With Lion and the upcoming Mountain Lion operating systems, Apple is continuously integrating features from its mobile OS to the desktop experience. Does it mean that a touchscreen iMac is a good idea? I still don’t think so, but you can decide for yourself with the help of the Zorro Macsk attachment.
The Zorro Macsk is a frame that is placed over the iMac and plugs in via USB. It has no screen of its own, rather it uses infrared sensors to detect input. While it won’t turn your computer into an expert swordsman, it does support the same multitouch gestures that you can pull off on the Magic Trackpad, so it is a bit practical.
I think it’s nice to be able to use it to switch between Spaces, but other than that I don’t see any great benefit for a touchscreen iMac, unless you happen to like the look of greasy fingerprints on your screen. The Zorro Macsk is currently only available for the 21.5″ iMac., and you can order it on Amazon for $199 (USD).
iPhone cases and USB flash drives are probably some of the most popular tech around, and both things that you almost always have to have on you. That’s one of the reasons why ego decided to combine them into one sleek package. The ego Hybrid iPhone case looks pretty good, and you’ll be able to carry a USB flash drive without knowing it and without losing it.
The ego Hybrid USB Series 2-in-1 iPhone case has a slide-out USB flash drive that’s available in 4, 8, or 16GB sizes. It’s incorporated into the case itself, which is made out of matte gray resin that’s matched with pastel drive colors. It’s not a bad look, and the fact of the matter is that I’ve lost quite a few USB drives over the years, so this will keep one securely in a known place.
The ego Hybrid iPhone case starts out at $34.95 for the 4GB and goes up to $49.95 for the 16GB version. The only improvement I can think off is it would be great if your iPhone could connect via Bluetooth to the flash drive to transfer files.
Let’s have a peek at the Acer Aspire S5, the ultrabook with the mechanical “MagicFlip” dish in the back with ports that whirrs out when you need to plug in and don’t need all that pesky space this near-thinnest on the market notebook works with. It’s just 0.6-inches when it’s all folded up, and pressing that button in the upper right of your keyboard brings down a flap in the back that has a set of ports you’ll only otherwise get with a laptop twice this one’s size. Inside the S5 you’ve got Windows 7, a 3rd generation Intel Core i& processor, and the whole device looks just fabulous – but is it worth the massive price tag it comes attached with?
Chassis
This device has Acer’s nicest casing for a notebook they’ve ever released, with a lovely off-black for the entirety of its body, the Acer logo up top, bumpers on the bottom, and a smooth shell all around, you’ve got a real looker on your hands. The display is a 13.3 HD Widescreen CineCrystal LCD and is perfectly bright and ready for whatever kind of HD action you’ve got in store at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, while the whole unit weighs in at a measly 2.65 pounds total.
The speakers on this unit are reasonable, but certainly aren’t good enough for hardcore gaming or listening to an opera – you’ve got a headphone jack for that.
So it’s light, the speakers are OK, the display is lovely, and the whole unit looks nice – does this mean it’s a winner?
It doesn’t mean that we’ve got a winner entirely. The Acer Aspire S5 is a device that must be aimed at those on the go with the desire to work on tasks that are mostly based in the keyboard area. There’s a bit of an issue with the arrow keys, and the trackpad is far from perfect – head down to the Keyboard and Trackpad section of this review for more on those bits. Meanwhile we’ve got a bit of a bone to pick with the top of the notebook.
If you press down on the top of this notebook, the center bends down a concerning amount. There’s a considerable amount of give here, and though I don’t imagine that a notebook with the high quality construction this one has is going to break any time soon, it gives the impression that it’s just a bit flimsy. On the other hand, the heavy-duty metal construction all around the device makes for a nice feel as well as a really nice look from any distance.
MagicPort
The MagicPort is activated with a large button in the upper right of the keyboard area, and it can be activated whether or not the device is powered on itself. Though we’re not sure why you’d want to open this tray up while you’re powered down, it is something to think about. This tray also comes open automatically to reveal extra air holes if the ultrabook gets too hot while you’re playing some hardcore games or processing large bits of video.
And the sound this MagicPort makes when it opens – it’s crazy. It’s like a buzz-creaking sort of situation that does not sound nearly as healthy as it really should. Of course that has no baring on the fact that the tray does, in fact, work perfectly well, and is pretty darn cool looking when it comes down to it. Inside the tray you’ve got a full-size HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Thunderbolt port.
This last port isn’t going to do you a lot of good in the short run as there certainly isn’t a massive Thunderbolt port industry for PCs at the moment, but you can bank on it being useful in the next year or so – that’s future-proofing if we’ve ever seen it.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard here is rather nice to tap on, the keys are well space, they hammer down nicely, and the whole unit seems to be ready for the long haul. The only problem here seems to be the arrow buttons in the lower right. Acer assumes that you will not be using these buttons very often. This is a major problem for me, as I use the arrow buttons all the time in corrections of text and navigating through application icons, and selections in lists throughout a normal working day.
Though the keyboard is great, the arrow buttons are going to be a bit of a problem unless you’ve got tiny mouse fingers. If you’re coming from a MacBook, you’re going to have a giant problem getting used to these arrow keys as yours have been large and separated enough for constant use via Apple for years. Expect to use the wireless mouse that Acer has included in the package instead of your arrow keys, and watch out for the trackpad, too.
This mouse is rather run of the mill, but does connect via Bluetooth perfectly well and will be an OK companion for your A5 through the future. Of course it is a bit concerning that the trackpad on this device is less than perfect. It’s pretty close to being a suitable companion to the cost of this notebook, but it’s not quite perfect enough to give a two-thumbs-up. If you’re used to the trackpads that have come on Acer notebooks for the past year or so, you’ll be fine.
Benchmarks
This device runs an Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, works with a 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3517U Processor with 4MB L3 cache, up to 3.0GHz with Turbo Boost technology. You’ve also got 4GB Dual-Channel SDRAM and a 256GB solid state drive under the hood. For visuals you’ve got Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Mobile Intel HM77 Express is running smooth as well. All of this equals a generally impressive ultrabook ready for games and processing normally reserved for devices that are twice its size.
It all comes down to the benchmark, on the other hand – have a peek at our Geekbench results here and feel free to compare to the rest of our Laptop Reviews as you see fit.
Benchmark Score – Acer Aspire S5-391
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6139
8226
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11175
Memory
Memory performance
7408
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
6845
Have a glance at some of the system specifications on this model too, while you’re at it.
System – Acer Aspire S5-391
Manufacturer
Acer
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
Acer Venus
Processor
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.40 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
4.00 MB
Memory
3.84 GB DDR3 SDRAM 666MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
Acer V1.01
Wrap-Up
In short, this ultrabook is one of if not THE thinnest notebook you’re ever going to want to own, and with a look and feel like this, you’ll have a great time picking one up. The pricing is a bit concerning when compared to other ultrabooks on the market right now that can do essentially all of the same things this one can at just a bit larger a cost in the actual physical size department. But consider this: you get what you pay for, and if your aim is to grab a thinnest-in-class yet high-quality notebook with power enough to play top-quality games and work all day long on web and local-based type-heavy tasks on Windows, you’ve got the best there is right here.
You can pick up the model we’ve got here, the Acer Aspire S5 S5-391-9880, at Acer’s online store for a cool $1399.99 USD, and it’s in stock right this minute. Also check our our Acer Aspire S3 with Core i7 Review for an ultrabook that’s just a bit larger.
After approximately one week of being off the listing of environmentally friendly products entirely, Apple has decided to return to EPEAT after “many loyal Apple customers” expressed concern. Apple’s hardware engineering chief Bob Mansfield has posted a letter that expresses Apple’s change of heart and reassures the public that Apple never lapsed for a moment on their green initiatives and environmentally sound hardware manufacturing. The letter also lets it be known that their relationship with EPEAT has “become stronger as a result of this experience” and that they’ll continue their work with ENERGY STAR as well as IEEE 1680.1, the standard on which EPEAT is based.
Mansfield’s letter makes it clear that Apple’s work with green initiatives has surpassed that which EPEAT measures. Apple has made moves, the letter notes, to remove harmful toxins from the manufacturing process and has made an effort to reduce the amount of non-recyclable elements in their products as well. Have a peek at the full letter to see Apple’s decision in short.
“We’ve recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.
It’s important to know that our commitment to protecting the environment has never changed, and today it is as strong as ever. Apple makes the most environmentally responsible products in our industry. In fact, our engineering teams have worked incredibly hard over the years to make our products even more environmentally friendly, and much of our progress has come in areas not yet measured by EPEAT.
For example, Apple led the industry in removing harmful toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). We are the only company to comprehensively report greenhouse gas emissions for every product we make, taking into account the entire product lifecycle. And we’ve removed plastics wherever possible, in favor of materials that are more highly recyclable, more durable, more efficient and longer lasting.
Perhaps most importantly, we make the most energy-efficient computers in the world and our entire product line exceeds the stringent ENERGY STAR 5.2 government standard. No one else in our industry can make that claim.
We think the IEEE 1680.1 standard could be a much stronger force for protecting the environment if it were upgraded to include advancements like these. This standard, on which the EPEAT rating system is based, is an important measuring stick for our industry and its products.
Our relationship with EPEAT has become stronger as a result of this experience, and we look forward to working with EPEAT as their rating system and the underlying IEEE 1680.1 standard evolve. Our team at Apple is dedicated to designing products that everyone can be proud to own and use.” – Mansfield
Have a peek at our timeline below to get the full story and resulting uproar that surrounded this EPEAT saga with Apple. And don’t forget, San Francisco government officials: you can once again buy that MacBook you were eyeing a month ago, have at it!
I know a lot of PC gamers also splurge on high end speakers for their gaming rigs, while others prefer to use headphones or headsets. If you use both – or several of both – on your computer, I suggest you check out the Siphon. It’s a USB device that lets you switch between different audio jacks.
The Siphon has a dial that lets you switch to one of the three jacks. It has an adhesive back, so you don’t have to leave it dangling or hidden at the back of your PC. It can also serve as a rack for your headphones or headset.
Seems like a neat gadget, especially for people who don’t always need headphones (or speakers), or those who share their computer with others who might prefer a different audio setup at times. It would be better if it had a dedicated “default” setting though, so you can still output sound from the default speakers even if there’s something plugged in all three jacks. Help make the Siphon become a real product at Quirky.
Fleece is a great material for all sorts of cases and bags. This striped fleece laptop case is definitely good looking, and it will keep your laptop safe from bumps and grinds.
The Striped Fleece Laptop case is made out of durable, soft charcoal gray and white fleece. It has a soft, cushioned interior, so that your laptop will remain safe in from minor scrapes and dings.
It perfectly matches the Poketo Striped Fleece backpack, which looks even cooler and more comfy. The backpacks are made out of sweatshirt fleece, which is even softer to the touch.
The Striped Fleece Laptop case sells for $32(USD) and the Striped Fleece backpack sells for $58. The laptop cases are available for laptops with 13″ or 15″ screens. The backpack can fit a 15″ laptop. Unfortunately, 17″ MacBook Pro users like me are screwed.
The folks at Toshiba have released news on their newest two notebook computers, the Toshiba Tecra R940 and Tecra R950, both of them ready for the business world through Toshiba Direct. These devices are available to business owners who can order up to 100 units at a time with discounts that are usually only given to giant companies. These laptops are made for small or medium business needs with fiberglass reinforced casing and Honeycomb Rib structures – not to mention 3rd generation Intel Core processors and dedicated AMD graphics inside.
Both models are able to have 512GB SSD inside with 16GB of memory. The smaller of the two, Tecra R940, is set with a 14-inch diagonal LED-backlit widescreen HD display while the larger, the R950, has a 15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit widescreen HD display. Both devices are able to be purchased starting at $599.99 MSRP and are included in a deal where if businesses order before August 30th, 2012, they’ll be upgraded to Windows 7 Professional for free, plus an additional 4GB of memory to boot!
You can purchase both devices from Toshiba Direct right this second with, again, amazingly enough, both devices starting at the same price. Grab the Toshiba Tecra R940 for $599.99 USD or the Toshiba Tecra R950 for $599.99 right this minute. ANd if you’re a business owner, twice as much.
Have a peek at our timeline below to see what’s been going on in the business of Toshiba device making as of late.
In many cities, phone booths are relatively rare. In my area, all the phone booths were removed years ago thanks the popularity of mobile phones. There’s still a huge amount of phone booths in New York City and New York City is committed to ensuring that those roughly 12,000 phone booths don’t become relics. The city is set to turn those phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots.
New York City announced in April that some of those phone books would become digital kiosks with SmartScreens instead of phones inside. The smart screens would provide information on the local neighborhood, restaurants, and landmarks to visit. I think most citizens will get more use out of free Wi-Fi than a SmartScreen. The first hotspot booths were activated yesterday with Wi-Fi routers attached to the top of the phone booth.
Six of the phone booths are located in Manhattan. Two are in Brooklyn, and one is in Queens. The city plans to roll out additional locations in the Bronx and Staten Island soon. The city worked with two companies, Van Wagner and Titan, to deploy the Wi-Fi hotspots and provide ads of the booths. Those companies paid for the cost of the project including installation, management, and customer service. The cities pay nothing extra for the hotspots. The hotspots have a range of 100 to 200 feet around the phone booth.
Just when sales for the PC industry were looking up, computer shipments slipped globally in Q2. Analysts were expecting conservative numbers for the PC industry overall in Q2, and the latest report from IDC published this week shows sales were worse than expected. According to IDC, 86.7 million PC units were shipped globally in Q2.
That 86.7 million unit shipment is down 0.1% from the same quarter the previous year. The sales numbers were significantly less than the conservative expectations of 2.1% growth for the quarter. One reason for the decline in shipments globally was what IDC calls “constrained” demand in the US, Europe, and Asia. The research firm specifically called out Asia as having “its worst performance in years.”
Looking at the US alone, Gartner reports PC shipments fell by 11%, significantly higher than 4.4% decline expected. HP maintained the top spot for PC vendors with 14.9% of the market share. Lenovo was second with 14.7% of the market, and Acer had 11% of the market to grab third place. Dell landed in fourth with 10.7% of the market.
“Consumers are less interested in spending on PCs as there are other technology product and services, such as the latest smartphones and media tablets that they are purchasing,” Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said in a statement. “This is more of a trend in the mature market as PCs are highly saturated in these markets.”
This week Apple has made a statement on their recent withdrawal of all of their products from the EPEAT environmental registry. This statement notes that because EPEAT does not cover all of the environmental issues that Apple finds important, they’ve withdrawn their products from the registry. Additionally, Apple has let it be known that they are continuing to work with standards set by the US Government-backed Energy Star system.
This statement was made to The Loop by Apple Representative Kristin Huguet, and lets it be known that EPEAT’s standards are what Apple considers outdated and restrictive. Reactions to this move include the city of San Francisco stopping city funding for Apple-made product purchases by city officials – this being because their system requires the EPEAT approval tag to be attached, so to speak, to ever product purchased by the city.
“Apple takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2. We also lead the industry by reporting each product’s greenhouse gas emissions on our website, and Apple products are superior in other important environmental areas not measured by EPEAT, such as removal of toxic materials.” – Kristin Huguet for Apple
EPEAT does not cover smartphones or tablets, this also an area that’s undeniably important for Apple to have approval on. You can learn more on Apple’s current environmental practices by heading to their Apple and the Environment page today. This page lets users know what kind of footprint each product has, what kind of environmental impact each of their manufacturing processes has, and shows the many ways in which Apple products are green-conscious.
Have a peek at our timeline below to see more on this EPEAT situation as it’s unfolded thus far.
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.
