While the processor itself has integrated graphics buried inside, HP hasn't shied away from adding a pretty impressive dedicated mobile graphics card. The Radeon 7450M within has just 1GB of video memory but can work with CrossFire mode with the onboard GPU to create a surprisingly powerful mobile gaming combination. In our Dirt 3 test for instance, the G6 managed a relatively smooth 38.1fps, which while quite an old game now, was relatively surprising. Obviosuly, don't expect the G6 to run anything new at a decent framerate though, it's best to be used to run your old game collection.

HP Pavilion G6
Initially, we did expect its battery life to suffer a bit, especially considering its processor and graphics card, but the G6 coped surprisingly well, almost hitting six hours away from the mains. You’ll need to stick to light tasks, such as image editing, but unlike other quad-core laptops we’ve seen, there’s still potential for working on the move. Obviously, this isn't the highest scoring battery test we've completed, but it should suffice for laptop use on the go.

During our lengthy time with it, we quickly noticed that image quality was actually surprisingly good for a budget laptop. There was ample amount of brightness and colours were reasonably vivid, although viewing angles were fairly basic. It has a limited amount of screen tilt and a glossy finish, so we noticed light reflections a lot more on the G6 than on competing laptops.

The keyboard isn’t exactly the prettiest out there, but it does the job well. The flat keys are grouped tightly together, but because they’re full size, it didn't feel all that cramped when typing. Of course, in typical HP fashion, the function keys have been repurposed as multimedia shortcuts, but this can be disabled if you'd like.

We didn't have any any qualms when using the touchpad, even if it is a bit smaller than we’d have liked. It’s nice and sensitive enough to quickly navigate the desktop, with its raised surface making it fairly easy to find using your sense of touch alone if you’re working in the dark. Also quite handily, a double-tap to the small recessed corner disables the touchpad should you prefer to use a mouse, although this can sometimes be miss-pressed on occasion. The buttons directly below it push in rather far before they register a click, but at least they make an audible noise so you can tell when you’ve pressed them in far enough.

Unsurprisingly, there aren't any USB3 ports to be found here, but otherwise the G6’s connectivity is reasonable. Three standard USB ports, a multiformat card reader and a DVD optical drive are of note, but there’s also audio input and output jacks and an Ethernet port, as well as HDMI and VGA video outputs too.

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Compared to the much more stylish HP Pavilion DV6, the G6 is something of an ugly duckling, albeit one with significantly more powerful components inside. However, when it comes to real-world tests, there isn’t very much separating the two. If you have multi-threaded applications that can make the most of its quad-core processor then the G6 may perform better, but the cheaper DV6 seems a better buy overall. If you can still find one to pick up, it's definitely worth a shot, especially considering its cheap price. Still undecided? Check out our Best Laptop 2016 buying guide to help you choose which laptop is best for you.

Materials researchers have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries. The procedure is scalable in size, so the use of rechargeable batteries will be optimized in all areas of application-whether in wristwatches, smartphones, laptops or cars, explain scientists. Battery storage capacity will be significantly extended, and charging times reduced, they say.
Materials researchers at the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen and the ETH Zurich have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries. The procedure is scalable in size, so the use of rechargeable batteries will be optimized in all areas of application-whether in wristwatches, smartphones, laptops or cars. Battery storage capacity will be significantly extended, and charging times reduced. The researchers reported on their results in the latest issue of the research journal Nature Energy.

It's not necessary to re-invent the rechargeable battery in order to improve its performance. As Claire Villevieille, head of the battery materials research group at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI says: "In the context of this competitive field, most researchers concentrate on the development of new materials." In cooperation with colleagues at the ETH in Zurich, Villevieille and co-researcher Juliette Billaud took a different approach: "We checked existing components with a view to fully exploiting their potential." Simply by optimizing the graphite anode -- or negative electrode -- on a conventional Li-ion battery, researchers were able to boost battery performance. "Under laboratory conditions, we were able to enhance storage capacity by a factor of up to 3. Owing to their complex construction, commercial batteries will not be able to fully replicate these results. But performance will definitely be enhanced, perhaps by as much as 30 -- 50 percent: further experiments should yield more accurate prognoses."

Researchers point out that in terms of industrial implementation, improving existing components has the great advantage of requiring less developmental input than a new battery design using new materials. As Villevieille says: "We already have everything we need. If a manufacturer were willing to take on production, enhanced batteries could be ready for the market within one or two years." The procedure is simple, cost-effective and scalable for use on rechargeable batteries in all areas of application, from wristwatch to smartphone, from laptop to car. And it has the additional bonus of being transferable to other anode-cathode batteries such as those based on sodium.

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In this case, changing the way anodes work was the key to success. Anodes are made from graphite, i.e. carbon, arranged in tiny, densely packed flakes, comparable in appearance to dark grey cornflakes haphazardly compressed, as in a granola bar. When a Li-ion battery is charging, lithium ions pass from the cathode, or positive metal oxide electrode, through an electrolyte fluid to the anode, where they are stored in the graphite bar. When the battery is in use and thus discharging, the lithium ions pass back to the cathode but are forced to take many detours through the densely packed mass of graphite flakes, compromising battery performance.

These detours are largely avoidable if the flakes are arranged vertically during the anode production process so that they are massed parallel to one another, pointing from the electrode plane in the direction of the cathode. Adapting a method already used in the production of synthetic composite materials, this alignment was achieved by André Studart and a team of research experts in the field of material nanostructuration at the ETH Zurich. The method involves coating the graphite flakes with nanoparticles of iron oxide sensitive to a magnetic field and suspending them in ethanol. The suspended and already magnetized flakes are subsequently subjected to a magnetic field of 100 millitesla-about the strength of a fridge magnet. André Studart explains that "by rotating the magnet during this process, the platelets not only align vertically but in parallel formation to one another, like books on a shelf. As a result, they are perfectly ordered, reducing the diffusion distances covered by the lithium ions to a minimum."

Microscopic images show that if the magnet remains turned on during the ensuing drying process, the platelets keep their new orientation even when removed from the ethanol suspension. Instead of their formerly haphazard arrangement, the flakes in the compressed graphite bar are now parallel, enabling the lithium ions to flow much more easily and quickly, whilst also increasing storage capacity by allowing more ions to dock during the charging process. Claire Villevieille emphasizes that the "chemical composition of batteries remains the same." The remaining iron oxide nanoparticles are negligible in quantity and do not influence battery function. "All we did was optimise the anode structure."

ZAGG’s Bluetooth-enabled Slim Book, the Ultra-Slim Tablet Keyboard & Detachable Case is a product worth checking out. I received one in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro size for hands-on review, and my colleague Bryan Wolfe received the 12.9-inch iPad Pro version.The Slim Book consists of two separate pieces. One piece is a basic case, a shell that fits snugly onto the iPad. It’s specially designed to fit perfectly with the other piece, the Bluetooth keyboard. The case slides securely into the keyboard two ways: facing the keyboard, so you can use it like a laptop, or facing away from the keyboard, so you can use the keyboard as a stable base when watching videos.

Your viewing angles are unlimited between zero and 135°, like a laptop. Whichever way you put the Slim Book together, you can place it the angle of your choice. ZAGG claims the battery lasts up to two years with normal usage. I didn’t test it out for two years, but in the three weeks I tested it out daily, I never charged it nor ran out of power.The keyboard is backlit. You can adjust the backlight through three different brightness levels and seven different colors.

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