Microsoft Announces Surface Windows 8 Pro Availability

Today Microsoft announced the availability of their Surface Windows 8 Pro (Really? This is the best name a $68 billion company can think of?). This will be the upgraded version of their Surface with Windows RT with the difference mainly being the ability to install third-party applications on the Pro version. If you’ve been dying to get your hands on this version, your wait is almost over. You will be able to purchase one starting Feb 9 at all the Microsoft stores, their online store, Staples, Best Buy and a number of locations in Canada.

The Surface Windows 8 Pro is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, comes in 64GB and 128GB versions and a Surface Pen, which is basically a fancy stylus. If you’re looking to get the entry level version of the Pro, be ready to fork over $899 (without the keyboard cover). The Surface Touch Covers go for $119 by the way so you’re looking at around $1,100 for the whole package. In addition to the availability of the Pro, the RT will be available in 13 new markets with a new standalone 64GB version available without the Cover for $599. Mark your calendars and empty your savings account, Microsoft is ready to double theirs come Feb 9th.

Petite Square: A Sleek Wooden Bluetooth Speaker

Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen, you can find them everywhere and it becomes increasingly hard to discover one that stands out. A new project on the crowd sourcing website, Indiegogo, looks to change that. Petite Square is a new type of Bluetooth speaker that is made of a 50,000 year old wood found only in New Zealand.

Ancient Kauri is said to be the oldest workable wood available and is used to craft violins, furniture and now, the Petite Square. Each speaker is a handmade 2 inch square with a pair of them being able to produce stereo quality sound. The Bluetooth enabled speaker lasts 15 hours on each charge and comes in over 10 different colors. Currently in their working prototype phase, they look to raise enough funds to begin mass production this April. The Petite Square starts at $59.

Logitech Rechargeable Mac Trackpad Saves Batteries

Logitech's new Multi-Touch glass trackpad is everything the Magic Trackpad is and does, only much more sleeker and with a built-in rechargeable battery. Well at least it's competitively priced right? Nope. It'll also cost you $69.99. Logitech's Rechargeable Trackpad for Mac sits at a much lower angle than Apple's Magic Trackpad, presumably to be more ergonomic and comfortable to use. The obvious advatage here is the rechargeability, which the Magic Trackpad lacks.

HTC's New M7 Flagship Android Smartphone, An iPhone 5 In Disguise

 

HTC's rumored flagship Android smartphone to replace the One X, dubbed the M7, looks awfully similar to the iPhone 5 only that the similarities are flipped around. The leaked image is sourced from Evleaks, a known and reliable source that we've seen leak numerous products in the past ahead of their official debut which have all turned out to be 100% accurate. So it's safe to say that we're looking at HTC's new 4.7-inch M7 flagship Android device which is expected to make its world debut next month at the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona, Spain.

We've always had great admiration towards HTC's brilliantly designed handsets, more notably the company's recent Windows Phone 8X and 8S outings. The M7 is quite the looker nonetheless. As for some specs, it'll have a 4.7-inch full HD display at a staggering 468ppi with a blazing fast 1.7Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera with a f/2.0 aperture - all housed inside a "premium" build, and a suggested unsubsidized price tag of $600 for a 32GB flavor.

ViVAX, A Case Worthy Of Your Laptop

So you bought a $3,000 MacBook Pro and are trying to figure out how to protect it short of just leaving it at home. Take a look at ViVAX, a military grade case that is waterproof, shockproof, and crushproof. Currently still raising funds on its Kickstarter page, ViVAX is an Italian made laptop case that looks like something from a James Bond movie. The outer shell is made of material similar to crash helmets with the interior lining being “shockproof techno-polymer.” This is all sealed with a special Neoseal rubber that’s waterproof and allows it to be unsinkable. 

If you’re still having doubts about the quality of this case, they ran it over with a car and the case, and more importantly, the laptop was just fine. £59 (about $95) gets you a case and £85 (about $137) gets you the case and the backpack carrying system.