TOYS WILL HELP YOU CUT CORDS
Whether it’s axing the cable to your TV or going mobile with a new hybrid notebook, here’s a few new products to make the transition easier
Terk Horizon and Trinity amplified indoor HDTV antennas
“My wife and I are moving to Edmonton at the end of September. Like many I am contemplating cutting the cord from cable,” reads an email from a reader, who asked about potential alternatives. The email was timely, arriving just as Terk announces its new Horizon and Trinity amplified indoor HDTV antennas. Antennas can be one item in the cut-the-corder’s arsenal, allowing them to pick up over-the-air television signals to augment Internet live streaming. The $100 Horizon takes its inspiration from TV sound bars, with a sleek design that fits right onto the TV. It’s powered through your television’s USB port so one less wire to plug into your entertainment outlet, although you can also plug in the antenna with a power cord that’s included. The Horizon will pick up HDTV signals up to 100 kilometres away from the nearest broadcast tower. Tablo, a DVR that plugs into digital TV antennas to capture HDTV programs, has a signal locator tool on its website (at tablotv. com) that will tell you what over-the-air channels you’ll be able to get where you live. The $40 Trinity also offers coverage up to 100 kilometres from broadcast towers and it has Terk’s SmartBoost amplifier technology to deliver better high def pictures. terk.com.
Asus Transformer Book T100HA and Flip TP200SA
Asus is meeting growing demand for multi-function laptops with the newest in its Transformer series, the T100HA Transformer Book and the TP200 Transformer Flip. The T100HA has a longlasting battery for the road warrior, running up to 12 hours on a charge. It’s powered by the Intel Atom X5 Cherry Trail processor, which gives it a 20-percent performance boost over its predecessor. The keyboard detaches from the T100HA to leave you with a tablet. The Flip TP200SA is a regular notebook, with hinges that let it flip 360 degrees, a useful feature for viewing presentations or videos. It has an Intel Celeron N3050 Braswell processor and eight hours of battery life. Both new notebooks will be available starting in October. Prices haven’t been announced. asus.com.
Dell Venue 8 Pro and Venue 10 Pro Tablets
The Dell portable lineup continues to grow, with the new Venue 8 Pro and Venue 10 Pro. The eightinch model has a 1280 by 800 HD screen or full HD at 1920 by 1200, while the Venue 10 Pro touch screen is full HD. Both these tablets are powered by Intel Atom Quad Core processors and run Windows 10. The Venue 10 Pro has microHDMI and a MicroSD slot. The 8 Pro starts at $299US, the Venue 10 Pro at $429. dell.ca.
Griffin Cable Management System
I recently pulled out an armchair to rearrange it in the room and I had to put it back right away because it was covering a mess of cables best left unseen. Griffin recognizes this decorating problem with its Guide, a customizable cable management system that includes three steel bases with three aluminum magnetic anchors in small, medium and large to give you different options for keeping the cable clutter in check. At $40, find out more at griffintechnology.com.
ProCamera 9.0
If your budget doesn’t run to a new iPhone 6S, you can give your iOS camera a boost with the ProCamera app. Its recent update to ProCamera 9.0 adds a number of features plus optimizes the app for iOS 9 and Apple Watch OS 2.0. Among new features, it adds a shutter and ISO priority mode, a muchrequested feature that lets you set the shutter speed with the rest done automatically or set the ISO and let the app do the rest. At $5.99 at the Apple app store, it’s an app that’s worth adding to your iPhone, no matter what the model. Find it in the app store and through its online site at procamera-app.com.