Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
New Asus Chromebook with USB-C leaks - The Verge
According to the now-removed Newegg listing, the C302CA offers a 12.5-inch, 1080p touchscreen that can flip around to use the device as a 2-in-1 convertible tablet, and runs off a 2.2 GHz Intel Core m3 processor. The C302CA also seems to be joining the ranks of many new computers in eschewing legacy USB 3.0 ports for a full conversion to USB-C, sporting two USB-C ports (which presumably also are used to charge the device) along with a microSD card slot. The specific SKU leaked on Newegg offered 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for $499, but it's unclear at this time whether that's the only configuration that Asus will be offering for the new model.
Newegg has already removed the listing for the C302CA, but with CES right around the corner, it's hard to imagine we'll be waiting long for an official announcement."
New Asus Chromebook with USB-C leaks - The Verge
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
How Fitbit, Samsung, Apple and Google misfired in watches in 2016 - CNET
"Fitbit's latest earnings reports weren't good at all. Pebble sold itself at a firesale price (to Fitbit) and cancelled its future watches. Microsoft, Motorola and Intel appear to have halted (or at least suspended) their wearable product lines. The Samsung Gear S3 slid into the holidays with a whimper, not a bang. And while Apple claims it just had its best weekly sales of the Apple Watch ever, that comes after some deep holiday discounts -- and lackluster sales for the first three quarters of the year.
In light of all that, it's hardly a surprise that sales of smartwatches and wearables are in a pretty significant downturn, according to a recent report by analyst firm IDC.
What's going on?
I've worn nearly all of the big new fitness trackers and smartwatches of the past two years. And that's why I'm not surprised that the market is cooling. The reason is simple: they're not doing anything new."
(Via.) How Fitbit, Samsung, Apple and Google misfired in watches in 2016 - CNET:
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Buying a laptop, last-minute holiday shopper? We can help - CNET
Now on to your college kid. It's true that Apple's MacBooks are expensive. The cheapest MacBook Air with a 13-inch screen is at least $999 from Apple. And that device hasn't had a significant upgrade since March 2015. Earlier this year, Apple did give the base model 8GB of RAM as a standard option. But on the chance an update could be coming soon for this line, buying it now could be risky. That said, the next MacBook in the lineup starts at $1,299.
By contrast, you can get a Mac-like experience from a less-expensive Windows laptop, like the Dell XPS 13, which starts at $799. There's also the Razer Blade Stealth for $899. And Microsoft right now is offering lots of good deals on the Surface Pro 4, which doubles as a tablet. You can get one for $799.
Still, none of these devices are as well built as a MacBook. Ackerman said he's confident a MacBook will last you four to five years without really falling apart.
"I'm not sure I'd say that for even premium-priced Windows laptops," he said. "Macs have that OS/hardware synergy, so the touchpad gestures are unmatched, and you get great little features like hitting the spacebar to preview any file."
Buying a laptop, last-minute holiday shopper? We can help - CNET