Tech Tips n Tricks n Reviews

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Turn Your Old Laptop into a Chromebook

As per reports, Google sold more Chromebooks in the primary quarter of 2016 than Apple sold Macbooks. What's more, Chromebooks are going to get considerably all the more energizing. During the Google I/O Summit, the organization reported that the Google Play store for Android is coming to Chromebooks in mid June, which will permit clients to run Android applications on their Chrome OS gadgets.

Be that as it may, you don't need to purchase a fresh out of the plastic new PC to utilize Chrome OS; you can now effectively change over your old PC or PC into an amazing Chromebook. I did this for a Dell Mini and a Dell PC that I purchased in 2009. Those two gadgets were gathering dust and were bound for freecycling, on the grounds that advanced working frameworks and work area situations like Unity, Plasma, and Gnome won't run on them.

On the off chance that you have an old framework lying around, you can without much of a stretch proselyte it into a Chromebook. You can likewise double boot your PC with Chrome OS, so you outwit the two universes.

On account of the open source base of Chrome OS, numerous arrangements out there empower you to introduce the working framework on your gadget. I have attempted a few, however the arrangement I like most is CloudReady by Neverware. The organization offers a free, network upheld adaptation of the OS alongside an economically bolstered form for $49 every year, per gadget. The great part is that all licenses are transferable, so on the off chance that you sell or give the gadget, you can likewise move the Neverware permit to the new client.

What You'll Need

Before you can begin introducing CloudReady on your PC, you will require some arrangement:

A USB drive with 4GB or more stockpiling

Open Chrome program, go to Google Chrome Store and introduce Chromebook Recovery Utility.

Change BIOS settings of your objective PC so it can boot from the USB

Begin

Neverware offers two pictures for CloudReady: 32 piece and 64 piece. Download the suitable OS for your equipment from the download page.

Concentrate the substance of the downloaded compress record, and you will get a chromiumos_image.bin document. Presently plug in the USB gadget and open the Chromebook recuperation utility. Snap on the rigging at the upper right corner of the instrument and select delete recuperation media (Figure 1).

Next, choose the objective USB drive and configuration it. Once designed, go to the rigging once more, and this time select the utilization neighborhood picture alternative. Presently peruse the removed container record, select the USB drive, click on proceed, and afterward on the make button (Figure 2). It will begin composing the picture to the drive.

When the drive is prepared with bootable CloudReady, plug it into the objective PC and boot the framework. It might take some time for the framework to boot into Chromium OS. When booted, you will see the screen appeared in Figure 3.

Go to the taskbar and snap on Install CloudReady.

You can double boot your framework between Chromium OS and another working framework, yet the different OS should as of now be introduced.

To single boot (Figure 4) or double boot (Figure 5) your framework, choose the alternative in the following window.

Simply adhere to the snap next directions.

The whole procedure will take as long as 20 minutes, contingent upon the capacity media and the preparing power. Once introduced, the PC will close down and reboot.

After you reboot, you will be welcomed with the system settings page (Figure 6). Interestingly, despite the fact that I needed to introduce remote drivers for Linux dispersions on a similar equipment, everything worked out of the case with Chromium OS.

When you associate with the remote system, the framework will search for refreshes and furthermore offer to introduce Adobe Flash. When the establishment is done, you will see the Chromium OS login screen. Presently you can simply sign into your Gmail record and begin utilizing your "Chromebook" immediately.

Get Netflix to Work

In the event that you need to play Netflix and other DRM assurance spilling destinations, you do need to accomplish some additional work. Go to settings and snap on the Install Widevine module (Figure 7).

Presently you need old fashioned stunt of utilizing a client operator switcher (Figure 8).

Go to Chrome Webstore and introduce User Agent Switcher. Once the module is introduced, it will be added to the bookmark bar of the program.

Right-click on the specialist switcher symbol and make another passage (Figure 9):

Name: "CloudReady Widevine"

Gathering: "Chrome" (ought to be filled naturally)

Affix: "Supplant"

Marker Flag: "IE"

Snap "Include"

Figure 9: Create section for CloudReady.

At that point, go to the "lasting farce list" alternative and include CloudReady Widevine as the perpetual string for www.netflix.com.

Presently, reboot your framework, and you can watch Netflix and numerous different administrations.

To Install Chrome OS on Old Laptop watch this video tutorial

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The iPhone 6 review

With every launch of the iPhone, Apple seems to have everything to lose and not much to gain. Apple’s iPhone line accounts for the majority of profits in the smartphone space, and as the smartphone market marches towards maturity it seems inevitable that companies like Xiaomi will be able to deliver largely similar experiences at much lower prices. The same once happened with Apple in the days of the PC industry where Apple approached irrelevance. Yet generation after generation, Apple seems to be able to hold on to a majority of profit share, and they’ve managed to tenaciously hold on to their first-mover advantage.

This brings us to the iPhone 6. This is now the eighth generation of the iPhone, and the fifth generation of the iPhone’s industrial and material design. We should note right now that this review is specifically for the iPhone 6; for the iPhone 6 Plus, please see our iPhone 6 Plus companion review. At this point, it’s not really possible to revolutionize the smartphone, and on the surface, the iPhone 6 seems to be directly inspired by the iPod Touch. However, instead of the chamfered edge where the display meets the metal unibody we see a continuous curve from the sloping glass to the metal unibody that looks and feels great. While the M8 was one of the best phones for in-hand feel, the iPhone 6 goes a step further due to the reduced weight and rounded side. I've always felt like the HTC 8X had one of the most compelling shapes for a phone, and the incredibly thin feel of the iPhone 6 definitely reminds me of that.

Along the left side, we see the standard volume buttons and mute switch that continue to have the same solid feel and clean clicking action. As I discuss in the iPhone 6 Plus review, going by Consumer Reports' data it seems that there is a weak point near the bottom of the volume rocker, although it's far less likely to be an issue on the iPhone 6 due to its smaller size. Along the top, there isn’t a power button because it’s been moved to the right side of the phone so there’s nothing notable on the top.

On the right side, we see the previously mentioned power button and also the SIM tray, which is ejected by inserting a pin into the eject hole. Similarly to the volume buttons, the power button has a solid feel that gives a distinct click when triggered and continues to be quite unique when compared to phones other than recent iPhones.

The bottom has the Lightning connector, speaker, a microphone, and 3.5mm headset jack. The placement and design of all these elements are largely similar if not shared directly with the iPod Touch.

The back of the phone continues to share elements from the iPod Touch. The camera, microphone, and LED flash are almost identical in their appearance, even down to the camera hump’s design. The LED flash does look different to accommodate the second amber flash, but the shape is identical. The only real difference is that the antennas of the iPhone 6 are the metal pieces on the top and bottom, with the associated plastic lines instead of a plastic RF window.

The front of the phone is decidedly more similar to the iPhone 5s though, with the Touch ID home button. While the earpiece hasn’t moved, it seems that the front facing camera has been moved back to the left side of the earpiece, and the sensors for light and proximity are now above the earpiece. For the most part, there’s not much to comment on here but after using the iPhone 6 for an extended amount of time I’m definitely sure that the home button is relatively closer to the surface of the display glass than before. In addition, the home button has a dramatically improved feel, with short travel, clean actuation, and a reassuring click in most cases.

Overall, while I was undecided at the launch of the iPhone 6 I definitely think the look of the new iPhone has grown on me. The camera hump’s accent serves as an interesting design touch, and the feel of the design is definitely much more comfortable and ergonomic than before. I’m not really sure that the extra reduction in thickness was necessary, but it does make for a better first impression. In the launch article I was a bit surprised that Apple chose to have a camera hump but given the fact that the iPod Touch has the same design it seems that there is precedent for such a move. I personally feel that the design wouldn’t be worse by increasing thickness to eliminate the hump and improve battery life as a result.

Apple has also introduced a new silicone case, which brings a lower price point than the leather cases. Surprisingly, this is a rather high quality case, and as far as I can tell it doesn’t carry any of the issues that silicone cases traditionally have. There’s a nice lip to make sure that the display glass doesn’t touch a surface if the phone is put face down, and the material doesn’t seem to stretch or attract pocket lint the way most silicone cases do.

There’s definitely a lot more to talk about though, and to get a sense of the major differences I’ve put together our usual spec table below.

Apple iPhone 5sApple iPhone 6Apple iPhone 6 Plus

SoCApple A7Apple A8Apple A8

Display4-inch 1136 x 640 LCD4.7-inch 1334 x 750 LCD5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD

WiFi2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.02.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, single stream, BT 4.0, NFC

Storage16GB/32GB/64GB16GB/64GB/128GB16GB/64GB/128GB

I/OLightning connector, 3.5mm headset

Size / Mass123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm, 129 grams158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm, 172 grams

Camera8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash

1.2MP f/2.4 Front Facing8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash

1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing8MP iSight with 1.5µm pixels Rear Facing + True Tone Flash + OIS

1.2MP f/2.2 Front Facing

Price$99 (16GB), $149 (32GB) on 2 year contract$199 (16GB), $299 (64GB), $399 (128GB) on 2 year contract$299 (16GB), $399 (64GB), $499 (128GB) on 2 year contract

As you can see, this is a major release even at a high level. While the design might take some inspiration from the iPod Touch, the hardware is a completely different beast. There’s a new SoC, the A8; the iPhone 6 also includes a bigger and better display, newer WiFi module, bigger battery, and a better camera. Of course, there’s a lot more to the story of the iPhone 6 than a spec sheet. The first major difference that we’ll talk about is the SoC.

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Review of HP Probook 4520s

The HP Probook 4520s is the latest ”built-for-business” notebook from HP, combining sleek looks with powerful performance features. To top it off it’s quite affordable compared to previous models in the range, available from R 7299, close to the same price as its predecessor, the Probook 4510s.

Build quality At roughly 2.5 kg the HP Probook 4520s is perfect for the business on the go. Although it’s not as thin as the Asus UL30J for example, it still isn’t too bulky and shouldn’t afford too much trouble to those wishing to carry it around. The 15.6” LED backlit HD-ready display offers an acceptable display resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels with Bright View, helping it appear crystal clear in all operating conditions. We also experienced minimal screen reflection off the 4520s making it ideal for movies and other multimedia applications. On that note, the 4520s makes for a great movie viewing experience with its wide display and impressive oboard speakers. Sporting a new brushed-aluminium design with two colour options (caviar and bordeaux), the HP Probook 4520s feels sturdy and high quality. And if you’ve ever knocked a cup of coffee over on your notebook you’ll be pleased to learn that the new spill-resistant keyboard will help protect key components from minor spills while easing the cleanup process at the same time. The HP Probook 4520s also features the HP 3D DriveGuard system which helps protects hard drives against sudden impacts.

Specifications The model we tested was powered by the Intel Core i3-350M 2.27 GHz processor. Supporting this was 3 GB of DDR3 memory, a 300 GB HDD and a DVD writer. Taking care of graphical needs was an onboard Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD and consumers have the choice of trading it for a dedicated ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4350 512 MB video card. Port-wise, the HP Probook 4520s has you covered with four USB ports plus an eSATA (doubles as a USB port), HDMI, audio and VGA-out ports. Add to this Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support and you’ll be connected for the foreseeable future. One problem we did experience with the ports was that the frame of the notebook prohibited bulky USB devices such as certain modems from being attached. Other notable features include a 2MP webcam and mic, multicard reader, ExpressCard slot and a handy fingerprint reader to keep unwanted snoopers from accessing your data. It is also preloaded with a 32-bit version of Windows 7 Professional edition.

Keyboard/touchpad layout Featuring a full keyboard and dedicated number pad the HP Probook 4520s keyboard is just about as good as one would find in a notebook. Its slightly isolated chiclet-styled keys are responsive and easy to type on and the brushed palmrest makes the entire process much more comfortable. While the inclusion of the number pad makes the unit slightly wider the advantages far outweighs the compromise, especially in a business laptop the full number pad is frequently essential. The touchpad, which blends elegantly into the rest of the design, is also very responsive and easy to use. The two traditional mouse buttons are incorporated into the touchpad itself with no extra keys assigned to them. One issue came to light with the touchpad though, since it’s positioned slightly to the left your left hand sometimes brushes over it sending your cursor flying to the edges of the desktop. Overall we didn’t find this to be a major problem; just something the user gets used to after spending some time with the device. However if you’re using a regular computer mouse you can sidestep this problem completely by deactivating the touchpad with two simple taps in the corner of the pad. Battery life The HP Probook 4520s comes with a standard six-cell Li-Ion battery. In testing we found that the battery life is around the three hour mark in normal use (i.e. no gaming). If extended battery life is a priority for you however you can also order the Probook 4520s with an HP nine-cell Li-Ion battery. Disadvantages

The ClickPad on the HP Probook 4520s offers a single, smooth surface for the trackpad as well as left and right mouse buttons, which are situated under the main part of the trackpad. This leaves the user with no tactile orientation of where their fingers are on the pad. Because the pad has both multitouch capabilities and areas for horizontal and vertical scrolling, use of the ClickPad can be frustrating initially. Users will likely need to do some fine-tuning with the configuration software to find a balance of sensitivity and features that works best for them. The ClickPad can also be locked through a touch gesture that helps keep the pad from interfering when typing — but be prepared for a few help-desk calls until users learn to unlock it.

The addition of a numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard, while an interesting feature, puts the main keyboard off-center from the display. Because the ClickPad is centered on the keyboard, the user may have the sensation that they are slightly off-center from the display as they type or navigate.

Conclusion With its sleek design and intelligent layout the HP Probook 4520s should prove to be a great business companion. Its aluminium body gives it a reassuring solid feel and the large array of business-centric features should prove to be a selling point with many buyers.