Hasta La Gadget!

Introduction
Both QNAP and Synology provided us with a unit from their high-end SMB NAS lineup. In this review we will be comparing both units both on hardware performance as software functionality.
Synology’s key features:

205.68 MB/sec Reading, 182.66 MB/sec Writing(combined)
2 LAN with Failover and Link Aggregation Support
Features SuperSpeed USB 3.0
CPU Passive Cooling Technology & System Fan Redundancy
Hot-swappable Hard Drive Design
Windows® ADS and ACL Support
VMware® / Citrix® / …

If Samsung’s first dedicated gaming laptop wasn’t built to your liking, you’re about to get another option — the Series 7 Gamer is due for a refresh. The company’s Samsung Tomorrow blog pegs the new build as the Series 7 Gamer Yellow 3D, which outshines the subtle design we praised in our review of the last model with — you guessed it — a bright yellow finish. Style aside, the new oversized notebook will swap out its current GPU for an AMD Radeon HD 7870M and, as the name implies, a 14.3-inch SuperBright (400 nit) 3D LED display. The new configuration will also split its twin drive bays between a 1TB HDD and a fast-booting 128GB SSD. There’s no word yet on international availability, but folks in Sammy’s homeland can pick up the rig on August 14th for 2.99 million Won, which rings up to about $2,643 here in the states. Check out the official announcement at the (translated) source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

Samsung refreshing Series 7 Gamer with 3D display, AMD Radeon HD 7870M originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Samsung Tomorrow  | Email this | Comments

Nine months ago, Vizio didn’t make laptops. Now, it’s seemingly all our readers are writing in about. The company, best known for its value-priced TVs, is expanding into the PC market, with a collection of all-in-ones and thin-and-light notebooks. So why have we been getting so many emails asking when the heck we’re going to publish a review? After all, it’s not like shoppers have any shortage of choice when it comes to Windows computers.

The answer: Vizio is taking the same approach with PCs that it does with televisions, which is to say it’s offering impressive specs while undercutting its competitors. Case in point: all of Vizio’s laptops have a full-metal design, solid-state drive, zero bloatware and a minimum screen resolution of 1,600 x 900. And yes, that even applies to the lowest-end notebook, which goes for $900. Can you see now where this would be a tempting deal for folks who’d like to avoid spending $1,100-plus on an Ultrabook? Well, for those of you who’ve been curious, we’ve been testing Vizio’s 14-inch Thin + Light, and are now ready to unleash that review you’ve been waiting for. Meet us past the break to see if this rookie computer is as good as it looks on paper.

Continue reading Vizio Thin + Light review (14-inch, 2012): how do the company’s first laptops measure up?

Filed under: Laptops

Vizio Thin + Light review (14-inch, 2012): how do the company’s first laptops measure up? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Gone are the days when $50 got you a flip phone that could make calls, send texts and shoot super-low-quality thumbnails. T-Mobile’s myTouch offerings aim to provide all the functionality of a top-tier smartphone, coupled with the kind of hardware and software top-tier handsets were offering a year or two ago.

After letting HTC and LG have a go at the myTouch series, T-Mobile tapped Huawei to design its latest devices, the myTouch and myTouch Q, a garden-variety slab and a full QWERTY slider, respectively. This time around, the carrier chose phones with more expansive 4-inch, 800 x 480 displays, among other improvements to the design and internals. Unfortunately, software wasn’t considered in the upgrade: both of these run the aging Android 2.3 OS. Suffice to say, skinned Gingerbread is likely to turn off some shoppers, but it’s still worth asking if people on a budget might appreciate these devices when they go on sale Wednesday for $50, post-rebate. So are there any redeeming qualities to speak of, if not the software experience? Read on to find out.

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Your toes are not sonar. Rather than pick your way through a darkened room by smashing them into every obstacle in your way, bring a flashlight. The Dark Energy 214 from SOG is bright enough to light any path and small enough to take everywhere. More »