Asus Chromebook C200

A Chromebook is a laptop running on Chrome OS as its operating system. It is built primarily to run while connected to the internet with very limited offline capability.  Most of the applications and data run on a chromebook reside in  a data cloud. As such, chromebooks are designed with basic hardware specification to run basic applications. The first commercial Chromebooks  from Acer and Samsung went on market in mid 2011. To date, there are countless players in this market including Google itself, which entered the market early last year. Chromebooks have become increasingly popular because they are highly portable and affordable.

If you are looking for a laptop to run basic applications like web browsing, social networking or watching videos, you need an affordable laptop, and the Asus Chromebook C200 is a great choice. It is priced at  only $249. The Asus Chromebook C200 is a sleek ultrabook, with a lot of features. At the heart of this Chromebook is an Intel Atom CPU running Chrome OS.

Attractive features on the Asus Chromebook C200

• Compact and ultra-light laptop

The Asus Chromebook C200 features a compact laptop design weighing only 1.15kgs. This makes it suitable for everyday use wherever and whenever.

• Spacious touchpad and keyboard

The Chromebook C200 is designed with a full sized keyboard and a large touchpad to simultaneously enhance comfort, provide multi finger gesture support and provide a fast accurate action.

• Front facing HD Webcam

Chromebook C200 is equipped with an HD camera that you can use to take photos, record videos as well as for video conference calls with colleagues and workmates.

• WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0

Stay connected to a host of your favorite devices and network either through WiFi or Bluetooth. With this Chromebook's WiFi adapter, you can stream videos and browse the internet at ease.

Full tech Specs of Chromebook C200

Main Processors and memory

• Intel® Bay Trail-M Dual/Quad Core Celeron N2930 Processor
• 2 GB / 4 GB DDR3L MHz SDRAM, OnBoard Memory
• 11.6" 16:9 HD/GL/LED (1366x768)
• Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 
• 16GB/32GB eMMC 
• SD/SDHC card reader

Connectivity

• Integrated 802.11a/b/g/n/ac or 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0 support (on WLAN+ BT 4.0 combo card)

Input/Output ports on Chromebook C200

• 1 combo audio jack
• 1 SuperSpeed(SS) USB 3.0 port
• 1 USB 2.0 port
• 1 HDMI port

Other on-board devices

• Built-in stereo speakers
• 1 Microphone
• HD Web Camera

Power Requirements

Chromebook C200 is powered by a 3-cell 48Wh battery. Its power adapter is rated at, Output: 19V DC, 1.75A, 33W, Input : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz

Weight and Dimensions

Chromebook C200 weighs 1.15kg when installed with a 3-cell battery. It measures 304.3 x 200 x 19.8 cm (WxDxH).

Buying guide

• Chromebooks in general rely heavily on Google apps available on chrome store. They do not support Microsoft Office Suite. A free cloud version of office, Microsoft Web Apps, compatible with Chromebooks is available. You can also use the native Google Drive to open, run documents, spreadsheets and presentations. All your old Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations can be imported directly into Google Drive, allowing you to work on your files. However, there are known compatibility issues between documents created using Google Drive and MS office. So you might want to stick with MS office for documents created using Microsoft Office.

• Chromebooks are heavily reliant on internet connectivity. Almost all apps on the chromebooks run from the cloud. You might be rendered unproductive if you are out of WiFi range.

• Chromebooks are not good for everybody. They are meant for basic web browsing, social networking, email access, etc. They cannot for instance be used for heavy gaming since their video graphics processing power is very limited.

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Elgato Thunderbolt Dock

If you have challenges connecting your Mac to your other devices, the Elgato Thunderbolt Dock is the best of solution for you. It allows you to connect a Mac to multiple devices with a single cable, and it gets particularly useful if the main device is your portable laptop. Inter-connect just about anything including but not limited to your Mac, MacBook, iPad, Headsets, Backup Drive, iPhone,etc. Elgato Thunderbolt Dock features HDMI 1.4 for AV signal output, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity and Thunderbolt option for networking with other compatible devices or servers. The Elgato is a top notch USB hub solution that will provide you with a faster network connection over a single cable.

Technical specs of the Elgato Thunderbolt Dock

Input/Output Ports

• 2 Thunderbolt (10 Gbps)
• 3 USB 3.0 (5 Gbps, support for bus-powered devices, UASP & USB 2.0 compatible)
• 1 RJ45 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet

Output Ports

• 1 HDMI 1.4 Output (up to 2560x1600 pixels resolution, HDCP compliant)
• 1 3.5mm Audio Output (analog stereo, via built-in DAC)

Input Ports

• 1 3.5mm Microphone Input (mono, via built-in DAC)
• 1 Power Input (DC 12V 5A)

Dimensions & Weight

• Dimensions: 17.8 x 8 x 2.5 cm / 7 x 3.2 x 1 in
• Weight: 260 g / 9 oz

Buying tips

• The Elgato Thunderbolt Dock is quite pricey, going for €229.95. You need to make sure it is compatible with the devices you wish to inter-connect before you buy. Support for HDMI, SuperSpeed as well as Thunderbolt ports is a must if you are to get value for money.

• The HDMI port does not support 4K displays. If your display is 4K, this is not the device for you.

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PlayStation 4

Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) was built with a vision of unified memory between a Central Processor Unit (CPU) and a Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) as required by the game developers community. The ever increasing quest for game developers to build new blockbuster games with stunning HD graphics for game enthusiasts has put a strain on the existing distributed hardware architecture. Sony's PS4 goes an extra mile in solving this bottleneck. The CPU and GPU have been built on a single custom chip x86-64 AMD Jaguar, sharing the
same pool of high speed memory, GDDR5.  Building the chip on the familiar x86 processor architecture created an easy to use hardware by game developers. The chip was custom made by AMD for Sony specifically for PS4 development. The challenges presented by 3D and high fidelity video graphics rendering on one hand, and the need for high speed asynchronous computing on the other, inspired this great innovation.

Attractive features of the PS4

• Single custom chip with unified memory

The Powerful custom made main processor chip built with unified high speed memory makes it feasible for high quality graphics rendering required for PS4.

• Play as you download

You no longer need to download the whole title before you can play. If you purchased a game enabled with this feature on PS4, you can almost instantly start playing as the rest of the title downloads in the background.

• Personalized Content

The PS4 software is able to learn of your preferences thereby allowing you to discover content from your favorite game genres.

• PlayStation Vita Remote Play

PS4 allows PS Vita gamers to play a range of game titles on the PS4 over WiFi access points.

• PlayStation app for iPhone, iPad and Android

The PlayStation app allows the extension of the PS4 to a smartphone screen and with it you can download games remotely to your console directly and in addition watch other game play of the other gamers in your network.

PlayStation 4 full tech specs

• 8 core, low power single custom chip x86-64 AMD jaguar

The x86-64 AMD jaguar custom chip houses the CPU and the 1.84 Tera FLOPs, AMD ATI Radeon Graphics Core Next Engine.

• 8GB GDDR5 DRAM

Game consoles and (3D) graphics rendering just like video editing and high performance computing require unprecedented memory bandwidth and high speed system stability.  GDDR5 combines these two features and is thence well suited for these applications which explains why it has been widely adopted in video graphics cards.

• Built-in 500GB HDD

The PS4 is shipped with an built-in 500GB memory Hard Drive.

• Read only optical drive

The PS4 features a slow optical drive that is rated at 6 x CAV for Blu-ray discs and , 8 x CAV for DVD, where CAV is Constant Angular Velocity.

• SuperSpeed (SS) USB port

PS4 features USB 3.0, a port for data transfer capable of transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps.

• Networking and Connectivity

PS4 is equipped with a gigabit Ethernet port for Local Area Networking (LAN), an 802.11b/g/n WiFi adapter for Wireless LAN (WLAN) and Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate 2.1.

• Audio Video output

To output AV signals from the PS4  to a display screen or home theater you can either use an HDMI connection cable or an optical digital cable.

• AUX port

An Auxiliary port is also a headphone Jack and through it you can connect audio input and output signals from MP3 players, Music Players, Amplifiers, Speakers or headphones.

Buying tips

• PS4 is built to for entertainment. It has a rich portfolio entertainment applications such as Netflix, Amazon, Crackle, etc that provide access to thousands of premium TV shows and movies. It is built to keep you connected to the gaming community and to entertainment stores through your WiFi connection. If you don't have a broadband connection, keeping a local copy for favorite TV shows, videos, and games for offline access on your hard drive, might very compelling. This can quickly deplete your hard drive space. If you envisage doing heavy downloads, you will need to upgrade the internal drive to  preferably 2TB.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 3

A lot of innovation has been ongoing over last couple of years in tablet PC development. We have witnessed the advent of 2-in-1 PCs. Microsoft's surface family of tablets has progressively been improved over time from Surface X series to Surface Pro X series. Surface Pro 3 is the latest and most powerful 2-in-1 tablet PC in the Surface family. It is built to offer a more powerful performance than an ordinary laptop while retaining all the features of a tablet particularly portability.

Attractive features on Microsoft Surface Pro 3

• A 12-inch Full HD plus multi touch display screen

Surface Pro 3 features a 12 inch Full HD plus 2160 x 1440 pixel display LCD screen built by Microsoft. The large multi touch screen is built to give a crystal clear display to enhance your eye comfort while working.

• Ultra-slim and ultra-light

Surface Pro 3 is the thinnest and lightest tablet in the Surface Pro family weighing only 0.8kg and 0.55 inches thick with the keyboard attached. It is a tablet built for the busy travelers. It enables you to keep in touch with friends and family on social networks as well have access to corporate and personal mail.

• Run your favorite desktop apps on Surface Pro 3

Surface Pro 3 is built to be very responsive and  fast. You can install favorite desktop apps such as a Microsoft office suite.

• Write naturally with a premium pen

The Surface Pro 3 is supplied with an aluminum pen that writes and feels like an natural pen. The palm block technology enables you to rest your palm and write naturally without leaving a trace.

• Multi position Kickstand and Type Cover

With the multi position kickstand and type cover, you can transform Surface Pro 3 from a tablet to a laptop in seconds. This makes it very convenient to work from anywhere.

Full tech specs of Surface Pro 3

• Pre-loaded with 32-bit windows 8.1 Operating System
• Intel Core i5-4300U 1.9 GHz  processor family.
• 8GB RAM
• MicroSD card support
• 256GB Solid State Drive
• 12" 2160 x 1440 WXGA display screen.
• Multi touch input screen
• Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU
• 802.11ac/802.11a/b/g/n WLAN
• Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology
• Digital Compass
• USB 3.0 port
• Mini DisplayPort
• Type Cover port
• Stereo speakers with Dolby Sound
• Built-in microphones
• Head phone Jack
• 5.0 Mega pixel Webcam
• 5.0 Mega pixel rear facing Camera
• Ambient light sensors for sensing light intensity
• Accelerometer sensors for orientation sensing
• Gyroscope sensor for sensing angular velocity
• Magnetometer sensor for sensing the magnetic field of the earth
• Battery that lasts up to a maximum of 9 hours of web browsing.
• 36W AC power adapter.
• Multi position kickstand
• Weighs approximately 0.8kgs.

Buying tips

• If you consider 4G LTE connectivity to be important like I do, you might choose to hold off buying the Surface Pro 3 because this option is not available. Microsoft for some reason chose to omit this important feature on it's flagship tablet PC and yet it was available on the first generation surface tablets.

• The Surface Pro 3 has no built-in HDMI port. If you want to enjoy HD movies or HD video games on your big screen via HDMI connectivity, you have to purchase separately a mini DisplayPort to HD AV adapter at about $39.99. There have been complaints that this adapter doesn't support 4K displays. I haven't tested this myself. 

• The Surface Pro 3 similarly does not have an in-built Ethernet port. By buying a Surface to Ethernet adapter you can adapt your USB 3.0 to a wired LAN of up to 1Gbps data rates.

• If you are upgrading from a first generation surface tablet PC, you might to consider carefully your requirements and how the new Surface Pro 3 will meet them. This is because it is way pricier than its predecessors. For instance if you decide to purchase in addition, a few accessories like the Arc mouse, docking station, HDMI adapter, Ethernet Adapter and Type Cover, the total cost would very nearly get to $1780.

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Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet - 7 Inch

Amazon digital services has been tweaking its Kindle Fire devices over the years and the Kindle Fire HD series is a result of this work. Kindle Fire HDX is the new 7'' Tablet that replaces the old 2012 Kindle fire HD. Among the improvements from previous versions is the CPU and HDX display screen. The Kindle Fire HDX features a 2.2GHz Quad-core processor and 2GB RAM tailored for a flawless fluid gaming action and video. The 7" HDX display is a high pixel density screen that reproduces life-like images with impeccable clarity. HDX tablets are sold in three variants, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of which you have an option of choosing WiFi models only or WiFi + 4G models.

Attractive features on Kindle Fire HDX

• Powerful and fast CPUs

The 2.2GHz quad-core processor and the Adreno 330 GPU make resource intensive gaming possible without annoying "buffering effects" experienced on slower tablets and with exceptional console quality.

• Mayday button

The availability of 24x7 free tech support for all Kindle Fire HDX tablet customers is a plus. You can connect to a tech expert anytime, anywhere for quick help.

• HDX Display

Kindle Fire HDX's display is a 323 pixel per inch screen display which makes it reproduce stunning images with more than HD quality.

• Over 100,000 games and apps

Like all other Kindle Fire tablets, you have access to over 100,000 apps from the amazon app store which are downloadable to your device.

Full tech specs of Kindle Fire HDX

• 2.2GHz quad-core processore
• 7" 1900 x1200 display screen
• 2GB RAM
• Adreno 330 GPU Video graphics processor.
• Front Facing HD camera.
• MIMO WiFi
• 4G LTE
• Dolby Audio
• Dual Stereo Speakers
• Built-in microphone
• 64GB internal memory
• A single battery charge gives you 11 hours of mixed use
• Mayday button 
• Micro USB port for data transfer and charging
• 3.5mm audio for a headset jack

Buying Guide

• The Kindle fire HDX has been priced at a starting price of $229. At this price you get a 16GB model with WiFi only and in addition ads always display on your lock screen. If you are a heavy data user, the WiFi only model can suffice but special ads showing on your lock screen might be annoying! So you might want to pay $244, which is a little bit extra to get rid of the ads.

• Heavy downloads require bigger memory space, so you might choose a Kindle Fire HDX model with 32GB or 64GB of internal memory instead of a model with 16GB memory. 

• WiFi data access charges are generally lower than 4G LTE data charges. For heavy online gamers, the WiFi only Kindle Fire HDX model might be an appropriate choice since most of the time you will be using WiFi access.

• Battery power consumption is hard to estimate because it depends on the tablet usage. But in general, a 4G LTE data access, display ads on lock screen, consume the battery more rapidly. 

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Acer Aspire Switch 10

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a super light weight budget laptop that can be used both as a tablet and laptop. You can flip or rotate it through virtually 360 degrees about its snap hinge or detach the screen completely to use the Switch 10 as a tablet. It is powered by an Intel Atom processor and features a 10.1" HD multi touch anti glare screen built with scratch resistant Gorilla glass. It is supplied with Windows 8.1 OS. If you are not a heavy laptop user, this laptop provides the best two-in-one solution. At a starting price of $429.99, it rivals Microsoft's surface pro 3, which is much more expensive!

Attractive features on Aspire Switch 10

• HD multi touch anti glare display screen

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 features a wide XGA HD display LCD screen built with IPS technology. The multi-touch screen and LCD are fitted almost seamlessly together to produce an anti-glare and vivid display suitable for working outdoors where there is too much light. 
IPS (In-plane switching) is a screen technology that remarkably improves response time, color reproduction and provides a wider viewing angle for LCDs. With IPS, Liquid Crystal molecules are oriented and actively switched parallel to the plane of the glass plates in which they are contained. With this technology, the Acer Aspire Switch 10, presents an impeccable display for all conditions even bright sunlight.

• Scratch resistant screen

The Aspire Switch 10 features a screen built with scratch resistant Gorilla glass 3 that is three times as resistant to scratches as ordinary gorilla glass.

• Acer snap hinge

The snap hinge let's you transform your Acer Aspire switch 10 laptop into a tablet. You detach or re-attach the screen to the keyboard easily with this hinge and the display is held in place by a magnetic force.

• Ultra-slim and ultra-light

The Acer Aspire switch 10 is very thin and light. At 1.17kg and 8.9mm thick in tablet mode, it is one of the slimmest two-in-one laptops on market right now.

• Acer Lumiflex display

The Acer Aspire switch 10 features a Lumiflex display for optimized color control well suited for displaying images and watching videos under bright sunny conditions.

Full tech specs of Aspire Switch 10

• Pre-loaded with 32-bit windows 8.1 Operating System
• 1.33GHz/1.83GHz Quad-core Intel processor and Chipset family from Intel corporation.
• Expandable 2GB DDR3L SDRAM
• MicroSD and extended microSD card support
• 500GB Serial ATA HDD
• 10.1" 1280 x 800 WXGA Active matrix color LCD screen.
• In-plane switching(IPS) and LED backlight screen technology 
• Multi touch screen
• Intel HD Graphics controller chipset
• 64GB DDR3LM SDRAM shared Graphics memory
• 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN
• Bluetooth 4.0 + HS
• HDMI port
• micro USB
• Stereo speakers, HD audio
• Built-in microphone
• Built-in Webcam
• 5910mAH 2-cell Lithium Polymer Battery that lasts up to a maximum of 8 hours.
• 18W AC power adapter.
• Weighs approximately 1.29 pounds.

Buying tips

• If you run applications that require a lot of processing power, choose an aspire switch 10, with 1.83GHz processor clock speed.
• It is also advisable to expand SDRAM from 2GB to 4GB.

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7.2 Ch. Sony Muteki STR-KM7 specs

The Sony Muteki STR-KM7 AV receiver has been around for quite some time and party lovers like it because it delivers on power just as promised. For a full review click here while for a full system specification, continue reading.

Amplifier specifications:

• 7.2 Channel Analog Amplifier; Total power output - 2012W RMS (6 Ohms, 1kHz, 10% THD)
• Stereo Output mode(6 ohms, 1kHz, 1%THD), Output (L+R, 120W + 120W)
• Surround mode output (6 ohms, 1kHz, 10% THD), Output FL/FR /C/SR/SL/SBR/SBL = 216W. Subwoofer (4 ohms, 100Hz, 10%THD), SW = 250W.
• 4 Sound fields (Movie, Game, Music) and without lock.
• Falcon 1.1 DSP
• Bass and Treble equalizer (+/- 6dB)
• Speaker level (dBm) control; +/- 10 for Centre, Subwoofer and Surround speakers, L+1 to 8/R+1 to 8 or BALANCE for Front speakers.

Decoding formats:

• LPCM (2Ch, 5.1Ch, 7.2Ch) through HDMI
• Dolby Prologic II
• Dolby Dual mono
• 96kHz/24bit PCM
• DTS 96/24
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby TrueHD 
• HD Digital Cinema Sound

Inputs and outputs:

• Analog Audio in/out : 5/1
• Optical digital in/out: 2/0
• Coaxial in/out : 1/0
• Component video in/out: 2/1
• Composite video in/out: 2/1
• HDMI in/out: 3/1

 

Sensitivity

• Inputs

Analog: 800 mV/50k ohms
Digital (Coaxial) Impedance: 75 ohms

• Outputs

Analog Audio out: 800 mV/1k ohms

• Tone

Gain levels +/- 6 dB, 1 dB step

• Frequency Response

28Hz - 20k Hz        

Video features:

• A/V Sync
• 1080p HDMI Quality and 1080/24p
• HDMI Quality - 3D pass through and 3D over HDMI
• HDMI Quality - HDMI pass through
• HDMI Quality - Audio Return Channel (ARC)
• LPCM for HD surround from Blu-ray Disc.
• HDMI Quality - Deep colour/x.v.Color

Video specs

• Video In/Out level: 1 Vp-p, 75 ohms
• Component Video In/Out level: [Y: 1Vp-p, 75 ohms], [PB: 0.7Vp-p, 75 ohms], [PR: 0.7Vp-p, 75 ohms], 80MHz HD Pass through.

Tuner and general specs:

• FM/AM mode, Station name input, Direct/Auto tuning, Preset channel tuning
• Sleep timer(up to 2hrs), Auto standby, Union jack display
• Power requirements; 110-120V or 230-240V, 50-60Hz, 185W depending on region
• Power consumption standby: 0.3W
• USB Playback option located at the front of the system unit.

Speaker system:

• The HT-M7 home theater system is supplied with 9 speaker unit; 1 Centre(CN), 2 Front speakers (FR/FL), 2 Surround Back, (SBR/SBL), 2 Surround speakers (SR/SL) and 2 Subwoofers (SW).
• Bass reflex Front, surround, Subwoofer and centre speaker system.
• Metallic cone speaker system,
• Magnetically shielded speakers
• Subwoofer system: 250mm cone type
• Speaker weight: Front R/L -15kgs, Centre - 3.3kgs, Surround R/L -13kgs, SBL/SBR - 2.4kgs, Subwoofer(SW) - 8.5kgs 

Buying tips

• This muteki KM7 is very loud and is suitable for large room installations. The acoustics of a large room make the KM7 sound much better with minimal discernible sound distortions even when it is not properly sound calibrated. If you live in a rented neighborhood be careful about having late night parties for you might be thrown out by your landlord! 

• The STR-KM7 is very bulky; 9 speakers in total plus a AV receiver unit weighing almost 100kgs in total. It is not an appropriate choice for a small room because it requires a huge space and it may not be very pleasing to have speakers scattered allover the place.

• The KM7 is essentially an AV receiver supplied with speakers. To make it complete you need AV sources such as the Blu-ray/DVD/CD/MP3 Disc players, portable HDD players,  FTV/FTA satellite receivers, Gaming consoles, USB devices etc. 

•  The KM7 amplifier is rated at 10% THD, which is quite high. Sound distortions become very vivid if you listen to sound from a low quality source. The result can actually be very discomforting to the ears. A cumbersome solution would be to manually recalibrate the speaker output. The best solution though is to always use high quality AV sources to ensure the amplifier outputs high quality sound as well.

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Nook Glowlight eReader

Nook Glowlight eReader is a second generation eReader from Barnes & Noble. It is built with a 6 inch crisp E Ink pearl display that is built with 60% more pixels than its predecessors. Its fonts and GlowLight technology have been optimized for digital reading. With its battery lasting up to 8 weeks, the Nook GlowLight eReader is the real deal.

Key Features

• Massive digital book Selection

Get spoilt with choice! With over 3 million titles to choose from including 1 million FREE titles, magazines and newspapers, it is certainly all you can ask for. You are definitely bound to save a great deal on hard copy texts.

• A laminated anti-glare high resolution E ink display

The new anti-glare screen display has 60% more pixels than its predecessors (like the nook simple touch) to provide crisper text images suitable for reading wherever you are. The lamination ensures the screen survives whatever you throw at it; be it keys, coins,etc.

• Long battery life

Amazingly, a single charge can last up to 8 weeks. This makes it suitable for traveling; and the best part is that you don't have to carry a charger.

• Large Memory Capacity

Nook GlowLight holds up to 2,000 books. So you can shop and download your great read with the in-built Wi-Fi whenever you like.
 

• Nook optimized fonts and  GlowLight technology

Nook GlowLight's fonts have been carefully selected and optimized for easy reading. This coupled with the new GlowLight technology, which provides evenly dispersed light, ensures a  pleasant reading experience in dim and total darkness.

• Ultra-slim and ultra-light eReader

Nook GlowLight is ultra-slim and 18% lighter than Nook Simple Touch - its predecessor, with a soft-touch trim and rounded corners that fit naturally into your palms.

• LendMe Feature

With Nook GlowLight you can borrow books from your local library for free. In addition, you can share your favorite books with other Nook owners through the LendMe feature. 

• Free Nook Support

Nook support is available at all Barnes & Noble outlets. So you can always get free support from your nearest Barnes & Noble book sellers available country wide.

Technical specifications

• 6 inch 758 x 1024 E Ink Pearl Display with infrared touch technology, built-in anti-glare screen film and adjustable text sizes and font styles.
• 4GB Memory  Capacity: 2.5GB for content, of which 2GB reserved for Barnes & Noble content.
• Built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n ): Enjoy free WiFi in all Barnes & Noble stores, plus 30,000 AT&T hotsports.
• Micro USB connector for USB charging and PC connection.
• Supports PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, ePub file types.
• Heavy duty Battery lasting up to 8 weeks on a single charge. This is based on 30 minutes of reading per day and a single page refresh per minute.  
• Lightweight Nook: It weighs only 176gms or 6.2 ounces.It is very convenient and comfortable to carry.

Buying tips

• As a final note, unlike all previous nooks, the Nook GlowLight does not support a micro SD card and out of the 4GB on-board memory, only 500MB is available for personal digital books download. The 500MB might appear small, but considering the average ebook size is about 600kB, 500MB gives 800+ copies of digital downloads. 
• Depending on how you use the nook, battery charge may not last you as long as 8weeks but much less. 

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The Smartwatch Device Evolution

The smartwatch device market is gaining momentum. A number of players are joining the race. Among them include Sony, Nike, Seiko, Garmin, Motorola, LG, Hyundai, Pebble, Samsung and others. Samsung,  Sony and Pebble have the lion's share of the market. Innovation and development in the smartwatch is taking shape and today's smartwatch is equipped to do much more than when the first smart watch was introduced by Seiko in 1982. Pebble's smartwatch for instance can;

• Monitor and track body health: You can track your body activity using apps such as, Runkeeper, Runtastic, Movable, and Let's Muv installed on your smartwatch, for information about steps, sleep patterns, calories burned and so much more.
• Text messaging: The e-mail to SMS app takes advantage of email-to-text services by cellular providers  to deliver short emails to mobiles as SMS messages. The Email to SMS app enables users create a few pre-written texts—such as "In a meeting!" or "Driving now. Will text you later"—that can be sent directly from the watch. 
• Check sports scores: The ESPN Pebble app makes it possible to get a quick glance at NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA Football or NCAA Basketball scores.
• Act as a remote camera shutter: Your smartwatch can quickly be turned into a camera shutter for smartphones and cameras using a Pebble app. Similar features are also available on smartphone cameras through watch apps like PebbleCamera, Pebble Snap and PebbCam, among others.

•  Shake to get Yelp recommendations: If you're looking for loads of Yelp listings to evaluate, you'll still want to use your phone or laptop for that. But when you need a quick pick for a restaurant or bar, just open the Yelp Pebble app and shake your arm for a nearby recommendation. 

Samsung smartwatches have taken the market by storm. Realistically the gadgets are sleak and with a very beautiful cosmetic look. Samsung's recent Gear fit, Galaxy Gear and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches are the hottest selling from the Samsung brand.

With Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatches you can make phone calls, see messages as they arrive, take photos, Track your fitness and so much more.

If you plan to acquire a smartwatch, be ready to part with anything between $100 and $500.

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9.2 Ch. TX-NR929 Onkyo Network AV Receiver

The Onkyo TX-NR929 is a state of the art 9.2 channel Network AV receiver from Onkyo corporation. It is built to impress and will turn a 'big room into a small one'by virtue of its output. It provides an 11 speaker jack configuration for a 9.2 channel output. It can be connected in a 3-zone installation, in which Zone 1 enjoys a 5.1 channel movie, Zone 2, a movie with stereo audio and Zone 3 stereo audio. It provides Infrared, Bluetooth, LAN/WLAN and RS-232 for interconnection with compatible devices for automation.

Attractive features on the TX-NR929 AV Receiver

• HDMI Support for 3D, ARC and CEC HDMI
• Support for Deep Color, x.v.Color, LipSync  
• HDMI Support for DVD-Audio, SACD, Multichannel PCM
• Analog To HDMI Upconversion: (from 480/576i)
• 1080p Upscaling: (Marvell Qdeo)
• 4K (up to 4096 x 2160) Upscaling: (Marvell Qdeo) 
• 4K Passthrough
• Powered Zone2 and Zone3
• Zone 2 Line Out and Zone 2 Video Out
• HDMI Zone 3 Line Out
• iPod Ready: (via optional DS-A5)
• Airplay Ready: (via optional DS-A5)
• Supports Onkyo Remote App: (iPod touch/iPhone and Android-Powered Devices)
• Internet Radio Capable: (Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody, Sirius/XM, Slacker, last.fm, Aupeo!, TuneIn)
• Streaming Audio From PC / Network: (DLNA, Home Media)
• Streaming Audio Formats Supported: (MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC Stereo, Apple Lossless, DSD, LPCM, Dolby TrueHD 
• Wireless Network: (Wi-Fi-Certified) 
• Bluetooth: (Built-in)

 

TX-NR929 Amplifier tech specs

• All Channels: 160 W (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%THD, 2 channels driven)
• Front L/R: 160 W (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%THD, 2 channels driven) 
• Center: 160 W (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%THD, 2 channels driven)
• Surround L/R: 160 W (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%THD, 2 channels driven)
• Surround Back L/R: 160 W (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%THD, 2 channels driven)
• Dynamic Power: 300 W (3 Ohms, Front), 250 W (4 ohms, 1 Front), 150 W (8 ohms, Front)
• THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise): 0.08%THD (20 Hz-20 kHz, Rated Power)
• Damping Factor: 60 (Front, 1 kHz, 8 Ohms)
• Input Sensitivity and Impedance: 200 mV/470 Ohms (Line), 2.5 mV/47 k-ohms (Phono MM)
• Rated RCA Output Level and Impedance: 200 mV/470 Ohms (Line Out)
• Maximum RCA Output Level and Impedance: 4.6 V/470 Ohms (Line Out)
• Phono Overload: 70 mV (MM, 1 kHz, 0.5%THD):
• Frequency Response 5 Hz-100 kHz/+1 dB, -3 dB (Direct Mode)
• Tone Control: ±10 dB, 30 Hz (Bass), ±10 dB, 20 kHz (Treble)
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 110 dB (Line, IHF-A), 80 dB (Phono MM, IHF-A)
• Speaker Impedance: 4 Ohms–16 Ohms or 6 Ohms-16 Ohms 9.2 Channels (11 speakers)
• Power Watts/Channel: 135W (8ohms 20-20kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 Channels Driven) 
• THX Certified: Select2 Plus Continuous 6-ohms Rated and Certified 4ohms performance 
• All Discrete Circuitry 3-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry: (All Channels) PUSH-PULL Design
• Independent Power Supply Bi-amp Capability For Front 

 

Video and Audio Processing

• DTS Neo:X DTS Decoder
• DTS-HD Master Audio DOLBY Decoder
• True HD, DolbyDigital Plus, Dolby PLIIz 
• ONKYO GAME Surround Modes 
• THX Processing Mode 
• Audyssey DSX 
• Audyssey Dynamic EQ 
• Audyssey Dynamic Volume Music Optimizer: (Advanced) 192K/24 Bit DACs:  (Burr-Brown) 
• isf Certified Calibration Control 

 

Connectivity

• 3/0 in/out Audio 
• 1/0 in/out Phono 
• 3/0 in/out Optical Digital 
• 3/0 in/out Coaxial 
• 5/1 in/out A/V  
• 0/1 Video 
• 2/1 in/out Composite AV connection 
• 1/0 in/out USB 
• 9/2 in/out HDMI 
• I/O VGA - PC Input (15 pin D-sub) 
• 0/9 channel pre-outs 

 

Networking and Integration Access

• IRS-232
• IR Input
• Ethernet
• ONKYO-RI System Control
• 12V Trigger: (Zone 2/3)

 

Video Input Sensitivity/Output Level and Impedance

• 1 Vp-p/75 Ohms (Component)
• 0.7 Vp-p/75 Ohms (Component PB/CB, PR/CR)
• 1 Vp-p/75 Ohms (Composite) Component Video 
• Component Video Frequency Response: 5 Hz–100 MHz, -3dB 

 

Tuning Frequency Range

• FM: 87.5 MHz–107.9 MHz
• AM: 530 kHz–1,710 kHz
• FM/AM Preset Memory: 40 stations

 

Power Supply

• AC input: 120 V, 60 Hz 
• Power Consumption:  9.1 Amps
• A No-Sound Power Consumption: 120 W 
• Standby Power Consumption: 0.1 W 

 

Dimensions and Weight

• 17 1/8" x 7 13/16" x 17
• 1/4" (435 x 198.5 x 437.5 mm)
• 40.8lbs (18.5 kg)

 

Miscellaneous

• Learning Remote
• On Screen Remote Programming
• Activity Based Remote
• Color-Coded Speaker Terminals
• Auto Speaker Calibration
• W/Mic.: (Audyssey MultEQ XT32)
• OSD Out: (Advanced "Home" GUI)
• Solid Aluminum Front

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19 inch Ultra Slim LED TV Philips HDTV

This is the most coveted low cost HDTV from Philips. This TV screen can be got from as low as $120 USD. It is suitable for use in small living rooms. It's sound output is almost flawless and picture quality unrivaled achieved by Philips Digital Crystal Clear technology. The Perfect Motion Technology ensures that motion picture images remain undistorted while enhancing viewing experience. I bought this screen for my parents recently to replace their 20-year old Sony Trinitron CRT screen which they had refused to give up.They loved it what it can deliver! It's value for money! Some of its features are listed below;

 

 

Video and Display features

• 19 inch LED HD Screen
• 1366 x 768p Screen resolution
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Screen Format Adjustments: 4:3, 16:9, Unscaled, Zoom 1, Zoom 2
• 1000 page Smart Text  Teletext feature
• Brightness: 300 cd/m²
• Digital Crystal Clear
• 100 Hz Perfect Motion Rate
• Supports Computer inputs up to a resolution of 1920x1080 @ 60Hz
• Supports Video inputs at 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 Hz, up to 1920x1080p (Full HD)

Multimedia Applications

• Video Playback Formats: Containers: AVI, MKV, H264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, RealMedia (.rm, .rmvb, RV8-10), Motion JPEG
• Music Playback Formats: MP3
• Picture Playback Formats: JPEG

Sound features

• 2 speakers with total RMS Output power of (2 x 10W)
• Auto Volume Leveller
• Clear Sound control
• Treble and Bass Control

Connectivity

• 1/1 in/out HDMI connections
• 1/0 in/out component (YPbPr) connections
• 1/0 AV connections
• 1/0 USB connection
• 1/0 in/out RF Antenna IEC75
• 1/0 in/out PC-in VGA 
• 1/0 in/out Audio L/R
• 0/1 in/out Headphone out
• 1/0 in/out USB Service connector for firmware upgradeable

Tuner/Reception/Transmission

• TV system: NTSC, PAL
• Video Playback: NTSC, PAL, SECAM

Power specs

• Mains power: AC 220 - 240 V 50/60Hz
• Ambient temperature: 5 °C to 40 °C
• Standby power consumption: 0.5W
• Power Saving Features: Auto switch-off timer
• Power consumption: 35 W

Dimensions and Weight

• Set Depth: 38.3 mm
• Set Height: 302.9 mm
• Set Width: 453.3 mm
• Set depth (with stand): 128.5 mm
• Set height (with stand): 343.7 mm
• Set width (with stand): 453.3 mm
• Product weight: 2.4 kg
• Product weight (+stand): 2.6 kg
• Compatible wall mount: 75 x 75mm

Accessories

• Included accessories: Remote Control, 2 x AAA Batteries, Table top stand, Quick start guide, Legal and safety brochure, Warranty Leaflet

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9.2 Ch. Pioneer SC-1523-K AV Receiver

The SC-1523-K high end AV Receiver has a magnificent metallic look with unexpectedly fewer manual controls and a beautiful screen display. The SC-1523-K featuring enormous amounts of power with exceptional control is certainly a must have AV receiver as its loaded with several features!

Attractive features of Pioneer SC-1523-K AV Receiver

• Class D amplifiers

The SC-1523-K is powered by Class D amplifiers. Class D amplifiers, though complex in design and implementation, deliver efficiencies close to 100% and as such do not dissipate a lot of heat; thence consuming less power.

• Multi Zone and Multi Source configuration

The SC-1523-K permits up to 4 zone configuration. You can enjoy a 5.1-channel home theater in zone 1, stereo in zone 2 and 3, and HD video content in zone 4 delivered over HDMI. This means 4 media sources can be enjoyed in the different zones simultaneously and controlled via a smart android/iOS app iControlAV2013.

• HD Codec support

The SC-1523-K is capable of decoding HD audio signals of codecs namely; THX surround EX, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby Pro logic IIz, DTS-HD MA and DTS Neo:X. This means it can deliver a stunning High Definition Audio experience from HD media sources.

• 4K Ultra HD support

The SC-1523-K supports 4K Ultra HD pass through and upscaling to a 4K Ultra HD TV or other compatible display; 3840 x 2160 (24/25/30Hz) or 4096 x 2160 (24Hz) pixels. The system uses Qdeo video processing technology from Marvel to upscale virtually any video source while preserving the aspect ratio of the source.

• High performance ESS-DAC Sabre

The SC-1523-K employs the high performance 32 bit ESS-DAC Sabre on all channels to deliver high fidelity sound with minimal harmonic distortion. An ESS-DAC Sabre is a 32-bit DAC chip which comprises of 2-channel audio Digital to Analog  converters. The ESS-DAC SABRE are a series of high-performance video and audio semiconductor chips from ESS technology Incorporation, designed specifically for use in high end home entertainment, mobile phones, digital music players, consumer applications such as Blu-ray players, audio pre-amplifiers, AV receivers, as well as professional applications such as recording systems, mixer consoles and digital audio workstations.

• Supported playback file format

The SC-1523-K supports gapless nonstop playback and a myriad of  file formats including but not limited to FLAC, MP3,WAV, AIFF, 192kHz/24bit WMA, AAC, Apple lossless format, iPod digital audio, DSD via USB network, etc. So whatever you have got on your PC or Smartphone, the SC-1523-K is ready to play it. 

• Windows 8 Certified

Pioneer SC-1523-K AV receiver is Windows 8 Certified; meaning you can stream media content from a windows 8 PC over the network.

• vTuner^®

If you are an internet radio enthusiast,  pioneer SC-1523-K features a vTuner® for internet Radio which allows you to listen to your favorite radio stations across the globe. You will have access to Pandora Internet Radio in addition to the vTuner Internet Radio.

• Spotify® Connect

TheSpotify® Connect feature lets you control and play media sources on connected sources through the SC-1523-K receiver. You can for instance select your playlist on your smartphone and listen to it through the SC-1523-K AV receiver.

• MHL 2.0 support

The system features a Mobile High Definition Link (MHL 2.0) that lets you connect, charge and play high definition and 3D content from a mobile phone.

• AirPlay Support

Play or stream media content on PC, iPod, iPad, Mac, iPhone, etc wirelessly via the AirPlay feature. It is possible to send different content to different zones as well with Airplay.

• The PQLS Bit-stream jitter reduction technology

The PQLS Bit-stream jitter reduction technology helps to reproduce realistic sound by utilizing the master audio clock in the AV Receiver for playback in lieu of the video clock in a compatible Blu-ray Disc player.

• Immersion Perfection with Full Band Phase Control

This unique feature helps to eliminate phase disruptions and better synchronize the output between multiple speakers for a stunning surround sound experience.

• MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration)

With the MCACC feature you are able to automatically fine tune and optimize the sound field for a given room using a supplied microphone to monitor the sound environment and an equalizer to optimize the parameters.

• DLNA 1.5 Certified

The Pioneer SC-1523-K is is compliant with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standards for home network streaming. With this AV receiver, you can stream content directly from DLNA compatible smartphones and other devices within your home without requiring a network.

Full tech Specs of the SC-1523-K AV Receiver

• 63 Channel presets for AM/FM tuner
• 9.2 Channel Class D3 Amplifier (Direct Energy HD)
• 135W x 9 RMS music output power at 1kHz and 8 ohms.
• 175W x 9 RMS music output power at 1kHz, 6 ohms and 1% THD
• Power consumption in operation: 330W and 0.1W consumption in standby mode with HDMI-CEC off.
• The SC-1523-K supports HTC Connect app which allows to stream wirelessly high quality audio and video from your HTC smartphone to the SC-1523-K.
• iControlAV2013 app for controlling the SC-1523-K AV receiver on your iOS and Android smartphones or tablets.
• Pioneer Air Jam Application support through an AS-BT200 stereo Bluetooth Adapter supplied separately.
• You can control your pioneer SC-1523-K via a networked PC
• The Areus MS320DA7x DSP family Digital Core DSP Engine
• Supports Hi-bit24 Audio Signal Processing technology which helps to create a virtually an undistorted sound and bringing out the best in the 24-bit DAC. It achieves this by expanding the resolution of the audio signal to create a smooth and detailed sound closely emulating the original analogue sound.
• Audio Scaler 192 kHz/32-bit Enhancer DAC

Sound field calibration

• Full Band Phase Control/Auto Phase Control Plus
• Standing Wave control
• 9-band Equalizer
• Symmetric Equalizer
• Auto Subwoofer crossover
• Polarity Check
• X-Curve
• PC Display
• 0.5 inch Distance adjustment
• MCACC memory: 6 settings

 

Listening Modes

• Auto Surround
• Stream Direct, DSD
• Wide Surround
• 15+1 Mode DSP surround
• Front stage surround advance
• Headphone surround
• Virtual surround for surround height/back/depth and wide speakers.

 

Audio features

• Multi channel DSD to PCM converter.
• Bit Stream PQLS jitter reduction
• Multi channel level Control
• Support for dialog enhancement
• Multichannel Sound Retriever
• Sound Retriever AIR
• Digital Noise Reduction
• 2 Channel Tone control
• 800ms Sound Delay
• Supports front channel Bi-amping

 

Video features

• HDMI-ARC
• HDMI x.v. color
• HDMI 36-bit Deep color
• Qdeo Video processor
• HDMI video converter
• 3D Noise Reduction
• Pure Cinema I/P converter
• 4K Ultra HD HDMI to HDMI video scaler
• 4K Ultra HD Component video scaler
• 4K Ultra HD composite video scaler
• 4K Ultra HD video Passthrough
• 4K Ultra HD video scaler
• HDMI Passthrough on standby
• 3-D Ready
• Video Color management 

 

Installation

• ECO mode
• HDZone
• FL Dimmer
• Function Rename
• Learning Remote Control
• Sleep timer with 1.5 hours max
• Auto power down
• FL Demo Mode
• On screen display GUI with Album art for HDMI sources only
• AVNavigator
• IR serial remote input and output
• Multi room and source output: HDMI HDZOne Video and Audio/powered zone Audio

 

Inputs and outputs

• HDMI input/Output: 9in/3out (Main Zone & Zone 2)
• iPod/iPhone input (Audio only)
• USB input: 1 Front for memory input, 1 rear for WLAN
• MHL 2.0 input: 1 Front
• Ethernet input: 1 back
• Headphone output:1
• Wireless adaptor port: 1
• Front AV inputs: 3 (MHL,HDMI&USB)
• Component video input/output: 2 in/1 out
• AV input/output: 4 in/ 2out
• Pre-Amp output: 9.1Channel or 11 speaker terminations.
• Audio input/output: 0 in /1 out
• Video/Monitor input/output: 0 in/ 1 out
• Optical input/Output: 2 in /1 out
• Coaxial input/Output: 1in /1 out
• Bluetooth Adapter port: 1
• RS-232C  Port.
• Infrared serial remote input: 1 in/ 1 out

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