Feedback Loop: Ultrabooks, discrete graphics, Google Voice replacements and more!
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week.
Happy Saturday! This week, we took a look at Ultrabooks with discrete graphics cards, debated the merits of smartwatches, discussed viable alternatives to Google Voice, talked about how we discover new apps and fondly remembered some of our earliest RSS feeds. Head on past the break and join the conversation in the Engadget forums.
Ultrabooks and discrete graphics cards
Lightweight and powerful enough for most tasks, Ultrabooks are really convenient. But what if you want to use one for gaming? Neuromancer2701 is looking for Ultrabooks that contain a discrete video card. The Maingear Pulse 14 looks right up his alley, but are there other options he should consider in order to get his gaming on? Help him out!
What's up with smartwatches?
Earlier this week, Google announced its Android Wear initiative, which will bring Android to more wearable devices. Additionally, Engadget readers picked the Samsung Galaxy Gear as the best wearable device of 2013. All of this love and attention for wearable devices has caused Frankspin to wonder: What's the big deal with smartwatches? Do you think wearables like the Pebble, Galaxy Gear and Moto 360 are a passing fad or is there something bigger happening? Sound off in the forums!
Alternatives to Google Voice
This week, we had two interesting discussions about alternatives to Google Voice! In the first, I ask about viable Google Voice competitors that people are happy with. In the second, groovechicken documents his experience leaving Google services and shares his own research on how to best replace Google Voice. Do you utilize this Google service and have you thought about how you would replace it?
How do you discover new apps?
Frankspin is on a roll this week and has another interesting discussion on how to best discover new apps. Do you use a service? Do you rely on the advice of friends? Share your secrets for discovering all those hot new apps before they become trendy.
RSS is dead. Long live RSS!
It's been awhile since Google Reader's demise. Despite this, RSS still remains an important way for many people to get and consume content on the internet. Some of us have been using some sort of RSS service or app for a long time. Dignan17 wants to know the oldest saved RSS story you have in your feeds.
That's all this week! Do you want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
