Computers

HP’s new line puts premium on office productivity

Published

April 2, 2017

Michael Sy

When people talk about the future of technology, a lot of things come to mind. It might be flying cars, hover boards, hologram computers, or even life-like robots. And while these ideas seem to be getting closer to reality, we’ve still got a long way to go to get there.

HP, on the other hand, has a more grounded vision of the future — more specifically, the office of the future.

Earlier this month in Singapore, HP announced a host of new devices meant for enterprise users, specifically products designed from the ground up to be more efficient, secure, and built for collaboration.

From a tech innovation standpoint, none of these new products are necessarily groundbreaking, but they could just be what we need.

Don’t be too quick on thinking these devices just belong in an office, HP assures us that these products were made with its everyday consumers in mind, whether it be the average Joe looking for a daily driver, or the small business looking to set up its first computer. The brand believes the unique features it puts in its products are a differentiator from competitors rather than a feature the customer actually pays for.

Letʻs take a look at some of the products and services HP introduced in its live office showcase, and how they fit into its vision of the future.

HP ELITE X3

While Windows 10 for mobile hasn’t really caught on for most consumers, HP is targeting those who would want to be able to efficiently work with their files on a mobile device. With the Elite x3 smartphone, just connect it to a monitor and itʻll power up a close-to-desktop experience — a Windows 10 mobile function more popularly known as Continuum.

HP also introduced a case for the Elite x3 with a built-in barcode scanner, which is a mobile scanning solution enabling users to check product prices and other related information on the fly.

HP ELITE SLICE

Another device announced was the HP Elite Slice, a clever approach to the modular PC. With different modules that snap on top of each other, this may be one of the cleanest implementations of adding capabilities to an already existing desktop system I’ve ever seen. A wireless charging cover for your phone, a speaker module, and an optical disk drive are some of the existing slices available, all of which could be installed in a couple of seconds. With this much flexibility paired with its compact size, I can see how this could become the centerpiece of every desktop system in an office.

HP Z2 Mini

Similar to the proportions of the HP Elite Slice, the HP Z2 Mini is a workstation-class PC packing an NVIDIA Quadro graphics card in a tiny package. It was shown powering six high-resolution monitors side by side during the showcase, all of which were shown running various tasks from media playback to 3D animation. NVIDIA Quadro cards are known to be great for digital design software but fall short in gaming when compared to their consumer-friendly GeForce counterparts.

OTHER DEVICES

HP also announced a slew of new laptops across its entire range. The HP Elitebook series comes with a function that reduces 95 percent of visible light coming from the display at angles beyond 35 degrees at a press of a button; this is helpful in cases where you wouldnʻt want the person beside you on the plane or bus ride to be snooping into what youʻre working on.

Other devices consist of 2-in-1 convertibles, flip-outs, and even a detachable point of sale system. Who knows, the next fast food establishment you go to might be the one coming to your table to take orders.

All its new devices come with different security solutions. Some of these include the ability to always boot the device on its last good state; BIOS level security to make sure your computer is protected from the moment itʻs turned on; multi-factor authentication that requires a passcode, fingerprint, and face scanning; and many more.

The gadgets also come with features for collaboration, such as Bang and Olufsen-powered speakers, noise cancellation software, and various wireless solutions for better communication across team members.

While prices and availability arenʻt available in all regions at the moment, HP will be rolling out the devices across Asia in the following months.

[irp posts=”6891″ name=”HP spices up its Spectre x360 and Envy 13 notebooks”]

Computers

Razer Axon: Top 10 wallpapers for summer

Refresh your summer

Published

April 28, 2024

GadgetMatch

Haven’t thought about your PC wallpaper for a while now? Can’t blame you. Maybe it’s just the summer weather or you’re too drained in the heat to think about it — or both. Nevertheless, Razer Axon, a wallpaper PC app, can let you decide easier and better.

Here are a handful of summer-themed animated and static wallpapers from both Razer Axon’s team and the Razer community which were selected through a contest. For Razer Chroma RGB users, these visuals can be scan be synced to bring new depths of color and immersion to your desktop.

The wallpaper compilation covers everything from tropical beaches and lush rainforests to refreshing underwater scenes and vibrant sunsets. Perhaps, now’s the time to change your PC’s wallpaper for a refreshing restart.

Vintage California collection (Alison Silver)

As the name suggests, this series is designed with nostalgic vibes and So-Cal’s warm summer tones. Cue 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love.”

Morning Routine (Hakimi Hamizi)

Meanwhile, “Far Far Away” gives warm animated images that remind you of settings in animes. These wallpapers definitely feel like you’re in those sunny countryside scenes.

Sonic Superstars (Sonic Team)

Join Sonic and his team in this colorful wallpaper with Chroma RGB effects, perfect for PC users sharing their devices with children.

Vacation Vibes (Razer)

Of course, what’s summer without beach vacation vibes? This Razer original wallpaper brings the essence of summer vacation right in front of you.

Lost in Santorini (Ric Yang)

On the other hand, Ric Yang offers not one, not two, but three choices to bring your PC displays to Santorini’s vibrant greenery and architecture and the Mediterranean sea’s majestic azure.

Back to School (Jiri Najman)

The young student in us definitely had this classroom view before. Green chalkboards? Check. Study tables and chairs? Check. Learning materials to complement the classroom’s ambience? You bet. Najman’s dynamic “Reconnect With Your Inner Child” wallpaper features nostalgic early morning rays and late summer nights.

The Serene Cabin (Don Li)

Furthermore, Don Li reminds us that in spite of the heat, this cabin basking in warm summer rays and surrounded by luscious greens can offer respite.

Green Alley

In another animated wallpaper, take yourselves to a rural countryside, away from the city’s hustle and bustle. This one paints a vivid and homely retreat, allowing everyone to reconnect with nature and forget that it is scorching hot, at least for a moment.

Discovering Japan Vol. 1 Collection (Ric Yang)

Speaking of anime, these shots of Japan during its warmer seasons evoke a sense of zen — something that can only be found in the land of the rising sun.

Axon Create Contest Choice: Retro Revival

These backgrounds are generated by the Axon community via Razer Axon Create’s AI generative technology. Retro Revival presents a myriad of warm-toned scenes, sending us back to generations ago with its distinct color grading. BRB, need to hit the nearest 50s diner.

Computers

Colorful launches 1st ever Mini PC

Compact and space-saving

Published

April 26, 2024

GadgetMatch

Colorful has announced its first ever Mini PC: The Colorful CMNH01-12450. This new offering gives users a solution for their daily productivity and entertainment needs, all in a compact and small PC chassis.

Space-saving computing

The Colorful Mini PC is a space saver. It is basically just five inches by five inches large, with a thickness of above two inches, conveniently fitting setups with limited spaces. It has a fast 2.5 GbE LAN port and an assortment of connectivity ports for other peripherals and devices.

It also has two USB2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen2, and one USB Type-C ports, as well as one DisplayPort and one 3.5mm audio jack. Furthermore, it supports PCIe Gen 4 SSDs, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and an M.2 slot for Wi-Fi modules.

Powerful, efficient

Performance wise, Colorful’s compact PC houses a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 12450H processor with eight cores and 16 threads. The PC can deliver a maximum boost clock of 4.4GHz. The chassis also has a silent turbo fan underneath for cooling. As for its GPU, the mini PC has Intel Iris Xe graphics. Moreover, it will run on Windows 11 Home.

Colorful looks to have different configurations for the product depending on the region. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Computers

Lenovo Innovate: Smarter Yoga, Legion, LOQ lineups unveiled

Unlocking smart technologies

Published

March 27, 2024

GadgetMatch

Tech companies continue to harness the power of AI to help provide consumers with better devices that are tailor-fit for today’s demands. Lenovo is no exception. At Lenovo’s Innovate 2024 event, the company gave its consumers a glimpse of its future lineup of Yoga, Legion, and LOQ devices for the Asia-Pacific market.

In a nutshell, Lenovo calls these new devices the new standard in terms of what they can offer. The latest computers are all smarter and come equipped with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (select models) and Copilot in Windows 11.

So, what’s new?

Basically, Lenovo has added even more innovative features, mostly AI-enabled, for all lineups. These enhancements make them even more exceptional. Lenovo consumers know by now what each specific lineup is exceptional at. For instance, the Lenovo Yoga lineup is mainly engineered to help creators. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion devices are meant to handle gaming effortlessly, on top of other tasks.

Empowering creators

To set the latest Yoga devices apart, Lenovo has equipped them with PureSight Pro and Puresight OLED displays. These color-calibrated screens deliver greater brightness, contrast, and accuracy that meet the demands of creators for precise visual work — whether it’s graphic design, photo editing, or video production.

The Yoga laptops also have a Copilot key shortcut to assist users right away with the help of AI. Specifically, the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 and Yoga Pro 9i incorporate Lenovo AI Engine+ driven by Lenovo’s LA AI Core chips. This utilizes software machine learning algorithms, leading to a more optimized system performance.

Lastly, the Yoga lineup is enhanced with Lenovo Creator Zone. This generative AI software turns text or sketches into visuals to aid creators. Select Yoga Pro laptops will also support image training, where creators can train a personalized model that learns and creates images that match their preferences.

Advanced gaming performance

On the gaming side, Lenovo’s Legion and LOQ products likewise now harness the capabilities of Lenovo LA AI Core chips. These allow higher FPS and improved power efficiency to handle titles better and provide gamers the top-tier experience.

Furthermore, Lenovo has introduced the Legion Coldfront: Hyper thermal solution exclusively for the Intel-based Legion 7i and Legion 5i. This new cooling system transforms the airflow within the chassis, channeling hot air from the chips to optimize heat exchange.

LOQ laptops, meanwhile, debut the new hyperchamber thermal technology to keep processors cooler. This technology draws out up to an additional 25W power in Extreme Mode, while keeping temperatures lower.

New PCs

Here are the new Lenovo PCs to be introduced to the Asia-Pacific market, for your perusal.

The new Lenovo Yoga lineup includes:

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (13-inch, Gen 9)
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (16-inch, Gen 9)
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i (14-inch, Gen 9)
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (14-inch, Gen 9)
Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 (14 and 16-inch, Gen 9)
Lenovo Yoga Pro Bluetooth Mouse, Yoga 600 Bluetooth Silent Mouse, Yoga True Wireless Stereo Earbuds, and Lenovo Yoga Sleeve