Like a robotic art teacher, this little projector will show your kids how to draw

Why it matters to you

Want to teach your kid to draw? FollowGrams is a smart projector that lets children turn any picture they’ve taken into a traceable image.

There’s ongoing debate in the art world about whether or not the great Renaissance painters may have used optical aids to help them trace the timeless masterpieces which now hang in galleries all around the world. But while that might be a controversial accusation for a renowned art master, the idea of drawing over a projected image is far less contentious — and even beneficial — when you think that it could be used to help a young kid learn how to draw.

More: Whip out your Apple Pencil and try out the 20 best iPad Pro drawing apps

That’s the concept behind FollowGrams, a smart projector that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, and which then allows kids to turn any picture they’ve taken into a traceable image. Just dim your lights, turn on the projector, and put down a blank page to get started…

“In the past couple of years we worked on a coloring book line called Painting Lulu where kids start on paper and then scan their artwork into a digital app and continue there,” creator Tal Zilberman, an engineer, told Digital Trends. “People were asking us [whether] kids can then transfer their digital work from their tablet back to paper. It was funny at first, but then we thought why not [give it a] try?”

The resulting hardware and software is geared toward making the experience of drawing fun for kids. The projector itself is colorful and chunky, while there are plenty of fun animations built into the software. There are also plenty of existing drawings available they can practice on, in addition to copying from photos. Some of these even have educational value, such as traceable letters designed to help young’uns practice their handwriting, and work out which way round certain pesky letters and numbers should go.

“We’re mainly aiming for kids ages five and up, but obviously adults can use it and enjoy it as well,” Zilberman continued. “The FollowGrams platform can be used to develop so many different content types — whether it’s a 5-year-old trying to write his name for the first time or an adult looking for some time [away from] screens. We even tried making cupcakes and using [FollowGrams] to project an image to decorate it.”

If you want to get hold of a unit, you can currently place a pre-order on Kickstarter, where projectors and a range of smart cards start at $65.

Estimated delivery is set to take place in July — if we can project that far ahead.

Galax introduces its own half-height Nvidia GTX 1050s for home theater PCs

Why it matters to you

There are now more options on the market for gamers wanting smaller form factor PCs.

If you’re thinking of upgrading your small home theater PC, Galax’s new line of graphics cards may have you covered.

Galax has introduced two half-height Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics cards that give more power than reference options.

More: Corsair’s Bulldog 2.0 to keep new-generation CPUs chilly

The Galax GTX 1050 OC LP and the 1050Ti OC LP are slightly clocked-up versions of Nvidia’s reference options, albeit at half the height. The length of both of Galax’s offerings is a minuscule 68mm. It makes these cards perfect for HTPCs, which are small form factor builds that fit perfectly in a home theater setup.

The GTX 1050 model runs at 1,366MHz and can boost up to 1,468MHz while the GTX 1050Ti model runs at a slightly slower 1,303MHz but can boost up to 1,417MHz. Compare this to reference Nvidia models, its 1050 runs at 1,354MHz and boost to 1,455MHz and its 1050Ti runs at 1,290MHz and boost to 1,392MHz. Galax’s 1050 will come with 2GBs of RAM while the 1050Ti bumps it up to 4GBs.

In terms of display options, both cards will offer DisplayPot 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, and dual-link DVI-D. These cards will only have one port for each, so those with multi-monitor setups may need to look at more premium options. Cooling wise, both cards will stick with standard dual-fan coolers, but buyers will need to ensure their cases have room for two backplate spaces. Luckily, both cards can be powered via the PCIe slots alone, meaning no power connectors will be necessary, and even lower watt PSUs should be able to handle its 75W load.

Galax has not given a price for these new cards nor a release date. Cards in this range typically run for $110 for the 1050 and $140 for the 150Ti. It would not be surprising if Galax prices its cards competitively.

Early trials suggest deep brain stimulation can significantly reduce heroin addiction

Why it matters to you

Deep Brain Stimulation is already used to treat Parkinson’s disease, but new research suggests it could also help addicts kick their heroin habits.

Deep Brain Stimulation has been very successful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, to the extent that it is now routinely used as a part of treatment throughout the world.

But new research coming out of the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) suggests that the same approach could also be used to treat another deadly disease: Heroin addiction.

“The key problem is which brain region do you stimulate, and how do you stimulate it?” Dr. Olivier George, an associate professor in TSRI’s Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, told Digital Trends. “This study provides preclinical evidence that using very low intensity deep brain stimulation of a specific brain region called the subthalamic nucleus, we can decrease the motivation for for heroin in an animal model of heroin addiction.”

In the study, rats that were accustomed to taking heroin — and would otherwise self-administer greater quantities of the drug — would not escalate their intake after being treated using implanted electrodes.

More: Deep Brain Stimulation treats Parkinson’s, could soon do the same for Alzheimer’s

The rats in the study were able to self-administer heroin doses by pressing on a lever. When they had the drug taken away from them for two weeks, those rats that had not been treated with Deep Brain Stimulation quickly ramped up their drug use when access to it was restored. However, those which had been treated with DBS kept a stable, low-level intake.

The billion-dollar question, of course, is whether these results could also be extrapolated to humans? “Yes, this is very feasible,” George continued, citing the fact that similar treatment is already being used to treat Parkinson’s in human patients.

Even the numbers stack up, he said. “If you take into account all the costs — health care, justice, criminal, overdose, accidents — associated with heroin addiction you realize that Deep Brain Stimulation costs just a little more, $80,000 for six months, than pharmacological treatments, [which is] $50,000 for six months.”

George said it would also cost less to society than not treating addicts, and even prove cost-effective if only 50 percent of patients responded to treatment.

“Heroin addiction is extremely difficult to kick,” he said. “Patients are miserable, lose their job, their family, and are at high risk of overdose and death. They are often desperate after multiple relapses. I believe that a lot of them would be willing to try an alternative therapeutic strategy like Deep Brain Stimulation. It is not without risk, as it involves brain surgery, but it could be a lifesaver.”

There are still questions to be answered before clinical trials in humans can begin (including whether noninvasive alternatives such as ultrasonic or transcranial stimulation may also work), but this could turn out to be the start of some very important work.

Our 5 favorite tech deals on Amazon right now

Amazon has some killer deals listed today so instead of highlighting just one we’ve handpicked the very best deals on the site you can score for a limited time only. After scouring through the masses, we’ve rounded up the five hottest tech deals that together provide over $180 in savings, with discounts as high as 78 percent off the retail price. Check out the list below to see which items are on sale today and why they’re worth considering.

Wink Connected Home Hub

The Wink Hub acts as the control center of all your allows your smart home products. It allows them to “dspeak the same wireless language,” and allows you to control them all on your smartphone. With the Wink app, you can seamlessly control multiple products with a single tap whether you are in our out of your home.

Wink has robots that let you customize the way products talk to each other, essentially teaching your home how to operate. For example, you can set your smart deadbolt to turn on your lights when opened or set waking and sleep schedules for lighting around your home. There are no monthly fees and the hub works with dozens of different smart home devices including blinds, lights, and locks, from major manufacturers like Nest, GE, and Schlage.

The Wink Hub normally retails for $69 but today you can get it for $55 on Amazon, saving you $14 or 20 percent.

Buy it for $55 on Amazon

Awinner Fine Point Precision Active Stylus Pen

This 2.3mm fine point stylus pen makes your digital writing experience more realistic. The Awinner Fine Point Precision Active Stylus Pen features a durable thermoplastic, flexible ultra fine tip, for fast and smooth writing. With active sensing technology, no additional receiver or Bluetooth device is needed. Simply turn the power on and start jotting down notes.

The stylus is made to last, crafted out of precision CNC machined anodized aluminum alloy, yet comfortable enough to use with its durable soft-touch rubber writing grip. The accessory is compatible with iPad, iPhone, and most Android tablets and smartphones, and works with any writing app including ZoomNotes, Evernote, Paper by FiftyThree, ProCreate, and more. With a built-in battery, you simply charging the pen using any USB port, and a single charge will give you up to 12 hours of writing time.

The Awinner Fine Point Precision Active Stylus Pen normally retails for $70 but today you can grab one on Amazon for only $19, giving you a 73 percent or $51 discount.

Buy it for $19 on Amazon

ZZSY V4.1 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

This noise-cancelling, sweat-proof headset is as powerful as it is comfortable. Enjoy a deep base and high definition sound quality as the headset pairs with your smartphone (or any Bluetooth device) using speedy Bluetooth with Apt-X technology. The headset features CVC 6.0 digital noise reduction technology that intelligently filters ambient noise, enables HD stereo sound, and creates an overall optimal listening experience.

The ZZSY V4.1 Wireless Bluetooth Earphone Headset is lightweight, making it comfortable to wear for hours, including during intense workouts, and can withstand sweat and light moisture with its waterproof IPX4 rating. It comes with a built-in 180mah battery for five hours music play time, six hours phone call, or 180 hours standby time after a one to two-hour charge. When not in use, the headset uses a magnet adsorption function, that will shut down it automatically to save you power. The device is packaged to fit with your unique ear shapes, as it comes with two different ear hook sizes, optional clips to be put on the ear hooks, and three silicone inserts (small, medium, and large).

The ZZSY V4.1 Wireless Bluetooth Earphone Headset is currently 78 percent off on Amazon, regularly retailing for $100 but slashed down to only $22 giving you a full $78 savings.

Buy it for $22 on Amazon

Anker SlimShell Clear Case for iPhone 7 Plus

Here’s a phone case that protects your mobile device without interfering with the beauty of it. The Anker SlimShell Slim & Light Protective Clear Case for iPhone 7 Plus offers robust defense and impact protection. With a durable TPU, anti-stretch TPE guard, and a raised front and rear rim, your iPhone will stay in top-notch condition, even against accidental bumps and drops. Additionally, it’s made out of hardened polycarbonate material, which adds an extra layer of protection against unsightly scratches for much longer than your typical clear case.

The case is not only completely see-through but also crystal clear, with a transparent finish that allows you to showcase your iPhone 7 Plus. Removable soft side buttons give you access to volume and power buttons as needed, while the raised front and rear rim, ensure your camera is fully accessible and ready for use. Finally, the protective case comes with an 18-month warranty that includes customer service.

The Anker SlimShell Slim & Light Protective Clear Case for iPhone 7 Plus is currently 74 percent off and available on Amazon for only $7, saving you $28 off the regular $38 price tag.

Buy it for $7 on Amazon

MYNT Smart Tracker & Remote

This isn’t your ordinary miniature tracking device. Rather the MYNT Smart Tracker & Remote is the thinnest tracking device on the market, can be used for various other purposes besides tracking, and is compatible with dozens of devices. The smart tracker 2-by-0.1-by-1-inches, or about the thickness of two credit cards and crafted into an oval-shape that’s easy on the eyes, meaning it won’t disrupt the aesthetics of your items when placed in your wallet or on your keychain. The device is even water-resistant on its own, and a metal casing keeps MYNT safe through intense wear and tear.

Beyond ensuring you don’t lose track of your valuables, MYNT offers a handful of other features designed to make your life easier. To find devices, simply open the GPS map app to see your item’s last recorded location. If you misplace your phone, you can make it ring even if it’s on vibrate or silent mode. Additionally, the tiny device can be used as a remote camera shutter button up to 150 feet, a music remote control, and a presentation fob, allowing you to click through PowerPoint slides or keynote presentations. Finally, MYNT is compatible with iOS, Android, and MacOS. It uses Bluetooth 4.0.

The MYNT Smart Tracker & Remote is discounted to just $20 on Amazon, giving you a 33 percent, or $10 discount.

Buy it for $20 on Amazon

LG’s patented wrap-around display seems pointless, but still looks awesome

Why it matters to you

LG has always been a prominent force in making displays more flexible, and this patent shows the company is still innovating the format.

Flexible displays are all the rage right now, but LG may be looking to take things to the next level, at least if its latest patent is anything to go by. Check out this crazy flexible screen that bends over the top of your phone.

The patent, which was discovered by Mobilescout, doesn’t mimic recent phones with screens on their sides, it instead offers a screen on the front, top, and back of the device — but these aren’t three different screens in use. It’s one display that wraps over the top of the device..

More: Flexible LCDs will be available from Japan Display as soon as next year

So why would anyone want or need this? Well, jury’s out on that for now. The back of your device is generally what we use to hold our phone, so it’s hard to imagine use-case scenarios where we’d want to utilize the front and back of the phone at the same time. And, as The Verge notes, the fact that there’s screen on the top of your phone means that it’s more than likely you could shatter your display the first time you accidentally drop your device.

Still, the fact is that this is just a patent, and one that may never be implemented. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t cool — and something that could even be usable in a different form at some point in the future, possibly in a device other than a smartphone.

LG has long been at the forefront of development of flexible displays, and was among the first companies to bring curved displays to the smartphone market — beaten to the punch only by the Samsung Galaxy Round. The new patent shows that LG is only going to continue being a prominent force in the creation of the next great flexible smartphone.

LG’s patented wrap-around display seems pointless, but still looks awesome

Why it matters to you

LG has always been a prominent force in making displays more flexible, and this patent shows the company is still innovating the format.

Flexible displays are all the rage right now, but LG may be looking to take things to the next level, at least if its latest patent is anything to go by. Check out this crazy flexible screen that bends over the top of your phone.

The patent, which was discovered by Mobilescout, doesn’t mimic recent phones with screens on their sides, it instead offers a screen on the front, top, and back of the device — but these aren’t three different screens in use. It’s one display that wraps over the top of the device..

More: Flexible LCDs will be available from Japan Display as soon as next year

So why would anyone want or need this? Well, jury’s out on that for now. The back of your device is generally what we use to hold our phone, so it’s hard to imagine use-case scenarios where we’d want to utilize the front and back of the phone at the same time. And, as The Verge notes, the fact that there’s screen on the top of your phone means that it’s more than likely you could shatter your display the first time you accidentally drop your device.

Still, the fact is that this is just a patent, and one that may never be implemented. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t cool — and something that could even be usable in a different form at some point in the future, possibly in a device other than a smartphone.

LG has long been at the forefront of development of flexible displays, and was among the first companies to bring curved displays to the smartphone market — beaten to the punch only by the Samsung Galaxy Round. The new patent shows that LG is only going to continue being a prominent force in the creation of the next great flexible smartphone.

With silicon wings and carbon fiber bones, nightmarish robo-bat flies like real thing

Plenty of robotics researchers are building “biomimetic” robots patterned after creatures in the natural world. However, according to Professor Soon-Jo Chung of the California Institute of Technology, there was only ever one animal he was really interested in mimicking.

“Bat flight is really the holy grail of aerial robots, evidenced by their abilities to perform complex flying maneuvers such as upside down perching and rapid turning maneuvers,” he told Digital Trends. “Bats also have very complex wing motions, with more than 40 joints and very thin membrane wings.”

Professor Chung is part of a team of engineers from Caltech and the University of Illinois who have developed a flapping bat-like robot that would make Bruce Wayne proud. A paper about their “Bat Bot” was published this week in the journal Science Robotics.

More: Here’s 7 brilliant examples of nature-inspired design

Unlike remote-controlled airplanes, the Bat Bot is entirely autonomous. Comprised of silicone wings, 3D-printed joints, and carbon-fiber “bones,” it is able to stitch together its various “motion primitives” (a combination of amazing maneuvers, turning and straight flight) to perform smooth continuous motion. It is even able to use a micro-camera to track certain objects, as well as possessing the ability to perform a perched landing maneuver using flapping wings.

In other words it can behave like… well, a bat.

“We are not trying to promote all future drones should look like a bat or should fly like a bat,” Chung continued. “Strict mimicry is not the goal. As an aerospace robotics engineer, I would like to learn from biological systems to improve the current technologies and designs of small aerial drones. For example, we could use these wing-morphing mechanisms using independent wing folding and leg motions to come up with a better way of controlling a future airplane.”

Soft-winged drones like Bat Bot offer up some exciting possibilities, such as being deployed in close proximity to humans in locations like construction sites. It could also potentially be used as an autonomous assistant for humans.

Because it doesn’t use high-speed rotors or emit any other loud sounds, it would be comparatively unobtrusive: making it potentially valuable in areas ranging from surveillance and reconnaissance to gathering scientific measurements.

Now if the researchers could just get it to issue spoken alerts, read by longtime Batman voiceover artist Kevin Conroy, it would be absolutely perfect!

Noctua will offer three special edition CPU coolers when AMD’s Ryzen CPUs debut

Why it matters to you

Noctua will help cool down AMD’s blazing-fast Ryzen desktop processors and the new AM4-based motherboards.

Noctua said on Wednesday that it will soon offer special versions of its NH-D15, NH-U12S, and NH-L9x65 processor coolers that will work with AMD’s upcoming Ryzen desktop CPUs. They will be labeled as “SE-AM4,” meaning the coolers will work with processors that slip into AMD’s new AM4 socket for motherboards. Pricing will start at $52.90 when AMD begins shipping its Ryzen desktop processors before the end of March.

Here are the models and their target systems:

NH-L9x65 SE-AM4
Built for compact systems.
NH-U12S SE-AM4
Provides a balance of compatibility and performance.
NH-D15 SE-AM4
Ideal for overclockers and silent enthusiasts.

According to Noctua, all three CPU coolers include the company’s SecuFirm2 mounting system that is fine-tuned for the AM4 socket so the cooler is easy to install and provides the best possible contact pressure on the Ryzen chip. The coolers also include two different sets of mounting bars so that users can align the cooler with the airflow path inside the system.

More: AMD’s Ryzen CPU could launch before GDC 2017, according to conference’s website

The upcoming CPU coolers target “noise-sensitive” customers who want a near-silent solution for AMD’s Ryzen processors. They come packed with Low-Noise Adapters and pulse width modulation (PWM) fans that support fully automatic speed control so they are not constantly whirring when the CPU is barely in use. The coolers will be sold with Noctua’s NT-H1 thermal compound and a full six-year warranty.

Here are the specifications of each special edition processor cooler for Ryzen systems:

NH-D15 SE-AM4
NH-U12S SE-AM4
NH-L9x65 SE-AM4
Size (no fan):
160(H) x 150(W) x 135(D) mm
158(H) x 125(W) x 45(D) mm
51(H) x 95(W) x 95(D) mm
Size (with fan):
165(H) x 150(W) x 161(D) mm
158(H) x 125(W) x 71(D) mm
65(H) x 95(W) x 95(D) mm
Weight (no fan):
980g
580g
340g
Weight (with fan):
1,320g
755g
413g
Material:
Copper (base and heat pipes)
Aluminum (cooling fins)
soldered joints
Nickel plating
Copper (base and heat pipes)
Aluminum (cooling fins)
soldered joints
Nickel plating
Copper (base and heat pipes)
Aluminum (cooling fins)
soldered joints
Nickel plating
Fan compatibility:
140 x 150 x 25 (120mm holes)
140 x 140 x 25 (120mm holes)
120 x 120 x 25
120 x 120 x 25
92 x 92 x 14
92 x 92 x 25
Fan:
2x Noctua NF-A15 PWM
Noctura NF-F12 PWM
Noctura NF-A9x14 PWM
Max. Rotational Speed:
1,200 RPM
1,200 RPM
1,800 RPM
Min. rotational Speed:
300 RPM
300 RPM
600 RPM
Price:
$99.90
$64.90
$52.90

The news of the three upcoming Ryzen coolers arrives after the company’s late-January announcement that it will offer free mounting upgrade kits for AM4-based systems: the NM-AM4-UxS and the NM-AM4. These kits are based on the company’s SecuFirm2 design and are backward compatible with “most” Noctua coolers released since 2005. Customers will simply need to upload a proof of purchase to Noctua to receive the kit.

A list of Noctua CPU coolers that can be adapted for AM4-based systems using one of the upgrade kits can be accessed here. The list also includes CPU coolers that are compatible with the upgrade kits but do not fall under Noctua’s free offer.

Pixie Point Bluetooth tracker: Our first take

Bluetooth trackers are a dime a dozen. There’s the Tile, a one-time-use Bluetooth tracker. Then there’s the LassoTag iBeacon, an inexpensive alternative with a rechargeable battery and thermometer. There’s also the Protag Duet, a colorful, circular adhesive tracker with up to eight months of battery life. And there’s the TrackR, a wireless tracker with a one-year of battery life and global positioning. But the market’s increasingly crowded nature hasn’t stopped new entrants from trying their luck. And the latest, the Pixie Point, is the most promising yet — on paper, at least.

At first glance, the Pixie Point appears to offer a veritable cornucopia of useful tracking features. A proprietary app promises to reveal the precise location of nearby Pixies with an easy-to-spot arrow icon. Pixies create their own local mesh network that enhances the accuracy of tracking. And Pixie Points resist water and don’t take in dust.

More: Jazz up your workout with these 11 awesome fitness wearables from 2016

But all too often, the Pixie Point fails to deliver on its promises. That’s not to say it’s altogether useless — more often than not, the Pixie helps to point in the general vicinity of missing objects — but it stumbles more often than might be expected of a Bluetooth tracker at its price range.

Good ideas, poor execution

The Pixie Point experience is a polished package, though. The app provides simple onboarding instructions — and than it’s off to the races. Once you’ve downloaded the latest Pixie app, you’re instructed to designate one Pixie Point as an “anchor” — it’ll remain affixed to the top-right corner of your iPhone or iPad while you’re performing searches. Next, you’ll pair each additional Pixie Point by following the app’s provided diagrams. Once that’s done, you’re free to begin attaching the remaining points to the valuables you’re most worried about misplacing.

Its fairly self-explanatory from that point (no pun intended). The app includes a list of Pixie Points you’ve paired in the recent past, replete with their respective distances (in feet or meters, depending on your preference) from the anchor Pixie. Tapping on one launches the search interface, which requires you to “scan” your surroundings by holding your iPad or iPhone at arm’s length and sweeping slowly in the direction of the onscreen arrows. It’s sort of like taking a panoramic picture.

More: Best key finders to ensure you never lose your keys again

Unfortunately, it’s a little erratic. In our experience, the Pixie app had to do quite a bit of “scanning” before it had an adequate picture, so to speak, of its surroundings. It wasn’t uncommon for our reviewer to complete a couple of cycles in any given direction, and scans tended to be a little unpredictable. Some took seconds, while others took close to a minute.

Unfortunately, it’s a little erratic.

Once the app is finished scanning, though, the Pixie Point really shines –at least in theory. The app’s headlining asset is an augmented reality Pixie Dust feature that overlays an animated cloud of colored dust atop the location of the Pixie Point — even through walls and furniture. Audio cues of increasing loudness let you know when you’re getting close, and when you’re within a few feet, a “metal detector” interface — a moving gauge with red and green indicators — indicate the Pixie Point’s distance from the item within inches.

More: Tile puts its Bluetooth tracker on a diet, releases the slimmed-down Mate

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. We had trouble getting the Pixie Dust display to work properly. In the absolute worst cases, it appeared in the opposite direction of the Pixie Point, realigning only when our reviewer began to walk toward it. It made a time-consuming process even more cumbersome.

We did find the “metal detector” genuinely useful. The steady beeping served as a good, reliable indication of our closeness to the Pixie Point, in some cases getting us back on track when the Pixie Dust led us astray.

Impressive technology, but poor user experience

The technology behind the Pixie Point is incredibly impressive. It creates a mesh network that ostensibly enables precise, GPS-like triangulation of each unit within a certain radius (150 feet outdoors and 50 feet indoors). The app lets you assign names to Pixie Points in order to better organize them — you can name one “car keys,” for example, and another “laptop” or “pet collar.” And you can create kits of things — say, a work bag — and receive an alert when objects go missing from it.

More: Prone to losing your keys or wallet? Nut Find 3 will help you keep track of them

In contrast to some competing Bluetooth trackers on the market, Pixie Points don’t sacrifice features for compactness. They measure 1.9 x 1.4 x 0.1 inches, but last up to 12 months on a charge. (Unfortunately, the battery isn’t replaceable — when a Pixie Point dies, you’ll need to buy a new one.)

All in all, the Pixie Point ecosystem has a long way to go. It’s disappointingly inconsistent. And even when it does work, it requires finagling to get just right. That had us wondering: Wouldn’t all that time calibrating the Pixie Points be better spent searching for them ourselves?

It’s a question Pixie will have to answer if it wants to convince buyers to fork over $50 for two Pixies or $100 for four. At those prices, it’s easily one of the more expensive Bluetooth trackers on the market. Tile Mate costs $25. The HButler Orbit starts at $30. If Pixie wants its solution to measure up to the market’s best, it has its work cut out for it.

The Pixie Point is available direct from Pixie direct. It’s only compatible with iOS devices for now, but an Android app is due later this year.

Highs

• Promising mesh networking technology
• Polished app

Lows

• Inaccurate and inconsistent tracking
• Finicky setup process

New Dell XPS 13 and 15 now available with fingerprint scanner, Windows Hello

Why it matters to you

If you want Windows 10 Hello support on your new Dell XPS 15, then you’ll want to place your order soon, and add the fingerprint option.

CES 2017 brought a number of new and updated notebooks, with Intel’s seventh-generation CPUs and Nvidia’s Pascal graphics architecture making their way into the mainstream. One of the most anticipated machines is the update to Dell’s XPS 15 workstation, which was officially announced after a brief unintentional outing on Dell’s website.

The new Dell XPS 15 features up to Intel’s quad-core Core i7-7700HQ CPU, Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050 GPU, and up to 32GB RAM, making it a powerful mobile workstation. There’s been some confusion, however, as to whether Dell was jumping on the Windows Hello password-less login bandwagon, and that’s now been clarified, as Windows Central reports.

More: Updated XPS 15 and new XPS 27 AIO headline Dell’s XPS line update for 2017

Many new notebooks feature Windows Hello, which allows users to securely log into their Windows 10 PCs with one form of biometric sensor or another. One of the more popular options is facial-recognition scanners, which use infrared scanners to make sure the person who’s looking at the screen is an authorized user. Another is the time-tested fingerprint scanner, which allows a user to swipe a finger and log in via Windows Hello.

When news of Dell’s updated XPS 15 first broke, it appeared that it would include a fingerprint scanner supporting Windows Hello. Looking at the initial product listings on Dell’s website, however, which showed models shipping in early February 2017, a fingerprint scanner couldn’t be found anywhere.

Apparently, the reason is relatively simple: A fingerprint scanner option was coming but wasn’t made available on the earliest configurable systems. According to Dell, “Folks should see configurations for XPS 15 on Dell.com get updated to include the fingerprint reader option during the first week of February.”

As Windows Central reports, the fingerprint scanner option is now available for the new XPS 15 at Dell.com. There’s even more good news: the newest XPS 13 notebook also now offers the same fingerprint option, which for all applicable models is selectable as the “Backlit keyboard, with fingerprint scanner” option for the reasonable additional cost of $24.50.

If you want an XPS 13 or 15 with Windows Hello support, then you’ll want to make sure to select the appropriate configuration. If you’ve already pre-ordered a new XPS 15 without the fingerprint scanner, then you’ll want to contact Dell and switch out your order.

Story originally published in January 2017. Updated on 2-2-2017 by Mark Coppock: Added information that the fingerprint scanner option is now available for purchase.