Biometric security is one way that many people are looking to improve security of their information without having to generate increasing longer and more complicated passwords. The most common form or biometric security used is the fingerprint scanner. While they have existed for some time on laptops, they are now found on several popular smartphones. The use of fingerprint scanner security can be easier and more secure than a simple pin but they are not immune to hacking. Both the and biometric security can be circumvented by fake fingerprints. This is done by obtaining a clear image of the fingerprint and then creating a false fingerprint to pass over the sensor. While incidents of such hacking is going to be quite uncommon, there are some steps you can take to help improve the security when using a fingerprint scanner. Continue reading
Microsoft Surface Book Marks Entry Into Laptop Hardware
Microsoft’s Windows 10 device event had many of the expected product updates including the new Surface Pro 4 and new Lumia phones. The big surprise was the company’s first dedicated laptop product with the Surface Book. It really is more of a hybrid convertible as the Surface Book display can detach from from the keyboard to function much like a Surface tablet. With the keyboard attached, it can be used as both a laptop or have it folded back to function as a tablet as well like the . But can the form factor make many people skeptical of getting the Surface Pro 4 want to spend a bit more money to get a more laptop like experience? Continue reading
Back to School Laptops 2015
It is that time again as Summer break for many students is ending and the Back to School sales start up. In the next few months, schools will start back up and students need to be prepared. A critical part of education these days is computers. They are used to communicate with teachers and classmates, research and write papers and do presentations. For those heading off to college, they can also be used for entertainment with streaming media or playing games. A laptop is the best choice for most students as it allows the mobility to take the computer with you to class, the library or anywhere else you might need it. If you are heading back to school and need a new computer, check out some of the laptops I think are excellent choices. Continue reading
Updated Chromebook Pixel Still Has Limited Appeal
Remember back in 2013 when Google announced their original Chromebook Pixel? At $1299, it was more than three to four times the cost of the average Chromebook. It offered impressive performance and features that made it much more like the ultrabooks on the market at the time but restricted to the Chrome OS. Needless to say, consumers did not think much of it and it primarily was something that Chrome developers may have used. Just last week, Google announced a new Chromebook Pixel model to replace the original. At first glance, it looks nearly identical to the original model but there are some pretty significant changes. Is this now a premium Chromebook that users should consider over a traditional laptop? Continue reading
Acer Chromebook 15: Is Bigger Better?
Prior to this official opening of CES, Acer announced plans to release a new , the first Chromebook to feature a 15.6-inch laptop display. This is fairly significant news for several reasons. First, it is showing that the sales of Chromebooks have been quite good and that companies like Acer are trying to diversify their products. Second, companies are willing to take risks again which has been a bit of a problem that last few years with various sales of technology slipping. But is making a larger 15-inch Chromebook the right answer? Continue reading
New Alienware 13 Laptop Allows for Upgraded Graphics
Alienware makes some capable gaming laptops but they have not been extremely innovative in the hardware the past couple of years. Sure, they had some cosmetic additions but little when it comes to performance in gaming. Many of their competitors have been looking at offering mobile gaming performance in thinner and lighter designs. With their latest Alienware 13, they are looking to make a more compact gaming laptop that also has the potential for some very powerful performance that can be upgraded over time. This has always been a problem for laptop computers as their graphics are generally set at the time of purchase and can never be upgraded. How is Dell able to pull this off for their new compact gaming laptop? Continue reading
Lenovo Makes Their Yoga 3 Pro Even Thinner and Lighter
Thinner and lighter is the general trend for any new technology these days. Yesterday, Lenovo announced their third generation of Yoga laptop with some fairly significant changes. It is of course thinner and lighter than the first one but to achieve it, they did some pretty amazing engineering. After all, the Yoga 2 Pro already offered a QHD+ (3200×1800) display and a very light weight of just over three pounds. So what does this Yoga 3 Pro have to offer? Continue reading
NVIDIA Maxwell Mobile Parts Boosts Laptop 3D Performance
Laptop graphics are always more restricted by their power and heat than a desktop graphics card. As a result, their performance tends to trail behind by quite a fair margin. NVIDIA’s Maxwell designs in both the GeForce GTX 750Ti and the GeForce GTX 970/980 did wonders for improving the graphics performance and the efficiency for desktop cards. Now NVIDIA has finally unleashed the Maxwell designs in their mobile GeForce GTX 980M and 970M graphics processors. So what does this mean for the next wave of gaming laptops? Continue reading
HP Brings Back The Netbook with $199 Windows Laptop
Remember almost a decade ago when netbooks first came to market? These weer extremely small laptops that cost around $200 that provided enough performance to be used for browsing the web and checking email on the go. The market was very strong for a few years but factors including increasing prices, poor performance and the introduction of tablets eventually caused them to be discarded. Rumors had it that HP was going to introduce a new $199 Windows laptop and now those rumors were confirmed with the planned released of two low cost Windows laptop in time for the holidays. Continue reading
MSI GS30 Ghost Offers Desktop Graphics Dock
If there is one area that mobile computers tend to lag significantly compared to desktops it is the graphics system. Sure, the performance of mobile graphics has improved such that they can play many games at 1920×1080 just fine but they still don’t have the detail and higher resolution support of their desktop counterparts. Over the years, there have been multiple solutions to try and improve the performance by adding on a desktop solution to a mobile computer. MSI has once again proposed a solution to buyers that want mobility and desktop graphics performance with its announced GS30 Ghost 13-inch laptop and docking solution but will buyer’s take to this solution? Continue reading