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the Bose SoundLink Mini

Mini Bluetooth speakers continue to get better, but it's still hard to find ones that qualify as being exceptional. The Sony SRS-X3, one of the smaller models in Sony's 2014 lineup of portable Bluetooth speakers, stands out as one of the better minis out there and is a likable wireless speaker for its compact size and $150 price point (£129 UK, AU$199).

I'm a fan of the step-up SRS-X5, which retails for $50 more and performs better (when plugged in anyway) but it's almost twice the X3's size. This model seems designed to compete with the Bose SoundLink Mini and delivers big sound for its compact size. It basically plays as loud as the Bose and sounds arguably as good or better, though it can distort a little at higher volumes. (Sony completists should note, however, that there's also a smaller, cheaper SRS-X2 available, too.

In hand, it feels sturdy and has some heft to it, weighing around 1.75 pounds (795 grams), with two 10-watt 1.3-inch (3.3 cm) drivers and dual passive bass radiators. Its design is straightforward and elegant and the speaker itself has a nice, smooth-to-the-touch finish. It comes in a few different colors, including black, red, and the white model I tested. Alas, no protective carrying case is included, but Sony does sell one for $20.

As far as extra features go, you get speakerphone capabilities along with NFC tap-to-pair technology for smartphones that support it. There's an audio input for non-Bluetooth devices and battery life is rated at around 7 hours, which is good but not great. The speaker charges via Micro-USB and -- unlike the X5 -- plays at full power when working off its rechargeable battery (the X5 plays louder when plugged in).

the Bose SoundLink Mini

Mini Bluetooth speakers continue to get better, but it's still hard to find ones that qualify as being exceptional. The Sony SRS-X3, one...

21:35

Intel 3rd Gen i7 vs Intel 4th Gen i5: Which one is better

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egjCloiZ-V4/U90_cCl_I7I/AAAAAAAAAHM/pCAow51zy9c/s1600/180px-Intel_Inside_2011-Present.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egjCloiZ-V4/U90_cCl_I7I/AAAAAAAAAHM/pCAow51zy9c/s1600/180px-Intel_Inside_2011-Present.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The mobile i5's are good for what you are looking for if all you are doing is school work and gaming. Some mobile i5's are dual core with hyper-threading others are quad cores with no hyper-threading.Make sure it is a quad core i5 not a dual core i5 if you want to use your laptop for gaming. The only true deference between the 3rd gen and 4th gen CPUs are power consumption, the 4th gen CPU's are better for laptops because they will extend your battery life of the laptop, Also Haswell is 10% over all over the 3rd gen CPU's but in real world performance the end user will not be able to tell a true difference between the two chips.

Intel 3rd Gen i7 vs Intel 4th Gen i5: Which one is better

The mobile i5's are good for what you are looking for if all you are doing is school work and gaming. Some mobile i5's are dual co...

12:44

Hugs For A Dollar ..! ARE you Ready..?

Hugs For A Dollar ..! ARE you Ready..?

21:49

Funniest Video In The World Ever 2014 NEW Try Not To LAUGH or Grin Extreme Challenge

Funniest Video In The World Ever 2014 NEW Try Not To LAUGH or Grin Extreme Challenge

10:28

The Best Advertisement For The 2014 FIFA World Cup

The Best Advertisement For The 2014 FIFA World Cup

07:49

Scout Willis goes topless over Instagram nipple ban

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYEBfCR7Afw/U4oZf0As9XI/AAAAAAAAFYc/YQ3212dMB2Q/s1600/_75170880_scoutwillis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYEBfCR7Afw/U4oZf0As9XI/AAAAAAAAFYc/YQ3212dMB2Q/s1600/_75170880_scoutwillis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Bruce Willis' daughter Scout has staged a topless protest over Instagram's removal of a picture featuring women's nipples. The 22-year-old daughter of Demi Moore and Willis tweeted a picture of herself walking in New York on Tuesday. In a series of tweets, she used the hashtag #FreeTheNipple to protest at the website's anti-nudity policy. Instagram's terms of use ban members from posting nude or partially nude photos. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3xyN5W3zSs/U4oZf4V1SHI/AAAAAAAAFYo/0G2GIVMORvc/s1600/_75170878_782c6d1e-1aeb-479c-b73b-c0f93972d68a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3xyN5W3zSs/U4oZf4V1SHI/AAAAAAAAFYo/0G2GIVMORvc/s1600/_75170878_782c6d1e-1aeb-479c-b73b-c0f93972d68a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Its terms of use state: "You may not post violent, nude, partially nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos or other content via the service." Scout (far right) was photographed in 2006 with father Bruce and sisters Rumer and Tallulah Ms Willis had posted a sweatshirt she designed featuring two topless women, which was taken down by the website. In response she tweeted: "@instagram there is no way 2 contact you directly, I would really appreciate response b/c you took a lot of memories from me b/c u h8 nips." As well as sharing the picture of her walking along the street on Twitter, she also uploaded an image showing her buying flowers at a street stall. Ms Willis' actions have attracted plenty of attention on social media with many supporting the 22-year-old. John Morden tweeted: "Full support for @Scout_Willis campaigning to end topless censorship, #freethenipple."</div>

Scout Willis goes topless over Instagram nipple ban

Bruce Willis' daughter Scout has staged a topless protest over Instagram's removal of a picture featuring women's nipples. The 2...

11:04

Where Google trains its drivers not to drive

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">During a recent visit to Google headquarters in Mountain View , Calif. campus , I have an idea of what the future of " undriving ' might look like. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e_K89--RGcI/U4oYid6b9VI/AAAAAAAAFYY/6qlADfYbGus/s1600/p01zvx4z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e_K89--RGcI/U4oYid6b9VI/AAAAAAAAFYY/6qlADfYbGus/s1600/p01zvx4z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> As Google reveals plans for unmanned vehicles to build yourself , Jack Stewart gets a glimpse into the robot driving school business . I had access to the team behind self-propelled vehicle from the search giant program . Part of Google X , the company's research branch semi - secret , the crew is hiding the public eye . I was there to find out what is required to use this technology and how it feels to be a test pilot of Google ; a back seat to the vehicle computers , even when he was behind the wheel . It was an interesting time to see how the unmanned vehicles are ready for the road. Today Google announced plans to begin building their own vehicles , instead of relying on other manufacturers . Until now , Google has been installed in existing technology driverless cars like the Toyota Prius and Lexus RX450hs . However, Google will own vehicles cute little city car with smiling faces , not threatening , and pedestrian crash characteristics . The reasoning of the company is that if your car will be autonomous, it is not necessary to follow conventional designs . Although the new cars from Google have been designed to make long strips and pedals refrain top Google wants cars fit specific controls of man , which can be connected and layered on top of self-control , so that cars can be safely tested on public roads . They will be very similar to traveling in the car with a steering wheel and pedals as human driver to take over . New prototype of an unmanned vehicle was unveiled today by Google ( Google ) They can not touch the main part of a disk , the controls but still have to be here, should still remain alert, scanning the road for their mistakes of independent directors . Ultimately it is a success as the trips are as uncomplicated as possible . "During the trip, which is fine if it's boring, because it means that it is safe," said Brian Torcellini , chief test pilot of Google and the man responsible for the formation of other drivers not to drive . He is a member of the team since 2009 , and was one of the first pilots of autonomous vehicles . Current fleet of Google - a few dozen cars - live the base for Google in Mountain View. The Google test pilots can not take it home . The early blue Toyota Prius vehicles are replaced with bright white Lexus SUV . They are easy to recognize; with a laser scanner rather rude on the roof , and the company logo in the primary colors on the side. " Pilots check in, as anyone would do in the morning , " says Torcellini . " They take the car out , a number of tests , and then go back and check the car out and loads the data . " Trained by the ends Google Leads must learn to let the machine do the driving - but are also encouraged to be very careful about the ability of the vehicle to be . If you are ever the least bit uncomfortable with the way the team lead feel, they are told to immediately wrest control away with the press of a pedal or turn the steering wheel . Then engineers can gather information from computers and simulate and extrapolate what the car had . The comparison between the hypothetical human intervention and action can be used to improve the software of the car. Although they are supposed to be careful, the directors are also trained by the ends . Take cars slalom and skid pans on a test track , to truly experience how they perform in the limit . These are conditions that are very unlikely to encounter , but the hope is that if they ice , such as computers will know how to respond. "Most of the driving is not driving around cones " Torcellini says , " but we feel that the best thing to do is to educate our people . " So what is it like to sit in a car driven by a computer? There is certainly no lateral sliding on curves in the day I was sitting in the back seat of an SUV Google , one of the first generation of vehicles throughout the company with the steering wheel . It appears that one of the biggest challenges for the car starts to hit the road ; drivers should allow the checks to our negotiate the parking lot to hear the soothing female tone of the advertisement " car driving" which tells us that taking over the team away. " Making History " "Many of the parking lots , in some way , are more complicated than the street ," said Alyssa , the safety controller . Often there are no proper road markings , and are full of people running in all directions and obstacles such as shopping carts . It 's the kind of busy human driving environment with heavy danger can handle , instinctively , but that might be a computer. Less obvious to The crew also helps refine the software of the car, keeping the driving experience , updated on a laptop in the passenger seat . "We are constantly leaving comments about little things that we think might be softer and more human-like ," says Alyssa . Trials are essential to the heart of how you feel the trip for the passengers and the people around them . The goal is to driving the car seems logical to integrate with other cars , good and not feel unstable or flickering . The car accelerates at a fair pace , and faces other traffic , cyclists and pedestrians , as the camera phones , ready , seem to get . Digestion of us whiz Even in Silicon Valley , unmanned vehicles to draw attention in a way that an owner would envy Ferrari - something that both drivers are're used . "Many people have the idea that we have a really good job - and we do," says Loren . "This is history in the making, and it's great to be a part of. " The board Torcellini if you drive a car without a job of steering sense? "We are looking for people with common sense , " he says. It can be difficult to determine in a sit -down interview on the recruitment process is multistage , and includes an interview of driving . The process is difficult, but as the company expands fleet as ambitious as Google suggests further notice , one thing is clear . It will be a need for more human drivers test before we fully computer controlled cars in the world .</div>

Where Google trains its drivers not to drive

During a recent visit to Google headquarters in Mountain View , Calif. campus , I have an idea of what the future of " undriving '...

11:00