Razer Edge Pro met with mixed opinions as reviews hit the web

Reviews of the long-awaited Razer Edge Pro are trickling in today as the Intel-powered gaming tablet is set to launch this weekend. Overall the slate is billed as a very capable portable device but according to at least a few publications, it’s not without some shortcomings.

CNET concluded that the Edge signals a strategy shift away from traditional PC gaming to an increasingly portable consumer computer landscape. It’s still a niche product but the publication likened it to a Swiss Army Knife of mobile PC gaming. The high price and limited specs, however, might make consumers question whether or not it’s the right fit for them but the team was impressed nevertheless.

PCMag essentially echoed those sentiments as they raved over the innovative design, powerful internal components and the flexibility to allow users to play anywhere. The device still can’t match a standard gaming laptop in terms of price and performance but overall they found it to be a rare device that reimagines what the PC experience should be, delivering something that’s not just different, but better.

Maximum PC, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as fond of Razer’s new gaming tablet. They noted that it sounded good on paper but in actual use, the Edge is a letdown. To put it bluntly, they called it a compromised monstrosity. So what went wrong?

For starters, they said the Edge is thick and heavy for a tablet which means you’ll ultimately end up resting it on your body for support. Maximum PC also cited the controller peripheral as too heavy and expensive to be a game changer but their biggest issue is the fact that it lacks a physical keyboard. They said Windows 8 might be better with touch but it sucks with only touch. Finally, the team had problems connecting to certain Wi-Fi networks.

The most powerful windows tablet around goes on sale March 30 starting at $999 for the base model and $1,299 for the Pro.

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iOS 6 review

The definitive guide to Apple's iOS 6 software features for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

iOS 6 is a software update divided against itself. Apple claims over 200 new user-facing features, which is the same if not more than previous versions of iOS. Many of these are good and solid, reducing the friction and increasing the functionality of iOS, and delightfully so. But a lot of it them are also about Apple and the future of their platform.

In that regard, iOS 6 is nowhere near as audacious as iOS 2, which brought the App Store, or iOS 5, which cut the iTunes cord, took us to the iCloud, and brought Siri along for the ride. It doesn't remove user and developer pain points the way iOS 3 did with cut/copy/paste or iOS 4 did with multitasking. iOS 6 is more of a soft-reset and a way to set the stage for iterations to come. It strips Google almost completely out of iOS and introduces an all-new Maps app and increased Siri intermediation. It introduces Passbook, which isn't a digital wallet, but does provide a single repository for tickets and balances, and starts to make mobile transactions convenient and comfortable. It abstracts and outsources sharing with new Facebook and enhanced Twitter integration, so Apple no longer has to worry about creating awkward new networks of their own. And it increases support for China, which has become a hugely important market for Apple.

But if iOS 6 is about Apple and the future, what does that mean for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users today? Is there still enough here, individually and in sum, to make it a compelling and competitive update?

Let's find out...

iOS 6 in 6 minutes

If you don't have time to read all the words below, but you still want to see all the highlights -- Maps, Siri extensions, Passbook, Guided Access, Shared Photo Streams, and more -- then here's everything you need to know about iOS 6 in just 6 minutes.

iOS 6 preamble

Before we get to the good stuff, and break down all the features of iOS 6 from iCloud and Lock screen, and app by app in the order in which they appear on the iPhone 5 Home screen, there's some house keeping to get out of the way first.

Previously on iOS...

iOS 6 is the latest in a series of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad updates going back to the original iPhone OS released in June of 2007. Rather than cover previously released features again, you can find full reviews for earlier versions here:

• iOS 5.1 for iPhone and iPad
• iOS 5 for iPhone and iPad
• iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPad
• iOS 4.2 for iPhone | iOS 4.2 for iPad
• iOS 4.1 for iPhone
• iOS 4 for iPhone
• iOS 3.2 for iPad
• iOS 3.1 for iPhone
• iOS 3.0 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.2 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.1 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.0 for iPhone

How to update to iOS 6

iOS 6 is available as an over-the-air (OTA) update right on your iOS device, or as a tethered update over USB Dock cable via iTunes on the desktop. OTA is typically faster as it updates in place. iTunes, however, allows for a clean install if you worry about a bad backup restore causing battery life or other issues.

iOS 6 compatibility

iOS 6 is compatible with the following iOS devices. Not all features are available for all devices, especially older devices, but they'll all be able to run iOS 6 apps (binary compatible) which is a huge advantage going forward.

• iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS
• iPad 3, iPad 2
• iPod touch 5, iPod touch 4

iOS 6 feature availability

Not all iOS 6 features are available in all countries or regions. For example, standard maps are available in 177 countries as of this writing, while Siri movie showtimes are only available in 3. Some features will be added to additional regions in October, while it's likely data availability and partnership deals will mean longer waits for many others. Apple provides the following feature-by-feature, region-by-region availability breakdown

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Daily Tip: How to configure VPN access on your iPhone, iPad

Curious how to configure access to a VPN client on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? L2TP, PPTP, and IPSec VPN support are all built right into iOS and we'll show you how to set them up after the break!

One thing to note is that you'll need to make sure you have all the settings and information about your VPN service handy. Some companies will not allow mobile access to a VPN, and some carriers limit 3G VPN access to business accounts, so that's another thing you'll need to check on before attempting to add one.

These screenshots show iPhone setup but iPod touch and iPad are similar.

First you'll need to configure your VPN by adding the settings for your VPN (in most cases, these are provided by the system administrator or IT person at your company).

To configure your VPN, do the follow:

1. Tap Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Network
4. Tap VPN
5. Tap Add VPN Configuration

6. Along the top you will see some tabs, you'll need to select which type of configuration you need. In most cases, you'll choose IPSec (unless your system administrator has told you different). For this example, I've used IPSec.
7. Enter the information for your VPN in the corresponding fields. If you used a proxy, make sure to enable it towards the bottom of the settings page.

8. Tap Save

You've now configured your VPN for use. Now you'll need to turn it on.

1. From your homescreen, tap Settings

2. Under the main settings page, you'll now see a VPN option, this only appears when you have a VPN configured. Toggle the switch to On

3. Your phone should connect to the VPN. If an error message pops up, go back into your VPN settings and make sure all your settings are input correctly.

That's it! If you guys have ever used this, let us know your input too. Have any issues setting up a VPN? Check out our TiPb Forums to get helpful from many of our awesome community members.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to . (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

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How to Setup VPN for iPhone

If you looking for affordable VPN for iPhone, click here to visit HMA VPN. It costs $7/month only with unlimited usage.

Setting up VPN for iPhone is very easy. Apple iPhone come with VPN support that you can connect VPN in iPhone without any difficulties. Here list the simple steps to make the connection:

1. Sign up an account with VPN provider. I am using HMA VPN at $7/month and the account can be shared with my iPad, Mac and Apple TV.
2. HMA should give you login information like IP address, user and password. Make sure the account is L2TP, PPTP or IPSec. OpenVPN is not supported in iPhone
3. On your iPhone, touch the Settings app, select General > Network > VPN > Add VPN Configuration
4. Enter the information you got from HMA

Now the basic configuration is done. Now you have the option to turn on/off VPN when needed. Make sure you see the VPN on top if you are surfing secured information in public environment.

What to do with VPN for iPhone?

• You may watch Netflix on iPhone outside US when you connect to VPN server in United States

• You may make secured but cheap overseas call with Skype over VPN
• You may unblock access to Facebook and Twitter if you are physically located in China.
• You may even listen to Last.fm or Pandora when you are travelling aboard

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Apple’s iPhone Continues To Show Strong Growth In The U.S., Samsung And Android Adoption Slow

Apple’s trajectory in the U.S. smartphone market over the past little while has been an upwards one, with the company gaining more and more iPhone subscribers every month. During the three-month period covering November 2012 to February 2013, Apple added 8.9 million new iPhone subscribers according to comScore, while Android as a platform in total added only 2.9 million. That means Apple’s share of the total smartphone subscriber base in the U.S. grew to 38.9 percent from 35 percent, while Android’s dropped from 53.7 to 51.7 percent.

ComScore’s figures also show that in terms of smartphone manufacturers, Apple also continues to lead the pack. Its share among OEMs rose 3.9 percentage points during the three month period, while Samsung gained only 1 percent percentage point, rising from 20.3 percent of the U.S. market to 21.3 percent. That means Apple and the iPhone continue to enjoy almost double the smartphone manufacturer share of its next closest rival.

The loser in this case wasn’t either Apple or Samsung, however, both of whom gained subscribers and share, but BlackBerry, which as a platform shed 1.7 million subscribers in the U.S. between November and February. These numbers predate the launch of BB10, however, so we’ll have to watch to see if that helps BlackBerry stem the tide of users leaving.

Of course, both Google and Samsung stand to reap the benefits of upcoming device launches, which could help swing the pendulum back in their favor over the coming months. Samsung is on the verge of debuting its next-generation flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, with pre-orders beginning in just a couple of weeks. The HTC One is also coming to the U.S. market in mid-April, which could give Android as a platform additional firepower in terms of competing with iOS and the iPhone.

Apple’s success to date has been based on the strong performance of the iPhone 5 since launch, and that device seems to continue to be an attractive choice for U.S. subscribers. There still doesn’t appear to be much in the way of a true race for a third platform, however, with Microsoft and BlackBerry either actively losing share or seeing only insignificant gains. The market is now at a crucial juncture in terms of product releases, but the fight looks likely to continue to remain a two-party affair for the foreseeable future.

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Facebook Still Reigns Supreme With Teens, But Social Media Interest Dwindling

Teens still love Facebook. No news there. According to a recent study by Piper Jaffray, 33 percent of the 5,200 teens surveyed choose Facebook as their most important social network.

Following behind, Twitter has 30 percent of the vote, while 17 percent of teens say that Instagram is the most important social network.

What’s notable, however, is that interest in Facebook seems to be declining heavily among teens. Though teens still dub Facebook their most important socialnetwork, Piper Jaffray reports that the numbers are down regarding how many teens see Facebook as the most important social media website.

Over the past year, the number of teens who deem Facebook as the most important social media site has dropped from more than 30 percent to just over 20 percent. But it’s not just Facebook. Almost all social media sites have either seen a decline or stagnation in their importance to the teen demographic.

YouTube may usurp Facebook soon as the most important social media site, though it too has shown a decline in importance. As it stands right now, YouTube also has around 22 percent of the vote, but seems to be declining at a much slower pace.

Both Instagram and Twitter show strong growth, especially this spring as kids gear up for summer.

But in true teenage fashion, the survey group of 5,200 teens made sure to note their favorite social media tools that were excluded from the list. According to the PJC study, teens are intrigued by Wanelo, Vine, Snapchat, Kik, and 4chan, in that order.

Vine has only been around for a few months, but has already risen to number 1 in the App Store. Snapchat is also a no-brainer, considering that teens make up the majority of a demographic that sends over 20 million snaps per day.

Just as much as Twitter poses a threat, so too do these up-and-coming social apps that have taken teens by storm.

However, Facebook Home (a new Facebook-baked Android skin) may prove useful as teens’ interest wanes. Not only will it give Facebook insight into which apps to look out for, as it monitors when and how often users launch apps, but it will put Facebook in front of users at a much more pervasive scale.

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Google Wants To Operate .Search As A “Dotless” Domain, Plans To Open .Cloud, .Blog And .App To Others

If it gets it, Google wants to turn .search into a “dotless domain,” the company told ICANN a few days ago. Last year, Google applied to manage the .app, .blog, .cloud and .search generic top-level domain (gTLD) names as part of a major expansion of the domain-name system.

ICANN, which is managing this expansion, hasn’t awarded any of the gTLDs yet, and the whole program remains controversial. But in May, Google sent a letter to ICANN telling the organization that it would soon provide some specific details about its plans for these top-level domain names. Now, Google has done so through its Charleston Road Registry subsidiary (we have embedded the full letter below).

At the time, it looked like Google was ready to open up these gTLDs to the public and wasn’t just planning on using them for its own services. In its letter to ICANN, Google now confirms that it is working with “the relevant communities related to .blog and .cloud to develop technical standards relating to the operation of those top-­level domains.”

Google’s Plans For A Dotless .Search

The most interesting plan here is to use .search to operate a redirect service on the “on the ‘dotless’ .search domain (http://search/) that, combined with a simple technical standard, will allow a consistent query interface across firms that provide search functionality, and will enable users to easily conduct searches with firms that provide the search functionality that they designate as their preference.”

Dotless domains (think http://example and email addresses like mail@example) are something ICANN has discussed for a while now and that security experts are not in favor of. Google plans to run http://search/ as a redirect service that “allows for registration by any search website providing a simple query interface.”

“The mission of the proposed gTLD, .search, is to provide a domain name space that makes it easier for Internet users to locate and make use of the search functionality of their choice,” Google writes in its amended application.

What exactly this will look like in practice remains to be seen, however. It’s definitely a novel use of the domain system, and judging from the amended application, Google will open this functionality up to third-party developers and its direct competitors.

Of course, it remains to be seen who will actually get to manage .search. Besides Google, Amazon, dot Now Limited, and Donuts.co have also applied for this gTLD.

.Blog, .App and .Cloud

The .blog TLD, Google says, “should be simple and easy for .blog registrants to associate their second-­level domain with their blog on the blogging platform of their choice.” New .cloud domains, too, should have a direct association with “projects hosted in cloud platforms.” While it’s not clear how Google plans to do this, the letter notes that the company is working on a set of technical standards that will “allow users to automatically link their domain name to their blog at the time of registration.”

As for .app, Google plans to restrict this TLD to use by “relevant developer communities” without restricting it to a specific platform.

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