hybrid

Windows 8 hybrids are out in force. Should Apple join the fray or just stay away?

An Apple patent, which came to light this week, proposes a convertible laptop featuring -- in certain configurations -- a touch-capable detachable display and a base station with a keyboard. Both can wirelessly transmit power and communicate wirelessly, according to the filing.

Theoretically, this newfangled MacBook could obviate the need to haul around both an iPad and a MacBook.

At least that's what the Windows 8 crowd like Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo are proposing.

Here's the challenge as I see it (though I'… Read more

There are quite a few clock apps on the App Store for the iPad. Since the iPad doesn't have a built-in clock or timer app, any of these is a useful addition to the device, and because of its large 10" retina display, it can make a nice addition to your mantle when you have guests. But not all clock apps look or operate the same. Some are pretty enough but have no additional functions and others would be very useful if they weren't covered in ads.

So Hybrid Clock is a unique app in many ways, … Read more

Looking to upgrade your laptop? One great option is to replace your pokey old mechanical hard drive with a lightning-fast solid-state drive (SSD). However, they carry a much higher price-per-gigabyte: A typical 128GB SSD can run anywhere from $125-200, for example.

Ah, but what about a solid-state hybrid drive (or SSHD)? These clever units combine old-school platters with newfangled flash storage to deliver SSD-level performance along with HDD-level capacity -- and for a lot less than the cost of a pure SSD.

To wit: Amazon has the Seagate ST1000LM014 1TB solid-state hybrid drive for $119.99 shipped. (Out of stock? … Read more

Despite Apple CEO Tim Cook having knocked the idea of a convertible MacBook-iPad hybrid device, the company has filed a patent application for just that. The proposed patent, titled "Wireless display for electronic devices," was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today.

The application describes a computer display that is removable from its base -- basically a convertible laptop. But, what's different about this idea from other convertibles made by other companies is that it has wireless display technology. That means the device could be charged wirelessly.

Here's how Apple describes it in … Read more

In announcing the 2014-model-year Panamera, Porsche released details of a new plug-in hybrid variant, a replacement for the current Panamera Hybrid model. The new model, termed the Panamera S E-Hybrid, gets a larger battery pack and more powerful electric motor than the previous Panamera S Hybrid.

Porsche says the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid will drive over 20 miles under electric power.

That distance may not sound like much, but it is a robust number for plug-in hybrids. Ford rates its C-Max Energi at 21 miles of electric range, while the Chevy Volt, the leader in the class, rates at 38 … Read more

Microsoft's official online store has cut prices on a handful of Window 8 devices. These systems, from HP, Toshiba, and others, are all different, but each straddles the line between laptop and tablet and falls into the growing hybrid category; you can see the current discounts on the Microsoft Store site.

With these new discounts (no word on if they are temporary or permanent), our initial reviews of these specific systems deserve a second look, if only because a big knock against each one was the unrealistic asking price.

Are they much better machines at $100 to $250 off, … Read more

NEW YORK--Toyota's soccer-mom-mobile gets an infusion of cabin tech, modernized safety features, and an updated sense of style with the debut of the 2014 Toyota Highlander midsize SUV at the New York International Auto Show.

With the previous generation pushing seven years old, the Highlander was very much in need of an update. Also, the SUV still seats up to eight passengers across its three rows or seven passengers when equipped with the optional second-row captain's chairs. Both configurations benefit from increased interior volume for passengers and cargo thanks to a new, double-wishbone rear suspension that removes the … Read more

The first benchmarks of Intel's upcoming "Haswell" Fourth-Generation Core processors have leaked. But asking how fast future Windows 8 PCs will be is probably the wrong question.

The Haswell chip that Tom's Hardware got a hold of and tested showed only modest central processing unit, or CPU, performance improvements over the latest hardware.

This would seem to indicate the future of Windows PCs -- which in this case means newfangled devices like Microsoft Surface and HP's Envy x2 -- isn't about the desktop anymore.

"The mobile space is where Intel's efforts should … Read more

Expect to see significant price cuts on Windows 8 touch-screen laptops if Microsoft's expected Windows 8 discount on licensing fees for PC makers is implemented.

Those price cuts could range between 10 percent and 20 percent, according to a report in Digitimes, which cites sources at Taiwan's retailers.

Those same sources indicated that touch-screen laptops now account for about 10 percent of sales, but this could jump to 20 percent in some cases with discounts from Microsoft.

Reports Tuesday in Digitimes and the Wall Street Journal indicated that Microsoft will lower the price of Windows 8 for PC … Read more