Lenovo Buys Motorola

A week ago, Lenovo purchased Motorola Mobility from Google. They purchased it for a steal at $2.91 billion.

This will be quite an amazing change for Lenovo. You see, Lenovo is not a big company when it comes to phones — at least in North America. Worldwide, they are number five. It’s interesting that Lenovo bought Motorola and not some other mobile phone company. Motorola is an amazing company and Lenovo will definitely take advantage of their expertise when it comes to the smartphone market.

There are two possibilities that may come out of this transaction:

1. Lenovo uses Motorola to compete in the North American market. This allows them to create an even larger technological monopoly and increase sales tenfold. The only thing they have to do is create a smartphone that can either make it or break it for the company. They need to do something revolutionary — a change in the ideal “smartphone.”
2. Lenovo uses Motorola their knowledge of the smartphone to create their own under their own name. From assumption, Motorola will continually build phones under their name, but if Lenovo decides to enter the North American market and they want to make a Lenovo smartphone that can compete, they will definitely need Motorola.

According to articles and extensive videos (including the one after this paragraph), Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility only. This doesn’t include all the patents that was included in the sale of Motorola in 2012. That could mean that Lenovo, Motorola and Google are becoming allies than enemies. Could Lenovo be working with Google? Maybe after this purchase, they can start thinking about other deals, like making a Chromebook with Lenovo as the manufacturer. Interesting, right?

Here’s the video:

He points out some great details about the deal that went on.

Let’s just hope for the best for all the companies in this situation because they are all great companies.

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The Strength of Sony

Sony: the company that changed (and continues to change) the world. It has been well known throughout the continents that Sony is an electronic Goliath. What started off as a small company turned into a massive, oversized monster that can eat other companies alive.

But, in the story of Goliath, there has to be a David — or in Sony’s case, Davids.

Companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung and Panasonic are always trying to topple the giant to its downfall, and much to avail, has failed through the years.

In my honest opinion, Sony, is probably (and this may sound controversial) the most powerful company in the gaming industry. Do you know why Sony is the king?

Sony is powerful in TWO different countries.

We know that Sony is a Japanese based corporation. They started their Japan and their HQ is in Japan. Simple enough, right? How about we take one product from Sony’s arsenal that has always been a big seller and a record holder: the Playstation. Sony, with respect to Sony of America, continually conquers the gaming world. They are bestsellers both in Japan and the United States. Of course, Microsoft has no chance in Japan, but the fact that Sony is seriously competing with Microsoft in their own home turf? That sends a statement.

Also, let’s not forget about Nintendo – another gaming company. You can argue that Nintendo and Sony have their horns locked in place, but I assure you, Playstation sales are far better than the WiiU sales. However, Nintendo does have Sony on a choke hold when it comes to portable devices (Nintendo’s 3DS and 2DS, only because of Pokémon). Nonetheless, Sony is strong in Japan.

However you want to look at Sony, behind the curtain of failures lies their success — and there’s no one stopping them now.

Except for, you know, Samsung in the smartphone game…

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Tech Highlights of CES 2014

CES 2014 was amazing! I can’t believe that it’s already over!

There are so many things to talk about from CES 2014, much of it being about the technology leaps that each powerhouse company took on their products. Here are my favourites from the show.

4K TVs, UHDTVs and Curved Display

Seriously, we cannot seem to get enough of this. Television sets are once again becoming significant in the living room. Remember when there was a downfall in television sales because the Internet took the world by storm (I don’t remember either, but it felt like it). At some point, people were less likely to watch and use their TVs and much rather just sit down and use their PCs. Of course, that doesn’t mean TV is dead. With the latest display resolutions, possible future standards and other unique capabilities TVs will get (I’m talking about Smart TVs), I’m sure we’ll be back sitting on our couch watching the latest episode of the Big Bang Theory.

GAMING

I can’t stop talking about gaming! CES 2014 became a gaming hub this week, with companies like Sony and Valve showing up at the party. Sony revealed Playstation Now, a game stream service for their consoles and Valve opens up the information about the Steam Box, specifically about all the companies that will be making their own Steam Box with their own specifications and modifications. Razer also revealed Project Christine. It’s a modular design PC that makes it easy for the average consumer to change and switch out any hardware. Oculus Rift also made a big splash at CES 2014 with other makes of their already awesome device. 2014 will definitely be a gaming year. Definitely!

Wearables

Wearable technology also took off this year. Although wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble came out last year, the attention towards the idea has only increased a during CES 2014. Intel and Sony are getting into the game, with Intel’s idea of wearables already in the works and Sony’s Core revealed in their keynote. Although the presence of wearables in this year’s CES was weak and disappointing, the technology surely has gotten a lot more attention than before.

Google Chromebook

I didn’t really talk much about the Google Chromebook only because I’m not really a big fan of it, but nonetheless they made a statement at CES. Dell and Toshiba wanted to tell the world that they’re putting their full support on this young project. The Chromebooks are nothing compared to what we currently have, but I guess that’s the point. It’s not for everyone, but it can be for someone.

Playstation Now

I’ve been waiting for Sony to talk about their plans for Gaikai since they bought it. Playstation Now is their online cloud streaming service for the Playstation consoles. They’re planning to start a closed beta and hoping to open the service this coming summer. I can’t wait!

The Consumer Electronic Show was a success! Everyone enjoyed the information, previews, sneak peeks and reveals. It was a great way to celebrate technology at its finest.

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TVs at CES 2014

CES 2014 features some of the best looking TV sets I’ve ever laid my eyes on — specifically from Samsung and LG. Both of these companies are well known in the industry, and are making remarkable leaps of faith into the future.

LG’s Controllable Curve OLED 4K TV

When I first saw this, I thought “wow, who needs this?” Then, after a good minute or so of thinking, I realised that “I need this!” LG says that having a curved TV allows a more “immersive experience” for the viewers. Not only are these TVs curved, they are also controllable. With a simple press of a button, you can simply turn the TV from its curved design to the classic flat layout. It will definitely change the way the we look at TVs and how we experience watching moving pictures in an isolated rectangular space.

Samsung’s Curved Ultra HDTV

Samsung also entered the curved TV competition with their Ultra HDTV. They also have the same vision as LG does, giving you a “cinematic feel” to in your own home. The curve display also acts like an anti-reflection mechanism so that light does not have to be concentrated. Say goodbye to those annoying window reflections! They also boast their largest display yet — a 105” UHDTV curved display.

What we can extract from this is that the product will not be cheap and will not be accessible to the majority of people. It’s a concept worth talking about and a concept that will definitely revolutionize the way we watch.

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The New Samsung NotePro is New

Samsung showcased their new Samsung Galaxy NotePro. It’s a tablet with, in a lack of better terminology, freakin’ amazing specifications. Here they are 12.2 inch Super Clear LCD screen with a 2560×1600 resolution

• LTE Version: 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• 3G Version: 1.9 GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor
• RAM: 3 GB
• 32/64 GB storage
• Up to 64 GB microSD storage
• 8 MP back camera with LED flash; full HD video recording and Zero Shutter lag
• 2 MP front camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 3.0
• WiFi ready: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; MIMO technology
• GPS and GLONASS enabled
• 9500 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• S-Pen Stylus; dedicated software such as Remote PC, Samsung e-Meeting etc.

The OS is Android KitKat 4.4 running, what Samsung calls it, a “Magazine UX” environment. The GUI is different with the typical Android GUI. It feels very much like Windows with stacked tiles of up to six gathered and organized. The leather backing gives it a nice, professional look. The stylus is proprietary, meaning other S-Pen styluses will not work. Notice that there are two versions of the tablet: a 3G version and an LTE version. The LTE version has a more powerful processor compared to the 3G version, but both offer tremendous processing. There are other screen sizes of the Samsung Galaxy NotePro: a 10.1 inch and 8 inch display – both bragging a sharper display. The price has not yet been announced, but it’s projected to be around the $300 – $400 range.

I’m sure Samsung has more up their sleeve, and I cannot wait to hear more.

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CES 2014 Coverage

It’s that time of the year again: CES 2014!

CES 2014 celebrates the amazing achievements of technology. It is not just a place where companies can market their products, but also a place where they can reveal new things, show their sales reports, brag about new technologies that are in the works and showcase first looks on never before seen (or heard) products.

I am very excited to cover CES 2014 (as much as a one man administrator can) and report about my personal favourites.

What I’m excited for?

• Good stuff from Valve, maybe an actual announcement regarding HALF LIFE 3 (seriously, according to tPenguinLTG, Valve can’t count to three).
• Intel and dualOS implementation.
• Intel wants to join the wearable tech competition
• The Avegant Glyph, a wearable “home theatre” headset that doesn’t want to compete with the Oculus Rift.
• Sony’s new Core and the announcement of the new Xperia smartphone.

CES 2014 will begin tomorrow, from January 7, 2014 to January 10, 2014. The schedule will be thrown out of the window this week and a post spam will be initiated for the CES 2014 coverage.

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Speed Dating a PC

This is the first post for the category “Tech Support.” It will feature any tech questions and support that will help the lost beginner.

The title may have thrown you off. This article is actually about choosing the right PC using the Speed Dating method. I used this method when I bought my laptop a year ago.

School is coming. Students are working hard to earn minimum wage. Some are saving up for University/College funds. Some are just saving up so they can get some pocket money. And then there’s you. As a teenager, you want to buy your own computer. Fact is, the computer that you already have was bought by someone else. That someone isn’t you. So, you plan to buy a PC.

After working hours and hours at that popular fast food restaurant, you finally saved up enough money to buy a PC. Now what?

Ask yourself the following questions in exact order.

1. Do I really need it? (If yes, continue)
2. What am I going to use it for? (Answers may vary)
3. Do I have the money for it? (If yes, continue)

Now that you have all the things needed – objective and cash – you may now begin to think about buying a computer!

Before you begin with the Speed Dating method, you WILL need the following:

• The money, of course…
• A little bit of PC knowledge
• Two to three hours of your day

The idea of this method is simple. Given the two to three hour time frame, you go to your nearest electronics retail store (ex. Best Buy or Future Shop etc), go to the computers section and “date” any computer that catches your eye. This is where PC knowledge comes in. Learn about its features, performance, hardware and software. Take a look at its processor, how much RAM it has (and can handle), what operating system (although most of the time it will be Windows 8, but if you get lucky, get Windows 7), and all of its specifications. List them down so that later, when looking at other PCs, you’ll be able to compare them against each other. Give yourself at least fifteen minutes per computer and switch to another one. By this rate, you’ll be able to look at eight computers in two hours. Use the last hour for figuring what you need to purchase like warranty, setup and other software. Then, use your money to buy it. Make sure you take into account all the taxes the government adds in when purchasing an electronic device.

It actually took me approximately one hour to figure out which laptop to buy. It was probably because I planned it before and did my research online. I just had to check it out myself in a demo at Best Buy to see if I liked it.

This is a great method to use when buying your first PC because not only do you gain a great PC, you also gain knowledge about the pros and cons of different types of computers.

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