Lenovo flashes new hinge-free, ThinkPad laptop concept with a bending screen

Why it matters to you

Lenovo is looking into the future with its ThinkPad prototype design, but the final product may not appear for years to come.

During the Lenovo Transform event in New York City, Lenovo Senior Vice President Christian Teismann revealed a concept design showcasing where Lenovo wants to take the ThinkPad brand. The device was presented via a slide showcasing a laptop-like form factor with no hinge. Instead, the device featured a foldable, unibody design with a screen that could bend as well.

“This is more than just design, or look and feel. It’s a new set of advanced materials and new screen technologies,” he told the audience. “It’s how you can speak to it, or write on it, or how it speaks to you. Always connected. Always on.”

He added that the future ThinkPad would have the ability to communicate on multiple inputs and outputs. He also indicated that the device would rely heavily on artificial intelligence so that it could anticipate the user’s next meeting, next vacation, and every task.

Based on the slide, Lenovo’s prototype does not have a touchpad. Instead, the device includes what appears to be left/right mouse buttons and a flattened mouse wheel complemented by a red TrackPoint button seated within the keyboard. Also not present are actual ports for Ethernet, USB devices, and HDMI output to keep the paper-thin form factor.

In addition to the bending shape, what is interesting about this prototype is the actual screen that extends well below the “bend” to connect with the keyboard. He also indicated that users could write directly on the screen with the typical pencil. The screen itself suggests OLED panel technology for its high brightness, brilliant colors, and low power requirement.

A display you can “roll” is not anything new, but getting the remaining hardware to fit within the proposed super-slim form, in addition to the keyboard, will be an interesting feat. The latest LG Gram laptop measures just 0.6 inches closed and it is extremely thin and light.

In addition to teasing the Lenovo Transform attendees with a prototype, Teismann said that a special edition of its ThinkPad laptop will be officially revealed in October. As part of the ThinkPad brand’s 25-year anniversary, the laptop will include “throwback” features of past models while sporting the best, most powerful features of today.

Overall, the Lenovo Transform event revealed new products for the business and enterprise sectors including the ThinkStation P320 Tiny sporting a discrete Nvidia Quadro P600 graphics chip. Teismann called it the world’s smallest professional workstation, and in his hand the device resembled a set-top-box for streaming media. It has “the power of a tower” despite its small size.

Lenovo just refreshed its ThinkPad lineup in May with the Yoga 370, the T470, the T470p, the T470s, and more. The company even introduced the ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 dock along with the ThinkPad USB-C dock.

TP-Link Deco M5 home Wi-Fi system is now $200 with this limited-time promo

Mesh Wi-Fi systems are quickly replacing traditional routers when it comes to setting up simple home wireless networks. The advantages of mesh Wi-Fi systems are twofold: They’re dead simple to set up and operate, and the multiple nodes that mesh networks use deliver much wider coverage than typical wireless routers.

Nonetheless, wireless mesh routers can be quite expensive, but the excellent TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi system is a top-rated and highly affordable alternative that would be a welcome addition to any home. The Deco M5 utilizes high-speed, dual-band AC1300 Wi-Fi for a combined throughput of up to 1,267 Mbps, providing 400 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band for light tasks such as browsing and 867 Mbps on the 5.0GHz band for heavier jobs like video streaming or online gaming.

The Deco M5 package comes with three nodes, eliminating the need for range extenders that can compromise the security of your home Wi-Fi network and create dead zones if your network is struggling to cover a bigger space. These nodes each deliver a wireless coverage of 1,500 square feet for a combined Wi-Fi “blanket” of 4,500 square feet, making the TP-Link Deco M5 system an ideal solution for medium to large homes or offices.

Mesh systems are known for their ease of use and the TP-Link Deco M5 is no exception — you can set up and activate your home network in minutes with the companion Deco mobile app. This app also makes it simple to remotely manage and monitor your network from the convenience of a tablet or phone — no fussing around with complicated and confusing PC interfaces. Built-in TP-Link HomeCare actively monitors and protects your network against security threats as well.

The TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi system typically costs $300 but is currently on sale from Amazon for $250. However, a limited-time promo code lets you take another $50 off, bringing the price down to just $200 for a total savings of $120. Simply add the item to your Amazon cart and enter the code 50RADIO at checkout to receive the extra discount.

Amazon

You can run, but you can’t hide — new drones can see through walls via Wi-Fi

Why it matters to you

This technology could be used for emergency response, archaeological discovery, or structural health monitoring.

Would you be interested in a Superman-esque ability to see through walls? Have a couple of Wi-Fi-equipped drones at your disposal? Then you may be able to take advantage of some neat new research coming out of the lab of University of California, Santa Barbara electrical and computer engineering professor Yasamin Mostofi.

Mostofi and her researchers developed a system that allows two drones working together to generate detailed images of objects through walls, using only Wi-Fi RSSI measurements. In a proof-of-concept demonstration, one drone flew outside an enclosed four-sided brick structure with an unknown interior. While flying, it transmitted a Wi-Fi signal, which was then measured by the other drone.

While this is done, some smart algorithms then model the 3D unknown area of interest using some highfalutin technology such as a Markov Random Field to measure its spatial dependencies. Although the image generated isn’t 100 percent perfect, it’s impressively accurate in broadly stating what is behind a particular wall. Making it even more impressive is the fact that the prediction can be achieved with a very small number of Wi-Fi measurements, and uses only off-the-shelf technology such as commercially-available drones, Wi-Fi transceivers, and Tango tablets.

While the idea of using Wi-Fi signals to see through walls has been explored by other researchers, the fact that Mostofi’s work employs drones opens up a plethora of new possible uses.

“There are several potential applications, such as emergency response, archeological discovery, and structural health monitoring, that can benefit from obtaining a high-resolution 3D image of an unknown area through walls with everyday Wi-Fi signals,” Mostofi told Digital Trends. “For instance, consider structural health monitoring for bridges. It would be very helpful if unmanned aerial vehicles can fly around a bridge, especially in the hard to access areas, and image the details inside to assess the health of the bridge.”

From here, Mostofi said that the team is working to improve the work and find new possibilities and potential implementations.

“The general area of sensing and learning about our environment with everyday radio frequency signals, such as Wi-Fi, is one of the major research thrusts of my lab,” she said. “From our past experience, there are good commercialization opportunities in this general area.”

Latest Pokémon Go update is rolling out, introduces Raid Battles for summer

It’s shaping up to be an epic one-year anniversary for Pokémon Go

It’s been almost a year since Pokémon Go took the world by storm, and Niantic is looking to recapture some of that magic again this summer. Tickets just recently went on sale for the first real-world Pokémon Go event to be held in Chicago on July 22, and now Niantic is rolling out a major new update that will unveil new Gym battling mechanics as well as new cooperative gameplay via Raid Battles.

Here’s a full rundown of the app changelog from the Pokémon Go blog:

Pokémon GO is in the process of being updated to version 0.67.1 for Android and 1.37.1 for iOS devices. Below are some release notes and comments from our development team.

• Gym features significantly updated to add the all-new motivation system.
• Added new Gym Badge feature.
• Added in-app and push notification system for Gyms.
• Added Raid Battles, a new cooperative gameplay experience.
• Added four new items available only by completing Raid Battles.
• Added Raids tab to Nearby screen.
• Added search functionality to Pokémon collection screen.
• Added visual indicator to unvisited PokéStops.

We’ll have to wait and see what effect these new updates have on the game, but it’s encouraging to see the developers are refocusing on going out and playing with friends. Maybe it’ll draw those of us who “retired” from Pokémon Go months ago.

Pokémon Go

• Pokémon Go Game Guide!
• Pokémon Go Gen 2 FAQ
• Pokémon Go tips and tricks
• How to deal with GPS errors in-game
• How to play without killing your battery
• Join our Pokémon Go forums!

Lenovo showed off a crazy rollable laptop concept with a flexible screen

We’ve all heard that flexible smartphones are the future. But what about laptops?

At an event in New York on 20 June, Lenovo presented what it believes will be the future of personalised computing: a rollable laptop with a flexible display. Called Lenovo Transform, its touchscreen seemed to bend in the image that Lenovo showed off. The laptop also had a built-in keyboard and possibly microphones, too, as the concept supports voice commands. It also works with a stylus.

Lenovo

• Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone now likely shelved until 2019
• Samsung Galaxy X roll-out OLED screen shown off, just 0.3mm thin
• Forget flexible displays, Samsung is moving on to stretchable ones

Although Lenovo mentioned phrases like “new screen technologies,” it was rather vague. The company did specify, however, that it’s just a concept for now. So don’t expect Lenovo to release this device any time soon, or if ever. But we do know that flexible, bendable, rollable, foldable – whatever you want to call them – displays are possible. Samsung even made a screen that stretches like trampoline.

It showed off a 9.1-inch stretchable OLED display recently that can be flexed in two directions instead of just one. Keep in mind most flexible OLED displays can only be formed in one direction.

Lenovo hasn’t confirmed if its concept can be flexed in two directions.

A foldable PC? Maybe someday. Just a concept for now. #LenovoTransform pic.twitter.com/UIq1qpaSwj

— Lenovo (@lenovo) June 20, 2017

Mozilla releases its Firefox Focus ad-blocking browser for Android users

Following a release for iPhone and iPad users last year, Firefox Focus is now available for Android users.

Mozilla now offers a privacy-focused browser, called Firefox Focus, in addition to the Firefox browser that’s been around for years. You can now download the new browser from Google Play. It blocks adverts and web trackers, including analytics, by default. The company said it launched the browser because it is beginning to see “consumers play an active role in trying to protect their personal data”.

• Microsoft Office is now available in the Windows Store for the first time
• Instagram adds archiving: How to hide your old, heavily filtered photos
• Amazon Alexa calling: How to block calls and messages to your Echo

Mozilla further explained in a blog post:

“Firefox Focus allows you to browse the web without being followed by tracking ads which are notoriously known for slowing down your mobile experience. Why do we block these ad trackers? Because they not only track your behavior without your knowledge, they also slow down the web on your mobile device.”

The browser’s interface is clutter-free and displays an ombre of pinks and purple. Its default search engine is Yahoo, but you can change it to Google or whatever. The Android version has few different features over the iOS version, such as a counter that shows the number of ads blocked, an option to disable the tracker blocker, and a notification that reminds you Firefox Focus is running.

Firefox Focus is a free app in both Google Play and the App Store.

Thanks to Google, we’ve reached peak fidget spinner

If you’ve managed to avoid fidget spinners thus far — whatever you do, don’t Google the word “spinner”.

The fidget spinner craze, which swept the world this spring, may finally seem like its on the way out, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for Google to jump on board. Redditors recently discovered that Google made an easter egg out of fidget spinners. It basically hid a virtual spinner inside Google search. In order to find the simulation, you have to search the right word: spinner.

You can’t search “fidget spinner” or “spinners”. It only works for “spinner”. Once you type in the correct variation, you should see a fidget spinner appear, whether you’re on mobile or desktop, as long as you use Chrome or Firefox. To get the toy spinning, do a rotating motion with your mouse, or just click the designated spin button. You can even swap out the spinner for a wheel.

• Google may only release two Pixel phones, one possibly made by LG
• Waymo killed its adorable self-driving cars to focus on minivans
• Google Pixel 2 could come with an 18:9 display

Fidget spinners are marketed as a toy you can use to relieve stress. They’re now considered one of the must-have gadgets of 2017. They’re like the Tamagotchi or Beanie Babies of the late 1990s; they emerged out of nowhere and became an overnight sensation.

But maybe, thanks to Google, we’ve reached peak fidget spinner.

Yes, you can actually beat ‘Threes!’

Just when you thought the deceptively complex puzzler Threes! wasn’t beatable, the internet comes along and proves you wrong. Three and a third years later (confirmed by the development team) the folks behind the ThreesPorn Twitter account have captured something special in the GIFs embedded below. It’s quite a bit more elaborate as the victory screen for Solitaire on Windows, too. If you’re going to strive to beat it yourself now that you know it’s possible, don’t scroll down. But if you want to know what score you should strive to top here’s your target: 1,594,458.

[View the story “Beating Threes!” on Storify]

Via: Eurogamer

Source: ThreesPorn (Twitter)

Zepp teams up with New Balance to gamify batting practice

In partnership with New Balance, Zepp just gamified its swing sensor and app. As of today, NB HitClub is available on the updated Zepp app and brings along some new features for users taking advantage of its baseball and softball swing assessments.

Zepp’s multi-sport sensor, which was revamped last year, fits directly onto a baseball bat. It can analyze your swing and give feedback as well as create personalized training plans. With NB HitClub, the app now lets you take swing challenges, earn achievements and compete with other users. US participants will also be eligible to win prizes every month. Some of the in-app challenges include the NB Power Hitter Challenge, which measures bat speed at impact and the NB Spring Challenge that measures time to impact.

“Our focus has always been to bring users the most exciting training experience possible, whether you are in Little League or a professional baseball player. The launch of NB HitClub achieves exactly that,” said Robin Han, Zepp CEO in a statement.

The Zepp baseball-softball kit is $150 and the app with NB HitClub is free.

Source: Zepp

Lenovo laptop concept flexes like a yoga mat

Lenovo isn’t done making exotic concept devices… far from it. The PC maker has unveiled a laptop concept whose centerpiece is a flexible screen that runs right up to the keyboard. It’s not joined by a hinge, it is the hinge — you’d fold it up like a yoga mat, or maybe Microsoft’s Surface Book. It wouldn’t have a trackpad, but you could write on it and speak to it. There’s no guarantees that Lenovo will build it (the company tells us that there’s no hands-on time “yet”), but we wouldn’t rule it out at some point in the future, either.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. Although flexible screens are certainly a reality, concepts like this have a habit of either dying on the vine or translating to prototypes that aren’t as exciting as the 3D renders. Lenovo itself is clearly counting on “advanced materials” and “new screen technologies” to make this work, which signals that any possible real-world version is years away.

Having said this, it’s important to remember that this is Lenovo we’re talking about. The company occasionally ships products that would only exist as concepts elsewhere — Yoga Book, anyone? Lenovo may not have production plans for the exact PC you see here, but this might just hint at where it wants to go with computer design in the long term.

A foldable PC? Maybe someday. Just a concept for now. #LenovoTransform pic.twitter.com/UIq1qpaSwj

— Lenovo (@lenovo) June 20, 2017

Via: The Verge

Source: Lenovo (Twitter)