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Technology

Ockel Sirius A shrinks a PC into your palm, adds a 6-inch touchscreen

editors-choice-300x96Some desktop computer users would carry around their desktop computer with them to get the same level of performance they’re used to while traveling … if only that desktop PC wasn’t so large and heavy, that is.

Ockel Sirius A is a tiny PC with a 6-inch touchscreen, Intel Atom x7-Z8750 processor, and battery that provides a full Windows 10 experience at any time. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket or the palm of the user’s hand, and it comes equipped with a full version of Microsoft’s Windows 10 Home or Pro operating system. The display offers full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution and also supports 4K.

Sirius A ships in May at future pricing of $699 for the standard A with 64 GB of flash storage or $799 for the A Pro with 128 GB of flash storage. But Indiegogo backers have been able to reserve them with a pledge starting at early-bird pricing of $549 for the A and $659 for the A Pro. Its makers are out to raise $100,000 by Nov. 9.

Its creator, Ockel Computers, already successfully crowdfunded the similar Sirius B that didn’t come with a display and was designed to be attached to a separate monitor. So, an even more portable version with a display seems to be a sensible option that could appeal to many potential buyers.

 

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Technology

Ockel Sirius B shrinks a PC into your palm

Some folks would just love to take their computer with them wherever they go, especially if they need it for work. But they just hate having to schlep such a large device around with them, even if it’s just a laptop.

Ockel Sirius B is an updated version of the Sirius B pocket PC from Ockel Computers. It’s a Windows PC with the power of a desktop computer, but the lightness and size of a smartphone that allows it to fit in one’s pocket. It comes in a choice of white or black housing with aluminum edges. The computer features a fan-free design, allowing it to operate silently. Other features include HDMI 1.4 output, an Intel processor, 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a microSD memory card slot and up to 4 GB of RAM.

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Cell Phone Accessories Displays

NexDock looks like a laptop, but it’s powered by your smartphone

Manufacturers keep trying to make laptop computers that are more affordable for consumers.

NexDock is a new twist on that concept –- a docking station made up of a 14-inch monitor with a built-in battery and a full-size, Bluetooth keyboard that works with Microsoft’s Windows 10 Continuum feature for mobile phones and tablets. The result is basically a laptop that’s powered by a smartphone or a tablet at a fraction of the price of a traditional laptop.

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Technology

Gole1 PC scores goals with small size, dual operating systems

There are many PCs and tablets on the market with Intel processors. But few of them can fit in one’s pocket or come with Windows and Android operating system compatibility out of the box.

Gole1 is being marketed as the smallest and cheapest all in-one Intel PC available. But it more closely resembles a tablet. It comes with a 5-inch, HD touchscreen display and the dual operating systems. Users can switch from Windows 10 to Android 5.1 by using the “Switch to Android” app icon on the Windows desktop. Gole1 is powered by the Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 processor and runs Windows 10 Home.

Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, four USB ports and a microSD card reader that supports up to 64 GB of storage. It can also be connected to a TV or projector via HDMI. The device offers two hours of power with the built-in 2600mAh battery, but its power can be extended by any 5V/3A Micro-USB power bank.

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Video Games

GPD Win palmtop offers modern PC games and apps to go

Many people rely on PCs to get important work done wherever they are, but don’t necessarily want to drag around a laptop everywhere they go. After all, a laptop can’t fit in anybody’s pocket. Many PC gamers, meanwhile, would also like to carry around their computers to play games wherever they are, but face the same issue.

GPD Win is a 5.5-inch Windows 10 PC that includes a keyboard and traditional game controls, along with a 1280 x 720 HD display. The pocket-sized device also touts an Intel Atom Cherry Trail X5-Z8550 quad-core processor. It can be connected to a TV using a Mini HDMI cable and wireless controller (both not included).

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Technology

Sirius B makes a pocketable PC the star of you mobile world

As powerful as smartphones and tablets have become, they’re still nowhere near desktop class. So for all the situations where desktops are necessary, the smartphone is a decent stopgap, although it  inexplicably can’t perform many of the same functions as well are they desk-bound counterparts.

The Sirius B combines some pretty decent technical specifications— an Intel Atom Bay Trail quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM, 2 USB ports, HDMI 1.4 out, 32GB of flash storage, dual band Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm audio jack, and Bluetooth connectivity—all in a slim, smartphone-esque design that comes in at just 4.2oz.

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Input

Tiny Swiftpoint GT mouse offers touchscreen gestures without screen touching

The introduction of the touch-centric Windows 8 and the impending advent of its big brother, Windows 10, have given manufacturers headaches in trying to figure out how to best design a computing system comfortable enough to take advantage of their features. Trying to reign its many tiles along with getting the start menu under control with an ordinary mouse just doesn’t cut it. Although trackpads have fared OK, even touchscreen laptop combinations have come up short.

The Swiftpoint GT is a extremely compact mouse with the ability to use natural touch gestures in a non-touch environment. Its ergonomic design has a point-and-click mode with which all the standard mouse functions are available, but the magic begins with a light press of toggle at its front. A comfortable pen-like grip facilitates natural touch screen gestures like scrolling and flicking with natural motions of the wrist, so as to avoid the dreaded crab claw that results from long periods of mouse use.

It sports a Bluetooth LE connection for up to several weeks use, and a separate USB dongle should the computer it’s used with not be equipped with it which doubles as its rapid charger: just 30 seconds of charging time gives user one hour of use. The Swiftpoint GT goes for $93 and should the campaign reach its $25,000 goal, backers should receive their very own December 2014.

The Swiftpoint GT can also be used with an iPad or Android device as well, but the former exists only more as a portal to Windows than anything else. In addition, learning an entirely new manner of input may actually might make using Windows more difficult for some, especially since left-handed users are left out in the cold. Still, the Swiftpoint GT seems like a must have for Windows users who can grasp its benefits, and probably is a bit easier to swallow than the ThumbTrack — fellow hardware manufacturers should take note.