Dell Inspiron 14z

The 2011 version of the 14z (which looks very different from this one) was also a great-looking, slim, fairly priced laptop. It's almost enough to make you forget about Dell's higher-end XPS laptops. I wish the keyboard felt a little tighter, and a higher-res screen wouldn't hurt, either. Still, if finding the right price/performance/design balance is important to you, it wouldn't hurt to take the Inspiron 14z for a test drive.

Price as reviewed / Starting price	$899 / $699
Processor	1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory	8GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive	500GB 5,400rpm / 32GB SSD
Chipset	Intel HM7
Graphics	AMD 7570M / Intel HD 4000
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)	13.7x9.5 inches
Height	0.8 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	14 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	4.1 pounds / 5.1 pounds
Category	Midsize

The good: With a new slim design, the Dell Inspiron 14z impresses by including an Intel Core i5 CPU and discrete AMD graphics, all for a very reasonable price.

The bad: There's still a bit of a budget feel to parts of the body. Battery life, while decent, isn't going to get you through a full day.

The bottom line: Dell has managed to give a very upscale feel to its mainstream Inspiron 14z, a 14-inch ultrabook that comfortably juggles price, design, and performance.

Samsung Series 7 Gamer

Samsung's behemoth Series 7 Gamer is one of a new line of laptops for the Korean electronics giant, clearly an answer to products from the likes of Origin, Alienware, and Asus.

Big-boned and full of high-end components, the Series 7 Gamer comes in only one, $1,899 configuration. The good news is that there's a lot of meat in this laptop: a quad-core Core i7-3610QM processor, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M graphics, a 750GB hard drive, and a 1,920x1,080-pixel-resolution 17-inch display that's flat-out gorgeous.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

Yes, it's heavy (9 pounds). Yes, it's expensive (nearly $2,000). Yes, it's a little ugly. However, it's one of the best-performing laptops we've ever seen, at a price that's not that unreasonable. Samsung's entry into PC gaming laptops is a success, although it's a surprisingly bulky and flashy product for a company that's been making sleek and minimal laptops otherwise.

Price as reviewed	$1,899
Processor	2.3GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM
Memory	16GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive	1.5TB 7,200rpm (2x750GB)
Chipset	Intel HM77
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M
Operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)	16.1x11.2 inches
Height	1.3-2 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	17.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	9 pounds / 11.1 pounds
Category	Desktop replacement

With its lid closed, the big, black, shiny presence of the Samsung Series 7 Gamer blends in with the "gamer gear" look of so many other competing products. There's nothing on the surface that screams anything unique.

 The good: The Samsung Series 7 Gamer has a fantastic screen, plenty of ports, a blazing processor and graphics, and most of the features you'd be looking for in a gaming desktop replacement.

The bad: This clunky beast isn't a looker, and it's hardly priced to be relevant to most shoppers: at slightly under $2,000, this is a specialty item.

The bottom line: The Samsung Series 7 Gamer is huge, expensive, and unattractive, but it's also one of the best gaming laptops that we've seen this year. If you don't mind its beefy 17-inch form, you won’t be disappointed.

Android-based Ouya game console

Well, at least the developers' consoles are, that is. Ouya first garnered attention by raising more than $8.5 million on Kickstarter this summer to create an inexpensive, open-source, Android-based game system.

Early supporters of the crowdfunding campaign got first dibs on a finished Ouya for as little as $95, but those aren't scheduled to ship until March. However, the hundreds of folks who ponied up $699 or more for a first-run, rooted developers' system with early SDK access get to experience Christmas twice in the same week when their consoles ship on December 28.

If creators of the Ouya do fulfill their original commitment to ship the dev kits in December, they'll deserve kudos. Plenty of other Kickstarter-funded projects have run into snags meeting original timelines and commitments -- the Pebble watch is now months late on its original ship date and still working out production issues, for example.

Ouya points out that all consoles will actually be dev kits, but the late December batch is a special group that cost more to produce and give big early backers a first crack at working with the platform. The only catch for developers is that at least some part of the game play has to be available for free, be it a demo or the whole shebang.

Ouya is also working on its own ODK (Ouya development kit) that game designers will be able to access. At the same time, Ouya says it's been busy optimizing Android Jelly Bean for gameplay on a large screen.

If Ouya takes off, 2013 could be a year in which a certain segment of the population gets even less exposure to the sun than in the past.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

The name Yoga is suggestive of the system's big selling point, that the display flips fully over to become a tablet. In fact, it has four basic usable positions -- clamshell laptop, tablet, stand, and tent.

The reason the Yoga stands out from the suddenly crowded touch-screen laptop scene is that it does something other convertible or hybrid laptops do not. When set up as a traditional laptop, the 13.3-inch Yoga doesn't compromise the all-important clamshell experience. The excellent double-hinge design means that it looks and works the same as any other ultrabook laptop, unlike the complex and often clunky mechanisms in systems such as the HP Envy x2, Sony Vaio Duo 11, or Dell XPS 12.

The Yoga works best as a full-time laptop and part-time tablet, because when it's folded back into a slate, you still have the keyboard pointing out from the back of the system. Although the keyboard and touch pad are deactivated in this mode, it's still not ideal. Plus, despite the hype, Windows 8 is still not a 100-percent tablet-friendly OS, and there are some frustrations that span all the Windows 8 tablet-style devices we've tested.

The Yoga certainly seems to be everyone's choice for a great Windows 8 ambassador -- both Microsoft and Intel have touted it as a best-in-class example, and Best Buy is currently featuring it in a television ad. At $1,099, you're paying a bit of a premium, but not outrageously so, for an Intel Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB solid-state drive (SSD) configuration (note that our early review unit had only 4GB of RAM installed), but a less expensive Core i3 version starts at $999. If I had to pick a single first-wave Windows 8 convertible touch-screen laptop, the Yoga would be at the top of my list.

Price as reviewed / starting price	$1,099 / $999
Processor	1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory	4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive	500GB 5,400rpm
Chipset	Intel HM77
Graphics	Intel HD 4000
Operating system	Windows 8
Dimensions (WD)	13.1x8.9 inches
Height	0.67 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
Category	13-inch

Pros: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 looks as good as any 13-inch ultrabook, with the added attraction of a 360-degree screen and a laptop body that can fold into a tent, stand, or slate.

Cons: Tablet mode leaves the keyboard exposed, and the Yoga 13 costs more than standard ultrabooks with similar components.

The bottom line: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a convertible touch-screen laptop/tablet that most importantly doesn't compromise the traditional laptop experience..

Samsung Galaxy S3 review

Feature set

Crammed full of features. We’re not sold on S-Voice but there’s still a fabulous eight-megapixel snapper that lets you share your pictures in all sorts of ways, plus 4G support for seamless media streaming.

Style and handling

The design is the same ‘inspired by nature’ type that we saw on the first Galaxy S III – and it looks great. But it’s not the sturdiest handset we’ve seen so don’t drop it.

Battery power 

You should get a good 24 hours out of a full battery – pretty good for a mobile sporting such a large, bright display. If you’re streaming media, the figure drops to a still-impressive seven hours.

Performance 

A quad-core chip sits under the hood, providing speedy, smooth performance and a good deal of futureproofing.

User friendliness

The operating system of choice here is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is beautifully accompanied by Samsung’s user friendly TouchWiz interface. The display measures 4.8 inches and is so bright it can be viewed in direct sunlight (if there ever is any).

Pros :
Really sharp,  colourful display; Snapper is crammed with features; Quad-core processor; support for 4G.

Cons :
S-Voice is disappointing; Few updates from first Galaxy S3.

Verdict:

Samsung has not changed a lot from the original Galaxy SIII apart from of course the addition of 4G support. However, the Galaxy S3 LTE is still one of the best handsets of 2012.

Acer Iconia Tab A210 Review

Acer Iconia Tab A210 review

Under the hood lurks an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, accompanied by 1GB of RAM, while built-in storage adds up to 16GB. It is also possible to hook up to another hard drive using the full-size USB port, which features along with a standard microSD slot.

Style and handling 

A solid body makes this tablet feel sturdy, and it resists scratches and scuffs as well.

Battery power

The battery will last overnight with moderate use.

Performance summary for 

Both HD media and multitasking ran smoothly, although you won’t get the best from media on the screen, which only supports 256 colours and is mid-resolution.

Pros :
Quad-core processor is futureproofed; good price; full-size USB port; user-friendly Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

Cons :
Dull screen; pedestrian design; better-specced, cheaper tablets available.

Verdict:

The Acer Iconia Tab A210 is a well-priced, quad-core tablet device but there are already cheaper tablets with better specs on the market.

Sony Xperia T Review

Although its rectangular design seems rather retro, the textured rubber back and flat glass front look good and the Xperia T feels sturdy to hold.

User friendliness summary for Sony Xperia T

Android Ice Cream Sandwich offers some wonderfully streamlined apps, while Sony has added some neat touches to the interface

Feature set summary for Sony Xperia T

The 1.5Ghz dual-core processor and 1GB Ram runs HD films, games and video capture smoothly, while the 13-megapixel snapper produces clear, vibrant shots.

Performance summary for Sony Xperia T

The ‘Reality display’ has a fabulous resolution that makes games and movies look brilliant. It copes with multiple apps admirably, and the sensitive touchscreen makes finding your way around the phone simple.

Battery power summary for Sony Xperia T

You’ll see the Xperia T take you from one day to the next with moderate use

Pros

Fantastic snapper; great HD screen; good build quality; brilliant HD display, solid build, easy-to-use interface

Cons

Unimpressive design, well-executed but unexciting features

The verdict

Sony has produced yet another great media superphone in the shape of the Xperia T. It has an impressive snapper, captures HD video, and Sony has added its own neat touches to Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

Motorola RAZR i Review

The display doesn’t quite go edge to edge, but it’s sharp and really colourful. The snapper is an eight-megapixel model that offers a burst mode of 10 shots a second. Startup is quick from sleep mode, but the shutter lag is frustrating.

Style and handling summary for Motorola RAZR i review

It looks good and is made to be durable – there’s even splashproofing to keep the insides safe. We also couldn’t stop stroking the soft rear panel!

Battery power summary for Motorola RAZR i review

A real strength – you’ll get a good day out of a full battery on light use, while if you play with lots of apps it will last a full day. Video streaming gives you an excellent eight hours.

Performance summary for Motorola RAZR i review

Under the hood sits an Intel Atom chip (also found in the Orange San Diego), which proves itself very able, even if you’re running the latest power-hungry games. You’ll only see better performance from a quad-core handset

Pros :
Large, crisp vibrant display; lengthy battery life; powerful performance; Ten shots a second 

Cons :
Snapper’s shutter suffers from lag

Verdict:

The Motorola Razr is a well-designed handset, offering top battery life, powerful performance and a stunning display. The snapper is feature packed too, although the shutter lag frustrates.

Apple iPhone 5 Review

Pros :
Sleek Apple design; 4G support to come; larger, vibrant display; powerful performance; nearly the same great snapper as on the 4S; Siri proves her worth now.

Cons :
Steep price; OS looks dated; Maps limited and suffer from bugs; Most apps have ugly borders; Lack of memory card slot; Fragile feel.

Verdict:

We’re not surprised that this is the best iPhone to date. It’s thin, light and has a roomy 4-inch Retina screen. But the operating system feels dated and there are some major issues. Plus, Apple has brought nothing major new to the show. Of course there are the usual iPhone issues too – that fragile feel and the lack of a memory card slot, along with the wallet-busting price.

Huawei Ascend D2

About a month ago, the Huawei Ascend D2 was revealed officially in China, becoming the maker's first attempt to make a splash into the 5-inch category of Android high-ends. A number of details regarding its specs, however, were not disclosed during the announcement, such as the screen's resolution and the processor's make and model.

But now that the Huawei Ascend D2 has been spotted in the GLBenchmarkdatabase, some of the aforementioned blanks got filled with intriguing information. The smartphone's 5-inch screen has a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, which is exactly what smartphones like the HTC Droid DNA and the ZTE Nubia Z5 have to brag with. Actually, the database specifies a screen size of 1800 by 1080 pixels, but we think it is safe to assume that the missing rows are occupied by on-screen buttons.

Furthermore, a GPU made by Hisilicon Technologies is being mentioned. Since the company is a Huawei subsidiary, we are led to believe that the Ascend D2 comes with a homemade SoC. The K3V2 chip made by Huawei made an appearance on the Ascend D quad, and as our mobile processor comparisondemonstrated, the silicon is decent a performer. The quad-core chip used in the Huawei Ascend D2 runs at 1.5GHz, but whether it is the K3V2 or a newer model isn't known yet. Last but not least, the benchmark confirms that the smartphone has Android 4.1 pre-installed.

ZTE Apache 8-core CPU

ZTE is on a roll. Now the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer globally, there is a rumor that could take ZTE to the forefront of smartphone producers. If true, this smartphone will put the kibosh on talk that the Chinese OEMs can only produce low to mid-range models. Have your salt nearby? Great! Here goes.

The ZTE Grand X will be far surpassed by the ZTE Apache

The ZTE Apache is expected to come to market in 2013 with an 8-core CPU under the hood. Mediatek is said to have beaten out both NVIDIA and Qualcomm for the job to produce the unnamed ARM15 MT6599 chip which would be manufactured using TSMC's 28nm process. The rest of the specs are just as spectacular including the 1080p display, 13MP camera and WCDMA/4G LTE/TD-SCDMA support which means China Mobile's proprietary 3G network will support it.Those in the states are more interested in the LTE 4G support.

If the ZTE Apache is everything it is rumored to be, smartphone fanatics will never be able to look at the OEM in the same way. At the same time, the device also puts Mediatek in the spotlight as well. It's way too early to start fantasizing about this handset, but a daydream or two is allowed.

Samsung Galaxy S IV specs

The Samsung Galaxy S III is an outstanding handset, still showing great sales, and is a fully capable device by just about any measure. By Samsung’s device life-cycle though, it will be long in the tooth by the new year. 

Enter the Samsung Galaxy S IV (or S4). Rumors about such a device have been in the ether, and today we learned that it will likely have a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display. A Korean site is reporting that in addition to the fully HD 1920x1080 screen, we can expect to see it on display at CES 2013. 

Other sources are confirming that the new S4 will have a 13 megapixel camera, a quad-core 2GHz Exynos 5450 processor with an 8-core GPU, and 64GB of storage. Can you say power? The memory chip is said to be thinner, thus contributing to a reduction in the thickness of the overall phone as well.

If expectations are met and we get to see this new device at CES 2013 (or hopefully sooner if it leaks), then we can expect to see a release of the new Galaxy S4 to the masses sometime in the second quarter, about one year after the Galaxy S III made its debut. 

Install Android on your PC

Android is the world’s most prolific mobile operating system, and in a couple of years it might well become more popular than Windows with mobile devices ending up in almost every pocket. But what if you could install Android on not just your mobile device, but computer as well? Turns out, it is possible.

Having Android as your main computer operating system however is not guaranteed to work - driver support, and a ton of stuff may or may not be there, so it’d be best if you first try running Android via a USB drive to check compatibility.

Otherwise, all efforts to bring Android to PCs is courtesy of the Android-x86 project. Android is a Linux-based platform after all, so the core is there.

We have to stress that everything is still under development and not final, so this is more of an undertaking for tech enthusiasts rather than the average user. 

Hit the source link right below for the complete tutorial and a bunch of links to read more about the project.

source: XDA Developers 

Google Nexus 10 review

Testing out the strength of its Wi-Fi connection, it’s able to retain a solid connection with a wireless router that’s located approximately 30 feet away in another room. Furthermore, we didn’t see its signal strength greatly fluctuating in the same locations.

Surmising it can be related to optimizations with Android 4.2 or the new dual-core Exynos chipset it’s using, but the Nexus 10 delivers one great battery life in our testing. So much so that we’re able to get nearly 2 whole days of normal usage with its fully charged 9,000 mAh battery, which is amazing considering it’s sporting that super high resolution display and whatnot. However, it’s worth pointing out that the rear of the tablet gets a bit toasty after prolonged usage.

It lacks the razor sharp design of Asus’ top line Android tablets or the extended wealth of functionality available with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, but hot damn, there’s no arguing that the Google Nexus 10triumphs over them with its hard to believe price point of $399! Considering that it’s featuring the highest resolution display to grace a tablet thus far, it’s absolutely hard to fathom how it’s priced the way it is. Instead, the Google Nexus 10 is seriously bringing the heat this upcoming holiday season.

PROS

• Incredible high resolution display
• Very good $400 price point
• Stellar battery life

CONS

• No 4G/3G verison
• Some software bugs with Android 4.2
• Choppy performance every now and then

LG Optimus G2

LG is going to release a successor to the Optimus G successor – that rumor is hardly going to raise any eyebrows. However we also got to learn the some of the purported specs of the device and that's where things get exciting.

The LG Optimus G2 (or perhaps G II) is reportedly going to pack a quad-core 2.0 or 2.5 GHz Krait processor, an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM (at least). This sounds a lot like the Qualcomm's MSM8974 chipset, which is a part of the chip maker's upcoming Prime lineup.

At the front there's going to be a newly developed LG display, which will have 1080p resolution. We already heard that LG is working on a 1080p screen for smartphones and it's only logical that the Optimus G successor will be the first to employ it.

As for the camera, 13MP or more will be present for sure, since the current generation Optimus G is already offering 13MP snapper on its back.

Finally, the rumor has it that the Android version powering the next LG flagship will be 5.0 Key Lime Pie.

The Optimus G2 will hit the market next year and while LG is (supposedly) aiming at a Q3 release, which makes sense, given that the Qualcomm chipset is only going to become available in Q2 of next year.