ZTE Grand S..

Key specs:

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU

Operating System: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Camera: 13 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front

Display: 5 inch full-HD screen

Storage: 16GB internal storage

Battery: 1780 mAh

ZTE has unveiled what it claims is the world's thinnest full-HD smartphone, ZTE Grand S, at the ongoing Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The 5-inch smartphone is only 6.9mm thick and is 69mm wide and 142mm tall. ZTE Grand S runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quadcore CPU. The full-HD smartphone with 1,920 x 1,080p display offers 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of internal storage. It is powered by Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). There is a 2 megapixel camera on the front and a 13-megapixel auto-focus camera at the back capable of shooting 1080p video. The battery is 1780 mAh. 

ZTE Grand S is expected to hit stores in China in the first quarter of 2013, however, the company has not revealed the roadmap for its launch in other countries. ZTE has also not disclosed the price of the smartphone.

Asus Transformer PC Cum Tablet..

Asus announced the Transformer All-in-One, the world's first tablet-cum-PC that runs on Windows 8 as well as Android operating systems. This device features an 18.4-inch IPS touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution that can be detached from the associated hardware and be used as a fully-functional tablet.

When working as a desktop PC, it operates on Windows 8, Microsoft's latest OS, and is powered by third-generation Intel processor with Nvidia GT370M graphics. The display has display angles of 178-degrees, while sound is enhanced by Asus SoundMaster technology.

As the display is removed, the tablet mode actives and users can choose between Windows 8 and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) as the operating system of choice with the touch of a button. In the Android tablet iteration, the device computes data using the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

Asus has also included a handle in the device so that it is easy to carry it around and the in-built kickstand ensures decent viewing angles when placed atop any flat surface.Though Asus is yet to reveal all hardware specifications of the device, it is slated to hit international markets in the first quarter of this year at a price of $1,200.

Nokia Lumia 920 Review..

Specs : 

*4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack LCD touchscreen (768x1280 pixels)

*1.5GHz dual-core processor with Adreno 225 GPU

*1GB RAM, 32GB internal memory

*8 megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, 1080P video recording, 1.3 MP front cam with 720P video recording

*3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB

*2000mAH battery that lasts around 13 to 14 hours of average usage

*Windows Phone 8

Nokia has launched Lumia 920, its flagship smartphone, in India today. Much rides on this handset. Nokia believes the device will help the company come back in the smartphone game and match competitors like Samsung and Apple. Nokia fans — and there are many in India — are hoping that finally they will have a device that can compare favourably to the likes of iPhone and Galaxy S III. 

So, does Lumia 920 meet the expectations? Is it worth picking this device over the high-end Androids if you are looking to buy a smartphone today?

Answer: No. Hardware is fantastic, but the software lets the phone down.

Positive Points : 

1. The 4.5-inch screen on Lumia 920 is excellent. It has very good touch sensitivity and shows punchy colours. It is bright enough to be usable in direct sunlight! With a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, the Lumia 920 screen is broader than the screens with 720 resolution, making it better for consuming multimedia content or web browsing. The high-pixel density means text is rendered crisply. Screen is flawless for all practical purposes.

2. Lumia 920 has a design similar to that of Lumia 800. With squared off top and bottom sides, it has a distinct personality. The phone uses a unibody polycarbonate shell with buttons made of tough ceramic. It's a classy design. But pay attention to the colour. Models with black and cyan colour have a matte finish while red, yellow and white have glossy finish. Glossy finish looks better but matte finish is more resistant to scratches and greasy fingerprints.

3. Lumia 920 has a camera with optical image stabilization. In our use we found the camera to be fantastic. It shoots pictures that have lots of details and accurate colours. Due to optical image stabilization, it is possible to shoot very good quality FullHD videos with Lumia 920. Another area where it excels — and trumps all other smartphones — is low-light photography. You can shoot in complete darkness and still get images that show something. Evenings and indoor shots are no problem for this phone. We would have termed Lumia 920 the point-and-shoot camera killer but it has one flaw. Lumia 920 uses a slower shutter speed by default to get better images in low-light. This means a user has to keep hands very steady for seconds after hitting the camera button. If you don't hold the hands steady, photos do not come out as sharp as they ought to be.

4. We have talked about Windows Phone 8 earlier. But just to recap, let us say it again: The Metro interface in Windows Phone operating software is unique and beautiful. It is colourful, which goes well with yellow, blue and red Lumia phones. It is also well optimized and has slick animations. There is no lag. Apps respond to touch quickly and web browsing is hassle free.

5. Lumia 920 comes with Nokia Drive and Nokia Music. Both are excellent services. Drive has detailed maps and is mostly accurate in showing directions. Nokia's Music app, which has access to lakhs of songs, allows users to stream (or download) songs for free for one year.

Negative Points : 

1. The biggest problem with Lumia 920 is Windows Phone operating system. Microsoft has improved it a lot with the recent version but it is not enough. Multitasking, for example, remains an issue. Except a handful of apps like music player, the others are paused as soon as they are in the background. Once you switch to these apps again, they are resumed. This is fine for apps like video players but not for apps like Twitter or IM+, which have to pull in data in real time. Microsoft has made the process of 'resuming' faster in Windows Phone 8 but users still have to wait before apps open and they get information. Similarly, there is a notification system in WP8 but it is not terribly useful.

2. Windows Phone continues to lag behind iOS and Android as far as apps are concerned. Good and powerful apps are hard to find in Windows Phone store and that limits the usability of Lumia 920. The situation is particularly bad if you are used to Google services like Youtube, Gmail and Google Talk.

3. Lumia 920 is a good looking phone. But it is also thick and bulky. In fact, at over 180 grams, it is one of the heaviest smartphones in the market currently.

Samsung Galaxy S II Plus..

Samsung has officially announced the rumoured Galaxy S II Plus. The new smartphone comes with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), layered with TouchWiz Nature user interface. This device has 8GB of onboard memory with support for microSD card of up to 64GB capacity. Other additions include Smart Stay, Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, S Voice, Voice Unlock, Buddy Photo Share, AllShare Play and Samsung Hubs. The phone will have 1,650mAh battery (100mAh more than Galaxy S II's) and have the option of NFC. Samsung galaxy S II Plus shares most of the hardware specifications with the original model, such as 4.3-inch SuperAMOLED screen with WVGA resolution, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 8MP camera.

The South Korean manufacturer has not revealed the pricing and launch date of the device as of now. Samsung is yet to launch to launch previously announced devices like Galaxy S III Mini and Galaxy Grand in India, though the former is already available in certain countries. Going by the features and specifications, Galaxy S II Plus differs from its older sibling mainly on the software side. Reports say that Galaxy S II, which launched with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), is likely to get the Android 4.1 update in the next couple of months.

Pebble E-Paper Watch..

The advanced wristwatches revealed at International CES in Las Vegas included the much -anticipated Pebble E-Paper Watch that raised a record 10.2 million dollars from everyday investors at Kickstarter.com in 2012. It was designed to connect to any Apple or Android smarphone. Pebble chief executive Eric Migicovsky said the Pebble was now water-resistant, could control music on a phone, and featured a magnetometer for future GPS uses. It would deliver SMS and phone call updates, email and calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages, and featured an energy-efficient E-Paper screen that could be viewed in sunlight, the report said. 

According to the report, Migicovsky said during the biggest international tech event that despite a five-month delay, the smartwatch would begin shipping to buyers in late January and would include extra features. According to the report, the high-profile watch was not the only smartwatch to feature at CES. 

Bluetrek released an iPhone-compatible watch called Cookoo with a seemingly traditional clock face hiding light-up icons for phone calls, SMS and Facebook messages, calendar events and when the phone's battery is low, the report said.

BenQ unveils world’s first full-HD projector..

BenQ has introduced the world's first Full-HD short-throw video projectors, W1070 and W1080ST, at the CES 2013 and India simultaneously. The two products are available at Rs 100000 and Rs 110000 respectively, in the country. 

BenQ W1080ST is able to project 100-inch big screen from a distance of 1.5-meter. Along with W1070, this product supports multiple forms of 3D videos by directly connecting via 2 HDMI 1.4 ports to various devices like Blu-Ray, 3D broadcasting, video games, PC etc with Nvidia 3DTV PC connectivity. Other features of these two products are built-in 10W speakers and SmartEco, a power saving mechanism.In addition, the W1070 and W1080ST are ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation. ISFccc enables the products to render calibrated picture along with two optimised modes -- ISF Day and ISF Night - in order to enhance viewing experience. 

BenQ's SmartEco technology has provided perfect DLP projectors for use in home entertainment. This technology can save up to 70% of lamp power consumption and lower maintenance costs. Rajeev Singh, country head and general manager, BenQ India, said, "Both projectors deliver full HD 1080p quality and are equipped with 3D capabilities through which you can enjoy all the fun of motion sensing and 3D games enhanced in size through the use of a home entertainment projector taking home entertainment & gaming to a whole new level." 

Top 5 3D TVs of 2012 (Till Date)..

1. LG 55LM9600 (55-inch LED)

Price:  2,58,200 Approximately

The 3D television from LG comes with brilliant 3D visuals. The colour quality of the pictures hasn’t been compromised on and the images have almost close to reality colours. Like all other gadgets sleekness is being followed in the design of television sets as well. With its high picture quality this TV 

has almost become sort of a yard stick in the world of 3D televisions. The TV has a 55 inch screen and it comes with Wireless Display (WiDi) and “Dual Play” i.e. an option for multiplayer games. The eye ware just weigh 13 grams, the LG 3D eyewear is extremely comfortable to wear and are made in such a way that it would fit comfortably over reading glasses as well. But what the eye wear misses out on is the nose pads that would have given the glasses a better fit. They are available in two colour variants, black and blue. All in all the LG 55LM9600 is a yard stick in the matter of design of 3 D televisions.

2. Panasonic Viera TH-P55VT50 (55-inch plasma)

Price:  1,55,000 Approximately

The new Panasonic Viera VT 50 has retained most of the features from its predecessor including its design. The television has retained the one sheet of glass bezel design and a low-profile stand. But underneath this an improved Infinite Black Ultra Panel and filter have been installed. This addition promises the viewers with perfect colour combination even bright light conditions. Along with this the company has added the option of web browser to the TV which was missing from the previous 3D television. The improved 3D goggles from Panasonic weigh less by 10 grams. 

The 27 grams eye ware feature Bluetooth infrared of the infrared connection and they also have been enabled with the option of smooth conversation between 3D and 2D. 

Panasonic has indeed succeeded in delivering a new and improved version of their previous 3D television.

3.  LG 47LM8600 (47-inch LED)

Price:  1,98,935 Approximately

LG 47LM8600 is powered with amazing 3D performance. This is the flagship LED model from LG. The features of this 3D television set is similar to that of the LG 55LM9600.  It comes with Intel’s Wireless Display (Wi-Di) and a new magic remote. The 47-inch television set produces flicker-free and

absolutely clear 3D visuals which make viewing TV a pleasure. The television set is also enabled with a dimming capability which delivers good viewing even in the 2D mode. Though a major fault that we can find with this set is that the speakers don’t live up to the expectations. The sound system lacks the finesse to match the beautiful picture quality. The eye wear that comes with this 3D television set is similar to that of ones with LG 55LM9600. It weighs only 13 grams and is available in two colours; black and blue. The television is a winner in every category except the audio which proves to be a major fall out.

4. Panasonic Viera TH-L47DT50 (47-inch LED)

Price: 154,718 Approximately

Panasonic Viera DT50 3D LED TV is the successor to Panasonic WT50 series. Look wise there isn’t much different, the DT 50 is also ultra thin bezel design but at a much lower price than its predecessor. The TV comes with new functions like Web browsers, Wi-Fi and the back light for the remote control.

The 3D television set delivers as a solid performer. The pictures are crisp and smooth and they are very close to the original colours. But this isn’t the general feeling towards the visuals. Some finds the bluish colors and the grayish black very unnatural and an inhibition to enjoy the visuals. The eye ware from Panasonic along with this TV weighs only 30 grams. They are designed in such a way that they fit just perfectly over prescription glasses as well. The goggles have a full wrap-around frame that cut out the surrounding lights. It also comes with adjustable rubber nose pads that fit well over the viewer’s nose.

5.  LG 55EM9600 (55-inch OLED)

Price: RS.55,000 Approximately

Organic LED (OLED) is considered the future of crystal clearing television viewing experience. Before LG came out with a 55-inch OLED TV this technology was only available in 11-inch and 15-inch sets. LG wasn’t alone; they were joined by Samsung in the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2012 where they launched their version of the 55-inch models.

LG in order to differentiate their TV from the rest have launched a White OLED (WOLED) technology. WOLED means that there would be a thin white strip on top of the red, green and blue (RGB) colours.With this addition the pictures seen on the television will have more accurate and closer to life hues in comparison to the normal RGB OLED ones. The eye ware along with television is definitely something to look out for. The eye ware can almost pass off as beautiful expensive sunglasses. This time around LG hasn’t faltered with the nose pads. The nose pads are extremely soft and comfortable.

Sony Xperia P and Xperia U at MWC 2012..

The WhiteMagic refers to an extra white line of pixels added to the good old RGB. This phone is stuck on Android 2.3.7 and won’t get hit with Android 4.0 until the second quarter. Also, you are chained to Sony’s extensive customizations, which is a grave disappointment. From Sony’s side it’s a good thing, because you have their hooks in you by being directly plugged into their content services. However, the camera is instantaneous. The shot you take when the camera’s in sleep mode takes only one second.

Then there is the makeshift TV technology Sony slapped on to impress their most idiot of customers. Yes, there is a so-called SmartDock and TV launcher app. Your display will be reflected on a TV through the HDMI port. If you have a TV remote you can remotely control it. If not, then plug in the mouse and keyboard, yes to your phone, and you will probably need a little duct tape to hold it all together. The worst part of it all is that the Launcher is just a slap dash of shortcuts to regular Android apps.

Sony’s other vague attempt to titillate the market is the Xperia U, which was also announced during MWC 2012. It’s got a 3.5” display a 1GHz CPU, 5MP camera, and the xLoud sound processor. It is housed in a compact design. Notifications can be customized to display your favorite color. Even the bar color can be customized, but also set to match the colors of any photo displayed at the moment. Color seems to be what Xperia U is all about. It will hit the public’s hands in the second quarter as well.

The Xperia P and Xperia U are part of the Xperia NXT series. Since the demise of Ericsson, Sony has tried striking it rich with Xperia’s of all kinds. None have made it so far. In fact, the CMO seems to be delirious. He thinks that separating all the different functions each into its own phone is appealing to the public.

Near Filed Communication (NFC) is what they all share in common. Place a tag somewhere and when you are near it you tap it and the phone changes its configuration accordingly. However, the question arises, why would I want a physical tag when I could tap a shortcut on my display? This is yet another silly ideas Sony has come up with to fool people into buying their products. It is as if Sony knows they make poor products and need gimmicks to sell them.

Sony Tablet P Releases 4th March..

AT&T has finally confirmed at MWC that it is going to bring Sony Tablet P this March. Its a 2 year contract with the carrier and one will need to fork out $399.99 for the device. The tablet features two 5.5 inch display screens which unfold like a case of spectaculars. There are dual purposes for the screens, when viewing a video you may use both the screens but while playing a game one may use a single screen for controlling and the other for viewing. The tablet will provide HSPA+ speeds for its users and hence any 4G claims by AT&T should be put aside. The device sports a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 5 MP camera and 6 GB of internal storage with a standard connectivity interface provided for Bluetooth. Off contract one can buy this device for $549.99.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Unleashed 1st March..

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 will be launched by Verizon Wireless this march. The tablet features a 7.7 inch super AMOLED display running on android 3.2 (Honeycomb). It comes with a nice resolution of 1280X800 pixels having an excellent picture quality. It is powered by a 1.4 GHz dual core processor. It has 2 cameras, the front being 2 MP and the one at the rear being 3.2 MP which can shoot up to 720p videos.

One wonders why Samsung has not gone for the Ice Cream Sandwich version of OS, however it more than makes up by providing the Peel Smart Remote application. This app turns the tablet to an universal remote. However we feel there is a big set back in  pricing as Verizon Wireless is charging $499 for a 2 year contract which means one ends up paying $ 30 for 2 GB of LTE data.

Samsung Makes Official Release Of Galaxy S Advance..

Samsung has been rolling out devices after devices belonging to the Galaxy gene pool. It did not surprise us today when it launched the S Advance. The hype was set from January and Samsung tried hard to maintain that till its official release. This phone falls straight into the middle of OEM’s consumer scale. Its a 1 GHz dual core processor featuring Android 2.3.6. As usual Samsung promises to provide the much awaited ICS (Android 4.0) update later this year. The device runs TouchWiz 4.0 and browsing or transitions are lightning quick.

The 4 inch screen sports a Super AMOLED  display has a resolution of 800X480 pixels. The color saturation is very deep and makes for a very nice crisp viewing. The phone is built to be light and uses the same fibre body as other galaxies do. Overall it is a powerful phone and is good value for money but there is one sad news for Americans. This phone wont hit the US markets but will hit many other countries pretty soon.

Nokia Announces The Launch Of 808 PureView..

The 808 PureView from Nokia is a successor to N8 and is a magnificent imaging flagship phone. It’s finally been unveiled at MWC.  It releases in the 2nd quarter this year and hits the European markets first. The phone has a significant feature -The Camera. 

Before going into the details of the camera here are the specs of the phone :

Symbian Belle OS, 512 MB RAM,16 GB on board storage which can be further expanded via micro SD card. It sports a 1.3 GHz single- core processor and has the “NOKIA” resolution of 360X640 (nHD). It features a pentaband modem, enhancing the chance to connect even more while travelling around the globe.It also has HSPA 14.4 Mbps. Coming to the much hyped camera: has a 41 MP sensor while shooting still photographs and a 34 MP 16:9 images. As expected 808 PureView comes with Carl Zeiss lens camera and has the ability to auto-focus while taking 1080p videos. Nokia is expected to price this phone at 450 Euro. All in all we believe it will provide us a great experience while photographing.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Unveiled At MWC 2012..

Samsung is trying very hard to dominate the mobile world with its new range of tablets. The recent tablet Galaxy Note 10.1, which is a combination of Galaxy Note and Galaxy tab 10.1, was unveiled at MWC. Samsung has already announced the Galaxy Beam and now Galaxy Note joined the tablets league. As the name suggests the device offers a beautiful 10.1 inch touchscreen with S-note feature. With this feature the gadget will combine notes and sketches with images, digital media and web content into personalized storyboard. They have also incorporated Adobe Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas into the Galaxy Note 10.1.

The specs are as follows:

The Galaxy Note 10.1 runs Android ICS(Android 4.0) and is powered by a 1.4GHz dual core processor. The tablet also offers 3G,GLONASS and GPS features. The S-pen offers great accuracy and control while writing/editing. It also provides detailed pressure sensitivity. Students are also going to be benefited from the tablet. It is possible to watch the lectures live and write down the comments on S-note. You can also read an ebook while annotating it.

HTC's - One X, One S And One V..

HTC announced its new smartphone and tablet series, the One. With the new brand name three smartphones were released - One S, One X and One V. All the devices under the One brand name will have three features in focus- imaging, beats audio integration and great design. The One series smartphones will no longer have aliases when released under different carriers. They will be named as they are named originally.

HTC One X

The HTC One X takes a leaf from the unibody design in several products such as the Macbook Pro and Nokia’s Lumia sets with its white polycarbonate body and the Gorilla Glass on the screen. It has an amazing 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD display. Underneath it houses a quad-core Tegra 3 chip (Global edition) or a Snapdragon S4(LTE) chip. Moreover it has 1GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. Now that Dropbox has been integrated into HTC Sense 4, it offers storage of 25 GB on the cloud for 2 years at no extra cost. It has an 8 MP camera at the back which supports 1080p video recording and a 1.3 MP camera at the front with 720p video recording. It also uses an ImageChip silicon to help take clearer shots in low-light conditions. It also has an LED flash with 5 levels of brightness. It lacks in the battery segment with its 1800mAh battery which is locked inside and there is no slot for your memory card too. But anyway it has a great design and looks fantastic. And, by the way its codename is Endeavour.

HTC One S

HTC One S is codenamed as Ville and similar to the One X, it also packs a dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip but has a 4.3-inch SuperAMOLED screen. Its distinguishing feature is its uniformly thin alloy unibody which is made by a plasma-heated micro arc oxidation process which gives the aluminium body a smooth and tough, scratch-resistant finish. It has the similar camera hardware as on the One X and yes, it will run ICS with an HTC Sense 4 overlay.

HTC One V

The One V is codenamed as Primo and has a blackish-gray aluminium unibody with a 3.7-inch WVGA LCD display. It has a prominent butt which was seen in the Hero earlier though it does not have any use. Though the exact specs are unknown but we guess it would have a 1GHz single core chip buffered by 512 MB of RAM. It has 4 GB of memory inside but it does have a memory card slot and 25 GB of free storage in Dropbox’s cloud. It has a 5 MP camera at the back and none in the front. This clearly shows that the One V is aimed to be an economical product of the HTC One brand.

Samsung Releases Galaxy ACE 2..

Samsung has released a mid range phone at MWC. This phone is specific to the European markets for the time being, but is expected to hit the US and Asian markets by mid of 2nd quarter. This is Samsung’s latest offering of a dual core phone and it looks like Samsung is taking this entity pretty seriously. The phone is powered with is a dual core 800MHz  processor and  has android 2.3.6 as its OS. However as expected Samsung is going to provide an ICS update for this phone too.
It is customized with the Samsung’s touchwiz UI. It may provide the users a bit of a surprise as this device generates a little bit of delay while performing transitions from screen to screen. It will take some time getting used to for all those users who actually have used a higher clocked processor. Build quality is exactly as one would expect from Samsung, neither too great nor very dissatisfying. Its body is completely built from plastic and to our surprise it did not weigh very light. It does have a hefty feel to it which thankfully removes all the cheap feeling associated with some of the other Samsung products. No prices have been yet announced by Samsung for this new device.

Hot Wheels’s iNitro Speeders..

Hot Wheels’s iNitro Speeders aren’t your typical RC car. Firstly, they’re absolutely miniature in size; 1 3/4″ long. Included is a carrying case that doubles as a charger and a remote control. Controls are of a traditional setup, with the left stick controlling throttle and the right stick for turning the car. Since the iNitro Speeders are so darn small, the wheels don’t turn and instead rotate independently much like a tank to achieve a left or right movement.

To keep with the times, and toss in a dash of pizazz, Hot Wheels also allows you to administer controls using your iPhone. You’ll just need to plug in the included infrared dongle, which is how the iNitro Speeder receives its commands.  The app includes a set of controls that mimic the physical controller, but that’s not all.  You can also draw custom paths or choose from a number of shapes, which we can only assume that the iNitro Speeder will follow to a ‘t’. There are 8 different iNitro Speeder cars and they’re each available now for $32.99.

iPocketWatch..

In the last few months we’ve seen more and more people repurpose their iPad Nano as a watch. This is in large part due to the influx of iPad Nano watch wrist bands that have flooded the market. Adding to the mix of choices is one young designer out of Australia named Edwin Conan.  From what we understand he has designed and built the first iPad Nano pocket watch case, called the iPocketwatch.

Although installation of the Nano isn’t detailed, it looks like you’ll need to unscrew 4 small hex screws.  A small caveat for anyone that regularly likes to use the Nano without a case, such as those that run.  But on the flip side the Nano will be secure, minimizing any chance that it might get lost while swung around from its 30cm included chain.  The casing is crafted from aircraft grade aluminum and comes in a silver or black finish, though the latter will cost you a few extra ducats.  While all the ports (headphone jack, 30-pin dock and volume keys) and clip will remain available , the touch controls that appear in the corner of the Nano won’t be reachable due to the casing, though you might be able to squeeze in a pinkie if you’ve got sticks for fingers.  However, that most certainly won’t possible if you attach the rounded version.  Yes, there are two facades included in the deal; a square one and rounded one.

HP Z1 Workstation..

All-in-one PCs are slowly replacing the desktops, and that’s because we can’t manage to find a suitably powerful laptop to replace our aging PC. HP’s latest Z1 workstation has found its place among professional machines that have all the power needed to run even the most intensive software.

Software

HP offers Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and SUSE Linux Enterprise operating systems but obviously you can install your own OS, obviously, which is the better course to take if you don’t need all the bloatware that the company has no doubt included in the package. The Z1 is a pretty expensive workstation when configured with the Xeon and Quadro, but its base configuration (which uses a Core i3-2120 processor with integrated Intel graphics, 8 GB of RAM and one hard drive) starts at $1899.

Exterior design

The computer looks very similar to all the other AIOPCs on the market, with the display being the housing for all the hardware and a single stand holding it in one place on your table. But the 27 inch display (2560×1440 pixels resolution with white LED backlight) is covered with a sheet of glass, and the back is made out of brushed aluminum. The stand provides a wide degree of freedom – the display can be lifted up and down by 10 cm, tilted backwards and forwards by 25 degrees and folded flat for easy transportation and access to the internal components. Underneath the stand, there’s a standard VESA mount, should you need to hang the display on a wall, for example.

Internal hardware

The most interesting feature is the easy access to the internal hardware and the way it’s all built and arranged. Once you fold the computer flat, you can open the housing by lifting the display just like you would a car’s hood (with a gas spring and all). Inside everything is easily accessible and neatly arranged. HP Z1 features server-class hardware and certifications, although the cheapest configuration has consumer-level hardware, which makes it attractive to home users, as well. The top configuration, however, is a real beast: you get a Xeon E3-1280 quad core processor, 32 GB of ECC DDR3 1600 MHz memory, the NVidia Quadro 4000M graphics adapter and up to three hard drives and/or SSDs, depending on what you prefer (there are 2×2.5 inch slots and 1×3.5 inch hard drive slot). That’s a lot of processing power in there. Other hardware specs include 1 PCI-Express X16 slot, 3 miniPCIe, integrated Bluetooth and LAN, a 1080p HD webcam, Blu-Ray writer, 6 USB ports, 1 Gigabit LAN port, a 6-in-1 card reader, audio out jacks and a Display Port for the second monitor (yes, sadly it doesn’t support two extra monitors).