Dell worked with suppliers to make the XPS 13 2-in-1 the best it can be

Why it matters to you

If you’re in the market for a Windows 10 2-in-1 machine, then rest assured that Dell spent extra effort making sure its XPS 13 2-in-1 was the best it could be.

We recently reviewed Dell’s new XPS 13 2-in-1 machine and found it to combine all of the best things about the XPS 13 notebook with the features that make a Windows 10 2-in-1 device most usable. Our review confirmed our decision to name the XPS 13 2-in-1 the computing “Best of CES 2017.”

A closer look at how Dell developed the machine now shows that the firm didn’t simply add a hinge to the XPS 13 so that it could swivel around into tablet mode and leave it at that. Instead, the company worked closely with suppliers to make sure that its new 2-in-1 would provide an optimal experience, as Engadget reports.

More: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Review

For example, as we covered in our review, the XPS 13 2-in-1 introduces a new Dynamic Power Mode that pushes the Intel Core Y-series processor to greater levels of performance. The Y-series processors were renamed, separating them from the previous “Core M” designation, after that line developed a reputation for poor performance.

Although Intel Core Y processors are also low-powered CPUs, Dell worked closely with Intel to implement the Dynamic Power Mode, and we found that it indeed provides some performance advantages over other manufacturers’ machines with the same CPUs. Basically, Dynamic Power Mode lets the CPU run temporarily at a thermal design power (TDP of 9 watts versus its normal 7-watt TDP, squeezing out a little more performance when it’s needed the most.

The performance isn’t enough to move the XPS 13 2-in-1 into the same category of machines running faster Core i-series processors, but it’s a significant advantage over other similarly equipped thin and light 2-in-1 machines. The design decision results in a machine that maintains a low power profile overall but can still perform when called upon.

Another area where Dell worked closely with a supplier was with respect to the display, which is produced by Sharp. As Dell’s senior vice president for product design, Ed Boyd, put it, “We didn’t go to Sharp and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to make a computer. What do you guys have?’ We said, ‘We want to make this.’”

Except for the display’s relatively low brightness and higher-than-average color error, Dell’s efforts seem to have paid off. We found the display to offer solid results in other metrics, including 97-percent sRGB and 75-percent AdobeRBG color gamuts, along with an excellent contrast ratio of 1120:1. It’s not perfect, but Dell’s assertion that it paid serious attention to the display seems warranted.

More: Dell XPS 13 (Kaby Lake) Review

Finally, while the industry’s pursuit of thin designs has possibly reached a tipping point where too much functionality is sacrificed for ultimate thinness, Dell chose not to go all the way down that rabbit hole. While it did remove legacy ports in favor of all USB Type-C ports — which we consider a weakness at this stage of the new standard’s adoption — Dell stepped back from hampering the typing experience.

As XPS Director Donnie Oliphant put it, “We were looking at shaving, literally, just one-tenth of a millimeter off of the travel. But (the keyboard) didn’t test to our satisfaction, so we threw that 0.1 millimeters back into the design.” The XPS 13 2-in-1 is meant to be used as a tablet, and so being thinner and lighter is worth some compromise, but generally speaking Dell did what it could to maintain a quality keyboard and good battery life.

The Windows PC ecosystem is particularly competitive today, with an unprecedented number of new form factors and excellent designs, and no manufacturer can afford to rest on their laurels. The XPS 13 is a great notebook, but Dell recognized the need to make the 2-in-1 version even better — and it took some steps to get there.

Watch MIT’s swimming hydrogel robot sneak up and grab a passing fish

Why it matters to you

MIT is building gel-based, water-powered robots capable of swimming like eels, and snatching (and then releasing) live fish as they swim along.

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!”

That may be the tagline to 1978’s Jaws 2, but it also nicely sums up the work of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who have developed new gel-based underwater robots capable of a range of terrifyingly high-energy tasks — including swimming like an eel, and snatching (and then releasing) a live fish as it swims along minding its own business.

More: Soft robot sleeve will help hearts to beat when they’re failing

“In this work, we present the world’s first report of a fully hydrogel-made hydraulic actuator with fast and forceful actuation,” MIT graduate student Hyunwoo Yuk, who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “It is operated by pumping in and out water. There are two significant progress in this work. [The first is that] it enables fast and forceful actuation, similar to fishes, for a fully hydrogel-based system which have been not possible [before]. [Secondly], due to its high water contents, hydrogel robots are optically and sonically transparent in water like a glass eel in the ocean.”

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A transparent, eel-like soft robot might sound like the stuff nightmares are made of, but it’s nonetheless an impressive achievement. The robots built by the MIT team are made up of interlocking hydrogel cubes, capable of inflating when they’re pumped up with water.

By doing this rapidly the robots are able to produce forceful reactions, generating a few newtons of force in just one second. By comparison, other hydrogel robots which use osmosis to achieve similar goals take several minutes, or even hours, to achieve marginal millinewton forces.

At present, the team is still experimenting with form factors — including the aforementioned eel and a soft, hand-shaped robot that is able to both squeeze and relax. The work does have some excitingly broad practical applications, however.

“The hydrogel actuators and robots may be used to interact with soft and delicate tissues and organs in human body,” Yuk continued. “For example, [they could] assist [a] heart beating by applying pressuring through hydrogel. Since hydrogels are soft, wet and biocompatible, they can fit inside the human body well. Also, its optical and sonical transparency will enable new types of underwater surveillance robots or other applications that require such passive camouflage.”

Apple wants to put more mobile hardware into Macs, but isn’t abandoning Intel yet

Why it matters to you

The PC industry continues to slowly move toward power-sipping ARM processors. Apple is taking another step soon by adding a new ARM processor to upcoming MacBooks.

Intel and ARM have been in a battle for years over which processor architecture would reign supreme. Much of the battle has been for the mobile market, where ARM continues to maintain an upper hand in making low-power but well-performing CPUs.

Lately, though, ARM has been making some inroads into Intel’s PC territory. One major victory was Microsoft’s announcement in late 2016 that full Windows 10 would run on ARM processors sometime in 2017. Now, Apple has joined the fray, looking at ways to incorporate ARM CPUs into its Mac line of PCs, as Bloomberg reports.

More: Apple’s Touch Bar is like having an iPhone built into your MacBook

Microsoft’s approach is to enable a version of Windows 10 — not Windows 10 Mobile but the “real” PC version — to run on power-sipping ARM processors likely starting with the Snapdragon 835. An optimized emulation engine would let users run full Windows desktop — or Win32 — apps with at least acceptable performance.

Apple’s approach is different. Its very first foray into plugging ARM processors into its MacBook Pro line was to run the new Touch Bar OLED touch-input display off an ARM chip of its own design, called the T1. Rumors suggest next up is a new ARM processor codenamed T310, which will be used to control power modes in upcoming MacBooks, again working alongside Intel processors that would continue to run the machines.

Apple has a history of making its own chips, including its A-series processors that power iPhones and iPads, and speculation has abounded for some time that Apple desires a clean break with Intel as well. Moving to an ARM-based architecture for its MacBook lines would not only reduce its reliance on Intel but also enable more power-efficient machines.

That could take some time to accomplish, however, as the T310 processor would only manage the “Power Nap” feature that lets Macs keep up with various functions like email and updates while sleeping. And there’s likely a good deal of work to do with MacOS to get it ready to run on ARM processors.

Nevertheless, this exploration is interesting, and hints that Apple is exploring the possibility of ARM hardware in Macs. Even if it doesn’t switch to ARM-based chips for primary system functions, using them for secondary features could help Apple define the Mac line from its PC competition.

Tesla eyes renewable energy dominance with opening of Mira Loma energy station

Why it matters to you

Tesla’s massive new energy storage facility in Ontario, California, is now online and has the ability to power roughly 15,000 homes for around four hours.

In less than six months, Tesla’s ambitious new Mira Loma energy station went from idea to broken ground to up and running. Located roughly 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in Ontario, California, the project was developed and built with the help of utility giant Southern California Edison, as well as Ontario’s local government. A blistering pace in terms of conception-to-operation, perhaps Mira Loma’s greatest native feature is the fact its humming energy storage facility boasts the capability to powering roughly 15,000 homes for upwards of four hours — during maximum energy usage periods, no less.

Earlier this week, Tesla’s Chief Technology Officer, JB Straubel, officially unveiled the new 1.5-acre space to a throng of employees, government workers, and media personnel. While speaking to the gathered crowd, rows of Tesla’s massive Powerpack batteries (i.e., the commercial version of Tesla’s Powerwall battery) and industrial inverters lined the property, dotting the dusty environment with the company’s trademark white and red color scheme. Aesthetics aside, Mira Loma’s sole existence is to store surplus energy that would otherwise dissipate without use. Instead of power stations creating energy that goes unused, Tesla’s new grid stores that surplus for when energy needs rise.

Tesla

“This project is exactly in line with our mission to accelerate sustainable technology and sustainable energy broadly for the world,” said Straubel at the event. “Storage is a piece that’s been missing on the grid since the grid was invented, so thanks to these technologies, we’re right at the turning point of being able to deliver storage and use renewables — solar, wind, and others — that can power people’s needs for longer parts of the day.”

More: Tesla discontinues its original Powerwall amid rumors it’s gearing up for version 2.0

As energy grids gear up to move away from the use of fossil fuels, the problem of not only creating renewable energy remains — either solar or wind-produced — but there also exists the question of how to store it. Mira Loma represents an incredibly reliable solution to this need and one capable of allowing the continued shift away from electricity generated via fossil fuel. In addition to having the ability to run 15,000 homes over four fours, the station’s store energy could also power 2,500 homes for a full 24 hours. Though this station is just the beginning, it’s highly likely more storage centers like Ontario’s begin to pop up around the country.

Biologists just figured out a drastically more efficient way to farm biofuel-producing algae

Why it matters to you

The dream of using microalgae as an alternative biofuel is great, but it comes with challenges. PhD candidate Bendy Estime may have come up with the solution!

The possibility of using microalgae as a potential source of biofuel has been long discussed, but it’s not without its challenges. The big one is the same issue that affects a lot of promising tech: scaling it correctly — or, in this case, managing to grow enough of it an efficient manner.

Fortunately, a new piece of research from Syracuse University biomedical and chemical engineering PhD candidate Bendy Estime suggests a new method may be on the horizon.

“This research proposes an energy efficient way to grow and harvest microalgae,” Estime told Digital Trends. “By allowing microalgae to grow in a confined environment, mixing cost can be avoided and the distribution and absorption of light can better be controlled. The simplification of the microalgal biomass harvesting process makes this technology even more outstanding.”

More: Go green! These edible algae lamps could light your home

Estime’s work addresses several bottlenecks with microalgae cultivation. These include its tendency to stick to the walls of containers, therefore blocking out necessary light needed for growth; the constant need for stirring to make sure that light reaches the right places; and the final, time-consuming task of separating the algae from the “broth.”

To solve all of these in one fell swoop, Estime has developed a new growth medium called Tris-Acetate-Phosphate-Pluronic (TAPP). What is neat about TAPP is that it can transition from a solution to a gel with relatively minute variations in temperature.

When the microalgae is first seeded, it’s kept at 15 degrees celsius, which makes it a solution. When it’s heated by just 7 degrees, it becomes a gelatinous mixture in which microalgae grows in clusters 10x larger than in the regular medium. Finally, it’s cooled again for harvesting, at which point it turns back into a solution, which can be separated using gravity.

According to Estime, the system could result in microalgae being harvested at 10x the speed of traditional systems, and in a manner that is highly energy-efficient. (Dare we say it, even “green.”)

“This technology will have primary applications in large scale microalgal biomass production for bioenergy production or pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications,” he said. “But it can also find further applications in other fields such as biofouling control.”

Apple is looking to double the size of its famous flagship retail store in NYC

Why it matters to you

Apple’s flagship New York City retail store is already a tourist draw, but the company is looking to make it even more impressive.

It looks like Apple could be prepping to take its flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City to the next level. Apple’s disputes with the landowner, Boston Properties, have been settled, and according to a Bloomberg report, Apple is now set to more than double the size of the store from 32,000 square feet to a hefty 77,000 square feet.

The road to expansion has been somewhat long for Apple, which was awarded a design patent in 2014 for the glass box store. In May 2016, reports surfaced suggesting Boston Properties was considering not renewing Apple’s lease because, according to reports, Apple didn’t want to pay the asking price. Why? Apple apparently felt entitled to the space because it made the location a global tourist draw because of the interestingly designed building.

More: Apple shows off iPhone’s low-light chops in latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign

Now that the disputes have been resolved, Apple has gotten the go-ahead for expansion, news that was confirmed by Boston Properties President Douglas Linde during an earnings call. Also during the call, Apple was referred to as “that mystery tenant we’ve been talking about for over a year,” which is a possible reference to the fact that Boston Properties has been trying to fill space at 767 Fifth Avenue, where the Apple Store is located, for a while now.

Apple seems to have been trying to expand its retail efforts for quite a while now, and not just in the U.S. Late last year, it was reported that Apple was deep in conversation to open stores in India for the first time. The company has also recently been in talks to open a $50 million store in Melbourne, Australia’s famous Federation Square.

Apple is looking to double the size of its famous flagship retail store in NYC

Why it matters to you

Apple’s flagship New York City retail store is already a tourist draw, but the company is looking to make it even more impressive.

It looks like Apple could be prepping to take its flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City to the next level. Apple’s disputes with the landowner, Boston Properties, have been settled, and according to a Bloomberg report, Apple is now set to more than double the size of the store from 32,000 square feet to a hefty 77,000 square feet.

The road to expansion has been somewhat long for Apple, which was awarded a design patent in 2014 for the glass box store. In May 2016, reports surfaced suggesting Boston Properties was considering not renewing Apple’s lease because, according to reports, Apple didn’t want to pay the asking price. Why? Apple apparently felt entitled to the space because it made the location a global tourist draw because of the interestingly designed building.

More: Apple shows off iPhone’s low-light chops in latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign

Now that the disputes have been resolved, Apple has gotten the go-ahead for expansion, news that was confirmed by Boston Properties President Douglas Linde during an earnings call. Also during the call, Apple was referred to as “that mystery tenant we’ve been talking about for over a year,” which is a possible reference to the fact that Boston Properties has been trying to fill space at 767 Fifth Avenue, where the Apple Store is located, for a while now.

Apple seems to have been trying to expand its retail efforts for quite a while now, and not just in the U.S. Late last year, it was reported that Apple was deep in conversation to open stores in India for the first time. The company has also recently been in talks to open a $50 million store in Melbourne, Australia’s famous Federation Square.

HTTPS use has finally reached its ‘moment of critical mass’

Why it matters to you

HTTPS is becoming the norm for many sites, meaning that a standard that makes you a little more secure is growing more widespread.

HTTPS has reached a “moment of critical mass.” That’s according to cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt this week after he published statistics that showed HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) usage had grown so substantially that it was becoming the “norm” now rather than the exception.

HTTPS is a more secure version of the HTTP protocol. It encrypts the data sent between your browser and the sites you are visiting, which ensures that your data is protected while browsing. HTTP had been the standard for a long time but it is now being usurped by HTTPS.

The evidence to back up this tipping point claim has been growing gradually, said Hunt (who is best known for running haveibeenpwned.com). He added that the protocol has become faster and more freely available to use.

Last October, Mozilla recorded that more than half of its page loads were encrypted with HTTPS while many major sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are using HTTPS by default. Another security researcher, Scott Helme, found that of the top million sites listed on Alexa, 18.4 percent are redirecting users’ browsers from HTTP to HTTPS. Granted, 18.4 percent may not seem like a huge segment but that’s more than double the percentage from August 2015.

Helme carries out this research every six months, so expect to see even more growth in the next round of figures.

Hunt goes on to point out how browsers are now holding websites to account for not implementing better security. He claimed that this is further evidence that HTTPS is becoming more and more ubiquitous.

More: Facebook is helping Chrome and Firefox to speed up the web

The latest versions of Chrome and Firefox are now warning users when they are accessing webpages that are not adequately secured, which should only drive the trend toward HTTPS further. Sites that aren’t using the protocol are more susceptible to man in the middle attacks where hackers could scoop up data during the occurrence of a transaction.

Hi @Qantas, I just went to login to my frequent flyer account and the browser is warning me that it's not secure. Is something wrong? pic.twitter.com/6Bu4v9f5Qn

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) January 26, 2017

These warnings are vital for spreading the word to everyday users, said Hunt, especially when it comes to financial transactions. “Warnings about a site’s security at the time where you’re providing sensitive information is precisely the sort of thing that will force the hand of these sites,” he said.

Over the last two years or so there has been increasing demand for HTTPS, with most major sites now pointing to the need for better security for its users. Earlier in January, the New York Times moved to the protocol by default. Google even favors sites running HTTPS in its search results above those that do not, creating a further incentive for sites to make the move.

Samsung moves to build support for Tizen devices by courting .NET developers

Why it matters to you

Samsung has big plans for Tizen and hopes to build it into a formidable rival for iOS and Android, that competition starts by making sure it is well-supported among app developers.

Samsung unveiled an important update to its Tizen development kit on Wednesday, it’s a bit of an “inside baseball” kind of announcement, but it has far-reaching implications for the nascent operating system platform. The announcement concerns a new version of the .NET Core developer preview, which is a significant update to the previous version, and makes it a bit easier for developers to get started on the platform.

The exact details here aren’t important to most users, but the implications of the update suggest the direction Samsung is going to take with Tizen. Given that it is a stand-alone operating system, not an offshoot of Android or Chrome OS, there is some concern about how many developers would take the time to develop for it — even with Samsung’s significant backing.

It’s been on the market for years but has a minuscule market share compared to Android and iOS. Samsung hopes to change all of that by building Tizen into some of its flagship TV and smartphone offerings. According to MS Power User, Samsung unveiled a new version of the .NET Core for Tizen developers Wednesday as part of that strategy.

This second version of the .NET Core allows developers to use familiar .NET APIs for the development of apps for Samsung’s upcoming Tizen TVs — a big step up from the previous release which only came with mobile application support.

More: Samsung is developing its first smartphone with Tizen 3.0

Samsung has big plans for Tizen but in the end, its devices will be defined by their apps, and apps only exist with a strong community of developers. Wednesday’s announcement is another move to strengthen support among existing .NET developers, who will be able to develop for the platform without having to start from scratch.

It’s here that we can see Samsung laying the groundwork for its Tizen-powered devices, long before they ever hit the marketplace. Plus, the release is an important step toward building Tizen into the platform Samsung wants it to be — a go-to OS for their TVs, phones, and tablets. After all, we only have to look as far as Windows Phone to see what happens when a platform doesn’t have a robust developer community.

Suggestic wants to use artificial intelligence to help you stick to your diet

Why it matters to you

Sick of diets that only tell you what you can’t eat. Suggestic reverses this trend by focusing on telling you what you can have.

Starting a diet is a piece of cake. Finishing it? Well … did someone say cake?

Even if you don’t have the willpower to stick to your culinary resolutions, a new app may be able to help. Meet Suggestic, which wants to help you keep your promises to yourself when it comes to food. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Suggestic will make recommendations that accommodate your lifestyle, rather than forcing you to change your habits to meet your new goals. Simply define your goals, choose your base diet, and add your preferences and restrictions, and you’ll get a personalized diet plan on your phone.

The app will send its suggestions for affordable and readily available restaurant menu items, as well as provide access to more than a million recipes. Rather than making a diet seem like an inconvenience, the app is aimed at making it a constant process of discovery — whether it’s a new hot spot on the town or a new dish to try at home, you’ll be able to find something that works for you.

More: Trouble sleeping? You can treat your insomnia online

The key to Suggestic, the app notes on its website, is its emphasis upon what you can and should eat, rather than what you can’t or shouldn’t. “We have built Suggestic to help you navigate a plan created around your specific needs,” Suggestic founder Shai Rosen told Medical Daily. “We want to remove the stress and complications of following a lifestyle program by giving you actionable suggestions at the right moment and in the right place.”

As you increasingly use Suggestic, its suggestions also become increasingly personalized, allowing you to customize a meal plan that you actually want to stick to. Augmented reality could soon be integrated into the app, which will allow you to simply point your phone at a menu and instantly determine what fits within your goals.