Consumer Reports now recommends MacBook Pro with Touchbar

Consumer Reports received a lot of flak for their initial decision to not recommend the new MacBook Pro with Touchbar on the basis of erratic battery performance.

"With the updated software, the three MacBook Pros in our labs all performed well, with one model running 18.75 hours on a charge. We tested each model multiple times using the new software, following the same protocol we apply to hundreds of laptops every year," the report said.

It must be mentioned that these tests don't reflect real world usage but are used to get a sense of how the notebooks perform in relation to previously tested products.

Source: AppleInsider

The Nintendo Switch console comes on March 3 for $400

Nintendo's new Switch console, an evolution of their 3DS and their Wii U products rolled into one, will begin shipping on March 3. The console is being offered in the US for $299, a reasonably price for what is a mobile gaming device which can convert into a console for use in the home. Canadians will need to pay $399 plus tax for the Switch and already we can expect this product to be scarce and in demand on launch day.

The Nintendo Switch will not be region locked, so games will be playable all over the world. There's a Switch Online subscription services (like Xbox Live). As a mobile device, the Switch should run on 2.5-6 hours on a full charge, it can be charged via USB Type-C, 80 games are currently in development for this new platform and the Zelda: Breath of the Wild title they've been demoing with this console is expected to be ready on launch day. Nintendo's Switch is different enough to attract some attention, it straddles the line between mobile gaming and console fun, but availability will be a factor on whether user interest can be sustained or not.

Opera's new concept browser is like a mini OS for your desktop

I can fondly remember the time when innovative new browsers would come and offer a new perspective on the web and related services. Granted, mobile has become the primary way most people snack on the Internet, it's great to see Opera experimenting on new concepts and sharing them. The Neon Concept browser is like a mini desktop OS and offer a truly fresh way to surf the web and share various photos. You can download it here for Windows to try it out.

Nokia is ressurected in China with the Android powered Nokia 6

Nokia is back in a big way but only in China. The Nokia 6 smartphone, which is likely to be unveiled at Mobile World  runs on Android 7 and has a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) 2.5D curved display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor coupled with 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM. Nokia 6 packs 64GB storage which supports expendable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB).

The smartphone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and supports dual-SIM. Nokia 6 sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flaash and is powered by a 3000mAh battery. This handset, created by HMD Global with permission from Nokia.