Here’s the gorgeous Xiaomi Mi Mix in white

Everyone thought that Xiaomi was going to introduce a bevy of new devices at CES, given that this is the very first year that the Chinese manufacturer has an actual presence on the showroom floor, but as it turns out, the only “new” smartphone that they announced was a different color variant of an existing device – the Xiaomi Mi Mix. Now available in a pristine white ceramic paint job, it complements the existing, almost bezeless, all-black version of the phone that was announced back in late October.

Aesthetically, the near bezel-less nature of the Mi Mix continues to be its standout, offering one of the best screen-to-body ratios in a phone around. However, this new color variant makes the phone less prone to appearing smudgy or messy looking. The polished surface definitely helps to make the phone stand out, which as expected, does a significantly better job at masking those nasty fingerprints and smudges that tend to dirty most devices.

As for the specs, this variant doesn’t differ from the original one. Just a quick recap, the Xiaomi Mi Mix features a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2040 IPS-LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, 4GB/6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 16MP rear camera, a 5MP front facing one that’s slapped in the bottom right corner of the display, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Beyond that, everything else about the phone is identical to the phone we saw announced back in the fall. If you haven’t checked out our full, in-depth detailed review of the phone, then we suggest to check it out to see whether or not the near bezel-less display is something that’ll work for you – or whether it’s more of a novelty. In terms of availability, this one, much like the original all-black version, is only going to be made available in China later this year. Therefore, you’ll need to think about importing this one when it comes out.

Hands-on: Acer Chromebook 11 N7 is made to withstand abuse

This post was originally published on TabTimes.com.

Acer has been focused on bringing consumers plenty of solid, affordable Chromebooks over the past few years, and that’s still very prevalent today. With the launch of the Chromebook 11 N7 (fancy name, huh?), the company plans to bring a durable, compact and spill-resistant computing solution to classes around the world.

Join us as we go hands-on with the Acer Chromebook 11 N7 at CES 2017!

Don’t miss:

Samsung Chromebook Plus & Pro hands-on

2 days ago

First, let’s talk about software. This is a standard Chromebook though and through, so anyone familiar with Chrome OS will be right at home with the N7. A simple, clean, no-frills software experience is what you’ll find here, which is perfect for students in the classroom. And that’s a good thing, too, because those are the exact people Acer is targeting with this new device.

As for aesthetics, you’ll notice the N7 sports a soft, somewhat rugged-looking exterior, and that’s because this device is rugged. Not only is it built to MIL-STD 810G spec, it’s also been drop tested to 48 inches, and it sports a spill-resistant keyboard. Again, perfect for kids.

The N7 can handle up to 132 pounds of downward force on the top cover, thanks in part to the reinforced case and hinges. Acer designed the N7 with a corner shield structure and rubber bumper keyboard to add some extra protection to this Chromebook, too.

Let’s not forget about the spill-resistant keyboard. The keyboard, which is flush with the rest of the device to prevent keys from being removed, will provide protection against spills of up to 11 fluid ounces of water. Underneath the keyboard and touchpad are gutter systems and drains which route water away from the internal components and out the bottom of the chassis. Pretty awesome.

Around the sides of the device you’ll find two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an DC-in jack for AC adapter. Unfortunately this Chromebook doesn’t feature a USB Type-C port for charging, so you’ll need to use Acer’s proprietary cable for your charging needs.

Under the hood, the N7 features a dual-core Intel Celeron N3060 processor, 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 16 or 32GB of on-board storage. Intel’s N3060 chip is a little old at this point, which is something worth taking into account if you value speedy performance. It also comes with a 4,090mAh battery, which Acer says will be able to get you 12 hours of use on a single charge.

Up front sits the 11.6-inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768, which comes in both touchscreen and non-touchscreen variants. The coolest part of the display, though, is that the hinge can bend down to 180 degrees, allowing you to lay the Chromebook completely flat to more easily share content on the screen with others.

The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 will be available to education and commercial customers in North America in January 2017, with prices starting at $229.99. It’ll also be available to EMEA customers in February with prices starting at €299.

All in all, this seems to be a fantastic device for students and first-time computer owners alike. What are your thoughts on the latest from Acer? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Next:

The best Chromebooks

August 10, 2016

Samsung forecasts record Q4 profits in spite of Note 7 debacle

Note 7 discontinuation hasn’t hurt Samsung’s bottom line last quarter.

Although Samsung said that the Note 7 termination would put a dent in its profits for two quarters, it doesn’t look like that will be the case. The South Korean manufacturer has released its earnings guidance for Q4 2016, in which it estimated that operating profit was likely $7.8 billion (9.2 trillion won), up 50% from the same period in 2015. However, overall revenue for the quarter decreased by 0.6% from Q4 2015 to $45 billion (53 trillion won).

A large part of the uptick in profits is due to Samsung’s chip business, which managed to offset the losses from the mobile unit. According to Reuters, the chip division is expected to post profits of over $3.3 billion (4 trillion won).

With no second flagship to catalyze sales, Samsung fell back on aggressively marketing the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, launching new color options and variants with higher internal storage. The Note line in general doesn’t have the mainstream appeal as the Galaxy S series, and Samsung’s forecast highlights that fact.

Samsung will release its final earnings results in the last week of January.

Get the Ultimate CompTIA+ Certification Bundle for only $59!

It’s tough to find work these days that doesn’t require some pretty impressive computer skills. We’re not just talking about proficiency with some basic office software or keyboarding skills, either; some of the most in-demand IT jobs require you to be an expert in security, Cloud software, Linux,networking, and more. How on Earth do you get these under your belt? When do you have the time to study, or the money for tuition?

The online education experts at iCollege have the solution you’ve been hoping for with the Ultimate CompTIA+ Certification Bundle. By studying online, at your own pace, and at a much lower cost than you’d expect, you’ll get all the training you’ll need to pass the professional certification IT exams that will finally get you the job you’ve been wanting, or move your IT career to the next level.

The Ultimate CompTIA+ Certification Bundle is available right now through Android Central Digital Offers for only $59, a 97% savings on an eight course bundle that would normally cost you over $2300! Over a 12 month period, you’ll learn from the very best and cover all of the essential IT topics, including:

• PC Hardware, Motherboards, and Processors
• Storage, Peripherals, and Configurations
• Operating Systems and Control Panels
• Hospital and healthcare IT regulatory requirements
• Business model strategies and risk management
• Time and cost management
• Project feasibility, communications, and much more

Kickstart 2017 with this new IT skill! Learn More

Prepare for your IT certification exams from the comfort of home and at your own pace. Move ahead at work or finally apply for the IT job you’ve always wanted. Take advantage of the Ultimate CompTIA+ Certification Bundle now for only $59!

Tiny1 is the astronomy camera of my dreams!

This is seriously the camera of my dreams.

Three months ago I was offered an incredibly rare (for me) opportunity. There was a place not too far from where I was that had almost zero light pollution, which meant I could go and lay in a field and see the Milky Way with my own two eyes.

For someone who loves space and lives in one of the most light-polluted parts of the U.S., this was a big deal. I shed a tear when my eyes focused and, for the first time, I was able to see for myself the night sky in a way I’d seen depicted in countless movies and artist renderings — but alas I wasn’t able to take a picture. Neither my Google Pixel nor the kit lens on my Olympus mirrorless camera were enough to capture what I could see with my eyes, and so I started looking into the right kit for capturing astro-photography for myself.

The solution I discovered here at CES is called Tiny1, and it is without a doubt the coolest little camera built specifically for astro-photography.

This camera is powered by Android, and runs a custom version of Google Sky Map that allows you to search for specific stellar objects and locate them through augmented reality.

Tiny1, as the name suggests, is built to be a pocketable camera that can take great photos of the night sky. By using a backlit 4MP sensor with large pixels, the camera is able to be physically small and still take amazing shots that are good enough to be printed (on small paper). The camera itself comes with multiple lenses so you can capture everything from the night sky to close-ups of the moon, and additional accessories include lens adapters for larger camera lenses and even telescopes to capture things even further into our solar system. All of this is great, and important if portability is important to you, but not the thing that makes Tiny1 cool.

This camera is powered by Android, and runs a custom version of Google Sky Map that allows you to search for specific stellar objects and locate them through augmented reality. You can walk into a field, use the camera to precisely locate your shot, and the custom photo modes baked into the camera you can quickly take photos without feeling the need to dial in your exposure settings until you get it right. Being Android-based also means you can quickly share to just about any app.

The whole camera is just plain well built, too. The machined aluminum body comes in either silver or black, and both look and feel fantastic. The large display on the back makes it incredibly easy to use, and the camera software was clearly built to appeal to novices and experts alike. Tiny1 can be used for plenty of things that aren’t shooting in space as well, but the focus in the software and the lenses that come with the camera couldn’t be more clearly built for quickly running out into a field and capturing the perfect shot of the night sky.

Tiny1 just completed a very successful Indiegogo campaign, and plans to start shipping to early backers within the next couple of months. After that the camera will go on sale to the public, close to the Indiegogo price of $500 for the camera and basic lens kit. Despite living in a place that makes this camera less useful on a daily basis, I can’t wait to find the perfect spot to capture all of the things that exist outside of our atmosphere.

See on Indiegogo

BT TV is getting a new look, more content and virtual reality in 2017

BT has announced plans to update its TV service during 2017 and there’s a lot that’s set to change. The biggest change will be the look of the interface and the speed at which it works. It’s because BT TV runs on the YouView platform, which also announced updates to its platform towards the end of 2016, ditching Flash and using HTML5 and the cloud instead.

• YouView unveils new faster, cleaner, TV user interface

The new look BT TV interface won’t be rolling out until sometime during 2017, but as long as your BT TV box is connected to your BT TV Hub, it will update automatically.

BT is also going to roll out a new BT Player section, which pulls together all the TV shows it knows you love to watch, as well as recommending others it thinks you’ll love based on your viewing habits.

Within BT Player there will be a Free to Me sub-section that just shows you all the content you can watch based on your BT TV subscription. And if you purchase, rent or favourite any content from the BT TV Store, it will stored in a new My Zone area.

The BT TV app is getting an update too as it will let you watch TV shows on the go, as well as set recordings whether at home or out and about.

The other big changes come in the sporting arena. BT has added the BoxNation channel to its roster, as well as up to 20 Fight Nights and the Ashes cricket, all of which will be live on BT Sport. There will also be the usual selection exclusive Premier League matches and the entire UEFA Champions League.

A lot of sporting action will be shown in 4K Ultra HD, BT says there will be double the amount of 4K content in 2017 compared to last year. You will of course need the BT YouView+ 4K Ultra HD box, a compatible TV and be signed up to BT’s 4K subscription tier.

Not only will sporting content look better in 4K, but it will sound better too thanks to the addition of Dolby Atmos. BT is the first broadcaster to offer the immersive sound format in the UK, but again, you’ll need compatible equipment, such as a Dolby Atmos soundbar or AV receiver and speaker package. BT has also announced it will be broadcasting select sporting events, including the Champions League final in virtual reality via a new BT app.

• BT launches Dolby Atmos sound with 4K TV packages, get the stadium experience at home

The updates will roll out automatically during the year, providing your TV box is connected to the internet, but BT has said it will announce more details when the features are ready to go live.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: What’s the rumoured difference?

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is due to arrive in April, if rumours are anything to go by anyway. It will succeed the current Galaxy S7 and if all the leaks are to be believed, it will be a great device.

We’ve compared the rumoured specs of the Galaxy S8 to the Galaxy S7 to see how they might compare and what the new smartphone could bring to fill the huge shoes of the S7.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 rumours

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Design

• Similar dimensions reported
• Slimmer bezels on S8 rumoured
• USB Type-C, no headphone jack and no home button suggested for S8

Leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S8 will bring a few cosmetic changes to the Galaxy S7. Very slim bezels, a home button built into the display and a dedicated personal assistant side-button have all been suggested.

Whether it will stick with the metal and glass combination design remains to be seen for now, but the S8 is claimed to be coming with similar dimensions to the S7, despite a purported larger screen size.

The S7 measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, weighs 152g and features a physical home button on the front that houses a fingerprint sensor. The leaked renders and images of the S8 so far show a lovely slim device with no physical home button and a good screen to body ratio. We’d guess there will be a fingerprint sensor somewhere though, even if the home button does go.

There have also been rumours to suggest Samsung will do away with the headphone jack, like Apple did with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Harman Kardon speakers are expected, along with USB Type-C, which if true, should offer improvements in audio over the S7.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 review

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Display

• Larger display expected for S8
• Higher resolution rumoured for S8
• S8 thought to have curved display over flat 

Rumour has it the Samsung Galaxy S8 will come with a 5.7-inch or 5.2-inch display, either of which would be bigger than the current S7, which has a 5.1-inch screen. Though as we mentioned, the physical size of the device isn’t expected to change too much. 

It’s also been claimed that the S8 will have a curved display, like the S7 edge and Note 7, rather than a flat screen like the S7. Samsung is likely to stick with the Super AMOLED technology, which should mean another brilliant display whether it is curved or flat.

There have been a few reports suggesting the resolution will increase from 2K like the S7 offers to 4K, which would result in a big bump in pixel density. Others have claimed Samsung will stick with 2K for the S8, but offer improvements for VR so either way, the S8 will likely have an enhanced display.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Camera

• Dual rear camera or higher resolution reported for S8
• Higher resolution front camera rumoured for S8
• Suggestions of autofocus on S8’s front camera

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been rumoured to be coming with a dual rear camera featuring a 12-megapixel sensor and a 13-megapixel sensor. It has also been claimed to have a single 30-megapixel snapper however.

The Galaxy S7 has a 12-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/1.7, phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilisation. It’s a great performer so the same and better is expected from the S8.

Rumours regarding front camera on the S8 mention an 8-megapixel sensor and a 9-megapixel sensor. It’s also been suggested that we will see autofocus on the front. The S7 has a 5-megapixel snapper on the front with fixed focus and auto HDR.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Hardware

• Faster processor expected for S8
• More RAM rumoured for S8
• Larger battery claimed for S8 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and the Exynos 8895 chip have both been associated with the Samsung Galaxy S8 in the rumours, suggesting we might see two models again, region dependant. There has also been talk of 6GB and 8GB of RAM, as well as 64GB and 128GB storage options.

The Galaxy S7 comes with either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip or the Exynos 8890 processor under the hood, both of which have 4GB of RAM so an increase in performance is likely with the S8, even if the RAM isn’t doubled. Storage options come in the form of 32GB and 64GB, both of which have microSD support.

Rumours suggest the S8 could have a 4200mAh battery, which would be significantly larger than the 3000mAh battery within the S7.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Software

• Android Nougat from launch expected for S8
• Personal assistant Viv confirmed for S8
• Both devices should have similar experience

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will launch on Android Nougat with the company’s TouchWiz software overlay. Rumours have been thin on the ground as to what extra features we can expect but it has been confirmed that the personal assistant Viv will be on board.

The Galaxy S7 is currently running on Android Marshmallow but an update to Nougat is imminent so the software experience between the S7 and S8 should be relatively similar once all updates are done.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Conclusion

As we only have rumours to go on at the moment, no one but Samsung knows how much more the Galaxy S8 will bring over the S7. It’s a new flagship so a faster processor, increase in RAM and improvements in design and camera capabilities are very likely.

We’d also expect to see battery and display enhancements but it’s not yet clear exactly what they will be. We will be updating this feature as more rumours flood in so keep checking back but for now, it’s a safe bet that the Galaxy S8 will improve on the already great Galaxy S7.

ICYMI: Be a big buck bounty hunter for drones

Today on In Case You Missed It: Skyrocket’s booth in the drone section of CES became an OK Corral for shooting down drones, to our utter satisfaction. The company unveiled its Sky-Viper GPS drone this CES and showcased its durability and quick movements by letting folks take aim at them with big air cannon guns. The drone costs $150 but the satisfaction of knocking one out of the air: Priceless.

As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

And click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Brain region that recognizes faces keeps growing in adulthood

Neurologists thought that your brain was basically set once you hit early childhood, but researchers from Stanford have discovered one part that keeps growing. Using new MRI imaging techniques, they found that the “fusiform gyrus,” which is mostly responsible for recognizing human faces, keeps expanding well after other regions have stopped. The research could lead to more sophisticated cellular analysis of the brain and help patients with a disorder called “facial blindness.”

Normally, our brain actually loses neurons between early childhood and puberty in a process called “pruning.” That applies to visual parts of the brain that identify things like cityscape or hallways, but not faces.

The researchers used two different MRI machines to scan both brain activity and density in two different parts of the brain: the region responsible for identifying faces, and an area used for other types of visual recognition. They then compared those structures in the brains of children (aged five to 12) to adults between 22 to 28. It turned out that adults had thicker fusiform gyrus regions than kids, different levels of proteins and cells and more activity. By contrast, the other visual regions showed lower levels of development.

Jesse Gomez and Kalanit Grill-Spector/Stanford Vision and Perception Neuroscience Lab

“We actually saw that tissue is proliferating,” said grad student Jesse Gomez. “Many people assume … that tissue is lost slowly as you get older. We saw the opposite –- that whatever is left after pruning in infancy can be used to grow.” The researchers figure that the region expands because humans start with very poor facial recognition skills in infancy, but as we hit adolescence and meet more people, the region has to grow to keep pace.

The technique is the first to directly see such cell changes in living subjects, and could easily be adapted for other types of research and diagnoses. The next step, the team says, is to see if other regions of the brain also grow. The study could have a more immediate benefit, too, helping the two percent of the adult population that suffers from facial blindness, a disorder that makes it difficult to identify faces.

Via: Science News

Source: Stanford

Engadget’s annual CES dance break is a ‘Frozen’ duet

Sometimes, the madness of CES builds to a fever pitch and only one thing can save Engadget editors from a complete mental breakdown: Just Dance 2017. Specifically, dancing a duet to the most popular song from Frozen, “Let it Go.” This year’s Video Game Challenge kicked off with a bang, featuring Engadget Senior Editor Mat Smith as host, and Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola and Senior Reporter Jessica Conditt (that’s me!) as the performers. Note that none of those titles include the word “dancer” — and don’t judge. We could all use a little fun in our lives every now and then, and doubly so at CES.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.