Amazon to subsidise Kindle Fire with adverts

Posted on Monday, May 21st, 2012 at 2:05 am
amazon-kindle-fire

Amazon Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire tablet, currently unavailable in the UK but doing good business in the US, is already one of the best value for money computers on the market thanks to Amazon’s aggressive pricing and it could become cheaper still.

AdAge reports that the retailer is looking to integrate advertising into the Kindle Fire, so that users will see marketing material from their tablet’s home screen, in return for an even lower asking price for the device itself.

Advertisers are currently being sought to see whether this is an avenue worth pursuing and Amazon is seeking a minimum of around £380,000 from those who want to get their products and services promoted via Kindle Fire.

Amazon has experience with the ad-supported model in the past and you can get about 25 per cent off the price of a Kindle if you choose one which comes with the occasional full screen ad.

For those who can afford to pay extra for their Kindle Fire to avoid advertisements, this news may not be particularly pertinent. However, anyone who is thinking about getting a tablet computer but is currently put off by the price, will probably have their interests piqued.

Posted in Computer News, Reviews and Deals | PC Checker News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

AMD looks to take on Intel’s Ultrabook laptops

Posted on Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 10:46 am
intel-ultrabook-laptop

Intel Ultrabook Laptop

Intel is the dominant force in the home computing market, with 80 per cent of all laptops and desktop computers utilising one of its processors.

Its recent creation of the Ultrabook family of laptops, which are designed to take on the Apple MacBook Air at its own game, are also proving to be popular, which is quite a feat in a market that is turning towards tablet computers.

However, rival chip manufacturer, AMD, is hoping that its new Trinity processor will allow it to expand its share and allow manufacturers to build its technology into Ultrabook-style laptops which are slim and energy efficient.

There are going to be both dual and quad core AMD Trinity processors on the market, the former clocked at up to 2.6GHz, while the latter can operate at 2.8GHz when working overtime.

The chipset will not only integrate a typical processor but will also feature a combination of Radeon HD 7000 series graphics capabilities for extra visual punch.

There is no doubt that AMD is facing a tough battle, given the saturation of the market by its rival Intel. However, giving consumers more choice when it comes to slender laptops, cannot be seen as a bad thing.

Posted in Computer News, Reviews and Deals | PC Checker News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Windows 8 to feature improved parental controls

Posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 1:12 am
Windows-8

Touch the future with Windows 8

The internet can be a dangerous and distressing place for young children, which is why many parents choose to install and use filtering services, so that they can browse safely.

However, this often requires a third party software suite, which can be tough to manage and difficult to keep activated.

This means that the news of Microsoft’s new Family Safety service, due to arrive onboard the Windows 8 operating system later in the year, will be welcomed by those with children.

The service will essentially allow parents to monitor the sites that are being visited and then block any they deem to be inappropriate on their kid’s Windows accounts.

The tools will only be accessible when logged in as a parental administrator, which means that the little ones will not be able to tinker with the controls.

The service extends beyond just the internet, because it will also look at the types of games and software apps that are being accessed by each user. This should help compartmentalise laptops and desktop computers, so that adult content is not being viewed inappropriately.

Microsoft could, arguably, have made it easier for parents to control their PCs in this flexible way a little earlier, but this could make Windows 8 all the more appealing.

Posted in Computer News, Reviews and Deals | PC Checker News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

MacBook Pro hardware update rumours

Posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 12:42 am

 

Apple-Macbook-Pro

Apple Macbook Pro

Apple is likely to unveil a freshly updated edition of its MacBook Pro range of laptops during the WWDC this year, according to TechRadar.

While there are scant details about the precise plans that Apple has for its high end notebooks, it seems likely that these models will be thinner than their predecessors, while also packing in more power.

An ultra high resolution Retina Display is also thought to be an option on the 15 inch iteration of the MacBook Pro, with Apple choosing to integrate USB 3.0 ports, to sweeten the deal.

The new devices are unlikely to come close to matching the MacBook Air, or the Intel range of Ultrabook laptops, when it comes to thinness, but any kind of reduction in depth will be welcomed by fans.

Apple is getting ready to release the latest version of its OS X operating system in the middle of the year, which would coincide nicely with the arrival of new laptops. The promise of a Retina display would also show that there is a growing convergence between Apple’s laptops and its mobile devices like the iPad, the latter of which are becoming the testing ground for the latest technology.

Posted in Computer News, Reviews and Deals | PC Checker News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Apple reverses iPad’s 4G labelling

Posted on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
ipad-4G

iPad 4G

When the new iPad launched earlier this year, it was touted as being capable of delivering 4G network performance, which would go above and beyond what was capable with previous 3G generations of the tablet.

However, the tech giant has now been forced to rename the top end iPad 3 as capable of offering Wi-Fi and cellular networking, which notably drops the 4G tag.

This move has been prompted by a raft of complaints from those who believe that Apple has been selling its tablet to consumers under a false premise.

Apple stores across the world, including in the UK, will no longer put the two letters of 4G anywhere near a new iPad, which is perhaps particularly sensible in Britain, where there is no 4G LTE coverage in the first place.

It has taken Apple some time to comply with assurances it gave to the Advertising Standards Agency in the UK, over the extrication of any 4G marketing, because this could clearly put consumers at risk of being fooled into thinking that their new tablet was faster than anything else around.

This also highlights the need for the speedy rollout of 4G network technology across the country, because the UK is still lagging behind others in this area.

Posted in Computer News, Reviews and Deals | PC Checker News | Tagged , | Leave a comment