Category: Tech

Latest Technology News, Alternative, Bio-Tech, Medical, R&D and Innovations

Meizu Launches M2 Exclusively On Snapdeal

Meizu has opened registration for the recently released M2, exclusively on Snapdeal at Rs.6,999. Meizu M2 comes with a unibody design and a storage that is expandable up to 144GB.

It comes with a 64-bit MT6735 Quad-core processor, four advanced 1.3 GHz Cortex A53 cores and the Mali-T720 GPU. On the camera front, it is equipped with a Samsung 13 megapixel CMOS camera, and an upgarded 5MP front camera with the FotoNation beatifying system.

The device runs on the Flyme OS 4.5 based on Android 5.1 and also has the new 64-bit CPU. The M2 comes with a 5 inch display and 720 pixels resolution. Other features include, TD-LTE FDD-LTE 4G, supports two Nano-SIM cards, and microSD card with a storage capacity of 144 GB.

October 9, 2015

Open Sale for OnePlus 2 on 12th October

OnePlus 2 is going to be made available for sale without invites on the 12th of October. If you’ve been eyeing the device for a while but always fell short of an invite, this is your window. However, the glitch of this perfect bubble is that the phone will be made available for sale only for an hour -between 12 PM to 1 PM. So it pretty much is a blink and you’ll miss sort of an opportunity.

The announcement was made on in official blog post by OnePlus. Here’s a look at our video review of the device:

<table width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Specification</td> <td>Oneplus Two</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Display</td> <td>5.5-inch TPS LCD in cell, Corning Gorilla Glass</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Resolution</td> <td>1080 x 1920 pixels, 401 ppi</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Chipset</td> <td>Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 v2.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Processor</td> <td>Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57</td> </tr> <tr> <td>GPU</td> <td>Adreno 430</td> </tr> <tr> <td>RAM</td> <td>3/4 GB LPDDR4 RAM</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Storage</td> <td>16/64 GB</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Expandability</td> <td>N/A</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rear Camera</td> <td>13 MP with OIS, 1.35 sensor size and fast laser focus and 2.0 aperture</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rear Camera Video</td> <td>2160p at 30fps, 2160p(DCI) at 24fps, 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps, HDR, stereo sound recording</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Front Camera</td> <td>5 MP</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Front Camera Video</td> <td>1080p at 30fps</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Battery</td> <td>Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Operating System</td> <td>Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Oxygen OS</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Connectivity</td> <td>SIM: Dual Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS Type-C reversible connector</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Miscellaneous</td> <td>Fingerprint sensor</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Price</td> <td>Rs 22,999 for the 16GB variant; Rs 24,999 for the 64GB variant</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Find the specs of OnePlus 2 below:

Specification	OnePlus Two
Display	5.5-inch TPS LCD in cell, Corning Gorilla Glass
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels, 401 ppi
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 v2.1
Processor	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU	Adreno 430
RAM	3/4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	16/64 GB
Expandability	N/A
Rear Camera	13 MP with OIS, 1.35 sensor size and fast laser focus and 2.0 aperture
Rear Camera Video	2160p at 30fps, 2160p(DCI) at 24fps, 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps, HDR, stereo sound recording
Front Camera	5 MP
Front Camera Video	1080p at 30fps
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Oxygen OS
Connectivity	SIM: Dual Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor
Price	Rs 22,999 for the 16GB variant; Rs 24,999 for the 64GB variant

October 9, 2015

Facebook Launches Messenger App on Apple Watch OS2

Facebook launched its Messenger app on the Apple watch, just as it had promised to do in September. The update was rolled out yesterday on October 8th and is capable of supporting iOS 9 features, universal search and multitasking for iPads.

The Apple Watch runs on the OS2 software and so the messenger app is also compatible with it. However, the messenger app is a little different from how it is on a smartphone. This means, that you won’t be able to type out full messages, but will be able to choose from a list of answers already available. You can send a “like”, post stickers and also record and send voice messages. Apart from the active sending actions of the app, you can open pictures, videos and voice messages on the receiving end.

There is one small downside though, the app will support all the Facebook stickers but won’t be able to display them in their original GIF form. They’ll appear static on the watch.

There’s some good news for Android users too, the Messenger app will also be compatible with Android Wear. Therefore, Facebook has yet again ensured that everyone is happy and feels included at its party.

October 9, 2015
Google India Launches Public Transport App for New Delhi Residents

Commuting in Delhi is about to get a whole lot easier. Google India announced a new app today called Delhi Public Transport. It is an experimental app from the Google Maps team designed for New Delhi residents to get around on public transport.

The idea is to make life easier for those who use buses and metros to commute. The app works in offline mode so you won’t have to worry about choppy connectivity when looking for transit directions. It also provides directions and timetable of Metros and buses. You will now get directions from any bus or metro stops, and find out if they are running late.

“In addition to having lots of useful information available offline, Delhi Public Transport also provides you with public transport news and delay information when you do have a connection, all packed into a small app of about 1 MB download size.”

Initial reviews of the app have been very favorable. Users have requested the company to launch the app in other parts of the country as well. The app is still in its early days and Google India is looking to improve on it through customer feedback. So go ahead and download the app, now available on Google Play Store, and let the team know what you think about it.

October 8, 2015
iPhone 6s Users Facing Battery Problems Due to Faulty Samsung Chips

If you’ve got your money ready for the new iPhone 6s that is due to hit Indian stores on the 16^th of this month, you may want to make sure you buy the right one. The internet is buzzing with news of some iPhones 6s units having shorter battery life than others. The reason behind this is that there are two producers of the A9 processor – Samsung and TSMC.

Apparently, the chips from the two firms are not identical. Chipworks, a site that specializes in teardowns, noted that Samsung’s A9 processors use a 14-nanometer processor while TSMC uses 16-nanometer. Early testing revealed that Samsung’s A9 chip fares poorly on battery performance when compared to TSMC’s chip.

Apple’s partner-cum-rival Samsung has produced nearly half of the A9 chipset found in the latest iPhone 6s, while around 70% of iPhone 6s Plus phones have a TSMC processor. A Redditor recently posted tests of a pair of iPhone 6s Plus phones, one having Samsung’s A9 processor and the other having TSMC’s. It was found that TSMC gives an extra two hours of battery life compared to Samsung’s processor under identical conditions.

TSMC A9 Processor

Samsung A9 Processor

“Ran this test a couple times and results were consistent,” wrote Raydizzle on Reddit. “Always about a 2 hour difference in duration. Both phones were tested using the same backup, same settings. Also tried testing them as new phones and results were similar.”

Furthermore, you won’t be able to tell which processor you’re buying when you purchase the iPhone 6s. However, there is an app called Lirum Device Info Lite that can detect whether the new iPhone has a Samsung A9 processor or a TMSC one along with every other information regarding the specs of your device. Once you download the app, click on ‘Model’. If your model is N66MAP or N71MAP, you’ve got a TSMC chip. If it says N66AP and N71AP you got the Samsung one.

October 8, 2015
YouTube’s iOS App Now Let’s You Edit Videos On the Fly

Recent reports suggest that Google has updated its YouTube iOS app with some basic in-app editing features. The new YouTube version 10.38 was released on Monday in the App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The in-app editing features include trimming a video, applying filters, and changing background music. So, if you want to upload a video on YouTube you can now just film it using your iPhone and upload it accordingly, instead of going through the long process of uploading it on to your PC and then using a third-party editing app. However, the editing features on YouTube are still quite basic, so if you’re going in for some serious editing, then it’s probably best to use the third-party apps for now.

The update is not just for users who create videos and upload them. YouTube has also gone through a minor display makeover for the lay YouTube user. So, if you watch videos on YouTube to waste your life away then the new updates help you. You can now swipe left to see your subscribed channels and swiping once more to the left will reveal your account page.

You can also just tap one of the three icons at the top of the page to navigate between your home page, subscriptions page and the account page. There’s one last thing, there are three dots at the upper right of your screen which can lead you to your YouTube settings, help screen and other features.

You can download the YouTube app for free on the iTunes App Store.

October 8, 2015
This Awesome Camera Has 16 Lenses, Shoots 52 MP Images

Point-and-shoot cameras have become somewhat of a relic in the smartphone age. Not that you don’t spot the occasional DSLR user around some touristy place, but the charm of it all seems to have been lost. Why would you go for a bulky camera when companies like Samsung and Apple give you some of the best quality cameras right in your smartphone? Well, there’s a company called Light, a photography startup that is looking to bring back the magic of point-and-shoot cameras, with a twist.

Light has devised a way of turning a point-and-shoot camera into something you don’t see too often. The company has crammed 16 cameras into one body. This quirky idea will be seen in the company’s latest camera rightly called L16. A quick glance of the L16 and it looks like a simple rectangular shaped black device with a silver button on top. The design also sports 16 different groovy-looking circles on the face that provide a little bit of technological brilliance.

This is what Light’s founder Rajiv Laroia calls a “silent revolution”. By using the technology of miniaturized cameras used in smartphones, Light has developed the L16. The idea is to replace bulky DSLR cameras with a smaller, lighter, and sleeker looking device that is easy to carry around.

The L16 can create images of up to 52 megapixels by combining an array of shots from 16 inexpensive 13 megapixel lenses with a variety of focal lengths. There are five 35mm modules, five 70mm ones, and six 150mm modules. There’s a 5-inch touchscreen on the back where you’ll handle all the controls like settings, zoom, and focus. Light says that this sort of approach to photography should give great images even in low light while also reducing image noise. It also runs on Android and has WiFi so you can share images straight from the camera.

Pre-orders for the camera have already begun at a price of $1,299. After November 6th the price tag will jump to $1,699. First orders of the L16 are not expected to ship until next summer. At this price range you can get a decent DSLR with a few lenses as well, but the company is sure that the L16 is the future of photography and that the DSLR’s time is almost up.

October 8, 2015
List of Smartphones to Receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update
By now you’re probably aware that the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow update has begun rolling out. You might also have an idea of what the new update offers such as the Now on Tap and Doze features, among other things. But what’s really making everyone wonder is whether or not their Android devices are eligible for the update.

Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore. We have a list of devices of major smartphone companies that will receive the Marshmallow update in due time. The Nexus phones are the first devices eligible for the updates, as it has usually been the case. Google’s recently launched Nexus 5X and 6P come pre-installed with the Android 6.0 OS, also called Android M. Other OEMs will soon be releasing it for their smartphones as well.

Major flagships will first receive the update followed by the second batch of phones. Here is the list of smartphones from Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC, Xiaomi, Asus and other brands that are scheduled to get the update. Check it out to see if your phone made the cut.

Samsung
- Galaxy Note 5
- Galaxy S6
- Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge+
- Galaxy S5
- Galaxy Note 4
- Galaxy Alpha
- Galaxy A7, A8 (A3, A5 and Galaxy E series to receive it later on)
LG
- LG V10
- LG Class
- G3, G4
- Flex 2
- G2
- G2 Pro
- G Flex
Motorola
- Moto X Pure Edition
- Moto X Style
- Moto X Play
- Moto (Gen 2)
- Moto G
- Moto Turbo
- Droid Turbo
- Moto Maxx
Sony
- Sony Xperia Z5 series
- Xperia M5
- Xperia C5 Ultra
- Xperia Z3+
- Xperia Z3 series
- Xperia Z2
- Xperia Z Ultra GPE
- Xperia Z1
HTC
- HTC Desire Eye, 816, 820 and 826
- HTC One M9, M9+, E9, E9+, M8 and M8s.
Xiaomi
- Mi 4
- Mi 4i
- Mi Note
- Mi Note Pro
- Redmi Note 2
- Redmi 2 Prime
- Redmi 2
- Redmi Note (2014)
- Redmi 1S
Asus
- ZenFone 2 series
- ZenFone Laser
- ZenFone Deluxe
- ZenFone Selfie
- ZenFone 6
- ZenFone 5
- ZenFone 4.
October 8, 2015
Coming This Month : Apple’s 21.5-inch iMac With 4K Display

Apple fans, here’s some great news for you. According to reports Apple will be adding a new 21.5-inch iMacs with 4K screens to its current fall product line up. Adding to this, it has also been said, that these new computers will be available in stores from the 13th of October, 2015. However, the quantity of the products might be less, but Apple is also planning to produce larger quantities of this in November.

The reports also suggest that the new 4K iMac will come with a new 4096 x 2304 screen and faster graphics, it will come pre-loaded with El Capitan and will most probably be more expensive than its non-4K variant.

Apart from this, Apple has been working on a successor to Magic Mouse called Magic Mouse 2 along with Force Touch Integration and a Bluetooth keyboard with a better battery life. Not much is known about the release of this product. So stay tuned for more updates.

October 7, 2015
Google Patents Right To Create Hologram Glasses

As 90s kids, we’ve all watched spy or super-hero movies that have entranced us, despite knowing that it was unreal. Along with that we knew that all the cool gadgets they used were unreal too. But, today there’s really very little that the world of tech and science can’t create.

Keeping that in mind, recent reports have suggested, that Google has published a patent application “for using holograms in a head mounted display like Google Glass, which could create augmented reality experiences that superimpose computer-generated imagery (CGI) over the real world.”

Now, go back to those cool spy movies and cartoons, where the spy would click a button on the side of his spectacles and out of them would appear holograms of maps, mission plans, and other things that a spy needs. Fast forward to a couple of years later, and normal non-spy human beings will be using spyware-type gadgets for daily use. So, soon, you’ll be able to play a video game in virtual reality, or project a map right through your glasses instead of looking at your cellphone GPS for it.

But, here’s the catch, if one is going to use holograms to create a sense of virtual reality then it’s not enough to just copy-paste the image, the ‘projected content’ should also be able to interact and react with the real-world. Here’s what the patent says :

“With augmented reality the viewer’s image of the world is augmented with an overlaying CGI, also referred to as a heads-up display.”

Google perhaps expects that this new feature could be very useful for aerospace apps, wherein pilots would not have to take their eyes off the flight path in order to look at other vital information. The head mounted display feature might also have a number of practical and leisure applications soon, such as video games, transportation, and telecommunications. However, as of now, we’ll just have to wait and see what Google creates, while keeping in mind the aspects of cost, size, weight and field of view.

October 7, 2015
Travellers Asked to Declare iPhone 6s on Arrival in India

Those trying to get their hands on the latest iPhones from abroad via the grey route market could land in deep trouble. Also, those who bring in the phones from outside into India without paying duty are likely to be fined.

Mumbai Customs has seen a growth in the number of iPhones 6s and iPhone 6s Plus smuggled into the country. Since the 25th of last September, around 200 handsets have been seized at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai from foreign returning passengers.

“We seized 200 of the latest iPhone models, valued at Rs 1.23 crore, over the last week. They were being smuggled into India by fliers from Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Dubai, etc. We have increased screening of baggage, besides profiling of passengers,” said Milind Lanjewar, Additional Commissioner, Customs.

Customs has issued a press release informing fliers to “voluntarily declare iPhones to customs on arrival.” They also warned that passengers picked up from the Green Channel will be liable to pay a fine, and those carrying iPhones in commercial quantities are likely to be arrested.

“For goods above Rs 45,000, technically passengers have to declare but most people are not aware of it. A duty of 36% is levied on the amount above this limit,” Lanjewar said. This means that duty will be levied if a passenger is carrying even a single iPhone, if the value of it exceeds Rs. 45,000.

India prices released by Apple distributor Ingram Micro on Tuesday pegged the 16 GB iPhone 6s at Rs 62,000 and the 16 GB iPhone 6s Plus at Rs 72,000 with successive variants having higher price tags. Basically, all the prices exceed the permissible free duty limit.

“As the models are still to be launched in India, passengers are trying to smuggle these iPhones for monetary benefit by sale through grey market,” the authorities have said.

Other parts of the country are also tightening the noose and are on the look out for more such cases, which is expected to rise with only 10 days to go before the official launch in India. Apple has sold over 13 million units of these phones since the launch across US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

October 7, 2015

Huawei Launches the Honor 7, Priced at Rs. 22,999

Huawei has just launched the Honor 7 at an event held in New Delhi today at Rs.22,999. The phone has previously been revealed in China and came in the mid-range section of smartphones.

Having said that, let us have a look at its features. The first thing about its display that was revealed, is that, it will come with a multi-purpose fingerprint scanner, which can be used to check notifications and take selfies.

The Honor 7 comes with a 5.2 inch display with an aluminum body, thermal design and an aluminum frame. On the camera front, it comes with a 20MP rear camera with PDAF, fast focus (0.1s), and Sapphire lens cover. The front camera is 8MP along with 26mm wide angle lens, and front faced soft light feature. The camera on this handset has a couple of special features, such as, the fact that the front camera has a Time lapse option and the camera features a ‘Good food mode’ filter.

Another feature of the Honor 7, is its Knuckle screenshot. Basically, you just have to double tap to capture the entire screen and just draw on it to crop the screenshot. A function feature called the Honor Smart Key allows you to access functions with a single, double or long press accordingly. Finally, a Voice Wake up feature that allows you to wake up using voice recognition.

On the storage front it will arrive with a 16GB of ROM space and a 3GB of RAM. It has also been said that the Android Lollipop version upgrade will be available for the Honor 7 by the end of 2015. It will also come with a 3,100mAh battery with energy intensity of 600 Wh/L, Smart Power 3.0, a Fast charging option and will support reverse charging too.

Here are its specifications :

Feature	Specification
Display	5.2 inches
Resolution	full HD display (423ppi).
Body	aluminum body, thermal design and an aluminum frame
Processor	64-bit octa-core Kirin 935
OS	Android with EM UI 3.1 on top
RAM	3GB
ROM	16GB
Rear Camera	20MP, PDAF, fast focus (0.1s), and Sapphire lens cover
Front Camera	8MP, 26mm wide angle lens, and front faced soft light feature
Battery	3,100mAh, 600 Wh/L, Smart Power 3.0, Fast charging option and reverse charging too.
Other Features	fingerprint reader, NFC, LTE, Timelapse, Knuckle screenshot, Voice Wake Up, Honor Smart Key
Colour Variants	Mystery Gray and Fantasy Silver
Price	Rs. 22,999

Apart from the Honor 7, Huawei also showcased the Honor Band Z1 which will be priced at Rs.5,499. The band is Huawei’s smartwatch which comes with a circular design with a metal bezel around the corners and display at the center. The Band Z1 is also dust proof, water proof and comes with an entourage of features such as, MyFitnessPal app, call reminding, SMS notification, calorie consumption tracker, calendar function and a three day battery life. This smartwatch will be available for purchase by the end of October, 2015. Let us know what you think about these devices.

October 7, 2015

A Quick Look At All The Latest Offerings By Microsoft

In our previous post we spoke at length about Microsoft’s new Surface Book; the new notebook deserved the limelight. At the event yesterday, the company also unveiled other devices as well.

Here’s a quick look at what all we got to see:

Surface Pro 4

The widely expected follow up to the Surface Pro 3. The Windows 10-powered Surface Pro 4 comes with a 12.3-inch display, that is just slightly larger than its predecessor, and Intel’s latest 6th-generation Core M and i-series processors.

The Surface Pro 4 also features an improved backlit keyboard, a more responsive keypad, and a trackpad that has a five point multi-touch functionality and a fingerprint reader. Like the Surface Book, the Surface Pro can also use Microsoft’s new Surface Pen. The stylus offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and also comes with an eraser.

Quite clearly the Surface Pen is a direct challenge to the Apple Pencil, and Microsoft did not hesitate to take a few jabs at its competition. “It’s kind of funny, there’s a Pencil out there without an eraser,” said Microsoft’s Panos Panay just before unveiling the upgraded Surface Pen 4 stylus.

The Surface Pro 4 comes out on October 26th and will start at a price of $899.

Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL

Now a look at non-Surface products. Microsoft unveiled the two new Windows 10 smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

As earlier leaks have suggested, the Lumia 950 sports a 5.2-inch OLED display with 564 ppi and Qualcomm 6-core Snapdragon 808, a 20 MP primary camera with optical image stabilization. The Lumia 950 XL, on the other hand, comes with a 5.7-inch display with 518 ppi,powered by an 8-core processor and will also feature a 20 MP primary camera like the 950.

Both phones come with 32 GB of internal storage, a microSD card, and USB Type-C connector. The devices will ship in November with a price tag of $549 and $649, with the XL version costing $100 more.

Continuum Mode

The Continuum Mode is for your Lumia devices, which allows you to plug your handsets into a special adapter that connects to your desktop monitor so that you can use your phone like a regular PC. It’s tiny, easy to carry around and looks like any old USB hub.

It’s basically like looking at a bigger version of your phone’s display. The mode creates a full Windows 10-style desktop that you can navigate using the keyboard and mouse or even your phone. Universal apps, such as Mail and Word are scaled up version of the mobile apps. This is Microsoft way of telling us what the future of computing looks like, and it’s pretty neat.

The Continuum Mode feature is also available for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

Microsoft Band

Here comes the Microsoft’s answer to smartwatches. The company unveiled the second version of the Microsoft Band. The first version that came out even before the Apple Watch was a bit confusing to say the least. It wasn’t a smartwatch and it wasn’t a fitness tracker, but rather a $199 device with a tiny display that showed you notifications and apps.

The second version hopes to fix the flaws. The new version has a more responsive touch and sports a tougher Gorilla Glass. The device also boasts of features such as an 11th senor (barometer) that tracks elevation changes in real-time for the fitness crazies out there. Microsoft Band is priced at $249 and will be available from the 30th of October.

October 7, 2015
Microsoft Will Begin Rolling Out Windows 10 to Smartphones in December

After Microsoft’s mega event yesterday, we found out that both its Lumia 950 and 950 XL will be powered by the new Windows 10 software. The current Lumia users though, had nothing to gain from this announcement, until now. Recent reports suggest that the existing Lumia owners will also be receiving the Windows 10 update by December.

This bit of information was seen on Facebook when Microsoft responded to a comment on its official Lumia page. Here is what the conversation looked like :

Furthermore, they also added that they would “make an upgrade available for majority of Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1,” however, this announcement is only good for Lumia phones that have an internal memory of 8GB or above. Fair enough. What do you think?

For more information on Windows 10, click here.

October 7, 2015
Microsoft’s Surface Book is a Gorgeous Piece of Machinery

If you want to put on a spectacular show, you need to learn a thing or two from Microsoft. Not only did the company showcase some jaw dropping devices such as the Lumia phones and the Surface Pro 4, along with a bunch of other delectables yesterday, but it also had an ace up its sleeve. We knew the devices that were expected to be revealed at the event, however, Microsoft cleverly managed to hide perhaps their best creation yet, until last night.

Arguably the star of the show, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book laptop and it is simply gorgeous. The Surface Book is Microsoft’s very first laptop, so to say. Though it is surprising since the Surface Pro was pegged as the laptop killer. But once you’ve had a glimpse of the Surface Book all is forgiven. This 3.34 pound Windows 10 laptop features a 13.5-inch display with a ridiculously high 3,000 x 2,000 pixel resolution and 267 ppi optically bonded to the screen. So it goes without saying that videos and images are as crisp as it’s going to get.

It’s Microsoft’s first laptop but it’s more than just a laptop. Consider it a laptop-tablet hybrid if you will. The screen is fully removable so that it can be used as a tablet. You can also pop the screen back on and flip it around and have the keyboard as a stand.

It is a silver metal laptop but looks different than the MacBook, but challenges the MacBook in every way. One of the highlights in the design is the Surface Book’s hinge, which Microsoft calls a “dynamic fulcrum.” From the side it appears it can flex and bend, and leaves a little gap when the laptop is closed, but also elevates the display at an angle.

More on the look of things, the Surface Book has a backlit keyboard and keys with 1.6mm of travel, which Microsoft is particularly proud of. It’s calling it “perfect” saying that it’ll type almost silently. And to top it off, the laptop comes with a large glass trackpad with five points of touch sensitivity. The Surface Pen stylus attaches magnetically to the side of the laptop as well as the Surface Pro 4.

Let’s talk about the interiors now. The laptop has the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Nvidia GeForce GPU with GDDR5 memory. The dock includes two USB 3.0 ports and an SD card slot. Here’s the cherry on the cake – the machine will give you 12 hours of battery life on a single charge. Are you listening, Apple?

Microsoft claims this is “the fast is the fastest 13-inch laptop ever made anywhere on any planet.” And the company also added that it will be twice as fast as the MacBook Pro. We can’t stress it enough, but the Surface Book is a beauty of a machine and the company seems to have nailed every aspect of it. The laptop will go on sale October 26th and is expected to have a steep price tag starting at $1,499. Follow this space as we’ll be looking at other devices Microsoft unveiled yesterday.

Till then, check out the video of the Surface Book below in all its glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVfOe5mFbAE

October 7, 2015