OnDemand Books launch SelfEspress, a self pub service

OnDemand Books which is the maker of Espresso Book Machine has announced that they have launched a self pub service that will allow the authors to distribute their work via OnDemand Books network of POD machines and through major bookstores.  The new service is called SelfEspress and upon research we found that it is same as the one being provided by PastPencil.

In fact on a number of pages, you will find the publisher as FastPencil which is the actual creator of this service. The only contribution being done by OnDemand is using FastPencil’s service under their brand and mark up prices.

ondemand selfexpress

You can also get a single copy printed through Createspace or you can distribute the soft copy via LSI and get it printed at local Espresso Book Machine.

Hannspree Micro PC runs Windows on USB drive

Hanspree Micro PC is powered by Intel Bay trail processor which allows the company to sell it preloaded with Windows 8.1 operating system. This allows user to transform your HDTV into a tiny windows PC that runs on a USB drive. That said the Hanspree Micro PC is slightly bigger than a typical Sandisk flash drive but clearly the pros outweigh the cons.

Hannspree Micro PC specifications

Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor
32GB of storage (25GB available as free space)
802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
An HDMI connector, USB port, a micro USB port and a microSD card reader
4.4″ x 1.5″ x 0.4″ and weighs 1.3 ounces

Hannspree Micro PC Price

Unlike other similar solution, the Micro PC costs a lot. Some online stores are selling it for 277 dollars while some European stores can get it to you for mere 177 dollars, excluding VAT.

Hannspree Micro PC

That said, it is still a better choice than getting a nettop since it plugs directly into your TV and is much easier to carry around. Its Bay Trail quad core processor is no slouch and can actually get the job done.

RM-1099 Lumia spotted on Indonesian certification site

We have just spotted a new Lumia device on Indonesian website. Its product code is RM-1099 and it has been revealed for the first time. Earlier we have reported RM-1072 and RM-1077 phones both of which will come with 5 inch display packing 720p resolution. Both had earlier passed certification in Indonesia.

Unfortunately we do not have any word on specifications of RM-1099. In the upcoming Lumia devices, RM-1062 may be released as Lumia 1330 (successor of 1320) while RM-1072 will be churned out by the name of Lumia 1335. We will keep you updated if we dig out more information about the RM-1099.

RM-1099 Lumia

Could this be the Microsoft Lumia 940? We have to wait for some spec leaks. Maybe a windows 10 device? Who knows.

Overclock or underclock Galaxy Alpha using custom kernel, increase battery life or performance easily

An XDA user has released custom kernel for the exynos-powered Samsung Galaxy Alpha that allows you to easily overclock or under clock. You can change clock frequencies of A7 core to 200-1800 and A15’s core to 200-2000. To change clock speeds easily we recommend installing Synapse from play store.

galaxy alpha underclock overclock

Under clocking a processor increases the battery life while overclocking improves performance. We tested this Galaxy Alpha custom kernel at 2.0 GHz and did not notice any extra heat. Phone remained stable too. We recommend 500-1800 MHz for a15 cores and 200-1800 MHz for A7.

It shall be noted that it is not a firmware or a ROM. This is a kernel meant to be flashed over a stock ROM. Here is the screenshot of results achieved by overclocking. As you can see it surpassed the mighty Galaxy Note 4 in the AnTuTu Benchmark.

Asus 1000H / 1000HE Eee PC Bios Recovery guide

The Asus Eee PC 1000H was one of the most popular netbooks. Mine has been working fine until yesterday when it did not boot. I freaked out a little. A quick search online revealed that its BIOS was corrupted. I have made an Asus 1000H Eee PC Bios Recovery guide where I have explained how to flash and do the recovery of Bios.

1000h bios recovery

1. Go to Asus support site and search for 1000h in the product box.
2. Download the BIOS for Asus 1000H. You will get a zip file. Download it and unzip it.
3. You will find a ROM file. Rename it to 1000H.ROM or 1000HE.ROM if you are using that netbook.
4. Get a USB drive or an SD card with 1GB or less storage. If you are going to use an SD card, get a card reader.  
5. Format it with FAT file system. FAT32 or NTFS would not work.
6. Put the file into the root folder. Do not put it into any folder.
7. Take battery out and plug in the USB / SD card with card reader. Press the Alt + F2 key repeatedly and press power button. 
8. The system will beep once to tell you that it can found the BIOS. Follow the instructions on the screen.
9. It takes around 3-4 minutes for the flash to complete. 
10. Here is a video that shows the entire process.

ATT Galaxy Mega 5.8 official firmware download

If you are flashed all sorts of hacks on your ATT branded Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 smartphone and want to get back to stock firmware, you might want to flash its official firmware I527UCUBNE7. This method will remove root from Galaxy Mega 5.8 and also remove custom recovery and whatnot. This package must be flash using ODIN. It has multiple parts.

ATT Galaxy Mega 5.8 official firmware download

AP: Get the file from here and flash it under PDA in ODIN. It is a huge file and it contains system, stock recovery and kernel partition. Download it from here.

BL: This is the bootloader. If you already took the update ignore this but if you want to upgrade your phone you must flash this Download
CP: This is the modem and other network related partitions. You must flash this under Phone in odin Download
CSC: This contains carrier related settings for our firmare. Flash this under CSC in odin. Download

Samsung SM951 M.2 PCIE 3.0 SSD specifications, made for ultrabooks and workstations

Samsung has announced that it has commenced production of SM951 M.2 PCIE 3.0 SSD that is meant for ultrabooks and workstations. Compatible with both PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 2.0 interfaces, it is capable of reaching 2,150MB/s read and 1,550MB/s write speeds when using PCIe 3.0 or 1,600MB/s read and up to 1,350MB/s writes speeds when using PCIe 2.0.

This makes the Samsung SM951 atleast three times faster than the SSDs using SATA ports for data transfer. If you use PCIe 3.0 interface with this SSD, you will love how less power it consumes, around 450MB/s per watt for sequential reading and 250MB/s per watt for sequential writing.

What does this mean for you? Well it means that Samsung SM951 is 50 percent more efficient in terms of performance per watt over current slew of SSDs.

Samsung SM951

It is also the first solid state drive to feature L1.2 low power standby mode which allows high speed circuits to be turned off when your laptop is in sleep mode. Power consumption is vastly reduced to mere 2mW.

The Samsung PCIe SSDs will be manufactured using 10 nm technology and MLC-type NAND flash. The best part is that it comes in the 2280 M.2 form factor which is about 1/7 th size of 2.5 inch SSD. This will surely free up some space for other components on the motherboard.

Dell Latitude 7000, 12 5000, 14 3000 Laptop gets Broadwell treatment

Dell has updated Latitude 7000, 12 5000, 14 3000 laptops with Broadwell processor. The new models feature the latest Intel Core vPro processors that are based on Broadwell architecture.

So what does this mean for you? You will find improved battery life and less heat generation. These computers come with a wide range of options including Core i7 processors, HD / full HD display, touchscreen, SSDs and HDDs.

Some also feature business class security including TPM modules, fingerprint readers and smart card readers.

Dell Latitude 7000, 12 5000, 14 3000 Laptop gets Broadwell treatment

The Dell Latitude 7000 feature either 12” or 14” displays. The 12 inchers are less than 0.8 inch thick and weigh mere 2.8 pounds. The Latitude 12 5000 series has 12” screen and weigh 3.4 pounds. 

Crucial BX100 specifications, affordable SSDs for the consumers

Crucial has launched some really good solid state drives that an average consumer can afford and buy. Called the Crucial BX100 it will be made available in four capacities –  120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB. The BX100 makes use of Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller.

Crucial BX100 specifications

Specifications include read speed is of up to 535 MB/s and write speed of 185 MB/s. The 250GB, 500GB and 1TB solid state drives offer 370 MB/s and 450 MB/s write and read speeds respectively. Random performance is of 70,000 4K read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS).

It features a standard 2.5 inch form factor that can be used in any laptop or mini laptop and will retail for $70 for 120GB model, $110 for 250GB, $200 for 500GB and $470 for the 1 terabyte model.

Crucial BX100 comparison

Shipments of Crucial BX100 will commence in first quarter of 2015. The company will be bundling an app called Storage Executive tool that will allow you to monitor SSD’s health, temperature and status.

Saygus V2 hands on review, are two micro SD cards on a smartphone really useful?

If you are store a lot on your smartphone, then Saygus V2 might be the smartphone you are looking for. Developed by a small company in the USA, the Saygus V2 packs 5 inch display and has pretty high end specifications.

Saygus V2 review

You get a full HD display that offers a pixel density of 445 PPI (pixels per inch). The screen is Gorilla Glass 4. There are two light sensors on the unit – one on the front and another one on the rear to allow better control of brightness. It also has outdoor mode that temporarily screws up with the brightness in order to improve the readability outdoors.

For taking pictures there is a 13 megapixel camera in the front and whopping 21 MP rear for taking some serious photos. Both front and back camera has optical image stabilizers to ensure less blurry photos and videos. The picture quality is really good. You can record a 4k video too.

Of course the highlight feature of Saygus V2 are its two micro SD card slots which allow you to use use up to 128GB in each slot bringing total onboard storage to whopping 320GB. That is more than what you used to get on a hard disk-totting Apple iPod Classic. Flash storage is much more powerful than the hard disk storage and there are no lags. Android which is its Saygus V2’s operating system is quite fine tuned in handling such massive storage capacities.

Saygus V2 dual sd card slot

The Saygus V2 has a battery capacity of 3100 mAh which is similar to what you get in most of the top end Android phones these days. For instance the Galaxy Note Edge has 3000 mAh battery while the Note 4 comes with 3200 mAh capacity. Saygus V2 comes with a power saving mode that lets you significantly increase the battery life. You can purchase new batteries for it since battery is user replaceable. To replace it simply remove the back panel and pop in a fresh battery.

Saygus V2 is not thin at 9.7mm but that allowed the manufacture to crap a lot of features like dual micro SD slots into it.  It will go on sale in beginning of March for around 400 dollars off contract. There is no word if any US network provider will be offering on contract-basis.