Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.3 [Updated]
Apple today released iTunes 12.5.3, which is available for macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan users.
iTunes 12.5.3’s changelog lists the same stability and performance improvements as iTunes 12.5.2, including a fix for an issue where albums may play in an unexpected order. A second fix resolves a problem that prevented lyrics from appearing while listening to Beats 1.
iTunes 12.5.3 can be downloaded immediately from the iTunes download page, and it should also be rolling out through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
iTunes 12.5.3 has been released just four days after iTunes 12.5.2, and just over six weeks after iTunes 12.5.1 was released with a revamped Apple Music design.
Update: iTunes 12.5.3 has the same update changelog as iTunes 12.5.2 released last week, so what’s new in today’s update remains unclear. We will update this article if and when we learn more information.
Tag: iTunes 12.5.3
Discuss this article in our forums
Foxconn Testing Wireless Charging Modules for iPhone 8
Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn is testing wireless charging modules intended for use in the 2017 10th anniversary iPhone, according to Nikkei. However, Nikkei’s source says the feature’s inclusion into the iPhone 8 is dependent on yield rates.
iPhone concept image via ConceptsiPhone
“But whether the feature can eventually make it into Apple’s updated devices will depend on whether Foxconn can boost the yield rate to a satisfactory level later on,” the source said.
The modules are intended for the 2017 iPhone, but it’s unclear whether all 2017 iPhone models will include wireless charging or whether it’ll be reserved for higher-end Plus models.
In January, it was reported that Apple was exploring extended range wireless charging for the 2017 iPhone. Extended wireless charging is seen as superior to existing wireless charging solutions because it does not require the device to be as close to a charging mat or source. In February, there was speculation that Apple was working with Energous, the company behind WattUp, a wireless charging technology that uses radio waves to charge devices up to 15 feet away, on wireless charging technology.
Apple has also been hiring engineers experienced in wireless charging in recent months. In May, the company hired two engineers from uBeam, a startup focused on a wireless charging technique that uses ultrasonic waves to charge electronic devices by converting those waves into electricity.
The Cupertino company has also filed many patents for wireless charging technology, though it has publicly downplayed the usefulness of wireless charging, largely due to the need of a charging mat plugged into a wall.
The 2017 iPhone, which is expected to feature a major redesign with a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that integrates a Touch ID sensor and front-facing camera, will arrive in September 2017.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tag: wireless charging
Discuss this article in our forums
LG V20 review: a premium phone that will delight audiophiles
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 fiasco has left a big gap in the market and one company that is primed to fill that space is LG, with the latest addition to their V series that was first introduced only last year. The new flagship features an all new design and build quality, while retaining some of the features that made its predecessor unique.
This year has seen the company struggle with its attempt at modularity in the LG G5 and the V20 drops this in favour of a more traditional smartphone experience. What does this smartphone bring to the table, and can LG take advantage of the opening in the high-end large display segment?
We find out, in this comprehensive LG V20 review!
Design
The LG V20 may be succeeding the V10, but the former features a complete redesign and new build that makes it more alike the company’s other flagship, the G5, instead of its predecessor. Gone are the stainless steel rails and the DuraSkin material, with LG instead favoring a mostly metal build with polycarbonate found at the top and bottom chin.
The unique look of the V10 may no longer be available, and in fact, quite a few people I know who have come across the phone have mistaken it for an HTC device, but the V20 is still a good looking smartphone nevertheless, and feels great in the hand.
Despite the change in build material though, what LG has retained is the MIL-STD 810G certification for impact and shock resistance. It’s great to see that LG has managed to keep the durability that the V series is known for, without it being obvious just by looking at it.
At first glance, it is easy to think that the LG V20 comes with a unibody construction, but that isn’t the case. There is actually a button on the lower right side that releases the catch mechanism for the metal back plate, and allows for access to the removable battery, the SIM card slot, and the microSD card slot that allows for expandable storage up to an additional 256 GB. When the back plate is in place, it sits completely flush with the body, and looks and feels just like any other metal unibody smartphone.
The build quality is absolutely fantastic, and LG really deserves to be commended for managing the always figure out a way to offer a removable battery. LG has realized that there is still a big demand for this feature, and when it comes to high-end smartphones, the company’s flagships are the only options available. LG has shown that there is a way to have a removable battery with a metal phone twice now, and it would be great to see this available again from other smartphone OEMs as well.
Taking a look around the device, the headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and single speaker unit are all found at the bottom. The power button remains on the back, but as was the case with the G5, the volume rocker has been moved to a more traditional position on the left side, which I personally prefer.
The power button and volume keys are easy to press and offer a nice tactile feel, and the former also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. There is also an IR blaster up top, which is another feature that is rarely seen nowadays, but allows for a nice way to control your TV and other peripherals.
Display
Just like its predecessor, the LG V20 also comes with two displays. The main display a 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 513 ppi. The display is bright enough to allow for easy outdoor visibility, features good viewing angles, and the high resolution means that sharpness is of no concern.
The only complaint would be that the colors aren’t quite as vibrant as I would like. That said, it’s still a pretty good looking screen, just as you would expect from a flagship smartphone.
The secondary display, which is a 2.1-inch screen with a 160 x 1040 resolution, is still at the top, and features a few improvements when compared to what was available with the V10. It is now slightly larger and brighter that makes it a bit easier to see outdoors, but not a lot has changed as far as functionality is concerned.
The secondary display shows a variety of different things like app shortcuts, recently opened apps, media controls, upcoming calendar events, your favorite contacts, and quick toggles for basic settings like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. When the screen is off, information like the time date, and battery life will be on this display. You can also set a custom signature, but because the screen is wider now, you can set signatures that are much longer, and you can also include a custom signature wallpaper to match.
The second screen isn’t an entirely necessary feature, and it something that you may not use all the time. It is nice to have however, and if you do want to use it, it will prove to be really useful. There is a lot to like about the features it provides, with one of my favorites being the app shortcuts. You can customize up to five of your most commonly used apps, and the shortcuts will also show notification badges any time you receive a new notification, which is a really nice touch.
A minor issue with the secondary display is that because it is an LCD screen, it is really easy to notice light bleed coming from it when the main screen is turned off. It’s not a deal breaker by any means, but is something that you will see, particularly when in a darker.
I do however wish that the screen was AMOLED instead of LCD because it’s really easy to notice light bleed coming from the second screen when the main display is turned off. It’s not a huge deal but it is something you will see when you’re using the phone in a darker environment.
Performance
Under the hood is what you would typically expect from a 2016 flagship, with the LG V20 also featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor that is backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. Even with LG’s somewhat heavy skin, the performance has unsurprisingly been excellent, and handles everyday tasks with no issues.
Apps open quickly, the touch responsiveness is great, and multi-tasking is very smooth. The V20 also handles gaming extremely well, and because the device is running Android 7.0 Nougat, you get to take advantage of better graphics and gaming performance with Vulkan supported games.
Hardware
As mentioned, the power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and it works extremely well. As expected, it is fast and accurate, and takes a short amount of time to set up. Unlike other smartphones that feature physical buttons with integrated fingerprint sensors, you don’t have to press the button down in order to unlock the device, which makes it feel much faster.
The LG V20 comes with a single bottom-mounted speaker, which isn’t going to be compared favorably to front-facing dual speaker setups. That said, when considering single speakers, this is certainly one of the better ones out there. The real audio experience with the V20 however is on the inside.
The LG V20 has got a quad DAC built-in, and you can find out more about the specifics here, but what this basically means is that you are going to get much higher quality audio with less distortion and noise, and much better dynamic range. As long as you have a decent pair of headphones, you are going to hear a huge difference in how your audio sounds.
Because of the built-in DAC, the device is able to power much higher impedance headphones. It makes a pretty significant difference even with streaming audio, and you also have support for lossless audio like FLAC files, and 75 stage volume control with left and right balance controls, that let you really fine tune the audio to your ears.
Read more: A closer look at the LG V20’s audio capabilities40
Something to be aware of is that the audio tuning for the LG V20 in Asian markets is done by Bang & Olufsen, while the audio tuning for the device in other markets like the US is done by LG. It’s difficult to gauge what the differences are exactly, or even if there is a difference at all, and while I haven’t heard the audio with the B&O version, I’ve had no complaints with LG’s audio tuning.
Not only is the LG V20 able to playback much higher quality audio, but it is also capable of recording it. The built-in HD Audio Recorder lets you record audio in 24-bit FLAC files, and it can handle really high inputs, which means you can capture audio in really loud and noisy environments like sporting events or concerts, without the audio clipping or sounding distorted.
The LG V20 comes with a 3,200 mAh battery, and for a phone that has two screens, a Quad DAC, and is capable of doing so many things with photos and videos, you would certainly expect a much larger battery than that. Of course, you do always have the option to swap out the battery and carry a spare around.
Despite the battery not being as big as expected, the capacity proves to be enough to allow a full day of usage that involved texting, email, social media, music streaming, a few hours of gaming, and watching videos on Youtube. There isn’t a whole lot of juice leftover however. The battery life should be good enough for most people, but don’t expect this phone to last all day if you plan on using its ivdeo and audio capabilities extremely heavily.
Camera
With this being an LG flagship, the camera experience on this is going to be a pretty big deal. The V20 comes with a dual camera setup like what is also available with the LG G5, with a 16 MP main sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and OIS, that is coupled with an 8 MP wide angle secondary sensor with a f/2.4 aperture.
As was also my experience with the G5, I absolutely love the wide angle lens on the V20. Granted, the quality is not as good as the main sensor, but the wide angle lens is just a lot of fun to use, and works perfectly in a variety of situations, such as when taking group photos or capturing landscapes.
It makes a huge difference over the standard angle of the main sensor, and not only can you fit more into the frame, but the wide angle effect just makes the shot appear to be more dynamic. Making the switch between the two cameras is also very easy. You can do so by tapping on the two icons found at the top of the camera interface, or the device will automatically make the switch for you, as you zoom in or out.
LG’s camera app is packed with features, especially when it comes to manual controls for photos and video, and it’s actually quite amazing how much they’ve been able to pack into this camera. You have granular control over every aspect, including white balance, ISO, exposure, shutter speed, and focus, just as you would on a DSLR.
One of the most useful additions to the camera is that it now has built-in focus peaking which makes it a lot easier to tell if your subject is in focus, and if you are a content creator, you will know exactly how useful focus peaking can be.
There is a plethora of of settings that you can change on the video side of things as well. You can pick between a wide variety of video resolutions, including 4K, adjust the frame rate and bit rate, add film grade effects, and record Hi-Fi audio while recording videos for improved sound quality.
The control isn’t limited to just video, but also the audio capture while shooting video, all of which you can adjust live while recording. These include built-in controls for gain, a low cut filter, a limiter, a wind noise filter, and the ability to change the direction of the microphone’s sensitivity, and you can even monitor the audio levels directly through the viewfinder.
The camera does come with optical image stabilization, but it doesn’t work very well when it comes to video recording, with casual walking also causing a lot of jerks. Smoother looking footage is possible with LG’s “Steady Record” software stabilization, which does make a significant difference, but is far from perfect. You will see some warping or the “Jello” effect, especially around the corners, and is far more noticeable when using the wide angle lens.
Having all these manual controls at your fingertips is fantastic, but if you are purely looking to shoot in Auto mode, the picture quality is good, but unfortunately not great. There is plenty of color, saturation, and sharpness to be had, and you will be satisfied with the shot the majority of the time. Dynamic range isn’t the best though, and the camera always the tendency to overexpose the shot and blow out highlights. It also doesn’t handle bright colors like red, orange, and yellow all that well.
Low light shots will show some noise, which is not unexpected, and the camera isn’t too aggressive with noise reduction, which helps preserve some sharpness and detail. The camera’s white balance is heavily influenced from surrounding light sources though, especially when using the wide angle lens. Shots will appear too cold or too warm, and just like in most shots, it doesn’t do well with properly exposing highlights.
It is pretty obvious that the real strength of the LG V20 camera lies in its manual controls, and as is the case with any camera, whether it be a smartphone or a DSLR, you will always get a much better shot if you are willing to take the time and dial in the settings yourself.
The front-facing camera is a 5 MP unit with a wide angle lens, and unlike last year, LG opted to stick with just one camera up front this time around. Even though there is only one camera, you do still have the option to switch between a wide angle and a standard angle.
LG V20 Camera Samples:
However, because only one lens is actually being used, switching to the standard angle essentially involves the image just being cropped, which deteriorates the picture quality. For the best results, it is definitely better to just keep it on the wide angle setting at all times, and if you want that close up shot, you can always just crop the image yourself after the fact.
Software
On the software side of things, the LG V20 was the very first smartphone to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, which is something that Google generally reserves for their own devices. This is definitely a big selling point for the V20 right now, given the fact that there aren’t many phones running Android 7.0 at the moment, but that is hopefully going to be short lived.
The V20 comes with all the latest Android features that were included with the update, including built-in Multi-Window support, the revamped notifications, direct reply, customizable Quick Settings toggles, and Doze on the go, just to name a few. The only Nougat feature that appears to be missing is the System UI Tuner. It is a useful feature on other devices like the Nexus devices and the Google Pixel smartphones, and is a rather surprising omission.
On top of Android 7.0 Nougat is LG’s custom skin, and it looks and feels a lot like what was found on the G5. It is still really bright, colorful, and somewhat cartoonish, and the app drawer is missing by default, but now, LG has at least made it easy to get it back. There are built-in themes available that have been made specifically for the V20, which is useful if you aren’t a fan of the default color scheme. There aren’t a lot of choices right now though, but that is something that will hopefully change in the upcoming months.
The latest version of LG’s UI is a lot cleaner than previous iterations, and a lot less intrusive as well, but it would have been nice if LG had done more with it to make it flow better with Android 7.0 Nougat. Aside from the fact that we know that it is actually running the latest version of Android, the experience remains largely the same as before, similar to what was on the LG G5.
Specifications
| Display (main) | 5.7-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi) |
| Display (secondary) | IPS Quantum display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi) |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 64GB UFS, microSD |
| Rear cameras | 16MP, f 1.8, OIS, Hybrid Auto Focus, 75-degree angle; 8MP, f 2.4, 135-degree angle |
| Front camera | 5MP, f 1.9, wide angle |
| Battery | 3,200 mAh, user removable, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Connectivity | X12 LTE (up to 600 Mbps LTE Category 12 with 3x Carrier Aggregation) / Wi-Fi (802.11 a, b, g, n, ac) / USB Type-C / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC |
| Features | Hi-Fi Video Recording Steady Record 2.0 HD Audio Recorder Studio Mode High AOP Mic 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC B&O Collaboration Finger Print Scanner |
| Dimensions | 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm |
| Colors | Titan, Silver, Pink |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the LG V20! The V20 may share some similarities with the G5, like a metal build and a dual camera setup on the back, but the former does offer and feature a whole lot more. What makes the V20 so great is that it isn’t trying to do anything too different or crazy, but instead, focuses on being a good smartphone.
The device comes with a new metal design that is great to look at, and comes without compromise in terms of durability, a big beautiful display, a very feature rich camera, and a fantastic audio experience. LG managed to do all this while still retaining staples like expandable storage and a removable battery, with latter being something you can only count on an LG phone to have in the high-end segment.
With the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 out of the picture, the LG V20 will have the entire spotlight to itself as the best big screened productivity powerhouse, and if that is what you are looking for, the LG V20 is primed to fill that Note 7 shaped void.
Vine is dead: Here’s how to save your Vines (and turn them into GIFs)
Twitter killed Vine.
The video-sharing mobile app, which burst onto the scene in 2013, giving people the ability to create and post 6-second video clips, will be discontinued in the coming months. Even though many Vine creators found viral fame with the service and went on to have successful media careers, Vine itself hasn’t seen a lot of user engagement in 2016. Creators have therefore fled Vine for Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram. And without anyone creating nor using the app, it makes sense that Twitter would give it the axe.
- What is Vine?
- Top 38 Viners to follow
So, what’s next? Vine said it would share more details soon. In the meantime, it hasn’t given users an easy way to export their looping clips of funny animals, cute kids, hilarious gags, shocking fails, creative memes, and more. No worries. Pocket-lint has listed three different ways you can preserve your Vine library forever – and one of them even turns your Vines into GIFs.
How do you save Vines?
The ‘save video as…’ method
(Screenshot: Pocket-lint)Go to Vine’s website on your computer and find a clip. You’ll want to paste the URL to a Vine’s post page into your browser.
Add “qq” in front of the domain name. (Example: https://vine.co/v/OPFWFzXKpJu > https://qqvine.co/v/OPFWFzXKpJu)
Select a version you’d like download (high quality etc) by clicking on the appropriate download link.
The download will open in a new page. Right-click on the player and save the video file to your computer.
Enjoy your Vine for the rest of time.
The video downloader method
(Screenshot: Pocket-lint)
There are several sites that let you quickly download videos from Vine, YouTube, or wherever. Vinedeck.com is one example. Simply pick whichever site or tool you’d like to use, then paste the URL to a Vine’s post page into the appropriate field, and click the download link. Or, you can right-click on the video preview and then save the video file to your computer.
The Giphy GIF method
(Screenshot: Pocket-lint)
If you want to import all of your Vines and turn them to GIFs, try using Giphy. Just head to this link on your computer, then sign into (or create) your Giphy account, and paste the profile URL of your Vine account into the appropriate box. From there, click the Import button. That’s it!
Netflix taunts ad blocking crowd with ‘Black Mirror’ ads
You might not like that companies are trying to either discourage ad blocking or serve ads regardless, but at least they’re getting creative about it. Netflix is promoting its bleak drama Black Mirror by serving special ads just to people spotted using ad blocking software. “You cannot see the ad. But the ad can see you,” Mashable saw in one example. The ad is certainly consistent with Black Mirror’s notion of technological breakthroughs gone wrong, but it may come as a surprise if you’d installed a blocker precisely to avoid this kind of media blitz.
We’ve reached out to Netflix to see if it can say how it serves these ads. Are they piped through an ad network or served directly to specific websites, for example? It’s also uncertain just which sites get these ads, although tech-oriented sites appear to be included in the mix. However you see the promos, they’re undoubtedly part of a trend where ad blocking software is only truly effective against those companies that don’t have the budget or know-how to work around restrictions.
Image credit: Mashable
Source: Mashable
Why you should care when your coffee was roasted – CNET
Enlarge Image
Taylor Martin/CNET
Making great coffee at home is easier than you might think. You needn’t go out and spend a small fortune on gear, and you don’t need a top-tier automatic brewer. All you really need is some basic equipment and a general understanding of what truly affects the taste of your brew — grind size, brew time and temperature and, most importantly, the beans.
A dark roast will give you a totally different taste profile than the same coffee roasted lighter. Blends will give you a mix of flavors while single origins will highlight specific tasting notes of different varieties and regions. You can typically find all of this information right on the bag. But a key factor in the flavor of the coffee that is often missing from the packaging is the roast date.
The freshness of coffee is also overlooked by the vast majority of coffee consumers. It can be the difference between an outstanding cup of coffee and one that falls flat.
Degassing
During the roast process, carbon dioxide gas is formed inside the bean. As soon as the roasting is finished, the release of carbon dioxide begins. This process, called degassing, lasts up to two weeks, give or take.
At this stage, the coffee is typically considered too fresh, which is why some roasters will not begin selling their beans until several days after they’ve been roasted.
It isn’t easy to know exactly when a coffee is ready for brewing, as it varies with each bean and roast profile. Darker or longer roasts tend to degas more rapidly than lighter roasts. But ambient temperature, humidity, storage containers and other factors affect degassing, as well.
Generally, most roasters will tell you to wait anywhere from three days to a week after the roast date before enjoying the coffee.
How coffee goes stale
Taylor Martin/CNET
As carbon dioxide leaves the coffee beans during degassing, it’s replaced with oxygen.
This oxygen reacts with the oils and other solubles — what gives the coffee its unique taste — within the coffee bean. This process, otherwise known as oxidization, is what makes the coffee go stale. The oxidized oils and solubles means notable flavors won’t be as pronounced and the coffee will taste flat.
To help keep oxygen from reaching the beans, most roasters package their coffee in airtight bags. Some install one-way CO2 valves, which allow carbon dioxide to escape the bag but make it difficult for oxygen to enter.
This is also why it’s recommended that you store your coffee in a vacuum sealed container with a CO2 valve, such as the AirScape. If nothing else, an airtight container like a mason jar works well, but may not keep your coffee as fresh for as long as a vacuum sealed container will.
Also, storing your coffee in the freezer is doing more harm than good, especially for short-term storage.
If you store your coffee properly, a bag should remain fresh for up to six or seven weeks.
Why you should only buy whole bean
Taylor Martin/CNET
You may also hear that you shouldn’t buy your coffee preground, that you should stick to whole bean coffee. There’s a lot of truth to that, especially if you care about fresh coffee.
When coffee is ground, its surface area is increased, allowing it to degas much faster. Assuming it’s perfectly sealed when leaving the roaster, it may keep it’s freshness until it reaches your hands, but it will oxidize much faster than whole bean coffee after you open the package.
The best way to maintain freshness is to buy your coffee as whole beans and grind just before you plan to brew.
Some coffee makers, especially those set on timers, require you to grind your coffee at night so they can have a hot pot ready for you in the morning. In this case, you’re sacrificing some freshness in the name of convenience.
Where to find fresh coffee
Taylor Martin/CNET
If you buy your morning cup from a coffee shop every day, you’re most likely (though not guaranteed to be) getting fresh coffee, which might explain why coffee you make at home just doesn’t taste the same.
Bags of coffee found on the shelf at your typical grocery store have likely been sitting there for months. Sadly, there’s no real way to know exactly how long they’ve been there. Most roasters don’t stamp or sticker their bags with a Roasted On date.
You’ll be lucky to find a label with a Best By date, but there’s still no way to tell how long the bag has been lying around.
The best way to ensure you’re getting fresh coffee is to buy it directly from a roaster, and stick to those who label their bags with a roast date. When you purchase coffee online from a roaster, it’s usually shipped within a few days of being roasted. And by the time it arrives, it’s usually ready to be brewed.
You can also find local roasters to buy from directly. Or keep an eye out for local coffee shops or markets that sell local coffee. Ask when new stock comes in and you can easily get your hands on some seriously fresh coffee. Just remember to let it finish most of the degassing process before brewing.
Best Chromebook for Students
The ASUS Chromebook Flip is the best Chromebook for a student.
Best overall
ASUS Chromebook Flip (C100)
See at Amazon
If you are a student in the market for a Chromebook or if you’re buying for someone who is, the ASUS Chromebook Flip is our top pick. While not the most powerful available, it still has plenty enough where it counts so it can do everything a student or graduate needs in the perfect form factor for someone on the go.
The bottom line: Small and portable, the Chromebook Flip is great for a busy student. Its excellent app support means you’ll be able to use it to get things done and be able to play games or watch video during the downtime.
Why the ASUS Chromebook Flip is the best
The 10.1-inch ASUS Chromebook Flip convertible — the screen folds back to provide a tablet experience — has a 1080p touch screen, great battery life, and can run apps from the Chrome Web Store and Google Play. Whether it’s Google Docs, Wikipedia or Facebook, the Chromebook Flip will serve you or the student in your life well. The best part is that you’ll find one under $300.
The MediaTek processor and 2 or 4GB of RAM (we recommend the 4GB version) can surf the web, watch full-screen videos, and play some of your favorite Android games from Google Play. Of course, Google Docs and Microsoft’s Office apps for Chrome or Android also run very well so the schoolwork can get done, too. The small size and long battery life mean you’ll be able to take it with you from class to class or to a coffee shop for lunch or quiet time.
The budget-friendly and super-portable Chromebook Flip just ticks all the boxes for anyone in school.
Best big screen
Acer Chromebook R13
See at Amazon
The Acer Chromebook R13 was announced in September 2016 as the new mid-range offering from the company. The R13 represents the future of Chromebooks, carrying on from the ASUS Chromebook Flip. It has a 1080p IPS touch screen for interaction with Android apps, can fold back into various modes for an all-touch experience, and charges using the new USB-C standard rather than an older connector.
Beyond that, the Chromebook R13 offers a lot for its higher-than-average price. It has a solid metal build and nice-looking screen, with a solid (but quite standard) keyboard and trackpad. It isn’t particularly light, but much of that is because of its large battery. The only real concern here is performance and configuration options, as you’re getting a MediaTek ARM processor and can only choose to get 16, 32 or 64GB of storage — there’s no choice to get a higher-end processor or more RAM.
Bottom line: If you’re happy with the base configuration and don’t need something that’s hyper-portable, this is going to be a great choice for a student who want’s something a little larger than the ASUS Chromebook Flip.
Best high end
HP Chromebook 13 G1
See at HP
The HP Chromebook 13 G1 is nominally designed for the enterprise, so it’s a step above most Chromebooks when it comes to quality and performance. No matter what model you get you’re going to be using a full-metal laptop that comes in under three pounds, a crazy 3200×1800 touch screen, a backlit keyboard, and it charges up over USB-C (there’s an additional USB-C port as well).
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to settle for the base model at $499. If you want more, you can have more — you can configure the Chromebook 13 G1 with up to 16GB of RAM and a top-end Intel Core m7 processor if you really need more performance.
The downside? Price. The base model at $499 is pretty good, but it’s easy to configure this laptop and spend over $1,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on a Chromebook, even when it’s as nice as the HP is. When using Chrome OS as shipped on the HP Chromebook G1, the minor performance gains make it hard to justify the cost. But for a student who is also a tinkerer or Computer Science major, this is the Chromebook to buy if you’re going to install an alternative operating system like Ubuntu.
Bottom line: If you have the money to spend, you’re getting a great Chromebook with some of the best specs of any laptop. If you need that kind of power — or just want something that’s incredibly well built — the HP Chromebook 13 G1 is the one to get.
Conclusion
A Chromebook is a great — and familiar — experience for anybody in school. The ASUS Chromebook Flip seems like it was specially built for a busy student, but there are also great options with a bigger screen or the ultimate high-end experience. We think these three are your top picks for 2016.
Best overall
ASUS Chromebook Flip (C100)
See at Amazon
If you are a student in the market for a Chromebook or if you’re buying for someone who is, the ASUS Chromebook Flip is our top pick. While not the most powerful available, it still has plenty enough where it counts so it can do everything a student or graduate needs in the perfect form factor for someone on the go.
The bottom line: Small and portable, the Chromebook Flip is great for a busy student. Its excellent app support means you’ll be able to use it to get things done and be able to play games or watch video during the downtime.
Chromebooks
- The best Chromebooks
- Should you buy a Chromebook?
- Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
- Acer Chromebook 14 review
- Join our Chromebook forums
Take the State of the Mobile Nations Phones Survey for your chance to win $600 towards a new phone!
Silly season for new phones and gadgets is on us — it feels like we can’t go a week without a major release as the calendar races into the holidays. There are a bunch of new phones out there and we wanted to get an idea about what’s important to you in a phone and in a cellular carrier. Thus, this survey.
We get a little detailed, but that’s because we want to suss out what it is that drives your decisions in purchasing a new phone or picking a new carrier. These are expensive and long-term choices, and your answers will help to influence what we write. This survey is your chance to help guide and inform how we approach answering your most important technology questions for years to come!
And because we love you, one random respondent to this survey will win $600 to buy the new phone of your dreams — or to pay for the next several months of your mobile service!
Hit up the survey below (or click here to open in a new window); it should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
Daily Briefing: Your next cheap phone will stream in 4K
Write this down: Here’s the news for Monday, October 31.
Do you write anymore? I mean physically, on paper. It recently occurred to me that I often go weeks without writing more than a signature on a contract or an incoming delivery (or a check, another anachronism).
In our Note 7 recall survey, the number one answer people gave to “What feature will you miss most on the Note 7?” was the S Pen. And I miss it, too: I always prefer to take written notes in meetings instead of typing on a screen, especially if it’s a one-on-one interview or a small group. Pen-and-paper just feels more personal, and closer to the subject matter. As someone who spends his whole day writing, I often miss that connection. And yet even at my most studious, back in college, I probably couldn’t have written by hand all the essays and papers I was expected to turn in. If I had, they would have been shorter and, conversely, more succinct. The keyboard (and to a lesser extent the typewriter) gave us the opportunity to be more verbose, and considerably more long-winded.
I think that’s been both a blessing and a curse.
ARM’s new Mali combo promises better graphics and video streaming in cheaper phones
After debuting its high-end Mali-G71 GPU back in May, UK-based ARM, which just got bought by Japan’s Softbank for a cool $31 billion, is back with another big announcement.
The company unveiled the mid-range Mali-G51 GPU alongside its V61 video processing unit. The former is based on the same Bifrost architecture as its more expensive counterpart, but will be aimed at cheaper phones that still want to meet those 60fps goals on 1080p displays. The V61 on the other hand promises less bandwidth-intensive 4K streaming video through more efficient codecs. Both promise power savings over their predecessors, and will be available in phones next year.
Twitter tries some Nougat, likes it
Over the weekend (remember those, workaholics?) Twitter added a bunch of Android Nougat-based features to its alpha client. Specifically, support for multi window (Android 7.0+) and app shortcuts (Android 7.1+). Oh, and there’s also a rounded icon for those running 7.1, too. Want in? Sign up for the Twitter Alpha.
Android Pay now supported by more banks
The list of banks supporting Android Pay has grown again. Android Police notes that the official list of banks has been updated once again and now First Flight FCU, Bristol County Savings Bank, Capitol One and others have been added. Earlier this year Capitol One showed up on the list but it was then removed, so hopefully it is here to stay this time.
Google handing out $50 Play Store credits for late Pixel deliveries
Google is reportedly sending emails to Pixel owners, particularly those who wanted the larger Pixel XL, whose delivery dates were pushed back due to manufacturing delays.
According to several threads on Reddit (via Techcrunch), Google has generously offered $50 in Play Store credit to anyone affected by Pixel delivery issues. Good going, Goog.
BlackBerry inks deal with Ford to improve connected cars
“We have the best embedded software and security engineers in the world, and Canada is pretty great!” That’s how Marty Beard, BlackBerry’s Chief Operating Officer, closed his blog post last week after debunking rumors that Apple was raiding QNX’s staff to work on its car platform.
Today, BlackBerry made a significant announcement to reinforce that claim, inking a deal with Ford to continue powering the technology behind its SYNC dashboard. Specifically, BlackBerry will dedicate a portion of its QNX team to work only on Ford products going forward. No terms were disclosed for the deal, but it’s certainly going to help BlackBerry reach its revenue targets for FY17.
Sony’s newest flagship is now $50 less ridiculously overpriced
I kid, I kid. Sony’s Xperia XZ flagship, which arrived in September, now sells for $649 USD on Amazon, a nice $50 reduction. We liked the device when it debuted, but have trouble recommending it over the similarly-priced Pixel. See at Amazon
Samsung is going to sell its weirdest mobile accessories in the U.S.
A wireless, water bottle-shaped speaker? Sure, why not? Samsung has announced that it will bring a number of its formerly Korean-only accessories, such as the aforementioned Wireless Speaker Bottle, a dual Wireless Charger Tray, and a USB-based LED light, to the U.S. They’re all coming to Samsung’s online store, and will be available in brick-and-mortar equivalents in early November.
Motorola cuts $150 from its Moto Z line, for now
If you were waiting to buy a Moto Z, Z Force or Z Play from Motorola, you can now save up to $150 on the whole kit — until November 18th. Pretty good deal for a fantastic set of phones.
Help us out, take a survey!
Feel like sharing a bit about how you use your phone, and on what carrier? Take our State of the Mobile Nations Phones Survey for a chance to win $600 towards a new phone! Thanks!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Be safe out there. Oh, and if you haven’t played today’s Google Doodle game, do so immediately. It’s amazing.
Microsoft Flow and PowerApps get a public launch November 1st
Flow, Microsoft’s in-house version of IFTTT, has been in preview mode since April, but the folks at Redmond are finally ready to open the service up to the general public. Starting November 1, Flow will be available in 42 languages worldwide, alongside PowerApps — Microsoft’s code-free app-building service.
Like IFTTT, Flow simplifies workflows by connecting different apps and internet services. For heavy Windows users and those who rely on Microsoft’s Power BI business insights tool, the integrations on Flow go even deeper with Office 365 and Dynamics 365. But you don’t need to be a 100% Windows user to take advantage — there are already iOS and Android versions available so you can manage and monitor all your Flows from your mobile device.
As for tomorrow’s other public release: PowerApps is also aimed at “power users” who either don’t have the time or the background to get their hands dirty writing code. The app allows users to quickly build web and mobile apps with zero coding and ties in with Microsoft’s Common Data Service to keep your data hosted on your own secure Azure database.
Both apps are now included as part of Dynamics 365 as well as Office 365 Enterprise, Business Premium and Essentials subscriptions.
Source: Microsoft Blog
AIVAnet 