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Sep 04

Evernote 5 moves past beta on Windows Desktop, available to download now

It took a little longer than two months for it to shed the beta tag, but Evernote 5 for Windows Desktop is now fully baked and ready for you to download. This major iteration of the productivity software brings a user interface that’s been redesigned from the ground up, with features such as Reminders, Shortcuts and “smarter searching” added to improve the overall experience. In addition to that, Evernote says it’s enhanced other functionality within the app, giving Windows folk easier access to things like Notes, Notebooks, Tags and Saved Searches. There’s a link to Evernote’s blog post below, where you’ll find more details on all the changes and a direct link to the update.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

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Source: Evernote

Sep 04

The New Asus Zenbooks Are Covered in Gorilla Glass Now (???)

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The New Asus Zenbooks Are Covered in Gorilla Glass Now (???)

We’d been waiting on this one—the Zenbook is finally getting a refresh. And for whatever reason, Asus has decided to cover one of the prettier ultrabooks out there in a sheet of Gorilla Glass. Which, hey, sure.

Hands-on with ASUS’ Zenbook UX301, an Ultrabook with a Gorilla Glass lid and 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen

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Hands-on with ASUS' Zenbook UX301, an Ultrabook with a Gorilla Glass lid and 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen

Well, ASUS already spilled the beans on this one. Just a few hours ago, the company posted a YouTube video of its new Zenbook UX301 Ultrabook — i.e., the same Zenbook Infinity we saw back at Computex, just with a new (less catchy) name. Well, if a teaser video didn’t make it official enough for you, the company just revealed the laptop on-stage here at its IFA press event in Berlin. As we learned back at Computex, this has a lid made of Gorilla Glass 3, which promises to stand up to both scratches and maybe even drops. Meanwhile, the palm rest is also made of glass, though there’s a ceramic coating mixed in, so it doesn’t feel at all glassy; just exceptionally smooth. (Think of how smooth the metal on Samsung’s old Series 9 felt and maybe you’ll get the idea.) All told, this definitely isn’t the thinnest or lightest Ultrabook we’ve held, at 1.38kg (3.04 pounds), but on the plus side, you get a good deal of travel on that backlit keyboard, and most of the keys are amply sized too.

Also revealed in that spoiler of a YouTube video: the UX301 comes standard with a 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 IPS touchscreen. On the inside, it combines a Haswell dual-core Core i7-4558U processor with 802.11ac WiFi, up to 512GB of solid-state storage and Intel Iris graphics — basically, the best Intel has to offer short of a discrete GPU. If you do need more power, though, ASUS will also offer an NVIDIA GT 730M GPU on some models. Additionally, ASUS will sell a lower-end spinoff called the UX3012 (not pictured here), which will have generally the same design, but a lower-res, 1080p screen. Both will be available in white, along with a dark, navy blue — quite the departure from ASUS’ usual color scheme. No word yet on pricing or availability, except that the line is still on track to ship sometime in the fourth quarter. For now, we’ve finally had a chance to get some hands-on time — remember at Computex when we had to snap photos through a glass box?%Gallery-slideshow79395%%Gallery-slideshow79404%

Filed under: Laptops, ASUS

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Sep 04

ASUS refreshes the original Transformer Book with Haswell, but it’s still heavy

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We had two major gripes when we reviewed ASUS’ original Transformer Book. One, it cost a lofty $1,500, even with a last-generation Ivy Bridge processor. Two, it was on the heavy side — though to be fair, a 13-inch dockable tablet is unwieldy by definition. Well, ASUS went back to the drawing board and addressed at least one of our complaints. The refreshed Transformer Book, the T300, ships with a Haswell processor, which promises not just faster performance, but longer battery life (eight hours, to be exact). It also steps up to a max of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, up from a 128GB SSD and 4GB of memory last time around.

Unfortunately, at 1.1kg (2.43 pounds) for the tablet and 800g (1.76 pounds) for the dock, it still feels weighty in the hand regardless of whether you’re using it in tablet mode or as a proper clamshell laptop. Otherwise, the key specs are the same — namely, a 13.3-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution and a mix of micro- and full-sized ports on the tablet and dock. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for now we’ve got hands-on photos below.%Gallery-slideshow79408%

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, ASUS

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Sep 04

Sony Vaio Flip: One of the Most Logical Laptop Convertibles Yet

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Sony Vaio Flip: One of the Most Logical Laptop Convertibles Yet

Convertibles as a whole aren’t the most sensible thing in the world. At this point, most are still rife with compromises, gimmicks, and odd decisions. Sony’s new Vaio Flip is too, but its gimmick—a screen that folds back on itself—also happens to make a whole lot of sense.

Sony announces VAIO Flip PC, looks to steal the IdeaPad Yoga’s thunder

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We knew a novel VAIO form factor was bound to be announced at IFA when Sony dropped a origami-inspired teaser video last week. And look what we have here: in Berlin, the PC maker unveiled a new line of VAIO Flip PCs.

Like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, this Ultrabook can be used in a variety of modes; the machine works as a standard clamshell laptop, but the display can also be collapsed down over the keyboard for use as a tablet. Finally, you can reverse the screen so it’s facing outward, away from the keyboard, in “viewer mode.” The Flip will be sold in 13-,14- and 15-inch flavors, compared to the 11- and 13-inch sizes for the Yoga. Does Sony have a strong contender on its hands? Read on for specs and impressions.%Gallery-slideshow74630% %Gallery-slideshow79436%

Filed under: Laptops, Sony

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Sep 04

ASUS Zenbook UX301 will have 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen beneath Gorilla Glass 3 case (video)

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The ASUS Zenbook Infinity first showed off its icy Gorilla Glass-clad curves at Computex back in June, and now it’s resurfaced in a video that’s making the rounds ahead of ASUS’ press conference here at IFA. Incidentally, the video hints at a new name — the Zenbook UX301 — and also clarifies most of the main specs. According to the video, the UX301 will have a Retina-esque 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 multitouch display, a Haswell Core i7 CPU, 802.11ac WiFi and ASUS SonicMaster audio tech. The flagship Ultrabook will no doubt draw fans of thin design as well, thanks to the 15.5mm (0.64-inch) profile. We’ll likely have a chance to play with it ourselves soon at ASUS’s upcoming event, so stay tuned. In the meantime, there’s a video after the break.

Filed under: Laptops, ASUS

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Source: ASUS (YouTube)

Sep 03

Acer finally adds pen input to its big-screen R7 Ultrabook, we go hands-on

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We’ll keep our source anonymous here, but an Acer rep staffing the company’s press event here at IFA just told us its funky Aspire R7 Ultrabook is “not selling so well.” We’re not sure if that’s because it shipped with last-gen Ivy Bridge processors, or because the touchscreen sits above the keyboard, but either way, Acer is trying to boost its chances of success. This week, the company announced the R7 is getting refreshed with Haswell CPUs (Core i5 and i7) and an optional active digitizer for proper pen input. That latter feature in particular addresses a chief complaint potential buyers had about the original, which could only be used with generic capacitive pens. After all, what fun is a 15-inch, 1080p display with an articulating hinge if you can’t use it for the occasional doodle?

In particular, the laptop makes use of an N-Trig digitizer, allowing for hovering and pressure-sensitive pen input. And though there’s no shortage of pen-optimized apps in the Windows Store, Acer is also bundling a few of its own, including MemoryBinder for drawing, Screen Grasp for taking screencaps (natch), and Scrapboard for cobbling together a mish-mash of photos, screenshots and other media. Across the board, you’ll enjoy a straightforward UI that makes it easy to select and crop objects on screen, with options to either put a window around selected content, or “lasso” it using the pen or your finger. Even more than that, we were especially taken with the “AccuFinger,” an onscreen, finger-friendly circle with a fine pointer attached, which you can use to select tiny items on screen even when you forgot to take the pen with you. (OK, you could use the touchpad too, but this is the decidedly cooler option. Plus, the touchpad drivers need fine-tuning anyway.)%Gallery-slideshow77227%

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

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Sep 03

Acer Extend concept is a smartphone workstation, we go hands-on (video)

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In addition to letting us get our hands on all its IFA announcements today, Acer pulled back the curtain on a concept device. The Acer Extend prototype works similarly to the ASUS Padfone, letting you connect your smartphone to a clamshell-style dock with a display, keyboard and a 6,000mAh battery to recharge your handset.

For the purposes of the demo, a modified version of Acer’s Liquid E2 smartphone was connected to the Extend dock via an MHL cable, though company reps said a market-ready version could include a retractable cord. Even more compelling, though, would be a wireless, Bluetooth-based solution.

In addition to offering much more screen real estate than a phone, the dock solution nets you a full-size, tactile keyboard, and Acer’s optimized this island-style layout to work with a smartphone’s operating system. To that end, there are buttons for Mail, WiFi, Bluetooth and more — more or less the options you’ll find in and Android phone’s Settings menu. Though the keyboard is tailored to a smartphone interface, the Extend lets you view apps such as Gmail in tablet format, meaning you’ll reap the full benefits of the larger display. There’s also a full-size touchpad on board.%Gallery-slideshow77226%

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Mobile, Acer

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Sep 02

Lenovo ThinkPad S440 & S540

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Lenovo ThinkPad S440 & S540 Lenovo just released the ThinkPad S440 and ThinkPad S540 Ultrabooks which are aimed at professionals who want to have a sturdy, but relatively light laptop that IT managers will love. As you may have guessed, the S440 is a 14” laptop, while the S540 is the 15” version. This kind naming is not really new at Lenovo, at least for those who follow their products on a regular basis.