Top Reasons to Buy an Ultrabook or Macbook

The trend has been there. Laptops were getting thinner and thinner as consumers demanded products which are more lightweight and could comfortably fit in most of our bags .However consumers did not want machines that compromised performance over convenience, something two companies, Intel and Apple were able to achieve.

Intel developed the Ultrabook while Apple developed the Macbook and later the Macbook Air. These types of laptops can be considered to be notebooks, only slightly larger in size, thus named subnotebooks. Unlike Laptops, ultrabooks and the Macbook air do not have optical disk drives like the CD/DVD/Blu-ray disk drives and usually have only one Ethernet port and in some cases ,none. These features are removed to make the ultrabook and the Macbook as thin as possible. However, the performance of these subnotebooks is the same as of any laptop with most ultrabooks and Macbooks operating with i5 and i7 intel processors and with RAM reaching a maximum of 8GB just like most laptops. Ultrabooks and Macbooks differ in the sense that ultrabooks are manufactured by various manufacturers under the patent of Intel. The most popular ultrabooks are those of Samsung, Asus, Toshiba and Sony. Macbooks, now replaced by the Macbook Air are manufactured by Apple Inc. Although both machines run on Intel processors, the Ultrabook run on Windows while the Macbook use Linux.

There are several reasons why one may consider buying an ultrabook or a Macbook air:

Portability - This is probably the reason why they were invented in the first place. While laptops can be carried around in a suitcase, you can't toss most of the current laptops into your bag and even if you can, you only make the bag 6 to 7 pounds heavier. Most ultrabooks and Macbooks are only 3 pounds in weight and thin enough to fit in any bag.

Long Battery life - Most ultrabooks and Macbooks have at least 4 to 5 hours of battery life maxing out at 9 hours which is similar to the current battery life of most laptops. This is because today’s much smaller processors do not suck as much juice as previous versions.

Several concerns have been brought forward on whether ultrabooks and Macbooks can operate as fast as Laptops. This mainly depends on the kind of work being performed. For those into high end gaming, complex graphic design and editing movie videos, ultrabooks may not be up to par but for everything else, the ultrabook and Macbook will perform just as well as any laptop.

The absence of the CD/DVD drive is usually an upset to many. However, most of what we used to watch on DVD can now be streamed or downloaded from the internet and the storage of information has long since shifted to flash drives. However, for those who still love watching DVDs or Blu-ray Disks, there are external CD/DVD drives hat are thin and easy to carry around with your ultrabook or Macbook without adding any bulkiness to the subnotebook. As for the Ethernet port, most ultrabooks do come with a single Ethernet port, however if you intend to buy one which doesn't have one ensure that there is reliable Wifi in your area. An Ethernet port however other important functions other than cable internet thus it is usually recommended that one buys an ultrabook that has an Ethernet port.

Overall, if you want the speed and performance of a laptop without the bulkiness that comes with it, an ultrabook or a Macbook is a viable investment.


Harvey Norman Singapore offers great deals on Apple Macbook Pro and Apple Macbook Air models in 11-, 13-, and 15-inch sizes. They also offer a wide range of ultrabook models from top brands like Acer, Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, Asus, Sony, and HP.

Olloclip for iPhone 5

The Olloclip is well known to fans of photography on iPhone. This small accessory can enrich the camera of an iPhone by adding to the Apple Smartphone a wide-angle lens, or macro. Simple but effective on paper, but is it the perfect solution for enthusiasts who want iPhotography go further. The Olloclip is as compact and reversible attachment. On the one hand, it has a macro lens and wide angle, on the other hand an optical fisheye. The unit is positioned in the upper right corner of the iPhone, the lens being placed directly in front of the camera sensor of the Smartphone. Button standby iPhone is temporarily disabled. To change the lens, simply remove, replace and return the Olloclip, except for the macro lens that is used by unscrewing the Wide-Angle lens.


The Olloclip is compact, lightweight, but quality assured by the manufacture. The accessory exudes strength and quality workmanship. In use, it stays in place and during transport, provided the two covers used to protect the front lens. But there is no provision to protect their rear, including dust. To avoid unpleasant surprises, transport in a pocket is to be avoided and the use of small carrying bag is essential.
Using the Olloclip does not require any special software on the other hand and all photography applications found on the App Store can be used with this accessory.

The Olloclip is also generous in chromatic aberration. While they are virtually absent from the photo taken with the iPhone 5, they are marked on the edges of buildings in wide-angle and fish-eye, as soon as one moves away from the field covered by the native iPhone photo sensor.

Apple apologizes for its policy to China

For the past several weeks in China, Apple was the target of virulent criticism about its techniques. Attacks in the media, have forced Tim Cook, CEO of the firm, to apologize for some differences in treatment. A differential treatment; given particularly to china have created a wave of protests and Apple has been the target of a barrage of criticism. Difference in treatment that may exist on certain products between United States and China created a furor. iPhone 4 and 4S were were replaced in Europe and it was subject to standard repairs in China made the uproar in China.Tim Cook has issued an apology on the official website of Apple China. It essentially recognizes that communication was poor, and that the firm should better inform consumers Chinese. More specifically, he explains that the iPhone 5 will almost always be replaced in case of problems, while models 4 and 4S will most certainly can repaired. Cook does not explain exactly why, but we have to imagine that the finesse of the iPhone 5 and its complex manufacturing process are due for replacement.



However, he did not respond, as pointed out The Verge, a charge carried by several Chinese media. According to the media in China, Apple carefully avoids the replacements because Chinese law obliges for the undertaking which provide a full year of technical support. However, in the case of replacement, the warranty is only 90 days. No word on a course such an assertion. The firm recognizes, however, still have a lot to learn from the Chinese market, and conduct a review of certain clauses of warranty.
Who made excuses fly. According to Reuters, however, excuses Tim Cook have borne fruit. Apple won’t apologize easily. The last known case is also the Plans, including the chaotic launch could hardly be ignored. Chinese media have generally endorsed the approach. Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the response had been "conscientious."



Apple accused of "arrogance unprecedented," Thus its side enhanced by the declaration of Tim Cook. Chinese firm Control Risks analysis has indicated that Cook "had to get up from his chair and meet the CEO," which "shows the importance of China and how it is a critical market not just for Apple but for any multinational company.” According to the consulting firm Redtech technology, Apple has also learned to be more "proactive". He added that in case of future problems, the company will find it easier to get back on their feet.

Apple iTV

Apple is preparing to launch iTV for the Smartphone and tablets, and shake up the television market. All the rumors and the most beautiful fan design at a glance. Apple dispensed with his TV on a full HD display and offers the same to a 4K model it seems. According to "DigiTimes" Cupertino is working on an Ultra HD device called "iTV" at a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. But there are skeptics. Reasons are an ultra-high-definition TV would be very expensive and not a product that the consumer exchanges quickly with a new model generation. The company is thrives on but that customers always buy new equipment.

Even in Steve Jobs biography reveals the Apple CEO in an interview with Walter Isaacson, that he has become intensely concerned about a television. How far the work had progressed in Cupertino to a TV set, but Jobs did not reveal. It then regularly circulated about the alleged new Apple TV. The name Apple TV is, however, already tied to the set-top box, which for years provides television channels with an iOS-like interface; access to iTunes has and brings content from the iPhone and iPad on the big screen. In Britain, a channel called iTV radiates from its program since 1955. Thus the two popular names for Apple's television are already occupied. So it's exciting to what name at the end and the choice is.

The predictions concerning the size of the Apple TV's vary between 30, 42 and 50 inches - with more than just a screen size to start are possible. A retina display size that would still priceless. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently referred OLED as insufficient, so it will be interesting, the technology for which Apple chooses. With the iMac and the Thunderbolt display Apple has screens on offer, which could be modeled on the design of a television. Alternatively, there is also an orientation on iPad mini or a completely different appearance. So far, however, only curiosity raged outside Cupertino and waiting for them to publish their designs for the iTV. From the company headquarters, there has been no evidence for this yet.

Movies, series and music and more already sell through its iTunes store. A basic listing is thus available, but on a TV of course also includes the classic television. In addition, there will certainly be apps for the small screen and possibly Apple uses this opportunity to also introduce the iTunes Store flat rate offers. With the surface of the set-top box Apple TV Apple has been trying for several years in practice, such as a TV remote control. The user interface of the iTV will indeed guided by the appearance of the Apple TV software, but will certainly be changed by Apple and yet to clarify them.

A television of course Apple can go wireless or cable network online. In addition, probably a ThunderBolt port is available, the Apple used on all computers. To USB ports and there is no way a TV needs logically an antenna input. Exciting is the question of whether Tim Cook and his team believe that external devices may provide via HDMI, DVI or VGA video signals, or whether they consider unnecessary. There is so far no one really sure. According to the predictions of some experts, it would have been the end of 2012 Apple TV is able to buy. Currently, the fall is 2013 as the earliest release date, said an announcement would be considered as early as March. Surely this is long but not yet. Apple may wait even two or three years to present a perfect device with affordable Retina display.

Trick to Bypasses code lock the iPhone

A few days ago Apple has released iOS version 6.1.3, which has patched critical vulnerabilities. However, the update causes problems: it means that a password lock on the iPhone is partially invalid. The 6.1.3 update for iOS is not the first update, prepared to rectify the problems. On YouTube, a user named Barraquito uploaded a video. It shows how the code lock an iPhone 4 is bypassed with iOS 6.1.3. Therefore, the voice dialing function is activated. This can also be used when the screen is locked by the user presses the button below the display for a long time. About a voice command selects the iPhone a number and the user has to remove the SIM card so that the call is terminated. Now the iPhone is free to access to the phone app, without asking for the code. An unauthorized person could access to the address book thro this app and part with all the contacts stored and the images from the Photos app. apparently this trick only works with the iPhone 4 and 3GS. All models that are already using Siri, therefore are not affected. To close the gap for the time being, users should disable the voice dial feature in the settings.