other items to other Android devices or your computer. Just tap the tiny bullet icon at the top-right of the app and select what kind of item you want to push and where. Just like on the Web site, you can type in (or copy and paste) notes, lists, and links. For files and photos, the app will ask you to grab a file from an app, such as the photo gallery or your file manager, you want to grab the attachment.

When Pushbullet pushes an item to a mobile device, it generates a notification in the notification bar. If you tap a note or list notification, those items will open in the app, while pushed links open in your phone's default browser and addresses open in a map app. Finally, files that are pushed to your phone open up in the appropriate app for that particular file type. For instance, an image opens in the Gallery app, while PDFs might open in Adobe Reader, if you have it installed.

It's important to note that files are, once pushed from your desktop, automatically downloaded onto your mobile device. This makes Pushbullet a more convenient option for transferring files than sending an email attachment or using Dropbox. That's because neither of those options automatically saves the file. For now, file size is limited to 25MB, a step up from the earlier 10MB limit.

Share with friends

You can even push items to the Android devices of your friends (so long as the you have the email address they signed up with) and vice versa. You can add friends from either the Web site or app, but it's easier to do in the app. Just pick something you want to send, and in the field where you choose where to push your item, select "Add a friend." The app pulls in all of your contacts that are synced with your phone. If they do not already have Pushbullet, they'll get an email inviting them to join.

Keep tabs on your notifications

The most recent Pushbullet update makes the app even more useful because you can now see every notification from your phone on your desktop. That means when your phone goes off, you can see if it's an important notification or something you can ignore simply by glancing at the top-right of your computer screen.

 

Notifications from your phone can show up on your desktop. 

You can control which apps trigger desktop notifications in the Pushbullet app, and dismiss the notification on your phone if you're done with it, which to me, is a great feature.

To set up desktop notifications, head to the settings menu in the Android app and tap the Notification Mirroring option to let the app access your notifications. Then you'll need to install the Pushbullet Chrome extension or Firefox add-on and sign in to your account when prompted. That's all there is to it, and you'll begin to get small pop-up messages when you get a new notification on your Android device.

Add-ons

Pushbullet is even more useful when you connect it to IFTTT. If you're not familiar, If This Then That, or IFTTT, is a service that connects almost any two apps or services that never communicated in the past, such as Facebook and Dropbox. You set triggers, or actions that spark another action, and then an outcome. A great example is if I share a new photo on Facebook, then save it to my Dropbox account.

Pushbullet was added to IFTTT in March 2014 and can turn hundreds of triggers into items that can be pushed to your devices. One way I use Pushbullet and IFTTT is to send a link to my phone when my favorite blog publishes a new article, but there are many more ways to use it, including sending a weather report to your phone, being notified when a sports team scores, or getting a link when there's a new Instagram photo from your favorite user.

How well it works

When it comes to performance, Pushbullet is reliable and fast. In my tests, transmissions from desktop to mobile device (and mobile to desktop) occurred immediately, so long as the device had an active data connection. And every pushed item also successfully made its way into my Android's notification bar. This is perhaps Pushbullet's most important capability. Having pushed items fed into my notification bar keeps them at the front of my mind.

You can, of course, clear any of Pushbullet's items from your notification bar as needed, and just as easily, you can add them to the bar again directly from the Pushbullet app. This means you can actually use your notification bar as a handy reminder tool.

Final thoughts

Pushbullet is a simple app that's far more useful than it appears. You can quickly send almost anything between your phone and computer, and it's more convenient than using email or a cloud storage service like Dropbox.

The recently added notification mirroring feature that pushes all of your phone's notifications to your desktop means you don't need to constantly check your phone every time it buzzes or beeps. It's a very convenient addition that makes the app even more useful than before.

If you ever need to send links, notes, and files between your Android device and your computer, or to another Android device, you can't beat the speed and ease of Pushbullet.

Article by Sarah Mitroff