How to use podcasts in Google Play Music for Android

Google Play Music has podcasts, oh my! Google Play Music has podcasts, oh my!

In the next logical step of the evolution of Google Play Music, Google has added podcasts to the concoction. Now, from within the Google Play Music app, you can search and stream all your favorite podcasts.

There’s no longer a need for third-party apps and jumping around between your music and podcasts, since you now have a one stop shop. Google Play Music’s podcasts are missing a couple features, like being able to queue up multiple episodes from different podcasts, but features like that are likely forthcoming.

We’ve put together a quick guide to get you up and running.

More: Subscribe to the Android Central Podcast!

• How to find and subscribe to your favorite podcast in Google Play Music
• How to manage podcast subscriptions in Google Play Music
• How to share a podcast with Google Play Music (Text, Facebook, email, Hangouts, Twitter)
• How to share individual podcast episodes in Google Play Music

How to find and subscribe to your favorite podcast in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.
Tap Podcasts.

Search for a podcast through one of three methods:

• Top Charts: A limited collection of podcasts that are either promoted or have the most listeners. This is the “main page” of Google Play Music podcasts.
• All categories: Tap this to reveal a list of categories. The top rated podcasts in each category will appear when you tap each one.

• Search: Tap the search button on the top right of your screen to search for podcasts by title or subject matter. Podcasts appear under the Podcasts heading in your search results.

  

Tap the podcast to which you’d like to subscribe.
Tap the Subscribe button.

Tap the checkbox next to Auto-download if you’d like to always automatically download the latest three episodes.

Tap the checkbox next to Notifications if you’d like to receive a notification when new episodes are uploaded.
Tap Playback order to choose to play episodes from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.

Tap Subscribe.

You can unsubscribe by following the same steps.

How to manage podcast subscriptions in Google Play Music

You can change the settings you initially made when you subscribed at any time.

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.
Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen.

Tap the menu button on the podcast for which you’d like to manage settings. The button is three vertical dots.
Tap Manage subscription.

Tap the checkbox next to each setting to change it as you wish. See steps 7 to 9 above for more information.

How to share a podcast with Google Play Music

If you’re really enjoying a podcast and feel like others would too, you can share the whole podcast or individual episodes.

How to share podcasts via text message in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.

Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.
Tap the menu button on the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap Share.

Tap the messaging app with which you’d like to share the podcast.
Enter the name of the contact with whom you’d like to share the podcast.

Tap Send.

How to share podcasts via Facebook in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.

Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.
Tap the menu button on the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap Share.

Tap Facebook.

Tap Post.

How to share podcasts via email in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.

Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.
Tap the menu button on the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap Share.

Tap the email app you’d like to use.
Enter the email address(es) with which you’d like to share the podcast.

Tap Send.

How to share podcasts via Google Hangouts in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.

Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.
Tap the menu button on the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap Share.

Tap Hangouts. You may have to scroll to the right.
Choose an account if prompted.

Tap New conversation or an existing one, if you wish.

Enter a contact’s information.
Tap the next arrow.

Tap Send.

How to share podcasts via Twitter in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.

Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.
Tap the menu button on the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap Share.

Tap Tweet.
Log in, if prompted.

Tap Tweet.

How to share individual podcast episodes in Google Play Music

Launch the Google Play Music app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button in the top left of the screen. It’s three horizontal lines.
Tap Podcasts.

Tap Your Podcasts on the top center of your screen. Or, search for the podcast you’d like to share.

Tap a podcast.
Tap the info button next to the episode you’d like to share. It’s an ‘i’ in a circle.
Tap the share button.

Share as described above.

Submit your podcast to Google

Microsoft stops making the Xbox 360: Will it still support the platform?

Microsoft has announced that after 10 years of production it will no longer make Xbox 360 consoles.

The machine turned 10 years old last November, and Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, said the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are “starting to creep up on us.” He still praised the console, noting franchises like Gears of Wars were born on the Xbox 360, and that the Xbox 360 helped usher industry innovations like Kinect. It also allowed Xbox Live to turn into a “thriving online gaming community”.

“The console became a beloved gaming and entertainment hub with over 78 billion gaming hours played, nearly 486 billion Gamerscore on 27 billion achievements and over 25 billion hours spent in apps over its lifetime,” Spencer explained. Despite all that, Microsoft made the decision to stop manufacturing new Xbox 360 consoles but will continue to sell existing inventory, with availability varying by country.

The company will presumably now put all its focus on the Xbox One, the Xbox 360’s successor that released in late 2013. Microsoft realises however that gamers are still active on the Xbox 360, so it will continue to support the platform in multiple ways.

Will Xbox 360 owners get Xbox Live services?

Yes. They will continue to receive Xbox Live services for their console, including online multiplayer gaming and parties, access to the apps they still use, and Games with Gold and Deals with Gold. Microsoft also said Xbox Live servers that support Xbox 360 services will remain online and active, allowing Xbox 360 owners to continue playing their favorite games with Xbox Live.

Can Xbox 360 owners still buy 360 games/accessories?

Xbox 360 owners will still be able to buy over 4,000 Xbox 360 games or Xbox 360 accessories either through retail stores or Microsoft’s Xbox 360 store online (while supplies last).

Will Xbox 360 hardware receive support?

According to Microsoft, any Xbox 360 hardware will be supported at xbox.com/support.

Can Xbox One owners still play Xbox 360 games?

Microsoft previously announced Xbox One owners could play Xbox 360 games on their new console, and now it is promising they will be able to continue to play available Xbox 360 games through Xbox One Backward Compatibility (at no additional cost).

Want to know more?

Check out Phil Spencer’s blog post for more details.

‘Exploding Kittens’ is now on Android

Exploding Kittens, the most-funded game ever to cross Kickstarter’s funding goal line is now available on Android. The multiplayer card contest, illustrated by The Oatmeal, works a lot like another classic party game: Russian Roulette. Each of the up to five players takes turns pulling cards from a central deck. Whenever someone pulls an Exploding Kitten card, they have to use another card from their hand to defuse it before the cat goes kablooey. Whoever is left standing last, wins. The game is available for both iOS and Android for $2 and can be played across platforms.

Source: Kickstarter

AOL bought its own VR studio for HuffPo videos

News outlets have already jumped on the VR bandwagon, and today another publication joins the fray. Today, AOL announced its acquisition of the LA-based virtual reality and 360-degree video production studio RYOT. By bringing the company under its wing, AOL will leverage the resources to boost The Huffington Post’s quest to “re-imagine journalism as we move into the next generation of dynamic storytelling.” In fact, Arianna Huffington & Co. have already teamed up with RYOT, producing “The Crossing:” an immersive series about the refugee crisis in Greece.

“The Huffington Post blazed the trail by empowering people to tell their own stories in their own voices,” said RYOT Co-Founder Bryn Mooser said in a press release. “Together, we’ll bring our immersive virtual reality storytelling to their global news network and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s a game changer.”

RYOT’s documentary film experience and 360-degeree video and VR know-how will give The Huffington Post an in-house studio for producing its immersive content. It also means that the news outlet will be able to produce virtual reality projects to keep pace with the likes of The New York Times and CNN. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Disclosure: Engadget is owned by AOL.

Amazon needs to simplify Prime Video to compete with Netflix

You can now buy a monthly subscription to Amazon Prime Video, a move that puts the service in direct competition with Netflix. In a lot of ways, Amazon comes out looking like a strong option. For starters, it’s cheaper: $8.99 per month gets you an arguably better movie catalog than you’ll find on Netflix these days, not to mention Amazon’s own slate of original programming and access to most of HBO’s back catalog.

With a monthly payment option, it’s now easier to test out Amazon Prime Video without making a year-long commitment to Amazon Prime. Combine that with the service’s strong content lineup and it seems like Netflix could have cause for concern. But there are still a few things working against Amazon from a product perspective that keep it from being as good as Netflix, and they might not be so easy to fix.

It’s an issue of complexity, born out of Prime Video’s history as a value-add that Amazon now feels is important enough to stand alone as its own product. Netflix was built, first and foremost, as a streaming video subscription service. Yes, the company’s disc-based offering came first, but streaming video has been the company’s main business for a long time now. Many of Netflix’s current subscribers likely never had a DVD delivery plan.

Because of its tight focus, Netflix streaming is a product that is quite easy to use. You search for content or browse Netflix’s personalized recommendations and play what you want, confident that your monthly subscription has you covered. Amazon’s Prime Video service is less simple, in part because the company also maintains a huge on-demand digital video store alongside Prime Video. Whether you’re searching on your computer or browsing content offerings on your TV, you’ll come across loads of content that isn’t included with your subscription.

Amazon does what it can to distinguish between things you can watch for free and things you need to pay extra for, but it’s still a bummer when you’ve come across something you want to watch that isn’t included with your subscription. It’s even trickier with TV shows: Many programs have past seasons included, but current seasons are typically limited to purchase only. Amazon lets you filter for “included with Prime” options, but search still naturally shows everything by default. It’s not an insurmountable issue, but it’s definitely not as clean an experience as Netflix or Hulu.

Compounding the complexity for Amazon are a variety of “add-on” subscriptions for channels like Showtime, Starz and Comedy Central, among others. This is essentially Amazon’s way of letting users of devices like the Fire TV or Fire Stick sign up for these services within the Amazon ecosystem. These add-ons aren’t directly related to Prime Video subscriptions, though they do have the benefit of making Amazon’s video offering a one-stop shop. Still, it’s not entirely clear at first glance how these services work alongside Prime Video.

And that’s not even mentioning the fact that Amazon doesn’t offer a video app for the new Apple TV. I understand why: Amazon can’t sell video through its app without giving Apple a cut, so the application would have to be limited to playback of purchased content from your Amazon account. But it would still be convenient for Prime Video subscribers. Right now, you can Airplay Amazon content from your iPhone or iPad to your Apple TV, but given the app-based framework of tvOS, not having a native app feels like a miss. If Amazon is willing to build one for the iPad and iPhone, why not the Apple TV?

That’s not the only place where Amazon has some app weirdness. For some reason, there’s no Amazon Video app for Android in the Play Store. Instead, you have to sideload the “Amazon Underground” Appstore for Android and then install the video player through there. It’s not terribly difficult to do this, but it’s not a great experience either, particularly for less tech-savvy folks who don’t even know what “sideloading” means.

To be clear, none of these problems are deal-breakers. Its service runs on nearly every other competing set-top box, video game console and smart TV. The content lineup is strong, and being able to stream, buy and rent content all through one service is pretty handy. There’s no doubt it adds complexity, but it’s not all bad. Still, it’s hard to argue with the simplicity that Netflix has on its side as a major reason for its success. If you’ve used Netflix on one device, you’ll have the same experience anywhere else you use it. That’s not the case for Amazon. As more customers check it out with this new monthly plan, any way the company can find to make the service easier to use will be a big help.

Comcast Xfinity heads to Roku and Samsung TVs without a box (Update: FCC responds)

While the FCC is working on ways to “unlock the box,” Comcast announced plans for its Xfinity TV service that don’t require the set-top add-on. Later this year, the company will release an Xfinity TV Partner app for Roku-powered TVs and streaming gadgets as well as Samsung’s 2016 line of smart TVs. The app is part of a wider Xfinity TV Partner Program from Comcast, which brings its cable service to consumer home entertainment devices while nixing the extra cost of renting a box.

Comcast says this service will offer the Xfinity guide along with live and on-demand content, plus a cloud-based DVR. The company already had live television apps that allow customers to stream shows and more from 70 channels on mobile devices. Sure, you’re still paying the monthly cost of a cable subscription, but over the course of a year, the savings from not having to lease the extra box will be significant.

“In light of the success of the apps-based model in the marketplace, the far-reaching government technical mandate being currently proposed by the FCC is unnecessary,” explained Comcast SVP Mark Hess in a blog post. “The FCC’s proposed set-top box mandate threatens to undermine this highly-dynamic marketplace, create substantial costs and consumer harms, and will take years to develop — only to be likely outdated by the time it reaches the marketplace — all in an effort to achieve what apps are already delivering for consumers.”

Comcast explains that this is not an over-the-top streaming service, but rather a way for its customers to access programming without the traditional set-top box. While Roku and Samsung are the first to jump on board, the cable company is open to adding new partners as well. Unfortunately, there’s no definitive word on when the Xfinity TV integration will launch, as Comcast offered the vague “later this year” timing estimate.

Late last year, Time Warner Cable began a cable TV trial with Roku and its own apps in NYC, offering packages for internet-only customers that range from $10 to $50 per month. However, TWC’s beta test didn’t include DVR even though it too offered an easy way to access cable programming.

Update: The FCC weighed in on Comcast’s announcement with the following statement:

“While we do not know all of the details of this announcement, it appears to offer only a proprietary, Comcast-controlled user interface and seems to allow only Comcast content on different devices, rather than allowing those devices to integrate or search across Comcast content as well as other content consumers subscribe to.”

Source: Comcast (1), (2), (3)

Intel’s move away from PCs is difficult but necessary

There’s no doubt the PC market is in trouble. We’ve seen shipments drop steadily over the past few years — with the steepest decline ever occurring in the last quarter of 2015 — spurred on by the rise of mobile. That leaves Intel, a company practically synonymous with the personal computing revolution, with some tough choices to make. Yesterday, it announced that it’s laying off 12,000 employees (around 11 percent of its workforce) and refocusing its business on connected wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT). While it’s undoubtedly going to be a rough transition, it’s also the sort of reinvention Intel needs to stay relevant.

Basically, it’s about trading a declining market for something growing quickly. The company said its IoT and data center business accounted for around 40 percent of its revenue last year, and it called those segments its “primary growth engines.”

“Our results demonstrate a strategy that’s working and a solid foundation for growth,” Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in a statement. “Our opportunity now is to accelerate our momentum and build on our strengths. But this requires some difficult decisions.”

Intel refused to make anyone available for interviews around the restructuring, but it wasn’t that difficult to see that it was gearing up for big changes over the past year. The head of its PC group, Kirk Skaugen, left the company earlier this month. Intel also announced plans to slow down chip releases to deal with the difficulty of making continual improvements. It’s stepping even further into new form factors with the Compute Stick. And its mobile chip head, Aicha Evans, reportedly resigned after less than a year on the job.

On top of the failing PC market, Intel also struggled to make a dent in mobile chips, which left the door open for the likes of Qualcomm. Indeed, missing out on building the iPhone’s CPU was one of former CEO Paul Otellini’s biggest regrets. Intel eventually released mobile chips for Android devices around 2012, but they were slower than the competition and came too late to make a difference. Eventually it managed to craft some capable Atom CPUs for Windows tablets like the Surface 3. (Intel’s upcoming Apollo Lake CPUs might be even better mobile contenders.)

In the end, it makes more sense for Intel to position itself where the technology industry is headed rather than hold on to a dying market or duke it out with far more established competitors. And while IoT and connected wearables might seem a bit pie in the sky today, especially with activity trackers getting increasingly boring, there’s enormous potential in those segments over the next few years. As we saw at Mobile World Congress, Intel is betting big on 5G, something that both IoT and wearables will benefit from significantly. Intel also missed out on the 4G era after backing the failed WiMAX standard: That’s not something it wants to repeat.

Krzanich also said Intel is looking at advancements in memory and FPGA (field programmable gate arrays, or chips that can be easily reconfigured for specific tasks like encryption or data analysis) technology to empower its IoT and wearable business. The company plans to launch a Xeon chip with FPGA in the coming months (the result of its $16.7 billion Altera acquisition), and it’s also working on a series of libraries to take advantage of its accelerated computing possibilities. As Intel de-emphasizes traditional desktop chips, expect it to focus more on users with specialized needs such as data analysts, researchers and scientists.

So what’s next for Intel? The company said it will start alerting employees affected by the layoffs over the next two months, and it expects to complete layoffs by next year. Restructuring will cost the company $1.2 billion next quarter, but it also expects to save $1.4 billion annually come 2017. Those savings, together with a smaller workforce, should make Intel more efficient in the future. So the next time Intel has a chance to do something groundbreaking, like building the iPhone’s CPU, it hopefully won’t miss out.

VW will reportedly pay you $5,000 to settle its emissions scandal

If you were burned by Volkswagen’s emissions cheating and don’t think that $1,000 in credits and gift cards will cut it, we have good news for you… maybe. Die Welt sources understand that VW has reached a settlement deal with US officials that will have it pay affected diesel car owners $5,000 each to make up for misleading the public on the eco-friendliness of its vehicles. That’s on top of what VW will have to pay to fix the cars in question. Provided the automaker gets the deal approved on April 21st (the deadline a court gave to agree on a fix), it’ll avoid a trial that could easily have proven more costly.

VW tells us that it isn’t commenting on the report at this time, so nothing has been confirmed just yet. If true, though, it’ll represent one of the most expensive settlements in recent memory. Even if it covers only the half-million vehicles from the original recall, back-of-the-napkin math suggests that VW could pay $2.5 billion in the US alone. Combine that with complaints elsewhere in the world and the transportation giant is bound to regret ever playing fast and loose with emissions figures.

Via: CNBC

Source: Die Welt (translated)

Samsung’s thin and light Notebook 9 harks back to simpler times

Samsung’s new flagship laptop, the $1,500 Notebook 9, does not have a touchscreen. Its display does not detach or fold back into tablet mode. It’s not even that exciting-looking. And yet I am fully enjoying my time with it. Though it doesn’t offer some of the niceties we’ve come to expect on modern laptops, it excels in just about every way that matters, with healthy battery life, a comfortable keyboard, a bright display and a thin design. Even the touchpad is OK, and that’s saying something.

Hardware

I was sure I had received the wrong shipment. The Notebook 9 is available in two sizes: 13.3 and 15 inches, and though I knew I was getting the 15-inch version to review, it really did seem, when I pulled it out of the box, that I had been sent the smaller one. First off, thanks to some super-skinny bezels (just a quarter of an inch wide), Samsung was able to cram a 15-inch display into a machine with a much smaller footprint. Think: the sort of chassis you’d normally find on a 14-inch laptop. Second — and this is where I really got confused, I think — the 15-inch version weighs only 2.9 pounds. Think about that for a second: That’s on par with the 13-inch MacBook Air. (The 13-inch Notebook 9 is even lighter, at a barely there 1.9 pounds.) Perhaps you can understand, then, where the 15-inch laptop we have here simply doesn’t match my notions of how a machine that size should look and feel.

Before I gush too much, though, I want to make one thing clear: Light as this is, it’s not a particularly pretty machine. Its magnesium-alloy casing is sturdy, yes, but it looks like plastic from afar. There’s also a strange bump where the palm rest ends, putting the keyboard on a slightly lower plane. What can I say? It’s weird-looking.

As plain as the Notebook 9 is, Samsung makes up for that in other ways. Aside from those skinny bezels and that compact footprint, the port selection is good, even despite those slim half-inch-thick edges. On the left side we’ve got a full-size USB connection, along with a headphone jack, a USB Type-C port and a Mini DisplayPort. Over on the right you’ll find another USB port, along with a full-size HDMI socket and a microSD card reader. That covers most of the bases, then, though I’m one of those people who would have preferred — and regularly use — a full-size SD slot.

The keyboard also excuses the uninspired design. The buttons here are well spaced, springy and responsive; I never have to retype a letter because it didn’t register the first time. They’re also relatively quiet, which is always a plus. If I could change anything, I would prefer not to have to hold the function key to adjust things like volume and screen brightness. But for typing, it’s fantastic.

As I said, the touchpad isn’t bad. Not perfect, but I would totally agree with my colleague Chris, who said in his initial hands-on that the trackpad “didn’t make me want to shoot myself.” Indeed, Chris. Indeed. Yes, it does that thing that other touchpads do where it sometimes makes me accidentally rearrange pinned browser tabs, but it happens less often here. Most of the time, the touch surface works fine for single-finger tracking and two-finger scrolling.

Display and sound

The display is another example of where the Notebook 9 isn’t flashy, perhaps, but is still enjoyable to use. The 1,920 x 1,080 panel we have here isn’t particularly high-res, but it still feels more than adequate for everyday use. What the machine lacks in pixels it makes up for in balanced, pleasing colors and minimal glare; this isn’t a matte panel, exactly, but the gloss is so minimal that you won’t see many reflections. It helps, I think, that the display has a high brightness rating of 350 nits. (The brighter the panel, the easier it is to outshine natural light.) Separate from screen glare, the viewing angles are wide enough that when you dip the screen forward, the colors mostly keep their fidelity. That’s also a plus.

As we’ve learned over and over again, there’s more to good screen quality than just pixel density. And if the pixel density were higher, the battery life wouldn’t be as long as it is, which would be a shame.

While I never craved a higher resolution, however, I did sometimes miss having a touchscreen. Going as far back as Windows 8, Microsoft’s operating system has been built for a mix of keyboard and finger input. Indeed, basically every Windows laptop I’ve tested in recent years has had a touchscreen, even if it didn’t have a detachable or convertible design allowing it to be used in tablet mode.

With that bit of background, you can say I’ve been spoiled. My inclination is to hit the Start button in the lower-left corner when I’m ready to power down the machine. And when I needed the built-in calculator app, it sure would have been nice to tap the numbers with my fingers rather than click, click, click on each digit. I realize that having a touchscreen would have meant a slightly heavier, slightly thicker design, but I think I would have been OK with that.

Performance and battery life

Samsung Notebook 9 (2.5GHz Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520)	5,309	3,705	E2,567 / P1,541 / X416	3,518	539 MB/s / 299 MB/s
Dell XPS 13 (2.3GHz Core i5-6200U, Intel Graphics 520)	4,954	3,499	E2,610 / P1,531	3,335	1.6GB/s / 307 MB/s
HP Spectre x360 15t (2.4GHz Core i5-6200U, Intel HD 520)	5,040	3,458	E2,672 / P1,526 / X420	3,542	561 MB/s / 284 MB/s
Razer Blade Stealth (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520)	5,131	3,445	E2,788 / P1,599 / X426	3,442	1.5 GB/s / 307 MB/s
Toshiba Radius 12 (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520)	5,458	3,684	E2,865 / P1,622	3,605	552 MB/s / 489 MB/s
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520)	5,403	3,602	E2,697/ P1,556/ X422	3,614	1.6 GB/s / 529 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 900 (2.5GHz Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520)	5,368	3,448	E2,707 / P1,581	3,161	556 MB/s / 511 MB/s
Microsoft Surface Book (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520)	5,412	3,610	E2,758 / P1,578 / X429	3,623	1.6 GB/s / 571 MB/s

The unit I tested, which sells for $1,500, is the only available configuration of the 15-inch Notebook 9. That includes a 2.5GHz, dual-core Intel Core i7-6500U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB Samsung-made solid-state drive and integrated Intel 520 graphics. Those are the same specs we’ve seen in a handful of other high-end laptops, including the Razer Blade Stealth, Toshiba Radius 12 and the Lenovo Yoga 900.

Given the high marks we gave each of those systems, it should come as no surprise, then, that the Notebook 9 is also a strong performer. No, it won’t suffice for any kind of serious gaming — no one said it would! — but it can otherwise keep up with the best of them. Its eight- to nine-second boot-up time is also fast, even by today’s standards. I also used it as my workhorse for much of my review period, juggling around 10 pinned Chrome tabs and open apps like Skype, Slack, Spotify and Microsoft Word. The performance was smooth throughout, though some credit is due to other key elements, like the bright display, comfortable keyboard and decent trackpad. An all-around good setup like that makes it easier to stay productive.

Basically, the machine doesn’t call attention to itself while you’re trying to get stuff done. Well, with one exception. Unlike other modern PCs, many of which come installed with Intel-owned McAfee security software, the Notebook 9 comes pre-loaded with a trial version of Symantec’s Norton Security suite. Norton isn’t alone in its affinity for annoying pop-ups — McAfee is also a bad offender — but Symantec takes death by trialware to a new level. After I repeatedly refused to pay for a subscription (read: I clicked the passive-aggressive “stay unprotected” button), I eventually started seeing a pop-up in the lower-right corner of my screen.

But unlike with other pop-ups, I couldn’t close, minimize or even move this one. Ultimately, I had to uninstall the program to make the annoying box go away. Which, let’s be real, I might have done anyway, but is that really what Norton wants? To lose a chance of me ever signing up? Also, I think we can agree that having to open program settings, uninstall an app and then restart your machine is quite an extreme, time-sucking response when all you wanna do is close a pop-up.

OK, I’m done ranting. Thanks for listening.

Battery life

Samsung Notebook 9
8:16
Surface Book (Core i5, integrated graphics)
13:54 / 3:20 (tablet only)
MacBook Air (13-inch, 2013)
12:51
HP Spectre x360 (13-inch, 2015)
11:34
Surface Book (Core i7, discrete graphics)
11:31 / 3:02 (tablet only)
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (13-inch, 2015)
11:23
iPad Pro
10:47
HP Spectre x360 15t
10:17
Chromebook Pixel (2015)
10:01
Lenovo Yoga 900
9:36
Microsoft Surface 3
9:11
Apple MacBook (2015)
7:47
Dell XPS 13 (2015)
7:36
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
7:15
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
7:08
HP Spectre x2
6:43
Razer Blade Stealth
5:48
Dell XPS 15 (2016)
5:25 (7:40 with the mobile charger)
Toshiba Radius 12
5:12

Samsung rates the Notebook 9 for up to 12 hours of battery life on the 15-inch model, and up to 10 hours on the 13-inch version, which I haven’t tested. I’m sure with somewhat intermittent use and conservative brightness settings you could indeed reach 12 hours, or close to it, but in Engadget’s (admittedly taxing) video rundown test, I got 8 hours and 16 minutes. Given how bright this particular screen is, I decided to re-run the test at half brightness, but even that extended the runtime by only 36 minutes.

The competition

Fifteen inches has long been one of the most popular laptop screen sizes here in the US, so you’ll find no shortage of choices there. If, specifically, you want a flagship-caliber machine that’s also thin and light, your options will dwindle to just a handful. What a nice selection it is, though. In addition to the Notebook 9, Windows users should check out HP’s Spectre x360 15t ($1,150 and up). At 4 pounds and 0.63 inches thick, it’s not quite as thin or light as the Notebook 9, but then again, it has a 360-degree touchscreen that’s bound to add some heft. In addition to being slim for a convertible this size, the 15t earned a high score for its comfortable keyboard, strong build quality, long battery life, 4K screen option and robust audio.

If performance is a priority, you might also consider the Dell XPS 15, whose top-end configurations have quad-core Core i7 chips, discrete NVIDIA graphics, 32GB of RAM and a color-accurate 4K touchscreen. Obviously, though, you’re in much more modest specs at the entry-level $1,000 price. Either way, the XPS 15 is lightweight for what it is, with a starting weight of 3.9 pounds, but it still doesn’t come close to the Notebook 9 in that regard. If you care more about portability and don’t mind giving up a touchscreen (or the option of 4K resolution), Samsung’s offering might still be your better bet.

As long as we’re on the subject of slim, lightweight laptops, I may as well mention the 15-inch MacBook Pro, though be aware that it has more in common with the Dell XPS 15 than the Notebook 9 we’re talking about here. That is to say, with a starting price of $1,999 and base specs that include a quad-core Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and Intel Iris Pro graphics, it’s a workhorse first. Yes, it’s portable too, at 4.49 pounds and 0.71 inches thick, but that doesn’t seem to have been as big a priority here as it was for Samsung when it designed the Notebook 9. You could also go with the lighterweight MacBook Air, but that’s a less perfect comparison, just because there’s no 15-inch Air, and meanwhile the 13-inch Notebook 9 is probably an even better match for the 11- and 13-inch MBAs.

Wrap-up

As is always the case, the Samsung Notebook 9 isn’t for everyone. But I suspect it will hit the sweet spot for many people. It’s exceptionally thin and light for a 15-inch laptop — so much so that to this day I still sometimes forget I’m using such a big-screened machine. The battery life is decent, especially if you take care to rein in that bright, 350-nit display. That screen is gorgeous, by the way, even if some power users will feel disappointed by the middling 1080p resolution. Rounding out the list, performance is fast, the keyboard is comfortable to use and even the trackpad is all right.

If you crave modern-day amenities like a 4K screen, touch panel or a 2-in-1 design, this isn’t the machine for you. But for people who just want a great laptop that’s fast and comfortable to use, this belongs on your shopping list.

Watch the ‘Star Fox Zero’ animated short here at 6PM ET

Ahead of the launch of Star Fox Zero on Wii U, scheduled for April 22nd, Nintendo this week teased an animated short with ties to the game’s story. Titled Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins, the film will be premiering worldwide today at 6PM ET/3PM PT, featuring the fabled characters you’ve come to love from the franchise. You definitely won’t want to miss it, so make sure you’re tuned into Nintendo’s stream at the times mentioned above — link is right here.

Stick around afterwards for Nintendo Treehouse: Live with #StarFoxZero & Star Fox Guard. pic.twitter.com/QNHG3n68KI

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 18, 2016

Source: Nintendo