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Tech Trends
Products & Services
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Apple TV news is covered in iOS News
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News & Opinion
What Does Apple Have Against Memory Upgrades?
Tech Night Owl Gene Steinberg reminds us that you couldn't upgrade
the RAM in the first
Mac back in 1984, and while Apple relented to complaints and later
Macs could be upgraded, that clearly wasn't the vision of Steve Jobs,
and that making RAM easy or quick to replace has never been an Apple
priority, an example being that you had to pull out the entire
electronic assembly to reach the RAM slots in the first iMac.
Steinberg observes that you could get the impression that Apple was
clearly hostile to people who wanted to upgrade RAM.
Then with the MacBook Air,
Apple came full circle with a Mac that can't be RAM upgraded after
manufacture, since the memory is hard-soldered to the logic board, a
motif expanded with the new MacBook Pros with Retina display and the
latest 21.5" version of the iMac on which RAM upgrades are not
officially possible.
Link: What Does Apple
Have Against RAM Upgrades?
Has WiFi Killed Ethernet?
Digital Trends' Matt Smith asks: Now that WiFi routers have become
virtually standard home appliances, with some newer computer models
(such as Apple's MacBook Air) not even shipping with ethernet ports,
does that mean ethernet's time has passed, or are there still reasons
to deal with wires?
Smith notes that WiFi performance has improved significantly over
the last five years, with the new 802.11ac
standard promising speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s finally giving wireless
the ability to match Gigabit ethernet - at least on paper - and able to
easily outpace the average broadband connection in North America.
However users with extremely fast connections can still see benefits
from ethernet, and there's also a niche option helping to keep ethernet
alive in homes: powerline
networking, which uses wall current power lines to transfer data.
He explains that you'll need two adapters to create a powerline network
- one connecting via ethernet to your primary router or modem that
plugs into a wall socket, and the other that can be used in any socket
in your home. Run an ethernet cord from the second adapter to a PC, and
you have a powerline network.
Publisher's note: Either Smith or his editor makes the error of
reporting speeds as MB/s (megabytes per second) rather than Mb/s
(megabits per second). 802.11ac is faster than he reports, with
maximum capacities of 867 Mbps with one 160 MHz antenna, 1.73 Gbps with
two, 3.47 Gbps with four, and 6.93 Gbps with eight. In contrast,
802.11n supports up to three 150 Mbps 40 MHz streams for a maximum 450
Mbps data rate, while good old 802.11a and 802.11g top out at 54 Mbps,
and the original 802.11b AirPort Card introduced in 1999 has a maximum
data rate of 11 Mbps.
As for powerline networking, HomePlug, which started at
a mere 14 Mbps in 2001, today has a maximum bandwidth of 200 Mbps,
twice as fast as the 100 Mbps ethernet that's been popular for over a
decade, one-fifth as fast as the Gigabit ethernet standard on today's
Macs, and in the same ballpark as today's 802.11n WiFi. Powerline
networking isn't cheap, but it does eliminate the need to run ethernet
cables. dk
Link: Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet:
Has Wireless Killed Wired?
Tech Trends
Laptop/Tablet Hybrids Will Never Work
CNN Money's Adrian Covert maintains that while Microsoft's Surface
tablet PC aims to meld laptop with hybrid, it proves that the quest may
be futile, and that one single device promising both laptop and tablet
experiences with no compromises will never work - and that goes for the
Surface Pro that's coming next month as well as the Surface RT that
went on sale last fall.
Covert notes that while the Pro's Intel Core i5 processor makes
everything faster and smoother, it runs legacy Windows apps on the full
desktop version of Windows 8 and even includes a pressure-sensitive
stylus, it's not only as or more expensive than some PC Ultrabooks
starting at $899, it's also more than half an inch thick and weighs two
pounds, which would be fine for a laptop, but for a tablet is
borderline obese, and battery performance will likely also lag behind
other tablets as well.
Link: The Laptop/Tablet
Hybrid Will Never Work
7 Reasons Why Windows RT Was DOA
The Register's Neil McAllister thinks Microsoft's consumer level
tablet OS was doomed from the start, and while comparisons of
Windows 8 and Windows Vista are
premature, with the holiday season behind us, it's now plain that
Windows RT is a flop.
In his estimation, Microsoft choosing to launch Surface based on an
ARM processor running Windows RT, delivered a machine with an oddly
hobbled OS that's neither fish nor fowl, one that falls somewhere
between Windows 8 on PCs and Windows Phone 8, but with the
advantages of neither, and for all Microsoft's hype around Surface RT,
customers aren't buying it - literally - with UBS analyst Brent Thill
estimating that Microsoft has sold only about 1 million Surfaces since
the RT launched in October 2012 - half what Thill himself had
predicted, McAllister noting that even sales of 2 million would have
been a spit in Apple's ocean of 14 million iPads sold in the three
months before the holiday season.
Reasons for the failure cited:
- Windows RT devices are too expensive
- The software stinks
- Microsoft is competing with itself
- Microsoft is competing with everyone else, too
- Windows RT is too closed
- Hardware OEMs haven't bought in
- Microsoft's marketing sucks
McAllister concludes that Windows RT is an OS that nobody asked for,
sent in search of a market that's already well served by other options,
and even ignoring everything else that's wrong with it, that's reason
enough for it to go down in history as one of Microsoft's biggest
bombs.
Publisher's note: I had high hopes for the Surface, which appears to
be a clever piece of hardware hobbled by a horrid new version at
Windows that seems to go out of its way to not leverage nearly 30 years
of Windows experience by reinventing almost everything. Had the Surface
been designed to function primarily as a tablet - which means in
portrait mode - it might have had a chance. In landscape mode, the
keyboard and kickstand have to make it a much better writing device
than the iPad. Problem is, by making Surface primarily a landscape
device obviously intended to be used on a table or desk, Microsoft has
made it essentially a notebook PC with Windows 8 (which is not
selling well on laptops) that can do double duty as a tablet. A shame,
as some of the hardware ideas are brilliant. dk
Link:
Microsoft's ARM Blunder: 7 Reasons Why Windows RT Was DOA
Lenovo Introduces Rugged ThinkPad Chromebook for
Schools
PR: Lenovo has announced
the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook - a fast booting, highly customizable
laptop PC built with rugged features for the daily rigors of K-12
education. The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook simplifies software and
security management for school administrators and provides students and
teachers with quick access to thousands of apps, education resources
and storage.
Throughout the course of a typical school day, students'
laptops are often subject to extreme wear and tear. To help
school-proof them, the ThinkPad X131e has rugged features including a
rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners to protect the
system in the case of an accidental drop. The hinges and hinge brackets
are also strengthened to last more than 50,000 open and close
cycles.
"The ThinkPad X131e has proven to be very successful in education
environments," says Jerry Paradise, executive director of product
marketing, ThinkPad Product Group. "With the rugged features we added
to the X131e, we've seen reduced failure rates in the field. This is a
huge benefit to schools and students. Were pleased to be able to offer
this hardened ThinkPad Chromebook as a great computer for schools."
Latest Tools for Today's Digital Learning Environment
Lenovo's ThinkPad X131e Chromebook provides students, educators, and
IT administrators with an intuitive, easy-to-manage, and rugged laptop
for all their computing needs right out of the box. Using Google Apps
for Education along with thousands of web apps in the Chrome Web Store,
students can easily create documents, edit spreadsheets, view
multimedia videos, create slide show presentations and view PDF
files.
Students can use the low-light webcam to communicate with students
in other schools across the world or just across town. They can also
easily connect via WiFi, and Chrome's fast startup gets students online
instantly. With HDMI and VGA ports, students can present their reports
to the class with a projector or big screen TV.
The 11.6" X131e laptop features an Intel processor, a 1366 x 768 HD
LED antiglare screen, and three USB ports. At less than four
pounds1 and battery life for the entire school day, students
can easily carry the laptop between classes without the need to
recharge.
Recognizing that one laptop doesn't fit all, especially when it
comes to schools, the ThinkPad X131e offers a number of customization
options including custom colors, asset tagging services to help keep
track of devices left on the school bus or in the classroom, and school
logo etching to make every device unique to each educational
institution2.
"ChromeBooks are in use today by more than one-thousand K-12
schools, and they make an ideal one-to-one device because they're more
cost effective, easier to manage and maintain than traditional laptops
or tablets," says Caesar Sengupta, director of product management,
Chrome OS, Google. "Lenovo has a great reputation in schools for making
durable and reliable laptops, so were excited to partner with them to
introduce the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook."
Student Tested, IT Approved
As millions of students in education institutions across the country
continue to use Google Apps for Education, administrators need a system
that is easily manageable but also provides the layers of security
required to safe guard a schools ecosystem. In conjunction with Chromes
built-in protection, ChromeBooks allow schools IT teams to manage
security and scalability through one dashboard. This allows IT
professionals to configure and manage devices all from one place,
saving time, resources and money rolling out multiple computer
images.
For the always budget conscious educators and school administrators,
ChromeBooks cost less than most high end tablets and according to the
IDC, require 69% less labor to deploy and 92% less labor to
support3.
The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook will be available starting February
26th via special bid volume pricing starting at $429. Interested K-12
institutions should contact their Lenovo Sales Representative.
- 3.92 lb. (1.78 kg) with 6-cell battery
- Some customization may require a minimum order quantity
- Based on research performed by IDC, August 2012, Quantifying the
Economic Value of ChromeBooks for K12 Education
Products & Services
Solar Juicz Provides 62W of Solar Power for
MacBooks
PR: QuickerTek, specializing in mobile power and wireless
networking for Apple computers, has announced the 62 Watt Solar Juicz
solar power charger. 
This a new,
higher performance solar charger with new faster-charging technology
packs more power in a smaller size. Apple MacBook Pro, Retina display
and MacBook Air users now have the freedom solar power offers and the
satisfaction of lowering the carbon footprint.
QuickerTek packs an impressive improvement in efficiency of more
than 39% over their previous Solar Juicz model as a direct result of
using new technology as well as a philosophy of continual improvement.
Faster charge time is provided by higher wattage (62 Watts vs. 55 Watts
of previous model). Users can charge the laptop battery while using the
Solar Juicz at the same time - something not possible using other solar
products. If you have sunlight, you have power, whenever you need
it.
Solar Juicz users gain 1.5 to 2 times greater power than more common
thin-film flexible solar materials, by using new Copper Indium Gallium
DiSelenide (CIGS). CIGS yields an amazing 10.5% to 11% average
efficiency - ideal for power on the go. QuickerTek claims there is no
other CIGS technology solar product available for any Apple device.
MacBook users can now spend even more time working away from the wall
power outlet. Even if the laptop battery is completely dead, the Solar
Juicz charges and powers the MacBook laptop simultaneously.
CIGS technology offers these user benefits:
- Highest efficiency thin-film photo voltaic delivers faster charge
times;
- Highest efficiency energy produced under varying light conditions
makes solar efficient more often;
- Raw materials availability helps to reduce prices, while remaining
environmentally friendly
The 62 Watt Solar Juicz also comes ready to use out of the box with
both an Apple MagSafe 1 and an Apple MagSafe 2 power cable. This allows
users to power and charge a wide variety of mobile devices from Apple.
Solar Juicz also charges QuickerTek's extensive line of Apple Juicz
external battery products. QuickerTek also regularly makes custom
cables for users who need the convenience of solar power for other
devices, such as digital still and video cameras.
The solar panel itself is flexible - allowing for easy transport and
use. The higher efficiency technology is only 1534 square inches - 40%
more compact than the previous 2478 square inches. The lighter and
flexible solar panel also adapts to irregular surfaces better -
providing an easy way to use the sun, regardless of the
surroundings.
The new 62 Watt Solar Juicz has a new lower Suggested Retail Price
of $999 - available from QuickerTek's worldwide dealer network.
Like most QuickerTek products, the new Solar Juicz 62 Watt is backed
with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
QuickerTek offers a range of antennas and RF products for Apple
Power Macintosh, Mac Pro, iMac PPC and Intel, PowerBook, MacBook and
MacBook Pro computers as well as power products for MacBooks.
Link: 62 Watt Solar
Juicz
Slappa Offers Selected Cases at 20-50% Off
PR: Slappa is starting
the year off with a special offer unlike most anything we've done
before.
The
Jedi Mind Trix Trolley
The new Jedi trolley has been wildly popular since it launched two
months back - popular - and now offered at the sale price of
$99.99.
This large trolley is a rugged, versatile, spacious and good
looking. Inline skate wheels, 5-stage handle, 1 cavernous main storage
section, 1 heavily organized "gear" section, 3 outer pockets PLUS
Slappa's 'strap system' front weave to add other sleeves, cases,
etc.
Kampus Laptop Backpack
A
lightweight laptop backpack that has lots of "throw it in there"
storage space, the Kampus bags are essentially duffle style laptop
backpacks. The straps are perfect for riding a bike/motorcycle, and
weighing in under 3 lb.. this is a great cycling backpack.
Quarter-inch super-cush padding for the laptop compartment; 5 outer
storage pockets, drawstring synch-strap.
This month's special price: $59.99.
DSLR +
Tablet Bag
The DSLR
+ Tablet bag gives you the perfect mobile photo capabilities.
A heavily padded section that can store your DSLR body and a lens
(or 2 lenses) and a padded compartment for your tablet and camera
essentials.
This month you save 50% - $29.99
Matrix Laptop
Backpack
The original and still Slappa's best seller, the Matrix laptop
backpack gives you great protection and a highly unique look.
Its
rubber molded exoskeleton gives the Matrix it's distinct looks and
provides extra protection - the dedicated laptop compartment has our
super-cush padding; lots of inner pockets and sections for smaller
gadgets, books and peripherals.
This month you can pick up the 15.4" version for $59.99 - the lowest
price ever on the Matrix
Laptop and Tablet Sleeves
Slappa has a large assortment of 10", 13", 15.4", 17" and 18"
sleeves for your laptop or tablet. Unique materials, superb protection
and most are 50% off this month.
Stovepipe
Laptop Backpack
The Stovepipe laptop backpack is another unique backpack invention
from Slappa. Cool looking, lots of inner storage space and a heavily
padded laptop compartment.
The straps and contouring make this bag perfect if you ride a
bike/motorcycle.
This month you can steal a Stovepipe for $69.99
- sale offer applies only to www.slappa.com and no other Slappa
websites
- no other sales code, gift certificate or discount code can be used
in conjunction with or in addition to this sale
- sale offer expires Jan. 31, 2013 midnight p.d.t. or while supplies
last
- $5 shipping special is $5 per item with a maximum of $25 per order.
$5 shipping special only applies to orders that are shipped standard
ground shipping in the continental USA only. Any orders that ship
outside the continental USA do not apply for the $5 shipping offer. Any
orders that ship via any other method other than continental USA ground
shipping do not apply for the $5 shipping offer.
Bargain 'Books
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
