Paper PC Picks - Best in Tech

LG’s exit from the smartphone market leaves behind a legacy of cool, clever devices—which apparently didn’t sell. From the swiveling, dual-screen LG Wing to the snap-on second display of the LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen, LG’s lineup often included innovative units which set themselves apart. Others have caught up, but LG was one of the first to add telephoto and wide-angle lenses to smartphone cameras. LG’s departure should be good news for sales stragglers like Sony and challengers like…

The OnePlus 9 5G and OnePlus 9 Pro 5G offer sharp, big screens, powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processors and Hasselblad-designed cameras that hold up well against Samsung and Apple smartphones. The One Plus 9 5G has a flat 6.55-inch display while the curved 6.7-inch screen on the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G has game-friendly tech that adjusts its refresh rate from 1Hz-120Hz. Both offer OxygenOS, OnePlus’s enhanced version of Android 11. CLICK THE PIC to read more in Sree’s Sunday Note…

Simple health tech like the MaskFone by Binatone, a face mask with built-in wireless earbuds and a microphone, and Omron Healthcare's VitalSight, an easy-to-use remote patient monitoring system that sends blood pressure data to doctors in real time, are making pandemic life a little easier. Both were featured at the recent virtual CES consumer electronics showcase. More in my weekly Tech Tip in former NYC Chief Digital Officer Sree Sreenivasan’s popular Sunday Note. CLICK THE PIC to read.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go fits in with the era of Zoom and social distancing. Its Intel Core i5 processor is enough for work/school tasks like web browsing, word processing and e-mail and its 12.4-inch, 1,536-by-1,024-pixel touchscreen, 720p video camera, dual microphones and Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 support can handle videoconferencing—but not gaming. The slim, 2.45-lb. unit comes with Windows 10 S (switchable to Windows 10 Pro) and USB-A and USB-C ports. Starts at $550. CLICK THE…

The Apple iPhone 12 mini packs a lot of cyber muscle into a tight package at a rather moderate price—for an iPhone. It has the same powerful A14 Bionic processor, 12MP wide and ultrawide rear cameras and selfie camera, 4K video capability, 5G data compatibility and other key features as the larger iPhone 12. You’ll just have to preview your nifty photos and snazzy videos on a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display instead the 6.1-inch screen on the iPhone 12. Starts at $699; preorders Nov…

The credit-card-size Lume Cube Panel Mini looks like a generic LED light panel, but is actually a sophisticated, moderately powerful lighting unit for photos and Zoom videos. Brightness of the rechargeable, 60-LED unit adjusts from 1% to 100% and color temperature can be set from 3200K (tungsten lightbulb) to 5600K (daylight). The $60 Panel Mini has two tripod sockets and an LCD readout and comes with a camera shoe adapter and a diffuser. CLICK THE PIC for more. #LumeCube #LitByLume…

The double-jointed Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel laptop lets artists and other creatives adjust its display to a wide range of positions. The 14- or 15.6-inch, 1,920-by-1,080-pixel touchscreen supports the full range of Pantone colors and works with the optional Acer Active Stylus, which supports 4,096 levels of pressure. The ConceptD 3 Ezel starts at $1,500 and comes with a white metal chassis, an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU and up to 16GB of memory. CLICK THE PIC. @Intel @AcerAmerica

Amazon Fire HD 8 & Fire HD 8 Plus: Amazon’s new Fire tablets have more processor muscle and storage than older units but have the same size and screen resolution. Both have 8-inch, 1,280-by-800 dpi displays, 2GHz quad-core processors, 2MP front/back cameras capable of 720p video, 12-hour batteries and USB-C charging/data ports. The Fire HD 8 (32GB storage $89.99; 64GB $119.99) has 2GB of RAM; the Fire HD 8 Plus (32GB $109.99; 64GB $139.99) adds wireless charging and has 3GB of RAM. CLICK THE…

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, the company’s second smartphone with a folding screen, promises a shirt-pocket size (and expensive!) leap in mobile display technology. The #Galaxy Z #Flip’s footprint is 2.9 by 3.4 inches folded but opens up to show a seamless 6.7-inch screen that can be used alone or as two stacked, independent displays. The $1,380 unit has the Android 10 OS, a 1.1-inch notification screen on the outside, 10/12 MP front/rear cameras and takes 4K video. On sale 2/14/20. CLICK THE…

Facebook took over a New York townhouse to show off how the new generation of Facebook Portal video calling devices can connect users to their families, work, music, remote cooking classes and other online services. The 8-inch Portal Mini ($129) and 10-inch Portal ($179) desktop screens and $149 Portal TV camera can call Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp users and offer a web browser and handful of apps. CLICK THE PIC for more info.

Anker Technology’s colorful new mobile device chargers don’t just look good; some also have the tactile feel of fabric. PowerCore power banks and PowerWave wireless chargers now come in colors like indigo, white, green, rose and coral; a selection which lets users select “gear that matches their personal aesthetic,” said Anker CEO Steven Yang at a New York press event. You’ll have to wait until January for some colors, but all can be preordered now. CLICK THE PIC. #AnkerOnBoard…

Microsoft’s new twin-screened Surface Neo laptop/tablet and pocket-sized Surface Duo have lots in common—including one-year waits before you can buy them. The Surface Neo’s 9-inch displays and Surface Duo’s 5.6-inch screens can be used alone or combined into divided 13- and 8.3-inch touchscreens respectively. The Windows 10X-based Surface Neo works with Surface Pen styli and a nifty flip-over keyboard while the Surface Duo can make calls and runs Android (no, not Windows Mobile)…

The new PuroGamer volume-limited headphones by Puro Sound Labs lets archrivals trash talk with full clarity while protecting their eardrums. The $80 unit limits volume to the 85dB maximum suggested by federal standards, but Puro’s audio technology and the unit’s boom mic, 50mm graphene drivers and noise-isolating ear cushions maintain studio-grade music and voice fidelity at all volumes, said a @purosound representative at the #Pepcom Holiday Spectacular press-only product preview. CLICK the…

To unplug or not to unplug? The Caribbean Princess cruise ship gives geeks and Luddites the choice thanks to its new high-tech, but optional MedallionClass services, said John Padgett, Carnival Corp. chief experience and innovation officer. Travelers receive tiny, wearable electronic ID medallions which serve as cabin keys and personal locators. When guests order food or drinks with a mobile app or at a kiosk, the OceanMedallion allows servers to find them if they walk around…

The handsome Marquetry Edition wireless chargers from Native Union do a good job of standing out from their competition by blending in with home and office decor. The upright Dock ($120) has two charging coils, allowing users to charge phones in portrait or landscape orientation, while the single-coil Drop ($70) lies flat. Both are clad in three pieces of black or rose leather and both offer up to 10 watts of Qi-standard charging. CLICK THE PIC for more information. @nativeunion

The Samsung Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ push the muscle-phone envelope closer to the breaking point with impressive new pro-grade video, photo, 3D capture and augmented reality capabilities. The 6.3-inch Note 10 (from $949 w/LTE or $1,049 w/5G) and 6.8-inch Note10+ ($1,099/$1,299 ) have an updated S-Pen smart stylus which can take photos, control camera settings and float through games with hand gestures. Even Harry Potter’s wand is supported. On sale Aug. 23. #GalaxyNote10 #SamsungEvent…