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Survey: Notebook Service and Support Satisfaction

Survey: Notebook Service and Support Satisfaction

Finding that perfect laptop is one thing, but dealing with the manufacturer if something goes wrong is another. If you’ve had the pleasure of dealing with customer service and sending in a faulty notebook under warranty, then we’d like to hear from you and your experiences through our short survey.
Jan 6
Verizon HQ in New York, Verizon acquires Niddel

Verizon acquires Niddel

Verizon decided to buy Niddel for improving its malware detection and response for enterprise customers thanks to the machine-learning-based automated threat hunting technology of the latter.
Honor 7X Smartphone Review

82% Honor 7X Smartphone Review

6-inch 18:9 Android for $199. Huawei has taken a page out of the current crop of flagship smartphones to deliver one of the most compelling Android smartphones yet for under $200 USD.
HiSilicon Kirin 659 | ARM Mali-T830 MP2 | 5.93" | 165 g
Samsung Notebook 7 Spin (2018) (Source: Samsung Newsroom)

CES 2018 | Samsung Notebook 7 Spin (2018) now official

The highlights of the updated Samsung Notebook 7 Spin include a 360-degree rotating touchscreen, Active Pen support, an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD drive. This Windows 10 notebook should hit the US market in the first quarter of the year.
The new Thunderbolt 3 controller comes with support for DisplayPort 1.4. (Source: Intel)

Intel's new 'Titan Ridge' Thunderbolt 3 controller brings support for DisplayPort 1.4

Intel has announced upgraded Thunderbolt 3 controllers belonging to the JHL7x40 series, codenamed 'Titan Ridge'. The new controllers retain the 40 Gbps bandwidth and add support for the DisplayPort 1.4 specification.
HP Chromebook 11 G6 and Chromebook 14 G5 coming with MIL-STD-certified designs and USB Type-C charging (Source: HP)

HP Chromebook 11 G6 and Chromebook 14 G5 coming with MIL-STD-certified designs and USB Type-C charging

The rugged redesign should help these education-centric Chromebooks survive the chaos and destruction that is the K-12 grade school classroom.
Intel purportedly knew of architecture vulnerabilities six months ahead of Coffee Lake launch (Image source: Intel)

Intel purportedly knew of architecture vulnerabilities months ahead of Coffee Lake launch

The PR blunders will likely haunt Intel for the rest of the year as fans ponder if the chipmaker could have delayed Coffee Lake even further to address the critical concerns at the silicon level.
Jan 5
The Snapdragon 670 could be seen on 2018 flagships. (Source: Qualcomm)

Purported Snapdragon 670 benchmark scores show it trading blows with the Snapdragon 835

The Snapdragon 670 will be Qualcomm's next sub-premium SoC. A Geekbench listing has shown the SoC delivering performance scores that actually compete with last year's Snapdragon 835.
Product lines which include affected units. (Source: HP)

Charred and melted: HP issues a battery recall for some models

HP has issued a battery recall that covers 15 models using a specific battery supplier. A utility has been provided to verify if yours is at risk and HP is providing free battery replacements at authorised repair centers.
Is this the new X1 Carbon 2018?

ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6: Windows-boss Myerson might have leaked a picture of the new ThinkPad flagship

That might have been a bit too hastily: Terry Myerson, the head of the Windows-division of Microsoft, has twittered about the new PCs announced yesterday by Dell and HP – and he might have revealed a new flagship ThinkPad by doing so.
Moto G4 Play Android smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 gets Android 7.1.1

Moto G4 Play finally gets Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Although Android 7.1.1 Nougat has been around for more than a year, the Moto G4 Play did not get it until now. Even with this delay, it is still a good thing to offer the update to a phone that is almost two years old and arrived on the market for just US$99.
Image: Computerworld.com

Apple devices are already protected against Meltdown without any hit to performance

With the massive vulnerabilities recently discovered in Intel CPUs, the main question on everyone's minds are when affected devices will be updated to guard against possible exploits. Apple is ahead of the game; apparently, the latest versions of their various operating systems protect against Meltdown, and a fix for Spectre is coming to Safari in the next f...
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The Nokia 6 (2018). (Source: Suning)

Update #2 | Details, images, and pricing of the Nokia 6 (2018) revealed

Full details of the Nokia 6 (2018) have been revealed. The device will be powered by the Snapdragon 630 and while it doesn't feature dual rear cameras, its price tag makes it an extremely attractive proposition.
Schenker Slim 14 (i5-8250U, UHD 620) Laptop Review

81% Schenker Slim 14 (i5-8250U, UHD 620) Laptop Review

Variable mobility. Schenker promises to deliver a thin and light notebook with the highest possible mobility to the buyers of the Slim 14. In particular business users, but also students are targeted by this concept. We tested whether the Schenker Slim 14 also keeps in practice what it promises on paper.
Intel Core i5-8250U | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 14" | 1.6 kg
OnePlus 5T Sandstone White (Source: OnePlus)

OnePlus 5T Sandstone White coming next week

The OnePlus 5T flagship in white sandstone finish is finally official and will hit the market on January 9. Just as expected, it is similar to its white Start Wars edition that only launched in India.
OnePlus 5T

91% OnePlus 5T Smartphone Review

It is back! Only a few months after its predecessor was released, OnePlus has now presented its newest smartphone. The OnePlus 5T comes in the modern 2:1 format and has improved cameras. But are there enough changes for it to be a convincing update?
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998) | Qualcomm Adreno 540 | 6.01" | 162 g
Spotify homepage detailed, Spotify has 70 million paid subscribers

Spotify has 70 million paid subscribers

Compared to September 2016, Spotify now has 50 percent more paid subscribers. The count of 70 million comes just in time since Spotify apparently filed for its direct listing IPO at the end of December.
The new fanless ZBOX mini PCs can now accommodate overclocked Kaby Lake-R CPUs. (Source: Zotac)

Zotac announces this year's mini PC updates

The 2018 Zotac mini PCs will get CPUs ranging from Gemini Lake ultra-low voltage chips to six-core gen 8 processors from Intel. The fanless models will feature redesigned chassis that support processors with TDPs up to 25 W, allowing for pre-overclocked Kaby Lake-R processors.
The R.A.T. AIR will be showcased at CES 2018, along with a host of new gaming accessories. (Source: Mad Catz)

Mad Catz is back in business with a new management team and a new vision

The legendary hardware brand returns under Chinese management and with reimagined product lines that will be showcased at CES 2018.
G.Skill Sniper X DDR4 RAM comes in three camouflage designs. (Source: G.Skill)

CES 2018 | G.Skill's new Sniper X DDR4 memory comes with a touch of camouflage

G.Skill has announced the availability of Sniper X DDR4 3600 RAM in a camouflage design that complements gaming PCs. G.Skill offers capacities up to 128 GB and the modules come with support for XMP 2.0.
Linux Mint 18.3 running the Cinnamon desktop environment. (Source: Linux Mint)

Linux Mint 19.x 'Tara' to release in mid 2018

The next version of Linux Mint, Linux Mint 19, will release sometime in May or June this year. The popular Linux distro will be based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
BlackBerry Motion in review

83% BlackBerry Motion Smartphone Review

A BlackBerry without a physical keyboard! Nothing like this has ever happened before. The BlackBerry Motion shows that it can be done, without a physical keyboard. The latest Smartphone from the brand is based on Google’s Android OS instead of the conventional BlackBerry OS. The preferred audience, however, continues to be business people.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 | Qualcomm Adreno 506 | 5.5" | 167 g
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Samsung Exynos 9810 SoC

Exynos M3 / Cortex-A55 ARM 8 cores - 2900 MHz 10nm
Mobile Processors - Benchmark List

Mobile Processors - Benchmark List

This is a benchmark list of mobile processors like Intel Core M, A10, A8, Atom, ... series - sorted by performance.
Jan 4
The Kirin 659 offers worthy competition. (Source: AnandTech)

Snapdragon 625 vs Kirin 659: Battle of the mid-range heavyweights

Ever wondered how the new Kirin 659 compares to the Snapdragon 625? So have we! Hop in to find out which one comes out on top in the battle of mid-range players.
The G6 may very well be the last device to follow that format. (Source: Digital Trends)

LG set for G-series naming scheme overhaul

Amidst rumors that Huawei’s upcoming P-series device will see a random name switch to the P20, LG may also be set to do something similar with the upcoming G-series flagship.
The company looks to be on the way up. (Source: MediaTek)

There are apparently a number of 7nm MediaTek SoCs on the cards

MediaTek's ambitions for 2018 get grander as the days go by. The Taiwanese company is set to announce the 12nm Helio P40 and P70 soon, and word on the grapevine claims there may also be three 7nm SoCs on the cards this year.
It is rumored that an embargo on the details of the flaw are due to be lifted later this month, after patches have been issued. (Source: Intel)

UPDATE | Intel hardware flaw will cause a drop in performance for kernel heavy processes once fixed

Updated with response from Intel. A security flaw has been found in the way that Intel processors from the last ten years handle kernel memory. The solution being implemented in the Windows and Linux kernels can vary from virtually no impact up to 20% or 30% for processes that involve a high number of kernel calls, such as writing to databases.
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The 88-inch 8K display was announced ahead of CES 2018, but a unit should also be showcased at the Las Vegas event. (Source: LG)

LG presents world's first 88-inch 8K OLED display

Even though the market is not yet ready for the 8K standard , LG breaks the ice releasing the first 8K OLED display with an impressive 88-inch diagonal and astounding brightness.
Spectre is more difficult to pull off, but it is harder to mitigate, as well. (Source: Google)

Microsoft releases emergency patches to address Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities affecting most current processors

Windows promptly released security updates for all the Windows 10 builds in ordered to fix the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities discovered by the Google Project Zero team earlier this week. Although there have not been reports of exploited systems, Windows 10 users had better install the patch.
ThinkPad L380 & L380 Yoga, ThinkPad L480 & ThinkPad L580: Affordable business class is updated with two 13-inch models

CES 2018 | ThinkPad L380 & L380 Yoga, ThinkPad L480 & ThinkPad L580: Affordable business class is updated with two 13-inch models

Beneath the more expensive ThinkPad T series, Lenovo places the L series as the "Value Choice" for companies. The new generation of the L series announced at CES is much thinner and lighter. Additionally, Lenovo adds two 13-inch models to the series.
ThinkPad T480s, ThinkPad T480 & ThinkPad T580: Quad Core CPUs and the GeForce MX150 are coming to the traditional T series

CES 2018 | ThinkPad T480s, ThinkPad T480 & ThinkPad T580: Quad Core CPUs and the GeForce MX150 are coming to the traditional T series

As it happens almost every year, Lenovo announced the new versions of the ThinkPad T series. T480 and T580 are simple updates of their predecessors, but the ThinkPad T480s is a complete redesign compared with the T470s.
ThinkPad X280 & ThinkPad X380 Yoga: A long overdue redesign and a change of name

CES 2018 | ThinkPad X280 & ThinkPad X380 Yoga: A long overdue redesign and a change of name

The development of the ThinkPad X series in the last years wasn´t very revolutionary, but the new ThinkPad X280 announced today represents a big jump forward. Additionally, the ThinkPad Yoga series is being integrated into the X series.
The Samsung Exynos 9810 SoC. (Source: Samsung)

CES 2018 | Samsung intros the Exynos 9 Series 9810 SoC aimed at richer multimedia and AI applications

Samsung has announced the new Exynos 9 Series 9810 SoC based on the 10nm fabrication process. The SoC's high performance cores can reach 2.9 GHz and has a 6CA LTE modem along with the capability for deep learning processing.
The Dell XPS 13 9370 is the full refresh we've been waiting for

CES 2018 | The Dell XPS 13 9370 is the full refresh we've been waiting for

More than just a thinner facade, the next generation XPS 13 offers a host of new hardware features from top to bottom for a starting price of under $1000 USD.
LandingZone Docking Station for 15-inch MacBook Pro Review

LandingZone Docking Station for 15-inch MacBook Pro Review

LandingZone recently launched its new USB 3.1 Type-C Docking Station for the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and we have it on hand to review. The dock boasts 16 ports, which makes it quite unique in the docking station market. It is not, however, TB3-based.
Lenovo ThinkVision P32u. (Source: Lenovo)

CES 2018 | Two new Lenovo ThinkVision monitors: The ridiculously thin X24, and the highly color-accurate P32u

Lenovo has announced two new ThinkVision monitors. One is a sleek looking FullHD monitor with a slim body and thin bezels, while the other runs at 4K, boasts a higher degree of color accuracy, and supports a wider range of movement and more inputs.
Our thoughts on the current state of the Ataribox

Our thoughts on the current state of the Ataribox

The upcoming Ataribox is one of the most anticipated retro-based consoles this year. However, there have been some questionable moves by the company behind the product that should leave retro gamers skeptical of the console.
Image: TENAA (China)

New leak shows specs of Nokia 6, which might debut this Friday

A new leak via a Chinese regulatory agency shows that the 2018 refresh of the Nokia 6 may pack the Snapdragon 630, 4 GB of RAM, and a 5.5" 16:9 FHD screen. While these specs are still just a rumor, we may see an announcement about the device from HMD this Friday.
The forthcoming HTC U12 has surfaced in a render. (Source: SuggestPhone)

HTC U12 surfaces with full-screen display

HTC's first flagship-level smartphone for 2018 has surfaced in the a render of the device. It looks like it could be mistaken for the nearly full-screen iPhone X, except without that device's controversial notch.
Google is testing its Fuchsia OS on its Pixelbooks. (Source: Google)

Google testing unreleased Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook

Google has expanded the testing of its mysterious Fuchsia OS to its recently released Pixelbooks. The operating system differs from Google's Android and Chrome operating systems, although Google has yet to reveal its purpose.
Jan 3
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple buys Buddybuild

Apple acquires Buddybuild

The Canadian app development toolkit makers Buddybuild have joined Apple, where they will become a part of the Xcode engineering group. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The Mi 6. (Source: AndroidPit)

Xiaomi Mi 7 to support Qi wireless charging

The Mi 7 may just be 2018's killer device. The Xiaomi flagship has been confirmed to offer wireless charging functionalities that, when coupled with a Snapdragon 845, facial recognition, and a sub-$500 price tag makes the device one to watch out for.
LG G6. (Source: Digital Trends)

LG G6 set for Oreo update in February

The LG G6, released at the start of 2017, may be set to get its stable Oreo update, months after users in China received their betas.
Samsung Headquarters. (Source: Social Barrel)

Samsung sets objective for 2018 at 320 million smartphone shipments, company to focus on higher profit margins

Samsung has reportedly set its target for smartphone shipments for the year at 320 million, just about the same figure the company achieved in 2017. This is said to be the first step in a transition to a business model focusing more on profit margins.
LG may be supplying Apple with 6.5-inch OLED panels for H2 2018 (Image source: oled-info.com)

LG may be supplying Apple with 6.5-inch OLED panels for H2 2018

The unconfirmed reports point towards 16 million units of a supposed 6.5-inch iPhone by the end of the year.
Nissan is working on cars that can read your mind

CES 2018 | Nissan is working on cars that can read your mind

Nissan is developing a new technology, named Brain-to-Vehicle (B2V), that will help car interpret human thoughts. The aim of the tech is to help newer cars better anticipate driver decisions and work with the human operator rather than to function autonomously.
CAT S31 Smartphone Review

79% CAT S31 Smartphone Review

Smart industry phone. The rugged smartphones from Caterpillar, a manufacturer of construction equipment, are entering the next round. On the outside everything stays as it is, but on the inside some improvements have been made. In our test we found out what exactly is new about the extreme outdoor smartphone Cat S31.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909 | Qualcomm Adreno 304 | 4.7" | 200 g
LG V30 Raspberry Rose Android flagship (Source: LG Newsroom)

CES 2018 | LG V30 Raspberry Rose coming soon to South Korea

In addition to the existing violet, blue, silver, and black editions, the LG V30 handset gets a "Raspberry Rose" variant. This new color option will be on display at CES 2018 and is expected to hit the South Korean market later this month.
HP Pavilion 15t (i5-8250U, 940MX, FHD) Laptop Review

81% HP Pavilion 15t (i5-8250U, 940MX, FHD) Laptop Review

Disappointing display. The Pavilion 15 offers a ULV quad-core processor, a dedicated GeForce graphics core, and a solid-state disk. The greatest weakness of this device is the disappointing display.
Intel Core i5-8250U | NVIDIA GeForce 940MX | 15.6" | 1.8 kg

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Notebookcheck (Update: 2018-01- 4)