Which? says that users can find out whether their laptop is affected by checking the bar code on the battery itself. This can then be compared to a list of affected models online, with customers then able to contact HP for a replacement battery.In the meantime, HP says that users can continue to use your laptop without the battery installed, simply by connecting the laptop to the mains instead.The warning comes as gadget fans were advised the cost of charging their devices could be far less expensive than expected.A new service from GoCompare.com found that it costs on average 0.3p to fill up a smartphone – that's less than half a pence per charge.That means keeping your smartphone topped up every day of the week will set you back 2.1p or £10 for the full calendar year.Meanwhile a tablet costs 0.5p per refill and a laptop costs 1.95p each time it goes from flat to full.
What if I told you that you can get three, brand new laptops for the same price as a OnePlus 3 and a handful of accessories? You don’t believe me? Here’s the iBall Compbook Exelance that’s powered by the latest Atom chip and costs only Rs 9,999. Is that a deal or what?Of course, the first question that crossed our mind on seeing the device was why iBall chose to call it “Excelance” and not “Excellence.” I’m sure they had their reasons. But I still can’t think of any that might be reasonable.It’s made of plastic; textured plastic on the top and matte-finished plastic everywhere else. There’s plenty of flex, the keyboard unit can depress inwards when typing and the charger feels flimsy and cheap. It’s also heavier than you’d expect.Again, this laptop costs Rs 9,999 and at that price, I’m actually impressed that they managed to build a fully functional laptop.Despite the flexing, the laptop doesn’t seem like one that will fall apart any time soon and in the one month that I used it, it held up rather well.
Chances are that we'll see an announcement in October 2016 - which could include a Surface Book 2 - but others are saying that the launch could be in Spring 2017. The reason for that is due to more rumours that Microsoft is delaying the second part of the big Windows 10 update until early next year. This update is known as Redstone - or RS2 because it's the second part of it - and Microsoft is supposedly hanging on until the new Surface devices are ready so it can showcase the software features on them.
While October this year is the next period with a good possibility, it perfectly feasible that Microsoft could wait until 2017, with some touting March. As well as Redstone, it would give the firm more time to get the product ready (the Pro 4 launched with a number of issues including battery drain) and ensure the device comes with Intel Kaby Lake processors which are coming later this year.
This is all backed up by a report by Kitguru which says the Surface Pro 5 will arrive in early 2017 mainly due to the Kaby Lake processor.
It's slightly tenuous but Microsoft ending production of the Surface 3 by the end of 2016, via ZDNet, means it would create space for a new model - potentially before the end of the year. This could simply be the Surface 4 but we could also see the Surface Pro 5, too as Microsoft would likely launch them together.
One other option for a Surface Pro 5 announcement cum launch is 2 August which is the release date for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, although this is probably unlikely.
Although it's early days, there are a few rumours circulating. One is that the Surface Pen - the stylus bundled with Surface Pro tablets - will be updated so that it contains a rechargeable battery that charges wirelessly when magnetically attached to the tablet. The current Surface Pen attaches magnetically but is not rechargeable as it takes an alkaline AAAA battery:
Laptop users could get as much as 50% extra battery life following a new power-saving mode integrated into the Opera browser.
Opera claim it is the first major browser to offer the “dedicated power-saving mode” which is activated by a simple click of the mouse when the battery cable on your laptop is unplugged.The power savings are made through a number of browser optimisations, including reducing activity in background tabs, that allow laptop users extra hours when they are on the move or without a power cable.After conducting tests Opera says the power savings have been made “without compromising the speed and functionality you expect”.Initial testing was done to reflect how people normally use their browsers and results showed the Opera system could last 50% longer than other browsers such as Google Chrome, when running Windows 10, 64-bit.Style Covers ($20-$25): these are cosmetic backs and they'll be available in six designs at launch; Washed Oak, Charcoal Ash, Silver Oak, Black Leather, Black Herringbone and Red Nylon. More will be added in the future. They're sturdy, yet slim. Though they slightly thicken the phones, they do remove the camera hump and protect the many data pins on the back. I do like the look of the naked phones, but our black models show so many fingerprints so quickly, that I'd rather cover it.
- The InstaShare Projector ($299.99) has a built-in stand and a secondary 1100 mAh battery. This is a 50 lumen DLP projector (400:1 contrast ratio) that can project up to 70" images and it has keystone and brightness adjustments. For those unfamiliar with projector specs, this isn't a very bright or high contrast projector, so you'll use it in dark rooms to maximize viewability and contrast.- The JBL SoundBoost ($79.99) makes the phone as loud and full sounding as a laptop...a laptop with better than average audio. The Mod has stereo 3 watt speakers (6 watts total) with a claimed 80db loudness. It also has a 1000 mAh secondary battery and a built-in kickstand.
- Incipio OffGrid power back. A not too thick 2200 mAh battery that augments battery life. It's likely most appealing to those who go with the Moto Z rather than Z Force, since the basic Z has the smaller battery. There are other battery backs coming with some serious style from Kate Spade and Tumi priced from $60 to $90.There are more Moto Mods under development, and third parties can develop Mods with the help of Moto's dev kit. Mods must be certified by Motorola, which is likely a good thing so you won't have to worry about poorly designed Mods that might disrupt the phone's functions. Motorola says that the Moto Mods platform will be supported by future Moto Z phones, so they'll likely find new life if you upgrade to next year's Z phone.
Whether you choose the Moto Z or Moto Z Force you'll get the same bright and colorful AMOLED 5.5" display with QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution for a high 535 PPI pixel density. These are truly lovely displays, and the Moto ShatterShield on the Z Force Droid Edition doesn't reduce image quality despite a complex 5 layer design. Colors are saturated and blacks are inky, which is typical of AMOLED, but they're a bit more natural than the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. If you like Samsung AMOLED displays, you'll probably like these Moto displays. If you found those Galaxy displays attractive but a bit too saturated, you might even prefer the Moto Z family screens. The Z screens are plenty zingy and saturated (more so than IPS phones like the LG G5), but they're not as saturated as Samsung's, even on the "vibrant" setting.
There's nothing to see here, move on. The Snapdragon 820 is currently the top of the line CPU available in US flagship Android smartphones, and it performs similarly here compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7 family and the HTC 10 running on the same CPU. It's a fast and efficient 4 core CPU (two 2.2 GHz high power cores and two 1.6 GHz low power cores) that's plenty fast. While we noticed occasional lag on the midrange Moto G4 with the Snapdragon 617, we experienced zero lag on the Moto Z and Moto Z Force Droid Edition models. There's plenty of Verizon bloatware on board, but Moto's very clean Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow build (close to Nexus clean) helps. Moto is typically very quick to update to new Android versions, and we hope to see Android Nougat at the end of summer when available from Google, but Verizon isn't the fastest carrier when it comes to approving Android OS updates.
Just a few years ago, Motorola was synonymous with mediocre cameras in phones. That certainly has changed, and the 13 and 21 megapixel cameras in the Moto Z and Z Force are able to hold their own against the flagship competition. The Droid Force's 21MP camera with the Sony IMX338 sensor is noticeably better at capturing fine detail than the lower resolution 13MP Moto Z, which isn't surprising. Though both phones are quick to focus thanks to the usual contrast detect system augmented with laser focus, the Moto Z Force nailed more photos spot on in challenging situations like macro and subjects with movement (from branches swaying in the breeze to a zipping kitty). It adds PDAF (phase detection auto focus), which is the next step up not just for camera phones but for mirrorless and dSLR cameras. While both cameras are good, the Moto Z Force camera stands out and yields more keepers. If your phone is your only camera and photography is important to you, the Z Force is the one you want. If you just want good camera phone photos, but it's not the most important feature on your list, then the Moto Z will do.
Both cameras can shoot 4K video at 30 fps and 1080p video at 60 fps. They have optical image stabilization, which helps reduce jitters in video footage and allows the camera to use lower shutter speeds for sharper low light photos. Auto HDR and panorama are standard, and there's an advanced mode if you want control over more settings. The camera app is simple and fairly intuitive.Both phones have relatively good battery life compared to their flagship brethren, and the Moto Z Force obviously has the better battery life since it has a higher capacity 3500 mAh battery vs. the 2600 mAh in the Moto Z. Both smartphones' battery life can be augmented via the Incipio 2220 mAh Moto Mod back and both come with a Moto TurboPower charger, which is akin to a Qualcomm Quick Charge charger. It can top up the battery by 40% in 30 minutes. I had no trouble routinely making it through the day with the Moto Z with moderate use, and the Moto Z Force lasted until the next afternoon. If you're a Pokemon Go fanatic, the data connection and heavy GPS use will result in lower runtimes.