NEW ASUS BEASTS

ASUS is going to release two new gaming desktop and one ultraportable gaming laptop.

The new desktops go big despite their compact small form factor designs, with a new look that eschews the boxy towers usually seen on gaming desktops.

Asus is also introducing its first gaming ultraportable laptop, with a slim machine that goes anywhere. While specifics on pricing and availability have not been announced, we suspect all three products will be available later this year.

GAMING DESKTOP (Asus ROG G20):

First up is the new Asus ROG G20 gaming desktop, a potent desktop PC that blends angular lines,detailed design, and a small form-factor chassis to pack a lot of gaming power into a tiny package. The black and red color scheme looks very cool, and the chassis avoids the boxy look that so many other desktops share. The small chassis keeps it exhaust vents hidden, using a thermal design that keeps things cool while remaining quiet. Asus has announced that the G20 desktop will be outfitted with Intel Core i7 processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 graphics.

CONSOLE  GAMING PC(ROG GR8):

The next offering from Asus is also pretty compact, the Asus ROG GR8 console gaming PC. By packing a full gaming PC into a box the size of a gaming console, Asus invites users to make this gaming machine a part of their home entertainment setup. Like the G20 small form-factor desktop, the GR8 console gaming PC has a black and red color scheme, with an angular design that uses simple planes and surfaces to achieve a distinctive look.

The slim PC is equipped with Intel Core i7 processors, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti graphics processor, and promises compatibility with SteamOS and the Steam Controller when Valve's new OS arrives in 2015. The console-sized PC features 4K and UHD display output, Miracast support for streaming media to an HDTV, SupremeFX audio output, and Gigabit Ethernet.

ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP(ASUS ROG GX500):

Finally, the Asus ROG GX500 adds an ultraportable to the Republic of Gamers family. The new laptop measures just "0.75" inches thick, and weighs only "4.85 pounds", putting it firmly into the ultraportable category, and making it ideal for gamers on the go. The GX500 boasts Intel Core i7 processors, Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics, and an impressive 3,840-by-2,160-pixel display. The new display also features Visual Master display technology, which promises 100 percent NTSC color gamut for better clarity. The laptop chassis is black metal with red highlights, fitting in perfectly with the rest of the Republic of Gamers offerings.

windows 10 features

1. Start Menu Makes A Comeback

October 01, 2014

Microsoft has been demonstrating the new Start menu for quite some time, but the company has finally made it official with Windows 10.

The menu features a search bar and customisable space for pinning app shortcuts and live tiles. It looks very similar to the traditional Start menu that Microsoft discontinued with the Windows 8. On non-touch devices, it will replace the Start screen.

2. Everything Runs In Windows

October 01, 2014

Modern UI apps from the Windows Store now also open in the same format that desktop apps do and can be resized and moved around.

Just like Windows 8.1, these apps have title bars at the top that allow users to maximize, minimize, and close with a click.

3. Snap Enhancements

October 01, 2014

Users can now have up to four apps snapped on the same screen with what Microsoft calls a new quadrant layout.

Windows 10 will also show other apps and programmes running for additional snapping and will make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.

4. Multiple Desktops, New Task View

October 01, 2014

With Windows 10, users can create virtual desktops for different purposes and projects and switch between desktops and pick up where they left on each desktop, similar to OS X's Spaces.

There is a new task view that displays all open windows and desktops. This is also very similar to the Expose feature of Apple's OS X.

5. One Windows Version Across Devices, Continuum

October 01, 2014

Windows 10 will run on all devices across form factors, including phones, tablets, 2-in-1s and PCs.

The OS will come with a feature called Continuum which will detect when you remove a keyboard from a 2-in-1 and switch to a touch-optimised UI with big tiles. It will also have a universal app marketplace.

6. Enterprise Features

October 01, 2014

Windows 10 will come with a number of features for enterprise, including a customised store and corporate data protection. Administrators will be able to use Mobile Device Management for all devices.

7. Universal Search

October 01, 2014

The Windows 10 Start menu will also feature a universal search box similar to Apple OS X's Spotlight feature and offers web results in addition to results obtained by searching across files, apps and settings.

8. Updated Command Prompt

October 01, 2014

Microsoft has pleased power users with some improvements in the command prompt interface. The command prompt now supports copy and paste keyboard shortcuts so you'll be able to use Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V commands easily.

Xiaomi one of the largest smartphone vendors in its homeland - China - and it's one of the most popular Asian mobile brands. It has given the world the popular user-friendly MIUI for Android. But the crown jewel, of course, is their current flagship phone - the Xiaomi Mi 3.

The Xiaomi Mi 3 is the company's best-selling phone to date packing top-notch technology and blazing-fast Android experience. The MIUI launcher feels at home on a Xiaomi phone delivering amazing performance. It is very easy to use and yet hides some powerful functions and services for advanced users.

The Mi 3 has it all - a wonderful unibody design made out of polycarbonate, a 5" IPS display of 1080p resolution, a top-notch Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB of RAM, a capable 13MP camera with Full HD video recording, and a massive 3,050 mAh battery for long-lasting smartphone experience.

Sounds great, right? Here comes the complete feature list.

Key features

• 5" IPS 1080p capacitive touchscreen with 441pi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat with MIUI v.5
• 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset
• 13MP camera with dual-LED flash, 1080p video capture
• 2MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor; wide-angle f/2.0 lens; HDR; 1080p video recording
• 16/64 GB of built-in memory
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
• 3,050mAh battery

Main disadvantages

• No LTE
• No 4K video recording
• Non user-replaceable battery
• No wired TV-out connectivity option
• No microSD card slot
• Sold exclusively online

The implementation of a unibody shell has required some sacrifices though, as in the inability to replace your battery being the most major. The lack of microSD card slot is surely a bummer for some, but this trend seems to be spreading among lots of popular manufacturers lately. The lack of 4K video isn't something we would hold against it, if it wasn't for its flagship status.

DIY GAMING PC

A gaming PC can be a lot cheaper than a console, and you also have a lot more flexibility about your budget - you can skimp now, and upgrade to the monster rig of your dreams later if you choose.

There's an intimidating number of choices available but we can help you build a budget rig on your own. Our focus is on building the cheapest gaming rig that still delivers an acceptable experience. Clearly, this machine will not be for purists - we'll do that at a later stage - but something that you can use as a reference point if you are looking to take your gaming a little bit more seriously.

You can then choose to step up from there depending on how much you're able to spend and what level of graphical quality you're looking for.



What you need
The basic considerations you need to budget for are a CPU, which you'll typically buy from Intel or AMD; a graphics card, based on a GPU from Nvidia or AMD; a hard drive; and RAM. First, let's talk about some of the different choices, and then we'll move on to our sample configuration.


On the CPU front, AMD does not have anything compelling to offer at the moment, but the excellent Intel Pentium Anniversary Edition (the G3258), is a low-priced monster that runs beautifully and can easily exceed speeds of 4GHz when pushed beyond its official specifications.



The GPU market is constantly in flux. Prices are not stable, as Nvidia and AMD keep trying new tricks to outdo each other. Nvidia's recently launched GTX 750 and 750 Ti are based on the new Maxwell core which performs well and consumes very little power.

For AMD, it's less clear, but repeated price drops and some pretty interesting deals on free bundled games are promising.The newly launched Radeon R9 285 is yet to show up in shops in India, but it will replace the R9 280 at a potentially lower price.


RAM prices have doubled since the start of 2013, and will likely stay this way for a while. As a result, we have to allocate more of our budget to memory or change our expectations.

Hard drive prices are fairly reasonable now, but SSDs are becoming more and more tempting. An affordable SSD that's only enough for the OS and applications will still make a huge difference, but it might not fit in our entry-level build's budget.

We've given ourselves a budget of Rs. 40,000 all inclusive. This will give us modest but consistent performance, and leave the doors open to multiple upgrades over time. Here's the best we managed to do, considering high import duties and a weak exchange rate. Note that prices fluctuate every day and vary from area to area, so you might need to tweak this a little.


The build
If you're looking for a simple list of things to buy, then the table below has you covered. But we also talk about what you can change and tweak in this list, so read on to know more.



This basic build is a little above what we'd budgeted, but you should be able to save some money by reusing your current mouse, keyboard and/or monitor if you have a PC already.


With this basic setup, you should be able to get 40-60 fps with high detail settings in most current games at the monitor's native resolution. If you want to step up to HD 1080p, you'll need a better GPU and monitor, which would add at least Rs. 10,000 to the budget.

Intel's Core i3s are fast and don't consume a lot of power - they don't quite have the muscle of a quad-core i5 but do a decent job as far as games are concerned. Disappointingly though, the i3s can't be overclocked.

The most affordable motherboard option we were comfortable with was MSI's H87M-E35. You'll get all the important features such as multiple USB 3.0 ports, SATA 6Gbps, HDMI and PCIe 3.0.


A year ago, you would have would have been able to fit 8GB of DDR3-1600 RAM into this budget, but we have to step down to 4GB due to market forces. The same budget considerations lead us to suggest Sapphire's Radeon HD 7770. It is a potent GPU for the price, and should handle gaming at 1366x768 quite well.

As expected, we can't include a solid state drive, but Western Digital's Blue line is a good choice. You can get a 500GB model for about Rs. 3,000 but you can double that capacity for relatively little more.

Corsair's VS450 is a nice, affordable and stable power supply, with enough PCIe, SATA and Molex cables for a budget build.

If you don't have an LCD monitor already, the AOC unit we've listed is a good place to start. A 1080p monitor like Dell's S2240L is a nice option for Rs.9,000 but it requires a more powerful graphics card as well.

Upgrade options
As far as the motherboard is concerned, you may want to step up to a more feature complete board such as the Gigabyte H87M-DH3. Overclockers should consider something with the Z prefix, like MSI's Z97 PC Mate, which appears to be the cheapest 9-series chipset available. Pair it with the Intel Pentium Anniversary Edition for overclocking, or the Core i5-4430 and above if you just want that extra oomph without the fuss.




RAM is simple: get DDR3-1600 with timings of 9-9-9-24 or tighter, but don't pay extra for anything beyond this, because it's usually not going to be worth it as far as games are concerned. G.Skill, Corsair and Kingston are good choices. We'd recommend 8GB at the minimum, if you can afford it. Try and buy RAM sticks in identical pairs to ensure a stable dual channel configuration.

Graphics is a highly scalable market. The more you pay, the more performance you usually get, so it comes down to how smooth you want your gaming to be and at what resolution. While the 7770 is good till 720p resolutions, we'd recommend getting at least a GTX 750 Ti for higher ones (900p or 1080p). It is priced between Rs.10,500 and 11,500 online, and we certainly wouldn't pay more.

The next step up would be an AMD R9 270X at around Rs.14,000, and it's a solid deal considering it's basically a higher clocked Radeon HD 7870. Note that you still won't always get 60 fps at 1080p. The GTX 760 is a good way to achieve that; prices start from Rs. 17,000.

Finally, the R9 280X and GTX 770 are the highest we'd mention in this article; both cost around Rs. 25,000 and provide a solid 1080p gaming experience.

As far as hard drives are concerned, Western Digital and Hitachi are known to be reliable, so just pick any as your secondary storage drive. For the boot drive, pick an SSD from Intel, Samsung or Corsair, and you should be good to go.

Cabinets are 80 percent functionality and 20 percent personal taste and aesthetics. A decent cabinet can mean the difference between awkwardly crammed components and a nice, clean, easily serviceable system.

While the Elite 311 will get the job done, look towards cases from Fractal Design, Antec, NZXT, Corsair or higher end cases from Cooler Master itself, like the HAF 912 Advanced.



Easily removable filters, good airflow and fan/water cooler mounts, relevant front panel ports and space for cable management are all things to look for. The case should be tall and wide enough to accommodate the CPU cooler you want to use, and deep enough for the graphics card of your choice. Removable drive bays and a CPU cutout are good ideas too.

CPU Coolers are fairly simple: From a pure functionality standpoint, the Hyper 212 EVO from Cooler Master sells for around Rs. 2,000 and is quite excellent. Noctua's NH-D14 is probably the only other air cooler you should consider; it's one of the best there is (but over twice as expensive). Of course, smaller cases may need smaller coolers like Noctua's NH-L9i 95mm SSO2, or you may want something fancy-looking like the Cooler Master V8 GTS.

If you're not overclocking, the boxed cooler is usually sufficient, but if it spins up too often and gets too noisy, or the CPU starts hitting temperatures above 80*C, you may want to consider getting a third-party one.

Power supplies are mostly simple too. Antec, Seasonic, Corsair, and certain Cooler Master PSUs are good choices. You won't usually need more than 550W for a single GPU build, unless you're using a GTX 780 Ti and Haswell-E CPU together, in which case it would be on the safer side to consider a 600W PSU.

Otherwise, just make sure you have the appropriate connectors (especially PCI-e for the graphics card) and that they're long enough to route behind the motherboard tray. 80%+ efficiency is also a good thing.

With that in mind, consider the Corsair VS 550, Seasonic ECO 500 or Antec VP 550. You may want a modular PSU to reduce wire clutter and increase airflow inside the case, or for Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX enclosures. Such PSUs are appropriately marked (usually with an 'M' somewhere in the name, like CX430M or M12II 520) and usually more expensive. Try and avoid fully modular PSUs (in which all wires can be removed), as some undesirable electrical characteristics can be more pronounced on the higher power rails with such designs.

One last point to consider


If you're considering sinking Rs. 20,000 into a GPU today, we say save up till the end of September, as Nvidia is about to announce a new generation, which will be well worth the wait. High-end cards usually launch first, which means your budget might have to expand a little, but the difference in performance will be equally noticeable.


I hope this serves as a guide for inexperienced DIY gamers and also as a refresher and template for more advanced users. If you have some suggestions about different components, tell us via the comments.

I PHONE 6 AND I PHONE 6PLUS REVIEWS

The new Apple iPhones going on sale this week, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, have crisper screens, faster processors and sharper cameras.


And, as you might have heard, they are also bigger than previous iPhones - the 6 Plus by a long shot - joining the stampede toward bigger handsets. But after almost a week of trying the phones, it became clear that the hardware was not the best part of the package. In its quest to deliver bigger phones to a market clamoring for them, Applehas made one phone that is actually a little too small and one that's a little too big.


(Also see: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Pre-orders Top 4 Million in First 24 Hours, Says Apple)


The best part of the new phones is actually the new software inside, which is available for some older models, too, starting on Wednesday. The software, iOS 8, combines some of the advanced features of Android with Apple's ease of use and reliability.


Because of the software, it's hard to see many iPhone fans straying from Apple, even if they don't buy new iPhones immediately.


The iPhone 6 is a 4.7-inch device, up from 4 inches on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. It's a little wider than those phones, too.


Those dimensions make it slightly smaller than the top Android and Windows devices on the market, helping it fit easily in jeans pockets. Compared with a Samsung Galaxy S5 or the HTC One (M8), though, the iPhone 6 screen feels constrained. The iPhone 6 starts at $200 with a new contract.


The iPhone 6 Plus is a behemoth. It has the same size display as the LG G3, at 5.5 inches, but is significantly taller. It's longer even than the Galaxy Note 3, which has a 5.7-inch display. It starts at $300 with a new contract.


Both the 6 and 6 Plus get thinner, flatter and more rounded shapes than their predecessors, losing the squared-off sides on the more recent models. The effect looks sleek, but feels slippery. Dropping seems imminent as you stretch your thumb across the larger screens.


Apple takes some small steps to mitigate the finger stretch with a feature called Reachability, which lets you touch (not press) the home button twice to shift the screen down to the bottom half of the display.






The feature works nicely for one-handed scrolling and finding app icons, but it doesn't do much else. If you're in an email, for example, you can't get access to any actions like Reply or Archive.


Apple could have taken a cue from other makers of so-called phablets (a blend of the words "phone" and "tablet") and come up with powerful ways to take advantage of those bigger screens.


For example, the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will let users resize app windows using a finger or stylus and view multiple windows simultaneously on its 5.7-inch display, as on a desktop computer. The 5.5-inch LG G3 lets you open two apps at once and resize them as you like.


The iPhones do include some tricks created for bigger phones, like a zoom feature that lets you subtly increase the size of app icons and text in native apps.


And when you turn the phones sideways, into landscape mode, the keyboard in the built-in apps like Mail and Messages has more options - a microphone, undo key, period and comma and others on the iPhone 6, and even more on the iPhone 6 Plus, like dedicated copy and paste keys.


Those extra iPhone 6 Plus keys disappear if you choose the zoomed display, however. And the iPhone 6 Plus is so big that in landscape mode, I had a hard time reaching the keys to type.


Even the built-in Apple keyboard doesn't get any extra keys when holding the phone upright, the way the Samsung and LG keyboards include number keys above the letters, and period and comma keys.


As for the features that people love about their iPhones, they only get better. The iPhone 6 cameras, for example, are outstanding.


Both rear-facing cameras have new sensors that deliver faster autofocus, better face detection and the ability to capture high-resolution panoramas. The faster focus is immediately obvious, even in casual use.


The iPhone 6 Plus in particular uses optical image stabilization to deliver better photos in low light and reduce overall shake and blur. Sadly, that nice feature is not on the iPhone 6.


And filmmakers are swooning over the iPhones' high-definition video, faster frame rates (which lead to smoother video) and higher-quality slow-motion capture. Cinematic video stabilization helps smooth out video taken while moving and a time lapse mode snaps a shot every second or so and stitches them together.


Of course, all the videos and photos look great on the bigger screens, especially the iPhone 6 Plus. For camera buffs, that bigger phone is likely to be a must-have.


Call quality on the new phones is excellent and I found battery life on the smaller iPhone 6 to be impressive. I went almost two full days without a charge. Battery life on the iPhone 6 Plus is more like a day of constant use and not much more, but that's not terrible on a phone that size.


The real magic, though, happens because of Apple's new operating system.


The iOS 8 software doesn't look greatly different, but many refinements make it more powerful and flexible. Some of the features catch up to competitors and some are totally new.


The upgrade adds iCloud Drive, for example, which lets you more easily share documents across devices, as you can with Dropbox or Google Drive. A Family Sharing feature will let you share your purchased books, movies, music and some apps with up to six family members, so they don't have to log in to your account to watch a movie or use an app you have purchased.


After OS X Yosemite, the new operating system for Macs, is released in October, Apple's Continuity feature will let you view incoming text messages across all devices, hand off documents between a phone and computer and send a text or make a call from your Mac.


Smaller improvements - expiring messages and voice memos, Spotlight searches that include Web results, and recently used contacts that show up when you double-press the home button to switch between or close apps - add up to a refined mobile OS.


Some of the features aren't perfect, and many of the sexier features are still down the road. Right now, for example, the Health app simply doesn't do much. It depends on integration with third-party apps (scheduled for release with the phones) and the coming Apple Watch.


The new operating system comes on the new phones and can be installed this week on the iPhone 5s, 5 and iPhone 4S. People who have those phones and whose two-year cellphone contracts have not yet expired can rest easy. They will get many of the best features of this year's upgrade cycle.


The slim new iPhones aren't a big-screen slam-dunk, but they work well, as we have come to expect from Apple. Ultimately, it's what's on the inside that keeps them just in front of their competitors.













Apple iPhone 6 detailed specifications


GENERAL




Release date

September 2014


Form factor

Touchscreen


Dimensions (mm)

138.10 x 67.00 x 6.90


Weight (g)

129.00


Removable battery

No


Colours

Silver, Gold, Space Gray


SAR value

NA



DISPLAY




Screen size (inches)

4.70


Touchscreen

Yes


Touchscreen type

Capacitive


Resolution

750x1334 pixels


Pixels per inch (PPI)

326


Colours

16M



HARDWArE




Processor make

Apple A8


Internal storage

16GB



CAMERA




Rear camera

8-megapixel



Flash

Yes


Front camera

1.2-megapixel




SOFTWARE




Operating System

iOS 8.0


Java support

No


Browser

HTML


Browser supports Flash

No



CONNECTI VITY




Wi-Fi

Yes


Wi-Fi standards supported

802.11 a/ b/ g/ n


GPS

Yes


Bluetooth

Yes, v 4.00


NFC

Yes


Infrared

No


DLNA

No


Wi-Fi Direct

No


MHL Out

No


HDMI

No


Headphones

3.5mm


FM

No


USB

No


Charging via Micro-USB

No


Proprietary charging connector

Yes


Proprietary data connector

Yes


Number of SIMs

1


SIM Type

Nano-SIM


GSM/ CDMA

GSM


3G

Yes



SENSORS




Compass/ Magnetometer

No


Proximity sensor

Yes


Accelerometer

Yes


Ambient light sensor

Yes


Gyroscope

Yes


Barometer

Yes


Temperature sensor

No

INSTALLING HEAT SINKS TO RASPBERRY PI

My Raspberry Pi was getting a little hot when I overclocked it to above 1100 MHz.
So I decided to attach some heat sinks to it.
All you need to do this are the following:

• Some heat sinks (copper or aluminum depending on your preference)
• Thermal adhesive, I used Arctic Silver
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Lint-free cloth
• Some clamps
• A clean surface

Unplug your Raspberry Pi and put your it on a clean surface like so:

Start by cleaning the black surfaces of the hot spots with the isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth.

Once that is dried, it's important you don't touch it or get anything on it.

Next get your heat sinks and thermal adhesive ready. Instructions should come with your thermal adhesive but it is commonly to mix a 1:1 ratio on a clean surface. Wait 1-2 minutes for it to thicken just a little bit then spread a thin layer on the processors and attach the heat sinks. Make sure to hold them down with rubber bands or clamps while they cure.

I was able to get a 6 degrees Celsius difference from the commands:
/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd measure_temp
cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

With this done, I have the following stats in /boot/config.txt and they seem to be stable

force_turbo=1
over_voltage=8
arm_freq=1180
sdram_freq=500
core_freq=500
gpu_freq=350

Toshiba's Encore 2 Windows tablet makes the grade

SAN FRANCISCO — Toshiba's new 10-inch Encore 2 tablet isn't going to replace your mainstay Windows desktop PC or laptop. But starting at $269, this lightweight machine is worth considering if you're in the market for an inexpensive portable that can run full Windows 8.

The basic Wi-Fi model runs on an Intel Atom quad core processor and comes with just 1GB of RAM and a 32GB hard drive, a chunk of which is taken up by Windows itself. So there are some compromises. But this is a solid tablet that is terrific for basic tasks. You can surf the Web, use apps and even tap into full-on programs (being mindful of hard drive capacity, of course).

You won't be working with a heavy-duty video-editing program here. But if you are an iTunes user, for instance, you can install it on this machine and run it quite happily.

It's quite a versatile wonder in that way.

It comes with a year's subscription to Office 365 thrown in, normally $69.99 for a one-user account. It weighs just 1.2 pounds and is just a little more than one-third of an inch thick.

The Encore 2 is Toshiba's refreshed Windows tablet line. It's out now, at lower prices than the original Encore. The 10-inch model is Toshiba's first 10-inch Windows 8 tablet. A 2GB RAM/64 GB version is $329.

I didn't have a lot of prior experience with Windows 8 but quickly grew comfortable flipping between the live tile/app interface and the traditional Windows desktop now that Microsoft has made that simple to do.

You can easily stream or download videos and music. On a recent vacation, a full-length movie I watched looked great and played with no hiccups. The display is 1280 x 800 resolution, terrific for everyday viewing. I didn't perform a battery test, but it seems on par with others in its class.

A side view of the 10-inch Encore 2.(Photo: Nancy Blair, USA TODAY)

As with most other tablets, the accessory ports on the Encore 2 are of the "mini" variety: Micro HDMI, micro USB 2.0 and micro SD (for expanding storage).

I ran into minor issues with the touch-screen occasionally jumping into "pinch and zoom" mode when all I really wanted to do was scroll, but otherwise I found the experience smooth.

What's fun about this tablet is the way you can trick it out with a couple of accessories and turn it into a really nice on-the-go machine that can get real work done. I used my unit with a Bluetooth keyboard cover Toshiba supplied (it will be available in September) and paired the tablet with my own Bluetooth mouse that doesn't require a dongle. (There are a couple of keyboard options out now and running on promotion until Sept. 1.)

I found myself spending a lot of time in desktop mode surfing the Web on Google's Chrome browser (Internet Explorer comes pre-installed, of course) and going about my business much as a I would on my at-work Dell laptop.

Bottom line: Its sweet-spot pricing and versatility make the Encore 2 an attractive option.

BANANA PI

Banana Pi is a single-board computer.  Banana Pi targets to be a cheap, small and flexible enough computer for daily life.  Built with ARM Cortex-A7 Dual-core CPU and Mali400MP2 GPU, and open source software, Banana Pi can serve as a platform to make lots of applications for different purposes. 

Banana Pi Specification

SoC	Allwinner A20* (ARM Cortex-A7 dual-core, 1GHz, Mali400MP2 GPU)
System Memory	1GB DDR3 DRAM
Storage	SD card slot, Extensible with SATA connection (2.5" SATA HDD with 5V)
Video output	HDMI, Composite, Extensible with on-board LVDS connector
Audio I/O	HDMI, 3.5mm stereo jack output, On-board microphone input
Connectivity	Gigabit Ethernet
USB	2* USB 2.0 ports, 1* OTG micro USB port, 1* micro USB for power supply**
Expansion	Extensible 26-pin headers, Camera connector, Display connector for LVDS and touch screen
Misc.	3* on-board buttons, (Power, Reset, Uboot key), IR receiver
Dimensions	92mm X 60 mm
Weight	48 g

Pin Definitions of Extensible connector

  Banana Pi has multiple extensible connectors for users to develop their own amazing projects and applications.   Most of common extension accessories Including LCD panel, touch screen, camera module, UART console and GPIO control pins are accessible from Banana Pi on-board connectors and headers.

Banana Pi extensible 26-pins GPIO headers

  Banana Pi has 26-pins GPIO headers to extend the functions such as I2C, SPI, 5V and 3.3V output…etc.   There are also additional GPIO pins available for extension controls and daughter boards.  For instance, you can use those headers to connect an Arduino board for your projects.  Here could be the start point for your way of exciting applications. 

CON3 (GPIO Headers)

  CON3 is a DIP-26 headers.  The header pin definitions of CON3 are shown as below.

You can connect the headers for I2C, UART, SPI connections.  The 5V and 3.3 V power output are also available here.  Meanwhile, there are several pins free for GPIO pins for your specific usage.