SomeGadgetGuy on Good Day LA – Laptops for the Family!

Backpacks, binders, pencils and supplies. You’ve spent wads of cash already, and now you’re realizing that your children are all needing to do homework online at the same time but you only have one computer. What to do? We have inexpensive laptops for families on a budget AND some premium options for the high school or college bound creatives who need more horsepower.

Many thanks to Maria Quiban, Tshaka Armstrong, and the crew at Good Day L.A. for having me on for such a fun segment.

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#SGGQA 15: Let’s Chat Lumia 950, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Band 2, and the LG V10 is HERE!

This week’s episode is HUGE! I spent the week out in NYC to check out the Microsoft keynote, and we got to see a ton of new hardware! Lumia 950 and 950XL, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and the Band 2!

As soon as I got home though, my pals at LG had a shiny new V10 smartphone waiting for me to try out!

Last but not least, I went hands on with the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium’s new submersible ROV! Makre sure you’re charged and ready! It’s PODCAST TIME!

Microsoft Keynote Blog: http://goo.gl/iXEV65

Hands on with the Santa Monica Pier’s ROV: https://youtu.be/ufRAlVCIi7I

I GOT TO PET A SHARK!!!

More info on Jaclyn Friedlander and Friends with Fins:
https://www.youtube.com/JaclynFriedlander
http://www.friendswithfins.com

More info on Heal the Bay’s education and conservation efforts:
http://www.healthebay.org/

Download this week’s show as an audio podcast!
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Continue reading “#SGGQA 15: Let’s Chat Lumia 950, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Band 2, and the LG V10 is HERE!”

Lenovo Refreshes Helix Business Ultrabook and Horizon Portable All-In-One PC

Announced today at IFA, Lenovo has refreshes planned for some of their most unique Windows 8.1 PC’s.

ThinkPad Helix PowerBaseThe new Helix gets a slimmer build and finally gets the more powerful and efficient Intel Core M chipset. Helix is an 11.6″ tablet which can dock in a clam-shell keyboard for a more traditional laptop experience.  Lenovo calls their latching system “rip and flip” as the tablet can be inserted either facing towards or away from the keyboard for multi-mode usage. You can use the Helix as a tablet, laptop, or in “stand mode”. The Helix features up to 12 hour battery life with the Ultrabook Pro Keyboard dock.

As the Helix is a part of the Thinkpad line for business users, it includes support for a digitzer pen and security features like a fingerprint reader, smart card reader, and three factor authentication.

Lenovo Horizon 2e_Hero_01Consumers looking for an All-in-One experience can look to the Horizon 2s and 2e. Like the Flex 20 we reviewed recently, the Horizon 2 is a battery powered AiO. Like a semi portable, giant tablet which can replace your desktop PC running a full version of Windows 8.1 on an Intel Core processor.

Lenovo has shaved 10 pounds off the weight of its first Horizon PC, while including a battery capable of up to three hours of run time. The multi-mode stand also returns, allowing you to prop the screen upright, hold it at an angle, or lay it completely flat for tabletop gaming.

The Helix with Ultrabook Keyboard dock will be available in January starting at a price of $999. The Horizon 2e will launch in October starting at $749. You can catch Lenovo’s full PR below.

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Lenovo Offers Up New Android Tablet and Windows Gaming PC’s

Lenovo TAB S8_1Lenovo has led the PC market in sales for five consecutive quarters, while also making substantial gains with their tablet offerings.

At IFA in Berlin, Lenovo took the wraps off of their first Intel powered Android tablet and some new gear for gamers.

The Tab S8 has an 8″ full HD screen (1920×1200) powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor. The screen is bordered by tiny bezels with front facing stereo speakers, there’s an 8MP rear shooter, and features 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage.

Base model will be available in September for $199, and there will be an LTE enabled model released later.

Also announced were a pair of gaming PC’s.

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Microsoft Shows Off New Surface Pro 3 Laptop/Tablet Hybrid PC

51Surface Pro 3 NYC EventAt a press event in New York City today, CEO Satya Nadella discussed the company’s hardware strategy, emphasizing that Microsoft was not competing with their manufacturing partners, but using their hardware experiments to push the boundaries of their software and hardware integration.

34Surface Pro 3 NYC EventHead of the Surface Team, Panos Panay took the stage with a couple quips regarding Microsoft’s press coverage in the past. Discussing the market, where 96% of tablet owners still own a laptop, Panay took the wraps off the Surface Pro 3. Featuring an even thinner design, 9.1mm almost 2 milimeters thinner than the Surface Pro 2, it’s the slimmest Core i7 product available. Microsoft estimates a 10% performance boost over the Pro 2.

2Surface Pro 3 NYC EventThe screen size has increased to a 12 inch diagonal with a new 3:2 aspect ratio and a proper 2K resolution of 2160×1440. All of this improvement without increasing weight, and Surface Pro 3 will come in at 800 grams. Yet we’ll likely see about a 10-20% improvement in battery life.  Continue reading “Microsoft Shows Off New Surface Pro 3 Laptop/Tablet Hybrid PC”

Gadget Bag Review: STM Blazer Small Laptop & Tablet Sleeve

Damn how I love a good gadget bag. I’m constantly on the look out for anything which might satisfy that balance of “tech friendly” and “stylish”. In this case I wanted something slim and portable. STM’s Blazer might just fit the bill.


Shop STM on Amazon.

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Lenovo CES Assault: C560 All in One Desktop, Y40/50 Workstation Laptop, and Z40/50 Portable

C560 Touch_Black_Standard_07Continuing the Lenovo onslaught, a couple of standard computing solutions.

The C560 is a very clean 1080p 23” all in one powered by a Core i7 and up to 8GB of RAM. It packs a few optional tricks like a multi-touch screen and a TV tuner.

The Z40/50 laptops are powerful, well balanced machines with full HD displays and up to Core i7 processors. NVIDIA graphics should keep you cranking, and you pack the sucker with up to 16GB of RAM. No touchscreen options here, but Lenovo is still including some of their more novel tech like voice commands and facial recognition.

The Y40/50 series lappies takes those same specs from the Z40 and drops in a 4K display for an incredibly high resolution experience. It’s a Retina busting pixel pitch . Pun intended. Combined with a new, edgier looking build (pic below), and it looks like it could be a really solid buy for a power user.

Full PR and more pics after the jump. Continue reading “Lenovo CES Assault: C560 All in One Desktop, Y40/50 Workstation Laptop, and Z40/50 Portable”

Lenovo CES Assault: Miix 2 10 tablet, Yoga 2, and Flex Laptops

YOGA 2 (13'')_Orange_Standard_04

Windows 8 really comes alive with hardware built for its unique UI. After scoring some early success with the original Yoga, Lenovo is pushing farther into new form factors for Microsoft’s OS.

A new consumer variant of the Yoga 2 will feature 11 and 13 inch displays. The 11 will be powered by a lower power Intel Pentium processor, while the 13 steps up to a Core i5. Both rock the same swivel hinge which can flip the laptop screens around into full tablet PC’s. I’m really stoked to see the orange lid return from the Yoga 2 Pro. A nice touch of branding for a company mostly known for Thinkpads.

The Miix 2 is one of the more sought after mini-tablets for Windows 8 users. Now the Miix line is expanding with 10” and 11”  slates. The 10 has an Intel Atom quad core and 2GB of RAM. The 11 will step up to a Core i5 with up to 8GB of RAM, and both are sporting 1080p LCDs. Continue reading “Lenovo CES Assault: Miix 2 10 tablet, Yoga 2, and Flex Laptops”