From Bluetooth earbuds to cables and computer accessories, Belkin have been supplying the tech to keep us going for decades.

Recently Belkin released a powered Thunderbolt (USB-C connection) Hub to extend our connectivity on home based laptops.

Current laptops simply do not come with ports. Apple MacBooks being the worst offender, as they go for a sleeker and thinner design the ports are minimised to almost non existent.

True there is a cloud option for additional storage, which manufacturers are steering us towards. But cloud just doesn’t always offer enough space, unless you subscribe and pay a monthly fee. And it’s not available if you’re working offline.

In the box Belkin supply everything you need to get started. A Thunderbolt cable, your mains power adaptor and of course the Hub.

The new Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub gives you four individually powered Thunderbolt ports for external screen, external drives and your smartphone, all capable of up to 40Gbps data transfer speed and 96 watt fast charging.

Testing out the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub saw me being able to plug an external portable monitor, my phone and an external drive all at once without failure or compromise.  Although mall in size the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub is not portable being that it does require mains power.

This said, the hub does not take up a large footprint on your desk and it is a much needed accessory to your home desk setup to keep yourself connected, add additional storage or that all important extra screen.

It’s simple to setup even more simple to use. If you have a lot of peripherals that require USB connectivity the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub is where it’s at.

The post Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

At CES 2018, Samsung Electronics will expand the connectivity and performance capabilities of its signature curved display line-up with the debut of its new CJ791 monitor, the first curved monitor to feature Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Designed for entertainment and business audiences, the 34-inch CJ791 model aligns single-source power and processing speed with an exceptional picture quality for a comfortable and productive user experience.

Through a single Thunderbolt 3 cable, CJ791 users can link and dock their monitor and laptop without extensive wiring. The Thunderbolt 3 connection provides processing speed of up to 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps) – a rate nearly four times faster than USB alternatives – allowing users to enjoy connectivity across a full ecosystem of docks, displays and peripheral devices including Macs, USB type-C laptops, and other desktop accessories like storage drives or external graphics cards. The Thunderbolt 3 interface also enables the CJ791 to provide up to 85 watts (W) of laptop charging power.

“As the pioneer of the curved monitor industry, Samsung continues to seek new ways to refine our displays and exceed consumers’ expectations on heightened performance and presentation,” said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “The CJ791 aligns Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with our best-in-class curvature and QLED picture quality to captivate and engage users, while also promoting improved organization and productivity. We are thrilled to demonstrate the full capabilities of our innovative new display to CES 2018 attendees.”

The CJ791’s clear, detail-rich design empowers business users to complete a range of tasks more efficiently. A 21:9 aspect ratio provides more screen real estate for multitasking, while a complementary 3440×1440 ultra-wide QHD resolution elevates content and imagery with nearly 2.5 times the pixel density of full HD alternatives. In turn, professionals can view large files, spreadsheets and data tables in a more readable format, and without extensive scrolling or zooming.

Professional users can also enjoy the flexibility to customize the CJ791 to their unique workspace. Along with the wire-reducing Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, the CJ791’s slim-depth and narrow-bezel design accommodates multi-display setups without sacrificing content consistency or visual appearance. The display’s height-adjustable stand and tilt functionality also empower users to customize positioning and work within their most comfortable viewing parameters.

Samsung’s CJ791 showcases content with brilliant and realistic detail, guaranteed to entice gamers and entertainment enthusiasts. The display’s QLED presentation technology precisely reflects colors across a 125 percent sRGB spectrum, and creates visual intrigue through deeper blacks, brighter whites and pristine shades. This refinement, coupled with the industry’s sharpest 1,500R curvature and ultra-wide 178-degree viewing angle, gives users a complete view of their surroundings, and ensures full immersion in every scene.

A host of integrated gamer-friendly features also gives users an extra edge on their adversaries with Game Mode, which contains a dynamic gamma setting that intuitively adjusts color and contrast of each individual scene to produce a true-to-life environment. The CJ791’s four milliseconds (ms) response time also ensures smooth transitions between scenes, making it ideal for racing, flight simulation and first-person battle games.

The post Samsung Unveils First Thunderbolt 3 QLED Curved Monitor appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Intel recently informed us here at STG the specifications for the 12- to 18-core processors: Intel Core i9-7920X, Intel Core i9-7940X, Intel Core i9-7960X and the Extreme Edition Intel Core i9-7980XE processors.

Previously announced at Computex 2017, the Intel Core X-series processor family is the most powerful, scalable and accessible high-end desktop platform¹ offered by Intel, designed to deliver the performance needed to meet extreme computing demands for virtual reality (VR), content creation, gaming and overclocking.

The new X-series processor family is the ultimate platform for content creators and gamers. Multitasking becomes extreme mega-tasking with simultaneous, compute-intensive, multithreaded workloads aligned in purpose, powered by up to 18 cores and 36 threads. And, with up to 68 PCIe 3.0 lanes on the platform, people have the ability to expand their systems with fast SSDs, up to four discrete GFX cards and ultrafast Thunderbolt 3 solutions.

Content creators can expect up to 20 percent better performance for VR content creationand up to 30 percent faster 4K video editing over the previous generation. This means less time waiting and more time designing new worlds and experiences. Gamers and enthusiasts will experience up to 30 percent faster extreme mega-tasking for gaming over the previous generation.

The 12-core Intel Core X-series processor will be available starting on August the 28th, 2017 and 14- to 18-core Intel Core X-series processors starting September the 25th, 2017.

The 4- to 10-core Intel Core X-series processors have already released and available at multiple retailers, along with more than 200 Intel X299 Chipset motherboards.

The post Intel’s X Series appeared first on Shane the Gamer.