Microsoft announces new hardware for Windows 8

Microsoft on Monday announced new keyboards and mice optimized for tablets and laptops running the Windows 8 operating system.

The new devices are lighter and more mobile, and will work with tablets running the latest versions of Windows 8 and RT, which are due for release on Oct. 26. The new mice and keyboards are wireless and connect to devices using Bluetooth, cutting the dependence on USB ports.
Microsoft's new mice and keyboard will be released around the time of the Windows 8 launch, Microsoft said in a statement. The company will release its Surface tablet with Windows at around the same time.
The $79.95 Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard is a full-size keyboard designed for tablet users, and has specific hot keys for Windows 8 that provide quick access to search, system settings and the Metro user-interface in the Windows 8 OS. It uses Bluetooth to communicate and comes with a cover that when used turns off the keyboard to increase battery life. The cover can be used as a tablet stand, as well.
The $49.95 Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard, has a six-degree curve, much like Microsoft's ergonomic keyboards. The keyboard has many of the specific Windows 8 hotkeys, and offers 10 months of battery life on active usage.
Earlier this year, Microsoft's Hardware division announced that the Touch Mouse would get updated to include new touch functionality specifically designed for Windows 8, including support new gestures that will help make navigating easier.
The Microsoft Sculpt Touch Mouse, also priced at $49.95, has a four-way touch scroll strip, which makes it easier to navigate through the Windows 8 start screen. By swiping the finger on the panel, users can easily navigate through multiple panels on the Start screen. The mouse also enables easier navigation through documents. Similarly, the $79.95 Microsoft Touch Mouse incorporates finger swipes and movements to navigate screens, switch applications or zoom in and out.
The $69.95 Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse can shut down when a tablet goes into sleep mode, extending the battery life of the mouse. It is smaller than a traditional mouse, and is designed for mobile use as it can fit into a pocket and work on any surface. The device provides "four-way" touch scrolling, Microsoft said.
The new accessories will work with devices based on Intel processors, and also with Windows RT devices based on ARM processors. The new keyboards and mice are also compatible with Windows 7, Vista and Mac OS, though some advanced features may not work, according to Microsoft.

Nokia 808 Pureview review

A technological and photographic marvel 

 

When Nokia announced the 808 it was, perhaps, the most exciting development in mobile phones for some time. Perhaps, the most exciting development since the first camera was attached to a mobile phone.The problem was, as many saw it, that Symbian is an outdated OS and this was just another sign of how out of touch Nokia is with what the general public wants. But the interest in the camera has continued, and it really is one of the most remarkable advances in camera phones. So how does it all stack up, and crucially, is it worth the massive £500 asking price.

Design

You can't miss the 808, it's a substantial bit of kit. There's a decent-sized bulge at the rear that houses the camera gubbins but it actually looks, and feels, very natural in your hand. The camera bulge gives the phone a way to rest on your hand, plus it makes the screen tilt toward you when it's on a desk. It's certainly not iPhone thin, but it's still a manageable handset.

What it is not, is light. At 169g, you really feel this phone in your hand when you're using it. It's not a disaster though, and while it does become a bit of pain to hold up for long periods, it's incredibly well balanced and has a solid and well-built feel.
On the top of the phone, you'll find a USB socket for charging and data transfer as well as a headphone socket and mini-HDMI output for displaying your photos and video on TV in HD.

Symbian Belle

The last big Nokia phone was probably the N95. You might remember it, it's the phone that did everything the current iPhone does, but in 2007. That phone ran Symbian S60, a perfectly capable operating system, but one that didn't have the ability to handle touch interfaces. Since then, Nokia has messed about trying to make Symbian into a credible touch-sensitive OS. Well, the good news is, with Belle, it has succeeded. Sadly, this has all come about just as Nokia has dumped Symbian for Windows Phone.
Of course, Symbian is still struggling in some ways. App support is decent enough, but many apps are paid-for and expensive. They also lack any of the glamour or graphical prowess of an Android or iPhone app. For example, we used TweetS60 as our Twitter client. It looks the same as it did in 2009, and while it's functional, it's about a million miles away from being pretty or stylish

The camera

There's no denying it. The camera in the 808 is every bit as impressive as the high megapixel count suggests. Of course, there have been a lot of cameras on phones that claim to have 5 or 8-megapixel sensors, but produce images that don't stand up to the hype. This isn't the case here, and the Pureview camera is really incredible...
At the most basic level, there are two modes of operation for the camera. You can take either 38-megapixel images - yes, the sensor is 41-megapixel, but you're not given access to all of them - or you can shoot an 8, 5 or 3-megapixel image. This mode is called Pureview, and is really how Nokia sees the future of camera phones - indeed, it has said that similar tech will make its way on to Windows Phone devices.
Nokia says that the 808 is really designed to take normal resolution images at, say, 8-megapixels, but to give you lots of benefits of the larger sensor. So, for example, you get a digital zoom that, unlike other digital zooms, is lossless. This means that the camera can get you close to the action, without the need for complex lens arrangements that are, for the most part, impractical for a camera phone.

Verdict

There will no doubt be people who will tell you that Symbian is out-classed by Android and iOS. In terms of apps, and perhaps the quality of the developer ecosystem, they are probably correct. But the fact is, the 808 comes to you as a feature-complete phone, with some lovely extras and the best camera ever fitted to a mobile phone.
Almost everything about the 808 is well designed, and it comes from Symbian being a well-established and solid operating system. Sure, there are some irritations, like the SMS system being a bit clunky, and there are still menus in Symbian that make absolutely no logical sense whatsoever.
The 808 was never intended to be an iPhone or an Android handset. It was a technology showcase for something that will start appearing in all manner of new phones, and beyond, over the next few years. Assuming Nokia can survive the current storm. Like all of the company's hardware, it's excellently constructed and feels like it could last 100 years.

Sony Ultrabook T

Sony Electronics unveiled its new Vaio T Series Ultrabook and a new portfolio of Vaio PCs during its Vaio Expo Tour at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab in New York. This will be the first Sony Ultrabook to carry its Vaio branding whereas the Vaio desktop series will see "enhancements" to the E, S, Z and L All-in-One Series models.
"Thin and light is nothing new to Sony – we built the T Series Ultrabook from many of the same features as our amazingly thin and powerful ultra-premium VAIO Z Series, which has long exceeded Ultrabook specifications," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of Networked Technology and Services Division of Sony Electronics. "Our entire new VAIO portfolio incorporates the best technology from our innovative digital imaging, sound and TV divisions and unique features across all the models such as backlit keyboard and Sony's Rapid Wake technology."
On the Ultrabook front, the Vaio T Series features a stylishly slim magnesium and aluminum chassis housing a 13.3-inch display and the latest generation Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core processors. Consumers have the option of choosing an SSD for storage, or a hybrid drive which features the best traits of both HDD and SSD technologies. Other features include two USB ports (including a charging function for mobile devices), HDMI out, VGA, Ethernet, a Sony Memory Stick reader and an SD card reader.
Next up is the Vaio E Series, ideal for students and general consumers. Sony offers 11.6-inch, 14-inch and 15.5-inch models sporting an aluminum "wrap around" design with a diamond cut Vaio logo. The 11.6-inch model comes with an AMD processor, the 14-inch model comes with a 2nd-generation Intel Core processor, and the 15.5-inch model comes with a variety of 2nd and 3rd-generation Intel Core processors. All three have AMD Radeon graphics, whereas the two larger machines also provide a backlit keyboard.
Sony also revealed the Vaio E 14P Future Sounds My Connect Studio bundle in red and black wrap design featuring the My Connect Studio collaborative Technology, a unique software app envisioned by LL COOL J. It allows multiple artists and musicians to record, edit and produce new music together simultaneously in real time from anywhere in the world, helping to eliminate the geographical and economical barriers for musicians. “Multiple musicians a thousand miles apart from each other can record music together in real time," said LL COOL J.

Apple Iphone 5 ....can't wait

The iPhone 4S was not the major update which many had predicted or hoped for, but this in turn suggests that the iPhone 5, set to be launched this Autumn, could be a revolutionary change.

The ihone 5 is going to change the current trend in mobiles.
It is worth its price 50,000INR approx.
..

iPhone 5 could be having a greater resolution

One of the hotly discussed topics with regard to the iPhone 5 features is its resolution. This is the most impressive of all iPhone 5 features doing rounds as it is rumored that the iPhone 5 could be sporting a Retina Display. And this is the state-of-the-art resolution that can possibly expect. Possibly, with an increased UI size, the resolution can get much stronger and consumers could hope to have a more brilliant video-viewing experience.

iPhone 5 could have a bigger form factor than the iPhone 4S?

The iPhone 5 testing hasn’t been leaked “accidentally” so far like the case with iPhone 4. What this means is all the iPhone 5 features are built on speculation. Still, certain clues like the 4-inch iPhone 5 screen throw some light into the iPhone 5 form factor. The iPhone 5 can be a bit larger than the palm-friendly iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. But then the iPhone 5 could merely have a larger display screen and not the whole body.

iPhone 5 could come with the 4G / LTE capability

The iPhone 5 could have the 4G capability because Samsung has got its Infuse 4G released already. Hence it would be only logical that Apple get iPhone 5 to support 4G capability. The LTE capability, if it comes, would be a boon.

iPhone 5 could incorporate a quad-core processor

A dual-core processor has become a pretty common thing in the smartphones of these days. There is a stiff competition between the processors of Apple smartphones running iOS and Samsung smartphones running Android. The A6 quad-processor expected to features in the iPhone 5 could leave any competition far behind.

Wireless charging feature in iPhone 5

It is expected that the iPhone 5 could sport the wireless charging feature and this could give the customers yet another break. However, whether the wireless charging feature is actually churning out a mass appeal is a moot question. This could be a distinct possibility with the inductive wireless charging technology.

Samsung Galaxy S-III...

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 is the phone of the moment for good reason, says Digitalguy..

 

The two most striking things about the S3 are its enormous, gorgeous screen and its surprising – by which I mean adequate – battery life. HTC’s rival One X has an excellent screen too, but I prefer the 4.8” version from Samsung. Although it’s based on slightly older technology (Pentile Amoled rather than Super Amoled Plus), that detail shouldn’t get in the way.
In terms of battery, the 2,100mAh batter was the first I’ve used that was able to get me through a whole day, unplugged from about 7am to 11pm, albeit using WiFi rather than the network for much of that time. To do this in such a slim package is probably the S3’s biggest yet least glamorous feature.
Pick up the S3, and the first thing that strikes you is that it’s made of plastic – unlike the iPhone 4S, the S3 does not quite have that weighty feel, and some users will feel that makes it seem relatively cheap. It’s an issue of personal preference, but it’s not one that bothers me. The phone feels very solid, and I’ve not yet managed to scratch its glossy white plastic. The Pebble Blue model, which is very dark blue, is likely to be even less susceptible to that problem because of its metal-effect finish. Rounded corners make it easy enough to reach the top of the phone’s screen even when using it one handed, although people with small hands may struggle. I certainly wouldn’t want a bigger device to use as a phone. The popular Samsung Galaxy Note, however, suggests many people do.
The 8.55mm slim body features a volume button on one side and the power button on the other. But you can also wake up the phone with one of the S3’s flagship new features, S-Voice. This lets you control the phone with your voice, so you can record a phrase to wake up the phone, and four others to make it do other things – take a picture, for instance. In use I found this gimmick increasingly temperamental, but it is a fine demonstration of how voice interaction is going to play a bigger role. Samsung’s currently has more possibilities than Apple’s Siri on the iPhone, but I’ve found Siri to be slightly more consistent in performance. Either way, this is not a technology I’d yet consider ready for everyday use. Apple even calls Siri a beta product.
Once the phone is awake, again it’s the screen that is consistently striking. Instantly responsive in a way that many Android phones still struggle to be, it sits on top of a quad-core processor that is so powerful it can even play a video in a window on screen. This feature feels like it was built to show off the power of the phone rather than for a real use, but it certainly does the former very effectively.
Performance loading web pages is almost instant, and running apps, such as the exclusive Flipboard for Android, the phone is probably the first I’ve used where you almost forget that you’re using a phone rather than a fully fledged computer. Images taken with the excellent, 8MP camera load quickly, for instance, and scrolling through them is fast as well.
That camera is much improved from the S2, although its face detection seems to be in need of a software update. Some reviewers have found problems with focusing in video mode, but I didn’t experience anything major myself.
The front-facing camera, meanwhile, is also used to detect when the phone is being looked at – that ‘Smart Stay’ feature stops the phone’s display from dimming when it’s in use. Although not completely perfect, this is an excellent addition that should become a standard feature on all new smartphones, patent wars not withstanding.
Another similar new feature is ‘Direct Call’ – if you’re looking at a contact, simply picking up the phone and putting it to your face will initiate a call. It’s useful, it works and again it feels like a future standard idea. S-Beam builds on Android’s Beam technology to send phones from one device to another, and it too feels like it’s setting a new, basic standard.
The overall interface on the S3 will be familiar to users of the 20million-selling S2, but it adds important extra features. Holding the home button now brings up the task manager while double-tapping it brings up S-Voice. Where the Galaxy Nexus dispenses with a menu button, retaining it on the S3 makes for easier access to useful features.
Perhaps the best example of these is the option to hide apps from the main menu; that means users can lose but not erase the apps that Samsung insists on installing, such as Video Hub, if they don’t use them enough. That's a small but lovely option.
Indeed, it’s that Samsung tendency to add a host of features that some users may suggest makes the S3 feel bloated – as I’ve used it, that has not been my experience. Almost all the new features, from Smart Stay to Buddy Photo Share, that sends camera images to the people in them, feel useful. Those that aren't, you can hide. Why the torch is labelled 'assistive light', however, is anybdoy's guess.
Performance that, to be honest, feels like it does not yet have the software to properly test it, a gorgeous, huge screen and good, clever additions make the S3 feel, to me, like the best Android phone on the market. HTC’s One X comes very close, but even iPhone users should take a look at Samsung’s latest, greatest offering.

Specifications:
Screen:
4.8” Super Amoled HD display
Storage:
16/32/64GB depending on model, plus expandable MicroSD card
Cloud storage:
50GB Dropbox for two years
Colour:
Pebble blue or marble white
Battery:
2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra)
Camera:
8MP rear; 1.9 MP front
Resolution:
720 x 1280 px (306ppi)
RAM:
1GB
Dimensions:
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm
Weight:
133g
Operating System:
Android 4.0.4
Processor:
Exynos 4 Quad (1.4GHz)

ASUS produces macbook killer..is it ?

The ASUS Zenbook UX31 is one of the first "Ultrabooks" on the market -- an impossibly thin and light notebook with a beautiful high-res 13.3-inch screen, 6 hours of battery, and a price that undercuts the Apple MacBook Air...

Build and Design
The UX31 is all about design -- and it is truly stunning. Constructed almost entirely of aluminum, the UX31 is solid as, well, metal. The chassis has almost zero flex and the lid is just as strong. Even the keyboard keys are made of aluminum.
The edges of the notebook are tapered off to give the impression the notebook is even thinner than it actually is. All corners and edges of the notebook are smoothed off and not sharp in the least; overall fit and finish is excellent.
The UX31’s lid has a darker metallic surface with has a circular pattern giving it a more robust look and feel than the competing MacBook Air. I like how the lid can be opened with one hand. The lid almost seems to be a bit too loose but I had no issues with the design during the evaluation period.
ASUS pulled out all the stops with this design and it shows. Many notebooks pass through my hands; it is not often one comes around that makes me do a double-take. The UX31 is certainly one of the few.

Ports and Features
A casualty of being so thin is a lack of ports; all of the ports sit at the rear because the chassis gets thinner towards the front. ASUS includes two port adapters: a USB-to-Ethernet and mini-VGA-to-VGA (which is the first time I have seen the latter on any notebook). The only major item the UX31 is lacking is a built-in HDMI port; it has mini-HDMI however you will need to purchase an adapter on your own. 

New Dell XPS 13 ultrabook.... for PROs

 

While the XPS 13 will undeniably appeal to the consumer, Dell also hopes to capture a large part of the business market for Ultrabooks - there are enterprise-friendly features such as a Trusted Platform Module for BitLocker Data Encryption and after-sales ProSupport service.

The engineering of the screen is its most impressive aspect. There's almost no bezel around the edge - this enabled Dell to keep the XPS 13's size down, without compromising screen real-estate.
And indeed - though the XPS 13 has a 13.3-inch screen, it feels like it's staring at you from an 11-inch chassis. The 1366 x 768 pixel resolution here is pretty standard for an Ultrabook and will allow you to enjoy 720p high-definition videos on the move, though it can't be long before Full HD displays are the norm on a device like this - especially with the kind of screens we're now seeing on tablets.
 

revamped Vaio e14p

Skinning is a popular term for adding a whole new look for software, but its not often that you get an actual skin with your gadget. The Sony Vaio E Series 14P laptop comes with a silicone keyboard skin that goes atop your keyboard, protecting it and changing its colour and feel.

It’s part of a package of tiny details and touches that make the Sony Vaio E Series 14P feel as though it’s had a lot of attention to the overall look and feel. Take, for example, the red-maroon highlights along the edge of the keys and keyboard, the screen, the touchpad and the chassis’ base. The skin is the same red-maroon, as is a mouse that also comes with the laptop, giving the entire thing a very considered, stylish feel. That’s a feat, because the construction materials are otherwise very standard: a solid plastic lid, thin metal strip in silver, and the rest encased in matte black plastic. It’s subdued, but it’s also pretty resilient to the kind of pressure and warping tests I tried.

The understated-but-capable design extends to the internals. Here the 14P has a 2.5GHz Intel second generation Core i5-2450M processor, which is very much mid-range, alongside the new AMD Radeon 7670M GPU and 4GB of system RAM. It delivers solid benchmark results in our testing, providing all-round performance slightly above its mid-range specifications might lead you to expect. It compared favourably to – within 10% of – the Sony VAIO Z in many respects, for example, and soundly beat the Sony Vaio Y. It has excellent 3DMark scores and good scores for both PCMark and 7-Zip. Even so, it doesn’t excel at gaming, though it’s certainly capable of handling Diablo III on low settings comfortably. Instead, the GPU power seems to be focused more towards productivity and multi-tasking. The only real downside we found for the handy performance results is that the fan gets noisy rapidly, and doesn’t shut up.

The screen, at 1600 x 900, is comparatively high resolution for a 14-inch laptop. viewing angles are reasonable and we found colours vibrant and crisp on full brightness settings. At half brightness, things get a little murky, but that’s to be expected.

There’s a good selection of connectivity and ports: two USB 3.0 ports (one sleep-and-charge), two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out, Gigabit Ethernet, wireless-n and a VGA port, as well as headphone/mic connections. You also get a DVD-writer – something you won’t find on Ultrabooks. Having said that, the hard drive is a little on the skimpy side at 320GB.

The skin on the backlit keyboard makes the keyboard feel a little soft, but without the skin the keys have good travel and a nice ‘bounciness’. I used the laptop to cover some all-day events and found it comfortable, although it took me a day or so to get used to the softer feel. The trackpad took longer to get used to – the left click seems to function only in the very lower-left-hand corner, making it easy to miss when you’re in a hurry or trying a dual-point gesture. I admit that I resorted to the included mouse after I’d tested the trackpad for long enough to get used to it.

Sony has a few interesting software additions: an easy-off Wi-Fi widget, a pop-out dock display at the top of the screen which has an Eye-of-Sauron style cursor-tracking feature to detect whether or not it should open, and a Sony Vaio update service.

It’s not an Ultrabook, but it weighs a portable 2.25kg, and with a battery life of two hours 25 minutes in our Productivity battery life test, it’s not exactly a Neanderthal of laptops. Given the depth of performance, too, this is a good all rounder at $1,400 – far less than you’d pay for an Ultrabook. It’s only available from Sony stores (Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington) or online, but for a midrange laptop, this represents good value for money.

Lenovo Ideapad ultrabooks----fresh and cool

The avalanche of news for Intel’s newest Core series of processors has truly begun, and Ultrabooks are up next. Lenovo has announced updates for their consumer IdeaPad line with the 13-inch U310 and 14-inch U410, both scheduled to go on sale today in worldwide markets and later this month in the U.S. and U.K. both notebooks keep the, well, “notebook” style of the previous high-end entries in the IdeaPad line, but bring the prices down considerably lower than other Ultrabooks.

The 13-inch IdeaPad U310 is the smaller and lighter of the two, coming in at just 18mm thick (.7 inches) and 1.7kg (3.74 pounds). That’s neither the thinnest nor the lightest that we’ve seen, even from Lenovo, but it makes up for it with a unique visual style available in five colors and  battery life of up to seven hours. Processor options include Core i3, i5 and i7, all Sandy Bridge, and you can configure the notebook with up to 500GB of traditional hard drive storage and an optional 32GB SSD, though the latter is just for cache. The screen is a typical 1366×768 panel, and other features include Dolby Home Theatre V4 and Intel’s WiDi wireless display tech.

The IdeaPad U410 brings a larger 14-inch screen (though the resolution is the same) and slightly larger dimensions, at 21mm thick and 1.9kg (4.18 pounds). That extra space gets you extra options, with hard drives up to a terabyte and the ability to add discrete NVIDIA GeForce graphics. The battery is given a boost as well, with a quoted runtime of 9 hours – which could meet or beat our current Ultrabook runtime champ, the HP Folio 13. The IdeaPad U310 will start at $749, with the U410 coming in at $799.
In addition to the new hardware, Lenovo is using its shiny new Ultrabooks to kick off “The Book of DO” campaign… which kind of sounds like an Old Testament motivational speech. They’ll be using TV, print and online ads to highlight young professionals in Japan, Russia, China, India, the United States and the U.K. They’re also partnering (appropriately) with DoSomething.org and Bing for The Hunt: 11 Days of Doing. The scavenger hunt-style promotion will allow youngsters to complete service-related tasks to be entered to win one of the new IdeaPads, starting on July 10th.

Windows 8

Various sources have now confirmed an October 26 2012 Windows 8 release date. Here are some of the key features you can expect from Windows 8.

With every new release of the Windows operating system, one of the most significant elements is the introduction of new and improved security features. It is often for this reason that it is important, particularly for business users, to make sure that they are always using the latest software. In addition to the many major changes and additions, including a completely new user interface. Windows 8 also introduces an abundance of new security features, although these vary depending on the edition. The most exciting ones are explained below.

Secure Boot, All Editions
The new Secure Boot feature is designed to prevent any unauthorized firmware, drivers or operating systems from launching as the computer boots up into Windows. This is controversial, however, since it is likely to cause hardware compatibility problems for many older devices as well as compatibility problems with other operating systems which you may want to run alongside Windows.
Originally, the Secure Boot feature meant that any hardware certified for Windows 8 will only be able to work with Windows 8, thus locking out the possibility to use other operating systems, such as Linux, alongside Windows. Fortunately, there is also an option to disable this feature. Businesses will, however, find this very useful in securing corporate IT resources since Secure Boot makes Windows 8 extremely resistant to rootkits and other low-level malicious software.

2- Picture Password, All Editions
Since Windows 8 is designed with touchscreen devices in mind, it provides a new security feature which allows touchscreen users to enter a password by tracing three gestures over a chosen image rather than having to bring up the onscreen keyboard. Both touchscreen device and traditional computer users will be able to use this feature as well as the regular written password. If you forget your picture password, you will always be able to enter your written password instead.
3-Integrated Antivirus, All Editions
Windows 7 included the very basic free antivirus software, Windows Defender, although it also made the more advanced Microsoft Security Essentials available for free to users. Windows 8 comes with a new version of Windows Defender fully integrated. The new Wrindows Defender, however, boasts all of the features of Microsoft Security Essentials plus some additional features and perfomiance tweaks. Although this feature is extremely suitable for home users, businesses probably still want to use a more sophisticated, professional antivirus software instead.

4-SmartScreen Filter, All Editions
SmartScreen Filter is a feature of Internet Explorer. However, in Windows 8, it is applied to the operating system itself as well as Internet Explorer l0, which ships with the new operating system. SmartScreen Filter helps to ensure that only safe files are downloaded from the Internet or other sources onto your computer and it will warn you if you are trying to download something suspicious. Again, this is an extremely valuable tool for businesses although many home users will probably want to disable it due to the restrictions it imposes on downloading files from the Web.

5-Security Features in Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise Editions
Windows 8 Pro, designed for businesses and enthusiasts, replaces the Professional and Ultimate versions of the operating system. Windows 8 Pro is the fullest edition of the operating system. Just like Windows 7, Windows 8 Pro includes Bitlocker, Bitlocker To Go, file system encryption (EFS), domain membership and group policy object management.
These features all work very similarly to how they did in Windows 7 and Windows Vista albeit with some new additions to compensate for the other changes in Windows 8.
The Enterprise edition of Windows 8 is the same as Wndows 8 Pro, although only available to larger companies which have volume licensing agreements with Microsoft. These companies will have access to the new Applocker, Direct Access and Windows To Go features. Applocker provides administrators with the power to restrict access to certain applications. Direct Access allows computers to connect securely to company networks while Windows To Go is a version of the operating system which runs directly off a USB storage device on any 64-bit computer.

New Look Inspiron ..

Dell Inspiron R Special Edition

 

The good news for those shopping about for a laptop with a discrete graphics card is that Dell has recently announced the Inspiron R Special Edition laptops. Available as either the 15R or the 17R, both models will feature the Wave MaxxAudio 4 audio suite and will come with Skullcandy speakers. The 15R Special Edition model will sport an AMD Radeon GPU under its hood while the 17R will come with an NVIDIA GPU instead, so depending on your budget and your needs, Dell appears to have you covered.
If looks matter to you, the Inspiron R Special Edition will sport a durable anodized aluminum exterior in Stealth Black, which we have to admit that after seeing it, gives off a rather menacing but sleek exterior. Both models will feature Full HD 1920×1080 displays, Blu-ray disc options, backlit keys and optional mSATA SSD devices with Intel Rapid Start Technology which should help with faster boot and sleep resume times.

The Special edition inspiron 15 R comes with a backlit keyboard too...price around 51000 INR..

 

ultrabooks vs laptops

What are ultrabooks and what are laptops?

Laptops, as probably all of you know, are personal computers for mobile use and come in a wide range of different shapes and forms. They can sport displays with sizes of between 13 and 20 inches and they can weigh anywhere from three to 18 pounds.

The most popular laptops right now are probably the 15-inchers, which come with decent enough technical specifications to replace a desktop in terms of gaming performance or running multimedia content, but which are also light and slim enough to be transported from place to place.

 

Ultrabooks, on the other hand, are more ‘’specific’’ portable computers, being slim, light and thin, as well as powerful and elegant. They sport screens of either 11.6 or 13.3-inches and they come with low-voltage snappy processors from Intel, as well as very strong batteries.
They lack a couple of features that are pretty standard in laptops, like an optical drive, but they come with SSDs and are powerful enough to run a couple of video games and full HD content.

Ultrabooks vs laptops-differences

Classic laptops, on the other hand, are many times very bulky and heavy enough to not be the ideal travel companion (at least for a sane person who doesn’t want to carry around a seven or eight pound ‘’monster’’). Regular notebooks are also much thicker than ultrabooks, as well as not as fashionable or elegant.
Secondly, ultrabooks come with great batteries, capable of lasting several hours more than your usual 15 or 17-inch notebook. The Asus UX31 and the Lenovo U300S, for example, can go for well over six hours between charges, based on regular use, while most of the regular laptops require plugging in every three of four hours.
On the other hand, there are a couple of things that ultrabooks don’t feature, but notebooks do. There is the optical drive, which is nowhere to be found on either of Intel’s new ultraportable computers, but which is pretty standard on laptops.
Ultrabooks also come with integrated graphics and not dedicated graphics, as most of the powerful notebooks today, which will be a problem if you want to run some new video games. The displays are also glossy on ultrabooks right now, while there are quite a few notebooks that feature matte screens. However, the much awaited Toshiba Z830 ultrabook should itself come with an anti-glare screen, which should solve this particular problem.
It has to be also said that many times regular notebooks feature snappier processors than the ultrabooks’ Intel Core i5 and i7 and this will also make a difference when talking about the gaming experience or the playing of multimedia content.

Laptops can come in a bunch of different sizes, being targeted towards a more varied audience.

In terms of pricing, there is a big difference too between ultrabooks and laptops. 

 

 

Macbook Pro.....Becomoes hotter :)

MacBook Pro to use Nvidia GT 650M GPU, 2.7GHz Ivy Bridge CPU

The big question surrounding the next refresh of the MacBook Pro laptops is whether Apple has opted for a significant redesign or just upgraded the internal spec. There’s increasing evidence to suggest the latter.

A leaked spec sheet last week suggested there is no redesign. Apple is planning to keep the MacBook Pro pretty much the same except for an update to an Ivy Bridge range of processors. Now we have more evidence to suggest that this is the case, but also that Apple has opted to use a Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU.

Leaked images have appeared that claim to be shots of the revised 15-inch MacBook Pro components. There’s two things to note in the shots. The first is the use of the new Nvidia GPU, but also that the layout of the board is very similar to the existing MacBook Pro. If the shots are real, it confirms Apple isn’t messing with the overall design of the laptop too much.

What Apple will offer is a new range of MacBook Pros with some serious performance on offer. Intel Ivy Bridge processors including 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, and custom 2.7GHz parts will be coupled with a GeForce GT 650M GPU using 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory.
These Pros certainly won’t struggle running anything the Mac App Store or Steam has to offer. All we need now is confirmation from Apple, which could happen as early as today if they intend to use WWDC to make the refresh announcement.

3rd gen processors

3rd Generation of processors called the IVy Bridge Series have made PCs more smarter and faster than ever before.

Faster
Lesser Energy Consumption
Smaller

Thus making Laptops lighter without sacrificing the power..







As well as the new transistors, Ivy Bridge sees Intel move to 22nm processor production, which automatically brings with it speed gains and energy savings. These will also be the first Intel chips to have built-in support for USB 3.0, PCI Express 3.0, as well as updated Intel HD Graphics supporting DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, and OpenCL 1.1. Playing back 4K video without an additional graphics card is promised, making 1080p YouTube streams child’s play for the new Core chips.

With the die shrink and Tri-gate transistors it is expected that Ivy Bridge will boost performance by as much as 20% while equally reducing power requirements by 20%. Looking specifically at GPU performance, the gains could be as high as 50% over the previous generation of HD Graphics.