The Surface Pro 3 Is A Nightmare For DIY Users

The Surface Pro 3 is officially available from Microsoft with the company touting the hybrid device as a true notebook replacement. However, a lot of do-it-yourself tech junkies out there are singing a different tune. DIYers in no way see the Surface Pro 3 as a notebook replacement, instead viewing the hybrid as a tablet only through and through, according to iFixit.

iFixit, which is based out of San Luis Obispo, California, is one of the most well-known electronics repair companies in the country and recently acquired the Surface Pro 3. Once in hand, iFixit decided to tear the thing apart (in a professional way) to see what Microsoft had stuffed inside it and to determine how easy or difficult it was to reach the internal components. On iFixit's repair score spectrum, which rates how easy or how difficult it is for a DIYer to get inside and replace things, iFixit rated the Surface Pro 3 the lowest possible score of 1.

Several characteristics of the hybrid were to blame for the incredibly low score, including what iFixit called a "paper-thin display glass" that actually cracked when the team tried to pry apart the device. According to an email about the device from iFixit, "The Surface Pro 3 traded the 2's 90+ screws for some seriously hideous adhesive, and consolidated even more components."

The cracked screen wasn't the only thing that went wrong with iFixit's teardown. In addition to the screen, the battery in the hybrid also became warped thanks to the thick adhesive spread throughout the device. This adhesive technique is a common thing among ultra-thin tablet makers these days. Though we shouldn't be too surprised by this as iFixit also gave the Surface Pro 2 a repair score of 1 and the original Surface Pro a 1 as well.

"We think the 3 is pretty much the same insane difficulty to repair as the 2," according to Co-Founder and CEO of iFixit Kyle Wiens. "You're more likely to break the screen than on the 2, but things are more a bit more straightforward once you get inside, it's not very modular."

It isn't just Microsoft devices that are receiving these low scores. Other popular tablets have also earned 1 point repair scores, including Apple's iPad Air. The thing for Microsoft is that it has been touting the Surface Pro 3 as a notebook replacement, not a tablet. When you compare the Surface Pro 3 to other notebooks, accessibility is simply a nightmare. Talking about repairability Wiens added, "Notebooks are usually pretty darn good. Dell, HP and Lenovo post service manuals for their laptops and believe that they are reasonably serviceable."

Some notebooks are just as impossible to get inside of as the Surface Pro 3. iFixit tried to break into a Retina Display MacBook Pro in 2012 it titled the device the "least-repairable laptop we've even taken apart", giving it a score of 1 also. However, the MacBook Air, which Microsoft has used as a direct comparison for the Surface Pro 3, earned a repair score of 4 out of 10 from iFixit last year.

"Part of the reason we emphasize repairability on tablets is that it's such a huge departure from the designs of the past," Wiens added. "People assume their electronics are repairable, and then are surprised when they learn that things have changed for the worse."

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Apple's WWDC 2014 Is Tomorrow, And It Looks To Be The Biggest And Best One Yet!

Tomorrow is the day. Finally, the Apple WWDC for 2014 is here! This particular convention is one that you will be talked about for a while after it finishes. We all know Apple to be the top dog in terms of consumer electronics and tech devices, so we know for sure that this year's event will be a big one. You have to figure that there have already been quite a lot of rumors surrounding Apple recently. With the iWatch consistently talked about around the internet, the recent deal they made with the one and only Dr. Dre for his Beats, and the talk of a new iOS, this should be quite the conference. Since the deal isn't finalized with Dr. Dre yet, we probably shouldn't expect to see much, if anything at all, about the incorporation of the Beats into Apple's technology.

While we might not get to see anything with the Beats take the stage yet, there is still quite a bit to look forward to.

Arguably the biggest part of the conference will be the new iOS and OS X. Whenever there is a new update to be had regarding software, you can expect Apple to give it everything they've got and then some. You can also expect a slew of critics and tech experts standing by to find any and all flaws in the software that they can. All obviousness aside, the iOS 8 software is sure to get many people excited. This is the biggest update since iOS 7, and we all know how the design overhaul for that update went. Needless to say, I don't foresee Apple making the iOS 8 software changes as crazy as the iOS 7 were, but I'm sure that there will be a few different key features accompanying it. OS X 10.10 will be undergoing the same type of design overhaul that iOS saw with the iOS7 update. The new OS X update will also be seeing a name change as well. It's still not specified yet, but we will be looking at the new OS X Yosemite or OS X El Cap in the near future.

Naturally, we can all look forward to some new hardware being announced to go along with the new software. There are some out there who believe that we won't be seeing any type of hardware coming out during the event. I tend to believe otherwise, simply due to the fact that Apple always has SOME sort of new hardware being announced at the WWDC events. Whether it be an upgraded version of the Mac Pro or a new Macbook of sorts, I'm sure there will be something.

There is also disbelief that Apple will show the new iWatch at the event. I disagree here as well. The rumors have spread around enough, and Apple is already quite late to the wearable fray as it is. If they plan on keeping up with the other companies that are already pushing the wearable trend to further their respective businesses, then they need to get in the game now. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S5, along with a few wearables, at the Upacked event this past February. It would seem unwise of Apple to NOT show the iWatch.

Whether there will be a showing of the new product, or new hardware at all, has yet to be determined, but we will all find out tomorrow at 10 AM. No matter what, this event is sure to not disappoint!

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It Seems Microsoft Still Supports Windows XP... For Now

As we all know, Microsoft officially retired Windows XP in April, and it was a really big deal to a lot of people. After the huge zero-day bug that affected every version of Internet Explorer from Windows XP to Windows 8, Microsoft actually decided to put out a patch for XP users when they put out a patch for everything else. Although this is ultimately a good thing, it may not have been the smartest move that Microsoft ever made. The whole reason they decided to abandon Windows XP was to get more people to upgrade to the newer versions of Windows. It is now very apparent that Microsoft will still continue to fix major issues with XP as long as it still has a lot of users.

The bug was found by a security firm called FireEye on April 26th, and Microsoft confirmed it the next day. It was one of the most dangerous bugs ever, and even the U.S. government was telling everyone not to use Internet Explorer. Although it was dangerous, it may have been one of the best things that could have happened to Microsoft. Companies couldn't keep using Windows XP if there was an insane, crippling security issue with it. Thousands of people would have been forced to upgrade if Microsoft would have stuck to what they said and not put out a patch for XP.

Microsoft says that the reason they put out the patch is because this incident happened so close to the end of the support for Windows XP. That makes sense, but are they going to do the same thing if something else happens next week? Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to complain about a company being nice and doing good things for its customers, I'm just talking here. But it still doesn't seem like the smartest thing ever. Now everyone is just going to assume that Microsoft will always cave in, and there is no reason to give up on Windows XP.

The worst part about all of this is that it may give some people false hope. Yes, you are safe for now as an XP user, your company might be safe, and whatever else. But the thing that everyone should realize is that this is not going to be the last time something like this happens. This isn't the last security breach of all time. Not only that, but Windows XP is going to be the biggest target of all now because Microsoft absolutely can not keep supporting such an outdated operating system. Either way, the time has come to go ahead and upgrade if you haven't already done so yet.

Tonight, you can use Windows XP and sleep well knowing that you are safe. Tomorrow, however, is another day where anything in the world could happen. It's best to look at this as a warning or just a close call. But it is actually time to upgrade now. Seriously this time.

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Magnetic Materials Could Make Computers 1,000 Times More Powerful

If you have ever had to actually use your laptop on your lap, you know all too well that they can produce a ton of heat, especially when the processor is working hard. No matter how advanced computer technology gets, the amount of heat that a computer produces is something we can't seem to get away from. If you think about it, all of the extra heat given off is just wasted energy that could be used for something else. A team of engineers at UCLA have found a way to make integrated circuits more efficient using a class of magnetic materials that are called multiferroics.

Basically, everything you use daily, like your computer, phone, TV, and many other things, relies on tons of transistors packed together making an integrated circuit. When chained together, transistors act as logic gates. The energy passing through these transistors results in large amounts of heat and loss of electrons. There really shouldn't be a way around it, but multiferroic materials have found a way to bypass this.

By simply applying an alternate voltage, a multiferroic material can be switched on or off. Doing this allows it to carry power to different parts through spinning electrons instead of actually moving them. This effect is call a "spin wave bus". The energy of the wave moves in, but the actual molecules don't have to move at all. It is a little bit hard to understand, but trust me... that's how it works.

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There was actually an experiment that the team did to test the ability of the materials to keep a stable spin wave bus. The device that they used in this experiment was made of nickel-based film on a piezoelectric substrate. The initial voltage is applied here to generate the spin wave. In the middle of the chip they used for the experiment was a 5-micrometer-wide ferromagnetic strip, which is where everything happens. The strip is the waveguide for the spin wave bus and directs power from one section to another without moving any electrons at all.

The experiment worked and successfully generated a voltage-driven spin wave. It is still a super long way away from replacing a regular charge current, but the team thinks that the improved efficiency of this method could make processors 1,000 times more efficient at very least. This would mean that there could be a whole new generation of computers that could work so much harder with a lot less power. The possibilities are endless.

Sony Gives Up On The PC Market

Times are tough for everyone in every industry these days, and even huge companies that are making the PCs that you use every day are no exception. There are a ton of companies out there doing the same thing, and less people have extra money to upgrade to the latest and greatest things that are coming out. When your company is struggling with a business that isn't even your main priority anymore, it's probably about time to give it up. And that's exactly what Sony is doing. They are selling their PC business to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners.

Sony has previously came out and said that they were talking to Lenovo about joining forces, so it's a little bit odd that Vaio isn't being sold to another huge PC brand. That makes the whole thing a bit more surprising. But, if you really think about it, the PC market isn't doing that well at all. In 2013 the entire PC market went down by 10%, even after 316 million PCs were sold.

When Sony announced the sale of Vaio, they spoke on the huge changes in the global PC industry and also stated that smartphones an tablets were the number one concern of the company. They have been moving more toward the mobile side of tech, and that's where they need to aim their focus.

If this news surprised you, then you may have quite a few more surprises headed your way. It's very likely that we will see many more huge brands doing the exact same thing as the industry keeps changing. Everyone was blown away when IBM sold it's PC business and when HP said that they were going to do the same thing as well. But for most people, this probably makes more sense than those situations, because Sony has made themselves a top contender in other markets that are far more important.

The craziest thing about the move that may make a few people really sad, is that even though Vaio will continue, it will not be widely available. Mainly, it will be available in Japan, and that's about it until they decide otherwise. So, this spring is the last time you'll ever see Vaios on the shelves.

Sony made good computers. They were even doing a lot of the same things that Apple is doing now, but years before. It's been made known that Steve Jobs himself even wanted Sony to use Apple's operating system on their machines! They weren't always the hottest seller, because they were fairly pricey and basically no different than any other computer on the market when it came to a lot of specs. But with the high price tag came an expensive looking design. Having a Vaio was almost like making a fashion statement.

Though it seems like a sad day in the PC world, something new will more than likely pop up next week that will excite us and make us forget that Sony ever made computers. Luckily for us, this is one of the fastest moving industries ever. There is never enough time to be sad.

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Apple's all new 12" MacBook and a higher-res sixth-gen iPad for 2014

Apple has a newly designed 12-inch MacBook featuring a high-resolution display, and a new 9.7-inch sixth-generation iPad with an even higher pixel count than the most current Retina display. Both are to be released next year according to knowledgeable insider Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo, who is an an analyst working for KGI Securities, has said that Apple has a ton of major new products in the works for 2014. The biggest one being the new 12-inch MacBook which will feature what he said is an "ultra-slim clamshell form factor."

He says this new and improved MacBook will bring the best of both worlds from both the portability of the 11-inch MacBook Air and the greater productivity brought by the 13-inch model. The display is said to be up to par with Apple's high-resolution MacBook Pro Retina display.

Kuo says that the newest MacBook being worked on will "redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air."

Despite all the rumors that Apple will probably introduce a notebook powered by its custom A-series chips like the ones found in the iPhone and iPad, Kuo made it clear that he does not expect that the new 12-inch MacBook will run on an A-series chip. Instead, he thinks that the new MacBook will feature a traditional Intel CPU.

He has also revealed that Apple is currently working on a new sixth-generation iPad that will feature a higher pixel-per-inch count than the current 9.7-inch iPad with Retina display. Going against the recent rumors yet again, he doesn't expect Apple to launch a 12-inch iPad next year.

The sixth-generation iPad is expected to launch in late 2014, and will cram in as much as 40 percent more pixels than the current iPad's Retina display.

Inside the Apple supply chain, he is expecting the company Parade Technology to benefit from an large amount of embedded DisplayPort technology in the 2014 lineup. Kuo said eDP, which is a standardized display interface that makes graphics processors interface with display panels, will more than likely play a large role in the company's products next year.

"We think Parade will defend its status as Apple's sole eDP provider going into 2014, making it one of the top stories in the Apple supply chain," Kuo wrote in a research note.

Kuo has quite the track record of accurately revealing Apple's future plans. He was the first person to reveal that Apple would retire its 17-inch MacBook Pro. He also correctly forecast Apple's fall 2012 product lineup in its entirety, and his predictions for Apple's 2013 launch schedule made in January have thus far proven 100 percent correct.

Lenovo CEO Shares Bonus With Employees

With a large abundance of PC manufacturers out there all trying to sell you the same things, Lenovo, a Chinese multinational technology firm,  and their CEO Yang Yuanqing are implementing some generous small business tactics that may be contributing to their success. Lenovo has pushed their way into the top of PC manufacturing, surpassing $34 billion in sales. This company brings you all the day to day technology you would use including PC's, tablets, workstations, servers, electronic storage devices, and IT management software. Lenovo is also becoming a smartphone manufacturer, with rumors saying that they may even buy out Blackberry.

It's hard to ignore the apparent success of Lenovo, and it's even harder not to connect it to the selfless actions of their CEO, Yang Yuanqing.
 
Instead of simply pocketing his $3+ million dollar bonus due to the company's success, Yang Yuanqing took it upon himself to share his bonus with his 10,000 manufacturing employees. Although profit sharing is a fairly common practice in small business, its quite rare nowadays for a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company to use this practice. Actions like this clearly relate to the company's success because it motivates employees to work harder when they know they will be rewarded for the company's accomplishments.

Profit sharing is by no means something that is expected of a CEO, but it definitely has its benefits. Attracting and keeping good employees,  increasing business performance, and raising capital are just a few of the benefits that i believe Yang Yuanqing had in mind while making this decision. I personally feel that actions like this will play a large role in the future success of Lenovo, and if they keep it up, you will continue to see them at the top of the charts in PC manufacturing.