With that, HP has launched the Elite Wireless Earbuds that aim to enhance your productivity whether on the go or staying at home.

According to HP the earbuds will take two hours to fully charge, while 15 minutes will provide you 1.5 hours of use. Once fully charged, HP says the earbuds will grant you five hours of listening time or four hours of talk time. The case, meanwhile, also takes two hours to fully charge and can support three earbuds recharges on one charge itself. The case uses a standard USB-C to charge up.

The Earbuds also feature a 9.2mm neodymium drivers and a nominal frequency range of 20Hz to 18kHz, personalised audio tuning, adjustable noise cancellation, and sound situation pre-sets.

The new HP Elite Wireless Earbuds isn’t just for listening to music but also for clear video meetings. HP even has new Renew Travel bags for keeping all of these new gear safe when you’re on to go. The buds are expected to reach local retailers in April 2021 with a retail price of about R3000 (TBC).

Launched in Sandton, the North of Johannesburg earlier today, this device will be available with three different display configurations, from 13.3-inch FHD all the way up to 4K. With that, we’ve listed the top 5 reason why you’ll actually want to own your very own Dragonfly. And fly.

Brilliant  Display

The display on this machine is 13.3-inches large measured diagonally with three different panel options. You can get the 400-nits bright FHD 72% NTSC (1920 x 1080) IPS eDP + PSR BrightView WLED-backlit ultraslim direct bonded touch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top. You can get that same panel but with HP Sure View Integrated Privacy Screen and 1000 nits, if you so wish.

Or you can get the 4K IPS display. That’s a 4K IPS eDP + PSR BrightView WLED-backlit ultraslim direct bonded touch screen that’s 550 nits with 95% sRGB (3840 x 2160) and Gorilla Glass 5 on top. For that you’re probably going to want to trick out the machine with the highest-end specs for processors, RAM and whatnot.

No Machine Should Have All This Power

You’ve got the option of getting 16 GB LPDDR3-2133 SDRAM memory, and up to 512 GB Intel PCIe NVMe QLC M.2 SSD with 32 GB Intel Optane memory H10. The most basic version of this notebook has 128GB M.2 SATA-3 SSD TLC. You’ll run Windows 10 of some sort – Pro 64, Home 64, Home Single Language, or just 10 Pro – or even FreeDOS.

Fitting Project Athena spec and aims, this notebook has an Intel 8th Generation Core i7 (i7-8665U) processor in its most extravagant configuration. The base configuration includes an 8th Generation Intel Core i3 (i3-8145U) processor and Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 5 (2×2) and Bluetooth 4.2 Combo, non-vPro. You can also get vPro, or ramp up to Intel XMM 7560 LTE-Advanced Pro Cat 16 or Intel XMM 7360 LTE-Advanced Cat 9 for wireless connectivity.

It’s Got The Juice

Power for this machine comes from an HP Smart 65 W USB Type-C adapter. You’ll have the option of one of two battery setups: HP Long Life 4-cell, 56.2 Wh Li-ion polymer or HP Long Life 2-cell, 38 Wh Li-ion. Either way the battery is internal and “not replaceable by customer” but is “serviceable by warranty.”

Ultrathin and Ultralight, too

This notebook has dimensions of 30.43 x 19.75 x 1.61 cm and has a base configuration weight of 0.99kg) At launch it’ll be rolling with a “durable iridescent dragonfly blue finish” with “diamond cut accents.” Users can add an optional HP Rechargeable Active Pen G3 for this convertible machine’s tablet mode.

Elite Pricing

The HP Elite Dragonfly notebook computer will be released by HP locally from November 2019. This device’s base price starts at an elite R34 999. HP also revealed a new S430c Curved Ultrawide Monitor, E344c Curved Monitor, and a new HP Bluetooth Travel Mouse all in a new “lighter than air” design collection. Both the Ultrawide monitor and E344c monitor will arrive late October, while the Bluetooth Travel Mouse is expected in November. HP is also releasing a new HP Elite 13.3 Leather Sleeve (seen in headline image) that’ll fit this notebook really really nice.

The Elitebook x360 1030 G3 is a premium laptop that has consumer design queues and enterprise strengths. It is the world’s smallest business convertible with a starting weight of only 1.25kg (2.76 lbs.) and is 15.8 mm thin. With up to 18 hours of battery life and 4G Cat9 LTE for ultimate connectivity, this sleek device features the world’s first active pen with proximity alert for business PCs to notify a user when the pen is left behind and an optional, first of its kind, outdoor viewable display.  Out of the box the device comes equipped with:

• A Notebook
• Charger – 65W USB-C with smart power delivery
• HP Active Pen (this may not be in all packages)

First Impressions and Build Quality

The first thing you will notice when first laying your eyes on the device is just how good looking it is with a dash of premium and high-end qualities about it, this is also part thanks to its natural silver finishes. The product is also quite light at 1.25kg and as thin as they come at 15.8mm.

HP also smartly fitted a full-sized HDMI Port (ahem…Apple take note) and a USB Type-A. On the left side you will find one USB 3.1 port with always-on charging, a headphone jack, the power button and a Nano SIM card slot. On the opposite (right hand) side you will find an HDMI 1.4 port, a security lock slot, two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a volume rocker.

The device is solidly built with an enormous amount of attention to detail being evident throughout. Adding to the fun is a removable bottom base plate for 100% access to all the parts. You might be asking what that means exactly? This essentially means that an HP technician can come to either your house or workplace and fix anything faulty with the device with no need for you to take it in store should you not feel like it. Quite nifty right?

The sides of the laptop come equipped with a glossy finish, while the hinge is stylishly cut outward and has a very cool EliteBook logo in the middle. When we folded it into tablet mode, we interestingly noticed that the tip of the laptop has magnets that connect to the underside. This makes working in tablet mode feel more comfortable and stable.

The Screen

The screen resolution is amazing with equally crisp colours coming through. The device is a bit brighter than the MacBook Pro 13 and over twice the brightness of the Dell XPS 13. This is thanks to its 13.5, 1080p BrightView screen and 415 nits (518 nits with Sure View panel).

Webcam & Sound

The Elitebook x360 1030 G3 also comes equipped with a 720p front camera which is decent enough for the basics such as Skype and the like. The camera is sharp and does show enough quality and detail.

As you know we are huge fans of music, movies and TV shows here. Therefore viewing quality and sound output is very important to us. We found the EliteBook x360’s Bang & Olufsen speakers complete with a cross-hatch speaker grill in front of the screen (that houses two speakers powered by separate left and right amplifiers) to be a winner delivering great sound quality. The same was also the case for the sound quality when using the Bluetooth 4.2 and the 3.5mm audio output to the headphones/speakers which came out at a clean 20-20kHz.

Overall Impressions

The HP Elitebook x360 1030 G3 is a great device for both business and personal use. Being an avid fan of great design and aesthetics, we were especially impressed with its rugged good looks that come complete with a thin and light feel to them…this device just drips in utter swag. Of course it does offer so much more but we chose to only focus on what matters to us the most and in that instance it more than came out tops. For those looking for something unique and unlike anything most people currently own at the moment, the HP Elitebook x360 1030 G3 is a no-brainer.

At a Recommended Retail Price of R31,999 (VAT included) it’s not exactly cheap however, considering what it offers and what you are getting in return then it’s understandable. The product is unfortunately not available in retail stores, it is instead available through HP’s entire commercial channel base. Feel free to view the device’s full specs here.

The annual initiative is driven by Singularity University’s mission to educate, inspire and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges. Now in its second year, the summit showcased 33 African and world-renowned speakers, and attracted over 1 900 African industry leaders, c-suite executives as well as public sector representatives. Speakers and delegates engaged on exponential technologies that will help the African continent leapfrog into the future.

“There is a huge potential for economic and technological growth in Africa. Many African countries still face challenges related to infrastructure, security and education, among others. Exponential technology is an opportunity for Africa to forge ahead towards sustainable development across all sectors and industries,” says Mic Mann, Founder of Mann Made and SingularityU South Africa Summit co-CEO.

Themes unpacked at the summit included the future of work and the professional, as well as what to expect of the gig economy. While many fear the rise of automation and mechanisation, as well as its impact on employment, Valter Adão, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Deloitte, shared research that “for every job lost, 1.74 new jobs are created”.

Other talking points included education and the future of learning; banking in a cashless future; additive manufacturing in space; and what it takes to decode democracy. Speakers included: Fred Swaniker, who aims to groom three million leaders for Africa by 2035; author of Stealing Fire Jamie Wheal; Dr Tiffany Vora, who talked about how to programme Africa’s future using digital biology; as well as Phathizwe Malinga, who shared his insights on IoT and information abundance. This year’s summit also included a second track, presented during the coffee and lunch breaks, that allowed delegates to delve deeper into the most topics.

The summit co-organisers also announced that SingularityU South Africa is the first Singularity University country partner on the African continent. It now offers online and offline programmes for individuals and corporate members, including a newly appointed, South African-based faculty: www.singularityusouthafrica.org.

Another highlight was witnessing Richard Browning, Founder and Chief Test Pilot of Gravity Industries, showcase human flight in his Jet Suit flight. Its five gas turbine jet engines generate 147kg of thrust that allows for vertical lift and directional propulsion at speeds of up to 70km/h, that can cover a distance of 1.4km for up to eight minutes.

The winner of SU Ventures 2018, Benji Coetzee of Empty Trips, won the opportunity to go to SingularityU in Silicon Valley to take part in the SU sprint programme. She will also have the opportunity to get funding for her start-up.

Fifty super early bird tickets to the third SingularityU South Africa Summit, to be held on 16-17 October 2019, were already sold within an hour of announcement. The summit trended across social media under the theme “#futureproofAfrica and inspired South Africans to take action and make impact to create abundance for all. Through technology advances and the proper adoption thereof, a beyond brighter future is possible for the entire African continent.

We are fortunate to have formed part of the event, our thanks go to the SingularityU Team.

The device was launched an exclusively intimate event in the North of Johannesburg last night. First impressions are of extreme thinness. In fact, the 13.3-inch notebook is 10.4mm thick, comparable to an AAA battery no less, and tips the scales at about 1.1kg. 

The lid is a wafer, and the base seems little thicker once the screen is lifted. HP took inspiration from furniture for the Spectre’s hinges, two slender C-shapes that look like they should be delicate but actually glide smoothly open and shut.

Doing double-duty of keeping the weight down but also avoiding body flex are CNC machined aluminum for the lid and keyboard deck, and a carbon fiber base. HP continues to eschew the more traditionally-geek-friendly silver highlights for coper and ash-silver instead – the rear section is both particularly shiny and hungry for fingerprints – which may well prove divisive. It looks better in-person, I think.

There’s also a new logo, a heavily stylized “HP” on the lid. Previous Spectre series notebooks spelled out the whole Hewlett Packard name, you might recall, but the computing division lost the rights to that in the split late last year. HP tells me it’ll be keeping this new logo exclusively for its more premium models.

The dimensions mean most regular ports simply won’t fit in the space HP has to play with, and so – with the exception of a 3.5mm headphone jack – the new Spectre embraces USB-C completely. There are three USB-C ports each with USB 3.0 support, and two of which also support Thunderbolt.

The specifications are as you’d expect, for the most part, though the design has forced a few compromises. Rather than a low-power processor, Intel’s regular sixth-gen Core i5 and Core i7 chips are inside, along with 8GB of memory and up to 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.

However, there’s no touch support – the touchscreen layer would add too much thickness, HP says – and the IPS screen is Full HD resolution, not Ultra HD. A sufficiently thin 4K panel still isn’t available, HP tells me, though it does throw in Gorilla Glass 4.

The backlit keyboard keys have 1.3mm travel – rather than 1.5mm – though in my brief typing test I didn’t particularly notice any slowdown in my pace. HP claims that’s because it pays particular attention to the resistance you feel when you first strike each key and when it bottoms out.

Underneath is a glass trackpad, while either side – behind somewhat ornately-milled grills – are Bang & Olufsen tuned speakers. Unsurprisingly they’re notably lacking in bass.

It’s not a machine for everyone. Those with a bag full of accessories they want to keep using will likely find the need for USB-C adapters too frustrating, while pixel-addicts or those who like to navigate with their fingers are both out of luck with the Spectre’s non-touch, FHD screen.

Still, priced from R29 999 as it goes up for sale, it’s quite clearly taking on Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina display and doing so competitively. Style-starved Windows fans take note.

We’ve seen our fair share of cube-shaped desktop PCs, but most of those are rather plain compared to the HP OMEN X. In addition to the glaring red markings on its ebony chassis, its default orientation will undoubtedly make it the center of attraction, at least for fresh eyes.

But lest you think the OMEN X is just about looks, the PC is veritably a gaming computer. Powered by a sixth gen Intel Core i5 or i7, the box is ready to hold up to two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080’s or two AMD Radeon R9 Fury X’s, making it ready for 4K gaming as well as VR experiences. The cube also boasts of a “revolutionary” thermal management thanks to its tri-chamber design and tool-less access to its internal parts, allowing for painless customization.

The HP OMEN X will be available at key markets (read: US retailers) starting October 16 and will start at R28 000 At HP.com, however, it will start sooner, on August 17 to be precise, at R18 000 or even cheaper at R6 000 for an empty chassis. Local availability is yet to be confirmed.

For those who want a more traditional, but also more mobile, gaming setup, HP is launching the HP OMEN 17 gaming laptop. While not as flamboyant as the OMEN X, this no-nonsense 17.3-inch computer has enough muscle to power VR applications and games and 4K output wherever you go. Provided you have the needed peripherals, of course.

With digital technology leading world economies and consumer trends, companies are on a quest to not only deliver environments that engage consumers, but to design smart spaces centred around the consumer experience, where service, and products meet seamlessly. “At HP we understand the need for continuous innovation, and we do not only display this in the models that give birth to our leading consumer products, but also in the various aspects that make up our consumer touch points, which predominantly, exist in the form of our stores located in shopping centres. The strategy is to roll out this innovative thinking and design, to a lot more HP store openings and consumer spaces in the future “, said Samantha Marais, Country Retail Lead of HP.

The latest HP InkJet, PageWide and LaserJet printers are available in store as well as a complete range of accessories which includes laptop bags, storage devices, networking equipment, HP calculators, cables and adapter. The new store HP Store also stocks the widest range of ink and toner in South Africa with more than 180 different products available in stock.

As an additional benefit to consumers, HP offers a premium service and trusted advice on all HP products which will help consumers make the right purchases that not only covers all their needs but also meets their budget.

This device is aiming to be compact as possible while remaining capable of printing full-sized (letter) size paper. It also works with HP Instant Ink, an ink replacement subscription plan that’ll cost users £1.99 per month – or about R49 a month once the printer arrives in Mzansi

This device works with HP Printbot through Facebook Messenger to print straight from a messenger conversation. You’ll also be able to use the HP Social Media Snapshots app to print with 4.5 stick photo paper from Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, or a smartphone’s gallery. HP Instant Ink is not strictly new for this device – it’s been around a bit but not been wholly introduced to the African markets. With this service, users are delivered new inks each month in one of three “flexible plans” that allow users to “change or cancel online at any time without an annual fee.”

HP Instant Ink also includes a service using HP Planet Partners prepaid envelopes that allow users to recycle used ink cartridges for free.

The Desktop 3720 printer will be available in SA at a prospective starting price of R1200 (using the rand/dollar exchange) when it launches in September.

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The 4645 uses four pigment inks: cyan, magenta, yellow (in a tri-colour cartridge) and black. Using HP’s prices for the compatible 650 (black) and 650 (colour) cartridges on the SureSupply website, a page of black text alone costs around 25 cents and a page of colour is 32 cents per page — both prices are fair compared with the average cost of toner cartridges in inkjet printers. Which I have always been sceptical about. That’s actually cheaper than the 28 cents for black and white and 82 cents for colour that Epson boasts about for its line of Inkjet’s as a key selling point. Print enough pages, and the running cost can make the 4645 cheaper to own over its lifetime than a less expensive Inkjet with a higher cost per page.

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Output quality is another strong point. Text at small sizes doesn’t have quite the crisp edges of laser-printed text, but unless you have an unusual need for small fonts you shouldn’t have any complaints. Also worth mention is that although the text isn’t quite smudge proof, it smudged very little when I rubbed it with a wet tissue.

Graphics quality is easily good enough for any home or small (home run) business need up to and including PowerPoint hand-outs. I saw some slight banding in some of our test images in default mode, but no other issues. Photos were easily a match for kiosk prints.

[quote_center]The Ink Advantage 4645 is one of the most impressive printers to ever come through SA Vibe testing (and the fist)[/quote_center]

With all these strong points, and no weaknesses that turned up in my testing, the Ink Advantage 4645 is one of the most impressive printers to ever come through SA Vibe testing (and the fist). Its speed is a match for low-cost jet’s; its text and graphics quality is suitable for most home and small business needs; its photos are suitable for most home use; it has almost every Inkjet feature – and more – you can think of; it’s cheaper to buy than competitive colour printers; and it’s even cheap to run.

First Look

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The printer came in securely packaged, with all the necessary steps taken to keep all moving parts immobile. This makes it less prone to damage while being transported. The first thing that greets you when you unpack the 4645 is the rather miniature sized ink cartridges (first thought; “How dare they?” knowing I have a weakness for the sky-high prices that comes with ink cartridges) my heart-rate reached a rather depressing high. Calmness restored, you’re then greeted by the Inkjet in all its glory. There it was, the HP Deskjet Inkjet 4645 which weighs in at only 6,2 kg and comes in at 446 (w)x 548 (d) x 189mm (h) looks sober in its all black (everything) body. The glossy finish makes it all classy, although its more likely to gather fingerprints and scratches. The design is streamlined and simple. The build seems to be rugged and feels sturdy, while the printer itself – despite the 6kg weight – is surprisingly light.

The input and output tray are on the front of the device, which folds nicely into the front of the 4645 when not in use, can hold up to 100 sheets of paper. This is more than sufficient for the targeted consumer segment. Input paper is to be fed in face down with leading edge on the inside, so the print comes out with face up with leading edge out. Weird at first considering most home printers have the face up and exist the same way.

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A very simple control panel is situated on the left-hand side of the unit which quietly moves to the center of the panel thanks to the alphanumeric keypad. In addition to the back-lit power button and keypad, there is the mono graphic display makes navigating the print, copy, scan, and fax functions a breeze.. The 4645 has a high-speed USB 2.0 interface and can therefore be connected easily to any PC. But why would you bother with the cords? In addition to using a direct USB connection, you can set up the Deskjet Inkjet Advantage 4645 on your network via Ethernet or WiFi. I tested the WiFi connection and the process was easy; using the printer’s LCD and scrolling buttons, I managed to navigate through a few setup screens to find our network, quickly entered its password using the keypad, and established a connection within a minute. Macs and PCs alike on our network were able to see the printer without the need to install any additional software. Brand plus.

[quote_left]This week, I play heavy emphasis on the Deskjet Ink Advantage 4645 wireless features[/quote_left]

Once I had connected the printer to a wireless network, I could use HP’s AirPrint feature to print from any iOS device without an additional application. Using AirPrint, I could print out a photo from my iPhoto library by simply choosing the connected printer and hitting Print. You can’t adjust any print properties, however; and my Hipstamatic test photo printed with a portion missing on both letter-size paper and 4×6-inch photo paper.

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In addition to AirPrint, the 4645 also features HP’s ePrint technology, which enables you to send jobs from any connected device to the printer using the uniquely assigned e-mail address and AiO (All in One) remote application for both iOS and Adroid. You can find this address using the control panel (Wireless Direct> Wireless Direct). It’s a convenient feature, to be sure, but it comes with a few restrictions. For one, the printer must be on and also connected to your network. For another, it can’t print Web pages, although you can simply copy and paste the text into a document as a workaround. Then again, you can bypass all of the restrictions if you’re on a iDevice.

In closing, the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 4645 is available for a RRP of R1799 (you can find it cheaper at Massmart stores this weekend) at this price it is one of the best printers for home and office use. The kind of connectivity options it has are quite commendable which makes it great choice.

As investments and competition among Internet cloud providers heat up, tech giants are finding new ways to distinguish their offerings. Amazon, Google and Microsoft recently engaged in a pricing war that drove down the fee for their public cloud services. HP is trying a different tack — emphasizing its open-source approach and encouraging businesses, its main customers, to use its product to create their own cloud services instead of relying on others.

[quote_box author=”” profession=””]Cloud services allow people and companies to store their information in such a way that it is accessible by the Internet, instead of marooned on one machine[/quote_box]

And as part of the HP Helion portfolio, HP is introducing several new cloud products and services, including:

·    HP Helion OpenStack Community edition—A commercial product line of OpenStack that is delivered, tested and supported by HP. Available today, the community edition is a free version ideal for proofs of concept, pilots and basic production workloads. An enhanced commercial edition that addresses the needs of global enterprises and service providers will be released in the coming months.

·    HP Helion Development Platform—A Platform as a Service (PaaS) based on Cloud Foundry, offering IT departments and developers an open platform to build, deploy and manage applications quickly and easily. HP plans to release a preview version later this year.

·    HP’s OpenStack Technology Indemnification Program—Protects qualified customers using HP Helion OpenStack code from third-party patent, copyright and trade-secret infringement claims directed to OpenStack code alone or in combination with Linux code.

·    HP Helion OpenStack Professional Services—A new practice made up of HP’s experienced team of consultants, engineers and cloud technologists to assist customers with cloud planning, implementation and operational needs.

HP released quite a few products this year, as is the norm with CES and MWC releases, but we’re to emphasize on those approved to reach South Africa; the Pavilion x360, ElitePad and ProPad 600. All of these devices are scheduled to reach us later this month (March) with pricing starting at €399 (R5999) for the x360 said to be available in Brilliant Red and Smoke Silver. A lower price means lesser specs, which in this case include a Pentium-series Intel Bay Trail processor, a 500GB hard drive (no SSDs here) and a 1,366 x 768 display. On the bright side, the display uses IPS technology for wider viewing angles, and HP also included Beats Audio.Three USB ports and a full-sized HDMI socket might further sweeten the deal for prospective buyers. Pricing and model variants of the ElitePad and ProPad 600 are still to be confirmed.