LAPTOP Magazine: The Pulse of Mobile Technology

Best Free Texting Apps 2013

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:15:31 +0000

In December, the SMS turned 20 years old. Over those two decades, texting became the dominate form of messaging, until now. CTIA, the wireless association, recently announced that Americans sent 5 percent fewer texts during the last year. So why the drop? There are compelling free apps that let you go around your carrier’s fees.

Take the incredibly popular WhatsApp, which is now handling 27 billion messages per day. You can send images and video, as well as group chat with ease across every major smarpthone platform. Other options include Facebook Messenger and Viber, both of which let you make free voice calls. To help you pick the right free messaging app, we tested six options and evaluated them based on design, features and performance.

WhatsApp (Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone)

WhatsApp is the No. 1 paid social networking app for iOS and the No. 5 free communications app on Google Play, with more than 200 million monthly active users. The cross-platform app is also available for BlackBerry and Windows Phone. With all these users downloading the messaging app to group chat and send photos and videos -- without incurring texting fees -- is WhatsApp worth the hype? Yes, and here's why.

More: WhatsApp Review

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Jawbone Special Orange Edition UP Fights Childhood Obesity

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:35:04 +0000

The Jawbone UP is indeed a personal fitness device, but purchasing a new wristband may improve more than just your own health habits. The company recently announced a new Special Orange Edition in support of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which is a charity dedicated to helping kids make fitness-conscious decisions.

As part of the fundraiser, Jawbone will donate $20 for every Special Edition Orange wristband sold. The money will work toward preventing childhood obesity and will be implemented in the organizations school and community programs.

“With UP, we can all support the Alliance’s mission by being role models, financial contributors, and voices for a cause we truly care about—teaching kids healthy habits that will last a lifetime,” Travis Bogard, VP of product management and strategy for Jawbone, said in a statement.

Jawbone’s $129 UP armband has certainly come a long way since it launched in 2012. The company has improved the wristband’s design and added features such as body tracking, sleep monitoring and smart vibration alarms to the Android platform. The new Special Orange Edition will come in small, medium and large sizes and is available at the same price from Jawbone’s website.

Follow Lisa Eadicicco on Twitter and Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Qualcomm-Powered Surface RT Tablet Reportedly in the Works

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:36:19 +0000

Microsoft is reportedly planning to refresh its Surface RT tablet with a chip from Qualcomm, according to Bloomberg. The news comes weeks after Microsoft added smaller Windows 8 tablets with free Office productivity software at this year’s Computex in Taipei.

However, this doesn’t mean that Microsoft is looking to replace Nvidia, which currently supplies its quad-core Tegra 3 processor for the Surface RT. The report indicates that only some versions of the next Surface RT will come with Qualcomm chips, while Nvidia will continue to supply chips for other versions of the tablet. This switch, which appears to apply to unannounced Surface RT devices, is likely to happen later this year.

By adding Qualcomm as a supplier, Microsoft could potentially add mobile broadband support to its Surface RT tablet, which has fallen short of analysts’ sales estimates ever since it launched back in October. Specifically, The Verge reports that Microsoft is testing Windows RT 8.1 Surface devices with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Microsoft isn’t the only device maker looking to switch from Nvidia to Qualcomm for its forthcoming tablets. Just a few months ago, reports suggested that Google will opt for Qualcomm’s chip rather than Nvidia’s Tegra 3 when it comes to the next-generation Nexus 7.

Despite Microsoft’s efforts to beef up its flagship Windows RT tablet, it remains unclear whether or not this will be enough to garner interest in the platform. Major vendors such as Samsung, HP and Toshiba have backed out on plans to manufacturer Windows RT tablets, and sales of the Surface RT fell way below device orders in early 2013.

As Windows 8 begins making its way to smaller-sized tablets, the purpose and relevance behind Windows RT comes into question. At this year’s Computex convention Acer unveiled its Iconia W3 — the first 8-inch tablet to run the full desktop version of Windows 8.

via Bloomberg

Follow Lisa Eadicicco on Twitter and Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

2013 MacBook Air Battery Life vs. Windows 8 Ultrabooks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:21:40 +0000

If the new MacBook Air looks identical to its predecessor, then why is everyone making such a big deal about it? Because this ultraportable laptop beats the last Air and every Windows Ultrabook by a mile when it comes to endurance. Thanks to Intel’s new 4th generation Core (Haswell) processor and a beefier battery on the inside, the new Air doesn’t need an extended battery or slice to last all day on a charge. And we mean all day.

To test the new 2013 MacBook Air’s staying power we ran the LAPTOP Battery Test, which uses a script to continuously surf more than 25 popular websites on 40 percent brightness. On this test, the Air lasted an epic 11 hours and 40 minutes. This runtime is just 20 minutes short of Apple’s lofty claim, nearly 6 hours longer than the ultraportable category average (6:02) and close to 4 hours longer than the last Air (8:02). So how do Windows 8 machines stack up?

MORE: 10 Laptops with the Longest Battery Life

Among five 13-inch notebooks we’ve tested recently running Windows 8, none of them surpassed 8 hours with their standard batteries. In fact, when we tested the MacBook Air on 100 percent brightness, its 6.5 hours of battery life beat the Dell XPS 13 (5:50) and Acer Aspire S7 (4:10) with their standard batteries. And while we expect these and other laptops to improve once they’re upgraded to Intel’s latest Haswell chip, the first 4th gen Core Windows laptop also trails the Air by a wide margin.

The closest competitor to the 13-inch Air right now is the Sony VAIO Pro 13, which also uses Intel’s Haswell CPU. To be fair, the Air packs a 1.3-GHz Intel Haswell Core i5 ULT processor, compared to a faster 1.8-GHz Core i7-4500U CPU inside the Sony we tested. On the LAPTOP Battery Test, the Pro 13 lasted 7 hours and 20 minutes, which is fairly good endurance when you consider that this notebook also features a touch screen.

Adding a sheet battery extends that runtime to a whopping 14.5 hours, but it also adds to the system’s weight and $150 to the price. The Acer Aspire S7 offers a similarly awkward and pricey external battery that boosts that notebook’s endurance, but we’d rather get great battery life without spending extra money or bloating the design.

The bottom line is that if you’re going to carry a 3-pound laptop, you should be able to leave the charger behind and not even think about it. The new MacBook Air lets you do just that, and the Windows camp now has to play catch-up.

Follow Mark Spoonauer on Twitter,Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Government Is Watching You: 8 Ways to Disappear Online

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:27:57 +0000

If you’ve been watching the news lately, you know that your private online communications may not be so private. It’s unclear exactly what data is collected by the NSA’s PRISM surveillance program, but it’s very existence has left many U.S. citizens feeling betrayed. In fact, according to a recent CNN poll, 6 in 10 people believe that the government is so large and powerful that it threatens the rights and freedoms of ordinary Americans.

Fortunately, there are ways users can take their privacy into their own hands, protecting their online activities and communication and telling the government to take a hike. From services that completely mask your online traffic to digital currencies that cannot be traced, here are eight tools that can protect against prying eyes.

Silent Circle

President Obama has admitted to collecting the metadata from call records, but there's some speculation that even more data is being harvested by the NSA. If you're uncomfortable with the thought that all your mobile communication records might be residing on a government server somewhere, check out Silent Circle.

Users can make encrypted voice calls, video chats, texts and emails with a Silent Circle subscription, which starts at $10 per month. The app is available for both iOS and Android, allowing anyone to lock down their mobile communications.

More: Best Android Security Apps 2013

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MacBook Air 2013 vs. Retina MacBook Pro: Which Should You Buy?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:22:49 +0000

With the launch of the 2013 version of the MacBook Air, which has Intel’s power-sipping 4th generation Core processor inside, many have asked us if they should purchase an MacBook Air 13-inch or the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The former laptop offers epic battery life in the same sleek design we’ve come to know and love from the Air, while the latter boasts one of the sharpest and richest screens ever to grace a notebook. We’ve broken it down to help you determine which MacBook is best for your needs.

Design

Weighing 3 pounds and measuring 12.8 x 9 x 0.11 – 0.68 inches, the Air is essentially unchanged in dimensions and design since last year. While the Pro is thicker, at 0.75 inches, it has a smaller footprint than the Air (12.4 x 8.6 inches). At 3.75 pounds, the Pro weighs more than the Air but is still fairly easy to carry. Both notebooks follow the familiar Apple aesthetic: a solid aluminum body with a black keyboard and excellent touchpad.

Winner: MacBook Air. The Air wins this round because it’s thinner and lighter. You barely notice it when this laptop is in your bag.

MORE: Best Laptops 2013

Display

No contest here: At 2560 x 1600 pixels, the Pro’s Retina display blows the Air’s 1440 x 900-pixel panel out of the water. Text looks a lot sharper on the Retina Pro, whether you’re looking at app icons or text on websites that have been optimized. Plus, there are more than 250 apps in the Mac App Store that take advantage of the Retina display, including Photoshop CS6, Tweetbot, Pocket and Real Racing 2.

At 313 lux, the Pro’s display was also brighter than the Air’s, which measured 263 lux. Although the Retina Display’s screen looks a bit glossier than the Air’s display, the Retina offers deeper blacks and better color saturation.

Winner: MacBook Pro. A sharper, brighter and richer screen helps the MacBook Pro win this round easily.

Ports and External Display Support

The Air has the same port spread as last year, with two USB 3.0 ports, one Thunderbolt port and an SDXC card slot. By comparison, the 13-inch Pro with Retina has two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot.

The Air can support up to one additional monitor at a resolution of 2560 x 1600; the Pro with Retina supports two additional displays at that resolution.

Winner: MacBook Pro. Apple’s beefier 13-incher has a wider selection of ports, and it supports two external monitors, whereas the Air supports only one.

Performance

The latest MacBook Air comes with a 1.3-GHz Intel Haswell ULT processor, 4GB of RAM and new flash storage (based on PCI Express). Although the clock speed is ostensibly slower versus its predecessor (1.8 GHz), Haswell can get more work done per clock cycle. Plus, the new Air promises 45 percent faster flash memory and 40 percent greater graphics performance via the new Intel HD 5000 GPU.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with a full-voltage, third-generation 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage.

The Air’s score of 6,769 on Geekbench nearly equaled that of the Pro (6,760). However, when it came to duplicating 5GB of multimedia files, the Air’s zippier PCIe flash storage crushed the Pro, 242 MBps to 196 MBps.

Does the Intel HD Graphics 5000 GPU perform better than the 4000-series? This question is a little murkier, considering that it isn’t an Apples-to-Apples comparison. On the Cinebench OpenGL test, the Air’s score of 21 edged out the Pro’s Intel HD 4000 graphics, which mustered a score of 17.

In “World of Warcraft,” the Air averaged 26 fps at maximum settings, with resolution set at 1440 x 900. The Pro, with its display set to 1432 x 894, averaged just 16 fps.

Winner: MacBook Air. With Intel’s new Haswell chip, this notebook manages to tie, or beat, the Pro on a number of tests.

Battery Life

One of the benefits of Intel’s Haswell 4th generation Core processors is that they offer greater battery life than the previous generation. Coupled with a larger battery, the 13-inch Air lasted 11 hours and 40 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test (Web surfing via Wi-Fi). The Pro lasted 7 hours and 38 minutes, which is good, but still 4 hours less.

Winner: MacBook Air. At nearly 12 hours, the Air blows past the Pro’s endurance level. Of course, the Pro could narrow this gap once it gets upgraded to a Haswell processor.

Price and Value

The least expensive version of the Air costs $1,099 and comes with a 1.3-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 5000, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage. The Pro with Retina display starts at $1,499 and includes a 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of flash storage and Intel HD graphics 4000.

The more expensive version of the Air costs $1,299 and has the same processor and RAM as the starting version, but comes with 256GB of storage. The $1,699 model of the Pro has a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage.

Winner: MacBook Air. We love the Retina Display, but the $400 cheaper starting price for the Air makes it a heck of a value.

Configurations and Upgrade Options

With both models of the Air, you can upgrade to a 1.4-GHz Intel Core i7 for $150 and 8GB of RAM for $100. On the $1,299 configuration, you can also upgrade to 512GB of storage for $300.

Apple lets you customize the Pro a bit more. If you select the starting model, you can upgrade to a 2.9-GHz Intel Core i7 processor for $200 and boost the storage capacity to 256GB ($200), 512GB ($500) or 768GB ($900). If you purchase the more expensive configuration, you can upgrade the CPU to a 3.0-GHz Core i7 processor ($200) and the storage to 512GB ($300) or 768GB ($700).

Winner: MacBook Pro. More options make the MacBook Pro a laptop you can better customize to suit your needs.

Bottom Line

The MacBook Air wins four rounds to the Pro’s three, making it the better choice for the majority of shoppers. The Air has a thinner and lighter chassis, offers slightly better performance and lasts much longer on a charge. Most importantly, the Air costs less than the Pro.

However, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has a sharper and richer display, and you can use Pro with two external monitors at once (compared to just one for the Air). Plus, you get an extra Thunderbolt port, HDMI and a greater number of configuration options.

Overall, the new MacBook Air is a better value, especially for frequent travelers, and the MacBook Pro with Retina Display is a great choice for creative pros who need the best possible display quality — and are willing to pay extra for it.

Follow Mike Prospero on Twitter and Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Most Drivers Who Used GPS Got Lost, Michelin Survey Finds

Cherlynn Low — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:03:20 +0000

Remember when you would miss a turn and go around in circles because your GPS said, “Turn left now” about five seconds too late? You’re not alone. 63 percent of US drivers who have used GPS report having been led astray by confusing or incorrect directions given by their navigation systems, according to a recent Michelin survey.

On average, U.S. drivers were misdirected 4.4 times by GPS. The survey, conducted online in April 2013 by Harris Interactive for Michelin Travel and Lifestyle, polled more than 2,200 US adults. And the survey found that good old physical maps and printed directions were still the most preferred option for some 40 percent of Americans when traveling to unfamiliar destinations.

“Technology is great, but a printed map is one of the most important tools a traveler in an unfamiliar setting can have,” said editorial director of Michelin Travel Partners Cynthia Ochterbeck.

“The battery doesn’t die, it is easy to use, and it allows you to make decisions on route changes if necessary,” said Ochterbeck.

GPS was the second most popular option for travel aids, coming in with 30 percent of the votes. Smartphones and tablet devices were used by 19 percent of respondents while 6 percent rely on verbal directions from locals in the area. Three percent of respondents don’t use any travel aids at all when traveling to unfamiliar locations.

Acer C7 Chromebook Coming to Walmart for $199

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:12:25 +0000

Acer is taking its newest Google-powered Chromebook to Walmart stores for the relatively low price of $199. The 11.6-inch Acer C710-2856 Chromebook features a 16GB SSD, 1.1-GHz dual-core Intel Celeron 847 processor and 2GB of RAM. That’s a slight downgrade from the Acer C710-2055 we reviewed back in April, which included the same processor, but double the RAM of the Acer’s latest offering. That being said, the C710-2055 cost $249 compared to the C710-2856′s $199 price tag.

MORE: 10 Laptops with the Longest Battery Life

Acer says the C710-2856 will boot up in just 8 seconds, which, if true, would be an improvement over the C710-2055′s boot time of 13 seconds. Of course, with just 2GB of RAM, the newest addition to Acer’s Chrombook family could experience system slowdown fairly easily.

Still, Google’s Chromebooks provide users with a lightweight, bare bones notebook that will get them online in a snap. Since Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google’s operating system, it relies heavily on Google’s suite of applications. Although users can log into Chrome OS as a guest, users should log into the system with Google credentials in order to have the best experience. The Chromebook is optimized for Google’s apps, such as Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. For those happy to live their computing life in the cloud, the 3.05-pound Chromebook C710-2856 should give users exactly what they need.

Follow Dan Howley on Twitter and Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Huawei Ascend P6 Claims World’s Skinniest Smartphone Title

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:07:21 +0000

If you thought the Ascend P2 was slim, think again. Huawei just unveiled its Ascend P6, which it claims to be the world’s skinniest smartphone at just 0.24-inches thin.

The slender P6 sports similar specs to the Ascend P2, with a 4.7-inch 720p display and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. You’ll find 8GB of onboard storage, which is expandable via a microSD card slot. This Android-powered phone also features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. The included 2,000 mAh battery is slightly smaller than the P2’s 2,420 mAh battery. This makes sense given its sleeker build.

Like the iPhone 5, Huawei’s new flagship uses in-cell technology in its LCD touch screen display — another characteristic that contributes to its thin form factor. It’s also Huawei’s first handset made completely of metal, giving it a premium design to put it on par with the likes of Apple and HTC’s flagships. While the P6’s design does look similar to that of the iPhone 5, Huawei CEO Richard Yu clarified that the device’s name isn’t an early blow to Apple’s next-gen iPhone 6. Rather, it refers to the handset’s 6.18mm dimensions, as Slash Gear reports.

Although Huawei touts its Ascend P6 as the world’s thinnest smartphone, but it may need to battle another Chinese company for that title. UMeox’s new Brand X5 handset measures 5.6mm thin, beating Huawei’s new offering by just a few millimeters. The P6 is, however, thinner than Apple’s 7.6-mm thick iPhone 5.

Huawei says its P6 will come in black, white and pink color variants with matching cases and will be available next month in China and Western Europe, with 19 countries covered by the end of July. It only supports 3G, but an LTE edition is said to come sometime during Q4 2013. As for pricing, Huawei says the handset will sell for 601 Euros.

Follow Lisa Eadicicco on Twitter and Google+. Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Pets Might Be Better for Your Social Life Than Facebook

Cherlynn Low — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:56:24 +0000

Who needs a Facebook friend when you can have a furry friend at your side? According to a new study, almost half of America’s pet owners think their four-pawed friends are better for their social life than a social networking account.

Conducted by consumer and media intelligence company Mintel, the study of pet owners found that 16 percent of pet owners are interested in technologies that may enhance their relationships with their pets. Also 17 percent said they would like to receive pet-related offers on their phones.

While they may prefer petting to typing, that doesn’t mean pet owners want to abandon Facebook. Social media analyst at Mintel Gabi Lieberman said that while pet shop owners used to be the go-to for pet owners to learn how to care for their pets, social media has taken over as the means for pet owners to explore and share their pet-related experiences.

Some pet owners even want to use social media to turn their their pets into celebrities, Lieberman noted. Indeed, Grumpy Cat, whose Facebook page is pictured above, has reportedly received a movie deal from New Line that may involve stars Will Ferrell and Jack Black.