What’s the easiest way to find out someone’s password? Watch them enter it, of course, using the simple hacking technique known as shoulder surfing. Cameras and software have successfully been used by researchers to automate and improve the accuracy…
Space debris is a scary thing — tiny objects become missiles that can destroy whole spacecraft. If you need proof, just take a look at the results of the European Space Agency’s shield testing for its freighter, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)….
Since the Surface Pro 3 is hitting the market with a brand new form factor and capabilities, Best Buy asked if our team could compile a list of Surface Pro 3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and put what we had been discussing about our Surface Pro 3 experience in one convenient post.
We have used the Surface Pro 3 since its initial launch during which we posted a hands-on preview, then followed by a more complete real-world review that we recommend reading if you are looking at getting one. Since then, we had the opportunity to discuss with other industry experts, but also with tech enthusiasts and regular people who had a lot of questions about the Surface Pro 3. Here are the most frequent ones, but don’t hesitate to ask more questions in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Sure! Since most people have seen an iPad 2, let’s put them side by side. They are two very different products, but the pictures should give you a good idea about the overall size and build of the Surface Pro 3, in relation to something that most people have seen at least once.
The Surface Pro 3 is a real PC which looks and can be used like a tablet. From our perspective, the Surface 3 Pro is best for users who seek ultra-mobility, but yet need to use Windows applications they know or can’t do without. You can imagine a lot of use cases, including lawyers, doctors, office workers, executives, students. Etc…
Since the computer comes in a wide range of configuration to accommodate different needs for storage, processor speeds and budgets, there are a lot of possible use cases, but in most of those that we can think of, ultra-mobility is the common thread.
Obviously, it is a bit smaller, and in fact, many people in our own team have tried using 11” laptops in the past, so this is a bit more comfortable. In the end, it really depends on your own level of comfort. If we use it for one hour here and there, it doesn’t feel so different from a regular laptop. However, it’s fair to say that a larger screen does offer a slightly different user experience. It’s best to check one out in a store to see what it looks and feels like in the real world.
Next to the Lenovo Yoga 2
It definitely (and surprisingly) is. There are two important changes from previous MS Surface tablets that makes it a better lap option: 1/ the larger width brings better stability and makes unintentional tilting difficult. 2/ the “any angle” kick stand lets the user choose an optimal rest angle depending on a combination of view angle and thigh length.
Keep in mind that the surface points of contacts with a rest surface is very different from a laptop, and there needs to be two points of contact (tablet base and kickstand base) whereas a laptop can rest (with some help) on a single point of contact, due to the continuous rigid bottom.
You can. There is a display port that can be used to daisy-chain several screens. You should note that Surface Pro 3 with Core i5/i7 and Core i3 have different external display support. According to Microsoft, i7 and i5 will drive 1x4K, or 2x2K (while supporting the Surface Pro 2K display) while the i3 will drive 1x4K, or 2xHD (while supporting the Surface Pro 2K display).
When you come back to your main desk/station, it’s therefore completely possible to work on a very nice display setup.
In short, no. Looks can be deceiving and the Surface Pro 3 pushes the envelope in terms of PC/tablet design. Independent testing, including our own, have shown that the Surface 3 Pro runs as fast as most laptops equipped with the same processor/memory/storage.
The tiny fan is on the left of the photo. Courtesy of ifixit
During our tests, we didn’t notice excessive heat, and it’s also interesting to see that the exhaust vents are never anywhere close to the user skin. Despite the thinness, Microsoft has managed to put a super-flat fan in there. also, we’ve never heard the fan in action outside of benchmarking activities.
This is a fair question. Most tablets are more built towards media “consumption” and entertainment rather than “creation” and “productivity”. This is not the case of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. It runs every PC app that you are familiar with, and the ability to add a Microsoft keyboard cover (not included) and a mouse make it as productive as any other computer.
If getting work done fast is important to you, we highly recommend getting the keyboard cover and using a mouse. The touch screen is great and the trackpad is OK, but nothing is faster than a good keyboard/mouse combo.
Good question: since many students are interested in these devices, chances are someone will want to play games. Surface Pro 3 is just as fast as most Ultrabooks on the market. Yet, from a Gaming perspective, it is optimized to be thin & light.
It can run games, including Titan Fall, Diablo, etc., but the combination of integrated GPU and high-resolution does have an impact on framerate. 1-2 year old games will run at decent speeds. For newer games, you may want to decrease the rendering resolution. You may have to play the game in a smaller frame, but the speed will be much improved. If you want to see games running on a Surface Pro 3, we have seen a couple of videos (link1, link2) that you may want to look at.
Tweaking the graphics settings (removing shadows, etc.…) will also help quite a bit and it depends what kind of graphics level you need. Yes, you can play, but it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect graphics performance to match that of PCs that are much bigger and power-hungry.
That’s an interesting topic. During our review, we compared the Surface Pro 3 graphics performance to tablets like the iPad Air, and the result was clear: the Surface Pro 3 is 2X faster in synthetic graphics benchmarks.
The main difference is that most tablet games use old graphics technologies which are equivalent to DirectX 9, a standard that came out in 2002. PC games tend to use DirectX 11 and offer a much richer graphics experience. At the end of the day, what’s important is finding the games you like on any platform.
We like using a video playback test to gauge the battery life. That’s because playing a video uses the display, the storage system and the CPU, all in a somewhat moderate way. In turns, this is close to what happens when you write a document, reply to emails etc.…
When we did our test in specific conditions (150 Nit brightness, WiFi ON, Sound OFF), we found that the Surface Pro 3 could play video for about 9 hours.
This is much better than the Surface Pro 2, and that’s mostly due to using Intel’s 4th generation Haswell processor, which is very good at power savings during low-intensity tasks.
Yes – but it depends on your use case.
A lot of people have a regular laptop and an iPad, this is something that we see very often in airports as we travel around. The Surface Pro 3 can easily replace a laptop and an iPad for most users. Of course, if someone wants a large-display laptop, or a 7” tablet, that would be a different scenario.
Also, you need to take into account the fact that apps may or may not be available on different platforms, so we would recommend checking that first.
The keyboard is an accessory that needs to be purchased separately. Although the Surface Pro 3 is often shown with a keyboard, it’s important to know that it is not included, and not cheap – but totally worth it. In fact, we can’t imagine using the Surface Pro 3 without it, except in very specific settings (hospital, real-estate, etc.…)
The pen feels really good, mainly for two reasons: the virtual ink is fast, and the tip of the pen is is visually very close to the LCD display surface, which almost removes the “pen floating” feeling (called parallax) that many users get with digitizer pens on LCD displays.
The smaller the gap between the pen’s tip and the LCD surface, and the more natural it feels to the user because people are used to having their pen tip touch a paper surface. LCD displays are made of many layers, and the pressure-sensitive digitizer adds yet another one.
When we discussed about this with the Microsoft Surface team, they made it clear that they switched from Wacom because N-Trig allowed this gap to be much narrower. As a result, writing and sketching is perceptibly better when compared to the Surface 2 Pro.
We’ve been using the stylus mostly to sketch things or take notes. Although some of us do have a design background, none is really a photo-retouching expert, or someone who would need advanced pen sensitivity. One Note is our app of choice since the pen has been tested and very well integrated (the top button of the Pen launches One Note).
Absolutely. This is the first thing that we tried since our Surface Pro 2 review got so many questions related to Photoshop. We tested it with Photoshop CC, which requires a Wintab driver in order to gather the pen pressure data (what is wintab). This is different from the native Windows driver which does the same thing. Fortunately, the N-Trig drivers were available prior to the launch, and after a quick installation, Photoshop could sense the different pressure levels.
For what we did, totally – but this is a highly subjective topic, so let’s dig into it further. At the moment, most people who had an early access to the device are “techies” rather than “artists”, and although there is a lot of interest from the art community, it has been difficult to gather independent data.
Our own take is that the current sensitivity should work great for most use cases, including artistic sketching/drawing. Now there are cases like airbrushing that we have not tested ourselves, and that may need further attention. Based on our experience with other devices that use the Wacom 1024-levels sensor, it didn’t feel like this one was 4X less sensitive. Do your homework, because just like “Megapixels” for cameras, the pressure specs don’t tell the whole story. Microsoft presented compelling arguments during their Reddit AMA.
Since most professionals who require a very high level of sensitivity probably have an existing setup, the real question is “is it good enough for a mobile use case”? We think that most people will be happy with it. This may be something that you should try in a store and see for yourself.
A couple of days ago, the CEO of N-Trig has released a list of apps that have gone through extensive testing by their team, which means that things should work flawlessly with those:
In addition to these, there are countless apps that are compatible with the pen API, but don’t go through such a rigorous testing because they are not “pro” apps. For those, you will have to rely on user reviews or forums to get a better idea. Maybe we could check a few as well if we have time. Drop a comment to make a request. We wouldn’t buy an app to try that, but if there’s a trial, maybe we can tell you if the pen pressure works. No promises, but we’ll do our best.
Our own Surface Pro 3 in the lab is a Core i5 version. We have not tested the Core i7 version, but based on the hardware differences and Microsoft’s own estimate, synthetic benchmarks should score 15%-20% higher. If you absolutely need the extra horsepower, it’s nice to have the option. In our case, the Core i5 serves us well, including for video compression which is partially hardware-accelerated.
Don’t be deceived by the look of the keyboard because it is quite efficient. Microsoft made the keys “clicky” and they provide a good tactile feedback to the user. We got used to it after a couple of days, and from there, it was a good experience.
We would love to see some 3rd party cover keyboards as well, but as of now, the Microsoft one works well and does a great job while staying discrete.
In fact, you can. The connector is compatible and it should work right away. This is something that we tried as well. It won’t cover the whole screen, but other than that, it just works.
These were the questions that we get the most, and we’re glad to have an opportunity to compile them in a single location. If you have a question that we did not answer yet, feel free to drop a comment below, and we will do our best to find answers. Thanks for checking in!
Surface Pro 3, The Ubergizmo FAQ , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Cutting grapes is one of those tasks you likely never knew existed until you became a parent. Now, it is a Thing You Do. Every. Single. Day. But Laura Mullins Goodhue, has just discovered that her husband Rob has had the secret to slicing them (without casualty), all along. Thanks to him, your job as Executive Grape Cutter just got a lot easier.
Growing up in a multi-generational home in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in the 1950’s, I had no idea how fortunate I was. Despite the smell of the steel mills and the soot in the air, I lived in a rich melting pot composed mainly of eastern Europeans, Greeks, Irish and Germans where ethnic holidays were celebrated with food, music, old world customs, camaraderie and good will. At the time I didn’t understand the uniqueness of the melting pot that is America or the sacrifices my family had to make in order to be a part of this country.
My family’s immigrant story although unique, is not that different from the story of millions of immigrants who call the United States home. This month we celebrate immigrant heritage month and honor the achievements and contributions of immigrants to the United States.
My paternal grandparents were Serbian, from an area called Krajina in Croatia. My maternal grandfather was a Serbian peasant with a 3rd grade education from that same area, who came to the U.S. on his own, looking for a better life when he was 12 years old. He came through Ellis Island where his name was “shortened” from Budisavljevic to Savlovich. He settled in Johnstown where he met my grandmother. Even though my grandfather didn’t have any formal education past 3rd grade, he understood the value of education and always told us to get an education because “it is the only thing that can never be taken away from you.” I have very few memories of my grandfather without a book in his hand; knowing what I know now, I can only imagine what my grandfather would have accomplished if he had the same opportunities that I did.
Thanks to my grandparents’ vision and sacrifice, my parents were able to further their education, follow their dreams, and give us a better life. My father served with honor and pride in the United States Army during WWII and my mother was a very talented musician who earned her Master’s degree in music education — she was a concert pianist and a music teacher.
Like all immigrants, Serbians have contributed greatly to this country, culturally and professionally — as scientists, medical researchers, professors, engineers etc … and the one thing they all have in common is that someone in their family was given entry to the United States. One of those Serbs was Nikola Tesla who came to the U.S. in the 1800’s. Without the opportunities that were available to him in America, many of his inventions and patents may have just been the dreams of one very talented man rather than some of the greatest advancements and pioneering work of our times.
This month we celebrate immigrant heritage month and commemorate the contributions of all immigrants to the United States. We honor our own heritage and those in our family that paved the way.
Please visit the website Welcome.us and share your immigrant story with America. Immigration reform is an issue that should concern all of us, and while we look for ways to fix our broken system, we must remember our own immigrant stories, where we came from and what our families endured in order to give us the life we have today.
This article is part of a series that will run throughout the week in celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month, a commemorative project that celebrates the United States as a nation founded and fueled by immigrants. To learn more, please visit Welcome.us.
After a strenuous eight-mile hike, one’s first thought might be to sit down and rest. Vanessa Hudgens, however, used the occasion to pose for a bikini photo.
Hudgens is currently in Hawaii and on Tuesday, June 24, she and a group friends headed out for a hike along the Na Pali Coast. Along the way, the former “High School Musical” star stopped to snap a selfie against a stunning ocean backdrop and to go zip-lining with her pals.
After eight long miles, the group reached a waterfall where Hudgens stripped down to her bikini and posed in the water.
“The 8 mile hike paid off,” she wrote.
OK, here’s the Double Slit Experiment as far as I can understand it: 1) Scientists are firing one photon of light at a time through one of two slits.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were virtually unknown when Nick Cassavetes cast them in “The Notebook,” which filmed in late 2002 and early 2003. That’s what the “John Q” director was going for in his adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks best-seller — so much so that he selected Gosling because he was “not handsome” and “just a regular guy who looked a bit nuts.” That shows how much he knew, although we can’t really fault Cassavetes, since he did, after all, give us one of the most beloved romantic pairings of the past 10 years. That explains why Gosling was cast, but what about McAdams? Look no further than this audition tape. Cassavetes said he knew “she was the one” after the actress read opposite Gosling for the part.
“The Notebook” celebrates its 10th anniversary today (June 25), and in turn we’re calling attention to the audition that led to one of McAdams’ star-making turns (the other being “Mean Girls,” which hit the 10-year mark in April). In the clip, you can hear Gosling off-camera, reading lines from the scene where Allie tells Noah she’s planning to return to her fiance. As with all great romantic movie duos, we’ll be seeing them.
Also check out this featurette on the casting of “The Notebook” and what it was like to capture McAdams and Gosling’s chemistry.
Diane Sawyer is stepping down as the anchor of ABC’s “World News,” the network announced on Wednesday. She will be replaced by David Muir, the program’s weekend anchor, in September.
Sawyer has been the anchor of the network’s flagship program since late 2009. Muir has been weekend anchor since 2011. He is also co-anchor of “20/20.”
Sawyer will now “concentrate full time on new programming,” producing specials and doing interviews, ABC said.
In addition, George Stephanopoulos has been named Chief Anchor for the network. ABC said he would anchor breaking news and be the leading face of its election coverage starting with this year’s midterms in November. That role typically goes to the anchor of the evening news, but Stephanopoulos is staying at “Good Morning America” and “This Week.”
Sawyer’s departure means that, once again, all three main evening news broadcasts will be anchored by white men.
Developing…
Five dudes in an SUV on a Saturday night, heading to Chicago for a rock music extravaganza. As tunes from satellite radio filled the vehicle’s interior, naturally the conversation turned to concerts.
“Last one you attended?” I asked my companions while steering the car through barely-crawling city traffic. “I’m embarrassed to say mine was Celine Dion.”
“Mine was that guy who sings Sweet Caroline, countered Mitch.
“Neil Diamond?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Must have been a memorable show since you can’t even recall his name,” said Jeff.
“Pitbull,” said Joe.
“Really? You went to a Pitbull concert?” we enviously asked in unison.
“With my kids.”
“Doesn’t count.”
OK, so the five of us, all over 50 or spiraling rapidly toward it, were a bit rusty in the live rock and roll blowout department. Hence our collective idea to relive our youths by attending a Boston/Doobie Brothers concert, two bands whose heyday occurred during the Jimmy Carter presidency, but who still command Obama administration prices ($80 for a bleacher seat at Montrose Beach on Chicago’s lakefront). Their lineups have undergone more changes than CNN after a ratings book — exactly one original member from each group remains — but we didn’t care. We were here to channel our inner teenager — never mind that, as teens, none of us attended a concert with a 6:30 p.m. start time. We remembered waiting for hours to hear bands that teased their audiences by strolling on stage shortly before midnight. Or, if the band was Guns and Roses, not appearing at all.
“This is like the early bird dinner of concerts,” I said.
But again, we didn’t care. A little daylight meant it would be easier to peruse the clothing featuring our favorite band’s logo. Would we purchase shirts and slip them on prior to the concert’s opening? Would we deliriously rise up and scream, “Woooo!” when we heard the opening notes of “More Than a Feeling” or “China Grove?” Hoarse from screaming throughout, would we wave disposable lighters overhead (or cell phones since we don’t smoke) signaling our demand for encores?
Maybe. But first we had to attend to one pressing matter.
“Anybody have to use the bathroom before we go in?” I asked.
“I should probably go.”
“Me, too.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
The Chicago Park District had eagerly anticipated the arrival of 3,500 concertgoers, the majority of whom now increase the volume on the TV when a bladder control commercial airs, by installing exactly TWO Port-a-Potties outside the grounds. The line snaked along the Lake Michigan waterfront ending, I assumed, somewhere around Gary, Indiana.
Jeff, Mitch and Ed trudged to the end of the line. Joe and I lagged behind.
“There has to be another one around here,” I said. “Follow me.”
We soon encountered a security guard who confirmed my suspicions.
“Walk about 200 yards to that gate,” he said, gesturing to a private harbor packed with docked sailboats. “I’m gonna give you a code that unlocks the door to the bathrooms.”
Lowering his voice, he whispered a three-digit combination that I dare not reveal. Within minutes we had completed our tasks and smugly returned to our companions, who were still in line and growing more uncomfortable by the moment.
“Just so you know, I scored,” I said proudly.
“You scored what? Drugs?”
“No. A bathroom. I met a guy. Why would I want drugs?”
“Beats me.”
Finally we entered the staging area, passing a clothing stand on the way to our seats.
“You going to get one?” I asked Joe, pointing at a Boston sweatshirt.
“Only if I get cold,” he said.
We took our seats. The Doobies came onstage. The opening cords of Jesus is Just Alright filled the damp air. A woman two rows in front stood up and launched into what could best be described as a 50-year-old version of twerking.
“She’d better sit down,” I said. “I can’t see a thing.”
“At least we can hear,” said Ed.
“I just hope I can hear by the end of the night. Don’t you think it’s a little loud?”
“What?”
By 10:30 p.m., after the final notes of Boston’s “Long Time” had faded, we were back in the car. No one suggested extending the evening. Our middle-aged bodies, we were again reminded, could no longer perform like the teenagers we once were. Deep down we knew that when we purchased the tickets. But is there a better time machine than one accompanied by a musical soundtrack? A chance to see the bands you grew up with still performing 40-year-old songs with gusto? I think not. As Neil Young famously sang, “Rock and roll will never die.”
And as Neil Diamond sang, “Good times never seemed so good.”
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
