Wednesday, November 30, 2016

No Internet Connection? No Problem. Netflix Adds Offline Viewing

Enlarge this image

At no extra cost to the user, Netflix subscribers are now able to save select content to their iOS or Android devices. Netflix hide caption

toggle caption Netflix

At no extra cost to the user, Netflix subscribers are now able to save select content to their iOS or Android devices.

Netflix

In the race for video streaming domination, Netflix surges forward. On Wednesday, Netflix announced and implemented in its latest update, the ability to download TV and movie titles on mobile devices.

At no extra cost to the user, Netflix subscribers will now be able to save select content to their iOS or Android devices, then watch on the go without the need for an Internet connection. Say goodbye to lackluster in-flight movies, Netflix is now airplane-mode compatible.

What's Hot On Netflix? A Startup Aims To Track Ratings In The Streaming Age All Tech Considered What's Hot On Netflix? A Startup Aims To Track Ratings In The Streaming Age

The move places Netflix in direct competition with iTunes and other services that offer video rentals and purchases for download.

Netflix is not the first streaming service to offer offline viewing. Last year, Amazon Prime Video extended its download service to iPhones, iPads, and Android devices after offering it exclusively for the Amazon Fire Tablet.

The rise of Netflix, and its over 86 million subscribers, has been a force to compete with. Content providers are scrambling to stay relevant in its wake. In 2015, HBO and Showtime introduced standalone streaming services, offering cord-cutters access to premium content without a cable package.

However, what makes Netflix so attractive is the amount of content for the dollar spent. HBO Now begins at $14.99 a month. Showtime can be an add-on to a Hulu or Amazon subscription or at a standalone monthly price of $10.99. While Netflix's basic monthly package begins at $7.99, and the premium version is $11.99.

Article continues after sponsorship Television In The New 'Gilmore Girls,' Rory Gilmore Turns Out To Be A Bad Journalist

Cable providers are trying to evolve as well. Also Wednesday, AT&T launched DirecTV Now, an Internet streaming service available on phones, tablets, computers, and streaming devices. In February 2015, Dish introduced Sling TV, which streams cable channels through the Internet.

The convenience of streaming TV and movies has led many people to cut the cord. Hulu subscribers are willing to pay for the most up-to-date episodes and movies, and sit through 90-second adds every few minutes. While there is a premium Hulu service which does not include commercial breaks, the "No Commercial Plan" does not apply to popular shows such as Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, and How to Get Away With Murder.

As Netflix paves the way for online streaming, you have to wonder what former Blockbuster executives are thinking now. It was 16 years ago that Blockbuster passed on purchasing the then DVD mailing service for only $50 million. Netflix is worth $50 billion. Blockbuster has just a handful of stores left.

Laura Roman is the social media intern at NPR.


Source: No Internet Connection? No Problem. Netflix Adds Offline Viewing

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Alexander: Samsung PC that updates slowly may be full or flawed

Q: I upgraded my four-year-old Samsung Ultrabook PC to Windows 10 about seven months ago. Windows updates are now taking 10 to 23 hours to install via Wi-Fi, even though my cable internet connection has been upgraded to 100 megabits (million bits per second). What's wrong?

Susan Miller, Reading, Pa.

A: The problem may be your Samsung PC can't handle Windows 10, your hard drive is congested or your Wi-Fi connection doesn't work properly.

Samsung has been slow to adapt to Windows 10. In June, the company said that it still had not developed Windows 10 software drivers for its PCs, even though Windows 10 was a year old. (Software drivers allow Windows to communicate with individual PC components.) Samsung urged its PC customers to delay Windows 10 upgrades until new software drivers are available. If this is causing your problem, there's little you can do. But before you buy a new PC, check out the other possible causes.

Hard drive: If your hard drive is nearly full, the Windows 10 updates will be slow to install. In Windows File Explorer, right-click the C drive (your hard drive) and choose "properties." If the C drive is nearly full, delete some data files (after backing them up). Another way to ease hard disk congestion is called defragmenting; it consolidates files that are partly stored in many disk locations. Use the task bar search window to find "defragment and optimize drives" and click it. Then click "optimize."

Wi-Fi: Go to speedtest.net and click "begin test." Your download speed should be 60 to 100 megabits. If it's not, use the search window to find "wifi," and click "identify and repair network problems." If nothing's wrong, ask the cable company to remotely test the modem.

Q: When I play songs that I've downloaded on my HTC One smartphone, I hear a clipping sound in some of them. I don't have this problem with my Samsung phone. What's wrong?

Anthony Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A: The noise could be caused by the phone's own sound effects or by interference from an app that didn't come with the phone.

Some HTC One models produce sounds of clicking or water dripping whenever you touch the screen. To turn off those sounds, see tinyurl.com/z4rjy6s.

To find out if an app is interfering with the sound, start the phone in "safe mode," which disables apps you have downloaded. Enter safe mode by pressing and holding the power key. In the list of options, press and hold "power off." When "reboot to safe mode" appears, tap "restart." If the problem disappears, restart normally and disable any downloaded apps one at a time until you find the one that's interfering with the phone's sound.

Note: Last week, I suggested fixing the compass on a Galaxy Tab 4 tablet computer by downloading an app to calibrate it (see tinyurl.com/zl62sq2). But reader Ralph Delperdang of Burnsville said the solution is to remove the tablet's magnetic cover. "The cover folds back into a stand, and uses a magnet to hold it in place," Delperdang said. "If I remove the tablet cover and get the magnet out of range, the compass app works perfectly."

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com. Include name, city and telephone number.


Source: Alexander: Samsung PC that updates slowly may be full or flawed

Monday, November 28, 2016

Free Up Your Mind to Focus on Your Passion

There's this place called "the zone." It's a metaphorical place where passion, creativity, and performance break loose. For an athlete, it's when brain and body synchronize. For a writer, it's when words flow easily, like water from a tap. For a musician, same thing, but with notes.

Needless to say, you want to get into the zone as often as possible. But the zone is temperamental. It's tough to find and easy to lose. Life's many distractions nip at your attention, preventing you from achieving the right flow or keeping it intact. So how can you unleash your zone-powered productivity when you need it the most?

First, set aside some time. Then set yourself up with the right tools and environment. It's easier than you think. With a few smart ideas and some helpful pieces of technology, you can find the zone and reignite your creativity.

Here are four ways to get started.

1. Suit up with the right gear.

Art, music, writing – most modern creative endeavors involve a PC. So when you're choosing a new one, make sure it's designed to help with those pursuits. The Lenovo Ideapad Miix 310, for example, provides a keyboard when you need one but easily separates from it for tablet-powered tasks like painting and music composition. It also offers up to hours of battery life, so you can create all day pretty much anywhere you go without having to seek out an outlet.

2. Put some sound in your background.

When you're trying to focus on your work, feed your brain some ambient sound to help it filter out background distractions. Focusmusic.fm was designed exactly for that purpose, delivering a steady stream of mostly non-vocal, mostly electronic background audio. If you find the music selection a little too up-tempo, there's a white-noise alternative in the form of rain sounds.

3. Use tech to block out other tech.

Your laptop or tablet screen serves as the gateway between your art and the tools you use to create it. Look for a model that gives you as much screen as possible, to better immerse you in your work. The Dell XPS 13 employs a nearly borderless and stunningly bright 400-nit display so you see mostly brainstorms, not bezels. And if your work consists of writing, consider ditching your current word processor in favor a full-screen text editor that eliminates all toolbars and other onscreen elements. FocusWriter is a distraction-free text editor that you can install on your PC for free.

4. Take a hike. Or a nap.

Still can't get the creative juices flowing? Take a little time to unplug entirely before you reboot. A 20-minute walk will help clear your thoughts and get the blood flowing. When your body is on auto-pilot, your mind is able to engage on a deeper level. Your brain's creative side shifts into gear, effortlessly solving problems and sparking ideas. Welcome to the zone. And if walking won't work for you, countless studies have shown the rejuvenative benefits of a mid-afternoon nap. Perhaps tough to pull off for 9-5-ers, but where there's a will, there's a way. Just ask George Costanza.


Source: Free Up Your Mind to Focus on Your Passion

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Thoughts on the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD

  Thoughts on the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD

When I first saw the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD model a year ago, I was instantly smitten. Last week, I ordered one for myself.It's been in the studio for a week now, and by all accounts, the Cintiq 27QHD everything I expected it to be. But, I'm getting ahead of myself…

cintiq27_box_1200px

As of this writing, there are numerous offerings in the tablet monitor space from Huion, Yiynova, Microsoft and even Apple's own iPad Pro. Long time readers will note that I have been using a Yiynova MSP19u for nearly 4 years. This post will attempt to address why I made the switch to the Cintiq 27QHD, and also why I picked this model over other competitive offerings (including Wacom's recently announced Cintiq Pro and Cintiq Mobile Studio models).

Let's start at the top.

Let me be clear: Yiynova makes a good product for its price point, but it has certain limitations that users need to be aware of. The first is the limited viewing angle, which makes any work involving color more challenging. The second limitation is the 1440 x 900 screen size. This wasn't so much of an issue for me, because I made use of a second display. The third is the limited driver support, especially on the Windows side. (Note: Yiynova released updated Windows drivers last month.) These limitations were not deal breakers for me, but given the volume of work that I've been doing over the past year, I was ready for an upgrade.

Last month, Microsoft announced its Surface Studio device. While my initial reaction was very positive, I've tempered my attitude over the past few weeks as I've learned more about the device. While the Surface Studio's 4K screen is no doubt very impressive, the device has only 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Both the Yiynova and Cintiq offer double the amount. Furthermore, the Surface Studio stylus requires a battery. Again, this wasn't a deal breaker for me, because I've been using a battery operated stylus with my Yiynova with no issues whatsoever.

For me, the biggest deal breakers in considering the Surface Studio was 1) the price ($3000) and 2) the expense in purchasing Windows equivalent versions of the Mac software I already own. In addition to the software, I would also have to reinvest time in rebuilding my automation tools from scratch on the Windows side. The time and inconvenience of finding and using programs that offer similar features to Automator and Keyboard Maestro on the Windows side wasn't worth it to me.

Before I dropped coin on the Cintiq 27QHD, I was also considering the newly announced Cintiq Pro 16 model. It retails for $1500 and offers a 4K screen with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity – with virtually no parallax between the stylus and the screen. While the extra screen resolution and increased pressure sensitivity are tempting, I wanted a bigger unit to work on. The 16″ screen would be similar to the size of my current Yiynova tablet. The Cintiq Pro 16 doesn't ship until February 2017, and I needed to make a purchase before the end of the year, so I had to rule that model out. New models also tend to have bugs or problems. As of this writing, the Cintiq 27QHD has been around for almost two years, so any kinks should have hopefully been worked out by now.

I believe I've made the best decision for me. The Cintiq 27QHD is a visually arresting piece of kit. It comes with a very useful and programmable remote that you can assign keys to and the color range is stunning. Drawing on its textured surface is very pleasant and smooth – in comparison, it's head and shoulders above drawing on the Yiynova's glass screen.

Before installing the Cintiq, I first removed the Yiynova and its accompanying software drivers.

Below are some photos of the unboxing. Wacom, in this regard, does an exceptional job. The Cintiq 27QHD comes double-boxed and superbly packed.

cintiq27_box_in_a_box_1200px

cintiq27_open_box_1200px

cintiq27_outofbox_1200px

The screen is protected by no less than 4 layers of plastic covering.

cintiq27_plastic_packing_1200px

cintiq27_yellow_sheet_protector_1200px

The bottom of the Cintiq 27QHD contains the ports to plug the device to both power and your computer…

cintiq27_bottom_1200px

…while each side of the unit contains 2 conveniently located USB 3.0 ports.

cintiq27_side_1200px

cintiq27_accessories_box_1200px

The included pen stylus and remote control both exude quality and craftsmanship. The remote has a magnetic backing that lets you keep it on the display while you are working.

cintiq27_remote_and_pen_box_1200px

cintiq27_accessories_1200px

cintiq_remote_charging_1200px

cintiq27_pen_and_remote_1200px

The Cintiq 27QHD is HUGE. Make sure you have a large enough desk to accommodate it.

cintiq27_off_1200px

I'm using the Cintiq with an HDMI to DVI adapter cable, which gives a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. Computers equipped with DisplayPort cards or ports can get the native 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. At some point, I'm going to upgrade my video card to take advantage of this. When I first powered on the Cintiq, I ran an online pixel checker to test the Cintiq for dead pixels. Thankfully, my unit passed with flying colors (ahem!).

cintiq27_on_1200px

To connect the Cintiq 27QHD to a mounting arm requires the additional purchase of a VESA plate adapter. I purchased an Atdec AC-AP-2010 adaptor plate and it works beautifully with it. Using the adaptor plate, you can take a 100mm x 100mm VESA connection and mount it to devices with a 200mm x 200mm mounting surface. Even with the mounting plate, the AmazonBasics Single Monitor Display Mounting arm I'm currently using with my Cintiq 27QHD is not strong enough to fully elevate and support the unit. I'm hoping to address that problem soon, so I can comfortably position my Cintiq where I want while I'm working.

mounting_arm_vesa_1200px

Here's the Cintiq integrated into my current desk setup.

desk_setup_with_cintiq_1200px

And here's the first illustration I made with my new toy:

cab_truck

In summary, I absolutely love drawing and working with the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD. It's a complete game-changer for me. I hope to get many, many useful years out of it. Questions? Comments? Share them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer.

-Krishna

Krishna November 27, 2016 Cintiq27 nontouch model, Cintiq27QHD, Wacom Cintiq, Wacom Cintiq 27
Source: Thoughts on the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Hardware is the ‘necessary evil’ for Snapchat, Google and Microsoft to reach a brighter future

(Snapchat SpectaclesSnapchat) Something funny happened this Fall.

Snapchat, an internet social messaging company, started selling high-tech sunglasses. Google, a search advertising company, started selling the Pixel phone. And Microsoft, a software company, started selling the Surface Studio PC.

The internet and software giants are suddenly hot for hardware — a high-cost, low-margin business dominated by fierce competitors with years of experience.

That doesn't look like a sound business plan. And indeed, none of these internet companies have given any indication that hardware is the future of their business. 

But hardware has become a necessary cost of doing business — at least temporarily — as these companies scramble to secure their future.

Microsoft, Google and Snapchat all rose to power in the world of PCs and smartphones. PCs are dying and the smartphone boom is already starting to taper off. What comes next is still anyone's guess. And that's a dangerous place to be for all three of these companies. 

What do they want

The major consideration here is pretty basic: What does Google want? What do Snapchat parent Snap, Amazon, Microsoft, or whoever else, want? 

For instance: when Microsoft launched the original Surface tablet, its first-ever piece of computing hardware, it was with a very specific goal. Microsoft knew it would never sell as much as even a similar tablet from Dell, or Lenovo, or whoever else.

Rather, it was intended as a kick in the pants to those same companies. In the hardware business, margins are thin, and R&D tends to go into incremental upgrades rather than revolutionary steps forward. What Microsoft wanted was for those companies to stop making boring old laptops and start looking at touchscreens and styluses.

microsoft surface studio

microsoft surface studio

View photos

microsoft surface studio

More

(Microsoft Surface StudioMicrosoft)

Ultimately, Microsoft won its big bet. Big companies like Dell and little startups like Eve have come out with their own takes on the Surface, with even Apple following suit. And the market for Surface-like 2-in-1 computers is growing faster than the overall PC business is shrinking.

Microsoft needed more people using Windows, and it used a piece of niche hardware manufactured in-house to achieve that goal. The Surface Studio PC, which is winning attention even from Apple's most die-hard fans, is another page from the same playbook: Use a cool new device to win attention and credibility for the software.

Snaptacles

So what does Google want, or Snapchat? In both cases, the answer is the same, even if their businesses are different.

Snapchat knows as well or better than anybody that its service lives or dies on the basis of whether or not its younger-skewing users still think it's cool. The problem is that Facebook, Snap's perennial rival for the affections of the mythical American teenager, is relentlessly appropriating Snapchat's best features for its own use.

Now, Snapchat has rebranded itself a "camera company," and released its new Spectacles glasses. 

snapchat snap spectacles

snapchat snap spectacles

View photos

snapchat snap spectacles

More

(Snapchat/YouTube)

Maybe Facebook could replicate the design of the Spectacles. It wouldn't matter. It can't recreate the hype, or the fact that Spectacles, and Snap's clever product launch, have reaffirmed Snapchat's reputation as the cooler, more fashionable social network.

With its buzz reaffirmed, it would be silly for Snapchat to not at least consider opening its app to camera hardware from other manufacturers. After all, Snapchat's real business is the audience that uses its service and the ads it monetizes that audience with, not the revenue from selling sunglasses. And for other hardware companies, tapping into the Snapchat buzz is one more compelling product feature. 

Read More

Pixel perfect

The same goes for Google, with the Pixel.

The headline feature of the phone is the Google Assistant, Google's new virtual personal assistant.

The point of the Pixel isn't to sell a bunch of Pixels (though it wouldn't hurt); it's to demonstrate the power of the company's artificial intelligence assistant, on the Pixel phone and on other hardware devices like Google's new Home smart speaker.

If the Pixel is even a modest hit, it demonstrates the power of Google's AI capabilities to other phone manufacturers, and Google's empire expands further. If customers are expressing demand, it incentivizes Android phone manufacturers to stop stalling and integrate the latest Google tech, faster.(Hollis Johnson/Business Insider)

Google Pixel assistant

Google Pixel assistant

View photos

Google Pixel assistant

More

That's important for Google, as Apple and Microsoft alike are both betting big that virtual assistants like their own Siri and Cortana are the next big battleground. Google needs to protect its core search business, and that means conquering the virtual assistant, space, too.

In all of these cases, they're big, but unproven, bets that hardware can drive demand for their software and services. Even Amazon is using its Echo to drive more demand for its retail business.

Ultimately, what we're seeing is a game that's as much psychological as it is sales-driven. The biggest companies in tech need to build excitement for the next big thing in technology, by any means necessary. 

NOW WATCH: First thoughts on Snapchat's Spectacles — the sunglasses everyone is going crazy for

More From Business Insider


Source: Hardware is the 'necessary evil' for Snapchat, Google and Microsoft to reach a brighter future

Friday, November 25, 2016

Get FREE shipping on Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) today.

Is the Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) REALLY worth the money and all the "top product

deals EVER"

buzz? Are there superior product options other than the Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) ?Is this just another over-priced junky product?What do other customers says about this Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) ?

[yellowbox]in the picture: Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) [/yellowbox]

Check Current Price here

Also Read Consumer Reviews Here

Above all – are Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) worth the money?

Those inquiries answered and further in this in-depth review of Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black).

Consumer reports.

Check Current Price

Read Consumer Reviews

[yellowbox]In a hurry==>> Read all consumer reports here – and get up to 50% off

[/yellowbox]

I have talked about various other related products already, but at the moment I would like to concentrate

on Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) .

Note: – All images on this page are "clickable". If you see something that interests you, please feel free to click the picture to

get more info, read consumer reports and reviews, check pricing, etc etc.

Features and Specifications

Product Description:

Every battery has its own feature.This Idaye TD-Y002 power bank could achieve the fastest charging speed with 2Amp input.The Idaye TD-Y002 power bank is constructed with premium A+ Li-Polymer battery, high safety and high quality. Dual USB port makes it convenient to charge two devices simultaneously. with 3.5A high speed output, your device could run all the day.

Compatible with:

This power bank is compatible with most Apple and Android. Such as iPhone 6 6 plus 5S 5C 5 4S, iPad Air mini, Galaxy S6 S5 S4 S3, Note 3 2, Tab 4 3 2 Pro, Nexus, HTC One, One 2 (M8), LG G3, Nexus, MOTO X and More Smartphones, Tablets

Product Specification:

Capacity: 18500 mAhInput:DC 5V/2AOutput: DC 5V/3.5ADimension: 6.22(inch)*2.72*0.75″(inch)(L*W*H)Net weight: 345G/ 12.3ounces

Easy to use and carry away:

-short press the power bottom, the led indicators will light up if it owns enough juice.-plug the USB power wire into TD-Y002'S USB output port.-connect the other end of the USB power wire to your device.-press the power button of the TD-Y002 to start charging.-it is easy to carry away or put in your bag because of its small size.

Warm tips:

If you have any questions with the items, please feel free to contact us by email. We will always endeavor to assist with our quality service, to meet all of our clients' need, offer best solutions and do effective actions is our initial but final aim.Using Smart Technology : maximizes charging current ( up to 3.5A), the dual USB ports could intelligently and quickly identifies your device to meet its unique charging needs.High-safety battery: constructed with premium A+ Li-Polymer battery, long serving life,no juice leaking problem, fully compliant with international safety standards.High capacity : fully charges iphone 5 more than 7 times; iphone 6 plus more than 4 times;the Galaxy S5 more than 4 times; the iPad mini2 2 times;and other smartphones multiple times.Super-fast charging speed: Dual USB( Input : 5V/2A, output : 5V/3.5A) Ports allow for charging of your devices simultaneously and quickly( 2Amp input the fastest charging).Package including: 1X iDaye 18500mAh external battery, 1ft(30cm) micro USB charging cable, 1X user manual, 12 months warranty and unreserved service.

Get further details and buy now on Amazon.com >>>

Get FREE Shipping on Every Order and 25% off>>>

Consumer Reports and Ratings and Why we picked this product as the best ever

Like i said before, Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) is our favorite pick when compared with other similar products on the market. It's

a very good product. You can't go completely wrong with the

option of buying this product. If you totally want value for your money, then you

will genuinely appreciate this product.

I found out 69 customer reviews at the time of writing and they had awarded the Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) 4.8 stars out of a possible 5

on average.

The consumer reviews on Amazon are very good overall, but there were a few niggling points raised.

One consumer said, that "I have problem with the choice of color. That the Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) does not come in her preferred color"

However, no one else seems to have experienced the similar such issue, so probably it isn't a common problem.

Other customers said, "I enjoy this," and, "Love it! Appreciate it! Love it!" and, "AWESOME product! Superior Order," and finally, "I

would highly recommend it!"

Customer Reviews

That makes it very easy for me to recommend the Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) as well..This product is a little bit inexpensive than other similar product brands on the market but according to our research its far more effective, If you need a top

quality product that will will enjoy, buying Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) is an excellent choice.

Which Power Bank Is Best For Htc Desire 820

Check out these Power Banks, for they are what you are looking for.

Villain® - Portable Charger 20000mAhVillain® – Portable Charger 20000mAhRead Reviews HereKMASHI 10000mAh External Power BankKMASHI 10000mAh External Power BankRead Reviews HereAibocn Power Bank 10,000mAhAibocn Power Bank 10,000mAhRead Reviews Here


Source: Get FREE shipping on Portable Charger,iDaye 18500 mAh Quick Charge for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Android,Tablet and other Devices(Black) today.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Sign of the times: The humans behind those highway message boards

Control room operators in the State Traffic Operations Center in Milwaukee monitor the conditions on state highways and interstates on Monday.(Photo: Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)Buy Photo

In one sense Melanie Pape has 420 eyes.

A system of cameras on highways across Wisconsin — currently 420 of them — allows Pape to see in real time what's happening on the interstate and state highways. That allows her, in turn, to notify motorists of problems, backups and other incidents that send drivers' blood pressures soaring.

Car broken down in an emergency lane? Debris slowing traffic? Fender bender? Multiple-vehicle crash? Pape and the other Wisconsin Department of Transportation control room operators are on it.

Within seconds they send out alerts on electronic signs across highways, push out messages to the state's 511 system of travel information online and notify law enforcement. It can be hectic but also rewarding because Pape knows she's directly helping travelers.

"It's something different every day. Some days are busy and some days are slow," Pape said this week inside the serene state operations center on the third floor of the Intermodal station in downtown Milwaukee.

Buy Photo

Melanie Pape, a control room operator in the State Traffic Operations Center, prepares Monday to put a notice on the electronic signs above the Milwaukee freeway. (Photo: Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Pape and other control room operators each sit in front of three large computer screens monitoring emails from law enforcement agencies and watching video feeds from cameras. On a recent day this week, an electronic tablet below Pape's three computers with a 511 map showed most highways in green — signifying traffic moving smoothly — and a few red triangles with exclamation points for incidents.

On the wall in front of them was a huge screen showing eight cameras — two constantly tuned to the Zoo Interchange and Milwaukee County Sheriff's video feed — and the others rotating through cameras located around the state. In the middle were three maps showing traffic flows. The huge screen can be configured to show as many as 40 cameras at once or as few as one.

Frequently law enforcement will call the WisDOT control room when they hear about an incident and ask the operators if they can find it. Operators will scan through the cameras until they find the accident and then let officers know if it's minor or serious. But even minor accidents can create huge backups with the potential for more crashes and injuries, said DOT traffic operations spokeswoman Gina Paige.

"When they start seeing larger delays, they'll go into Google maps and see if they can find alternate routes for people to avoid the backups," Paige said.

Sitting in traffic is not just an annoyance. Last year, delays from accidents and congestion cost Wisconsin motorists more than $300 million, Paige said.

For motorists wondering how the DOT knows it'll take 22 minutes to go from downtown to the Zoo Interchange, it's all automated. Detectors on the interstate ranging from probes embedded in the concrete to Bluetooth-connected vehicles accurately gauge how quickly or slowly traffic is moving. Those travel times then appear on electronic message signs.

But it takes operators like Pape to type in alerts. On this day she typed messages notifying motorists that the Merrimac ferry across the Wisconsin River south of Baraboo was closed for repairs and the left lane at Center St. southbound at Locust over I-43 was closed for a road crew making repairs.

Buy Photo

Brent Bowgren, a control room supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, watches a traffic camera trained on I-43 at Wright St. where a road repair crew works Monday on Milwaukee's freeway system. (Photo: Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

And when Pape heads home to Ozaukee County in the mid-afternoon after her shift, she knows whether her commute will be smooth or difficult. "It's a little perk of the job."

Some of the newer cameras have windshield wipers to clear away snow. But birds frequently perch on them and one time a spider hung from the Hoan Bridge camera long enough to be nicknamed Carl by the control room operators.

"Oh my gosh, he was there all summer," Pape said. "Good place to watch the fireworks."

The pithy phrases on the 145 electronic message boards over highways, as well as 124 portable signs, are created by Paige with input from a creative messaging work group that includes members of the State Patrol and DOT.

Paige started with just 10 phrases in May and is now up to 70 different messages, some tied to national safety campaigns and others that tap into cultural and holiday references. When the Pokemon Go craze happened last summer, some message signs said, "Pokemon Can Wait, Just Drive." This Thanksgiving, phrases include "Don't Be a Turkey. Buckle Up" and "Give Thanks For a Safe Ride. Drive Sober."

"We come up with creative messaging to get people to think about their driving behavior," Paige said.

Whatever the message, it has to be short. The limit is 17 characters per line with a maximum of three lines. Which makes Twitter seem like "War and Peace."

Read or Share this story: http://on.jsonl.in/2glka4c


Source: Sign of the times: The humans behind those highway message boards

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar review

Have you grown bored of seeing your local Starbucks covered in silver mid-sized laptop, all sporting a glowing Apple logo? We don't blame you. Apple's MacBook Pro has remained committed to its design over the last four years, counting on engineering excellence to persevere through multiple product cycles. That decision drove Mac fans wild, as many itched for a newer, faster Pro – yet the "new" model looked the same as what they already owned.

Now, the wait is finally over, and it's a good thing Mac fans have been left starving for an update – because the new MacBook Pro's price is hard to swallow.

The base 13-inch model without the Touch Bar is $1,500, a $200 upcharge over the old entry-level Pro. If you want the Touch Bar model we reviewed, you'll have to shell out $1,800, though you at least get a processor upgrade as part of the deal.

$1,800 is a lot for a MacBook Pro 13 with a Core i5 processor, even by Apple's standards. The sharp increase in price means you can only obtain a Core i5 MacBook Pro at price points that used to get you a Core i7, and perhaps a RAM upgrade, as well. Can the new model live up to the expectations set by its price?

Still the most luxurious laptop

One look at the new MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar is all you need to know it's a Mac. That's even more impressive now that Apple has decided to take attention away from its branding, ditching the glowing white apple in favor of a slick, subtle gloss logo like what's on the MacBook, the iPhone, and the iPad.

As before, the MacBook Pro 13 features an all-unibody design lacking any visible seams aside from those on the bottom. But the new version is slimmer and trimmer, shaving weight down to 3.02 pounds from 3.48 pounds, while thickness drops from .71 inches to .59 inches.

apple macbook pro inch touch bar review pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

apple macbook pro inch touch bar review pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

apple macbook pro inch touch bar review pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

apple macbook pro inch touch bar review pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

And that's not all. Apple, like Dell, has aggressively shaved space from the display bezels to reduce the overall footprint. The new MacBook Pro 13 remains slightly larger than the Dell XPS 13 overall, and a couple tenths of a pound heavier. Users with the older Pro model will appreciate the improvement.

Oh, and the new model comes in Space Grey, which hopefully is the beginning of a wider color selection. The 12-inch MacBook comes in Silver, Space Gray, Rose Gold, and Gold. Color choices may seem petty, but they add a touch of personality.

There's no arguing with the new MacBook Pro's elegance. The beauty of Apple design has always been subtle, which is why the company is sometimes accused of being safe, or boring. The new Pro doesn't even try to side-step those criticisms. It's not the smallest 13-inch laptop, or the lightest, and its materials feel much as before. There's something to be said for design that works, though, even if it's not innovative, and the new MacBook Pro remains the most luxurious laptop around.

Any port you want, as long as it's USB Type-C

While the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has a headphone jack, it makes another connectivity choice that's just as controversial and, functionally, more important. Apple has decided that USB Type-C / Thunderbolt 3 is the future, and has ditched every other port.

Yes, USB Type-C is all you get. The MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has four of these ports, two on each side. Even the card reader is missing. Crazy as it sounds, the decision has it benefits. The simplicity of the port selection is hard to argue with, and every port is a charging port, so you can plug the wall adapter into whichever is more convenient. The ports are quick, too, so you can hook up multiple displays or use fast external SSDs without worry about connectivity bandwidth.

You're going to need adapters, and you might need lots of them.

Now, for the bad news – you're going to need adapters, and you might need lots of them. Do you use an external display? That's an adapter. External hard drive? Adapter. Wired input of any sort? Adapter. Ethernet? Adapter. SDcard? Adapter. At best, you'll need to purchase one or two dongles. At worst, you're going to need a dock solution, which can add another $100 to $200 to the price.

The greatest irony? Even Apple's iPhone can't plug into any MacBook Pro 13 without purchasing an adapter.

At least it can communicate wirelessly. Speaking of which, the new Pro 13 has the usual 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter paired with Bluetooth 4.2. It's good to see the latest version of Bluetooth here, as it'll help connect with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The keyboard of the future isn't very good

The 12-inch MacBook, released last year, debuted an all-new "butterfly" switch that's much thinner than any used in a laptop keyboard prior. Though Apple touted it as having great feel, we complained that "typing for more than an hour [left our] fingers with a dull ache," due to the keyboard's stiff feel and limited travel.

Now that same keyboard can be found on the MacBook Pro. Well, not exactly the same.  The Pro's keyboard has a "second-generation butterfly mechanism," with slightly more travel than the first. And it is an improvement. If you're a writer, the MacBook Pro 13 will serve you better than the MacBook Pro 12.

Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

That's not to say it'll serve you well. While travel has improved, the keyboard continues to suffer a stiff, abrupt bottoming action that can make long typing sessions tiresome. The degree to which this will bother you is a matter of preference. A few Digital Trends writers thought it was perfectly acceptable, and most thought they could learn to live with it. No one said they preferred it over the previous MacBook Pro 13.

And it's not clear why this sacrifice was made. While the new MacBook Pro 13 is thin, it's as thick or thicker than many competitors with better keyboards, such as the Acer Swift 7, HP Spectre, HP Spectre x360, and Dell XPS 13. Whatever the reason, it's clear Apple had to make a compromise between size, performance, and keyboard quality, with the latter getting the bad end of the bargain.

The keyboard suffers a stiff, abrupt bottoming action that can make long typing sessions tiresome.

Below the keyboard is a revised, plus-sized touchpad. Unlike the keyboard, this is an unmitigated plus. The spacious surface improves the ease of using multi-touch gestures, which work consistently well. While the new, larger surface means constant contact between it and your palms, we didn't notice a single instance of unintended input throughout our testing.

And don't forget Force Touch. The haptic feedback system, which uses vibration to simulate a click, is so good at emulating real movement that most users never notice a difference. It also offers force sensitivity, which can enable special interface functions – just like the iPhone. The feature isn't widely embraced, even by Apple's own software, but it's great when offered.

The Touch Bar searches for purpose

In May of 2014, Apple Insider published an article talking about upcoming Macs with "in-key displays," a rumor that began to snowball in early 2016. After several misses (the rumormills thought it might appear in early 2016, then in summer), it's finally here in all its OLED glory.

If nothing else, the Touch Bar is great to look at it. It boasts Retina-equivalent pixel density, which means icons are rendered with crisp, vibrant graphics. And because it's OLED, blacks look inky black – so dark it's often hard to find the Touch Bar's boundaries.

As a conversation starter, then, it holds up. As a functional tool? Less so. Apple tries to integrate the Touch Bar in a way that makes it relevant even in everyday web browser, note-taking, and photo-viewing. Its display changes constantly as new apps are opened, and old ones closed. It performs well, keeping up no matter how quickly apps are switched, or how many are open.

Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Yet there's rarely much use for it. At best, it provides a quick way to scroll through lists, such as your Photo Stream. It can also be useful if you'd like to scroll through a video – and it's great at picking up on such content, activating a scroll bar even when browsing YouTube.

In other cases, though, it's clearly a solution searching for a problem. Take typing, for instant. As you input text in Safari, Word, and other apps, the Touch Bar constantly flashes word suggestions. It's a feature that works well on the iPhone, where typing is often slow and cumbersome.

More: Macbook Pro 13-inch with Retina review

On a laptop, though, it's pointless. Type in "office," for instance, and the Touch Bar will suggest alternatives. Did you mean officers? Or, perhaps, off-season? This happens whether a word is spelled properly or not. Even if you do slip in a typo, it's hard to imagine why a user would look to the Touch Bar for help when MacOS already presents a correction on-screen and, in most cases, will correct the spelling automatically.

If nothing else, the Touch Bar is great to look at it.

Even where it might be useful, the Touch Bar is limited by its size. It automatically displays open Safari tabs, complete with miniature content previews, a feature that could prove helpful. Yet the previews are so small that it's often hard to tell the tabs apart, even with just three or four open. If you open six, or eight, or ten tabs, then the previews become smaller still, until they're so tiny that it's hard to even tap the right one. Similar problems trouble its photo preview and video preview capabilities. In theory, you can scroll through photo collections. In practice, it's harder to do than with the touchpad.

In short, the Touch Bar isn't great. But giving the function row over to an OLED display does come with an important perk called Touch ID. Yes, you can now log in with your fingerprint, and it works as seamlessly as it does on iPhone. Fast, secure login authentication methods are a great way to improve security for the average user. And Touch ID integrates with Apple Pay, so you can use it to securely make online purchases – from stores that accept Apple Pay.

Display

A quick look at the specifications could make you think Apple's new MacBook Pro 13 had an old display. It's still Retina, which means the resolution is still 2,560 x 1,600. That was stunning in 2012, but today it seems mediocre next to QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) and 4K screens.

But don't worry, Mac faithful. You can banish any concerns about the display from your mind. It's fantastic.

We measured a maximum brightness of 548 lux. That's ridiculously brilliant, and complete overkill for use indoors, but it can help make the screen, which is still very glossy, usable in extreme situations. By comparison, the Dell XPS 13 with QHD+ display only hits 278 lux, and the HP Spectre x360 hits 355 lux. Both those systems can have a problem with glare in bright conditions, though Dell gives you the choice to combat that with a matte display option.

Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Brightness is only important in a bright room. What'll stun you, no matter where you use the MacBook Pro 13, is its color. The display can achieve 100 percent of the sRGB gamut, as well as 91 percent of AdobeRGB. It also delivered an average color error value of .72 (lower is better). Anything below one is generally unnoticeable to the human eye, and this reading is the lowest we've ever recorded from a laptop. The previous record holder, Dell's XPS 15, boasted an average error value of .78.

Even the contrast ratio of 1200:1 is excellent. The Pro can deliver dark blacks next to brilliant colors without trouble.

The only flaw we found is gamma, which came in at a reading of 2.3. The ideal curve is 2.2, and the MacBook Pro 13's result indicates it portrays content a bit darker than it should. But this is a very minor fluctuation, and plenty of competitors miss it, too.

The Retina display may not be this Pro's headline feature, but it remains its most attractive trait.

When the numbers are tallied, the new Retina display comes away a winner. It defeats the Dell XPS 13, Acer Swift 7, Asus Zenbook 3, HP Spectre x360, and Lenovo Yoga 910, beating all of them in color gamut, color accuracy, and contrast ratio.

That's not to say it lacks competition, though. Microsoft's Surface Book can go toe-to-toe with it. Though our tests found the Surface Book had a narrower contrast ratio of 1010:1, its gamma curve reading was the proper 2.2.

There's also a small handful of Windows systems, like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga, available with OLED displays. These clobber the MacBook Pro 13's strong contrast ratio, and deliver an even wider color gamut, all with accurate gamma. But they don't match the Mac's out-of-the-box color accuracy.

Numbers aside, the display on the MacBook Pro 13 is excellent, and looks it in everyday use. Games and movies are crisp and vibrant, and high-quality photos render with such detail that you might think your display was switched with a canvas print. The Retina display may not be this Pro's headline feature, but it remains its most attractive trait.

Pump up the bass

Apple has always shown an affinity for audio quality rarely found elsewhere, and the MacBook Pro is no exception. In fact, its speakers are the best we can recall hearing in a 13-inch system. That's saying a lot, because a few recent laptops in this category, like the Asus' Zenbook 3, have surprised us with their quality.

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar Compared To

The MacBook Pro 13 offers a wide range of volume and, at maximum, it's far louder than most people will need in normal use, and capable of filling a large room with tunes. Bass is present and accounted for in minimal but noticeable amounts – the thump can be felt through the keyboard at higher volumes. High and mid-range sound remains clear and free of distortion.

External speakers will be an improvement, as always, but the audio quality present here is surprising, and may convince you there's no need to plug anything into the headphone jack.

A fast processor, facing stiff competition

Specifications have never been Apple's area of focus, but that used to be a marketing concern, rather than an indication of the company's preference for hardware. Over the last few years, though, that has changed. The MacBook Pro fell behind, adopting new Intel processor lines late, or not at all.

The new Pro only partially addresses the problem. Our entry-level MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has an Intel Core i5-6267U. As the numbers suggest, it's part of Intel's sixth generation Core line, rather than the newer seventh generation. Can it stand up to Intel's latest hardware?

Geekbench 3 MacBook Pro Touch Bar

For the most part, yes. The system's Geekbench 3 multi-core score of 7,638 is not the best we've seen, but it's certainly in range of competitors. The Lenovo Yoga 910 hit 7,973, and the Dell XPS 13 hit 7,835. Both were tested with Intel's Core i7-7500U. The MacBook Pro 13 scored even better in Geekbench 3's single-core metric, beating all competitors, if only by a hair.

You might wonder how the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar can keep up, given it has an older architecture. The secret is the specific processor used by Apple. It has a 28-watt Thermal Design Power, while most Intel Core mobile chips are designed under a 15-watt Thermal Design Power. Put simply, the MacBook Pro 13 keeps itself competitive by drawing more juice under load.

While the Pro does keep up, it's still disappointing to see it stick with an older generation of hardware, especially given the price. The faster Core i7 competitors we tested can be had for hundreds less than the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar. Though quick, this level of performance is typical in laptops priced above $1,000.

The hard drive to rule them all

Drive performance is often overlooked by consumers, but it's important to a system's overall capability. Apple knows this, and has been a leader in storage performance for years. The new MacBook Pro line is no exception. It quotes read speeds of 3.1 gigabytes per second, and write speeds of 2.2 gigabytes per second.

We can't do an apples-to-apples comparison with Windows competitors here, because the tools we normally use to test performance aren't compatible with MacOS. However, we did test using two benchmarks that run only on Apple's operating system.

First up was Blackmagic, a test designed to tell professionals if a drive is up to the task of handling content at specific framerates and resolutions. It produced a write speed result of 1,348 megabytes per second, and a read result of two gigabytes per second (annoyingly, this appears to be the maximum result the benchmark can show). That's a big improvement over the MacBook Pro 13 with Retina (2015). It hit a write speed of 647MB/s, and a read speed of 1,056MB/s.

We also fired up DiskMark. It spat out sequential read performance of 1,826MB/s, and sequential write performance of 1,289MB/s.  We hadn't tested with that benchmark before, so take the numbers with a grain of salt. Still, they're good figures, and reasonably consistent with Blackmagic.

Again, these benchmarks do not run on Windows, so we can't make an apples-to-apples comparison of hard drive performance. But numbers we have from CrystalDiskMark, our Windows test, suggest Apple is at the head of the pack.

The Dell XPS 13 with 512GB solid state drive scored a read speed of 1,285MB/s and a write sped of 572.8MB/s. The best drive performance we've seen from a Windows laptop came from the Vaio Z Flip. It scored read speeds of 1621.7MB/s, and write speeds of 1565.3MB/s.

If this all sounds confusing, don't worry. While the numbers are outstanding, you don't need to obsess over them. It's clear the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has outstanding drive performance, and it'll handle any workload you ask of it. This is the most future-proof component in the entire system.

Mac gaming is still a bad idea

As in most past incarnations, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar relies on Intel integrated graphics. If you want a more powerful discrete graphics solution, then you'll need to accept the MacBook Pro 15's larger footprint.

With that said, our review unit did boast Intel Iris Graphics 550 which, in theory, should be much quicker than standard Intel HD graphics. Compared to Intel HD 620, the solution most common in modern Windows laptops, Iris Graphics 550 has double the execution units (48 vs. 24) and a higher maximum clock speed (1,100MHz vs. 1,050MHz). Better still, Iris Graphics 550 has 64 megabytes of dedicated eDRAM, something you'll never find with Intel HD 620.

But does that mean you can play games better than with a typical Windows ultrabook? To find out we fired up Civilization VI, testing it at 1,440 x 900 resolution on the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar, and on the same resolution on HP's Spectre x360, with minimum detail and memory consumption selected.

Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The game performed identically – and poorly – on both, delivering 21 frames per second through the in-game benchmark. But the HP was the better experience, as the Mac suffered graphical glitches that weren't present on the HP Spectre x360.

If you're curious why the game performs poorly despite greater technical capability, blame Apple's OpenGL support, which hasn't been updated significantly for years. Instead, the company prefers Metal, its own API which can be used on both iOS and MacOS devices. The problem? Porting a game from Windows' popular DirectX API to Metal is unfamiliar territory. Developers of Windows PC games don't have a good option for porting to the Mac, and the result is often performance that's less impressive than you'd expect.

You'll have better luck with games ported over from iOS, such as CSR Racing Pro 3, Super Octagon, and Limbo. There's a fair selection of such games on the Mac App Store. These also tend to suffer problems, though, especially in control, which is often poorly converted from touch to keyboard and mouse.

A smaller battery leads to adequate endurance

While the MacBook Pro 13 takes a step forward in processor performance, it takes a significant step back in battery capacity. The previous model had a 74.9 watt-hour battery, but the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar has 49.2 watt-hour battery (the model without Touch Bar has a slightly larger 54.5 watt-hour battery). That's a reduction in capacity of almost 35 percent.

Despite that, Apple quotes the same battery life as before. The company obviously thinks that efficiency will make up for the smaller battery, but we didn't find that to be the case.

battery-life-macbook-pro-touch-bar

Peacekeeper, a looped web browsing benchmark, drained a full charge in four hours and 48 minutes. That's not a bad result, but it's not amazing, either. The Dell XPS 13 with Core i7 lasted five hours and seven minutes, while the Acer Swift 7 lasted five hours and 56 minutes. The HP Spectre barely squeezes past, lasting four hours and 54 minutes.

We also tested the system in a video loop, using iTunes. It drained the battery in ten hours and 24 minutes. That's another solid result, though still behind the HP Spectre x360, and barely ahead of the Lenovo Yoga 910. The Dell XPS 13 with Core i7 comes up a bit short here, hitting nine hours and 12 minutes.

In real-world use, we found battery life more than adequate, but not outstanding. Most 13-inch laptops priced about $1,000 can last through nearly a workday of a use, and the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar can, as well. But this assumes your "normal" use isn't constant use, and that you stay away from demanding applications. If you try to edit photos, for example, you can expect to see the battery drop with surprising speed. That's the 28 watt-hour processor at work.

If you want amazing portability, though, you should aim for Dell's XPS 13 with 1080p display and Core i5 processor. It lasted an outstanding six hours and 12 minutes in Peacekeeper, and twelve hours 43 minutes in our video loop.

MacOS or Windows 10? You've probably already decided

The MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar of course runs MacOS, while most other laptops run Windows. For some, that's all the information needed. If you prefer MacOS, then you're going to need to buy a MacBook, and the new Pro models are the most powerful Mac laptops available.

More: What's the best MacBook for your money?

If you're not familiar with Windows 10 and MacOS, give our reviews a read. We generally recommend Windows 10 over Apple's operating system. It offers better task management, superior notifications, a more versatile digital assistant, and extensive cloud integration. MacOS does have strengths, though. It remains intuitive to use, and it works extremely well with iOS devices, as users can quickly share content between them or send text messages through the MacOS iMessage app.

The usual warranty terms, with Apple Store convivence

Apple ships every MacBook with a one-year warranty that includes 90 days of phone support. The terms are typical for the industry. The company's retail stores give an edge, though, because owners can stop by for in-person support. That's much more convenient than calling a hotline or shipping a system back – if you live near an Apple store, of course.

Our Take

Apple's new MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar is a beautiful machine, but it has several flaws, and it's far too expensive.

Is there a better alternative?

That depends on if you'd consider a Windows computer. If not, the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar is an attractive option – though you should consider the model without Touch Bar first. It's more affordable, and has a larger battery. The processor is not quite as fast, but the downgrade won't be significant for most people.

If you're open-minded about choosing between Windows 10 and MacOS, there are numerous competitors. They include the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre x360, Lenovo Yoga 910, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga with OLED, Surface Book, and Razer Blade. Many of these are a bit quicker, some have better battery life, and all offer a better keyboard. The Windows alternatives also offer an optional touchscreen, and some are 2-in-1 devices usable as either laptop or tablet.

The main sacrifice you'll make with these alternatives is display quality. Only Microsoft's Surface Book, and the handful of OLED laptops currently available, can go toe-to-toe with the new Pro in that area.

How long will it last?

Apple has control of each Mac's lifespan by dictating which systems will receive MacOS updates. Since the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar was just released, it's safe to say it'll last as long as any Mac currently available.

Should you buy it?

Probably not, even if you prefer a Mac.

The MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar is not a bad laptop. On the contrary, it's good. But the $1,800 price tag demands more than just good. A laptop sold for that, as an entry-level model, must be among the best of the best.

Former MacBook Pro models achieved that comfortably, but the new model is lacking. It doesn't have a performance edge over alternatives in any area aside from hard drive speed, and battery life is merely competitive. Even the gorgeous display, which is very, very nice, just matches the best alternatives.

We're disappointed with Apple's vision of cutting-edge computing. With the new MacBook Pro, Apple has ignored the best features offered by its competitors, while also introducing a Touch Bar of questionable use. The MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar is a great Mac – but it's no longer a great laptop.


Source: MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar review

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The Station Dock Wants To Bring Ubuntu Convergence To All Phones

dock station for ubuntu phones

You're looking at a proposed new 3D dock that, its creator hopes, will help bring Ubuntu convergence to more people. 

The device is called the 'Station Dock' and it's the brainchild of Marius Gripsgård, the chief developer behind the community-based Ubports project.

His dock is set to launch on Kickstarter in the coming weeks. The goal is $200,000 (kr4,000,000) and it has a tentative — some might say ambitious — ship date of February, 2017.

Gripsgård also says that a 'slimmer model' (Station Dock slim) and 'a laptop version' are also planned.

Sadly no prototype was available for attendees to the recent UbuCon summit held in Essen, Germany, to handle. Not all was lost as the chief developer behind community Ubuntu Touch ports such as that for the Fairphone 2 was there in person to announce the project.

The Station Dock is, effectively, a smart dock for smartphones. It features 2x USB, a single HDMI out and an audio jack (no courage, eh?).

The device "runs a really small version of Linux inside" that will handle a direct passthrough to USB [via USB OTG]"  The task of the small single-board computer inside the plastic housing is 'to decompress the images that come from the phone [over Miracast] and deliver the decoded image through cabled HDMI.'

This, in effect, circumvents the lack of MHL and Slimport display features in the current crop of Ubuntu Phones (though still requires them to support Aethercast).

Casting a display over Wi-Fi introduces latency. This might not be hugely noticeable when viewing photos or even videos, but it can create a jarring sensation when using it to interact with a desktop environment (you expect menus to appear instantly, etc).

But the Station Dock, Marius says, works incredibly well.

"With this process there is no lag," he says. "It's [almost] like a direct HDMI cable. Place the device down: it charges, it has direct to HDMI; it's already connected to [USB hub with mouse and keyboard]."

Miracast is still required (sorry Bq Aquaris owners) but only to the dock. This reduces latency, as the dock handles decoding of the display and pumps it out over the HDMI.

Sounds like a killer convergence hub, doesn't it?

But it gets even better.

Not Only For Ubuntu Touch

"It's not only for Ubuntu Touch," says Marius. "It's also for Android,

Why also Android? Well, Marius doesn't feel that the Kickstarter campaign would be successful without it.

"We don't have a community enough (sic) to generate that amount of income needed to produce this. The software isn't the problem here. The problem is getting the money to mass-produce it."

"It's not only binded (sic) to Ubuntu Touch. You can use it on Android. You can use it on Sailfish [if they make drivers] — that's the beauty of it."

With projects like Maru OS, which let you run a full-Linux desktop from an Android smartphone, the dock could prove a killer lure in the kickstarter stakes.

Hurdles

Marius isn't oblivious to the hurdles ahead, noting that:  "Hardware is hard. It's really hard. I'm really stepping into an area I've never really been in before, so I would need help [in getting] right connections in China. [The money also] hire someone… hire myself full time… we will try our best to risk this."

"Ubuntu Touch badly needs this now before it's dying (sic). Devices are not selling any more. There is the Bq tablet and it's not a phone… it's not convergence… the goal here is phones."

If the Kickstarter isn't successful the dock could still be built using a standard Raspberry Pi and some custom-made casing.

You can watch the full talk on the dock in the video below, starting at the 50 minute mark:


Source: The Station Dock Wants To Bring Ubuntu Convergence To All Phones

Monday, November 21, 2016

CANADIAN PHARMACIES SHIPPING TO USA - generic viagra without prescription

CIALIS WITHOUT A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION - viagra online generic . CIALIS WITHOUT A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION Turko et al 1999 Inhibition of cyclic cGMP-binding cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 by sildenafil and related compounds. CIALIS WITHOUT A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTIONHowever, if you reject our cookies, you will not be able to access the Sites. $You should not take Sildenafil Teva if you are a woman.If you prefer, you may contact theU. viagra online genericEnjoy Dairy Everyday Managing Diabetes 21 Days: A New Routine Knee Pain Relief Managing IBS-C Symptoms COPD Treatment Frequent Constipation? canadian pharcharmy onlineThe extension study suggests that the favorable effect of tadalafil on exercise capacity is durable for at least 10 months of treatment.In patients in whom the half-life of sildenafil may be prolonged see below , a more extended period of time from sildenafil administration to nitrate administration may be required. canadian pharcharmy onlineEffetti collaterali e controindicazioni di Sildenafil Sildenafil 100mg Non effetua acquisto di Sildenafil Sildenafil generico prima assicurarsi che non si dispone di una delle seguenti condizioni: malattie cardiache, ipertensione, propensione rhetina pigmentosa, la storia di erezioni prolungate, insufficienza renale o epatica, e alcuni altri.In this regard, study subjects whose blood pressure was well controlled, the reduction was minimal and similar to that seen in healthy subjects. $Filed Under VIAGRA, History Of ViagraViagra scientific name: sildenafil citrate is a medication originally created by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals as a drug to help men who were suffering from hypertension high blood pressure and angina pectoris a form of ischaemic cardiovascular disease in 1989 in Sandwich, England as compound UK-92,480.Food and Drug Administration FDA directly. $Your doctor will help you decide the best time for you to take tadalafil before sexual activity.Pfizer submitted an additional registration for sildenafil to the United States Food and Drug Administration FDA , and sildenafil was approved for this indica tion in June 2005. $Viagra Sildenafil generally comes in pill packs containing 4 pills per pack.You will be required to send you paper prescription what is this Issued by your doctor to us in the post before we send you any medication.Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides.Marketing authorisation number s 9.Put your own widget by going to appeareance widget area.With respect to patients following complicated multidrug, antihypertensive programs, the randomized studies included a large number of hypertensive patients.Funziona per i pazienti con impotenza causata da vari motivi.Wie lange ist die Wirkung?These studies have only just begun, and therefore nothing is known about this subject yet.Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and exfoliative dermatitis.If difficulties persist, please contact the System Administrator of this site and report the error b elow..Details of the trials were abstracted and quality scoring done with a 5 point scale.It is the generic form of Cialis.The improvement in quality of life indices demonstrated in this study has been reported in previous PAH trials.Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.Posicor is a registered trademark of Roche Pharmaceuticals. viagra online genericTherefore, before using sildenafil, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use.Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.This includes nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, and isosorbide mononitrate.Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.The UES is innervated by excitatory neurons only.There were 28 patients who had a myocardial infarction.Epub 2007 Oct 24.Time to clinical worsening of PAH was defined as the time from randomization to the first occurrenc e of a clinical worsening event death, lung transplantation, initiation of bosentan therapy, or clinical deterioration requiring a change in epoprostenol therapy.How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.WebMD AnswersGot a health question?We offer to your attention a brand new drug Suhagra, also known in the world as Silagra.In these studies, the incidence of serious cardiovascular adverse effects was similar in the double-blind sildenafil group, the double-blind placebo group, and the open-label group.The dose may be lowered to 10 mg based on individual response and tolerability.Before prescribing REVATIO, carefully consider whether patients with certain underlying conditions could be adversely affected by such vasodilatory effects e.Amphion and Zethus near July 2002 as an the drawing boards with very rough sketches viagra legal It corresponds to the selection carefully with his sponsors BC Racing compare prices viagra will be helpful to cialis bla ck were fed saccharine to select a good.Clomid Generic Clomid is a fertility drug used to help become pregnant.Dr Nicholas Terrett was named in the 1991 british patent for sildenafil citrate tradenamed Viagra as a heart medicine, and some experts consider him as the father of Viagra.Please enable cookies in your browser to continue shopping at Pharmacy2U.In addition to pulmonary vascular smooth muscle and the corpus cavernosum, PDE-5 is also found in other tissues including vascular and visceral smooth muscle and in platelets.Effetua acquisto di Tadalafil solo quando sei sicuro che sia compatibile con il tuo stato di salute.On November 21, 2003 the FDA approved tadalafil as Cialis for sale in the United States as the third ED prescription drug pill after sildenafil citrate Viagra and vardenafil Hydrochloride Levitra.Furthermore, many patients and their partners dislike the necessity of on-demand treatment for ED, citing a desire for greater spontaneity with sexual interactions.Effet ua acquisto di sildenafil per ravvivare la vostra vita sessuale!Jpn J Leg Med. CIALIS WITHOUT A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTIONDriving and using machines Sildenafil Teva can cause dizziness and can affect vision.Decrease or loss of vision.The medication increases blood flow to the penis and with sexual stimulation, an erect penis can be achieved.If you become pregnant while taking sildenafil, call your doctor.Registered in England 112955.Copyright © All rights reserved.
Source: CANADIAN PHARMACIES SHIPPING TO USA - generic viagra without prescription

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Flip Out Game

@aggy788,  What problem/s are you having with Flip Out?  I can get it to load and play on my pc, my laptop, and tablet.  My husbands laptop, it will not load.  Just stays white.   Should not be a flash problem for him there, b ecause all the rest of the games load and play.   

   And I clean cache and cookies every day or 2.  Does get aggravating.


Source: Flip Out Game

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II Review: Productivity Workhorse?

Tecno's latest Android tablet is a different kind. Unlike its other siblings in the DroiPad series, it is being pitched as a 2-in-1 hybrid device that you can take with you to meetings, product pitches and presentations or on a trip when you will need to still get some work done on the go without having to bring with you a bulky laptop.

Right out of the box, the DroiPad 10 Pro II shows that it means business in the way its packaging is presented as we observed in our initial run-in with the device. The included Bluetooth keyboard sets the tone for the device's focus.

As is often the case with similar setups, setting up the Bluetooth keyboard for use with the tablet for the first time can be quite some pain. There are multiple steps involved. However, once everything is done, it comes in handy for tasks like text entry even though working on a Word document on the tiny keyboard can be challenging at first and it takes some getting used to.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_1

To get you started off, the DroiPad 10 Pro II comes with several useful applications pre-installed that prepare it for the tasks its makers envisioned it would do like word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. Microsoft's mobile office apps for those respective tasks are pre-loaded as is Google Drive which, though included by virtue of the DroiPad running on Android, comes in handy for purposes of creating Google Docs (the app must be separately installed).

The keyboard is not your traditional run-of-the-mill portable keyboard. Several keys have been customized to do specialized tasks in line with the device's focus. For instance, one can call up the dialer application by simply pressing the call key on the keyboard (because it's socially acceptable to hold up a 10-inch slate to your ear and make a call), fire up a quick text message by pressing the message key on what would normally be the Function keys bar on normal keyboards.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_4

The keyboard's trackpad, though responsive, could be better as at times it's just better going right ahead to use the device's touch input instead.

Size 244 x 172.5 x 8.5 mm Display 10.1-inch HD (1280 x 800 pixels) IPS Processor Quad-core Mediatek MT8735W Memory 2GB RAM; 32GB internal storage (expandable via microSD) Camera Back: 5MP;Front: 2MP Operating System Remix OS 2.0 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop Battery 7,000mAh Network 3G, 4G LTE Connectivity microUSB, USB OTG, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

There's one thing we have not shed light on and it's the elephant in the room: Remix OS.

As we have already noted, the Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II is an Android 2-in-1 device. In fact, it runs Android 5.1 Lollipop. However, in order to be able to better take up its responsibilities as a true hybrid device, there is need for a user interface that also allows for such use cases. Android is mostly a mobile-first operating system. Its application on large tablets has always been cumbersome as apps tend to be blown up to fill the extra screen real estate instead of being properly tuned to take advantage of the tablets' unique setups. That has been the case for a while now and while the situation is changing, there is still need for something that naturally handles things better.

Enter Remix OS.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_5

Remix OS is simply Android customized to suit the needs of an Android desktop user. The Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II runs on Remix OS 2.0. It brings to the device windowed interfaces which mimick the traditional desktop windows experience while still staying true to Android's mobile roots. All apps can be minimized, expanded and collapsed, something that you can't achieve on plain Android software.

Some applications that Tecno has been bundling on all its devices don't miss out on the chance to be on the DroiPad 10 Pro II. There is, for instance, the Boom Player app in its mostly vanilla instance (i.e. without the music streaming that we find on Tecno's smartphones as part of the music app).

Other little annoyances like the Palm Chat app live on as well. The good thing? You can uninstall them in one tap if they get in the way of your experience. After all, you have 32GB of on-board storage to yourself and if you will be constantly banging copy as most members of the Techweez team are bound to, then you will quickly find yourself in need of every kilobyte you can set your eyes on. In such situations, the microSD card slot on the side (or bottom depending on if the tablet is docked or being held in portrait) of the tablet just next to the micro-USB port will come in handy.

Since you're interacting with the display either by staring at it while you bang that keyboard or using it as you would a normal tablet, which the DroiPad 10 Pro II is when you detach the Bluetooth keyboard, you'll be glad to know that the 10.1-inch HD display holds up its end of the bargain most of the time. However, there are some issues with the device's overall touch. At times a single tap doesn't result in the anticipated outcome, something we believe can be fixed with a simple software update.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_2

The Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II has a pair of camera sensors. One on the front and another at the back. Both might be just fine for the occasional video call, now that WhatsApp supports video calls, and not much else. Honestly, just use your phone(s) to take photos. The cameras on the tablet will disappoint but cameras on a 10.1-inch device are mostly included for convenience than for facilitating your transition into an amateur photographer so…

The device's battery lasts several days. In our case, 3 to 4 days were standard when using cellular data since our review unit had issues connecting to Wi-Fi and we couldn't figure out how to fix that.

Talking about networks, the DroiPad 10 Pro II has support for 4G LTE and 3G networks which makes it possible to keep working even when one is away from home or office Wi-Fi.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_6

The Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II blends a nice metallic design with a chunky keyboard adding to several options already available in the market for those looking for a hybrid device for handling light office work as they sip coffee in town or simply using it as we're all bound to use tablets for eventually, entertainment.

The software does try hard to ease the pain of using Android for just more than the lite productivity on the go we are accustomed. However it still doesn't get it 100% just as most Android-based devices in that regard are bound to. This makes it a tough sell at its nearly Kshs 30,000 price tag, the price point of several entry-level Windows PCs in the Kenyan market. But it does make for a nice gift, though, now that the holiday season is fast approaching. And there is where another problem arises. How are you supposed to proudly announce to someone what you've just got them for Christmas? 'Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II' is quite a mouthful. Surely the name could be made better next time if not great again.

tecno_droipad_10_pro_ii_3


Source: Tecno DroiPad 10 Pro II Review: Productivity Workhorse?