Razer’s Blade Stealth packs a larger display into a familiar frame

While the Razer Blade Stealth is a solid laptop, that 12.5-inch display is rather confining… especially when you know that there are other small laptops with larger displays. Razer is setting things right, though. It’s introducing a new version of the Stealth that stuffs a 13.3-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen into a similar body. The system is slightly heavier (2.93 pounds versus 2.84), but you’re still getting that half-inch thickness and claimed nine hours of battery life. The most conspicuous change is the US option for a gunmetal gray color (shown below) with a much subtler logo on the lid. In other words, you won’t have to explain Razer’s audacious green iconography at your next business meeting.

Be prepared to pay more for the larger panel. The 13.3-inch model is shipping today from Razer’s online store (it hits retail stores later in June), but only in a decked-out $1,399 configuration with a 2.7GHz Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. While those are useful upgrades, the 12.5-incher’s $999 starting price sounds like a bargain in comparison. And of course, that’s excluding the Core enclosure and dedicated graphics card you’d need to realize Razer’s vision of plug-in gaming prowess. This isn’t a replacement (the 12.5-inch version is sticking around) — it’s a premium model for people who want a more powerful system without springing for the bulkier and pricier standard Blade.

On top of this, Razer just unveiled the Thresher Ultimate headset for PS4 and Xbox One gamers. The over-ear wireless set delivers 7.1-channel Dolby surround through larger-than-usual 50mm drivers, and carries a retractable microphone boom for coordinating with your teammates. You can pre-order the Thresher Ultimate now ahead of its expected July release for $250. That’s expensive, but it covers many of the bases when it comes to gaming audio.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: Razer (Blade Stealth), (Thresher Ultimate)

IBM will put connected car data to better use

As cars get smarter, we’re going to have to deal with all of the information our daily drives create in a way we’ve never had to bother with before. Thankfully, IBM is offering to be the middleman that represents our vehicles in the confusing new world of automotive cloud telematics. The company has signed a deal with BMW that will see the BMW CarData platform connect to IBM’s Bluemix cloud. The idea is that IBM will host and analyze your information and then pass it to third parties — with your consent — when required.

The pair is currently identifying suitable use cases and services that may use the new system, with more details coming later this year. But it’s clear from this that you could easily hook your car up to, say, your local insurer and auto shop without too much fuss. The former could be told how safely you’re driving, while the latter will be prepared for when a fault develops and you need to bring it in.

IBM, of course, doesn’t just want to be BMW’s best friend to the exclusion of all others, and wants other automakers to join its cause. IBM’s Dirk Wollschlaeger believes that the company can become a “single point of contact” for all of the various parts of the auto industry. All of which is likely to become more important when cars start driving themselves

Microsoft patches Windows XP to stop foreign hack attacks

Last month, Microsoft took what it called the “highly unusual” step of patching older Windows versions like XP against the WannaCrypt ransomware virus. It’s doing the same in June to protect against attacks that are potentially even more sinister. “This month, some vulnerabilities were identified that pose elevated risk of cyber attacks by government organizations, sometimes referred to as nation-state actors or other copycat organizations,” security manager Adrienne Hall wrote in a blog.

If you’re using current, supported versions of Windows, including Windows 7, 8.1 and 10, or Windows Server versions between 2008 and 2016, your systems will automatically update, assuming you have that feature enabled (or you can download the patches here). If you have versions without extended support, including Windows XP, Vista, 8 or Server 2003, you’ll need to download and install the patches manually.

Microsoft made the patches available to all customers “because applying these updates provides further protection against potential attacks with characteristics similar to WannaCrypt,” it said. It didn’t mention what those were, specifically, but it’s clearly concerned about them.

Last month, WannaCrypt attacked older computers systems, including those used by the UK’s National Health System, causing canceled surgeries and other chaos. The highly sophisticated software, distributed by the Russian-linked Shadow Brokers team, was reportedly purloined from the US Department of Homeland Security’s cache of hacking tools. Microsoft subsequently excoriated the agency, saying that letting its spy tools fall into enemy hands is like “the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen.”

Source: Microsoft

iFixit Shares 10.5-Inch iPad Pro Teardown

iFixit has published a 10.5-inch iPad Pro teardown that provides a closer look at the tablet’s internal design.

For the most part, the inside of an 10.5-inch iPad Pro looks similar to the 9.7-inch model it replaced, with only a few minor differences.

In the Wi-Fi version, for example, iFixit discovered some mysterious plastic blocks where the LTE antennas might be found in cellular models. It speculates the blocks are there to add support to the display assembly.

In the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, Apple has affixed the display cables down the center of the device, which puts them out of harm’s way when prying open the display. The display cable bracket is affixed with standard Phillips screws.

The teardown confirms the 10.5-inch iPad Pro has 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR4 RAM from Micron Technology, with flash storage supplied by Toshiba, which is currently selling its NAND memory division that produces those chips.

iFixit awarded the 10.5-inch iPad Pro a very low repairability score of 2 out of 10 due to Apple’s continued use of strong adhesives for the display, logic board, speakers, ribbon cables, and other components.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tags: iFixit, teardown
Buyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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Consumer Reports Rates Galaxy S8 Over iPhone 7 as ‘iPhone 8’ Rumored to Address Most Shortcomings

The newest smartphone ratings from Consumer Reports have been shared this week, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have beaten out its smartphone competitors, including Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, in categories related to design, battery life, camera, and more. Apple’s current generation of iPhone (launched September 2016) is older than the Galaxy S8 family (launched April 2017), so it makes sense that Consumer Reports’ ratings would end up favoring the newer devices.

Still, this week’s report has some interesting points to make about why the Galaxy S8+ in particular received top marks, and how the upcoming “iPhone 8,” as well as the “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus,” might address the iPhone 7’s shortcomings. Namely, Consumer Reports points out that the Galaxy S8 devices “have no bezels on the side,” and only limited bars at the top and bottom. The testers particularly liked the S8’s 5.8-inch screen.

The look of the S8 and S8+ is minimalist, modern, and elegant—and the design allows for a bigger screen in the same-size device.

Those numbers may not sound terribly different, but when you hold either phone in your hand, it feels novel: easy to grasp even if you have a small grip, but with lots of screen real estate. The S8 is 5.8 inches diagonally (that’s the way screens are measured), while the S8+ is 6.2 inches.

Richard Fisco, Consumer Reports’ lead phone tester, said that the S8 is comfortable to hold, while pointing out that one-handed operation becomes difficult on the devices, particularly the S8+’s 6.2-inch display. Even though the fingerprint scanner on the back of the S8 worked well, the report also described it as “awkwardly placed,” explaining that they had to constantly poke around to find it and normally smudged the camera lens while doing so.

Following last year’s Galaxy S7 battery-related issues, Consumer Reports now described the newest Galaxy smartphones as having “some of the best smartphone battery life we’ve seen,” throughout a range of tests related to Wi-Fi, cellular, and talk-time usage. The testers explained that the beefier battery life on the S8+ is the main reason why the larger phone ranks above the smaller S8.

In terms of the camera, Consumer Reports said that the S8’s photo-taking abilities produce colors that are rich even in low-light environments, and particularly excels in reducing the over-sharpening produced by the camera. The site also called out the iPhone 7 in this section, and its perceived advantage over the S8 in this category for having a dual rear-facing camera system. Despite the S8 and S8+ lacking this kind of set-up, Consumer Reports doesn’t think the Samsung phones are at a disadvantage at all.

Finally, a few top-end cameras, including the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG G6, have dual rear-facing cameras, to enhance either zoom or wide-angle photography. The Samsung phones haven’t gone that route yet—and we don’t think they suffer for it.

Consumer Reports pointed towards water resistance as an advantage of the S8 line — up to at least 5 feet of water for around 30 minutes — while one major disappointment was found in Samsung’s smart assistant Bixby. The AI helper hasn’t rolled out wide yet, so it makes sense that the early version tested might have been unreliable, with the testers saying that Bixby “just isn’t there yet.”

Although the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might have won over iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in these ratings, essentially all of the categories are related to improvements that Apple is rumored to be adding into the 2017 line of iPhones. For Apple’s tablet devices, a reduction of bezels and bigger display area have already been seen in the newest iPad Pros that just launched last week during WWDC.

The iPhone 8 specifically is predicted to include greatly reduced bezels, likely with a bar across the top to hold the front-facing camera and other optical sensors, a 5.8-inch OLED screen in a form factor close to the size of the current iPhone 7, Touch ID under the display, a stacked logic board design that will support longer battery life, improved vertically-aligned dual cameras with advanced AR abilities, IP68 waterproofing to rival the Galaxy S8, and an “enhanced Siri.”

One of the cons related to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is the price of Samsung’s latest smartphones, starting at around $750 and $850 for 64GB carrier unlocked models, respectively. The iPhone 8 isn’t expected to beat Samsung in this category, with rumors pointing towards a premium-priced iPhone that could cost more than $1,000. Some analysts disagree with that price and suggest an iPhone 8 that will have competitive pricing with the Galaxy S8+, potentially selling a 64GB iPhone 8 for $850 to $900 and a higher-end 256GB model for $950 to $1,000.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tags: Samsung, Consumer Reports
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At last, Archos has made a pair of smartphones to get excited about

Why it matters to you

It’s time to start paying attention to Archos, which will deliver two affordable phones with on-trend features this summer.

French technology company Archos has never made phones to get really excited about. The mostly mid-range devices have been solid, if unremarkable, entries into a crowded market; but that’s about to chance this summer. Archos has four new phones coming, and two are potential winners if they can live up to the promises made by the design, specs, and price.

The first is the Archos Sense 55S, and it has a bezel-less screen that makes it look something like the Xiaomi Mi Mix, and to a lesser extent, the new Essential PH-1. However, while those two phones will cost you at least $650 to buy, the Archos Sense 55S will cost 170 British pounds, which is around $215. That’s a huge difference, and even if the Sense 55S’s screen isn’t quite so flashy as the more expensive phones mentioned above, that’s still a whole lot of cool design for not a lot of money.

Archos Sense 55S

Surely the specs suffer? It’s not a flagship killer, but it’s still strong. We don’t know the processor inside the phone yet; but we do know the IPS screen measures 5.5-inches and has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and gives the phone a 78 percent screen-to-body ratio. There’s only a small bezel at the top of the phone and down the sides, but the space beneath the screen is quite large. For comparison, the Xiaomi Mi Mix has a screen-to-body ratio of 84 percent. On the back is a dual-lens camera, both of which have 8 megapixels, which sit above a fingerprint sensor. A 3,000mAh battery is inside the device, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. Android 7.0 Nougat is the phone’s operating system.

The second tempting phone from Archos is the Diamond Alpha (pictured at the top of the page), which has a sleek metal body, and a dual-lens camera. Archos has teamed up with Chinese brand Nubia on the Alpha and its sister phone the Gamma, and it shows in the minimalist design and dark color palette. We’re fans of Nubia’s phones, and a partnership with Archos is good news.

We know more about the Diamond Alpha’s specs. A Snapdragon 652 chip and 4GB of RAM provide the power, and it’s a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel screen on the front, with Gorilla Glass over the top. The two 13-megapixel cameras on the back are made by Sony, and like the Huawei P10, one shoots in color and the other in monochrome. There’s a 16-megapixel selfie cam above the screen. The Diamond Alpha will cost 350 British pounds, or about $450, which puts it into territory owned by Honor, a brand Archos says its targeting with these new devices.

Archos Sense 50X (left) and Archos Diamond Gamma (right)

The Diamond Alpha and Sense 55S are joined by two other phones, the mid-range 200 British pound ($255) Diamond Gamma which has also been developed in partnership with Nubia, and the 250 British pound ($320) Sense 50X, a rugged phone with a MediaTek chip inside, and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. Neither set the heart racing like the other two models.

Archos will release all four phones this July in the U.K., but we’ve yet to hear about a wider international release.

LG’s latest 34-inch curved monitor may send gamers around the bend

Why it matters to you

Gamers have simply never enjoyed a better selection of excellent gaming monitors with G-Sync support, high refresh rates, and curved widescreen options.

It seems not a day goes by without a new display being announced. Whether you’re a creative professional looking for awesome colors and high resolutions or a gamer looking for fast refresh rates, a new monitor is sure to catch your attention.

LG has announced its own newest gaming monitor, the 34UC89G, which offers up a wide 34-inch curved display with the kind of refresh rates that hardcore gamers will appreciate. The timing is likely no coincidence given that the premier gaming conference, E3 2017, is currently ongoing and the monitor is on display at LG’s booth.

The LG 34UC89 offers a Wide Full HD (2,560 x 1,080) resolution in a 21:9 aspect ratio and with a curve for a more immersive experience. The monitor offers Nvidia G-Sync support that can dynamically sync with a GPU up to 144MHz (overclockable to 166MHz) to reduce stuttering, tearing, and lag.

LG has also stocked the 34UC89 with a number of display modes aimed at providing a strong gaming experience. Black Stabilizer improves visibility in dark scenes by automatically sensing when an image needs to be brightened. Dynamic Action Sync minimizes input lag and Crosshair literally puts a crosshair target on the display’s center to improve accuracy in FPS games.

The company hasn’t ignored color quality, either, offering 99-percent sRGB color gamut support. Color depth comes in at 8-bits or 16.7 million colors, and brightness is promised at 300 nits with a 1000:1 contrast ratio.

Input connectivity includes an HDMI 1.4 port and DisplayPort 1.2. USB up- and down-stream support is also on hand. On-screen controls provide a window allowing for quick and easy adjusting of a variety of system settings including volume, brightness, picture mode and more — and mouse control is now provided rather than relying on monitor buttons.

The LG 34UC89 is available today at $1,000 at a variety of retailers including Amazon, Newegg, Fry’s Electronics and others. If you’re looking for a quality gaming monitor that also provides solid color support, then you’ll want to give LG’s newest model a look.

Firefox 54 speeds up browsing by splitting things apart

Why it matters to you

If you’ve been hating Firefox’s performance, then take heart: things should now be much faster with less memory use.

Google Chrome continues to dominate the browser market, and Microsoft is pushing its new Edge browser as the best choice for Windows 10. But Mozilla’s Firefox is a veteran choice that has been battling it out for longer than either of these options.

Today, Mozilla announced what it’s calling the best Firefox ever, with a particular emphasis on making the browser faster while using less memory. Whereas previous versions ran all of its tabs using a single operating system process, Firefox 54 splits the load into multiple independent processes for improved responsiveness.

Mozilla is calling this project “E10s,” referring to the chemical process of electrolysis whereby water is divided into its core elements of hydrogen and oxygen. The E10s project has been ongoing and has now reached its next major phase with this release that now uses up to four processes for running web page content on all open tabs.

Now, a particularly complicated page will have a reduced impact on the speed and responsiveness of other browser tabs. The E10s project means that Firefox makes better use of a system’s hardware to provide a significantly improved experience, including finding the best balance between memory use and performance and thus optimizing browsing on systems with less memory.

According to Mozilla, Firefox now uses less memory than its competitors on Windows 10, MacOS, and Linux. On Windows 10, for example, only Microsoft’s obsolete Internet Explorer 11 uses less memory than Firefox 54 while Edge and Chrome use significantly more.

Firefox 54 brings some other improvements as well, including a simplified download button and status panel. The usual security fixes are also on hand, along with a change to where the mobile version keeps its bookmarks folder.

Faster browsing that uses less memory is always a good thing, and that makes Firefox 54 a good choice as an alternative to Edge or Chrome. If you’ve been thinking about giving another browser a try, you can download the newest version of Firefox here.

The Fi Fit Quiz lets you quickly see if Project Fi is right for you

See if it’s economical for you and your family to switch to Project Fi.

Google is making it easier for consumers looking to switch from their current carrier to Project Fi. The Project Fi website now features a Fi Fit Quiz, a tool that lets you figure out if the MVNO is a right fit for you. The tool lets you enter your home pin code to determine if Project Fi is available in your area, and lets you get an estimate of your monthly bill should you make the switch.

You can select the number of people on your plan, amount of data consumed per month, and the cost of your current plan. You’ll also be able to see if your device is compatible with Fi — the service only works with Pixel and Nexus devices, so if you don’t have a Fi-ready phone, you’ll need to factor that into your decision to switch to the MVNO.

The quiz gives you a breakdown of the coverage map for your area, as well as a sample statement with net savings. If you don’t have a Fi-ready phone, you’ll be able to pick one up directly from the page. Overall, it’s a nifty tool if you’re considering switching to the MVNO.

Interested in seeing your potential savings? Take the quiz from the link below.

Take the Fi Fit Quiz

Google Project Fi

• What is Project Fi?
• Get the latest Project Fi news
• Discuss Project Fi in our forums
• Phones: Google Pixel | Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | Nexus 6
• Sign up for Project Fi

Kodi: The ultimate guide

Cord cutters are raving about Kodi.

Kodi is an open-source media center app that’s been developed and built out over the past decade. Its latest build is one of the most complete media centers you’ll find, allowing you to consolidate all your media — videos, music, and photos — into a single destination with a customizable interface that’s both stylish and easy to use. There’s also a slew of third-party add-ons available within Kodi, which grant you access to all sorts of streaming options from around the world. Kodi is widely available, with builds available for nearly all operating systems and devices. The latest version of Kodi, codenamed Leia, will be released soon. You can read more about the new features being included here.

Kodi makes it easy to organize and watch your favorite media from your computer, smartphone, or TV via a Kodi-enabled device. Available in the Google Play Store, Kodi can be installed on pretty much any Android device. While it’s pretty easy to setup Kodi on your own (and we’ve got guides to help you set things up for yourself, there’s been increased interest in Android TV boxes that come with Kodi pre-installed. Simply connect these boxes up to your TV, connect them to your Wi-Fi and you’re pretty much ready to start streaming content. Depending on how much you’re planning to invest, these boxes can come loaded with 4K capabilities.

See at Kodi.tv

Quick guide to Kodi for beginners

• How to set up and use Kodi on your own Android device
• How to set up and use Kodi on an Android TV box
• How to set up Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick
• How to install Kodi on a Raspberry Pi
• How to set up Kodi profiles
• How to create playlists in Kodi
• Best legal add-ons for Kodi
• Top Kodi Tips and Tricks

Top picks for pre-installed Kodi boxes

Given how versatile and easy it is to get Kodi, you may already have a device that’s ready to roll — whether you’ve got a computer hooked up to your TV, an Android TV device such as the NVIDIA Shield or the Xaomi Mi Box, or you’re looking for a new project for your Raspberry Pi.

But all these options take some setting up and tweaking, which is why many smart TV boxes are coming preloaded with Kodi. Sometimes referred to colloquially as “Kodi boxes,” these devices range drastically in terms of quality and security, but they’re also extremely affordable and requires very little setup. Take a look at some of these options available from Amazon for under $100.

Q-Box Amlogic S905 Smart TV Box

This Android TV box supports up to 4K playback, runs on Android 5.1, and comes pre-loaded with a bunch of popular apps, including Kodi — though you’ll probably need to do some tweaking to get everything up to date with the latest versions. You’ll be able to update and get more apps for other streaming services you might be subscribed to via the Google Play Store. There’s 16GB of internal storage available for your own media, along with an SD card slot on the back. The Q-Box comes with a remote but also features two USB ports on the back if you’d prefer to control it with a mouse and keyboard.

Aesthetically, this box has a ring of pulsing light around the perimeter, which might feel a bit gaudy to some, but it can be disabled in the preferences.

See at Amazon

MX3 Advance Android TV Box

The MX3 Advance also is capable of supporting 4K playback and should handle all your binging needs without feeling sluggish. It also comes with Kodi installed and preloaded with a bunch of popular add-ons. There’s 16GB of internal storage along with an SD card slot so you can load up your personal media, and there’s also two USB ports on the back.

Those ports might come in handy since the included remote control has a very limited range and is not so good. You’d be better off getting a wireless controller (See the suggestions on the Amazon page for good options with built-in QWERTY keyboards) or using those USB ports for a keyboard and mouse combo.

See at Amazon

Amlogic S912 Octa Core Android 6.0 TV Box

As recommended by a commenter below, the Amlogic S912 is a great newer Kodi box option that you can buy for around $70. It’s running on Android 6.0 and comes with Kodi and a bunch of other useful media apps pre-installed. There is 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, and connectivity support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi — and everything is packaged in a rather stylish package.

Each box comes with standard accessories including an IR remote, HDMI cable, power adapter and user manual. You have the option of connecting up your own keyboard and mouse to make searching for content easier. It’s a great, affordable option that should be ready to roll right out of the box.

See at Amazon

Your picks?

What are your favorite ways to access Kodi? Let us know in the comments below!

Update June 2017: Added the Quick Guide to Kodi for Beginners.