Second screens

Urban life today is filled with screens, from ATM touchscreens to large RGB billboards. We even have all- powerful screens in our pock­ets and we work mostly on screens as well. While a singular screen is more than enough for many use-case sce­narios, creative professionals benefit a whole lot with a secondary screen. A secondary screen provides valuable additional screen space that creatives can utilize. But if you just happen to have some money to burn, you can also build an awesome gaming rig with dual screens. Here we look at some screens that will fulfill both these needs well.

 

ASUS VZ249H

Price Rs 33,750

 If you are looking for a good budget option, this Asus model is a strong contender. The monitor is 24-inch IPS panel that runs at a native 1920 x 1080 resolution. Since it’s an IPS panel, the colors on this panel look vivid and sharp. The panel also has a great contrast ratio thanks to Asus Smart Contrast Ratio features that pegs the ratio at 80000000:1. At this price point, the monitor looks sleek with almost no bezels and a very thin frame; this near bezel-less feature also makes it great for dual mon­itor setups. The color representation on this monitor is not great, however, and wouldn’t help if you’re using it for color accurate work. But as it’s a secondary screen, it works won­ders and for this price, it’s the strongest deal you’ll get!

 

 

MSI Optix G27C2

Price Rs 56,800

 Aesthetically, this monitor seems a part of a larger gaming machine. It does because it was bundled together with MSI’s gaming PCs, which is why many of MSI’s gaming-centered designs come with red accents. While the panel might look like a gaming monster, it performs exceptionally well for creative professionals as well. The panel is a 27-inch 1920 x 1080 VA display, which provides great color accuracy and refresh rates. The VA panels are often con­sidered worse in color representation than IPS panels, but MSI has managed to cover 89 percent NTSC and 110 percent sRBS col­or spaces. The display refreshes at a fast 144 Hz, making for a smooth experience. It may be a tad expensive, but worth it.

 

 

BenQ SW2700PT

Price Rs 130,500

 If color accuracy is your biggest concern, the BenQ is the best monitor in the Nepali market that has been built specifically for photographers and creative professionals. The panel is 27-inch IPS display running on a native resolution of 2560 x 1440. At this price, you’d be expecting a 4k monitor, and you’d be right in doing so but even though the res­olution on this panel is low, it makes up for it with excellent color reproduction. The mon­itor covers 99 percent Adobe RGB and 100 percent sRGB color spaces. The matte finish on the screen also screams productivity and the monitor is a great device to work on. This would be great for creative professionals to invest in as it ensures their work has accurate colors throughout.

The smaller ones

With the miniaturization of technology, we’ve seen many vital computer components reduced in size to support smaller housing. An entire PC has been reduced to the size of a pen­drive. The proliferation of smartphones also means that computing units can now fit inside the thin and small frame of a smartphone. Miniaturization has helped desktop designs evolve for years and com­puters like the Mac Mini and All-in-One have come through. Larger cases offer better air-flow and cooling but they look bulky and take a lot of space. If you’re worried about space, you may consider some of these mini PC options.

 

Z83V Mini PC

Price Rs 14,500

 Based on Intel’s Atom X5-Z8350 quad-core CPU, this mini-PC is indeed tiny. The device is 4.9 x 4.9 x 0.94 (L x W x H) in dimensions, which means it can undertake multiple functions. The computer will not look out of place beside a television and can easily be your home theater or a casual gaming PC. Consider­ing the powerful Atom chip, it is no less capable as a computer and performs well even as a standalone desktop.

 

The powerful CPU is supported by 2GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage. At this price point and size, expecting a dedicated graphic card would be foolish, which is why the integrated Intel HD graphics leaves much to be desired in terms of gaming perfor­mance. In any case, at such a competitive price-point, diminutive form factor and flexible applicability, the Z83V is a compelling buy

 

 

Apple Mac Mini

Price Rs 98,000 (i5 MGen2ZA/A)

 If you’re a fan of everything Apple, the Mac Mini is for you. Not only is the Mac Mini small in size, 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches (L x W x H), it is also a powerhouse as a PC. This mini comes with an Intel Core i5 that boosts upto 2.6 GHz, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of mechanical storage. At this size, the Mac is as portable as the Z83V but performs leagues better. The expensive price point also gets you brilliant build-quality Apple is known for and comes with Mac OS. At this size and hardware, the Mac mini is a stellar device, if only it didn’t suffer from Apple’s exaggerated prices.

 

 

 

 MSI Trident 3

Price Rs 160,000

 The MSI Trident 3 is large in comparison to the for­mer entries on the list: at 13.63 x 2.83 x 9.15 (L x W x H), the device feels like a beast. But larger size allows for powerful hardware. At this size, this Mini PC looks like a shaved-down gaming console and fortunately, performs like one too. The device is equipped with a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 CPU that boosts upto 3.0 GHz and is supported by 8GB of RAM. A dedicated Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB graphics card that gives the device plenty of horsepower for gaming. The comput­er is VR ready if you want to tinker around with VR games and is capable of running demanding games. The MSI Trident 3 is great value for money if you’re looking for a powerful mini-PC.

The gear of the creatives

 Nowadays almost all our work takes place behind the screens of computers. Desktops and laptops have become vital for many work environments, including for creative professionals. Creative work demands computers with strong per­formance paired with an accurate color gamut screen. Graphic design, video editing and animation all require an accuracy of color, mostly overlooked by regular users. While there are expensive laptops that cater specifically to creative professionals, we look at the ones that aren’t as heavy on your wallets

 

Lenovo Flex 5

Price Rs 75,500

 If you’re into digital illustration and don’t want to invest in a Wacom tablet, the Lenovo Flex 5 is the perfect 2-in-1 laptop for you. The Lenovo comes with a 7th Generation i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and Nvidia 940MX graphics card, making this device a beast when it comes to handling creative software. Such performance paired with a 360-degree hinge, a massive 15.6-inch touchscreen display and a pre­cision stylus turns this laptop into a digital canvas. The stylus is smooth on the screen and even comes with pressure sensitivity that controls line thickness.

The display is okay, with a 50 percent coverage of the sRGB spectrum, which is not impressive by any means but also typical of budget panels. The laptop is also a bit hefty, which might add to its unwield­iness. But you should feel more than comfortable using it as a drawing pad supported on the lap. The Flex 5 might not tick all the boxes for a creative pro­fessional, but for the price, it is more than worth it.

 

 Dell Inspiron 13 5379

 Price Rs 85,000

 

 The Dell Inspiron 13 5379 can do every­thing that the Flex 5 can. It can turn into a drawing pad thanks to its 360 hinge and it comes with performance that can keep a creative cloud software run­ning lag-free. The device is powered by an 8th Generation i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. While the Dell outperforms the Lenovo on all other aspects, the lack of a dedicated GPU is a serious issue. The absence of a graphic card would mean heavier programs like Premier and Photoshop would struggle; lighter use of the same programs should give acceptable results. The inclusion of an 8th generation i5 processor does mean that processing-wise, it’s far more efficient and powerful than the Lenovo.

 

 

 Acer Helios 300

 Price Rs 130,000

 While the Helios is a lot more expen­sive than the other entries on the list, it backs the high price with powerful performance. The Helios is a beast with an i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 6GB of Nvidia’s GTX 1060 graphics card. This device might not be the best for illus­trators, yet it is going to breeze through photo editing, video editing and even animation software. If your creative work demands heavy resources then the Helios 300 is for you. It’s powerful, although the sheer heft may make it a bit difficult to lug around. Overall, a great performer for the price though.

Pocket cameras

With the proliferation of social media, smart­phones in our pockets have become more important than ever. The photos we take on our smartphones can instantly be shared on multiple social media platforms and with TikTok, short vines have cemented a space for themselves in Nepal’s popular culture. As good smartphones cameras have become increasingly more important, the tech­nology supporting them have also been improving at an exponential rate. Today, dual camera setups have been normalized with some manufacturers cramming four cameras inside a single smartphone body. Even moderately priced smartphones come with decent cameras these days. Here we take a look at some mid-ranged devices that are equipped with great cameras.

 

Pocophone F1

Price Rs 35,000

 The Pocophone F1 has been a disruptive device in the Nepali market, with flagship grade specifications at a mid-ranged price. The smart­phone is one of the most value-for-money devices out there. This is true even for its photographic capabilities. Pop­ular technology YouTuber MKBHD recently ran a blind photographic test with 16 smartphones, where the Poco F1 reached the finals, going head-to-head with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, a device that has three cameras at the back. The Poco F1 lost to the Huawei but reached the finals, beating heavy­weight devices like the Google Pixel 3, iPhone X and even the RED Hydrogen One (a phone geared towards photography by the company that makes high-end video and photography cameras). The Poco F1 might not have specifications that wow on paper, but it performs exceptionally well for a device at its current price-point.

 

Huawei Nova 3i

Price Rs 35,990

 When others focus on the back, Huawei focuses both on the front and the back. The smartphone comes with a quad-camera setup distributed across the front and the back. The smartphone is equipped with two cameras (12 MP + 2MP depth sensor) at the back and two more cameras (24MP + 2MP depth sensor) at the front. Selfies with the Nova 3i are phenomenal. The phone also seems to be focused towards more selfie oriented users; the sensor at the front is much bigger than the one at the back. Supported by Huawei’s AI, almost all of the photos from the Nova 3i look impressive and the inbuilt AI does a wonderful job of adding a bit of flair to the shots. The Nova 3i is a great photographic companion and for the price, there is little to complain about.

 

Xiaomi MI A2

Price Rs 31,000

 Unlike the other entries on this list, the secondary camera on the MI A2 is not only a depth sensor. The phone comes with a primary 12 MP f/1.75 and a secondary 20 MP f/1.75 lens system at the back. The camera setup on the back is more than capable of extraordinary photos and the 20MP secondary camera is also geared for low-light photography, a lighting condition that brings many other smartphone cameras to their knees. On the front, the phone has a dedicated 20 MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. Apart from the massive sensor size on the front facing camera, the phone also has some handy selfie features like a 4,500k selfie light and HDR capabilities. On both fronts, the MI A2 has great photographic capabilities and for the price, this device is a steal.

Chromebooks: Life on the cloud

 When we think of lap­tops, we only consid­er those that come with Windows or Mac oper­ating systems. There are a few who prefer Linux-based systems. But very rarely do people opt for an inexpen­sive Chromebook laptop. Google’s Chromebooks, introduced in 2011, have seen mixed reception in the past primarily because they need to be constantly connected to the internet. In Nepal, they did even worse owing to slow and unreliable internet con­nections back then. But with our internet connections getting better, Chromebooks have turned into a viable alternative to Windows and Mac laptops. If you want a device just for work, rather than for gaming, Chrome­books are perfect. They are comparably cheap and recently, they’ve also grown to support Android apps.

 

HP Chromebook 14

Price  Rs 24,000

The HP Chromebook 14 is a thin and light com­puter that comes with a good enough build. Unlike premium devices, the laptop is built of plastic and it does creak and flex a bit but overall, it holds up well. There are plenty of ports: two USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack and even a micoSD slot. It covers its bases when it comes to external input, but built-in input devices like the keyboard and trackpad are also stellar. The device is made for those who email, surf the web and manage their schedules online, for which the phenomenal keyboard and trackpad are very helpful. Internally, the device comes with an Intel Celeron Dual Core CPU, 4GB of RAM and 16 GB of SSD Storage. These specifications might not stand out on paper. But they are more than capable of running the lightweight Chrome OS, and the 16 GB storage should be enough since you’ll be working primarily on the cloud with a Chromebook.

 

Acer Chromebook R 13

Price  Rs 44,400

If you want a premium-looking Chrome­book experience, the Acer Chrome­book R 13 is the best option out there. The laptop is built of premium aluminum and is also sleek and light­weight. For the price, it is also going to turn many heads. But while it looks premium, the internals of the device are anything but. The laptop is powered by a MediaTek MT8173C ARM processor with 4GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. Performance-wise, the laptop isn’t much to brag about but with Chrome OS and support for Android apps, it doubles as a tablet and even features a swivel display.

 

 

 

Dell Chromebook 13

Price  Rs 77,880

Considering the price point of this device, you might be wondering why go for this rather than a full-fledged Windows laptop. The answer is that you won’t get a build quality like this for a Windows variation at a similar price-point. The Dell is made of car­bon-fiber and equipped with a brilliant Full- HD display that screams premium. The laptop flaunts a business-like aesthetic and stays alive on battery for more than 13 hours. Internally, it features an i3 processor with 8GB of RAM and 32 GB of SSD storage. While the storage might be a problem for heavier operating systems like Win­dows, it’s more than capable of handling Linux operating systems should you choose to dual-boot. The Dell Chromebook 13 is a great device if you’re into Chromebooks.

Accessorize this!

Our smartphones are getting smarter by the day. With a bit of support they can do still more. Earlier in the smartphone cycle, people would accessorize their phones with trinkets that hung from the device itself. While great for personalization, these trinkets didn’t add much to the functionality of the device. Today, these showpieces have been replaced by more functional accessories. Let’s take a look at some of them

 

Pop sockets

Price Rs 150

 

These small sockets that stick to the back of your phone have turned into a sensation in Nepal. For good reason too since they are extremely handy and can be used in various ways. The sockets pop into three stages with different grooves. These grooves can be used as a finger hold while taking selfies and can also act as a stand if you want to stand your phone on a level surface. The three levels of expansion of the socket also gives you an option to angle your device. You can even flash some style with these sockets since they’re available in a plethora of different graphics; the stylish ones will cost you a bit more though.

 

 

 

Gaming triggers

Price Rs 550

 

One of the most popular games in the world today is the battle royale multi­player Playerunknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) and Fortnight. These games are also trending in Nepal with many Nepali players dominating the game. Although they started out as PC games, they’ve found an even larger audience with their smartphone port. But for a third-person shooter, touch controls don’t translate well. Which is why there are plenty of triggers available on the market to give you that bit of an edge in the game. These triggers clip on to the top of your smartphone providing you with tactile triggers akin to joysticks of popular gaming consoles. There are plenty of styles to choose from, and at different price points. In as games as competitive as PUBG and Fortnight, having that advantage goes a long way.

 

 

 

4 in 1 phone lens clips

Price Rs 1,500

 

If you’re into photog­raphy, you’ll understand just how important focal lengths are, which is why professional photographers spend so much money on expensive lenses. On a smartphone lens, however, you can’t really change focal lengths which is why there are various kinds of lens clips for your smart­phone camera that can expand your photography by leaps and bounds. With the 4 in 1 lens clip bundle, you get a fisheye, macro, 0.67X telephoto and 8x telephoto lenses.

 

 

 

 

Selfie flash light ring

Price Rs 900

 

If we use the rear camera often, we use the front selfie camera even more. Selfies have turned into an essential part of popular culture and everyone seems to be aiming for that perfect selfie and while many phones have already implemented a front facing flash to high­light your face during selfie sessions, the Selfie Ring is bigger and adds a whole lot of light while taking selfies. They even clip easily on top of your phone. This LED light is ingenious for people chasing that perfect selfie.

Augments for your camera

 Many people own DSLR cameras these days, partly because of how inexpensive they have gotten and partly because of the versatility of these devices. Lenses have come down in price too, with Canon prominently focusing on entry-level lenses for their APS-C cropped sensor cam­eras. With affordable camer­as and lenses, many budding photographers are invest­ing in their first camera. In addition to the camera itself, some additional accessories can greatly improve your photos and videos. Consider these if you’re buying a new camera or if you’re looking to expand your camera arsenal.

 

Yongnuo YN560 IV

Price: Rs 9,000

 An external flash can improve your photogra­phy by leaps and bounds. The flash will improve your night photogra­phy with light of precise intensity and focal length. Yongnuo is a pret­ty good brand when it comes to external flashes. The flash is automatic and can be paired with your camera of choice wirelessly. The flash fea­tures automatic zoom and touts fast recycle rates (approx three fires a second). Having an additional source of light which you can control with precision will help in many diffi­cult situations and for the price, the Yongnuo YN560 IV is going to be a great investment.

 

 

 

Weifeng WF-6663A

 Price: Rs 5,999

 A tripod is essential if you’re taking night-time slow shutter shots. If you shoot videos with your DSLR, life with­out a tripod is going to be difficult. There are cheaper tripods than the Weifeng WF-6663A, but most of the cheaper ones are thin, light and fragile. Cheaper tripods tend to be flimsy and wonky, while better ones cost quite a bit. The Weifang falls right on the sweet spot. While not being over-expen­sive, the tripod has quite a heft to it and stands firm. The joints are properly strengthened and while it doesn’t have a ball-mount, it features smooth movement technology for good pan and tilt actions. The Weifeng is a good tripod for the price.

 

 Yatri Supply Paracord Straps

 Price: Rs 1,500 (Lite)

 If you want to support a local com­pany, Yatri Supply produces great prod­ucts with a distinct focus on travel and adventure. While their product line-up is a bit varied, they also produce the Paracord Straps for your photographic travel buddy. The straps are made of nylon and are strong. They don’t feel cheap and the thick straps seem resistant to tearing and breakage. Attached to the shoul­der straps, Yatri has a nylon rope weave that can be unwound for use in emergency situ­ations. It is a well-conceived piece of emer­gency equipment that comes as a welcome addition for your travels. The straps come in various colors.

Year in laptops

2018 was a juggernaut when it came to advancement in consumer electronics. We saw how smartphones evolved over the past year. But while the little computers inside our pockets have grown, so have their big brothers, the laptops. Powerful laptops were known to be unwieldy, thick and heavy. But 2018 managed to trim the fat while keeping the insides as efficient and powerful. There were some great laptops in 2018. We enter 2019 with a renowned sense of hope, and the devices listed below lay the foundation for inno­vations in 2019.

Dell XPS

 Price: Rs 125,000 (XPS 13), 169,000 (XPS 15)(Prices may vary depending on configuration)

Dell XPS is easily one of the best lap­tops to come out in 2018. It redefined what laptops were supposed to look like with its near bezel-less InfinityDisplay and internals that were good enough to run triple-A titles. The XPS is a versatile machine. Even with its powerful interiors it has a muted exterior, none of the sharp curves and bright accent colors mostly associated with gaming laptops. The thinness of the device also makes it easy to carry around. But it will still come out all guns blazing when it needs to.

Much like the Macs of old, the XPS does everything well: the keyboard is very clicky and has decent trav­el, the trackpad is large and comes with support for Windows Gestures. The body is made of machined aluminum, fiber-glass and carbon fiber. The XPS, in other words, is a do-it-all machine, sitting com­fortably in a business meeting without making you look like a child, while providing great performance underneath.

 

 Lenovo IdeaPad 320

 Price: Rs 75,000 (i5, 8 GB)

If performance is all you care about, the Lenovo deliv­ers great results at a price you don’t have to break the bank for. Much like the Dell, the Leno­vo is also muted in its aesthetics. No gamer accents and sharp curves. The IdeaPad comes in some decent specifications, with 8th Generation processors and MX150 graphics card its stand-out fea­tures. The MX150 might not be as powerful as Nvidia’s GTX line but it is more than capable compared to built-in graphics processors. The laptop isn’t built out of premium materials but the hardened plastic still looks good and the internals are phenomenal regardless.

 

 Acer Predator Helios 300

 Price: Rs 134,800

If you like the gamer aesthetics on your laptop, the Acer Preda­tor Helios 300 is just for you. From the out­side, the laptop looks like a killer alien machine, with sharp angu­lar cuts and red accents all over the device. Its inter­nals match its design, coming as it does with the GTX 1060 graphics card and i7 processors from Intel’s seventh-generation processor line. If you’re a gamer and looking for a device that can provide buttery smooth gaming, you can’t find a better deal than the Predator Helios 300.