Barclays Mobile Banking App Now Lets You Pay People Using Siri

Barclays has become the first bank in the U.K. to announce Siri support for its mobile banking app, enabling account holders to make payments to anyone in their iPhone contacts list completely handsfree using the virtual assistant.

Following the update, customers will be able to make payments by saying, for instance, “Hey Siri, pay Anna £15 with Barclays”, without having to open the app. Payments are authenticated using Touch ID and the feature can be used to pay existing payees or mobile contacts.

Barclays says the new Siri integration with its mobile app “will enable customers to send money virtually hands free, and will make secure banking easier, faster and simpler for all customers, including those with additional needs.”

Customers need to allow Siri payments in the app to start making payments, via the Siri “What’s New” screen or by visiting “Manage payments” under the More menu. Payment limits apply to single and daily payments limits, and can only be made in pounds.

Tag: Barclays Bank
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Apple Now Accepting Donations to Southern Poverty Law Center Following Charlottesville Protests

As planned, Apple is now accepting donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based non-profit organization, through iTunes.

iTunes users in the United States can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 with a credit card tied to their account. Apple will transfer 100 percent of the proceeds to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which says it is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, protecting civil rights, and seeking justice.

Following a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists and supremacists clashed with counter-protestors over the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, Apple said it will be making contributions of $1 million each to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

Apple said it will also match two-for-one its employees’ donations to those and several other human rights groups, between now and September 30.

Apple has also disabled Apple Pay support on websites selling white nationalist and hate group apparel and accessories. Apple’s guidelines prevent Apple Pay from being used on sites promoting hate, intolerance, and violence based on race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s full letter to employees was obtained by MacRumors:

Team,

Like so many of you, equality is at the core of my beliefs and values. The events of the past several days have been deeply troubling for me, and I’ve heard from many people at Apple who are saddened, outraged or confused.

What occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country. Hate is a cancer, and left unchecked it destroys everything in its path. Its scars last generations. History has taught us this time and time again, both in the United States and countries around the world.

We must not witness or permit such hate and bigotry in our country, and we must be unequivocal about it. This is not about the left or the right, conservative or liberal. It is about human decency and morality. I disagree with the president and others who believe that there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights. Equating the two runs counter to our ideals as Americans.

Regardless of your political views, we must all stand together on this one point — that we are all equal. As a company, through our actions, our products and our voice, we will always work to ensure that everyone is treated equally and with respect.

I believe Apple has led by example, and we’re going to keep doing that. We have always welcomed people from every walk of life to our stores around the world and showed them that Apple is inclusive of everyone. We empower people to share their views and express themselves through our products.

In the wake of the tragic and repulsive events in Charlottesville, we are stepping up to help organizations who work to rid our country of hate. Apple will be making contributions of $1 million each to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. We will also match two-for-one our employees’ donations to these and several other human rights groups, between now and September 30.

In the coming days, iTunes will offer users an easy way to join us in directly supporting the work of the SPLC.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” So, we will continue to speak up. These have been dark days, but I remain as optimistic as ever that the future is bright. Apple can and will play an important role in bringing about positive change.

Best,
Tim

Southern Poverty Law Center operates offices in four U.S. states, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Apple says iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation. The fine print also says donations may not qualify for a tax deduction.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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iTunes U Collections Will Move to Apple Podcasts From September

Apple has informed educational institutions with iTunes U content that it will migrate iTunes U collections to Apple Podcasts when iTunes 12.7 is released in September (via MacStories).

Apple launched iTunes U in 2007 as a free repository of educational content through the iTunes Store, allowing educators to create course collections comprising audio, media, handouts, ebooks, and other bundled content. In 2012, Apple introduced the iTunes U iOS app, enabling users to access their collections within an app container.

However, from September, existing iTunes U collections will be automatically converted to podcasts to become accessible through the Podcasts app and the Podcasts section of iTunes on a Mac or PC. According to Apple, the iTunes U section will be removed from the desktop version of iTunes at the same time, meaning the public iTunes U course catalog will only be accessible from iOS devices.

With this change, users can access your collections using the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, and using iTunes on Mac and PC. Your public iTunes U Collections will automatically be migrated and all links redirected into Apple Podcasts at the time of transition. While no action is required for the migration, we recommend that institutions review their current iTunes U Collections and remove out-of-date or unneeded content before the transition to Apple Podcasts.

The takeaway for end users is that from next month the iTunes U iOS app will only include courses, not collections, and there will be no way to download iTunes U course materials on a Mac.

With the migration to the Podcasts app, iTunes U collections will be assigned podcast categories automatically, but Apple cautions that they may differ from the ones previously assigned in iTunes U. The good news for collection creators is that they can use the iTunes Podcast Site Manager to change the category at any time.

Apple Podcasts supports all media types currently supported by iTunes U collections, with the exception of ePub files, according to Apple’s iTunes U Public Site Manager support page. If collections contain ePub files, content creators are advised to replace the ePub files with another file type (for example, a PDF file).

MacStories notes that this advice contradicts Apple’s Podcasts Connect support page, which says ePub files are supported by podcasts. We’ll update this article if Apple provides clarification on this point.

Tags: iTunes U, iTunes 12.7
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Drone pilot smuggling meth over border gets nabbed by cops

Why it matters to you

Drone technology presents many wonderful opportunities, it’s just a pity that some of them benefit criminals, too.

Drones for filmmakers. Drones for real estate firms. Drones for inspectors. Drones for farmers. Drones for cops. Drones for criminals. Hang on … drones for criminals? That’s not supposed to be a thing. But it clearly is.

Remote-controlled multi-rotor copters have come a long way in the last few years, allowing pilots to fly them with ever greater precision — and with very little training.

So along with hobbyists and businesses, criminals, too, have been quick to learn about just how useful these reasonably priced flying machines can be for their own nefarious purposes.

We’ve already heard about the trouble drones are causing for prison authorities, with criminals on the outside flying all manner of contraband to criminals on the inside. But now officials face another challenge — how to stop smugglers using them to fly drugs over national borders.

Late one evening earlier this month, a Border Patrol agent spotted a drone flying over the U.S./Mexico border, heading toward San Ysidro in southern California, the LA Times reported.

A short while later, an agent arrested 25-year-old U.S. citizen Jose Edwin Rivera just over a mile from the border, accusing him of using a drone to smuggle more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine into the country. The stash had an estimated value of $46,000,

A photo of the drone alleged to have been used in the crime appears to be a DJI Matrice 600, a powerful hexacopter costing around $4,500.

According to a criminal complaint filed in a San Diego federal court, the accused told investigators he’d pulled the same trick at least five times in recent months, adding that each time he would hand the drugs to a man at a nearby gas station in return for a $1,000 fee.

Rivera is currently in prison and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of importing a controlled substance. The federal authorities described the incident as their first confirmed case of drug smuggling by drone in San Diego County.

Border Patrol supervising agent Mark Endicott said criminals may be turning to drones as border agents have been having “some success” catching smugglers on the ground.

Intel’s 8th-gen Core chips will turn svelte laptops into quad-core powerhouses

Monday is an important day for many people across the world, and in the United States in particular. An exceedingly rare event has occurred, and it’s sure to capture the imagination of millions. Yes, that’s right – Intel has released the details of its 8th-Gen Intel Core launch.

Oh, and there’s also a total eclipse.

Joking aside, Intel’s announcement is a big deal. The company says its new processors are up to 40 percent faster than those before it. Karen Regis, Intel’s mobile marketing manager, boasted of the figures, and wasn’t afraid to drop a pun to make her point. “This is a huge gain […] it will eclipse anything in the industry,” she said during a press call, adding “this is arguably a once-in-a-decade kind of a leap.”

It is, indeed, a huge gain – much larger than any generation-over-generation improvement announced in the past five years. How did Intel achieve it? Simple. They added more cores.

Four cores are better than two

Intel only spoke about four specific processors, which we’ve arranged into a table for your browsing pleasure. The processors are all part of the U-Series, which is Intel’s line of mainstream laptop chips. You’re probably familiar with the U-series, even if you don’t know it. The chips power most modern laptops – if yours is a dual-core, it’s probably from the Intel U-Series.

Intel’s 8th-generation Core for mobile isn’t a difficult upgrade to understand. The company has doubled the core count of its basic U-Series hardware. Everything else is essentially the same. Maximum processor speeds remain high, Intel UHD 620 graphics remain standard, and the chips still fit within a 15-watt Thermal Design Power.

That last bit is important, because it means these new quad-cores will theoretically fit into the same designs as 7th-gen dual-cores. One leak ahead of the announcement suggested we’ll see the new quad-core processors in Dell’s XPS 13, one of the smallest 13-inch laptops on the market. That’s a big change. Previously, quad-core processors were mostly found in big laptops. Systems like the Razer Blade and Dell XPS 15 were as small as quad-core laptops could be.

A laptop based on 8th-generation core, then, should look and function just like one based on the 7th-generation core. It’ll just have two more cores – and be a lot quicker as a result.

Simplicity hides complexity

Intel’s simple lineup makes the relevance of this announcement easy to understand. Double the core count is going to mean big gains in multi-threaded applications, which are the most demanding you might run. It’s most of what makes the “up to 40 percent” performance improvement possible, though Intel insists that production and architecture tweaks have helped, too.

The simple lineup obscures coming complexity. While Intel did not announce any desktop processors during the call, or confirm any details about the platform 8th-gen Intel Core desktop chips will run on, the company did say that the new generation will be a mixture of chips based on the Kaby Lake+ architecture, and chips based on the Coffee Lake architecture.

If you’re confused, that’s because it’s confusing. In the past, Intel has tried to make its line-up easier to understand by tying the generation of the Core brand to architecture updates. No matter your level of PC hardware knowledge, upgrading from a 2nd-gen Core to a 4th-gen Core meant you were leaping forward two architectural generations.

Intel started to abandon that simplicity with its fastest chips, which often cranked up the core count on older architectures instead of using the newest. The recently announced Intel Core X-Series, for instance, uses both the older Skylake architecture and the newer Kaby Lake architecture, depending on the chip. Skylake debuted as 6th-generation Core, but with the X-Series, it’s found in 7th-generation processors.

It appears that strategy will become mainstream. Intel’s statements at least suggest we’ll see a combination of Kaby Lake+ and Coffee Lake chips branded as 8th-generation Core, though only the latter of the two represents a major step forward in architecture.

For now, the new 8th-generation quad-core chips use the same architecture, and are built on the same manufacturing process, as the previous 7th-generation hardware. The branding has moved forward, but the architecture has not. Intel’s justification is based on performance. A 40 percent gain is massive, and the company says it’s worth branding as a new generation.

More coming this fall

Monday’s announcement is just the beginning. As usual, Intel will be slowly rolling out the new generation across a variety of devices.

The first laptops based on Intel’s 8th-gen Core processors will be announced in the coming weeks. We expect many of them will appear at IFA 2017, and be available in September or October. If history proves a guide, most systems will be high-end laptops priced at $1,000 and above.

That will be followed by additional announcements in the fall. Intel said we can expect to hear more about Coffee Lake, as well as 8th-gen for desktop, which heavily hints that desktops will be first to receive the new architecture.

Intel also confirmed that the new generation will bring its Optane storage to laptops. However, we won’t see laptops with Optane until spring 2018.

Small launch, big changes

Intel’s launch of the 8th-gen Core is more of a timid step forward. Only four processors have been revealed, they won’t be available in laptops until at least September, and they won’t use a new architecture.

Despite that, this launch is a big deal for two reasons. First, it shows that Intel is fully embracing many-core processors as the future, with quad-core becoming the new standard. That seems an obvious response to AMD’s Ryzen, which also relies on many cores for high-end performance.

Second, it represents a complete abandonment of previous engineering and marketing cadence. Intel is no longer trying to make every update an architecture change, and it’s no longer trying to match architecture changes up to the launch of new Core generations.

Taken together, the latest information confirms what was already suspected — Intel is heading in a new direction. Instead of showcasing architectural changes, it plans to lean heavily on branding. Each generation of Core will include a variety of hardware. That will make the specifics of each chip harder to figure out. Intel clearly thinks that consumers won’t mind — so long as their laptops are quicker than ever before.

8th Gen Intel Core goes to work in HP’s milspec tested Probook 400 series

Why it matters to you

HP’s Probook 400 combines 8th gen Intel Core processors with durable design and screen sizes up to 17 inches.

Intel announced it’s 8th generation processors today on its Facebook page and official newsroom, and it surprised some industry watchers by focusing on notebook “Kaby Lake+” CPUs rather than the “Coffee Lake” desktop CPUs that many expected. The newest members of Intel’s lineup are quad-core, multi-threaded variants that are best-suited for high-performance laptops, and HP is piggybacking on Intel’s statement with its own announcement if its new HP ProBook 400 G5 series

This marks the fifth generation of the ProBook 400 business-class machines, and HP has announced three new versions, the ProBook 430 G5, ProBook 450 G5, and ProBook 470 G5. In addition to a building a thinner design with new Natural Silver stamped aluminum chassis, HP is also touting the machine’s status as the first to ship with the new CAT-9 modem for faster WWAN speeds, and support the HP Elite USB dock.

The core specifications for each machine are similar, offering a range of CPU options from Celeron 3865U (on the 430 G5 and 45o G5) up to 8th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs. The 15.6-inch HP ProBook 450 G5 and 17.3-inch HP ProBook 470 G5 offer optional Nvidia GeForce 930MX graphics with 2GB of GDDR3 memory, and all models come standard with Intel HD integrated graphics. Memory is listed at 32GB DDR4-2400 DRAM, and a wide range of storage options are available including hard disk drives (HDDs), and solid-state drives (SSDs). Battery capacity on each model is 48 watt-hours, and support for HP fast charge technology means they can be charged to 90 percent in 90 minutes.

LIke previous ProBook models, the new machines have been tested to MIL-STD 810G standards, and they offer easy serviceability for upgrading and managing a fleet of systems. The HP Elite USB dock uses the ProBooks’ new USB Type-C connection to enable support of dual monitors, and to access an additional RJ-45 wired Ethernet connection. The dock also provides enhanced connectivity with up to five USB Type-A ports.

Here are the specifications for each new HP ProBook 400 G5 model.

HP ProBook 430 G5

Specifications

Display Size:
13.3 inches
Display Type:
HD touch, anti-glare Full HD, HD anti-glare
Display Resolution:
HD (1,366 x 768), Full HD (1,920 x 1,080)
Processor:
Intel Celeron 3865U
Intel Core i3-6006U
Intel Core i3-7100U
Intel Core i5-8250U
Intel Core i7-8550U
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 520
Intel HD Graphics 620
Memory:
32GB DDR4-2400
Storage:
1TB SATA 5400 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 7200 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 5400 hybrid HDD
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe TLC SSD
256GB M.S PCIe NVMe SSD
128GB M.2 SATA TLC SSD
Expansion Slots
SDXC Card Reader
Connectivity:
Intel Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Realtek Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Ports:
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
2 x USB 3.0 USB Type-A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
1 x audio headphone jack
Battery:
48 watt-hour lithium-ion
Inputs:
HP Premium Keyboard, spill-resistant with optional backlighting
Clickpad with image sensor, multi-touch gesture support
Dimensions:
12.8 in x 9.21 in x 0.78 in (non-touch)
12.83 in x 9.21 in x 0.84 in (touch)
Weight:
3.28 pounds
Operating System:
Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
Price:
Starting at $620

HP ProBook 450 G5

Specifications

Display Size:
15.6 inches
Display Type:
HD touch, anti-glare Full HD, HD anti-glare
Display Resolution:
HD (1,366 x 768), Full HD (1,920 x 1,080)
Processor:
Intel Celeron 3865U
Intel Core i3-6006U
Intel Core i3-7100U
Intel Core i5-8250U
Intel Core i7-8550U
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 520
Intel HD Graphics 620
Nvidia GeForce 930MX 2GB GDDR3
Memory:
32GB DDR4-2400
Storage:
1TB SATA 5400 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 7200 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 5400 hybrid HDD
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe TLC SSD
256GB M.S PCIe NVMe SSD
128GB M.2 SATA TLC SSD
Expansion Slots
SDXC Card Reader
Connectivity:
Intel Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Realtek Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Ports:
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
2 x USB 3.0 USB Type-A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
1 x audio headphone jack
Battery:
48 watt-hour lithium-ion
Inputs:
HP Premium Keyboard, spill-resistant with optional backlighting
Clickpad with image sensor, multi-touch gesture support
Dimensions:
14.8 in x 10.4 in x 0.82 in (non-touch)
14.8 in x 10.4 in x 0.9 in (touch)
Weight:
4.64 pounds
Operating System:
Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
Price:
Starting at $620

HP ProBook 470 G5

Specifications

Display Size:
17.3 inches
Display Type:
Anti-glare Full HD, anti-glare HD+
Display Resolution:
HD+ (1,600 x 900), Full HD (1,920 x 1,080)
Processor:
Intel Core i3-7100U
Intel Core i5-8250U
Intel Core i7-8550U
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 620
Optional discrete Nvidia graphics (unspecified)
Memory:
32GB DDR4-2400
Storage:
1TB SATA 5400 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 7200 RPM HDD
500GB SATA 5400 hybrid HDD
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe TLC SSD
256GB M.S PCIe NVMe SSD
128GB M.2 SATA TLC SSD
Expansion Slots
SDXC Card Reader
Connectivity:
Intel Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Realtek Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
Ports:
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
2 x USB 3.0 USB Type-A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
1 x audio headphone jack
Battery:
48 watt-hour lithium-ion
Inputs:
HP Premium Keyboard, spill-resistant with optional backlighting
Clickpad with image sensor, multi-touch gesture support
Dimensions:
16.29 in x 10.87 in x 0.89 in
Weight:
5.5 pounds
Operating System:
Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
Price:
Starting at $620

Pricing for the HP ProBook 400 G5 series starts at $620, and the machines will be available for purchase starting in September 2017. HP provides three-year warranties on the ProBook line in some countries, so check your local listing for more information.

A 2-in-1 that can game? Acer’s Nitro 5 Spin gets a boost from 8th gen Intel Core

Why it matters to you

If you liked the Acer Nitro 5 laptop, the company is putting a spin on its latest version sporting eighth-generation Intel processors and a convertible form factor.

Now that Intel is letting its eighth-generation cat out of the bag, OEMs are coming out of the woodwork with solutions based on the new processors. One of these is Acer, who on Monday introduced the Nitro 5 Spin 2-in-1, packing enough performance to appease the on-the-go mainstream PC gamer. That includes stuffing the laptop with a tasty GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics chip, and SSD-based storage pushing data along speedy PCI Express freeways. It’s the most powerful 2-in-1 we’ve seen yet — on paper, at least — beating even the HP Spectre x360 15-inch and Samsung Notebook 9 Spin in hardware specifications.

Here are the specifications:

Screen size:
15.6 inches
Screen type:
In-plane Switching (IPS)
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080
Processor:
8th Gen Intel Core
Graphics:
GeForce GTX 1050
Memory:
Up to 16GB DDR4
Storage:
Up to 512GB PCI Express-based SSD
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (MU-MIMO)
Ports (right):
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x Headphone jack
Ports (left):
2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x HDMI
Audio:
2x Front-facing speakers
1x Subwoofer
Bonus features:
Keyboard with red backlighting
Fingerprint scanner supporting Windows Hello
Dimensions:
15.01 x 10.16 (D) x 0.70 (H) inches
Weight:
4.85 pounds
Battery:
48 Wh 3220 mAh 15.2 V 4-cell Li ion
Availability:
October
Starting price:
$1,000

As the specs show, the Nitro 5 Spin isn’t exactly out to compete with the big boys in the PC gaming market – that’s what Acer’s high-end Predator family is for. But there’s plenty of oomph here to get decent visuals and framerates in League of Legends, DOTA 2, and according to Acer, even Overwatch. The 2-in-1 can definitely power the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets too, but meeting the 90 frames per second requirement for barf-free VR experiences likely won’t happen.

Unlike the regular Nitro 5, the Nitro 5 Spin has a special hinge to accommodate different ways to play PC games. It’s classified as a 2-in-1 PC, enabling you to switch its form factor between four modes: Laptop, Tent, Display (Theater), and Tablet. This should prove useful when you don’t want a gaming notebook heating up your lap. The Nitro 5 Spin includes the same all-aluminum chassis, black brushed hairline finish, and red accents found on previous versions.

Other features packed into the Acer Nitro 5 Spin include BluelightShield, which blue light emissions, an omni-directional ExoAmp Antenna maximizing the Wireless AC connection, and several technologies that provide “improved bass and multi-dimensional sound.” The sound will reverse too, during Tent and Tablet screen modes.

Taken as a whole, the Acer Nitro 5 Spin is arguably the perfect example of what Intel hopes the 8th gen Core will make possible. An entry-level gaming notebook that’s also a 2-in-1 wasn’t feasible with the more powerful 7th gen quad-core chips, but with the more efficient 8th gen models, it’s possible.

We’re eager to see how the Acer Nitro 5 Spin stacks up in the real world, but we’ll have to be patient. It won’t be made available in North America until sometime during October for a starting price of $1,000.

A 2-in-1 that can game? Acer’s Nitro 5 Spin gets a boost from 8th gen Intel Core

Why it matters to you

If you liked the Acer Nitro 5 laptop, the company is putting a spin on its latest version sporting eighth-generation Intel processors and a convertible form factor.

Now that Intel is letting its eighth-generation cat out of the bag, OEMs are coming out of the woodwork with solutions based on the new processors. One of these is Acer, who on Monday introduced the Nitro 5 Spin 2-in-1, packing enough performance to appease the on-the-go mainstream PC gamer. That includes stuffing the laptop with a tasty GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics chip, and SSD-based storage pushing data along speedy PCI Express freeways. It’s the most powerful 2-in-1 we’ve seen yet — on paper, at least — beating even the HP Spectre x360 15-inch and Samsung Notebook 9 Spin in hardware specifications.

Here are the specifications:

Screen size:
15.6 inches
Screen type:
In-plane Switching (IPS)
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080
Processor:
8th Gen Intel Core
Graphics:
GeForce GTX 1050
Memory:
Up to 16GB DDR4
Storage:
Up to 512GB PCI Express-based SSD
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (MU-MIMO)
Ports (right):
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x Headphone jack
Ports (left):
2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x HDMI
Audio:
2x Front-facing speakers
1x Subwoofer
Bonus features:
Keyboard with red backlighting
Fingerprint scanner supporting Windows Hello
Dimensions:
15.01 x 10.16 (D) x 0.70 (H) inches
Weight:
4.85 pounds
Battery:
48 Wh 3220 mAh 15.2 V 4-cell Li ion
Availability:
October
Starting price:
$1,000

As the specs show, the Nitro 5 Spin isn’t exactly out to compete with the big boys in the PC gaming market – that’s what Acer’s high-end Predator family is for. But there’s plenty of oomph here to get decent visuals and framerates in League of Legends, DOTA 2, and according to Acer, even Overwatch. The 2-in-1 can definitely power the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets too, but meeting the 90 frames per second requirement for barf-free VR experiences likely won’t happen.

Unlike the regular Nitro 5, the Nitro 5 Spin has a special hinge to accommodate different ways to play PC games. It’s classified as a 2-in-1 PC, enabling you to switch its form factor between four modes: Laptop, Tent, Display (Theater), and Tablet. This should prove useful when you don’t want a gaming notebook heating up your lap. The Nitro 5 Spin includes the same all-aluminum chassis, black brushed hairline finish, and red accents found on previous versions.

Other features packed into the Acer Nitro 5 Spin include BluelightShield, which blue light emissions, an omni-directional ExoAmp Antenna maximizing the Wireless AC connection, and several technologies that provide “improved bass and multi-dimensional sound.” The sound will reverse too, during Tent and Tablet screen modes.

Taken as a whole, the Acer Nitro 5 Spin is arguably the perfect example of what Intel hopes the 8th gen Core will make possible. An entry-level gaming notebook that’s also a 2-in-1 wasn’t feasible with the more powerful 7th gen quad-core chips, but with the more efficient 8th gen models, it’s possible.

We’re eager to see how the Acer Nitro 5 Spin stacks up in the real world, but we’ll have to be patient. It won’t be made available in North America until sometime during October for a starting price of $1,000.

HTC Vive, the best virtual reality headset, is now $200 easier to buy

Why it matters to you

Now available at $600, the HTC Vive is more affordable, and more competitive with the Oculus Rift.

HTC has announced a permanent $200 price drop for its Vive virtual reality headset, bringing its cost down to $600. This development arrives just as Oculus’ Summer of Rift promotion is coming to a close, putting the devices in serious competition. The Rift with Touch will rise back to $500 — in a slimmer bundle that discards some extras — after its promotion ends.

All Vive purchases come with a free trial for the Viveport subscription service, which allows users to sample up to five games every month. The headset is also bundled with some free software — the ever-popular Tilt Brush by Google, Everest VR, and Richie’s Plank Experience.

“Our goal at Vive has always been to offer the best and most advanced VR system and drive mass market adoption for VR across the globe,” said Cher Wang, HTC’s chairwoman. “We’re continuing to deliver on that commitment with this new price for Vive, making VR more accessible to a broader audience, and driving the entire VR industry forward.”

“It has been coming for a long time,” Rikard Stieber, the president of Viveport, told Digital Trends. Even as recently as June 2017, HTC officials remained bullish that the Vive wouldn’t be getting a significant price cut any time soon — but make no mistake, this is a serious shot across the bow of Oculus.

“We’re the leading player, and we’re definitely the undisputed high-end system,” said Stieber. “We don’t necessarily look too closely at the competition, so we’re kind of playing out our own strategy.” He did note that different companies offering different headsets is a boon to the wider VR ecosystem.

HTC has high hopes that lowering the price of the Vive will make the hardware more accessible to new audiences. Many gamers have been interested in VR from the start, and now that cost isn’t as much of as a barrier to entry, there’s hope many of them will decide to jump in.

“There’s always this early adopter in the family or in the household that pushes it,” Stieber explained. “But I do think that VR will be for the entire family — it doesn’t matter if it’s for the gamer kid, or if it’s the creative girls in the family, or if the mom wants to have a fantastic experience. I think it will be much more mainstream than it is today.”

All that being said, the price drop is coming at a great time for gamers who have been holding off making the jump to VR. It takes effect today — and with Fallout 4 VR and Doom VFR set to drop over the next few months, the Vive is a very tempting prospect at $599.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 concept video shows off razor-thin bezels

The Mi Mix 2 will be a true bezel-less phone.

The Galaxy S8 and LG G6 took the idea of bezel-less displays mainstream, but it was Xiaomi’s Mi Mix that kicked things off last year. It looks like the Chinese manufacturer is aiming for an even more ambitious design for its successor, if a new video shared by the phone’s designer Philippe Starck is any indication.

The video shows off a virtually bezel-less front panel, with just the bottom part of the phone sporting a thin bezel to accommodate the front camera. The effect is quite striking, and makes the FullVision 18:9 display on the LG G6 look outdated by comparison. Xiaomi slotted in a piezoelectric ceramic driver in lieu of an earpiece and used an ultrasonic distance sensor in place of a traditional proximity sensor, so it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for the Mi Mix 2.

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Mix last October, and we’ll likely see the Mi Mix 2 make its debut at around the same time. The latest rumors suggest the phone will feature a 6.4-inch QHD panel, Snapdragon 835, 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage, 19MP rear camera, 13MP front shooter, and a massive 4500mAh battery along with Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

The Mi Mix was sold in limited quantities, but here’s to hoping that changes with the Mi Mix 2. What are your thoughts on Xiaomi’s upcoming bezel-less phone?