New Google Chromebook and Google Home ‘Mini’ Could Debut Alongside Pixel 2 Phones

Google will launch an all-new Pixel-branded Chromebook and a miniaturized version of its Google Home smart speaker alongside new Pixel smartphones at an event this fall, according to a source familiar with the company’s plans.

Details are scant on the new Pixel notebook, which will revive the Chromebook line after two years of inactivity, but AndroidPolice suggests it could be the fruition of Google’s secretive “Project Bison” first reported last year.

According to rumors, the Bison has a 12.3-inch display, 32 or 128GB of storage, 8 or 16GB of RAM, and a thickness of under 10mm, with the possibility of a “tablet” mode. Originally tipped for a Q3 2017 release and with prices said to start at $799, Bison was said to be considered internally as a serious competitor to Apple’s MacBook and Microsoft’s Surface Pro, but it’s unknown whether the new Pixel Chromebook will actually take this form.

Again, details are few and far between regarding the rumored Google Home “mini” that could debut at the company’s fall event, but it’s likely to be positioned similarly to Amazon’s Echo Dot as a smaller, cheaper version of the $129 flagship model, offering existing Google Home owners a more affordable way of extending smart speaker coverage to additional rooms of the house.

Google’s second-generation Pixel smartphones will come in two sizes and both models are expected to feature “squeezable” sides that enable them to perform different functions. The 4.97-inch device will by made by HTC and is said to have a 1080p display and stereo speakers, while the 6-inch XL handset made by LG will feature an AMOLED display with a 2:1 aspect ratio. Both devices are said to have no headphone jack.

There’s still no confirmation of the actual date of Google’s fall event, but the original Pixel smartphones were unveiled in October of last year, so expect it to be around then.

Tags: Google, Google Home
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Walmart, like Amazon, considers a floating warehouse for drone delivery

Why it matters to you

One day we might — just might — be looking skyward to see not only drones buzzing around making deliveries, but also floating warehouses that hold customer orders.

Walmart has an idea for a floating warehouse full of delivery drones. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon was granted a patent for pretty much the same design in 2016.

It sounded wacky then and, yes, it still sounds wacky.

Walmart’s patent application describes a “gas-filled aerial transport and launch system [comprising] a transport aircraft … propulsion system … and a navigation control system that controls the direction of travel of the transport aircraft.” Yes, that sounds like a blimp to us, too.

It goes on: “The carrier compartment comprises: an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) storage area configured to receive multiple UASs; and an UAS launching bay that enables the UAS to be launched while the transport aircraft is in flight and while the UAS is carrying a package to be delivered.”

That’s pretty much what Amazon described last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how the United States Patent and Trademark Office handles Walmart’s application.

However, one notable difference is the altitude at which the blimps would fly at. Whereas Amazon’s floating-warehouse/drone-airport combo would park itself way above the clouds at 45,000 feet (about 13,700 meters), Walmart’s would hang in the air much, much lower at between 500 and 1,000 feet (about 150 to 300 meters). Considering issues of drone battery power, Walmart’s idea seems more sensible, although the blimp’s stability would be at the mercy of weather conditions, whereas Amazon’s should be well clear of weather systems.

Walmart, which suggested two years after Amazon that it was thinking about developing a drone delivery platform, says in its patent: “There are numerous ways to distribute and deliver products. Getting the product to a delivery location, however, can cause undesirable delays, can add cost and reduce revenue.” That’s where its giant package-filled floating warehouse comes in.

The blimp would stop by one of Walmart’s ground-based locations to load up with deliveries and drones before lifting off again, heading for an optimum location from which its drones can make numerous deliveries, buzzing between customer addresses and the blimp on multiple runs. Once the blimp is empty of packages, it’d return to base to load up some more while the drones’ batteries recharge.

But wait. We shouldn’t get carried away with ourselves here. These are patents we’re talking about. Neither company, to the best of our knowledge, has a working prototype of this extraordinary design. Neither company even has permission to launch such a machine, full of drones, into the sky. It’s not certain we’ll ever see Walmart’s — or Amazon’s for that matter — blimp-drone plan come to fruition, but it at least offers us a little bit of insight into how the companies are considering building out their respective drone delivery services when they finally get off the ground.

With Walmart apparently mirroring Amazon with its drone plans, let’s wait and see if the company also comes up with a patent similar to Amazon’s giant beehive-like building for city-based drone deliveries. Surely it’s only a matter of time.

Facebook gives its ‘Safety Check’ feature a permanent place in its app

Why it matters to you

If you’re trying to contact someone in a crisis or if you’re caught up in one yourself, you’ll now find it easier to access Safety Check during and after the event.

Facebook is following through on a commitment it made last year to give Safety Check its own dedicated section in its mobile and web offerings.

Launched in 2014, Safety Check helps Facebook users to connect in the event of a calamitous incident, offering an easy way for those caught up in it — or who’re in the area — to let loved ones know they’re safe.

“There’s now a single place to go to see where Safety Check has recently been activated, get the information you need, and potentially be able to help affected areas,” Facebook said on Monday, adding that it’s gradually rolling it out over the coming weeks, starting now.

The new section shows — as you’d expect — a somewhat sombre list of awful events, with Facebook’s own screenshot offering Safety Check links to everything from fires to typhoons to train accidents.

You’ll see any recent activity by friends who’ve marked themselves as safe, as well as a page showing major incidents from around the world that you can tap on for more information.

There are details, too, on how many personal offers of help have been made, and how many people have made donations to fundraisers.

Facebook users have been able to offer help via Safety Check since February. It means that if Safety Check activates close to your location, you have the opportunity to assist with relevant support, which could mean offering food, clothing, and temporary accommodation, as well as donating cash to causes.

The social networking giant has also been working to fine tune Safety Check to make sure its alerts are for real disasters and emergencies rather than as the result of rumors, which happened for an explosion that never occurred, in Thailand, in December, 2016. With such false alarms having the potential to cause great distress for those with friends and family in the area, Facebook is now working with a number of response agencies to ensure an incident is real whenever Safety Check is activated.

The company also recently teamed up with NC4, a third-party global crisis reporting agency, to provide those using Safety Check with more detailed information about an unfolding event. Facebook users can add a note, too, when they (hopefully) mark themselves as safe, offering more information on their whereabouts or simply a few words of reassurance.

It’s no coincidence HP’s Omen X gaming laptop arrives after the eclipse

Why it matters to you

With the Omen X laptop, HP is targeting the do-it-yourself system building crowd who want the same insanely high performance in a mobile notebook form factor.

During Gamescom, HP introduced its latest product for high-end PC gaming, the Omen X laptop. The company first introduced its Omen brand in May 2016 with the launch of a desktop and two laptops focused on the mainstream gamer. HP followed up with the high-end Omen X desktop for the do-it-yourself PC builder who targets only premium components, and a backpack PC for virtual reality in June. Now HP is targeting the same DIY crowd with a premium Omen X-branded laptop.

Below you will find three of many configurations. HP says a starting point will be $2,300 and include the GeForce GTX 1070 graphics chip, 8GB of DDR4 system memory, and a G-Sync-enabled screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution at 120Hz. Note that HP will overclock the GTX 1070 in the factory, providing a faster base clock speed of 1,480MHz and a boost clock speed of 1,695MHz. The overclocked GTX 1080 speeds are provided below.

Screen size:
15.6 inches
15.6 inches
15.6 inches
Resolution:
1,920 x 1,080 at 120Hz
3,840 x 2,160
3,840 x 2,160
Screen brightness:
300 nits
300 nits
300 nits
Adobe RGB Support:
72 percent
95 percent
95 percent
G-Sync:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Intel Core i7-7700HQ
Intel Core i7-7820HK

Graphics:
GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
Overclocked
GPU speeds:
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
Memory:
16GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
32GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
32GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
Storage 1:
256GB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
256GB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
1x 1TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Storage 2:
N/A
N/A
1x 1TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Storage 3:
1TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD
2TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD
1TB 7,200 RPM SATA SSD
Ports (left):
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
Ports (back):
1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
Ports (right):
1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
Audio:
DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
Dimensions (inches):
1.43 (H) x 16.73 x 12.88 (D)
1.43 (H) x 16.73 x 12.88 (D)
1.43 (H) x 16.73 x 12.88 (D)
Weight:
10.69 pounds
10.69 pounds
10.69 pounds
External power supply:
330 watts
330 watts
330 watts

To keep the GTX 1080 cool, HP said it had to take a much more aggressive approach with the Omen X than it did with its other gaming laptops based on the GTX 1070. To do this, the company ripped out the optical drive to pack in two large fans that reside in the left and right rear sections of the laptop. These fans pull air in through vents mounted on the bottom and eject hot air through two exhaust vents on the sides and two on the back. HP said it managed a 61.7 percent increase in airflow using this method.

Also included in the cooling layout is an integrated vapor chamber connecting the two fans, and four 3.5mm heat pipes that pull the heat away from the processor and graphics chip, and away from the PC gamer in the process. Overall, this cooling design enables the company and users to overclock the CPU, GPU, and the memory.

Given that HP’s new cooling design pulls heat away from the gamer, Omen X’s keyboard should stay somewhat cool. It relies on mechanical switches developed exclusively for this laptop and provides the clicky tactile feel similar to Cherry MX Blue switches. Other features include per-key RGB LED illumination, N-key rollover on every key, a 2.5mm travel distance, an oversized space bar, and eight programmable macro keys.

That said, the entire notebook supports full RGB lighting across eight different zones. These zones can be highly customized through HP’s revamped Omen Command Center, which is also used for prioritizing network traffic, overclocking the CPU and memory on the fly, customizing the macro keys, and running a benchmark to see if the laptop is performing optimally.

Finally, HP says you can easily upgrade the laptop’s storage and memory via a special access panel that is secured by Philips-head screws. HP did not say what the memory limit would be at the time of this publication, but you are likely facing a 32GB memory ceiling versus 64GB or 128GB in a desktop.

HP’s new Omen X laptop will be made available in November for a starting price of $2,300. It follows a batch of Omen-branded accessories announced in June spanning peripherals to displays.

HP’s first Omen X gaming laptop is built for overclocking

With an over-the-top gaming desktop, you expect certain things: lots of overclocking potential, expansion, a mechanical keyboard… and, of course, windows and RGB lighting to show it off. Some laptops already include a few of those features, but all of them? That was rare… until now, at least. HP is unveiling its first laptop with Omen X branding (the appropriately-titled Omen X Laptop), and it’s clear this is built for gamers who can’t bear to part with what they’re used to on desktops.

To start, the 17-inch system’s vapor chamber cooling and high-powered fans are good enough to allow both your own processor overclocking (it’s an unlocked Core i7, naturally), memory overclocking and factory-overclocked graphics chips up to the GeForce GTX 1080. Need to upgrade? There’s a single panel that offers access to the RAM, storage and other user-replaceable parts. There’s a mechanical keyboard with programmable macros, too. And even compared to many other gaming laptops, it’s flashy — on top of per-key RGB lighting on the keyboard, there’s a translucent window to let you see inside.

It’s not a slouch in other areas. You can choose between either a 1080p 120Hz (with G-Sync) or 4K depending on whether you prioritize frame rates or sheer pixel density. There’s DTS Headphone support for simulated surround sound, a RAID 0 option for faster storage, Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers and a slew of ports that include two Thunderbolt 3 connectors and a headset-ready dual audio jack.

The Omen X Laptop should reach Europe, the Middle East and Africa sometime in November for €2,799 (about $3,300). We’ve asked HP for American launch details and will keep you posted. The price definitely isn’t outlandish for an all-out gaming laptop (that’s Acer’s territory), but nor would we call it a tremendous value — as with most systems like this, it’s about performance (and bragging rights) above all else.

Follow all the latest news live from Gamescom here!

Source: HP

Nintendo’s second ‘Classic’ console is better, but not perfect

When Nintendo announced that the already impossible to find NES Classic Edition was going out of production, there were two reactions: outrage that the company could introduce such a popular product and fail to meet demand, and curiosity — why would Nintendo kill off the most popular throwback console ever made?

The official line is that it was never intended to be a long-term product, but in the months that followed, you had to wonder if the original retro console was merely discontinued to make way for a sequel: The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition.

Now, that console is almost ready to hit the market, and Nintendo promises that it will make up for the original’s shortcomings. The company expects to ship “significantly more” of the new console than the original. And we hope it does — because if the short preview we had with the console last week is any indication, it’s going to sell just as fast as its predecessor.

If you’ve played Nintendo’s original throwback console, you know what to expect out of the SNES Classic Edition. It’s a tiny replica of the original Super Nintendo, and it catches all the right nostalgic hooks. The dimensions are perfect, the colors are spot on, and the power and reset buttons not only work, but feel nearly identical to the respective click and springy tactility of the originals. On its own, it’s a charming desk toy — but actually flick the power button on, and magic happens: 21 of the best 16-bit Nintendo games are piped directly to your TV over HDMI.

The experience is more or less the same as it is with the SNES Classic’s 8-bit predecessor — offering players a horizontal carousel of each game. In fact, it’s almost identical, offering the same interface underneath a Super Nintendo theme. There are some extras in this version, however. Tapping up still lets players choose between CRT Filter, 4:3 and Pixel Perfect visual modes — but now you can choose various frames to dress up the unused screen space that surrounds your gameplay. You can flank your session of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with a wood veneer or a pastel color palette, or stage a game of Super Mario World between a set of theater curtains.

The Classic menu’s save state system has been upgraded, too. Now, in addition to having four instant save slots for each game, players can rewind up to 40 seconds of gameplay from the moment they made their latest save. Lose a boss battle in Mega Man X, but you’re all out of lives? Use a save state, activate the rewind feature, and try again. This mode also doubles as a screen saver — activate the “My GamePlay Demo” mode, and the SNES Classic will play rewind data if you linger on the menu screen for too long.

The rewind feature is handy and seems like a nice evolution on the original Classic’s save state system, but accessing it is still a little cumbersome. If you’ve started a game on the SNES Classic, the only way to get back to the menu is by pressing the physical reset button on the tiny console itself. There’s no button combination or menu button on the console’s controllers. That’s kind of a double-edged sword. Not being able to call up the menu from the controller makes for a worse user experience, but the lack of a dedicated menu button makes the gamepad identical to the SNES original. It may not be the best user experience, but it is a very pure one.

Just like the original Nintendo Classic Edition, there doesn’t seem to be a way to load new games on the miniature SNES, but for most gamers, there is at least one experience they haven’t played before: Star Fox 2. This direct sequel to the original Star Fox was nearly completed before it was cancelled, and has never seen an official release — making Nintendo’s new throwback console the exclusive platform for an extremely rare piece of gaming history.

We only got to spend a few minutes with the unreleased game, but for Nintendo history buffs, it’s a real treat. Not only does Star Fox 2 feel like an authentic, complete game, but fans of the series can see its influence on titles that followed — from the alternative tanks and vehicles in Star Fox 64 to the strategic map of Star Fox Command. It’s a little surreal to play a fully realized, yet unreleased, classic Nintendo game, too.

In all, we were only able to spend about half an hour with the SNES Classic Edition, but Nintendo’s next nostalgia toy is off to a good start. It has everything that made the original great — a fantastic library of games, an adorable form factor, excellent controllers and good emulation. Still, it’s not perfect. With no way to access the home menu from the controller, it still might be inconvenient in your living room.

The jury’s also still out on if Nintendo’s second throwback console will avoid the supply issues of the original — but assuming it does and you can find one, the SNES Classic has the chops to scratch your 16-bit nostalgic itch.

Facebook to Make ‘Safety Check’ a Permanent Feature on its Mobile App

Facebook’s Safety Check service is set to become a permanent feature of the social media network on both mobile and web, with the next update of the iOS app.

The Safety Check feature first appeared in 2014 to help users let loved ones know they are safe if they are close to a crisis. Facebook announced on its Disaster Response page that the service will roll out to become a permanent feature over the next few weeks.

Safety Check helps our community let loved ones know they are safe during a crisis, find and give help, as well as learn more about a crisis. There’s now a single place to go to see where Safety Check has recently been activated, get the information you need and potentially be able to help affected areas. We will gradually roll this out in the upcoming weeks starting today.

Facebook’s example images show the service being accessed on Android, but the Safety Check feature should make its way onto iOS with the next update to the app, as an additional option in the Explore tab, which can be displayed by tapping the hamburger button in the lower right corner of the interface.

Facebook recently made several changes to the News Feed to make it easier to read and navigate, with tweaks to the design and the use of chat bubbles to display comments. Facebook is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Facebook
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WhatsApp borrows Facebook’s colorful status updates

Now you can switch your WhatsApp status update to suit your mood. You can stitch photos and videos together to make it look like Snapchat — or you can make it look more like its parent company’s status updates. The chat application has updated its iOS and Android versions, giving it the ability to post text-based updates (with links, if you want) against colorful backgrounds, just like Facebook’s. It’s a non-essential feature, really, but it’s definitely more eye-catching than your typical text-based status — we won’t judge if you want to use it to catch people’s attention.

As usual, you can control who sees your status and find out who viewed it by clicking on the eye icon at the bottom of the screen. You can also respond to any status if you have no idea how to start a chat with a contact. According to 9to5mac, you can now start making more colorful status updates on iOS and Android, but you can only view them on the web for now.

Source: 9to5mac, VentureBeat

‘Life is Strange: Before the Storm’ trailer showcases its story

Since Max and her time traveling powers won’t be in Life is Strange’s upcoming prequel, you might be wondering what to expect. Well, this new trailer out of Germany’s Gamescom expo can give you a pretty good idea of what Before the Storm is all about. While Max was out of the picture three years before the events in the first game, her best friend Chloe found another friend in Rachel Amber — yes, that Rachel — who leads a double life.

Unfortunately, it’s more of a cinematic trailer that doesn’t delve into gameplay. But it was previously revealed that the game features an ability called “Backtalk,” which lets Chloe provoke characters or talk her way out of sticky situations.

The first of the title’s three episodes entitled “Awake” is dropping on August 31st and will be available for the PS4 and the Xbox One. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the sequel the original game’s developers are working on, though, so you’ll have another entry in the franchise to look forward to.

Follow all the latest news live from Gamescom here!

Source: Life is Strange (YouTube)

Here’s how to figure out what size TV to buy

It’s easy to say simply bigger is better when it comes to TVs, but the truth is, choosing the right TV involves lots of considerations beyond the sheer size of your new set. What’s the ideal viewing distance? What about picture quality vs. TV size? And where do you even find a TV’s measurements? You may not have a multi-thousand-dollar home theater, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the perfect TV for your setup. Here are a few tips for picking what size TV to buy in any situation.

Will it fit? This is the first question to ask yourself before buying a TV. Before you start shopping, decide where you want your TV. Once you’ve chosen the location, measure the height, width, and depth for that spot; there may be limitations due to the size of an entertainment center or space on a wall. Later, when shopping for a TV, you can match this up with the measurements of the TV itself, not its screen-size, to make sure the TV will fit. Some 55-inch TVs are larger than others, so always look to the TV’s dimensions for a concrete answer as to whether it will fit.

The second size-related consideration is the TV’s stand. If you aren’t going to mount your television on a wall, you’ll need to use the TV’s stand, and many of today’s TV’s have feet at the far edges. You need to ensure that wherever you plan to place the TV is wide enough to accommodate the stand.

Next, think about where people will be watching the TV from. There are viewing distance calculators (here is another calculator) that can recommend a screen size based on where you sit. If you don’t want to bother with an online calculator, just keep in mind this simplified calculation that you can do on your own: Measure the distance from your seat to the TV in inches and multiply by .84. That should give you the ideal screen size. (Use the calculator on your smartphone, Rain Man.)

This method isn’t perfect, however. For example, if you are sitting 8 feet from the TV you would want an 80-inch screen, and that’s just not realistic for most of us. For that reason, we suggest that most living rooms will do best with at least a 50-inch TV. You can technically go as big as you like, provided you don’t sit just four feet from your TV.

There’s one reason not to just shoot for the biggest TV you can get, and that has to do with picture quality. If you are trying to maximize screen size purely based on budget, you’ll find that you can probably get a TV as big as your wallet will allow, but you’ll have to sacrifice some on picture quality this way. We find it’s best to balance size with picture quality for long-term watching enjoyment. Keep that in mind as you peruse our suggestions for the best TVs you can buy.

Finding a new TV shouldn’t be a hard process. With these tips you’ll have no trouble finding a TV that will fit your home and give you the best TV quality. Just remember, find the TV’s measurements, calculate the ideal viewing distance, and balance picture quality with size.

The video accompanying this articles features the Samsung Q9F 65-inch TV, the BDI OLA stand, and the Sony A1E OLED.