LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition Now Available, Specs & Price Details

Looks like there will be a tough competitor for the LG G Pad 8.3 slate. It’s none other than the new G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition (GPE). For sure, all those who are planning to purchase the latter would be more curious about its difference with its relatively new twin.

The Google Play Edition comes with the newest software, the Android KitKat especially designed without anyalterations from carriers or manufacturers. There might be concerns though especially on the Knock On (double knock) feature and the Slide Aside feature present in the original version and not on GPE; but this doesn’t actually get in the way in the usability and the basic functions of the gadget. Other LG-made features including QRemote and QSlide won’t be available, as well.

There are also noticeable differences especially in the camera interface. There isn’t a manual setting for the camera so you will have to do with the auto mode whenever you’d like to take images. The GPE version also doesn’t have the gallery app to store pictures. Google+ Photo app has been the replacement for this. On the other hand, there isn’t much of a difference in physical appearance between the original G Pad 8.3 and Google Play edition. They actually have the same hardware components, although the difference is with the software.

The GPE tablet has been released and is ready for the consumers for a price of $350 in the US. This is similar to theprice of the precedent gadget.

Dell Chromebook 11 Laptop Is Affordable, Made For Students & Teachers

Dell is officially releasing its Chrome OS laptop, the company’s first, come January 2014. The Chromebook 11 is said to be ideal for the education sector, particularly the teachers and their students, for online collaboration thanks to the Wyse PocketCloud app. An entire school will be connected to a secured network with the security, tracking and configuration handled by IT administrators using a clouse-based management console.

This makes the laptop ideal for the education ecosystem wherein Dell’s resources and the Google Apps work hand in hand to provide integration suitable to the education environment.  The learning infrastructure makes use of the WiFi, Webcam, graphics, USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 functionalities.The 2.9-pound computing device is powered by a 1.4GHz Celeron processor and it has a solid state drive with a maximum capacity of 16GB. The 11.6-inch Chrome OS gadget has a battery with a lifespan in-between charges of 10 hours, longer than Acer’s C720.

The version containing a RAM of 4GB arrives in UK and the US in the same month but the planned 2GB model is set for release within the first quarter of 2014. The Dell Chromebook 11 that comes out in January is the 4GB variant and it has a price tag of below $300 with orders from both UK and the US accepted on the company’s website.

Digital Storm Steam Machine: Expensive Price Disappoints Gamers

A new Steam Machine is coming out from Digital Storm and it functions more as a PC rather than agaming console, hence its high price tag. It looks similar to the Bolt PC but this one is bigger with a much improved cooling system under the hood. The cooling part is made possible with the numerous airflow vents and the use of a 240mm radiator (integrated) for that state-of-the-art liquid cooling system.

It can take Nvidia GForce GTX Titan as an option while power supply can boosted to 700 watts. In addition to the cooling system, it also has an airflow thermal management system inside. The exact dimensions of this machine is 4.4 –inch x 14.1-inch x 16.4-inch compared to the Bolt’s 3.6-inch width. Digital Storm is set to offer the Steam Machine at CES 2014 and the gaming PC promises good performance in an uncompromising fashion. The best part of this device is it comes with both Microsoft Windows and Linux-based SteamOS from Valve allowing it to dual-boot at any time.

The high price notwithstanding, the package should contain premium components that will put existing video gaming consoles such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to the sidelines. The starting price is set at $1,469 which is indeed very far from the poplar consoles now in the market.

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Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition Now Available, Specs & Price Details

Fans of Sony Xperia Z Ultra can check a new rendition of the device courtesy of Google. The Z Ultra Google Play Edition (GPE) is now available for purchase in the US flaunting thin and lightweight profile like the original version weighing just 212 grams.

Specs are similar with the original including its ginormous 6.4-inch Triluminos LCD display with 1080p resolution. Theunlocked version is compatible with the majority of LTE networks but doesn’t have features present on Xperia-branded devices like Bravia Engine and manual settings for the camera phone (did you notice the “Xperia” brand was dropped on the GPE version?).

The GPE comes with a stock camera UI, standard HDR setting, Google+ photos apps and the stock version of Android 4.4 (Z Ultra GPE owners will also be getting future updates ahead of other Android devices).

The hardware profile is similar for both devices including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, HSPA+, 4G LTE and waterproof features.

The Z Ultra Google Play Edition is available for $650 which is quite expensive for such minor software tweaks. If you’re willing to shell out this amount of money to get a large-display phablet with stock KitKat OS then this device could be the right one for you.