Windows 10 tip: squeeze extra time from your laptop battery
Windows 10 includes a new power-saving feature designed to automatically shut down and nibble your battery life activities, such as email notifications, live tile updates, and some application background activities.
By default, Battery Saver is set to turn on automatically when your remaining battery capacity drops below 20 percent. But you can change this setting or turn on Battery Saver manually at any time. Doing so can dramatically increase your battery life and has the extra bonus of reducing distractions as you work. (On a recent trans-Atlantic flight, I was able to work for more than five hours and still have roughly half the Dell inspiron 1520 laptop battery charge left, on a system that normally runs for just over six hours using a full charge.)
To turn on Battery Saver manually, click the battery icon in the notification area and then click the Battery Saver option. You can tell that Battery Saver is on by the green leaf that appears over the battery icon. Click that option again to turn Battery Saver off.
Battery Saver is automatically turned off when you plug back in. You can change its settings by going to Settings > System > Battery. Don’t forget the Lower Screen Brightness While In Battery Saver option at the bottom of this screen. Dimming the display is one of the most effective ways to save battery life when you need it.
New iPad Pro Hands-on: Can It Finally Replace a Notebook?
Apple’s new tablet PC, iPad’s Retina screen, starts at 10.5 inches, twenty percent inches above the screen’s 9.7 inches iPad. Apple did this by reducing the border by forty percent.
The new Retina display is super bright at 600 nits and it supports a wider color gamut, which means it will support HDR content. But the big story is ProMotion, which allows the iPad Pro to up the refresh rate to 120Hz, double the previous rate. Even better, ProMotion is smart enough to dynamically adjust the refresh rate on the fly, which will save on battery life.
Up close, the screen was very impressive. I could make out every drop of water on a high-resolution photo of a flower, and the viewing angles were the best I’ve seen from an iPad yet.
If you have a need for speed, you’ll be happy to know that the iPad Pro’s A10X Fusion chip boasts up to 30 percent faster CPU performance than the A9X chip and up to 40 percent better graphics performance. The chip has a 6-core CPU and 12-core GPU. Apple still promises up to 10 hours of Apple a1280 laptop battery life.
When it comes to cameras, you get the same 12-MP rear shooter in the iPhone 7 and the same 7-MP camera up front.
The iPad Pro will get a lot better this fall with iOS 11, which will add drag and drop support. For instance, you’ll be able to drag and drop photos and URLs into emails. There’s also a new dock for adding lots of more apps to the bottom of your screen, similar to macOS, and a new app switcher for looking at all of your open apps, similar to Mission Control.
During a demo, it was pretty easy to open the Photos app to the side of the Mail app, then drag and drop an image in an outgoing message.
The iPad will also bring all your data together in once place with a new Files application. It offers a list view and grid view. It supports third-party services as well, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
When it comes to Apple Pencil support, you’ll soon get handwriting recognition, as well as the ability to improved markup in multiple apps, such as Mail. You’ll even be able to take photos of documents and then mark them up. You’ll be able to easily access your notes just by tapping your Apple Pencil to the lock screen.
But can the iPad really replace a laptop? On the plus side, the new Smart Cover keyboard is wider, so you can touch type more comfortably. Unfortunately, there’s still no touchpad built in, so you can’t control the cursor. Instead, you’ll have to rely on your finger or the optional Apple Pencil. For me, that’s a dealbreaker for using the iPad as my primary machine.
For creative pros, though, the new iPad Pro’s better display, more power and increased versatility from iOS 11 should make it worth the investment. Stay tuned for a full review.
Asus ROG Zephyrus Is a Crazy Thin Gaming Notebook
ASUS’s latest gaming notebook is slim. It’s called Roger, the west wind (Greek zephyr), it’s just as light as air. We saw it for the first time at NVIDIA’s news event in Computex, Taipei, and got more information from ASUS. The top model, the zephyr gx501vi, will cost $2699 to launch in June 27th, although the cheaper models and wind gx501vs will be pre priced that day at $2299.
The Asus laptop is one of the first to use Nvidia’s Max-Q technology, which allows for efficient, quiet, super-slim laptops. Specifically, it measures 0.7-inches at its thickest point.
Perhaps the coolest part is the bottom, which, when the laptop is open, lifts out to reveal an exhaust port. Asus calls it the ROG Active Aerodynamic System and claims it increases system air flow by 20 percent. It reverts back into the PC when closed for easy storage. It’s easily one of the most beautiful gaming machines I’ve ever seen.
The Zephyrus’ keyboard is front loaded, and it has a trick we’ve seen on some MSI laptops of late: the touchpad also doubles as a touch-sensitive number pad. It’s a neat trick that saves some space. The keyboard is RGB backlit with the QWER and WASD keys in separate clusters.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang showed it running the first ever demo of Project Cars 2 on the laptop’s Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. The Zephyrus is also powered by an Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU,4400mAh of Asus a32-m50 laptop battery, has 512GB of storage and supports up to 24GB of RAM. The cheaper version uses a 1070 GPU and 256GB of storage
This gaming notebook features a 15.6-inch, 1080p, 120Hz display with G-Sync that Asus claims covers 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut. The laptop uses USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 for power delivery, data and 4K display output. Additionally, it has fourUSB 3.1 ports for peripherals.
The keyboard is Aura backlit and Asus claims it has 1.4 millimeters of travel. When we went hands-on, it felt fairly average for a laptop.
The Best Notebooks for Engineering Students and Engineers (2017)
It’s a reasonable expectation that if someone buys a game laptop, they want a system that can pump out consistently solid frame rates. But our forum user collin0599 also wants to do some CAD design modeling as an aerospace engineering specialty.
For Collin, this notebook also needs to be affordable, which is why he’s narrowed down his choices to the Lenovo Legion Y520 (starting at $849) and the HP Omen 15 (starting at $899).
First off, Collin, congratulations on your choice of major. Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and help you choose the best laptop for you.
Design
While both the Legion Y520 and the Omen 15 are swathed in faux carbon fiber, I prefer the Y520. It has a better feel than the Omen 15. I’m also not particularly enthralled with the Omen 15’s chrome-painted plastic hinges. The laptops are on a par in terms of weight and dimensions: The Y520 is 15 x 10.4 x 1 inches and 5.6 pounds, and the Omen 15 is 15.1 x 9.9 x 1 inches and 5.8 pounds.
The Y520 also gets my vote when it comes to ports, as it adds the newer USB Type-C port to the usual line of slots, jacks and ports.
Display
One of Collin0599’s key concerns is the display. The Omen 15’s panel can reproduce 71 percent of the sRGB gamut, which is better than the Y520’s 68 percent. Averaging 247 nits, the Omen 15 is also brighter than the Y520 (220 nits) but below the 278-nit average.
Performance
The Y520 and the Omen 15 can be configured with similar specs. While I don’t have an apples-to-apples comparison of both systems, I can still give you a solid picture of what to expect. In terms of gaming, the Omen 15 and its Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 2GB of VRAM notched 43 frames per second on the budget version of the Rise of the Tomb Raider test (1080p with high settings and SMAA anti-aliasing), while the Y520 (GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM) hit 46 fps.
Both systems are equipped with a 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, but the version of the Omen we reviewed has 8GB of RAM, compared with the Y520’s 16GB of RAM.
On our Geekbench 4 synthetic performance test, the Y520 scored 13,037, while the Omen delivered 11,769. On the OpenOffice Spreadsheet Macro test, where a laptop is tasked with pairing 20,000 names and addresses, the Y520 finished in 3 minutes and 19 seconds, compared with the Omen 15’s 3 minutes and 48 seconds.
For file-transfer speeds, the Y520’s 256GB PCIe solid-state drive (with a 2TB, 5,400-rpm hard drive) duplicated 4.97GB of mixed media files in 14 seconds, for a rate of 363.5 megabytes per second. The Omen 15 and its 1TB, 7,200-rpm hard drive delivered a measly 42.4 MBps. The Omen, however, can be configured with several PCIe storage options (128GB to 512GB), which should deliver faster speeds.
Battery Life
If you’re looking to take your laptop on the road, the Omen 15 is the way to go. The notebook lasted 5 hours and 34 minutes on our Hp 2230s laptop battery test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi). That’s short of the 7:06 mainstream average, but much better than the 3:39 from the Y520.
Price and Configuration Options
The base configurations of both laptops are below $900. The $849 base model of the Y520 has a 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM; a 1TB, 5,400-rpm hard drive; and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU with 4GB of VRAM. The $899 base model of the Omen 15 offers a more powerful 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7 CPU; 8GB of RAM; a 1TB, 7,200-rpm hard drive; and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 2GB of VRAM.
If you need a little more oomph, there’s the $1,249 premium iteration of the Y520, with its 2.8-GHZ Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU; 16GB of RAM; and a 256GB PCIe SSD with a 2TB, 5,400-rpm hard drive. This configuration also comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU and a 1920 x 1080 panel.
The Omen 15 is a little pricier, at $1,349. But it features a 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 128GB PCIe SSD with a 2TB, 5,400-rpm hard drive. The price also includes an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU with a sharp 3840 x 2160 display.
Bottom Line
On paper, the HP Omen 15 and the Lenovo Legion Y520 are fairly similar. But ultimately, for Collin0599’s needs, I’m going to recommend the HP Omen 15. It has a better display and longer battery life. In terms of performance, you can configure the system to have specs similar to the Y520’s for $1,389.
However, the $1,249 iteration of the Legion Y520 is cheaper and offers more power at the expense of the display and the subpar battery life. Overall, the Omen 15 is a solid, affordable choice for school as well as extracurricular activities.
Should I buy a Chromebook? Buying guide and recommendations
A Chromebook is a notebook computer of different varieties. While Windows 10 and MacOS, Chromebooks runs the Google Chrome operating system. The design of these machines is mainly used to connect to the Internet, and most applications and documents live in the cloud. These machines have done a good job in the educational market, but their appeal has expanded.
Low prices, long battery life and ease of use are just a few reasons why Chromebooks are attractive. Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in 2016, and Gartner is predicting that Chromebook sales will grow by 16.3 percent in 2017.
But is a Chromebook right for you? Our Chromebook buying guide has the answers to these and other questions.
Should I Buy a Chromebook?
Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google’s operating system, so they heavily feature Google’s suite of applications and often times rely on a working Internet connection. Although you can log in to Chrome OS as a guest, we recommend you log in to the system with a Google account to have the best experience.
Apps
Chromebooks are optimized for Google’s apps, such as Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. This deep integration can be either positive or negative, depending on how you use a PC. Chromebooks will be easy to set up if you already use those apps.
Unfortunately, popular software applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and the Microsoft Office suite, aren’t available on Chromebooks. However, Microsoft Office Online, the free cloud version of Office, is available as a webpage in the Chrome browser, and you can always use the native Google Drive to open and edit documents and spreadsheets.
It may be best to stick with Microsoft Office Online if you already have a lot of Office files that you’re bringing over to your Chromebook. There are often formatting issues when importing third-party documents into Drive. Fortunately, Google Drive allows you to save documents to Microsoft formats, so you’ll still be able to share files with non-Chromebook users.
On the other hand, there are a handful of photo editors available for Chrome OS, including Pixlr (free), which looks a lot like Photoshop. But those with existing files are out of luck — there is no Chromebook app that can edit Adobe’s .PSD files.
If those limitations concern you, Android apps are now coming to Chromebooks. However, only a select few systems can access the Google Play store at this time. The idea is to give Chromebooks access to more games, productivity options and other apps to make these machines more versatile.
Right now, Android-capable Chromebooks include the Samsung Chromebook Plus, Asus Chromebook Flip, Acer Chromebook R11 and Google’s own Chromebook Pixel. If you’re looking to take a Chromebook to school with you, make it one of those.
Offline Use
Chromebooks are designed to rely heavily on the Internet, which means that many apps simply won’t work if you’re out of Wi-Fi range. There are more than 200 offline Chrome apps that can work without Internet connectivity, including Gmail, Pocket and Google Drive, and tons of the Android apps coming soon will also work offline.
Games
You’ll still be able to play games on the Chromebook, but your options are sparse. The Chrome Web Store offers casual titles such as Bejeweled and Cut the Rope, but you won’t have the same selection as you would on a Windows machine or a Mac. Of course, Chromebooks with Android support get more modern titles such as Fallout Shelter, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and Minecraft.
Special Features
Chrome OS has voice controls, so you can say, “OK, Google” with the launcher open, or a Chrome tab open, and the voice assistant will pop up, ready to serve you. The launcher is also integrated with Google Now, giving you info cards at the bottom of the window that show info like the current weather and local news stories.
Google redesigned the on-screen keyboard for touch-screen use, making it easier to use on 2-in-1s like the Asus Chromebook Flip. With a minimalist design, the on-screen keyboard recognizes your scribbles and gives you choices of text to input. When we tested that feature, it was almost always accurate in recognizing our writing. Also, soon, Android smartphone users will be able to get text and call-pop-up notifications on their desktop.
Battery Life
Chromebooks typically offer exceptional battery life, but not as much as they used to. Of the 10 Chromebooks we’ve reviewed in the past year, we’ve seen an average of 9 hours and 15 minutes of endurance on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi. On the top end, you’ll notice standouts like the Acer Chromebook R 13’s runtime of 11:00, though the average is down from the 9:59 time we previously found.
We recommend shooting for at least 9 hours of juice, which half of the Chromebooks we’ve reviewed offer. While some affordable Windows 10 notebooks, like the Lenovo Miix 310 (12:24) and the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 (13:39), offer amazing Dell inspiron 2200 laptop battery life, the ultraportable notebook average is a shorter 8 hours and 21 minutes.
Durability
Similar to business notebooks made to survive drops and other minor disasters, Chromebooks for Work are built to withstand falls, scrapes and similar punishment. In our testing, the Acer Chromebook 14 for Work proved durable, surviving unscratched and fully functional after our Dropbot 5000 test bench dropped it from a height of 48 inches onto a plywood plank.
Both the Acer Chromebook 14 for Work and the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook (another For Work model) are MIL-STD-810G certified, meaning they’re capable of passing durability testing that U.S. Military equipment must pass. The Acer Chromebook 14 For Work can survive extreme temperatures (minus 20.2 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), humidity, vibration, rain, sand and dust.
Durable Chromebooks aren’t just for adults. The kid-friendly Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731T survived a full glass of water getting spilled onto its keyboard, as well as the 48-inch high drops from our Dropbot 5000. It may have gotten scuffed along the way, but it’s a good option for clumsier users.
Manageability and Security
Chromebook for Work models also offer tools that IT administrators need to manage laptops in and out of the office. The Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook includes a Trusted Platform Module, a security chip that helps keep malicious attackers away from your passwords.
What Size Screen Do I Need?
Most Chromebooks fall between 11 and 13 inches. That means you won’t have trouble choosing a smaller model, such as the 11-inch Acer Chromebook 11 N7 , the 12.5-inch Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA and the 13-inch ThinkPad 13 Chromebook.
These models often weigh less than 3 pounds, making them the most portable, and great options for kids. However, the screen size and keyboards may seem cramped for adults.
Those looking for more real estate for Web surfing, getting work done, watching movies and playing games can pick up the 14-inch Acer Chromebook 14 for Work, or the 15-inch Acer Chromebook 15, the only Chrome OS notebooks above 13 inches. Unfortunately, both are on the older end of the spectrum, as there hasn’t been much demand for large Chromebooks. Don’t even look for a 17-inch Chromebook; they’re not out there.
What Specs Do I Need?
Because Chromebooks are meant primarily for online use, the specs aren’t as important as they are for Windows laptops, but you’ll still want to know how much power and storage you’re getting for your money. Here’s a quick guide.
RAM
When it comes to RAM, Chromebooks come with either 2GB or 4GB. While models with 4GB are more expensive, we’ve found that difference to be worth it for multi-tasking.
Both the HP Chromebook 14 (4GB RAM) and the Lenovo 100S Chromebook (2GB RAM) featured the same Celeron N2840 processors, but the HP notebook handled more than a dozen open tabs without a problem while the Lenovo stuttered with 10 open Chrome tabs and Spotify playing. Our tests of the Windows version of the Lenovo Ideapad 100S ($180) show that similarly spec’d PCs can handle a larger stack of tabs.
CPU
The processor in your Chrome OS machine helps determine how smoothly your Chromebook performs, especially when you have multiple tabs open and you’re streaming video or playing games.
We find Intel Celeron chips in many Chromebooks, and they often provide acceptable speed. The $229 Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731T (Celeron N3060, 4GB RAM) for example, could run 8 concurrent Chrome tabs, but stuttered after we opened another.
You can get a Windows 10 laptop with similar specs and price, such as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 ($229), but it might not be as capable. That machine has the same processor and memory, but while it lasts more than 13 hours, its performance was less than that of the 11 N7.
If that doesn’t sound like enough for you, certain Chromebooks pack Intel Core CPUs for even more speed. The biggest downside to these Core M Chromebooks, such as the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA ($499) and Samsung Chromebook Pro ($549) is their heftier price. Don’t worry about that powerful CPU affecting the Asus a32-f3 notebook battery life, as the Samsung Chromebook Pro (Core M3) provided more power and longer longevity (8:05) than its weaker Chromebook Plus (ARM MediaTek; 7:46) sibling.
If you want a Chromebook without an Intel Chip, there’s always 2014’s Acer Chromebook 13, the only Chrome OS machine with an Nvidia chip (the Tegra K1). While it offers excellent graphics performance, it doesn’t offer a touch screen.
Storage Size
Since Chrome OS is so lightweight, Chromebooks often don’t need much storage. Most pack just 16GB of onboard storage, and that’s likely all you’ll need at this stage. Once Android support lands on the platform, users will find ways to make use of the SD card reader in notebooks such as the Acer Chromebook 14, where you can expand the storage up to 64GB.
Spring for a 32GB model now if you’re buying with Android apps in mind. Similarly-priced Windows laptops often include 32GB by default, but that operating system takes up so much space that you’re left with a similar amount of free storage as a 16GB Chromebook.
Google gives you 100GB of free Google Drive storage with every Chromebook purchase, though that only lasts for two years, after which you’ll only have the standard 15GB of free space.
Screen
The size of the screen isn’t the only thing that matters. Lower-end Chromebooks such as the $229 Lenovo N22 Touch sport 1366 x 768-pixel displays, which are fine for writing and reading. But if you want sharper images, video and graphics, spring for one with a full-HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), such as the $359 Acer Chromebook R 13.
Windows 10 has been built for touch screens, but you can get the same functionality in Chrome OS. You just have to know which one to get — and expect to pay about a $100 premium. The $280 Acer Chromebook R 11 can bend into a tablet, making use of its IPS touch-screen display.
The $449 Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA also has a touch screen, and it’s one of the few to currently support Android apps, though others will gain that support later this year. If the prospect of using What’s App, Super Mario Run and other apps on a Chromebook sounds like an option for you, make sure your next Chromebook includes a touch screen.
Who Are You Buying It For?
Overall, the best way to tell if someone will enjoy owning a Chromebook is if you know they already spend most of their time in the Chrome browser. Those users will take to the notebook naturally.
If you’re buying this Chromebook for someone else, you should take a few moments to consider how they’re going to use the device. Chromebooks are especially good for younger students, as they are ease to use and are fairly secure.
Children who are still learning how to use computers may be more receptive to learning how a new operating system works, and while there’s no official Minecraft title for Chrome OS, the Android-based Minecraft: Pocket Edition will become available on certain Chromebooks later this year.
Some elder relatives may have never truly understood Windows enough to use their PC frequently, but others who have learned just enough to make do may become frustrated that they need to relearn where downloads go, or that their favorite app is not available for Chrome.
How Much Should I Spend?
There’s a pretty narrow price range for Chromebooks. At the low end, you can pick up the affordable and light $169 Acer Chromebook R11, which has an 11.6-inch HD display, an Intel Celeron N3150 CPU and 2GB of RAM. On the other end of the spectrum is the $549 Samsung Chromebook Pro, a stylus-equipped 12.3-inch notebook with a 2400 x 1600-pixel display, an Intel Core M3 processor and 4GB of RAM.
You can even wind up spending as much as $749 on the 14-inch Acer Chromebook 14 for Work, but that’s after it’s upgraded to a Core i5 processor that Chromebooks don’t really need. The most you should spend on that notebook is $600, which gets you a Core i3 CPU, a 1920 x 1080-pixel display, 32GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
You’ll probably wind up paying more for a Windows 10 notebook, as the average selling price for a PC is $448, according to NPD. There are more affordable options, as we’ve detailed here, but the PC laptop market has a much higher cap than the Chromebook market.
Bottom Line
Chromebooks are affordable and offer decent performance, and the introduction of Android apps is increasing their capabilities. Microsoft is fighting back with low-cost Windows 10 S laptops, but if you’re looking for a simple way to get online and you prefer Google’s services, you’ll be happy with a Chromebook.
Acer’s spin 1 has a high-definition screen and premium chassis Crazy Low Price
If you buying any laptop below $350, you can usually expect a dull, low definition screen and an inexpensive plastic chassis. However, Acer’s spin 1 flips your expectations by offering a color, 1080p IPS display and an attractive metal chassis at a starting price of $329. We have the opportunity to see at the Taipei international computer show, 11.6 inches, that you do not have the quality of the money you get.
The Spin 1 is quite thin and light with a 0.55-inch thick all-metal chassis that weighs just 2.76 pounds.Its gunmetal gray and silver-colored metal chassis looks like it was stolen from a much more expensive laptop. We particularly liked the cold metallic feel of the lid.
The laptop’s 11.6-inch FHD IPS touchscreen is a joy to behold. Colors like the greens and yellows in the wallpaper really popped and stayed true even as we moved far to the left or right. In fact, Acer claims that the screen has 178-degree viewing angles.
To get the Spin 1 down to such a low price, Acer obviously had to cut corners on the processor. The 2-in-1 is available with a Pentium or Celeron CPU, 4GB of memory and 32, 64, or 128GB of eMMC storage.
The laptop has two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI out and a microSD card slot. Its wireless options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Acer claims 8 hours of Acer aspire 4710 laptop battery life, and the Spin 1 works with the company’s Active Stylus, an optional accessory.
The Acer Spin 1 should start shipping sometime this summer.
Sony Expands Vaio Notebook Computer Battery Pack Recall
Sony Electronics is voluntarily recalling the Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs, which can overheat and pose a burn and fire hazard, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The Panasonic battery packs were manufactured with the laptop and battery packs were sold separately or installed by Sony as part of a repair. Panasonic battery packs included in this recall have model number VGP-BPS26 and part numbers 1-853-237-11 and 1-853-237-21 printed on the back of the battery pack. Recalled model numbers for the Sony VAIO laptop computer are:
| Sony VAIO Series laptop computer model numbers | |
| SVE14A1 | SVE14A2 |
| SVE14A3 | SVE1413 |
| SVE1511 | SVE1512 |
| SVE1513 | SVE1513APXS |
| SVE1513BCXS | SVE1513JCXW |
| SVE1513KCXS | SVE1513MCXB |
| SVE1513MCXW | SVE1513MPXS |
| SVE1513RCXB | SVE1513RCXS |
| SVE1513RCXW | SVE1513TCXW |
| SVE15132CXW | SVE15134CXP |
| SVE15134CXS | SVE15134CXW |
| SVE15135CXW | SVE151390X |
| SVE1712 | SVE1713 |
| SVE171390X | VPCCA1 |
| VPCCA2 | VPCCA3 |
| VPCCB1 | VPCCB2 |
| VPCCB3 | VPCCB4 |
| VPCEH1 | VPCEH2 |
| VPCEH3 | VPCEJ1 |
| VPCEJ2 | |
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled battery packs, power off the laptop, remove the Sony vgp-bps22 laptop battery and follow instructions to obtain a free replacement. Until a replacement battery pack is received, consumers should use the laptop by plugging in AC power only.
Consumer Contact: Sony Electronics toll-free at 888-476-6988 from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET Monday through Friday or 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday or online at www.sony.com , click on “Support” and then “Support Alerts” for more information.
Battery packs previously identified as not affected by the June 15, 2016 recall are included in this expanded announcement.
Sold at Best Buy, Sony retail stores, other consumer electronic stores nationwide and online at store.sony.com and other websites from February 2013 through October 2013 for between $550 and $1,000 as part of Sony VAIO laptops and for about $170 for battery packs sold separately.
Quick tips for longer notebook battery life
We are all there. You are in a meeting, or on the road, or in the classroom, you find that your fear, your laptop almost died. Maybe you forgot your power adapter, and maybe there isn’t an available socket. Whatever the reason, your battery is running down and you have a lot more to do. However, hope is not lost. There are some things you can do to buy more time, almost dead batteries, so you can meet a deadline or respond to an important email before it’s too late.
Some of these techniques are for when you need to stretch your battery at that very moment, while others are preventative measures, best implemented before your battery life comes up short. There is some of overlap between the short- and long-term strategies we’ll outline below, but even when the actions are the same, the reasons behind them may be different.
Activate Your Laptop’s Battery Saver or Eco Mode
Designed with these sorts of circumstances in mind, most Battery Saver or Eco modes will engage a number of automatic changes to lengthen usable battery life—many of the same changes we’ll be making here. This saved profile will adjust your laptop’s settings and shift components into low-power states to help you ration your remaining juice a bit longer.
Once you’ve turned on the automatic Toshiba pa3533u-1bas laptop battery -saver tool, there are still plenty of steps to take to eke out even better efficiency. This is done by turning off unnecessary devices, adjusting settings to reduce power consumption, shutting down unwanted apps and processes, and adjusting your activities to use less power.
Disable Unused Devices and Ports
The easiest way to reduce power consumption is to simply turn stuff off. Every component in your laptop needs power to function, but that doesn’t mean you need to power all of those components all of the time. Start by disconnecting any unneeded peripherals (like a USB mouse or external drive) and turning off the biggest power hogs, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, graphics processors, and unused optical drives.
Before disabling any component or device, make sure that the device is not in use, and that it is not essential to continuing operation of the laptop. For example, you do not want to disable the hard drive that houses the operating system, or the processor the runs the entire laptop. Only disable those devices you are comfortable turning off.
Adjust Your Settings
While you’ll still have to use the display and the keyboard, you can adjust the settings for each to reduce power consumption. One often overlooked power drain is keyboard backlighting. Unless you’re in the dark and need the backlight just to make out each key, turn off the backlight entirely. You can typically assign a hotkey for this function.
The next power drain is your screen. While you obviously need to keep it up and running to use the laptop, you don’t necessarily need it running at maximum brightness or resolution. Many laptops will have hotkeys for increasing and decreasing the screen brightness, but if not, it can be adjusted in the control panel. Reducing the display to 50 percent when you’re running on battery power can add a significant amount of time.
Additionally, if you’re simply typing up a document, you don’t need all of the detail offered by a 1080p or higher display. Dialing down the screen resolution to a basic 1,366-by-768 resolution or lower reduces the amount of power used in graphics processing without negatively impacting your ability to work, letting your laptop hang on a bit longer.
Finally, turn off or turn down the sound. If you need to hear, drop the sound down as low as you can, and consider switching from the laptop’s larger speakers to a set of tiny earbuds to get the audio piped right to your ears. Whenever possible, just mute the laptop altogether. That way, the speakers won’t be getting any power, and you’ll buy yourself some more precious time.
What to Do if Your Notebook Is Plugged In But Not Charging
When you plug in your notebook computer, you will usually find your own computer, a new light LED lights, and a display, allowance and Liang Liang a bit cheerful chirp to meet you.
At least that’s what it’s supposed to do. Sometimes, though, you connect the Dell Studio 1557 AC Adapter—usually because the battery is nearly drained—and you get nothing. No glowing lights. No brightened display. And no battery charging. What went wrong? Why won’t it work, and what is to be done about it?
It may seem simple enough to recharge a laptop. You plug it in, it works; easy, right? Well, not necessarily. Between the wall outlet and your battery are several steps and parts that can all fail. Some are easy to fix yourself with a software tweak or a new battery, but some problems may require a visit to a repair shop or even a full-blown system replacement. Knowing which is which can save you hours of frustration and hundreds of dollars in repairs. By taking an inside-out approach, you can quickly narrow down where the problem originates and find the most economical solution.
Get ready, boys and girls, it’s time to go troubleshooting.
1. Are You Plugged In?
It sounds silly, but you need to make sure the laptop is actually plugged in. No software tweak or hardware repair can make a disconnected laptop magically power on. So before you do anything else, ensure that the AC outlet and laptop plugs are firmly seated.
Check the AC adapter brick and verify that any removable cords are fully inserted. Next, make sure that the battery is properly seated in its compartment, and that there is nothing wrong with either the battery or laptop contact points. Finally, find out whether the problem doesn’t lie with the laptop at all: Try plugging the power cord into a different outlet to see if you’ve got a short or a blown fuse.
At this point, we’ve determined that it’s not just user error causing the problem. There is a real issue with powering the laptop; now it’s simply a matter of figuring out where the problem may be. That begins with eliminating where it isn’t. We’ll start with the most common and easy-to-address issues.
2. Lose the Battery
A simple way to check the integrity of the battery is to remove it entirely and try plugging in the laptop. If the laptop powers on properly, the problem is likely a bum battery.
3. Make Sure You’re Using the Right USB-C Port
USB-C is a popular cross-platform standard for charging, peripherals, and data transfer. The new standard allows for thinner devices, but might also cause some confusion. Some manufacturers have opted to make USB-C ports data-only (therefore these ports won’t allow you to charge your device).
For example, the new Huawei MateBook X has two USB-C ports: One that could be used for charging or data transfer, and one that is only designated for data transfer or connecting to a dock. If you run into a non-charging issue, make sure you are connected to the correct USB-C port.
4. Breaks, Burnout, and Shorts
Feel along the length of the power cord, bending and flexing as you go, to check for any kinks or breaks. Check the ends for any broken connections, such as plugs pulling loose or spots that may have gotten chewed by a pet or caught in a vacuum cleaner. Inspect the AC brick. Is it discolored? Are any parts warped or expanded? Give it a sniff—if it smells like burnt plastic, that’s likely where the trouble lies.
5. Check the Connector
When you plug in the laptop’s power connector, the connection should be fairly solid. If it’s suddenly wobbly or loose, or if the receiving socket gives when it should stay firm, the power jack may have broken inside the chassis. Are there discolorations or any sort of burning smell? If there seems to be any damage to the power connector, repairs will be in order.
6. Beat the Heat
A non-charging Dell Latitude D600 Laptop Battery can sometimes be caused by an overheating laptop. This problem is two-fold; with the system shutting down to prevent overheating a battery and causing a fire. Also, as the temperature rises, the battery sensor may misfire, telling the system that the battery is either fully charged or missing completely, causing the charging problems.
These problems become far more likely when dealing with older laptops, which don’t have the quality of cooling technology used today, or when using the laptop on the couch or in bed, with a blanket or pillow covering the cooling vents. Let the system cool down and take the time to make sure that the air vents are clean and unobstructed.
7. Swap Out the Cord and Battery
These are the cheapest and easiest-to-swap parts on the laptop. A replacement power cable can often be had for under $10 on Amazon, and replacement batteries can be picked up for under $100.
Replacement cables are most easily found by searching under the model name of the laptop, while batteries often have their own model numbers. Look for a replacement that matches the voltage specifications of the equipment your laptop came with, and be aware that cheap replacement parts from third-party manufacturers may not have the quality of the originals.
At this point, we’ve eliminated the problems caused by kinked cords or environmental causes. If you still find yourself powerless, the problem lies within the computer itself, caused by either a software issue or faulty hardware. Let’s start by looking at the settings and software.
8. Check Your Settings
For Windows Laptops: In the Control Panel, open up the Power Options. Open the plan settings and visually check that all are properly set. Be on the lookout for incorrect settings for the battery, display, and sleep options. For example, your battery settings may cause trouble if you set the computer to shut down when the battery level drops too low or set the low battery level at too high a percentage.
You can also assign actions like sleep and shut down when your lid is closed or the power button is pressed. If these settings have been changed, it’s easy to suspect a power malfunction even though there’s no physical problem with the battery or charging cable. The easiest way to make sure that your settings aren’t causing problems is to restore the power profile to default settings.
For Mac Laptops: In System Preferences, select the Energy Saver pane and review your preferences. Mac settings are adjusted with a slider, letting you select the amount of time the computer can sit idle until it goes to sleep. If the interval is too short, you might suspect battery issues when settings are the true culprit. And don’t forget to check these settings for both battery power and wall power.You may want to revert back to the default settings to see if a change in settings is causing the problem.
9. Update Your Drivers
For Windows Laptops: Open the Device Manager. Under “Batteries” you should see three items, one for the battery, another for the charger, and a third listed as “Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery”. Open each item, which will bring up a Properties window. Under the “Driver” tab, you’ll see a button labeled “Update Driver.” Go through the driver update process for all three. Once the drivers are all up to date, reboot the laptop and plug it in again. If this doesn’t resolve the problem, uninstall “Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery” completely and reboot.
For Mac Laptops: On a Mac you’ll need to try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC). For laptops with removable batteries this is as simple as shutting down power, removing the Dell latitude d610 battery, disconnecting power, and pressing the power button for 5 seconds. Reinsert the battery, connect power, and fire up the laptop.
For newer Macs with batteries sealed into the chassis, shut down the computer, but leave the power adapter connected. With the power off, press and hold the power button while pressing the Shift-Control-Option keys on the left-hand side of the keyboard. Release the keys and power button simultaneously, then attempt to power on the laptop.
10. Call In Outside Assistance
If you haven’t already, this is probably a good time to contact tech support. Your particular make and model of laptop will likely have its own unique issues, and a seasoned tech support operator will have seen all of them. He or she will likely walk you through many of the steps outlined above, but will also be aware of software and hardware issues specific to your configuration, such as what bits of hardware commonly fail.
11. Problems Inside
When all of your options are exhausted—you’ve tried other power cables and batteries, you’ve checked and rechecked your settings, you’ve fixed any potential software problems—the problem is likely found inside the machine. Several internal parts can cause problems when they malfunction or fail.
Common culprits include a faulty motherboard, wonky logic boards, damaged charging circuits, and malfunctioning battery sensors.
Like a sick person consulting a doctor, you need to see a specialist. Contact your manufacturer about what repair options are covered under your warranty, or call up a local computer repair shop.
HP Unveils New Premium Laptops at Cannes Film Festival
In a bid to empower digital creators and storytellers with high-performance machines, HP Inc on Monday launched new premium portfolio series of Spectre x2, Envy x360, Envy 13, and Envy 17 laptops at the 14th Cannes Film Festival.
“The Spectre and ENVY premium lineup of PCs inspire the imagination and enable filmmakers and artists to reinvent and create,” Ron Coughlin, president of Personal Systems, HP Inc, said in a statement.
An Artist’s Dream
The newest member of the Spectre line, dubbed the HP Spectre x2 (pictured above), seems to be aimed at animators and graphic designers. The laptop comes with a Windows Ink-certified stylus that supports a wide range of artistic effects such as varying line weight, shading, and coloring. It also comes with a stainless steel kickstand, allowing artists to either draw on a flat surface or with up to a 165-degree tilt.
Photographers and graphic designers, meanwhile, will likely be pleased with the large 12.3-inch 3K2K display, featuring 6 million pixels, HD rendering, and a variety of ambient light options to help improve screen visibility regardless of the environment.
The Spectre x2 also has plenty of features that will appeal to just about any user, including a more durable aluminum chassis, a full-size detachable keyboard, and a glass trackpad. It also comes with two high-resolution cameras: a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. In addition, the device has an IR camera to support Windows Hello biometric authentication, boasts up to eight hours of Hp pavilion dv7 laptop battery life on a full charge, and claims to be able to recharge up to 50 percent of its battery life in as little as 30 minutes.
Portability and Power
The Envy 13, on the other hand, is being more explicitly marketed as an ultra-portable machine. It weighs only 2.72 pounds, while still offering up to 14 hours of Hp envy 13 series notebook battery life and the power of a 7th generation i5 Intel processor and 8 GB of RAM.
It also brings a UHD display with 8 million pixels to the party, along with quad Bang & Olufsen speakers, certain to please anyone hoping to catch up on their favorite Netflix shows while on the go.
The Envy 17, meanwhile, is aiming to replace the desktop with 16 GB of RAM included, a Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics card, i7 Intel chip, a 1 TB hard drive and DVD-write optical drive. It also offers an edge-to-edge Full HD touchscreen that supports any Microsoft Universal Pen stylus, and has its own IR camera for password-free login.
At 6.73 pounds, though, this is probably not going to be the machine people will want to be lugging around, but it does provide all the power and capability avid gamers or professionals could want from their desktops.
The Envy x360 rounds out the new arrivals, with a 15.6-inch convertible display. Like the other premium devices in the collection, the Envy comes in a unibody aluminum chassis and offers Windows Ink support for note taking and document markups. The Envy x360 also comes with a choice of Intel i5, i7, or AMD processors, along with up to 16 GB of RAM. While the Envy 17 is currently on sale, the other models are slated to to be released next month.
The new laptops will be available by the end of June, with U.S. retail prices starting at $999.99 for the Spectre x2, $899.99 for the Envy x360 15, $1,049.99 for the Envy 13, and $999.99 for the Envy 17.