If this is the case of video games, pay attention, because Dell says it has released at CES 2019 in Las Vegas the laptop that will banish the PC to play, and that comes in a “convenient” transportable format. We talked about the new Dell Alienware 51m, which simply seemed to me from another planet.
This new computer is simply colossal: it weighs 3.87 kilograms, or what is equal to 20 iPhone XS Max -approximately- although it does not surprise you, everything makes sense: it incorporates high technology and a special cooling system, so you can develop your games of video games with all the stability and comfort you need.
The screen of this device is 17.3 inches and its quality varies depending on the different versions you acquire, however they are all Full HD with an update rate of 60Hz or 144Hz, depending on your preference. It has two speakers and a digital command center so you can configure every detail to have a good experience.
There were smartphones with the sides that are squeezed, those with the curved screen, with the notch and with the hole . Now we are preparing for the loading of folding devices. Here’s who’s working on it and who’s ready to launch.
Royole FlexPai: the first one
The first was a not very well-known brand: FlexPai by Royole, launched at the end of last October, looks like a cross between smartphones and tablets. It bends in two along the central axis. And, once opened, it has a diagonal of 7.8 inches. Price starting from 1318 dollars. To make a (and a lot) of the thousand dollars will be a constant. There is the cost of technology, but also the belief that no manufacturer hopes to invade the market with its own folding. Two good reasons not to launch, right away, in a race to the bottom.
Samsung will also be “F”
Samsung already has several certainties. The folding device (it will be called Galaxy F, as “foldable”?) Has already been unveiled in November, even if it was not an official launch. The South Korean group also assured that it will arrive in 2019, probably within the first half. On February 20, Samsung has set the event in which it will present its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S10. Will the folding also be there? Probable, even if you do not know in what capacity. Samsung could launch it or (more likely) reveal some more details.
The acceleration of Huawei
Huawei suddenly accelerated. That the Chinese group was working on a folding smartphone was not new. But it was far from obvious a launch during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. This was confirmed by Richard Yu , CEO of Huawei’s consumer division, during an event in Beijing. It will be “the first 5G folding smartphone”.
The details are not known yet, neither on the specifications nor on the price. But it is a signal: two of the largest three manufacturers per unit sold (Samsung and Huawei) will soon launch a folding device. And when the leaders push, for others it is difficult to stand out. Also because Android, the most widespread operating system on the planet, has already opened up support for collapsible devices to developers.
The Xiaomi video test
On January 23, Xiaomi also confirmed his folding smartphone. The information, in this case, is void. No characteristics and launch date are known. There is only one video, published on Weibo by Bin Lin, founder and president of the Chinese company. It was a sort of spot to understand the reactions of users: if they prove interested, Xiaomi would consider turning the prototype into a commercial product.
Motorola, back to the future
Motorola (historic brand today controlled by Lenovo) would like to marry past and future. The folding smartphone closes “shell”, like the cell phones of the Razr line of the early 2000s. The only official track, for now, is the design present in a patent. But the smartphone could also be very different. And to be revealed in February.
LG: from TV to smartphone
LG has always been one of the companies most interested in flexible screens, as evidenced by the rolling TV presented at the CES in Las Vegas. Until a few months ago, it was thought that at the American event LG could also present itself with a folding smartphone. So it was not. Many rumors that they would like it in Barcelona, but no certainty.
The big absentee: Apple Among the big producers, Apple does not seem ready at the moment. Even Cupertino is exploring technology, as shown by some patents of 2017. But there is no reliable trace that can make a launch hypothesis. Recent rumors of the Wall Street Journal have suggested a line 2019 of the iPhone very similar to the current (an LCD and two Oled) and some more innovation in 2020 (three smartphones, all Oled). It’s true: given the sales anemia, the smartphone market needs a shock. What the leaflets could represent. But Apple must also reckon with the house: it is probable that the biggest victims of the leaflets can be (more than the current smartphones) the tablet. Would the cost-benefit balance sheet be favorable?
Expected by many, at least among fans of the sector, the new flagship Olympus has arrived. It’s called OM-D E-M1X and aims at professionals with the promise of a reliable , powerful and fast machine .
The body is of considerable size, even to be a Micro 4/3, and in fact it looks like an E-M1 with battery grip . The monolith, obviously tropicalized (impressive video test that you find at the bottom of the article), houses inside two TruePic VIII processors that go to manage the 20 megapixels of the CMOS sensor .
With this supply the camera shoots between 200-25600 ISO with bursts that reach 60 fps (!) At full resolution with autofocus and exposure locked (otherwise they are 18 fps). Among the most particular shooting modes there is a very high resolution that combines multiple shots up to 80 megapixels , if done on a tripod, or 50 megapixel freehand.
This last feature works thanks to the impressive on-body stabilization system , which promises up to 7.5 gain stops . Really remarkable. The autofocus system counts 121 phase detection points and among other things it has tracking with the recognition of the subjects (means, people, eyes).
The double battery promises up to 870 shots and also serves to manage the accessory features of the camera, such as integrated GPS , pressure sensors , temperatures and acceleration, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth .
The video industry is more conventional and the OM-D E-M1X arrives at DCI 4K at 24 fps with bitrate at 237 Mpbs or 4K at 30 fps at 102 Mbps, with reading from the entire sensor but without HDR or 10-bit output . To be used if necessary but nothing suitable for videomakers of a certain level.
A high-end device , designed mostly to take pictures in moments when you can not afford to miss the right moment.
Off limits for most amateurs, but all in all acceptable considering the pro target of the camera and the many features offered.
Home Hub is a novelty of the last Google conference where the first smart display from Google was unveiled together with Pixel 3 . The company had already launched its platform for home automation for companies, which had therefore already realized their smart display , all based on SmartThings and Android. This Home Hub is apparently identical, but it is not essentially based on Google Cast (Chromecast technology). At the moment it is only a very technical and not very concrete premise and we will only discover in the future if this means something.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M is the successor of the almost homonymous ROG Zephyrus, from which it inherits the idea of performance and compactness. But it declines in a really convincing and almost devoid of defects, but not of slight compromises. So let’s see how and where this second generation is better than the first.
ROG Zephyrus M is not your usual gaming laptop. It can be seen from the contained thickness , from the squared but not aggressive lines and from the particular opening mechanism of the screen, which also raises the base. There is obviously a high-sounding name for this: Active Aerodynamic System (AAS), widely illustrated with the necessary big words on the company website .
What you need to know in practice is that a good half of the bottom of the notebook is lifted when you open the screen. This favors the recirculation of air and therefore the cooling (we’ll talk more in detail soon), and thanks to the two red LEDs on the sides also creates a nice visual effect. But there are also a couple of contraindications. The first is the noise of the fans , which at maximum speed becomes pronounced, with a particularly acute sound. The second is that the raised part is not rigid, given the low thickness, and takes away a bit ‘of stiffness to the entire notebook. However, this is not a major flaw, in the sense that it does not compromise the user experience of the laptop.
After the insanity of CES 2019, where we could meet some cell phones like the Huawei Nova 4 or the Honor View 20 , the rumors change course to focus on the next big event, the Mobile Devices World Congress (MWC, for short) in English), although with one caveat: Samsung has decided to break the mold this year and will launch the future Galaxy S10 in San Francisco on February 20, just a few days before the appointment in Barcelona.
With this in mind, the rumors do not stop. The Galaxy S10 – if that was its official name – is the most important phone that we hope to date and everything seems to indicate that its power will be higher. We had the opportunity to test the Snapdragon 855 processor that will be released in this device, and the truth is that it is expected to provide performance up to 45 percent faster than the Snapdragon 845, which is the one that incorporated the Galaxy S9 in some markets.
It is expected that the Galaxy S10 and also the Galaxy S10 Plus can have up to 12GB of RAM and that it opens a small hole in the screen for the front camera, something similar to two phones already launched by Huawei.
Among other leaks, this week we have also been able to know that the future LG phone, probably called LG G8 , will have an accessory that will be able to add a second screen. This would be a panel that can show additional information or the same but in a larger format.
Bose Home Speaker 500 Review
Bose is definitely one of those brands with the highest perception. When you hear that a product brings Bose in the name you already know two things: it will sound good and it will cost a lot. But when a product survives for many years thanks to its brand, it is clear that it is not just a litter. And indeed it is. Bose is one of those companies that focuses heavily on the final result, leaving aside technical cards and high-sounding names. Bose Home Speaker 500 is the maximum expression of this: a simple name, a high price and a lot of power to sell.
The speaker of Bose shows an extremely simple design, almost a bit ‘austere in its black color. It stands out a little if you do not have other dark furniture objects, but at the same time try to blend in with an extremely simple and no frills design. The lower part is perforated at 360 ° and allows the sound to be output in stereo mode. Then we have a small color screen and above the touch controls, surrounded by a ring of small holes for the 8 microphones. The first installation is very simple and requires the use of the application for Android or iOS, to bridge and connect it definitively to the Wi-Fi network at home. At that point the application becomes accessory, but still useful. You can send tracks from your smartphone via Bluetooth or an aux cable , but these are not the easiest methods. The Wi-Fi connection allows you to send music quietly from the apps of compatible services, or directly from the Bose software after the first synchronization. The work of integrating third-party services into the Bose app is really well done. We tried Spotify and TuneIn, but you can also use Deezer and Amazon Music. During 2019 it will also become compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2 technology that will allow you to send any music source from iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Sony once again renews its excellent noise canceling headphones with the new WH-1000XM3 model . Apparently this is not a revolution, also because we are talking about a product that was already of very high quality. (In this regard, we invite you to reread the review of the XM2 .) Do not be fooled by appearances, because the experience of use is also superior to the past, and the price of launch is not increased. Will the definitive noise canceling headphones ?
The packaging of the Sony WH-1000XM3 also offers you a practical storage case , which leaves behind the fake skin of the past, in favor of a fabric matching the same headphones. Inside are also the other accessories present. In fact, we have a matching audio cable , without a microphone or other controls along the wire. Then there is a very short Type-C / Type-A cable for charging and also an adapter with double audio jack for the aircraft.
The ThinkPad X1 have always been synonymous with the business PC par excellence; for this reason, when Lenovo introduced an ” Extreme ” variant a few months ago, we immediately chased it to understand how far the company had gone. With ThinkPad X1 Extreme, Lenovo goes beyond the wall of a portable business, and packs a product in the round as few.
Four layers of reinforced carbon fiber , with a very pleasant feel to the touch that resembles the fabric, form the top of the notebook. The lower side is instead in aluminum . All subjected to 12 tests of compliance with military specifications and over 200 quality checks. X1 Extreme can work anywhere: from the mountains to the desert, and even in the absence of gravity. We are facing a new ThinkPad, which respects the traditions, and this can only make us pleasure.
