Computers, Laptops & Tablets

Being able to print on demand is a great option. Every home should have a printer, especially when there are students living there (the printing of assignments just never seems to stop). Wireless printing? Even better! Without having to worry about a wired connection, you can put the printer wherever you want and print to it from virtually any device. Here’s how to configure your home for wireless printing.

Today we’ll take a look at HP’s new Star Wars ™ Special Edition Laptop and what this package has to offer for the growing number of Star Wars fans out there.

Routers take the cake when it comes to lengthy product names and here’s a prime example: Linksys just released its new EA8500 Max-Stream MU-MIMO Gigabit Smart Wi-Fi router. In this case, the extended name actually means something, because this router is literally packed with the latest technology. But from this point forward, I’m just going to call it the Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream for short.

Shopping for a router can be intimidating. There are so many different feature and technologies you hear about but it can be tough to tell what they all mean with Wireless AC techology there is a handy classification system. Today I’ll take a look at an AC750 router and an AC1900 router to see how the classifications compare and what they mean to you when you’re shopping.

A few years ago, you couldn’t have paid me to switch to a tablet that cost less than $150. However, one of the great things about technology is the trickle down effect and that has changed the tablet game. Just like you can now buy an entry level car with tech that used to be exclusive to premium vehicles–like anti-lock brakes or a Bluetooth capable sound system—many entry level tablets now offer features that used to set the more expensive models apart. I just wrapped up a few days using the Insignia 8-inch Windows 8 tablet and came away impressed. This device is proof that an entry level tablet is more than capable of filling many peoples’ casual tablet needs without spending a fortune.

When it comes to tablets that convert to a laptop and back, ASUS was early to the game with its Transformer Book series. They combine a standalone tablet with a dock-able keyboard cover offering the best of both worlds. The first Transformer Books were Android only, but with the T100, the Transformer Book joined the Windows 8.1 camp. I recently spend a few weeks with one and came away convinced it’s not a bad little device for the price.

    If you are like me, you probably never thought of getting a large widescreen monitor, but having tried a couple out my entire perspective has changed. A widescreen monitor is like having two monitors in one, with the added benefit of being able to watch movies or play games with an entirely different experience. Sure, they are pricier than those standard format monitors that most of us have, but these widescreen monitors are a joy to use and can really improve your productivity. If you are in the market for one, here is a comparison of three very good candidates; and if you are not in the market for one you should be soon.

With 802.11ac (Gigabit Wi-Fi) now mainstream, we are currently in the midst of a big wireless router replacement cycle. I’ve tested so many routers in the past year that I’ve lost count. Despite the potential payoff of a new router, many people are reluctant to make the upgrade. Routers can be intimidating, and once our Wi-Fi is working, it’s such an integral part of our homes now that we’re naturally reluctant to do anything that might rock the boat. After getting a taste of what the latest generation of 802.11ac routers can do, I finally made the jump myself, replacing my own aging router. And to help you understand everything that’s involved, I chronicled every step of the process. Hopefully this account of one person’s Wi-Fi router upgrade will help to demystify the process and show why it’s worth doing.

Smart thermostats, smoke detectors, door locks and appliances have gone mainstream and are finding their way into more homes than ever. What sometimes gets lost in the list of cool things those smart devices can do is that they are connected. Without an Internet connection, most of them fizzle. Poor Wi-Fi means a poor user experience and for many people, their wireless router is the weak link in the smart equation. In this post, I’ll review the network and computer essentials for a smart home that lives up to the billing.