Tag Archive for Review

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On Gizmodo: Asus ZenBook Pro UX501 Review: Just Ignore The Word “Pro”

Asus ZenBook Pro UX501You want a laptop that looks nice. Asus understands that. That’s why the company has tried so hard to build a better MacBook. The ZenBook line has given birth to many beautiful, powerful, desirable machines that offer PC people a chance to preen—even when they’re surrounded by MacBooks at their local cafe.

The newest addition to the family, the ZenBook Pro UX501, is a competitor for the 15-inch MacBook Pro in looks and performance. At least, it wants to be.

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On ChipChick: Motorola Droid Turbo Review: Verizon Welcomes Back an Old Friend

Motorola Droid TurboVerizon Wireless will never let us forget that, way back in the day, the first Droid is the smartphone that really captured the world’s attention and made Android the powerhouse it is today. Since then the carrier and Motorola have tried to keep that level of excitement with each new Droid release, even though the phones aren’t so different from the Moto brand all the other carriers get.templates

The newest entry into this vaunted and celebrated line is the Droid Turbo ($199 for 32GB, $249 for 64GB), a smartphone that isn’t particularly groundbreaking but does offer a nice upgrade from previous generations. The Turbo has four big things going for it: a rugged design, natural intelligence, super long battery life, and a high megapixel camera.

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On Techlicious: Review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40You don’t need a big camera in order to take crisp, detailed and balanced pictures. Premium compact cameras aim to be the best of both worlds: small like a point-and-shoot; powerful and programmable like a DSLR. That’s the space the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 fits in.

At $449 retail, the ZS40 is expensive for a compact camera. Its price though, can be justified by its impressive set of features—a 30x zoom, 24-720mm f/3.3-6.4 lens, 18MP sensor, electronic viewfinder, optical image stabilization, WiFi, GPS, RAW capture, and a host of manual controls—great image quality and easy pocketability. The ZS40 is only 4.4 x 2.5 x 1.3 inches and weighs just 8.5 ounces.

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On ChipChick: ASUS Padfone X is a Productivity Road Warrior: Review

ASUS padfone XThe ASUS Padfone X, available now on AT&T for $199 (with contract), is a smartphone that transforms into a tablet that sort of transforms into an Android laptop. It’s an intriguing concept, especially if you want or need a tablet with productivity chops and you don’t want to pay extra for mobile hotspot service. That use case only covers a specific type of user. If you mostly use a tablet at home, the Padfone X may not be the device you need.

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On Digital Trends: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) review

Kindle PaperwhiteOn the outside it looks much the same as last year’s model. On the inside it sports a faster processor, improved E-Ink display, and brighter, more even reading light. All this plus several new software features, many aimed at younger kids, make the new Paperwhite a very desirable e-reader. Is it improved enough to get you upgrading for the 2012 model? Read our full review and tell us if you’re tempted.

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On Digital Trends: Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight review

Nook GlowLightIt’s slimmer and lighter than before, the display is sharper and more pixel dense, and the reader now lacks physical page turn buttons and a MicroSD card slot. This distilled approach makes the Nook look more like the competition, namely the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Aura, thus making it feel like a “me too” device instead of an innovative one.

Should you stick with your Nook Simple Touch or spring for the new hotness?

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On Liliputing: Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition Review

Galaxy Note 10.1Priced at about $550 the Note is at least $50 more than it’s closest tablet competition. The higher price isn’t just because of the HD+ resolution display, the octa-core processor, or the ultra thinness every tablet is trying to achieve these days. It’s also due to the S Pen and the Wacom technology behind it that allows for a pen and paper-like writing experience.

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On Digital Trends: Apple iPhone 5C Review

iPhone 5CThere is a lot less pressure on the iPhone 5C than there was on the iPhone 5, and the massive hopes and dreams for innovation are on the 5S this year. The 5C is new version of last year’s iPhone 5. It’s sold for $100 less than the 5S and is for those who like (slightly) cheaper phones and colors. All it has to do is perform well and not feel or look trashy. And, you know what: it’s doing a good job.

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On Digital Trends: Toshiba Excite Write review

Toshiba Excite WriteThe Excite Write offers one of the best pen/tablet writing experiences for Android as well as smooth, speedy performance, but our experience with the Write did come with some inconveniences.

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On Digital Trends: BlackBerry Q10 review

BlackBerry Q10While the Z10 can be seen as BlackBerry’s bid to attract new, hip users, the BlackBerry Q10 should supposedly appeal to old-school BB lovers who are ready to dump their Bolds and Curves for something better. Instead of a large, all-touch experience, the Q10’s screen is small and half of the phone is dominated by a keyboard. It runs the Canadian tech company’s latest and greatest OS: BlackBerry 10.1. The question is whether the interface that runs so well on a larger, touch-only device will also work on a half display, half keyboard phone? The answer depends on whether you’re willing to dive deep into the Q10’s many layers of functionality and keyboard secrets.