2017 June 23 | AIVAnet

23

Jun

Here are the best Moto E4 Plus cases to keep your phone blemish-free

If you followed the advice of our Moto E4 review, you’re either buying a Moto E4 or getting ready to grab to the E4 Plus when it’s out later this summer. It can be tricky to find the right accessories, especially ones that that are worth the money. Sometimes there aren’t many to choose from, or there are only a few that suit your specific preferences. If you’re dealing with this particular dilemma, don’t fret — we’re here to make your life easier.

Compared to Moto Z Force cases, there’s a relatively small selection right now, but there’s bound to be something for you, whether you’re a fan of wallet style cases, ones with a snug fit, or those that let you to stand the phone up.

C&U Ultra Slim TPU Bumper ($8)

C&U’s case is of a simple design that’s best enjoyed by Moto E4 Plus owners who want a case that offers standard protection without covering up the phone’s aesthetic; the back of the case is completely clear to show off the E4 Plus’ design. If going completely transparent isn’t your style, you can add a bit of color to the surrounding edges if you get the black bumper variant. Accurate cut-outs for various ports, buttons, and the camera are present, and it’s at an affordable asking price for a case from a manufacturer that may not be as well known as brands like Spigen and OtterBox.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

J&D Shock Resistant TPU Slim Case ($8)

J&D has made cases for other smartphones in the past that are cheap, minimalist, and effective, and their TPU slim case for the Moto E4 Plus has those same qualities. Unlike C&U’s case above, this case only comes in black, and is meant to shield your phone from the outside world. As the name implies, it’s made using a TPU material, resulting in a comfortable-feeling case that provides a little more grip during use, and is capable of handling your everyday drops and minor impacts. The case will only fit the Moto E4 Plus, so expect all cut-outs to be exactly where they’re supposed to be.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Circlemall Hybrid Shockproof Case ($9)

The main reason a lot of people buy protective cases is so they don’t have to deal with their phone being permanently damaged until it’s repaired or replaced. E4 Plus owners who have this fear should look no further than this hybrid case from Circlemall, which comes ready and willing to defend your investment from just about anything that could harm it. Judging by the look alone, you can tell this case is equipped to take on impacts with stairs, pavement, or hardwood floors, due to the combination of a hard outer shell and a soft silicone inner bumper. The assembled case forms a tight fit around the phone preventing it from moving around or flying out upon impact. Cut-outs keep the ports and camera far away from any surface it comes into contact with, and buttons are covered by the same silicone protecting the rest of the case, so you’ll never have to worry about them being chipped or dented. Lastly, the package comes with a tempered glass screen protector.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

NagaBee Heavy Duty Defender Case ($9)

NagaBee has taken the same approach as Circlemall when it comes to creating cases that focus on protection, using a hybrid design composed of a hard outer shell that fits onto the back of a softer rubber case. The smooth outer shell reduces scratching and chipping, and the flexible inner layer absorbs shock. The buttons are also covered by the aforementioned inner rubber layer, and they’re labeled so you’ll always know which buttons you’re pushing. Available in both rose gold and black, you can apply this case knowing it won’t make your slim smartphone uncomfortably large, and it comes with a 7-day money back guarantee on top of a 30-day warranty.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Wellci Folio Flip Cover Case ($9)

Flip cover cases may not be as popular as other cases that emphasize style, heavy-duty protection, or slim form factors, but they have their uses, especially if you’re trying to cut down on the number of things you need to carry in your pocket. When it comes to the storage capacity of Wellci’s flip cover case, you can carry a couple of debit or credit cards within the inner pocket found on the inside of the cover. When closed, only the side buttons and connector ports are accessible, while the rest of the phone is well protected. Unfortunately, the cover itself doesn’t magnetically close or have a strap, but this shouldn’t be a huge issue if your phone is usually in your hand, pocket, or bag. Being a flip cover case, you may expect it to add to the overall bulk of your smartphone, and while it does, it’s not an obscene amount that will be hard to live with. If you’re at all familiar with these kinds of cases, you’ll know that you can also use the cover as a kickstand to prop the phone up, in the event there’s a video you want to watch hands-free.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

23

Jun

The Dish Music app uses DTS Play-Fi to turn your Hopper DVRs into multiroom streamers

Why it matters to you

Multiroom streaming setups are increasingly a part of the home theater landscape, and Dish Music turns your DVR setup into one.

Dish Network is getting into the increasingly crowded multiroom audio game. On Thursday the company announced a new DTS Play-Fi-powered app, Dish Music, which enables Dish subscribers to use their Hopper DVRs and Joey devices as hubs for streaming audio throughout the home through TVs or home theater systems. The app is a free addition available on iOS and Android devices.

With the Dish music app, users will be able to sync music playback on TVs connected to Hopper 2 and Hopper 3 DVRs as well as any connected Joey boxes — automatically transforming a home with multiple TVs into a multiroom speaker setup.

That said, users will have plenty of other options for adding sound throughout the home beyond their TVs. Built on DTS Play-Fi streaming technology, any of the long-list of DTS Play Fi-enabled speakers and devices will also work with the app, including wireless speakers from the likes of Klipsch, Martin Logan, Pioneer, and many others.

The Dish Music interface works similarly to the Play-Fi app, as well as other multiroom streaming systems. Users can create “zones” that include one or more playback devices, or select different audio sources to play in different rooms. With Play-Fi in hand, you can stream from your personal library directly on an iOS or Android device, a DLNA media server, or from Amazon Music, Tidal, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Napster, Sirius XM, or Spotify Connect.

Dish Music will also display information like artist name or song title on the TV, and will indicate which source the music is being streamed from.

While multiroom streaming is far from new, being able to use your DVR to connect is a pretty novel idea, quickly allowing Dish subscribers to setup music throughout the home, without the need for buying new equipment.

If you’re new to multiroom streaming, you can check out our buying guide on wireless speakers, which includes a detailed explanation of multiroom setups, as well as other ways to stream music throughout the home.

Those looking to try the Dish Music App now can find it on the Apple App store, Google Play Store, or Amazon app marketplace.

23

Jun

The Amazon Echo Show now integrates with the Vivint and August Home

Why it matters to you

Before this Echo Show integration, you had to pull out your smartphone to check your smart camera’s footage.

Amazon’s Echo Show has not been around for all that long, but smart home device makers are already jumping at the opportunity to integrate with the new technology. On Thursday, both Vivint and August Home (both of which produce smart cameras to keep your household safe) announced compatibility with Amazon’s new Alexa-enabled touchscreen device, making managing your connected devices easier than ever before.

Thanks to the new Vivint integration, you can now ask Alexa to show you live camera feeds from your indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras. If you say, “Alexa, show me my doorbell camera,” you will be able to look to your Echo Show and view content immediately. Similarly, the Echo will be able to control other Vivint smart home products, like smart locks, lights, garage doors, and thermostats. Of course, given that those products do not have cameras attached, Echo’s functionality here is not quite as special.

“We continue to expand our relationship with Amazon to enhance and simplify the smart home,” said Jeremy Warren, chief technology officer at Vivint Smart Home. “By enabling consumers to use their voice to access high-quality, live video and audio from their cameras, we’re giving them another convenient way to keep track of what’s happening in and around their homes.”

Similarly, for smart lock maker August Home, the Amazon Echo Show will now allow you to check out live video footage of what is happening outside your front door. If you have an August Doorbell Cam, you can ask Alexa to show your doorstep and watch real-time video of visitors. “It’s great to delight customers by adding value to the products they already own and rely on as part of their daily lives. We added the ability to control the August Smart Lock with Alexa earlier this year, which has been an extremely popular,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of August Home, Inc. “With the expansion of our Amazon Alexa skill, we are making it easier for our customers to control their Doorbell Cam. Now they can display video of visitors outside their door using their voice.”

This marks the first time that users have been able to divorce their smartphones when it comes to actually monitoring footage from the August Doorbell Cams or Vivint devices, and certainly drives home the usefulness of the Amazon Echo Show.

23

Jun

Microsoft’s Windows 10 S restrictions go deeper than just locking down apps

Why it matters to you

The Windows 10 S restrictions imposed by Microsoft create a secure environment for students but it could be a hassle for IT professionals.

Microsoft introduced its seemingly long-awaited Surface Laptop during a special education-themed event in May. Powering this device was a new version of Windows 10 with an ‘S’ slapped at the end of its name. Right off the bat, we knew that the platform would only enable the use of Microsoft-sanctioned apps sold through the Windows Store. But the scope of Microsoft’s Windows 10 S restrictions goes way beyond a simple app lock-down.

For clarification, the Windows 10 S restrictions require that all apps and drivers have a Windows Store signature. That means users can’t side-load apps even if they are based on Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform design. But that also means companies and institutions cannot install their in-house solutions used on Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise. Moreover, driver packages cannot include “non-Microsoft UI components or applications.”

As Microsoft previously confirmed, the Windows 10 S restrictions prevent users from installing Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and other internet browsers unless the developers create versions for distribution through the Windows Store. Thus, Microsoft Edge is the only browser that can be used and Microsoft is also preventing users from changing the default search engine from Bing.

Another problem stemming from the Windows Store lockdown is that Windows 10 S users cannot install third-party anti-virus, disk utility, and backup products that rely on file system filter drivers. That said, Windows 10 S forces users to rely on the built-in Windows Defender component, which is not a bad thing, but could pose a problem in institutions where IT pros manage the security of multiple devices with one solution.

That is not the only headache for IT. Devices with Windows 10 S cannot join a Windows domain. That means they cannot be managed by Active Directory either and must be handled through Azure Active Directory, a “multi-tenant cloud based directory and identity management service.”

Outside the Windows Store requirement, the Windows 10 S restrictions include blocking specific built-in Windows 10 components from running at all. These include:

bash.exe
cdb.exe
cmd.exe
cscript.exe
csi.exe
dnx.exe
kd.exe
lxssmanager.dll
msbuild.exe
ntsd.exe
powershell.exe
powershell_ise.exe
rcsi.exe
reg.exe
regedt32.exe
windbg.exe
wmic.exe
wscript.exe

As of this publication, Microsoft has yet to provide detailed information outlining the Windows 10 S restrictions and benefits. The company also has not provided evaluation copies for IT pros to test, which are usually served up on Microsoft-owned sources including MSDN. The platform, it seems, is only found on the new Surface Laptop … for now.

The point behind Windows 10 S is to combat Google’s popular Chrome OS platform powering Chromebooks in the education arena. Although the Surface Laptop does not sport the price you expect for the average student, many models packing the Windows 10 S operating system will be low enough to give low-cost Chromebooks a hard time on the market. Microsoft is mainly targeting students with its Windows 10 S initiative and users can always upgrade to Windows 10 Pro if the limiting Windows 10 S restrictions get too cumbersome.

23

Jun

Lenovo confirms upcoming special-edition ThinkPad won’t cost $5,000

Why it matters to you

Long-time fans of the ThinkPad brand won’t have to break the bank when the special edition ThinkPad laptop makes its debut towards the end of the year.

Earlier this week, Lenovo senior vice president of commercial business Christain Teismann briefly mentioned that the company will produce a special edition ThinkPad laptop that will be officially revealed in October. He said it would include “throwback” features combined with the new innovations of today without providing any additional detail. However, Lenovo’s David Hill followed up on Thursday with a few more nuggets of information to chew on regarding the mystery device.

Hill confirmed that Lenovo is indeed working on a “retro” special edition ThinkPad laptop to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary. It’s aimed at enthusiasts and “superfans” who provided Lenovo with ideas of what the special edition laptop should provide in terms of looks and features. The final product will contain many of those requested features and ideas in a special edition model that Hill calls “quite impressive.”

“As with any new product we develop, there are always technical and cost limitations,” he said. “It has a wonderful black rubberized coating, three TrackPoint caps, and a keyboard to die for. I will proudly carry one.”

The first batch of ThinkPad notebooks were the 700 Series consisting of the 700, 700C, and 700T models produced by IBM in 1992. The 700C actually served as the first product stemming from IBMs “differentiated product personality” strategy. Lenovo didn’t’ claim the ThinkPad brand until it acquired IBM’s personal computer business over a decade later in 2005.

Here’s what we could dig up for the ancient ThinkPad 700 and 700C models:

ThinkPad 700
ThinkPad 700C
Display size:
9.5 inches
10.4 inches
Display type:
Passive LCD
Active-matrix LCD
Display colors:
64-shade monochrome
256 colors
Processor:
IBM 486SLC @ 25MHz
IBM 486SLC @ 50MHz
IBM 486SLC @ 25MHz
IBM 486SLC @ 50MHz
Storage:
80MB hard drive (a)
120MB hard drive (b)
120MB hard drive
Input:
Keyboard
TrackPoint controller
Keyboard
TrackPoint controller
Weight:
6.5 pounds
7.6 pounds
Operating systems:
Microsoft DOS 5.0
IBM OS/2 2.0
Windows 3.1
Microsoft DOS 5.0
IBM OS/2 2.0
Windows 3.1
Price:
$2,750 (a)
$2,950 (b)
$4,350

While the old technology is laughable now, this was high-tech goodness in 1992. They had plenty of spunk to run the original Doom (IBM 386 CPU or better), which arrived a year later from GT Interactive and id Software. They could also run 1992’s original Wolfenstein 3-D shooter, which only required a 286 processor, 528K of system memory, and 8MB of storage for the full version.

What will be interesting to see is how Lenovo will blend the old with the new in its upcoming special edition ThinkPad laptop. However, Hill confirmed that the resulting product will not cost an insane $5,000 despite recent rumors. But he also admitted that he has no idea how much the laptop will cost, or when it will hit the market.

“I’ve held early development hardware in my hand, powered it on, looked at the screen, and even typed on it,” Hill added. “Those who have seen it can’t help but smile. Please be patient, there’s more to come. It’s alive.”

Until additional information about the special edition ThinkPad arrives, check out our reviews of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017 model), and the Lenovo ThinkPad X260 (late 2016).