Laptops

Congrats to Enrique G. of Tracy, Calif., for winning a pair of Sennheiser Momentum headphones in last week's giveaway. This week, we're got a twofer -- hardware and software.

First off, the winner gets a 120GB Crucial M500 solid-state drive with a three-year limited warranty. Like most new SSDs, the Crucial M500 supports the SATA 3 (6Gbps) standard and has a standard 2.5-inch design with 7mm thickness. This means it can fit in all standard laptops and desktops, as well as some ultrabooks. If your computer is running on a hard drive, replacing it with an SSD will be a big upgrade in terms of performance.

Once you've revved up your machine with your new drive, you can make sure it runs like new longer with the other half of this week's prize -- a copy of Iolo's System Mechanic, a highly rated PC tune-up suite designed to fix and clean up your machine. You'll be getting version 11.5, which works with all versions of Windows. … Read more

Consumers awaiting the Lenovo Yoga 11S convertible can now order one through Lenovo or Best Buy, though they'll have to wait at least a month before it ships.

Available through Lenovo's Web site as of Thursday, the Yoga 11S is an 11.6-inch ultrabook that can close to transform itself into a touch-screen tablet or bend over backward into "tent mode" or "stand mode" to act strictly as a display. The new Yoga is outfitted with Windows 8, upping the original Yoga 11, which offers Windows RT. Buyers also have a choice of two … Read more

I hate cord clutter. But when I travel (like I'm doing right now), I'm stuck with it, what with all the power cords I have to stuff into my carry-on.

My laptop's AC adapter is among the worst offenders (two cords!), which is why I'm thinking very seriously about this: ZipKord has the Retractable Universal Laptop Combo-Charger for $20, plus a very reasonable $3.75 for shipping. Regular price: $79.99.

This travel-friendly kit consists of two retractable cords -- one for AC outlets, one for in-dash cigarette lighters -- and a set of 11 tips. … Read more

Sony is prepping a new 13-inch slider laptop, similar to the Vaio Duo 11, for a Computex reveal, a source tells CNET.

The source familiar with the upcoming device -- supposedly called the Vaio Duo 13 -- confirmed to CNET the authenticity of the video, pictures, and specifications originally revealed Thursday by Notebook Review. Barring any last-minute changes, the source indicated that the Japanese company plans to announce the Windows 8 device during its annual press conference in early June at the Computex expo in Taiwan.… Read more

Don't like Windows 8? Too bad: You're stuck with it, at least if you're shopping for a new PC.

Ah, but if you're willing to go the refurb route, you can still find one running the comfortable old shoe that is Windows 7.

To wit: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Secondipity has the refurbished HP Pavilion dv6-7027NR laptop for $339.99 shipped. And as an added bonus, Secondipity will donate a portion of the purchase to the charity DonorsChoose.org.

This is a 14-inch laptop with an Intel Core-i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, … Read more

It feels good to own a new Mac notebook. You're on top of the world until you haul your laptop someplace and let your battery run low before realizing that you're a MagSafe adapter short of juicing up. If only you hadn't lost that tiny, but critical, piece of equipment.

Apple changed the MagSafe power adapter hookup for its laptops in 2012, leaving consumers with a few gazillion out-of-date power adapters. To remedy the situation, Apple offered a $9.99 MagSafe to MagSafe 2 converter. It works, but it's small and easy to lose. … Read more

An ultrabook ultraportable PC priced at $549 must be considered, especially if it's a convertible -- a system with both a keyboard and a touch screen, the latter able to swing a full 360 degrees into tablet mode.

And I'd say no convertible has received more press than the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, which was rightly celebrated for its slick design -- if not its operating system.

Update: I tweaked the headline to reflect that the Yoga isn't technically an ultrabook, which is Intel's designation for a system with a particular set of specs.

For a limited … Read more

In this week's episode of Hooked Up, Kevin Frazier hangs out with Grammy Award winner and multi-Platinum recording artist Nelly. He talks about all the tech he can't live without, and how he co-founded Vatterott College in St. Louis and the Extreme Institute to teach students skills for making music.

Nelly also talks about his MacBook Pro, Canon EOS 7D that he uses for shooting videos, and the Monster Diamond Tears headphones that surprised him with their sound.

I'll break down the best dSLR cameras for shooting video with Kevin that broadcast professionals are using today. And … Read more

If the current crop of Windows 8 tablets, at least the majority that run Intel's low-power Atom tablet, were put edge to edge in a police lineup, you'd have a hard time telling them apart. Nearly all are virtually identical slabs of glass over black metal and plastic bodies.

Upon closer inspection, some have more ports and connections built into their outer edges, but this stylistic similarity indicates a larger issue: they all run essentially the same components inside, namely an Intel Atom Z-series processor, 2GB of RAM, a 10- or 11-inch 1,366x768-pixel touch screen, and either … Read more