MediaTek vs. Snapdragon vs. Intel Processors Comparison

 MediaTek vs. Snapdragon vs. Intel Processors Comparison

Processors of mobile devices i.e. smartphones, tablets etc. have become very fast and advanced which allows you to complete any task with ease. Smartphones and Tablets processors are also known as mobile SoC or System on a chip as all components like digital, analog, mixed signals, radio frequency functions, graphics, memory controller etc. are integrated on a single chip. Currently there is a huge competition in the mobile processors segment because of the growing demand and use of Smartphones, Tablets and Netbooks.

Like desktop and laptop processors, processors of smartphones and tablets have improved a lot both in the performance and power consumption departments. Here in this post I will tell you about the major smartphones & tablets processors which include MediaTek, Snapdragon & Intel and also compare them in various departments.

 

Overview of Mediatek, Snapdragon and Intel Atom Processor

Here below is the brief overview of MediaTek, Snapdragon and Intel mobile processors.

MediaTek

MediaTek is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Taiwan. It is relatively new in manufacturing processors for smartphones & tablets but has gained wide popularity and reorganization in smartphones industry because of their cost effective processors. MediaTek processors are generally cheap and are they are widely used in budget to mid-range smartphones. MediaTek range of processors includes single core, dual core, quad core, hexa core, octa core and deca core processors.
Here are the various Mediatek processor models.
Mediatek Processors – MT6752, MT6582, MT6592, MT6595, MT6732, MT6735, MT6737, MT6738, MT6750, MT6752, MT6753, MT6795, Helio X20, Helio X25.
Helio X20 and Helio X25 are the top of the line processors from Mediatek and they are in competition with Snapdragon 820. Helio X20 and Helio X25 are Deca-core processors which mean they have 10 cores and it is the most for a mobile processor right now. They are built on the new and innovative Tri-cluster CPU architecture having ten processor cores. They consume low power, gives enhanced gaming performance, supports 32MP camera and much more. Below are the clock speeds of Helio X20 and Helio X25 processors from Mediatek.

	Helio X20	Helio X25
CPU Clock Speed	2.3GHz	2.5GHz
GPU Clock Speed	780MHz	800MHz

It is rumored that the upcoming smartphone Meizu Pro 6 will have Helio X25 processor in it.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon processors are manufactured by Qualcomm, an American company headquartered in San Diego, California. Snapdragon processors are known for its high quality and high performance, and they are used in smartphones and other mobile devices. Generally you will find Snapdragon processors in mid to high end smartphones or phones from well known brands. Snapdragon range of processors includes single core, dual core, quad core, hexa core and octa core processors.
Here are the all processor models from Snapdragon.
Snapdragon 200 Series – Snapdragon 200, Snapdragon 208, Snapdragon 210, Snapdragon 212.
Snapdragon 400 Series – Snapdragon 400, Snapdragon 410, Snapdragon 412, Snapdragon 415, Snapdragon 425, Snapdragon 430, Snapdragon 435, Snapdragon 427.
Snapdragon 600 Series – Snapdragon 600, Snapdragon 602A, Snapdragon 615, Snapdragon 616, Snapdragon 617, Snapdragon 625, Snapdragon 650, Snapdragon 652, Snapdragon 653, Snapdragon 626.
Snapdragon 800 Series – Snapdragon 800, Snapdragon 801, Snapdragon 805, Snapdragon 808, Snapdragon 810, Snapdragon 820, Snapdragon 821, Snapdragon 830, Snapdragon 835.
Here higher the number the powerful and latest is the processor. Currently Snapdragon 820 is the most powerful and advanced processor from Snapdragon and it is used in latest high-end Smartphones like OnePlus 3, LG G5, HP Elite x3, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, HTC 10, Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe.
Snapdragon 820 is one of the fastest mobile processor ever built.  It is a 64-bit Quad core processor (Kyro) that can reach speeds to up to 2.2 GHz. The GPU in Snapdragon 820 SoC is Adreno 530 which is more than powerful enough to play any latest HD game. Snapdragon 820 can support 4k Ultra HD display, Quick Charge 3.0, NFC, X12 LTE, 25MP camera, Hexagon 680 DSP and much more features.
Snapdragon 821 processor has been launched by Qualcomm recently and it is about 10 percent faster than the Snapdragon 820 processor.

Intel

Intel as we all know is the world leader in manufacturing computer processors. Intel has now begin using their Atom range of processors in some of the smartphones and tablets. Intel Atom range of processors are low powered (i.e. low voltage) & high performance based processors for mobile devices i.e. Netbooks, Tablets and Smartphones. With Intel Atom processor you will get more battery life from your smartphone, tablet or netbook as they are very well optimized. There are only few smarpthones equipped with Intel processors and they are: Asus Zenfone and Asus Zenfone 2. Intel is no more in the smartphone’s mobile processors business.

Comparison of MediaTek, Snapdragon and Intel Atom Processors

Here is a general and technical comparison between MediaTek, Snapdragon and Intel Atom mobile processors.

	MediaTek	Snapdragon	Intel Atom
Manufacturer	MediaTek, Taiwan	Qualcomm, USA	Intel, USA
Architecture	ARM	ARM	Silvermont
GPU	PowerVR / Mali Series	Adreno Series	PowerVR Series
Processor Cores	1/2/4/6/8/10	1/2/4/6/8	4
Processor Type	32-Bit / 64-Bit	32-Bit / 64-Bit	64-Bit
Usage	Smartphones, Tablets	Smartphones, Tablets, Smartbook	Smartphones, Tablets, Netbook
Power / Battery Consumption	Low	Moderate and some processors have overheating Issues	Low
Performance	Moderate to Good	High	Very Good
Cost	Comparatively Cheaper	Expensive	Moderately Priced

Conclusion

Well at the end I would like to say that each processor has its own plus points. So if you are going for a Smartphone under Rs. 15k then MediaTek processors offers excellent value money, and if you are getting a smartphone in price range higher than 15k then Snapdragon processors are the ones to choose as they offer excellent performance and features. But now MediaTek has also started manufacturing high-end processors like MT6752, MT6595 which offers similar or sometimes better performance than equivalent Snapdragon counterparts. So they are giving a tough competition to the Snapdragon processors.
Intel processors for smartphones are very new in the market and only few smartphones have them, but they have shown very good performance in benchmarks and real world applications. Also battery on Intel Atom processors last longer as they are very efficient in power management keeping the performance intact. So it’s now your choice to decide on which processor to choose as I have explained and compared each one of them very clearly.
To Sum it Up,
For High-end & Top notch Performance – Snapdragon
For both Performance and Affordable Price (Value for Money) – Mediatek
Result: If I have to conclude then the overall best processor is the Snapdragon.
Update: Intel is officially shutting down its Atom Processors for Smartphones which means you won’t see them around now.
Important Note: It must be noted that higher number of cores does not always equates to better performance. The main thing that matters in a processor is its architecture.
Have Any Queries? Then Ask me
If you have queries regarding these mobile processors or want to know which one you should go with then do not hesitate and ask me by leaving a comment below clearly stating your requirements or needs.

Top 10 Best Android Smartphone Accessories

There are always some new smartphone accessories coming out on the market. These range from things like fitness trackers, wearables, cases, chargers, cables and just about everything in between. This list is full of newer smartphone accessories that are worth taking a look at, and with the holiday season coming up pretty quickly, these all make great gift ideas. Of course for more gift ideas you can check out our holiday gift guides.
Amazon Echo Dot

The Echo Dot is going to be a pretty popular product this holiday season and part of that is due to its price. Coming in at under $50, the Echo Dot is a fantastic product to pick up. It’s a speaker, but with a personal assistant built in. It has Amazon’s Alexa which can control all sorts of things including the lights and outlets in your home, from your voice. Buy the Amazon Echo Dot Fitbit Flex 2

This is the latest from Fitbit, and it’s a successor to their hugely popular Flex fitness tracker. The Flex 2 is still the only fitness tracker from Fitbit that doesn’t show the time. Instead it shows an array of LED lights to show you how close you are to achieving your activity goal. The Flex 2 is also waterproof and can track your swimming, which is pretty impressive, and something you don’t see with many other fitness trackers today.
Buy the Fitbit Flex 2 ASUS ZenWatch 3

The ASUS ZenWatch 3 is a great smartwatch to pick up. It’s compatible with any Android smartphone as well as most iOS devices. It does run Android Wear, and will be getting the upgrade to Android Wear 2.0 next year. This is ASUS’ first round smartwatch, and it’s definitely a looker.
Buy the ASUS ZenWatch 3

Anker USB-C to Micro USB Adapter

With more and more smartphones coming out with USB-C ports instead of micro USB ports lately, these adapters are definitely going to come in handy. They will easily turn your micro USB cables into USB-C cables. So you don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of new cables, just spend a few bucks on adapters.

Buy the Anker USB-C to Micro USB Adapter

AUKEY 30,000mAh Portable Charger

Need some extra power? AUKEY has you covered with their 30,000mAh portable charger here. This includes multiple USB ports, and also has a Quick Charge 3.0 port. This is going to allow you to charge your smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and much more even faster than normal.

Buy the AUKEY 30,000mAh Portable Charger

WeMo Switch Smart Plug

Interested in getting into the smart home space, but don’t have a ton of money to spend on it? The WeMo Switch Smart Plug is a great place to start. It’s a smart outlet that you can install anywhere, and be able to control whatever is plugged into it from your smartphone. Sounds good, right? It gets even better. It works with Alexa, so you can control it with your voice.

Buy the WeMo Switch Smart Plug

Fitbit Charge 2

This is Fitbit’s successor to their Charge HR, and it’s a pretty great upgrade. The Charge 2 features everything that the Charge HR did plus a larger display which shows you more information. But it also has a more accurate heart rate monitor, as well as the ability to track even more workouts, even automatically.

Buy the Fitbit Charge 2

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa

The Amazon Fire TV Stick was already a great streaming stick for your TV, but now this newer version has Alexa built in. Allowing you to use Amazon’s personal assistant to find movies and TV shows to watch and so much more. And it’s still cheaper than most of the competitors that are out there.

Buy the Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa

Roku Premiere+ Streaming Media Player

This is another great option for a streaming media player. The Roku Premiere+ is a streaming media player that does include 4K content. So you are able to take full advantage of that 4K TV that you have in your living room. All of your favorite channels are available on the Premiere+, like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and many more.

Buy the Roku Premiere+ Streaming Media Player

Xiaomi Mi Box

If the Fire TV Stick and Roku Premiere+ weren’t your cup of tea, Xiaomi has something even better. A set-top box that runs on Android TV. So not only are all of your favorite apps there, but all of your favorite games are also included. Additionally, it can be controlled from your smartphone, since it does include the Cast functionality from Google’s Chromecast.

Buy the Xiaomi Mi Box

Razer's Absurd New Laptop Is a Multi-Screen Transformer

Razer's Absurd New Laptop Is a Multi-Screen Transformer

Multiple monitors that'll fit in your backpack.

Gaming laptops can seem like a great option for anyone who doesn't want to be chained to a desk, or can't afford to have a desktop computer for gaming and then a laptop for everything else. But even though gaming laptops can be pretty dang powerful, they just can't match the glorious screen-space of a three-monitor "battlestation" set-up. At least, they couldn't.

Razer's Project Valerie, a concept laptop announced at CES this year, attempts to solve that problem with two extra screens which slide out from either side of the main screen at the push of a button. That means when fully expanded, Project Valerie rocks not one but three 17.3-inch 4K screens for a total resolution of 11,520 x 2160 pixels or about two Macbook Air screens tall and exactly eight Macbook Air screens wide—not physically of course; Valerie just packs the same amount of pixels.

about two Macbook Air screens tall and eight Macbook Air screens wide

Such bonkers resolution comes with downsides, though. It takes a seriously powerful graphics card to push one 4K display's worth of pixels. Three requires even more. To that end, Valerie packs a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, the most powerful desktop graphics card that currently exists. Now, for the second downside—that huge graphics card also means the Valerie is pretty big. It's just a little bit thinner than three Macbook Airs stacked on top of each other. At just under 12 pounds its heavy, too. Not for a what amounts to a full-on gaming PC, no. But for a laptop, most definitely yes. As for battery life? We're not even sure how you could scrape by with more than an hour at best, making this device seem even more impractical.

Of course the biggest thing to note about Project Valerie is that it's just a concept device. It's not for sale, doesn't have a price, and may never actually be purchasable in its current form. This is just Razer taking an opportunity to show off. In 2015, Razer announced a modular desktop PC concept called "Project Christine." It never came out, and there's no guarantee this will either. If it does, it will probably be mind-numbingly expensive. But even if Razer never makes this laptop at scale, it's impressive that it was even able to make it at all.

Asus's Zenfone AR and Zenfone 3 Zoom

Asus's Zenfone AR and Zenfone 3 Zoom

LAS VEGAS—Augmented reality isn't quite here yet, but Asus's Zenfone AR is. Someone always needs to solve the chicken-and-egg problem with new technologies, offering up the hardware for developers to start writing software for. And much more than Lenovo's giant Phab 2 Pro phablet $499.99 at Amazon, the Zenfone AR feels like what an augmented-reality phone should feel like. We got a look at it and its dual-camera cousin, the Zenfone 3 Zoom, here at CES.
Tango is Google's augmented reality system. Augmented reality, like in Microsoft's HoloLens, adds virtual elements and tags to the real world rather than generating a purely virtual world to replace the real world.
The Zenfone AR is a slim, handsome 5.7-inch phone with a textured back and a very bright, sharp 2,560-by-1,440 Super AMOLED screen. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat on a fast Snapdragon 821 processor and works with Google's Daydream VR platform as well as Tango AR.
Downer: the AR software didn't run on the phones in the demo area. But the key advance here is that the AR feels good in the hand, and it doesn't appear to be festooned with cameras on the back. But it is: it has a main 23MP camera, along with a motion-tracking camera and a depth-sensing camera, apparently.

Asus said the phone will come with 8GB of RAM to speed up AR processing, but the demo phones had 6GB. An Asus demo person said that there will be 6GB and 8GB models of the phone.
The key question about Tango is when good, useful AR software would arrive. Asus brought out Jeff Kirwan, president of the Gap, who showed off an app which lets you fit clothes onto virtual models to see how they'd hang on your body. Johnny Lee, Google Tango's director of engineering, showed a Hot Wheels game which lets you play with cars on a virtual table.
Both apps had the AR feature of letting you walk around a virtual object and see different sides of it. But neither had the AR value of annotating or understanding the room you're in and its furniture; the Hot Wheels game wasn't happening on an actual table. Aside from the "walking around it" aspect, it wasn't clear what AR was really bringing to the table here.

"When we can allow developers to attach virtual objects to places in physics spaces and start to anchor them, we can start to leave permanent levles in places like museums. You'll start to see that later this year as we start to see the content partners," Lee said.
There are about 30 Tango apps out there right now, but "we expect dozens of Tango enabled apps to be coming out in the next few months," Lee said. "There's something growing for everyone in the app ecosystem."
The Zenfone AR is coming out in the second quarter of this year.

Hands On With The Zenfone 3 Zoom

The Zenfone 3 Zoom looks and feels like more of a midrange phone. It's the plastic body, really, although let's note it also packs a midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. The phone has a gigantic 5000mAh battery inside, which is quite surprising because it isn't very thick. Hopefully, there are no Galaxy Note-like shenanigans of trying to fit too big a battery into too small a space here.
The Zoom's major trick is that it takes an iPhone 7 Plus$769.99 at T-Mobile approach to dual cameras, with one 12MP camera at 25mm and the other at 56mm. Like on the iPhone 7 Plus, that creates a virtual optical zoom, with the second camera acting as a 2.3x zoom.

Like on the iPhone 7 Plus, the zoom is instantaneous, because it isn't really zooming; it's just switching lenses. Asus's camera app for the Zoom also allows for bokeh effects, where you blur out the background but keep the foreground in focus.
There are a slew of other camera features in here, too. Asus advertised the camera's large 1.4-micron pixels, dual pixel autofocus for fast low-light focusing, a color-correction sensor, and a special enhanced low-light mode that I've seen on other Asus phones, which actually does work.
I wasn't able to really test Asus's camera assertions in the very controlled environment of the demo room. But the camera app did come up quickly, and the low-light capabilities—in the demo room—seemed great.
Oddly, the model I tried was running Android 6.0.1, which really shouldn't be happening in 2017. Asus said Android 7.0 Nougat is coming.
Why the Snapdragon 625, by the way? Asus says it's for power efficiency, letting the phone get an insane 40 days of standby time. But I think, looking at the plastic budy, that it's also about cost. Asus didn't announce a price for the phone, which is coming out in February, but I'm hoping it'll end up more in the $500 range than the $650 range.

Canon EOS 1300D or Nikon D3400 ?

 Canon EOS 1300D or Nikon D3400  ?

Take a look and the specification comparison between Nikon D3400 and Canon 1300D. Both are entry level DSLR made for beginners .

Sensor: Both the camera both camera uses APS-C format sensor, however the sensor of Nikon D3400 is slightly less in size compared to the sensor of 1300D.

If you look at the resolution of both the camera, then you can see that 1300D remains limited to 18 megapixel resolution, whereas the Nikon D3400 features 24 megapixel sensor. Having more resolution will give you more details in your images and a option to crop your images and create our desired composition later on.

AF System: The Canon 1300D and Nikon D3400 camera features hybrid auto-focus system. The 1300D features 9 Phase AF points whereas Nikon D3400 features 11 Point auto focus system. We can say the difference is negligible. Nikon greater number of AF points compare to Canon.

The Nikon D3300 camera features ISO range upto 25600 whereas the Canon DSLR remains limited to 12800. it’s a single stop difference between both the camera but it will sure put noticeable difference on the image quality of both camera during low light test.

Continuous shooting is speed of Nikon D3300 is 5 frames per second where is the continuous shooting is speed of Canon 1300D DSLR camera is only 3 frames per second. If you look at the difference, the Canon 1300D will going to miss 2 frame every second when you will put both the camera in sports mode and it’s a very big difference while you are capturing a sports event.

The video quality of Nikon entry level DSLR is excellent, Nikon D3400 camera can capture full HD videos @ 60 frames per second as well as 24 frames per second where is Canon 1300 Full HD limited to 30 frames per second. If you are interested in recording videos then you must go with Nikon D 3200 camera.

The battery of Nikon DSLR is very much improved compared to the Canon entry level 1300D DSLR, on a single battery Recharge the Nikon D3400 camera and capture 1200 shots without any trouble, now 1300D battery remains limited to 500 shots only.

Conclusion Nikon D3400 features excellent core specification compared to Canon entry level DSLR camera, the Nikon features more resolution, better ISO range, advance AF mode and better video recording option. We highly recommend you to buy Nikon D3400 camera.

Dell’s Latitude 7285 to be world’s first wireless charging 2-in-1

The new laptop will be able to work with the company’s WiGig wireless dock system

Ads by Kiosked

Dell's new Latitude 7285 2-in-1 laptop and wireless charging pad. Credit: WiTricity

Dell today announced that it is working with WiTricity to enable its Latitude 7285 -- a 12-in. tablet with a detachable keyboard dock -- to be the industry's first 2-in-1 laptop to incorporate wireless charging.
Dell plans to begin selling the laptop in June; it will have an embedded wireless receiving coil based on magnetic resonance technology from WiTricity, which will comply with the AirFuel wireless charging specification.

IDG

A WiTricity charging coil similar to the one that will be embedded in the new Dell Latitude 7285 2-in-1 laptop.

"Innovative IT teams see a future with no wires, including wireless power, as a key step toward improvements in mobility and convenience," Neil Hand, Dell's vice president of Product Strategy and Innovation, said in a statement. "WiTricity's wireless charging technology makes it possible to integrate magnetic resonance in today's thin, iconic computing products."
Dell will sell a WiTricity charging pad for the Latitude 7285, which will be completely cordless. It will be the first Dell product that can work with the company's own WiGig wireless dock system.

Dell

Dell's WiGig wireless dock system.

"Dell continues their drive to be first to market with relevant new technology. This collaboration between Dell and WiTricity is making the wireless workplace a reality for customers around the globe," said Alex Gruzen, CEO of WiTricity. "The Dell Latitude 7285 not only enables a more productive working environment, but accelerates establishment of a broader magnetic resonance-powered wireless charging ecosystem for a wide range of devices."
Dell plans to demonstrated the Latitude 7285 at the 2017 CES Show on Friday. The 2-in-1 will be powered by Intel's new Kaby Lake processors and have a Sharp IGZO display with up to 3K resolution. Dell plans to offer several different keyboard dock options.
"The laptop is key for the workplace of the future, enabling a wire-free environment that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also creates a more efficient and mobile office," WiTricity said in a statement.
In 2015, Intel announced it was also working on wireless charging technology for laptops and had said in 2014 it was working with WiTricity on the technology. Intel said it was creating a system that could transfer up to 20 watts of power -- about four times the amount smartphone wireless chargers put out.

Intel's wireless charging, like Dell's, was supposed to be based on a magnetic resonance specifications that emerged from a merger between two former competing standards groups, the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA); those groups combined to form the AirFuel Alliance, which has more than 195 members.
The Qi alliance remains the other competitive standards group. Intel was supposed to announce its wireless charging technology sometime in 2016, but cancelled its work on the technology last spring.
Even so, research firm IHS has predicted wireless charging technology will generate $8.5 billion in revenue by 2018. That's 40 times the $216 million it generated 2013.

Samsung re-enters mobile gaming race with new Odyssey notebook line

Samsung has officially re-entered the gaming market at CES 2017 with the introduction two Odyssey-branded portable gaming notebooks.
The Samsung Notebook Odyssey will be offered in your choice of 15.6-inch (280 nits) or 17.3-inch (300 nits) screen sizes, both of which feature an anti-glare panel with a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, and up to Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake processors.

The smaller of the two machines packs an Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU and can accommodate up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. As for storage, the 15.6-incher is configurable with up to a 256GB PCIe SSD and a 1TB hard drive while the larger 17.3-inch model has room for up to 64GB of RAM and up to 512GB of PCIe solid state storage (which appears to be 2x 256GB drives) and a 1TB HDD.

Samsung hasn’t yet decided what GPU it’ll use in the larger model.
The smaller Odyssey tips the scales at 5.58 pounds (2.53 kilograms) while its bigger brother weighs a bit more at 8.36 pounds (3.79 kilograms). As is the case with most recent gaming laptops, there is no shortage of customizable LED lighting.

To keep temperatures down, Samsung has employed a cooling system called HexaFlow in which the bottom panel of each notebook largely consists of perforated cooling vents. Three screws hold the removable HexaFlow vent in place; removing them grants access to the system’s innards where you can add or replace storage drives and system memory.
Availability and pricing hasn’t been released although several reports mention an unofficial “early 2017” launch starting at $1,199.

 

8 Tips from Entrepreneurs Who Grew Startups into Successful Businesses

These eight founders and CEOs have advice for business newbies, so that we can reach success faster and easier than they did.

The difference between a startup and a hugely successful business is often a few years (or more!), tons of hard work, a pinch of luck, vision, and timing. The vast majority of successful businesses, corporations and entities were at one time a startup. That's right--the Starbucks and Walmarts of the world were once mom and pop joints struggling to get by. If you're an entrepreneur or startup yourself, you probably already know that over 90 percent of all new businesses fail. The odds are stacked against you, and it's one tough lesson after another to be learned.

But why learn all those rough and tumble lessons yourself when others have already blazed the trail for you? A lot of successful CEOs and founders who were once in your shoes are happy to dole out advice, but are you ready to take it?
Let's start off with 5 famous entrepreneurs and then go into 3 up and coming entrepreneurs.
CEO Elon Musk of Tesla, Solar City & Space X

Knowing how to take criticism is vital for Musk. "Take as much feedback from as many people as you can about whatever idea you have...seek critical feedback. Ask them what's wrong. You often have to draw it out in a nuanced way to figure out what's wrong," advises Musk. People don't like to complain or point out faults, but that's what will make your business stronger.

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Remember: You don't have to agree with them or necessarily follow their suggestions. But the more feedback you have, the more information you'll have to make the right decisions for your business.
CEO Steve Jobs of Apple

Who would have thought Jobs had such a soft side? He attributes love to being a major driving force with hiring decisions. "When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante. They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because, if they fall in love with Apple; everything else will take care of itself. They'll want to do what's best for Apple, not what's best for them, what's best for Steve or anybody else."
Your business will always be your baby, no matter how small or big it is. Just like your real baby, you want to hire a nanny that loves your bundle of joy almost as much as you do. That's what fosters a healthy, happy baby (whether it has 10fingers and 10toes or 20 board members).
CEO Steve Ells of Chipotle

"I had a very strong vision for the way Chipotle was going to look and taste," recalls Ells when talking about the history of what's now one of the most well-known "fast food eateries" (sans drive through window). An art history major who went to culinary school after college because of his passion for cooking, he was inspired by the economic model of Chipotle while eating at a small neighborhood taqueria. He used what he learned at culinary school and while working at a restaurant to "really elevate fast food."
The lesson from Ells? Follow your cravings (sometimes literally!), learn first-hand from various viewpoints of your industry, and find a unique way to do something better.
(God, I love Chipotle.)
CEO Richard Branson of Virgin

Branson's all about passion projects and has been since he founded Virgin at just 20 years old. "When I started Virgin from a basement in West London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn't set out to build a business empire. For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that's going to make a real difference to other people's lives," he tells Business Insider.
Of course, you can't find success on passion alone. However, if you're a huge book lover with a degree in English but have zero experience in search engine optimization (but you hear it's a cash cow!), you likely won't have success in SEO. You have zero passion, zero experience, and a whole lot of competition. You already know what you love--find a way for it to make you money.
CEO Jerry Murrell of Five Guys

"Do you want fries with that?" is a line that got Murrell rich--not a dig at a subpar career path. Murrell didn't find success as an entrepreneur until his four sons were college-aged (but didn't want to go to college!).
Jerry and his four sons became the Five Guys. This is a true family owned business, and well after launch day Murrell still worked at his career in stocks and bonds.
"We figure our best salesman is our customer. Treat that person right, he'll walk out the door and sell for you. From the beginning, I wanted people to know that we put all our money into the food. That's why the decor is so simple--red and white tiles. We don't spend our money on dcor. Or on guys in chicken suits. But we'll go overboard on food."
Quality and passion. Those are the real "secret ingredients" of Five Guys--and they're the perfect foundation for any business.
CEO Josh Manion of Ensighten

How can being a national chess master help you become a successful entrepreneur? For Manion, "Chess was instrumental in establishing the right rigor for the way that you problem solve and approach business and life." This doesn't mean you need to go out and become a chess champion (although it couldn't hurt). However, you can apply that kind of focus and critical thinking skills to your business.
Manion encourages entrepreneurs to wait if they see a good opportunity in case an even better one is around the corner. He reminds entrepreneurs that winning demands you to plot far in advance because every small move counts. Time management is also critical to both chess and business.
CEO Ron Bodkin of Think Big Analytics

"To get good payback on an investment...there needs to be a good strategy, a roadmap, adjusting the course with seven to ten corrections at different stages of the journey. The point is to reduce the cost of going to scale," Bodkin stated. Of course, Bodkin is largely focused on big data (no surprise considering the name of his company), but that approach can be tweaked to suit any entrepreneur's venture.
It's why your business idea should have a business plan as a springboard. It's why being flexible and not sticking to The Plan "no matter what" is critical. Keeping a budget in mind, practicing frugality, and knowing that plans are necessary albeit constantly in transition are all building blocks of success according to Bodkin.
CEO Vincent Mifsud of ScribbleLive

"There are a lot of startups that burn through cash excessively. Yes, you need money to fuel growth, but if your primary strategy is pure spending, you're setting yourself up to fail. Once your team is used to a culture of spending, it's extremely hard to roll back and put accountability in place. Learn from the tech companies that went bankrupt in the late 90s when the capital markets dried up.

"Be laser focused with your investments instead, especially when it comes to marketing - place bets on content, not ads, and use the proper tools to ensure you're making data-driven decisions."

Mifsud is spot on. In today's age of rapid change, you should focus on creating great content that will inspire, inform, and educate your ideal customers. This is what works today. Things change quickly in this space.

These eight entrepreneurs were once standing exactly where you are.

Use their lessons for your own empire, and learn from these great leaders. Perhaps by doing so, you'll struggle a little less, live a little longer and be a whole lot wealthier than you are today.

N55's Walking House Actually Walks!

N55's Walking House Actually Walks!

When it was previously presented as Danish designer N55's walking house it was just a model, and we asked miniHome designer Andy Thomson what he thought of it; he suggested "You should tell them wheels will be cheaper!" I never thought it would get past the model stage. But if you watch the video you will see that, remarkably, it walks!

Andy has a point, it only goes sixty meters per hour (1/10 of a MPH) and certainly is not going to do it on the energy from that solar cell, but there are things to love about this, including Gizmodo's description of it as a "Lunar module, TIE fighter and Cockroach Crossbreed."

The designers write:
WALKING HOUSE is a modular dwelling system that enables persons to live a peaceful nomadic life, moving slowly through the landscape or cityscape with minimal impact on the environment. It collects energy from its surroundings using solar cells and small windmills. There is a system for collecting rain water and a system for solar heated hot water. A small greenhouse unit can be added to the basic living module, to provide a substantial part of the food needed by the Inhabitants. A composting toilet system allows sewage produced by the inhabitants to be disposed of. A small wood burning stove could be added to provide CO2 neutral heating. WALKING HOUSE forms various sizes of communities or WALKING VILLAGES when more units are added together. WALKING HOUSE is not dependent on existing infrastructure like roads, but moves on all sorts of terrain.

Each leg works as an autonomous unit with its own accumulators and linear actuators. The concept is that six legs could be mounted on any kind of structure and make it walk. When it walks three legs are always on the ground to provide the necessary stability. The structure should move at a slow pace similar to the walking speed of the human body. It is a common fact that walking often helps a person concentrate their thoughts and creates a mental state that enforces mobility of the mind. The WALKING HOUSE is constructed to move at a pace similar to human speed exactly for this reason. By adding several modules together the system can provide dwellings that adapts to social needs for living as a single person, in a family, a collective or even in a WALKING VILLAGE. In this way the WALKING HOUSE adapts to persons instead of persons having to adapt to the house.

Walking house could easily be equipped with specialized modules for various forms of productions like greenhouses, small factories etc. A WALKING HOUSE or a WALKING VILLAGE could supply means for the inhabitants to make a living in this way while moving through the Landscapes and cityscapes. As an example a WALKING VILLAGE could be specialized in foodproduction or special modules for fishfarming, greenhouses and so on could be part of the construction.

Specs:
• Height: 3.5 meters
• Width: 3.5 meters
• Length: 3.72 meters
• Weight: 1200 kg
• Max speed: 60 meters/hour
• Component list:
• Plating and framework wood and plywood
• Legs made of steel and mechanical components
• 12 linear actuators
• solar panels
• micro windmills
• polycarbonate plates
• interior equipment

Preliminary Manual for Walking House via Gizmodo

Surface Pro 5 news

Surface Pro 5 news

Surface Pro 5 features

The impressive, if a bit troubled, Surface Pro 4 is nearing its one-year anniversary, so naturally we tech lovers are already thinking about its successor. And with the Surface Pro 4 having sold nearly 10 times more than its younger (but bigger) sibling, the Surface Book, surely Microsoft has a sequel in the works.
In fact, rumors of a Surface Pro 5 release date have been floating around the internet since the current model was launched onto store shelves. The keyword there is "rumors", as none of those reported are citing trustworthy sources, if any at all.
That goes without mentioning folks clamoring across message boards, like Reddit, for their most desired features and improvements. (Can you guess the most popular one? It rhymes with "flattery.")

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The would-be fifth Surface Pro tablet
• When is it out? Current rumors point to spring 2017
• What will it cost? Likely as much as - if not a bit more than - the current Surface Pro 4

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Surface Pro 5 release date

As reported earlier in 2016, the second major update to Windows 10 was delayed until spring of next year to correspond with a new hardware launch. Purportedly, this lineup would consist of the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2, though a new Surface keyboard appears even more imminent.
Moreover, with Intel's 14-nanometer Kaby Lake processors having just released, it wouldn't be out of character for Redmond to push back the hardware a few months. As the previous Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book encountered technical issues early on, it makes sense for Microsoft to allot itself time with the new CPU architecture.
Regardless of when the Surface Pro 5 finally arrives, you don't need to wait for the next iteration to get your hands on a Surface Pro as Microsoft recently revealed a subscription program that lets you upgrade to new hardware as it's released. Otherwise, you could snag a discounted Surface Book if you act now.

Surface Pro 5

Surface Pro 5 price

In case you haven't noticed in the phone market, the prices of later iterations of modern tech products doesn't change all that drastically - if at all - between releases. Applying that logic to the eventual Surface Pro 5, it's likely that the device will start at $899 (£749, AU$1,349) and escalate from there depending on the configuration and accessories you choose.
Is there any chance that the final price will differ? Of course there is. Would it be smart for Microsoft to deviate too far from the standard it has set? Nope. Regardless, the ball is in Microsoft's court here, and the company will naturally preserve its bottom line if pricier new features are implemented as standard.

Surface Pro 5

Surface Pro 5 stylus

One piece of the puzzle regarding every new Surface is how Microsoft will upgrade its Surface Pen stylus accessory that comes bundled with each tablet. Uncovered earlier this year was a patent filed by Microsoft for a stylus that features a rechargeable battery system.
Specifically, the patent details a magnetic charging dock built to give the new Surface Pen its juice, seemingly with connectors meant for a Surface Dock mounting. Such a venture makes a lot of sense for Microsoft, as the iPad Pro's Apple Pencil currently has this exact edge over the Surface Pen, able to charge by awkwardly connecting to the tablet via its Lightning port.

Surface Pro 5

What we want to see

Look, as much as we've been impressed by the Surface Pro 4, firmware issues aside, there will always be room for improvement. (That would be the case even if it had earned our Editor's Choice award.)
From the screen size and resolution to the hardware inside, we have a few ideas for how Microsoft could craft an even better Windows 10 tablet.

Longer battery life

This is a bit of low-hanging fruit, but countless customers have lamented the Surface Pro 4's battery life - regardless of issues with its "Sleep" mode. We rated the device for 5 hours and 15 minutes of video playback.
That's well below Microsoft's promise of 9 hours of video playback, but we all know that few, if any, laptops actually meet their promised longevity. Our video playback figure is in line with the average laptop, though it's a far cry from what its nemesis, the MacBook Air, can produce.
Ideally, and realistically, we'd like to see at least 7 hours of battery life reliably from the next Surface Pro tablet. That would put it closer in line with the MacBook Air as well as competing tablets, like the iPad Pro.

Surface Pro 5

An even sharper (and/or bigger) screen

With the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft managed to oust countless rivals in both the laptop and tablet spaces when it comes to screen resolution. With a razor-sharp 267 ppi (pixels per inch) already at 2,736 x 1,824 pixels within a 12.3-inch screen, it's not as if the Surface Pro 5 needs to be much sharper.
However, if the next Surface Pro were equipped with, say, a 4K (3,840 pixels wide, at least) screen, that would rip its productivity and entertainment capabilities wide open. Film and photo editors could work at the native resolution that's increasingly becoming the norm, while average Joe's (teehee) could finally watch Netflix in 4K on a tablet.
That said, the realm of super sharp resolutions might be reserved for the Surface Book range at this point. So, why not up its size a bit?
The Surface Pro 4 is big enough for almost all tasks, but it's still not the established default size for most laptops: 13.3 inches. Understandably, the point is for the Surface Pro to straddle both sides of the ever-eroding line between laptop and tablet.
However, maybe the iPad Pro is onto something with its 12.9-inch display. Plus, granted the resolution doesn't bump up too much alongside a size increase, the extra space could allow for a battery life boost.

Surface Pro 5

It might finally be time for USB-C

We saw the latest Google Chromebook Pixel and MacBook be two of the first devices to adopt the latest in USB technology, but now it's the standard among a growing number of smartphones, tablets and laptops. Hell, even the HP Chromebook 13 has two USB-C ports.
The reversible, versatile port may be just what the Surface Pro 5 needs to alleviate the product line's slight input/output problem. A single USB 3.0 port and a proprietary charging port aren't going to cut it for much longer.
It helps that Microsoft has already well-tested the USB-C port within its new Lumia phones, so it's practically a no-brainer to apply that same tech to the Surface line.
If scuttlebutt is to be believed, we're about five months out from a release - plenty of time for the rumor mill to fire up. Stay tuned to this space in the coming months for the latest on things Surface Pro 5.