Are netbooks back? The first Windows 10 S laptop from Asus only costs $279

Why it matters to you

Your choices in low-cost and easy-to-manage Windows 10 S machines just increased with the Asus VivoBook W202.

Microsoft introduced its free, locked-down, and easier-to-manage version of Window 10, dubbed Windows 10 S, along with its premium Surface Laptop. That was an unexpected move, given that where Windows 10 S most attractive is the budget-conscious education market. Windows 10 S makes more sense when it comes loaded on low-cost machines, and Asus is one of the first manufacturers to oblige by introducing its own $279 model.

Windows 10 S is not only for education, of course. The new Asus VivoBook W202 should appeal to anyone with a severely limited budget and who is willing to compromise on some specifications. The Verge reports the VivoBook W202 offers a moderately configured machine that could be perfect for a parent to hand to a young child and feel secure that the machine will be relatively safe.

The VivoBook W202’s $279 price scores an Intel Celeron N3350 running at 1.1GHz, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. Higher-priced options are available with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and Asus will be offering a model with the full version of Windows 10 for only $20 more.

Asus is marketing the VivoBook W202 as being built for education, touting a robust design that includes a spill-resistant keyboard, a 180-degree hinge that’s been tested to ensure reliability, and reinforced edges to protect against the inevitable drops and bumps. The 11.6-inch display is an anti-glare model to reduce eye fatigue, the keyboard offers a significant 1.8mm travel, and the touchpad is 17-percent larger to make the machine easier for students to use.

Other important specifications include up to 11 hours of battery life on a single charge and a complement of ports. Asus squeezed in two USB Type-A ports, a full-size HDMI port, and an SD card reader. Compare that to the Microsoft Surface Laptop‘s single USB Type-A port and mini-DisplayPort, and the VivoBook W202 actually comes out ahead at a fraction of the cost. In terms of size and weight, the VivoBook W202 is a chunky 2.6 pounds and 0.89 inches thick.

If you work for a school that is looking for a robust machine that students can neither easily destroy nor casually break into, then the Asus VivoBook W202 might be a solid option. It could also serve you well if you need to hand off an alternative machine to your kid and not have to worry so much about rogue applications being installed and settings being adjusted. If you are looking for a powerful machine, however, then you will likely look elsewhere.

Stem cell therapy work could solve hairy problem, banish baldness for good

Why it matters to you

Stem cell therapy could be used to promote hair growth in people with either baldness or alopecia.

Stem cells may have a part to play in regrowing everything from teeth to eyeballs, and now researchers at UCLA are working on something that would be welcomed by people suffering from a very common problem — regrowing hair in bald people. In new research, they describe a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle to make new hair sprout. Such a breakthrough could potentially be used to develop drugs for promoting hair growth in people with either baldness or alopecia.

“We found that hair follicle stem cells practice a distinct type of metabolism, and that if you fiddle with it genetically or pharmacologically, you can control the rate at which these cells wake up to make new hair shafts,” Bill Lowry, a professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UCLA, told Digital Trends.

Hair follicle stem cells generate hair over an individual’s lifetime. These remain dormant much of the time, but activate quickly when a new hair cycle prompts growth. When they don’t activate, baldness occurs. In small animal studies, the team was able to identify two drugs that influence hair follicle growth when applied to the skin. One drug is named RCGD423, and works by activating a cellular-signaling pathway that transmits information from outside the cell to the cell’s nucleus. The other drug, called UK5099, works by forcing the production of lactate in hair follicle stem cells, thereby accelerating hair growth.

“We showed that drugs that promote production of a particular metabolite can accelerate hair follicle stem cell activation in mice,” Lowry said. “We are pushing forward toward the clinic to determine if this same approach is viable for human hair in patients with thinning due to stress, age, chemotherapy, [and] hormone imbalance.”

There is still more work to be done before that point can be reached. As of now, the experimental drugs have not been tested in humans, nor approved as safe by the Food and Drug Administration. Researchers are optimistic that it will reach that point. “We are considering starting a new company to support the ongoing development of new compounds that could be drugs for testing in a clinical trial,” Lowry said.

A paper describing the research was recently published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

X-Bows keyboard targets RSI but has ‘training wheels’ to ease the transition

Why it matters to you

If you suffer from carpal tunnel or RSI, or even if you just type a lot, it might be worth considering a keyboard design that better supports your wrists.

The X-Bows keyboard is a doctor-approved ergonomic keyboard that looks to fix the common repetitive strain injuries (RSI) of office workers, writers, and programmers around the world. Unlike its fellow wrist-loving designs though, it offers “training wheels” in the form of traditional keys, helping to reduce how steep the learning curve is.

RSI and carpal tunnel are common problems among the world’s millions of office workers and regular keyboard users. The standard keyboard layout running in parallel to the desk it sits on is not conducive to healthy hand and wrist positioning. The X-Bows wants to fix that but is looking to avoid the pitfalls of disinterest faced by its fellow ergonomic designs by helping to ease the transition to a new style of typing.

That is the biggest problem with ergonomic keyboard designs: Getting people to actually use them. Most people do not want to relearn how to type on a new design or find the process uncomfortable as they retrain their mind and body. The X-Bows has an angled design that brings more keys within easy reach while still having many commonly placed keys of traditional keyboards.

The keyboard angles the central letter keys but keeps the “F” key in line as usual. The backspace key can still be found where it usually is and likewise with the arrow keys. However, that same backspace function is also present on a new central key, alongside secondary enter, shift and control keys. They are there once you get used to typing in the new layout, making it so you do not have to entirely transition in one go.

On top of the ergonomic changes to the traditional keyboard design, the X-Bows also embraces modern gaming keyboard features such as RGB backlighting. It uses Gateron mechanical switches too, which are considered a solid Cherry MX alternative.

It connects using a USB Type-C interface for compatibility with a variety of smart devices, as well as traditional desktop PCs.

No official word has been released on when we can expect the X-Bows keyboard to become available, nor what it will cost initially. Since it is mechanical with RGB lighting and uses a bespoke design, it is unlikely to be cheap. We have contacted the developers and will update this piece as and when we hear back.

Time will tell whether it will join the ranks of the keyboards we consider the best ergonomic designs out there.

Allo for web brings Google Assistant to your favorite browser

Why it matters to you

Allo for web makes sending stickers, chatting with the Google Assistant, and texting a cinch.

Google’s AI-powered Allo messaging app isn’t just on smartphones anymore. On Tuesday, the search giant launched Allo for web, a companion web app that puts the messaging service’s core features in your favorite web browser.

Allo for web requires an Android phone for now, and you need a registered Allo account to use it. If you meet those prerequisites, signing up is as simple as heading to the Allo website, tap the three line menu on the top left of the Allo app, and click on Allo for web. Tap Scan QR code to open the camera, and point it at the QR code on the Allo web interface, and you’re ready to go.

Allo for web keeps things as simple. On the left-hand side is your profile picture, message history, and quick links to contacts you’ve synced with your Google account. Messaging works just like it does on your phone: When you start a chat with another Allo user (either public or Incognito), you get a menu of stickers and emojis, and any personal stickers you’ve created with Allo’s selfies feature. Allo for web, just like the Allo app, suggests short phrases — Smart Replies — that let you reply with a single tap.

You aren’t restricted to chatting with contacts who have signed up for Allo. Allo for web, just like Allo on Android and iOS, supports text messaging (SMS). But you can’t send stickers to SMS recipients, and they don’t see Allo’s animations and interactive elements.

There isn’t much in Allo for web you can tweak. Clicking on your profile picture brings up the settings menu, which lets you disable the noises and pop-up alerts that indicate the arrival of a new message. You can change the theme of each conversation thread by clicking on your chat partner’s profile picture in the upper right-hand corner, which pulls up a theme selector. That’s about it.

What’s more interesting about Allo for web is how Google Assistant, a core part of the Allo app on smartphones, is finally available on a web interface. The artificially intelligent Assistant responds inline when you invoke it by typing “@google” or click the Assistant button. Via a dedicated Assistant channel on the left-hand corner of the Allo for web menu, you get reminders or news sources you’ve subscribed to (try typing “send daily”), and reminders from your phone and other devices (“remind me”). You can ask the Assistant about movies (“good movies nearby”), restaurants (“Indian restaurants in Midtown Manhattan”), airline reservations (“my flights”), or diversions (“let’s play a game), and it’ll answer to the best of its abilities.

Allo for web is available now. A Google spokesperson told Digital Trends the Allo team is “working on bringing support for iOS soon,” but no specific date has been shared.

Save up to 66 percent on these Logitech gaming accessories today only

The PC is one of the most popular platforms for gaming, accounting for 62 percent of gamers worldwide. That means there’s no shortage of demand for quality PC accessories designed specifically for gaming. Whether you’re looking for a rumbling sound system or a highly sensitive mouse, we’ve got you covered with these Logitech gaming accessories. These deals are only available today, August 15, so act quick before the savings pass you by.

Logitech Daedalus Prime Gaming Mouse

Nothing beats the finesse of a perfect shot or the accuracy of a well-timed click. However, such accomplishments are far less frequent without a decent mouse at your side. A gaming mouse should feel like a natural extension of your hand, with little to no lag holding you back.

The Daedalus Prime Gaming Mouse offers four on-the-fly DPI settings as well as six programmable buttons to give you everything you need to up your game.

With a durable and lightweight body, high-speed clicking, and adaptable specifications, this mouse will have you gaming like you never thought you could. Pick one up today for just $17 on Amazon after a 66 percent discount.

Amazon

Logitech Speaker System with Subwoofer

A fully immersive gaming experience can quickly be ruined by poor sound. A booming explosion can only sound as real as those tiny computer speakers will allow.

The Logitech Speaker System offers 360 degrees of sound with an ultra-deep bass for a much more immersive experience.

With the Logitech Speaker System at your back, you’ll be able to feel every moment and every explosion as it happens on your screen. Grab this set of speakers for just $50 on Amazon after a 50 percent discount.

Amazon

Logitech Wireless Wave Keyboard and Mouse

A good gamer knows that you can only be as good as the tools you use. A quality keyboard can be the difference between dodging that bullet and living long enough to take down the person who fired it. And a good mouse can make or break that revenge shot and stop you from firing wildly into the sky.

This Wave Combo gives you everything you need to become a better gamer. An ergonomic design and a cushioned palm rest allow for optimal comfort and precise control.

With an operating distance of up to 30 feet, you’ll have no problem gaming from anywhere in the room. Pick up this keyboard and mouse combo for just $36 on Amazon after a 31 percent discount.

Amazon

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Looking for more great laptop deals and discounts on other electronics? Check out our deals page to score some extra savings on our favorite tech.

The new ‘Ice Lake’ flowing from Intel is filled with 9th-generation processors

Why it matters to you

Although Intel’s eighth-generation desktop processors won’t be officially revealed until Monday, now we have a code name for its ninth-generation family.

The lakes keep flowing from Intel. The company is introducing its eighth-generation “Coffee Lake” desktop processors on Monday as the solar eclipse blazes across the United States. They will follow Intel’s seventh-generation “Kaby Lake” and its sixth-generation “Skylake” processors. After that, Intel’s “Cannonlake” chips will be compacted versions of its coffee-charged eighth-generation chips hitting the market during the next nine months. Now another lake has bubbled to the surface: Ice Lake.

For starters, these are all code names for processor designs. They make individual CPU designs easy to remember, and Intel evidently understands this by sticking to lake-based names as of late. Its unannounced CPU design, “Ice Lake,” is officially listed on the company’s website, and is apparently Intel’s upcoming ninth-generation processor design based on 10nm+ process technology. According to Intel, it is the successor to its eighth-generation design.

We already know the processors making their debut will be based on the Coffee Lake-S design, which targets mainstream performance desktops using the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 branding. This family will finally introduce a six-core processor to the mainstream market along with a handful of upgrades from the previous generation.

After that, the company will continue to roll out Coffee Lake until the end of the year, and throughout the first quarter of 2018. Coffee Lake-H chips will target notebooks with high-end graphics (like gaming notebooks), Coffee Lake-U chips will appear in thin-and-light notebooks, and Coffee Lake-Y chips will be installed in tablets and 2-in-1 detachables. Coffee Lake-X will likely surface this time in 2018 for the enthusiast desktop crowd.

All of these coffee-injected chips will be based on a revision/optimization of 14nm process technology, which is a method of shrinking transistors and shoving them into a small package. But Intel is shrinking its Coffee Lake architecture even more by using 10nm process technology and calling the resulting design Cannonlake. Chips based on this CPU are not expected to arrive until the end of 2017 or early 2018 and will begin a new stage of Intel’s “Processor Architecture Optimization” model. That essentially means Intel will release three generations of processors using the same manufacturing process.

That brings us to Ice Lake. Because Cannonlake will be the first 10nm processor and a reduced version of Coffee Lake, Intel’s ninth-generation Ice Lake chips will be the second release and based on a refined version of the 10nm process technology.

Are all of Intel’s lakes confusing? Here is a chart to help:

Code-name
Generation
Process Node
Release Date
Skylake
6th
14nm
August 2015
Kaby Lake
7th
14nm
August 2016
Coffee Lake
8th
14nm+
August 2017
Cannonlake
8th
10nm
Early 2018
Ice Lake
9th
10nm+
August 2018

In the case of Cannonlake, Intel did something similar in the past. Intel shrunk its 22nm fourth-generation Haswell processor design (2013) using 14nm process technology. Ultimately called Broadwell (2014), the resulting processors did not completely replace the fourth-generation products, but merely provided additional powerful options for the performance desktop space. The Core i3/i5/i7 models were marketed as fifth-generation chips while the Celeron, Pentium, and Xeon chips were not.

Grab Samsung’s Chromebook Pro at its all-time low right now

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a great deal on Samsung’s Chromebook Pro!

Amazon is currently offering Samsung’s Chromebook Pro for its lowest price yet. Priced at $499, this is $50 less than it was recently selling for, and about $20 less than its previous Amazon low. It features a 12.3-inch touch screen LCD display and comes equipped with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Not sure if the Chromebook Pro is for you? From our review:

This is far and away the best Chromebook Samsung has ever made relative to the competition at the time, and considering how strong the market has become that’s an extra bit of praise. It’s extremely thin and light without feeling cheap, has an excellent display and plenty of power for any Chromebook user while hitting a reasonable price point of $550. It also has the added bonus of a stylus that performs just as well as Samsung’s Note line of phones and tablets.

This is a solid Chromebook, and at this price you won’t find much better out there. Be sure to grab one now, before the discount is gone.

See at Amazon

More from Thrifter:

• How to get the most out of your Amazon Prime membership
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For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Amazon Echo: Buy now or wait for the Amazon Echo 2?

Spend money now and hope something better doesn’t come out soon? Or spend money later and just deal … Well, in this case I’d …

The FOMO is real. You’ve been waiting on the sidelines on this whole Amazon Echo thing, but you’re finally ready to buy one. Maybe. Because there’s always something better on the horizon, right?

That brings us to today’s question: Is it safe to buy an Amazon Echo today or should we wait for the Echo 2?

First, let’s define terms. Because there’s more than one Echo, and they’re all different in their own special ways.

In this case I’m talking about the OG Echo — the black cylinder that’s been widely available for a couple years now, which is downright ancient in terms of tech. So the expectation of a replacement isn’t far-fetched.

There’s not a whole lot of information, though, about when we can expect a new model. The only real report we’ve seen is from Engadget, which could only peg things to “later this year.” That’s not overly helpful.

Here’s the part that should get you at least a little interested. From the Engadget piece:

The new Echo will be both shorter and slimmer than the original, almost as if it were three or four Echo Dots stacked on top of each other, our source claims. Amazon is also softening its design with rounded edges and a cloth-like covering, rather than the current Echo’s plastic shell and flat ends. And yes, it should sound better, too.

Looks better, sounds better. More microphones to understand you better. Exactly what you’d expect a new full Amazon Echo to be like, right? Lots of unknowns still; most important among them: price and availability.

So let’s answer the question:

Should you buy an Amazon Echo now or wait for the new one later this year?

If you really want an OG Echo right now, go for it. It sounds decent, and it’ll continue to serve you long after the next model is out. (That’s the cool part about the brains of Echo being cloud-based — it gets smarter as it gets older.)

But if I were you, I wouldn’t pay more than $100 for it. That’s not a horrible price for a decent Bluetooth speaker (which the Echo also serves as), and we’ve seen the Echo dip down to $90 in a recent sale. That’s also a far cry from the $179 retail price Amazon still has the Echo listed for.

Repeat: Do not pay full price for an Echo right now. If you’re going to pay that much, just go for an Echo Show instead, which gives you decent speakers and a touchscreen for an extra $50.

Amazon Echo

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See at Amazon

Google Allo has finally come to the web browser

Google Allo now has a desktop client, available from any web browser.

Google’s Allo messaging client is nearing its first birthday, and the service is finally launching one of the biggest components of other messaging apps: a desktop client. I didn’t use Allo at all for the first nine months of its existence because I could not have my phone at my previous job, and no web interface meant I could not use the service during the day. Google teased a web interface back in February, but there wasn’t been any movement since then.

That changes today. The Allo application has begun showing the “Allo for The Web” option in its menu, with the application instructing the user to visit the Allo website and scan a QR code to get going on the desktop. Individual computers and browsers can be deregistered from the mobile Allo application. Users will need to have Allo version 16 or later installed on their phones to use Allo for Web.

The web version of Allo includes the same feature set as the mobile application, including emojis, smart replies, stickers, media sharing and access to the Google Assistant. Because the user needs to use their phone to register on the Allo website, we can presume that chats are still tied to a phone number and not centrally backed up like Google Hangouts, which is similar to the way WhatsApp approaches its web client, too.

Are you looking forward to using Allo on the web? Let us know down below!

Learn more about Google Allo!

Amazon launches Instant Pickup service

Amazon launches Instant Pickup service to compete with convenience stores.

Having spent the last few days moving into a new apartment, I’ve made about twenty or so trips to local stores to get the one last thing I think I’ll need. Whether it has been hand soap, various ingredients for different recipes, or more of those 3M Command hooks than I thought possible, I’ve spent a lot of time in different store aisles.

Amazon launched a service that would have been perfect for me. Amazon Instant Pickup is another service for Prime and Prime Student subscribers to pick from certain convenience items that can then be picked up within two minutes at a nearby pickup location. Of course, Amazon is also offering their Alexa-powered devices for when you really have to have your smart speaker right this second. The service is launching in Los Angeles and Berkeley California, Columbus Ohio, Atlanta Georgia, and College Park Maryland. From Amazon:

Amazon today introduced Instant Pickup, a free service offering Prime and Prime Student members a curated selection of daily essentials available for pickup in two minutes or less at five of Amazon’s fully staffed pickup locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Berkeley, Calif., Columbus, Ohio, and College Park, Md. Items available with Instant Pickup include snacks, drinks and electronics, as well as some of Amazon’s most popular devices.

“Instant Pickup is another way Amazon is making life more convenient for Prime members,” said Ripley MacDonald, Director, Student Programs, Amazon. “As shopping behaviors continue to evolve, customers consistently tell us that they want items even faster. Whether it’s a snack on-the-go, replacing a lost phone charger in the middle of a hectic day or adding Alexa to your life with an Echo, Instant Pickup saves Prime members time. While Instant Pickup is available at select pickup locations today, we’re excited about bringing this experience to more customers soon.”

With Instant Pickup, Prime and Prime Student members can use the Amazon App to shop hundreds of need-it-now items like food, cold drinks, personal care items, technology essentials and Amazon devices like the Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV and a selection of Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers. Prime members can browse the selection, place an order, even add last-minute items to an online order and pick it up from a self-service locker – all within two minutes or less.

Instant Pickup is available at five select pickup locations beginning today and will be available at more locations in the coming months. Amazon operates a total of 22 staffed pickup locations on or near college campuses across the country. All Amazon customers can ship their orders to a pickup location, and Prime members receive Free Same-Day and One-Day delivery on millions of items. Plus, returns are always free.

For more information about Instant Pickup, visit http://www.amazon.com/InstantPickup or, if Instant Pickup is available at a location near you, tap the menu button at the top of the Amazon App, then look for Instant Pickup in Programs and Features.

Are you going to use Amazon Instant Pickup? Let us know down below!