Wireless Wednesday for 3/16/16 - A Laptop for Every Budget

Besides a home and a car, a laptop is one of the most important purchases you will make. And many people make this purchase each year, for whatever reason.

While it's a personal decision, it's also a tech decision and finding the right laptop to meet your needs and budget can be tough.

Have a listen:

 

1.   HP Stream  - Under $200   - For the Budget Conscious

The revolutionary HP Stream is a stylish, affordable Windows-based PC that lets you store your content in the cloud for easy access in more places.
- Comes in 11" or 13" displays
- Free Cloud Storage for Data
- Free Office 365 Personal Included
- Dual Core Processor
- Thin and Light

 

2. Microsoft Surface Line-   Starts at $400

The Microsoft Surface line always gets a lot of exposure, especially when it comes to being in a partnership with the NFL. Surface models start at around $400 and give a full Microsoft experience in laptop or tablet mode.
There’s no limit to what you can achieve with the versatility and power of Surface. Do great things.

 


3. Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition -  $699 at the most

Great for business use.

The Del Inspiron 11 measures 0.76 by 11.8 by 7.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.98 pounds, a compact and attractive system.

11-inch 2-in-1 with the performance of a laptop and the convenience of a tablet in one small device that makes it easy to take with you anywhere.
The $600 “Special Edition” review unit represents the top tier of the system, and came with a sixth generation Intel i3 core processor, 4GB of DDR3L memory, and 128GB hard drive.

The Inspiron 3000 doesn’t look like a two-in-one, and that's a good thing.
A powerful laptop/tablet device.
 


4.  Razer Blade Stealth  -  $1199  and won a "Best of CES" award

www.razerzone.com
Many people don't know about Razer, the maker of quality laptops
The Stealth (QHD) is a thin, attractive system with an all-aluminum body measuring 0.52 by 12.6 by 6.1 inches (HWD).

    0.52” Thin and 2.75lbs
    12.5” 4K and QHD Touchscreens
    6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
    Chroma Keyboard - 16.8 Million Colors per Key
    8GB dual-channel onboard memory (LPDDR3-1866MHz)
Windows® 10 (64-Bit)

The Razer Blade Stealth’s highly durable chassis is CNC-milled out of aircraft grade aluminum. The ultra-sleek finish and thin form factor adapts perfectly to any situation. Together with up to 8 hours of battery life, you’ll be able to play casual games on the train and power through your daily work.
 

5. Acer Predator 15    $2000-3000

- The ultimate gaming notebook

Acer Predator 15 G9-591-70VM Gaming Notebook comes with these high level specs: 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Processor 2.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.5GHz, Windows 10, 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M with 3 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM, 16GB DDR4 Memory, 128GB SSD, 1TB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM), 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive (M-DISC enabled), Acer True Harmony Premium High-Performance Sound System, Two Built-in Stereo Speakers and Subwoofer, Built-in Digital Microphone, Secure Digital (SD) card reader, Killer Wireless-AC 1535 802.11ac Wi-Fi featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, Gigabit Ethernet, Built-In HD Webcam, 1 - Thunderbolt 3 (Full USB 3.1 Type C) Port, 4 - USB 3.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, 1 - Display Port, 8-cell Li-ion Battery (6000 mAh), Up to 6-hours Battery Life, 7.5 lbs.

 

App of the Week:

Wallapop

Wallapop, the free iOS and Android shopping app where people can sell items locally that they no longer need and buy from nearby neighbors the ones they can’t wait to get their hands on - ranging from cars, to iPhones, vintage treasures, baby gear and more.

There are several differences between Craigslist and Wallapop:

·         Craigslist is not available via app

·         Wallapop takes 30 seconds to post an item for sale, while Craigslist is much more cumbersome

·         With Wallapop there is an exact geolocation available, so you can find items that are extremely close to you and immediately see how far away the items are. This feature makes the buying/selling process much easier and is not an option through Craigslist

As for safety concerns, when consumers are buying and selling items online through any service, they should use caution and meet in a public, neutral space. Wallapop user safety is a top priority and they have tips available to keep it a happy and safe process.
·         Get set up in 60 seconds – effortlessly sign up with Facebook or Gmail, pick your neighborhood, snap a picture of your first item, set a price and DONE!

·         Anonymous messaging keeps identities safe – answer questions about your listing or set up a time to exchange while keeping you and your contact information safe and sound

·         Locate a “pop-up thrift shop” – use the geo-locating filter to find the treasures hiding as close as 0.25 miles away in your friendly neighbors’ garages

·         Quick cash! - sellers walk away with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars, and buyers get products they’ve been craving without costly price tags

·         See it to believe it – On Wallapop a photo is required to ensure the quality of every item is transparent, right from the start

 


“With more people shopping via mobile, Wallapop is the logical choice for discovering great second hand items. Other online marketplaces aren’t available for mobile, and take several minutes to register and post an item. With Wallapop, almost anything you no longer use anymore can be posted in as little as 30 seconds, and is just as simple for customers to discover the perfect high-value items locally.”

“We all like extra cash in our pockets, and Wallapop provides users with an easy, fast and free way to get rid of items they no longer need. We recommend though that both users and buyers shop wisely. When buying via the app, make sure you meet in a public, neutral space and do not go alone. Safety should always be top of mind. Happy shopping!”

-Maria Grasso, Director of Media Strategy, Wallapop

Wireless Wednesday for 12/9/15 - Laptops for the Holidays

Millions of Americans will be shopping for and getting new laptops for the 2015 holiday shopping season. Rick gives some laptop shopping tips and some of his favorites - all Windows 10 models.

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch:

Laptop Shopping tips for the holidays
- Apple or Windows
- Go with what you can afford
- Look at processor speed and memory

*  A look at some new laptops

1.   Toshiba Satellite Radius 12

Intel® Core™ i7-6500U Processor
 Windows 10 Home
 8GB LPDDR3 1600MHz (not user upgradeable)
 Intel® Integrated Graphics
 256GB M.2 solid state drive (SSD)
Retails for around $1,399

 
2.   HP Spectre x360

The new HP Spectre x360 limited edition is based on the latest version of the award winning HP Spectre x360, delivering an x360 with unparalleled sound and design.
·         The beautiful 13.3 inch diagonal Ash Silver with Copper accented HP Spectre x360 celebrates Bang & Olufsen’s 90th anniversary.
·         Weighing 3.17 pounds and 15.9 millimeters thin makes this notebook ultra-portable.
●      The CNC aluminum chassis precisely fits a large battery for power and quality in a thin and light design.  
●      Four different modes to enjoy your content: use the notebook mode to get things done, the tent mode for games or presentations, tablet mode to read the news, and stand mode for watching movies.
Hardware
●      13.3” FHD or QHD Display with 72% color gamut.
●      Choice of sixth generation Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 processors for horsepower.
●      A lightning fast SSD up to 512GB for responsiveness to get things done fast.
●      Up to 12 hours of battery life so you can leave your power cord at home.
●      4GB/8GB RAM.
●      Support for a full-size HDMI and mini-DisplayPort 1.2 allowing access to content across multiple screens.

●      Three USB 3.0 ports all with HP USB Sleep and Charge.
 
Experience
●      The HP Spectre x360 is an ultra-thin PC with the versatility to take advantage of Continuum in Windows 10 for fluid transitions from notebook mode for work, stand mode for viewing entertainment, tent mode for a great presentation tool or for touchscreen entertainment, or tablet mode for on the go.
●      Full sized backlit keyboard with 1.5mm travel for a great typing experience and has extra-wide touchpad.
●      Audio by Bang & Olufsen for bold and crisp audio experiences.
 
HP Spectre x360 in Ash Silver and Copper accents is available at www.hp.com/go/spectrex360 and Best Buy  starting at $1,299.99.

 

3. Lenovo Yoga 900 Laptop

Retails for about $1,199

Different from the competition, the Yoga 900 is unbelievably thin and elegant. From the 360° watchband hinge to the eye catching color options, this 2-in-1 will turn heads. Packed with the latest Intel processing power and customizable features of Windows 10.
Drown out distractions with JBL speakers that deliver rich stereo sound and premium Dolby® Home Theater® for an immersive audio experience.
Starting at a mere 2.8 lbs and just 0.59" thick, the Yoga 900 is ultraportable — it's perfect for doers on the go, and is the world’s thinnest Intel® Core™ i convertible.* Bend it, flip it, or fold it to experience your apps in a way you never have before.
 


App of the Week:

ShopSavvy (Android, iOS) - a price shopping comparison app

ShopSavvy is a handy shopping companion, with the ability for shoppers to scan barcodes or search for an item in order to look up the best prices at top retailers and shops nationwide. Tag-based searching and a Sales tab also keep it easy for users to find and keep track of the latest sales relevant to them, with data on promos updated daily. You can even set a "SmartAlert" that notifies you of special deals that fit a particular profile you're looking for.