New Post

Rss

Friday, May 31, 2013
Gigabyte Launches BRIX Mini PC Quick Review

Gigabyte Launches BRIX Mini PC Quick Review

Gigabyte are the latest entry to the tiny pc race, and with a chassis size that measures in at just 29.9mm x 107.6mm x 114.4mm, it’s clear that Gigabyte are trying to take on the world that was created with the launch of the Intel NUC, fortunately they’ve decided to back up it’s tiny size with some not so tiny performance.

The BRIX PC from Gigabyte will still be sold like the NUC, as a barebone DIY kit that can be picked up in a range of configurations, these include Core i3, i5 and even an i7 processors, an mSATA slot is used for storage to keep size down to a minimum and it uses to SO-DIMM memory slots that can handle up to 16GB of RAM.

Small and compact, i7 CPU, SSD and 16GB ram doesn’t sound like it’s going to lack much performance then! It’s also well equipped with connectivity options and you can expect HDMI, mini DisplayPort, WiFi, 2 x USB 3.0.

It’s already sounding more powerful than the NUC, of course I would expect the price tag to match the high specifications, but unfortunately Gigabyte haven’t revealed that information just yet. Of course if you need something super compact and as powerful as possible then it’s not really about the price, it’s about getting the job done and it looks like Gigabytes BRIX is going to deliver on the latter.
Google Buys Makani Power - Kite Powered Energy

Google Buys Makani Power - Kite Powered Energy

Google has purchased Makani Power, a company it had been investing in from its inception. The US based company will be the latest addition to Google’s ever-growing research and development department. The price which Google has paid for buying Makani has not been revealed but it is rumored that Google is going to provide the resources the company needs for developing its existing and new projects. This is not the first time that Google has bankrolled Makani’s projects.


However, this time the difference is that Google now owns the company. Previously, Google had invested at least $15 million in the company to enable it to carry out its initial experiments. Among the exciting projects that enter Google’s domain following this deal is the kite-powered generator designed by Makani. It has been in development for quite some time at the company and they are preparing to test it in the near future. Google’s acquisition is bound to have been influenced by this project.

The project involves using turbines to generate powers that are mounted on top of wings or tethered kites. In the test itself, the turbines are going to be placed atop robot kites and the company will check whether the experiment delivers the results they are looking for. Already, Makani has carried out tests of its product using a smaller prototype, which generated around 30 kW of power. Their aim is to have kite-powered generators produce at least 600 kW power.

According to Makani, they want to make sure that the turbines are able to propel the turbines without requiring a person to maneuver the system. They are going to develop larger models of their product once the initial testing is over. The company also stated that it wants to price their project competitively, around the same price as charged by offshore wind farms.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Auto-Correct Fix Using Jelly Bean Keyboard

Samsung Galaxy S4 Auto-Correct Fix Using Jelly Bean Keyboard

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a beautifully crafted smartphone and for the most part buyers have been pleased with Samsung’s new focus on software that can be used to interact with everyday life.

One area of concern for many users however has been the company’s implementation of auto-correct standards.

As a user types using the Galaxy S4 they are met with word suggestions that can break the flow of the users typing. On standard Google Android 4.2 Jelly Bean devices the auto-correct function is more well rounded and doesn’t affect the flow of a users typing.



Not happy about the current state of Samsung Galaxy S4 auto-correct a third-party developer is offering a way to receive better auto-correct support.

Android developer VLLWP has ported the Jelly Bean keyboard to the Galaxy S4 along with several improvements to the original design.

While there are various keyboard alternatives via the Google Play store the Jelly Bean Keyboard is free and offers the type of keyboard functionality we have come to expect from the stock version of Google Android Jelly Bean.

The keyboard features ads but only on the settings page. It also features various languages support, offers emoji icons, providers users with themes support and dives into advanced settings.

If you want even more out of your keyboard you can purchase the “Pro” version of the app which features no ads, more themes, better customization, more layout options, and gesture support.

Users can even add a row of numbers to the standard keyboard layout, a feature that is sorely missing on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Keyboard.

The Jelly Bean Keyboard Pro is modestly priced at $2.99.

Give the free version of the Jelly Bean Keyboard app a try and let us know what you think about the smartphone app.
Copyright © 2012 Blogger Tips and Tricks All Right Reserved