Laptops

ASUS unveils its new BR1100 education laptop

Online classes made a lot stronger, and more affordable

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We’re more than a year into this crazy pandemic, and for the students out there, you’re on the final stretch of the school year. For some of you, this will be your final hoorah while for the rest, things will only get a bit harder heading into next year. If you’re still looking for a device that will suit your online learning needs, ASUS’s new ASUS BR1100 laptops may just be for you.

On paper, the ASUS BR1100 laptop isn’t the typical work machine you’d like to roll with. For starters, the laptop comes with an 11.6-inch touch display in a clamshell form factor for the traditional experience. To ensure the safety and durability of the laptop, ASUS reinforced the form factor with a MIL-STD-810H certification standard and a spill-resistant keyboard. Also, they reinforced each surface with their patented BacGuard technology, which inhibits bacterial growth over a 24-hour period.

Inside the device, you will find an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU with 4GB of RAM and only 64GB of eMMC storage. With this configuration, it’s mostly suited for simple work tasks, light web browsing and audio/video calls for school. If you think 64GB isn’t enough storage, the ASUS BR1100 also comes with an M.2 expansion slot that supports up to 1TB.

Other pieces of hardware necessary for online classes are the laptop’s webcam and connectivity options. For one thing, the ASUS BR1100 boasts a built-in 720p webcam with its own privacy shutter and an AI noise-cancelling microphone. With these, you can expect clear audio feedback during online recitations and class exercises. Also, the laptop comes with an integrated WiFi 5/WiFi 6 module and an optional 4G LTE SIM card slot for internet connectivity.

The ASUS BR1100 is available now for PhP 19,995 through their Shopee and Lazada stores.

 

Laptops

Samsung Galaxy Book6 series coming to the US on March 11

Samsung’s most powerful AI PCs yet

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Samsung’s most advanced AI-powered PC lineup yet, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 series, will be available in the United States starting March 11.

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, Book6 Pro, and Book6 are all powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors to deliver improved CPU, GPU, and NPU performance.

Galaxy AI features like AI Select and Intelligent Search streamline workflows, while Multi-Control and Second Screen enable seamless productivity across Galaxy devices.

Users can connect the Galaxy Book6 series to their Galaxy smartphone or tablet for multi-screen productivity. This includes accessing one’s phone storage straight from the Book6 PC.

And similar to Circle to Search on Galaxy mobile devices, the upcoming PCs have a feature wherein users can just trace whatever is on their screen and search.

In addition, the series combines ultra-thin designs with up to 30 hours of video playback.

Price, availability

Here are the pricing of the three devices under the series:

  • Galaxy Book6 Ultra: Starts at US$ 2,449.99
  • Galaxy Book6 Pro: Starts at US$ 1,599.99
  • Galaxy Book6: Starts at US$ 1,049.99

They will be available nationwide at Samsung.com and Samsung Experience Stores beginning on March 11. Customers who reserve early will get a US$ 30 credit.

More details will be unveiled during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 at 10:00 A.M. PT / 1:00 A.M. ET.

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Laptops

Are you ready for a more colorful MacBook?

Apple is experimenting with quirkier colorway options for the MacBook.

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In recent years, Apple has relented on limiting the colors of its devices to only the more premium-looking options. Users can now pick quirkier colors for their iPhones, highlighted currently by the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Soon, the same splashes of color might make its way to the MacBook lineup.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing different colorway options for its upcoming entry-level MacBook. The unannounced lineup might come in pink, light yellow, light green, and blue.

It’s a big change for MacBooks. Currently, the only “quirky” option that users can get is the MacBook Air’s Sky Blue, which honestly looks more silvery than blue. Other than that, the MacBook simply seesaws from different shades of gold, silver, and black.

To be fair, the upcoming MacBook will still have the traditional colorways of the current lineup. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Apple will ultimately include all its experimental colors into the final lineup.

Reportedly, the new lineup will cost somewhere between US$ 699 to US$ 799. Of course, the lower price tag will come at the expense of some specs. Although, it should still be good if we’re talking about an entry-level laptop.

It’s even more interesting if it’s hinting at the return of truly colorful options but for the notebook. The iMac already got a similar renaissance back in 2024, which mimics the classic computer’s colorful history.

SEE ALSO: M5 MacBook Pro review

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Laptops

ASUS, Acer PCs are banned in Germany

And it’s all because of Nokia.

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Zenbook S 14

Brands getting banned are commonplace in today’s tech landscape. These usually happen because of geopolitical reasons, especially if it’s in the United States. In Europe, brands sometimes get banned for anticompetition reasons. Today, however, a commonly used codec, HEVC, is at the center of a controversy that has led to the banning of ASUS and Acer in Germany. Even crazier, Nokia is involved.

For context, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of those codecs, HEVC (or High-Efficiency Video Coding) is ubiquitous in every PC, which means that every PC maker must purchase a license to include the codec in their machines. It’s an essential these days, so it’s unusual for ASUS and Acer to miss it.

In Germany, where licensing is stricter, both companies were found guilty of infringing the patent, as reported by German outlet Hardwareluxx. As a result, ASUS and Acer must stop selling PC and laptop sales until they obtain a license from Nokia.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the two brands have disappeared from the country. Third-party retailers can still sell their remaining stock. However, the companies cannot import or sell any new stock, pending a conclusion to the issue.

Naturally, the easiest fix is to just buy the license. Hisense, another company that found itself in the same mire, bought a license last month. Either ASUS and Acer are running into more technical issues, or they just didn’t feel the license was worth it for a single market.

SEE ALSO: ASUS is leaving the smartphone industry

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