Mirabook notebook works with a variety of mobile smartphone and PC platforms

Why it matters to you

Need access to a computer while on the go? Plug this ‘mobile convergence’ notebook into your smartphone for a more powerful productivity option.

One of the more forward-looking technology concepts today is the idea of connecting a smartphone to a larger display and external peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. The combination can provide the mobility benefits of a smartphone device with the productivity advantages of a notebook or desktop PC.

A number of companies are working specifically on notebook formats that work primarily with Windows 10 Mobile devices, such as HP’s Lap Dock that works with its Elite x3 smartphone and the NexDock. Now, there’s another player in the market, with the Miraxess Mirabook that’s now available to pledge at IndieGoGo.

Miraxess is a French startup that’s been offering “mobile convergence” products since 2015. The Mirabook is the latest product that it hopes will provide a notebook-like experience that mates with a number of different smartphone and PC platforms. In fact, it’s the Mirabook’s support for the following different convergence solutions that makes it different:

• Samsung DeX
• Oxi OS
• Leena OS
• Maru OS
• Remix Singularity
• Windows 10 Mobile Continuum
• PC sticks
• Raspberry Pi

In terms of hardware, the Mirabook is an aluminum-finished clamshell with a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution 13.3-inch IPS display, full-size keyboard and touchpad, and extra storage and battery life that plugs into one of the supported platforms to provide a bona fide notebook experience. Connectivity is provided by USB Type-C for input and charging, and USB Type-C, HDMI, USB Type-A, and audio jack connections provide for flexible output.

For only five more days, the Mirabook can be pledged at the significantly reduced cost of $180, down from the estimated retail price of $299. Anyone who pledges at the early-bird price gets three “secret tickets” that can be used to pass along the savings to friends and families. Normal early-bird pricing will be $199 including the three secret tickets, and normal pledges will run $249.

Miraxess plans to ship the Mirabook worldwide starting in December 2017. The company has a fixed IndieGoGo goal of $50,000 and has so far raised 13 percent from a total of 37 backers. There’s a month left to get in on the deal, so if you’re looking for a flexible mobile convergence product to use with your smartphone, the Mirabook looks like an attractive option.

Mirabook notebook works with a variety of mobile smartphone and PC platforms

Why it matters to you

Need access to a computer while on the go? Plug this ‘mobile convergence’ notebook into your smartphone for a more powerful productivity option.

One of the more forward-looking technology concepts today is the idea of connecting a smartphone to a larger display and external peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. The combination can provide the mobility benefits of a smartphone device with the productivity advantages of a notebook or desktop PC.

A number of companies are working specifically on notebook formats that work primarily with Windows 10 Mobile devices, such as HP’s Lap Dock that works with its Elite x3 smartphone and the NexDock. Now, there’s another player in the market, with the Miraxess Mirabook that’s now available to pledge at IndieGoGo.

Miraxess is a French startup that’s been offering “mobile convergence” products since 2015. The Mirabook is the latest product that it hopes will provide a notebook-like experience that mates with a number of different smartphone and PC platforms. In fact, it’s the Mirabook’s support for the following different convergence solutions that makes it different:

• Samsung DeX
• Oxi OS
• Leena OS
• Maru OS
• Remix Singularity
• Windows 10 Mobile Continuum
• PC sticks
• Raspberry Pi

In terms of hardware, the Mirabook is an aluminum-finished clamshell with a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution 13.3-inch IPS display, full-size keyboard and touchpad, and extra storage and battery life that plugs into one of the supported platforms to provide a bona fide notebook experience. Connectivity is provided by USB Type-C for input and charging, and USB Type-C, HDMI, USB Type-A, and audio jack connections provide for flexible output.

For only five more days, the Mirabook can be pledged at the significantly reduced cost of $180, down from the estimated retail price of $299. Anyone who pledges at the early-bird price gets three “secret tickets” that can be used to pass along the savings to friends and families. Normal early-bird pricing will be $199 including the three secret tickets, and normal pledges will run $249.

Miraxess plans to ship the Mirabook worldwide starting in December 2017. The company has a fixed IndieGoGo goal of $50,000 and has so far raised 13 percent from a total of 37 backers. There’s a month left to get in on the deal, so if you’re looking for a flexible mobile convergence product to use with your smartphone, the Mirabook looks like an attractive option.

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G OC review

Research Center:
MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G OC

Nvidia’s decision to release the GTX 1080 Ti before AMD releases its Vega-based video cards, expected in the summer, felt like salt in the wound. While the Radeon RX 460 and 480 represent good mid-range value, the red team hasn’t been competitive in high-end gaming for several years. Adding a new card before competition bothered to show up felt excessive.

But, well – isn’t that a strange complaint? Better hardware is always appreciated. Besides, the performance is needed. While the GTX 1080 is fast, it’s not enough to play every modern game at maximum detail and 60 frames per second at 1440p resolution. The story worsens if you have a high-refresh monitor. A GTX 1080 is barely adequate to power a 120Hz display at 1080p.

The card hit a 3DMark Fire Strike score above 20,000.

Thus, we have the GTX 1080 Ti. Its lack of competition means that it wins the performance crown by default, though that doesn’t mean it’s the card you should buy. Value is always important, and the most affordable cards often charge exorbitant rates for minor improvements.

The card we’re reviewing here, MSI’s GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G, is priced at $710. That’s a small jump over the base 1080 Ti, which is $700 – but worrying about a $10 difference is silly with hardware this pricey. Let’s see if MSI’s high-end 1080 Ti is a must-have for the most hardcore, or an attempt to part rich gamers with a few extra bucks.

My, what a big card you have

MSI’s GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G is a fancy name for a card that, ultimately, is not that unusual. It drops the standard design’s single blower fan for a pair of conventional fans that sit directly on top of the card and exhaust heat into the case.

This has the advantage of reducing noise, because the fans are large, and don’t have to spin quickly to move a lot of air. However, the GTX 1080 Ti will blast your other components with hot air. Good case airflow is needed to keep the card from running hot.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Shoving larger fans onto the Armor card has resulted in a beefy card. It’s a massive slab of PCB at approximately five inches wide and 11 inches long. That’s about an inch larger than a GTX 1080 in both dimensions. We had no problem fitting the card into our test rig, but it’s going to give some Micro-ATX cases a hard time, and users can’t rely on the fact a previous flagship Nvidia card fit.

A slight overclock is applied to the card by default. The base clock has risen from 1,480MHz to 1,531MHz, and the Boost Clock is up from 1,582MHz to 1,645Mhz. That’s less than 5 percent more over stock, so low that it’s nothing more than a checkmark MSI’s marketing can add to the card’s feature list. On the other hand, MSI is only charging $10 more than stock.

On balance, MSI’s Armor card is not that exciting, but that’s fine. At $710 it’s essentially the same price as a reference design. The card is best suited for those who have a large case with a lot of cooling, while users with mid-sized cases should stick with a standard GTX 1080 Ti.

Our test rig

It’s almost time to put MSI’s card into the test chamber, but before that, a note about our test rig. We perform our benchmarks on our standard machine. It has a Core i7-6950X processor paired with 16GB of DDR4 memory and an Intel 750 Series solid state drive. As always, the goal of the rig is to get out of the video card’s way, so it has a chance to strut its stuff.

3DMark

We start our testing with 3DMark Fire Strike. This DirectX 11 benchmark is a reasonably taxing stress of the system’s overall capability. While it’s not a game, 3DMark is popular for a reason. The relative gap between cards in its benchmarks tends to be emulated in other games, overall.

As you might expect, the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti performs extremely well, hitting a score above 20,000. It’s the first single-GPU video card we’ve tested to exceed that mark in this benchmark. In fact, the 1080 Ti is not that far behind two GTX 1080 cards. Twin 1080s will set you back about 40 percent more than a single 1080 Ti, but only nets a performance gain just barely above 20 percent.

Based on that, it does appear the GTX 1080 Ti provides reasonable value. Further, the GTX 1080 Ti completely outclasses the GTX 980 Ti and AMD Radeon Fury X, cards that were top-of-the-line last year.

Game performance

3DMark is a great test, but it’s just one metric. Real-world gaming is what matters. We test using a suite or four games that includes Battlefield 1, For Honor, Civilization VI, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Our suite is chosen to provide examples of a variety of genres and engine techs. We test the first two games in DirectX 11 mode, while the latter two are tested in DirectX 12.

Battlefield 1 in DirectX 11 provides the most appealing jump, as it ramps up performance drastically compared to last generation’s high-end hardware. A GTX 980 Ti can only push 80 frames per second at 1440p and Ultra detail, while the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti can hit 141 frames per second. That may seem like overkill, but high-refresh monitors with 120Hz and 144Hz panels are becoming popular among hardcore gaming enthusiast. A last-generation card can’t make the most of those monitors, but the GTX 1080 Ti can.

The story is somewhat similar in For Honor. While the game doesn’t run quite well enough at 1440p and maximum detail to satisfy a 144Hz panel, it comes close to 120Hz panels. Those who want extreme refresh rates should stick to 1080p, where extreme detail hits 150 frames per second on average.

The GTX 1080 Ti can make the most of a high-refresh 1080p or 1440p monitor.

Our DirectX 12 games produce harsher results, though for distinct reasons. Performance in Civilization IV is hardly better than with a GTX 980 Ti or AMD Radeon Fury X, and equal to a GTX 1080 SLI configuration. Upgrading from last-generation hardware would not be recommended if this is your favorite game. Even in DirectX 12 mode, and on our test rig equipped with a Core i7-6950X processor, the game becomes CPU-bound.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided continues to humble cards with its sheer detail. It’s a gorgeous game, and the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti “only” hits 70 frames per second. That’s not enough to power a high-refresh panel. However, it does bump the game above 60 frames per second, while the last-generation cards did no better than 43 FPS. The GTX 1080 Ti will be a noticeable upgrade, even here.

While test results vary from game to game, it’s clear the GTX 1080 Ti is fast enough to provide a dramatic improvement over the last generation at 1440p resolution. It may even be worthwhile if you have a 1080p monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate.

What about 4K?

We do not include 4K testing as part of our regular test suite because an incredibly small fraction of gamers have a 4K panel. Further, we think that 4K gaming is an unrealistic target for most PC gamers. We believe gamers prefer high refresh rates and high detail settings in PC games, and test accordingly.

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G OC Compared To

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC

AMD Radeon RX 480

AMD Radeon R9 380X

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X

Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Nvidia GeForce GTX 980

AMD Radeon R9 295X2

NVIDIA DualTV MCE

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900

MSI RX800 XT

MSI GeForce FX5700-VT2DR256

ATI Radeon 9800 XT 256MB

ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro

Matrox Parhelia 128mb

It’s true that the GTX 1080 Ti is the best single video card for gaming at 4K, but that’s a given. It’s the most powerful video card available, so of course it will be the best. We prefer to test at 1080p and 1440p, as we think these resolutions remain the most relevant. And frankly, we’d rather play on a 1440p high-refresh monitor than a 4K 60Hz monitor.

Warranty information

MSI provides a one year warranty against manufacturer defects. That’s typical of video cards at any price point, so there’s no advantage or disadvantage here.

Our Take

Though a custom card, the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti is best considered a sensible alternative to the reference hardware at just $710. Its overclock isn’t high enough to be meaningful, so the main difference is its design. Compared to the “standard” reference GTX 1080 Ti, the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti is more suited for big cases with a lot of cooling already built-in.

Its performance, of course, is excellent. The GTX 1080 Ti is an incredibly fast card, and an upgrade even if you have a GTX 980 Ti or AMD Radeon Fury X.

Is there a better alternative?

The DT Accessory Pack

MSI 27 inch gaming monitor

$300

LG 34UC79G-B 34-inch gaming monitor

$637.43

Corsair Strafe mechanical gaming keyboard

$80

The MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti has plenty of competition from other GTX 1080 Ti variants. The Armor edition is large, and dumps hot air into the case, so it’s only the right pick for certain situations. Its strongest competitor is likely the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC Gaming, which is $720 and includes more attractive lighting. The decision between them, though, may come down to price on the day the card is purchased.

How long will it last?

MSI’s Armor GTX 1080 Ti is one of the fastest video cards ever produced, and it’ll last a reasonable time. Generational improvements remain large here, so the GTX 1080 Ti will be obsolete in five years. A lesser card, however, may only last two or three.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti is a massive card, but it’s priced at $710, which is hardly more than a stock version of the card. We think this card a good fit for people who want a large, quiet version of the card, and aren’t worried about cooling. Many other custom GTX 1080 Ti designs use a similar cooling solution, but almost all of them are more expensive than MSI’s Armor. And, of course, the underlying GTX 1080 Ti GPU is incredible. Buy it for a high-refresh 1080p or 1440p monitor — you won’t be disappointed.

Alphabet’s Verily built a smartwatch to help track symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

The Study Watch lasts for a week and records your body activity with a multitude of sensors.

The Google Fit app may appear to be the extent of Google’s fitness efforts, but one of the brands under its parent company, Alphabet, has bigger plans. Verily announced that it will launch the Study Watch, a wearable designed to perform “unobtrusive biosensing.” Essentially, it passively collects health data while you’re wearing it.

Verily goes into detail:

The architecture of Study Watch was tailored specifically for high quality signals and seamless usage, with consideration of the needs of observational studies, such as how continuous wear impacts a user’s experience. These design and functionality decisions were reinforced by feedback from users, researchers, and clinicians.

Verily Study Watch is designed with these key features:

• Multiple physiological and environmental sensors are designed to measure relevant signals for studies spanning cardiovascular, movement disorders, and other areas. Examples include electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, electrodermal activity, and inertial movements. 

• A long battery life of up to one week in order to drive better user compliance during longitudinal studies. 

• Large internal storage and data compression allow the device to store weeks’ worth of raw data, thus relaxing the need to frequently sync the device. 

• A powerful processor supports real time algorithms on the device. 

• The firmware is designed to be robust for future extensions, such as over-the-air updates, new algorithms, and user interface upgrades. 

• The display is always on so that time is always shown. The display is low power and high resolution for an appealing look and a robust user interface.

The Study Watch will be used in several observational studies conducted by Verily’s participating partners, including the Personalized Parkinson’s Project. You can read more about the wearable at its official blog.

Samsung Gear 360 (2017) preview: Fun all the way around

When thinking of great tech, often what comes to mind is the best quality, the best specs, the best design … but we sometimes forget what really drew us to it in the first place: the fun factor. 360 cameras came onto the scene in a big way in 2016, and while they may not be quite as hot a commodity this year, Samsung’s new Gear 360 stands a good chance of rekindling the public’s love for these special gadgets. And not just because it’s the most adorable little droid this side of BB-8; the Gear 360 2017 unlocks a whole new dimension in spherical storytelling.

I’m Michael Fisher, aka MrMobile, and believe it or not, I’m considering buying a selfie stick just for this camera. Since picking it up at Samsung’s big Galaxy S8 announcement, I’ve been having a blast using the new Gear 360 to shoot … well, everything in sight. But unless you’re like me and you want to see everything past the edge of the lens in every photo or video you shoot, you might want to steer clear. Hit that video up top and see what I mean.

And if you want to know more, check all of Android Central’s coverage on the Samsung Gear 360!

Stay social, my friends

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SpaceX announces date for second Hyperloop pod competition

It’s been less than three months since the first Hyperloop Competition blasted test pods down a 1.25-kilometer test track in Southern California and SpaceX is already gearing up for the second edition. Hyperloop Pod Competition II will take place at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California facility over the weekend of August 25-27th, 2017.

Like the first event, the sequel will focus on the design and performance of the Hyperloop pods themselves, but this time the teams will be competing for sheer speed. The main criterion driving Competition II, SpaceX wrote in its announcement, is to hit the fastest speed possible. The second edition is also open to new student teams that want to get some time on the test track but the roster currently lists a slightly smaller field of 22 competitors this time around.

Source: SpaceX

Dallas siren hack: Coming to a city near you

At 11:42 PM last Friday night in Dallas, suddenly and for no apparent reason, what locals call the ‘tornado sirens’ went off. All of them. It was a clear, calm night; no foul weather presaged the blare of an emergency system so loud it’s meant to wake sleepers inside their houses.

When the 156 sirens continued to go off in repeating 90-second cycles, seemingly without end, people started to worry about being bombed.

By 12:30 AM, the Dallas Office of Emergency Management (OEM) began to start shutting off the alarms manually. People were freaking out, flooding the Dallas 911 call center. More than 800 calls came in between 12 and 12:15 AM, creating wait times of up to six minutes, and totaling 4,400 calls for the 90 minutes the sirens blared.

Since it took half an hour for Dallas OEM to acknowledge the screaming sirens and local news had nothing, people turned to each other on Twitter and Facebook. Which, of course, was filled with speculation that World War III had started.

Half an hour into the chaos, the OEM tried to quell panic by issuing social media alerts saying not to call 911. It backfired and people became convinced it was a conspiracy and their local officials were lying to them. Some speculated it was some kind of cover for a crime in progress.

The sirens went off continuously until 1:17 AM.

At first, the public was told it was a malfunction. But officials soon admitted to the press that it was a hack — but a very peculiar one.

In a press conference at Dallas City Hall on Monday morning, Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the hack was done using a radio frequency, and not via a computer network. Mark Loveless at Duo Security posited a clarifying detail, that it was probably done “through the use of Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling via radio.” According to press, city officials said that “it’s a tonal-type system,” suggesting the hack was done by replicating the tonal code — the sounds — that would set off the sirens.

Authorities still don’t know who hacked and set off the Dallas County outdoor warning sirens, but they do know how it was done. This kind of hacking is usually called “phreaking,” which is typically associated with the telephone system. In this context, it would be the kind of phreaking done when radio-frequency signal tones are perfectly reproduced to trigger various functions normally reserved for operators or telephone company employees. Like making free calls, eavesdropping and more.

Since tornado sirens use radio-frequency communications to work, this is feasible. Indeed, Duo Security discovered in its research that “the usual setup involves a number of sirens which are triggered/controlled by a series of DTMF tones via radio, typically via UHF 450MHz.”

It’s as fascinating as it is disturbing when you consider how many other similar systems exist across the US that are probably about as secure as the ones in Dallas.

Broadnax insisted that the hack was “a radio issue” and not a system software problem, and wouldn’t tell reporters exactly how the compromise occurred. He added, “Our system is not software related and on a computer. It’s a radio system.”

This little detail caused the ears of hackers to perk up. They quickly discovered that the details for the city’s early warning system are available on the Dallas City Hall website (circa 2012, when the system was last improved). And, of course, they were being passed around Twitter as security nerds picked over the available information. They were going to sleuth it out themselves — because every hacker loves a mystery.

These hackers noticed that Broadnax was either mistaken or not being completely forthright: The city’s own documentation states that the siren system could be activated via internet access.

This comment on @Dallas_Observer
by Broadnax is BS
From their own briefing on the system https://t.co/yfsUFEQQc4
Backend is PC/software pic.twitter.com/rUj710IEfe

— OMG ΉΆXOR (@SynAckPwn) April 11, 2017

Getting a straight story out of city officials would be nice, plus it might cut down on hysteria and conspiracy theories.

One reasonable theory is that this was a prank — a really well researched and planned one, though. Another is that it was a test run to see how people panic and emergency services respond during an alarm. There’s also the disgruntled employee theory, and my favorite that it was a cover-up for an epic art or jewelry heist.

If you’re a fan of heist films and watch a lot of Mr. Robot, the hack seems almost exhilarating. I mean, if you weren’t one of the 1.3 million poor souls in Dallas wondering if they should run, cry, or stuff their kids and cats into a bomb shelter.

As fun as that all sounds, this was a reminder that security has been an afterthought for way too long on city systems. Shutdown of the alarms required them to disconnect everything, leaving the city without its emergency warning sirens until late Sunday night.

In the aftermath, local press noted that “no one at City Hall knew something like this was possible.” Meanwhile, the Dallas Police Department is currently leading an investigation, with the FCC and FBI assisting.

Will this happen in other cities? Undoubtedly.

We security nerds can joke about it with our bar buddies from afar and analyze it online, but for the people who experienced this it was very real. It was a reminder of how helpless we feel, and how clueless our officials are about hacks and hacking. All while our universe gets a little more incomprehensible because we’re not sure if our present peril is the result of incompetence or maliciousness.

Well, at least now city officials in at least one US city know something like this is possible. Broadnax told the press, “As we brought the system back up, some encryption was added as part of our process to prevent this type of error from occurring going forward.”

Error?

Well, anyway … some encryption sounds good.

Image: Jupiterimages via Getty (Siren); Getty Images/iStockphoto (Downtown Dallas, TX)

GM aims to put 300 more self-driving Chevy Bolts on the road

General Motors and its San Francisco-based autonomous vehicles division Cruise have made it clear they plan to put an autonomous taxi fleet on the road as fast as possible. Earlier this year, rumors from both the Wall Street Journal and Reuters claimed GM’s project with Lyft could start in a test market sometime this year before a wider expansion in 2018. While Cruise has been quickly adding staff in San Francisco, GM will still need to more test cars on the road in order to get enough data and information to refine its autonomous systems for passenger use. According to a new report from IEEE Spectrum, GM and Cruise plan to add 300 more self-driving Chevy Bolts to their fleet and could be rolling them out as soon as next month.

GM already has the second-biggest test fleet, with 50 or so autonomous Bolts currently on the roads in San Francisco, Detroit and Scottsdale. Alphabet’s Waymo, for comparison, has about 80 of its own in various cities. A larger fleet means the company can gather larger quantities of data in more diverse driving situations even faster, thereby accelerating the software’s training and making it easier to validate the system in the real world.

Additionally, IEEE Spectrum reports that the next generation of autonomous Bolts will get a hardware upgrade in the form of two new radar systems. According to some FCC paperwork, GM is seeking approval to test short-range radar systems from Japanese company Alps Electric and automotive supplier Bosch is also seeking to test a new mid-range radar system in a fleet of “highly automated driving” vehicles that matches GM’s footprint. Assuming GM, Alps and Bosch all get the FCC approval they’re seeking, the new fleet of Chevy Bolts could start hitting the road as early as May 1st.

Source: IEEE Spectrum

Samsung Chromebook Plus: The future of Chromebooks is now (Review)

The Samsung Chromebook Plus is one of the newer Chromebooks on the market and one of the first to feature the newest version of Chrome OS that now supports Android apps. Samsung also released a “Pro” model for $100 more that features a more powerful Intel processor. Both laptops are otherwise identical in terms of looks and features.

If you’re not familiar with Chrome OS, it’s essentially an OS based on Chrome, the web, and cloud-based platforms of Google Drive. You can’t run Windows or MacOS applications on it, but you can now use select Android apps on it, almost making it a hybrid OS.

Setup and Design

As far as the setup for the Plus is concerned, it’s as easy as logging into your Google account and organizing your desktop to your liking. The device is familiar if you have ever used a Chromebook before.

Design-wise, the Chromebook Plus is quite a looker. Featuring an all-metal design and an understated, simple overall appearance. It’s very thin and light, which is great for portability. It’s reminiscent of a Macbook at first glance, which is high praise for a Chromebook in my opinion. The Plus is a 2-in-1 convertible tablet Chromebook, with a smooth and sturdy hinge that allows you to flip the screen onto the back and use it as a tablet.

1 of 4

Side by side with a 2015 Macbook Pro

Features

The Chromebook Plus is a premium Chromebook, to be sure, at $449. The features it offers reflect that, with an outstanding high-resolution touch screen, USB-C connectivity, and a built-in stylus. The screen is a standout for sure, with its 12.3-inch 2400×1600 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. It seems bigger than it actually is due to the aspect ratio, which is great for everything except watching 16:9 videos, which have black bars around the borders. Otherwise, the screen is excellent, bright and colorful as expected from a Samsung device, and the touch and stylus response are good as well.

Here are the rest of the specs:

• 4GB RAM
• 32GB Storage, microSD expandable
• Dual-array mic
• 720p webcam
• 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• 2 USB Type-C ports, Headphone jack
• Stylus
• “Island Type” keyboard, no backlight
• Accelerometer and Gyroscope
• 11″ x 8.7″ x .55″
• 2.4 pounds
• 39Wh battery, battery life around 8-10 hours
• Processor: OP1 ARM Hexa Core

Performance

Performance is excellent on the Plus. With an ARM processor, you’d expect some shaky stuff when heavy web browsing, but the Plus has yet to break a sweat with multiple tabs open and android apps running alongside them. It may lag a bit when swapping apps or scrolling but it’s yet to be a real issue for me in regular use. Android apps running on the ARM processor are, for the most part, fully functional. Certain apps don’t play nice with the larger screen and Chrome OS, I’ve had some not work properly or outright crash on me. Fortunately the more popular and commonly used apps I tried like Slack, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, and Netflix work fine.

Battery life has been basically as advertised, and sometimes better! The Chromebook Plus effortlessly got me through a whole day of use and averaged about 8-9 hours. I took it on a cross-country flight to San Francisco and watched movies the whole way with no issue as well, never having to recharge on the six-hour flight. Points to Samsung on this one. Speakers were decent, if unimpressive, but thankfully Samsung had the courage to include a headphone jack on this device that works just fine.

The keyboard and stylus are the last things I want to comment on. The Keyboard is a standard Chromebook layout, with a search key and function row tailored more for web browsing. The keys feel decent and the layout is very comfortable, save for the small backspace key which takes getting used to. I typed this whole review on the Chromebook Plus itself with minimal issue. The stylus feels great to use, and is a blessing for navigating the touch screen, especially when in tablet mode. Taking the stylus out opens a menu for screen capture and other handy modes that are familiar if you’ve ever used a Samsung Note phone. The stylus is an excellent addition, and one of the standout features for me.

Conclusion

I have to say, I was never a fan of Chromebooks before. Being a PC enthusiast and always having a powerful desktop or Windows laptop handy, I never saw the need to pick one up before.

The Chromebook Plus changed all that for me.

It has so far been an excellent travel companion and work machine for when I want to get stuff done without being stuck at my desk. The addition of Android apps makes this an excellent laptop replacement and workstation for getting writing done. I’d say it’s definitely a strong showcase for Chrome OS and one of the best Chromebooks ever made, if you can justify the high price tag compared to the competition.

‘Nex Machina’ will show you exactly how someone hit a high score

Finnish developer Housemarque’s ode to Robotron: 2084, Nex Machina is out for PC and PlayStation 4 this summer. And while we debuted it in December, details for the frantic arcade shooter have been relatively scarce since. But that’s slowly changing. Perhaps the most exciting new wrinkle we’ve learned about is its replay mode. “All of the leaderboard entries are effectively recorded, which means it’s possible to enter the leaderboards, select an entry and watch the replay,” a post on the PlayStation Blog reads.

So, versus wondering how your buddy (or the top-ranking player) got the high score they did, you can see it for yourself. Housemarque says that the scoring system has a lot of depth and secrets to it, and that the replays will help people figure it out in-game, rather than forcing them to scour the internet.

Beyond replays, there will be competitive seasons where you can earn Season Coins (which sound like currency for cosmetic stuff), experience points and ranks over weeks or months. Sometimes the seasons will feature specific set of challenges. From the blog entry, it sounds like perhaps one season could boost the game’s speed while a subsequent one might give enemies “revenge bullets,” which just sound terrifying.

“Nex Machina had been structured so that all of the defining parameters of gameplay are listed in these so-called game rules, which then will be mixed and matched to create slightly different game experiences,” Housemarque’s Mikael Haveri writes.

We’ve seen (and played) a few early sections of the game and came away impressed. “Throughout my playthrough, I felt like every decision mattered,” Engadget’s Aaron Souppouris wrote last year. “If I went too long without shooting someone, a rage meter rapidly filled up, highlighting my inadequacies. If it fills up, the enemies will get mad — they want you to try and kill them.”

Imagine that running at double speed, or Housemarque pulling all sorts of levers it hasn’t discussed yet, altering gameplay in ways you didn’t know were possible. And then think about how you’ll be able to score bragging rights with video replays tied to your spot on the leaderboards, and a fraction of the depth starts to reveal itself.

Given how strong this year has already been for games — especially this spring — Housemarque’s upcoming death machine has us looking forward to the cruel summer. Want to take it for a spin? There’s a closed beta on PC starting next week. Your rig not up to specs? Your local Best Buy or GameStop should have a demo running on PS4 kiosks.

Source: PlayStation Blog