A look inside Lenovo’s Yamato Labs, where laptops become ThinkPads

What does it take to make a ThinkPad?

You might point to the iconic black “bento box” design, the TrackPoint, the concave keyboard, or any number of other unique features. You’d be half right. ThinkPad’s look, feel, and feature set remains unique in the world of PC hardware, but the brand is known for more than looks. Its durability is legend. Geeks who demand a reliable laptop almost always end up with a ThinkPad.

In celebration of ThinkPad’s 25th anniversary, Lenovo allowed Digital Trends a peek inside its Yamato Labs, located in Yokohama, Japan. The lab is responsible for a huge range of tests, from resilience against static electricity, to hinge durability, to radio frequency resistance. Every new ThinkPad goes through a gauntlet of trials, and if a design doesn’t pass, the engineers have to take it back to the drawing board.

Check out the gallery above for an inside look at the lab that turns laptops into ThinkPads.

It’s real! Lenovo announces 25th Anniversary ThinkPad with retro keyboard, styling

Why it matters to you

If you’re a longtime fan of the ThinkPad laptop series, you may be tickled pink by what Lenovo is offering with this limited edition laptop.

As promised, October 5 marks the 25th anniversary of the ThinkPad laptop brand, and Lenovo is celebrating by releasing a special edition of its ThinkPad T470 laptop for business. Although it will have the same modern internals as the T470, the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 model sports the look and feel of the classic ThinkPad 700C designed by Richard Sapper and engineered in Japan’s Yamato Labs all those years ago.

Images of the throwback laptop surfaced in the middle of September. Now we have the official hardware specifications:

Screen size:
14 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080
Screen aspect ratio:
16:10
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7500U
Graphics:
Nvidia GeForce 940MX
Memory:
16GB DDR4 @ 2,133MHz
Storage:
512GB Samsung NVMe PCI Express 3.0 SSD

Connectivity:
Intel Dual-Band Wireless AC 8265 (up to 867Mbps)
Bluetooth 4.1
Ports:
1x gigabit Ethernet
3x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x HDMI
1x SD card reader
Audio:
2x Dolby Advanced Audio speakers
Camera:
720p HD webcam
Dual array microphones
Battery:
24WH battery promising up to 18 hours
Dimensions:
13.25 x 9.15 x 0.79 inches
Weight:
Starting at 3.48 pounds
Operating system:
Windows 10 Pro
Starting price:
$1,899

As the specifications show, there’s nothing “retro” going on inside this limited-edition laptop. Instead, the rewind button was pressed on the aesthetics, such as multiple status LEDs, a backlit 7-row keyboard, dedicated volume buttons, a colorful logo, and a blue Enter key. But don’t worry: this model won’t sport the same thick, blocky design used on the original 700C model.

According to Lenovo, the 700C’s design was inspired by the traditional Japanese bento box. By today’s standards, it was incredibly thick, weighing around six pounds. The components included an Intel 386 processor clocked at 25MHz, between 4MB and 16MB of memory, a hard drive with roughly 80MB of space, a 9.5-inch LCD screen with a 640 x 480 resolution, and a 3.5-inch disk drive. MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 were two operating system choices.

On the pricing front, you’ll be getting more for your money with the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25. The original ThinkPad 700C was marketed by IBM before the company sold its personal computer business to Lenovo in 2005. It cost around $2,375 in 1992, so when you take inflation into consideration, that’s roughly $4,156 in 2017. By contrast, this new special edition of the ThinkPad T470 has a starting price of $1,899. Overall, IBM and Lenovo have pushed around 130 million units since the ThinkPad brand emerged in the early 1990s.

Despite its “retro” feel, the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 has everything you need for modern computing: a seventh-generation Intel Core processor, a discrete graphics chip to handle graphics-intensive applications, and speedy SSD storage. It even has a Thunderbolt 3 port pushing data transfers at up to 40Gbps for daisy-chaining external displays, adding peripherals, external storage, and more. What you won’t find here is a built-in 3.5-inch disk drive, but instead a fingerprint scanner mounted to the right of the keyboard.

You can purchase the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 laptop now for a starting price of $1,899. It will be available in limited quantities in select countries, so grab one now before they’re gone for good!

It’s real! Lenovo announces 25th Anniversary ThinkPad with retro keyboard, styling

Why it matters to you

If you’re a longtime fan of the ThinkPad laptop series, you may be tickled pink by what Lenovo is offering with this limited edition laptop.

As promised, October 5 marks the 25th anniversary of the ThinkPad laptop brand, and Lenovo is celebrating by releasing a special edition of its ThinkPad T470 laptop for business. Although it will have the same modern internals as the T470, the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 model sports the look and feel of the classic ThinkPad 700C designed by Richard Sapper and engineered in Japan’s Yamato Labs all those years ago.

Images of the throwback laptop surfaced in the middle of September. Now we have the official hardware specifications:

Screen size:
14 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080
Screen aspect ratio:
16:10
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7500U
Graphics:
Nvidia GeForce 940MX
Memory:
16GB DDR4 @ 2,133MHz
Storage:
512GB Samsung NVMe PCI Express 3.0 SSD

Connectivity:
Intel Dual-Band Wireless AC 8265 (up to 867Mbps)
Bluetooth 4.1
Ports:
1x gigabit Ethernet
3x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x HDMI
1x SD card reader
Audio:
2x Dolby Advanced Audio speakers
Camera:
720p HD webcam
Dual array microphones
Battery:
24WH battery promising up to 18 hours
Dimensions:
13.25 x 9.15 x 0.79 inches
Weight:
Starting at 3.48 pounds
Operating system:
Windows 10 Pro
Starting price:
$1,899

As the specifications show, there’s nothing “retro” going on inside this limited-edition laptop. Instead, the rewind button was pressed on the aesthetics, such as multiple status LEDs, a backlit 7-row keyboard, dedicated volume buttons, a colorful logo, and a blue Enter key. But don’t worry: this model won’t sport the same thick, blocky design used on the original 700C model.

According to Lenovo, the 700C’s design was inspired by the traditional Japanese bento box. By today’s standards, it was incredibly thick, weighing around six pounds. The components included an Intel 386 processor clocked at 25MHz, between 4MB and 16MB of memory, a hard drive with roughly 80MB of space, a 9.5-inch LCD screen with a 640 x 480 resolution, and a 3.5-inch disk drive. MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 were two operating system choices.

On the pricing front, you’ll be getting more for your money with the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25. The original ThinkPad 700C was marketed by IBM before the company sold its personal computer business to Lenovo in 2005. It cost around $2,375 in 1992, so when you take inflation into consideration, that’s roughly $4,156 in 2017. By contrast, this new special edition of the ThinkPad T470 has a starting price of $1,899. Overall, IBM and Lenovo have pushed around 130 million units since the ThinkPad brand emerged in the early 1990s.

Despite its “retro” feel, the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 has everything you need for modern computing: a seventh-generation Intel Core processor, a discrete graphics chip to handle graphics-intensive applications, and speedy SSD storage. It even has a Thunderbolt 3 port pushing data transfers at up to 40Gbps for daisy-chaining external displays, adding peripherals, external storage, and more. What you won’t find here is a built-in 3.5-inch disk drive, but instead a fingerprint scanner mounted to the right of the keyboard.

You can purchase the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 laptop now for a starting price of $1,899. It will be available in limited quantities in select countries, so grab one now before they’re gone for good!

The Morning After: Thursday, October 5th 2017

Hey, good morning!

All Google everything. You name it, and Google launched it. Phones, headphones, VR, speakers, camera, laptop — and all with AI in one form or another. It’s Thursday.

Two sizes, almost the same phone.Google introduces the Pixel 2 series — and it’s really proud of the camera

After all those leaks, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are now a reality, and both ditch the headphone jack. They’re both (a little) squeezable, which will coax the phones to launch Google Assistant for your questions and search queries, while also packing water resistance and a camera that’s apparently better than last year’s well-regarded Pixel phone. Google was keen to sidestep the tech spec nitty-gritty and talk about the AI smarts it’s stitching into its phones. You might recall Google’s Lens visual search from earlier in the year — well that’s coming to these phones before the end of 2017. The phones also have a redesigned UI, because people can’t leave things alone, and both are possibly the purest Android devices we’ve ever seen.

‘This one’s just right.’
A Google Home for every… home

Similar to Amazon blitzing us with Echo speakers in a bunch of form factors, Google’s showcase revealed the Home Mini and the Home Max. Those self-explanatory names do half my job for me, and while the Mini goes with a cheaper price and a more subtle design, the Home Max centers on audio quality. Oh and a price tag that will pit it again Apple’s HomePod speaker when it arrives. Naturally, we spent time with both of them.

Oh, and they also play music or whatever.
Google’s Pixel Buds are a real-life Babel Fish

Now that the Pixel 2 dropped its headphone jack, Google is preparing a pair of wireless buds to go with it, AirPod-style. When paired with a Pixel 2, they gain the power to do real-time translation between 40 different languages. Just say “Help me speak (language)” and talk, then your phone will output the words in that language. Then when the other person replies, you’ll hear their words in your own language, right in your ear. The $160 Buds will ship in November.

How much will you pay to run ChromeOS?
Google introduces its $1,000 Pixelbook

After a couple of years off, Google is back with another premium laptop, and this one is impressive. The Pixelbook is thin and light, measuring at 2.2 pounds with a 12.3-inch screen, and it’s powerful, with options for Core i5 or i7 processors, plus options for 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. It can flip around for use as a tablet, there’s a pen and it can automatically tether with your Android phone. Oh, and don’t forget support for Android apps, and news that partners like Snapchat are reworking their apps to better support ChromeOS. The only potentially bad news is its price, which starts at a very MacBook- and Surface-like $1,000.

It’s also the photographer.
Google Clips is a tiny AI-powered camera

For some reason, Google decided to cram some of its imaging smarts into a tiny square-ish camera. It doesn’t have a screen, and Google wants you to let the camera take the photos itself. Somehow, it manages to take notable shots and clips all through AI-powered image processing, focusing on people and animals it thinks you’d like to see photos of. Will it be a hit? Maybe not. But that probably doesn’t matter.

But wait, there’s more…

• Hands-on with Sonos One: ‘The Smart Speaker for Music Lovers’
• HP’s Spectre x360 13 hides your screen at a push of a button
• Plex makes its adaptive streaming tech available to all
• Apple watchOS update addresses LTE vs. captive WiFi problems

Investigators are using AI to find who betrayed Anne Frank

In August of 1944, Anne Frank and her family were captured by the Gestapo after spending a gruelling two years hidden in a secret annex within their apartment. The prolific diarist’s work would posthumously bring her fame and recognition the world over. But, to this day, no one has been able to identify who was behind the betrayal that led to her death in a concentration camp. Fast forward 73 years, and a former FBI agent is betting artificial intelligence can help crack the mystery. Retired sleuth Vincent Pankoke, and his team of investigators (comprised of forensic scientists and members of the Dutch police force), are partnering with Amsterdam-based data company Xomnia on the ultimate cold case.

As part of the newly-opened enquiry, a specially developed algorithm will scour reams of documents from the period. The master database of info being fed to the AI includes lists of of Nazi collaborators, informants, historic documents, police records, and prior research. “Our software allows [the team] to search the data and visualize it new ways. This has already led to a few new traces,” said Marius Helf, chief data scientist, Xomnia. “In the future, we plan to make the systems more intelligent, in the sense that it will be able to automatically connect persons, events, and places.” Pankoke told Reuters that the software will be able to provide new leads and connections based on the trove of data “that a human in their lifetime might not be able to review.”

The past several decades have seen numerous theories about Frank’s betrayal floated about. It’s been alleged by writers and investigators that the Frank family’s neighbours, co-workers, or even the Gestapo’s Jewish informants could have been behind the disclosure. Whereas, prior police investigations in 1948 and 1963 honed in on just one individual (warehouse manager Willem van Maaren) without probing other scenarios.

More recently, the Dutch Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies cast doubt on the speculation, claiming there was no conclusive evidence implicating any of the proposed suspects. And, just last year, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam suggested that the raid on the residence could have been a mere coincidence. But, in both cases, the respective institutions stated that more investigation and evidence gathering was required.

The team working on the latest cold case are hoping that the public can provide some of that much-needed info. And, as a crowdfunded venture, the project is also relying on patrons to fund it to the tune of $5 million. The aim, however, is not to seek prosecution. Instead, the intention is to complete the case by August 4, 2019, which will mark 75 years since the arrest of Anne Frank.

Source: Anne Frank: A Cold Case Diary

Single-Lens Google Pixel 2 Camera Takes Top Spot From iPhone 8 Plus in DxO Labs Tests

The new Google Pixel 2 has bumped the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 off the number one spot to become the top-performing smartphone camera in DxO Labs’ mobile photography tests.

Just a day after Samsung’s latest device matched Apple’s largest iPhone 8 handset with an overall DxOMark score of 94, Google’s newly launched Pixel 2 has now beaten both dual-lens devices with a score of 98, despite despite its rear-mounted single-camera design.

Its top scores in most of our traditional photo and video categories put it ahead of our previous (tied) leaders, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, despite the Pixel 2 coming in lower in the new Zoom and Bokeh categories. The Pixel 2 is also a major step forward from the Pixel (which was our top scorer when it was released a year ago), moving from 90 to 98.

The reviewers praised the Pixel 2 for excellent video performance, scene reproduction, color rendering, and fast and accurate autofocus, highlighting in particular its “amazing” ability to render detail in both the bright and dark areas of difficult scenes.

One weak spot for the Pixel 2 was said to be exposure in very low light images, which show increased noise in high dynamic range scenes, although excellent exposure and highlight preservation is still in evidence.

Despite performing very well for a single camera phone, the Pixel 2 couldn’t outscore the zoom capability of the dual-lens Apple iPhone 8 Plus. The Pixel 2 also sometimes displayed aliasing and moiré artifacts in medium- and long-range zooms.

The reviewers concluded that for just about any photo or video use case, the Pixel 2 recommends itself as the phone camera with the best image quality, with the exception of zoom and bokeh (including Depth and Portrait) that dual-camera smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 can provide. The Google handset was especially recommended for videographers, since it achieved the highest video score (96) for any device tested by DxO Labs.

The reviewers signed off by noting that their scoring system has “plenty of headroom” to go beyond 100, so we’ll have to wait and see if Apple’s iPhone X can break that ceiling when it’s released next month.

You can read the full DxOMark Pixel 2 camera review and view all of the full-resolution images here. Do you agree with DxO Labs’ assessment? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Related Roundups: iPhone 8, iPhone XTags: DxOMark, Google PixelBuyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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India Considering Exemptions Sought by Apple for Stores and Assembly Plants

The Indian government is now in the process of considering exemptions sought by Apple for setting up more units to assemble iPhones, according to a top bureaucrat in the country’s commerce and industry ministry (via Reuters).

The news came shortly after India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) gave Chinese smartphone maker Oppo clearance to open its own single-brand retail stores in the country, suggesting Apple has a good chance of gaining approval for its own state requests.

The Oppo decision is also positive for companies like Xiaomi and Vivo, which have been trying to get similar approvals, according to Counterpoint Research.

Apple has asked federal government officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly infrastructure in India.

Apple officially began assembling iPhones in May at plants run by supplier Wistron, thereby satisfying India’s requirement that 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.

The phones have been available to buy in reseller stores since around June. Apple’s website in India currently has a “Where to Buy” page for all iPhone models, directing users to resellers Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone.

Like Oppo, Apple is also seeking permission to open its own retail stores in India. Apple wants to open its first physical retail store in India as early as 2018, and the company is reportedly looking to open four to five flagship-class stores in the country over the next five to ten years.

Tag: India
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Apple Watch Nike+ Series 3 GPS and LTE Models Now in Stores

Apple Watch Nike+ GPS and LTE Series 3 models are now available to buy in stores across Australia, Europe and China, with customers already posting shots of their newly acquired smartwatches on the MacRumors forums and over on Reddit.

Several posts confirm that in some cases, customers are cancelling their online orders held up in shipping and are walking into local brick-and-mortar stores to buy their chosen Nike+ Series 3 model outright.

MacRumors forum member griffith_500 posted the above photo explaining that he preordered the Nike+ LTE with a reseller only to be informed today that they wouldn’t receive the watch before mid October. “So I tried my luck and walked into the Apple store in Zurich where they had all the Nike models on stock… Love it!”

Nike+ Series 3 LTE bought in Shanghai Apple Store
Over in China, Reddit member eddietsai posted the above image of his Nike+ Series 3 LTE purchase from a local Shanghai Apple Store, where they only had the white Sport Loop in stock.

Meanwhile across the U.S., Apple orders are currently in transit across various locations and should be making their way into the hands of customers in the next few hours. Although some eager early risers have also cancelled their online orders with Apple after stores including Best Buy updated their stock to indicate availability for in-store pickup as soon as stores open today.

LTE Space Gray aluminum case with Pure Platinum band (Image via Reddit)
Several Nike+ watch bands are also available for in-store pickup today. Additional Nike+ bands are $49 each in the United States. Apple Watch Nike+ comes in four styles in both 38mm and 42mm sizes, with both cellular and Wi-Fi + GPS only models to choose from:

◦ Silver Aluminum Case with Pure Platinum/Black Nike Sport Band
◦ Silver Aluminum Case with Bright Crimson/Black Nike Sport Loop
◦ Space Gray Aluminum Case with Anthracite/Black Nike Sport Band
◦ Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black/Pure Platinum Nike Sport Loop

Apple Watch Nike+ models are priced between $329 and $429 in the U.S.

Countries in today’s launch include the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macau, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: Apple Watch Nike+ EditionBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Google Duo picture-in-picture mode is now live on Oreo devices

Duo’s picture-in-picture mode is now available for everyone on Oreo.

Oreo introduced picture-in-picture mode for phones and tablets, and Google is now flipping the switch for Duo. The feature is now available on all Oreo devices, as noted by Duo’s technical lead Justin Uberti.

You don’t need to make any changes to enable picture-in-picture mode. As long as you’re using a device running Oreo and have the latest update installed, you should be able to use the feature.

With picture-in-picture mode, you get a miniature version of the picture window in one corner of the screen when you hit the home button in the middle of a call. You can move the position of the picture window to any corner of the screen, and the video orientation will change automatically based on whether the phone is in landscape or portrait mode.

Available now on Android Oreo! https://t.co/lYr30syCRV

— Justin Uberti (@juberti) October 5, 2017

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion

Grab Amazon Echo devices for 30% off in India, and get a year’s worth of Prime for free!

Get Echo devices for 30% off, an additional 10% cashback from Citibank, and a year’s worth of Amazon Prime for free.

Amazon launched the Echo family in India yesterday, with the second-generation Echo, Echo Dot, and the Echo Plus up for pre-order in the country. To sweeten the deal for early adopters, Amazon is offering an enticing 30% off on all Echo devices, and throwing in a year’s worth of Prime membership for free.

Here’s the breakdown on the pricing after the 30% discount:

• Echo Dot – ₹3,149 ($48)
• All-new Echo – ₹6,999 ($105)
• Echo Plus – ₹10,499 ($160)

That’s just the discount from Amazon. As part of its Great Indian Festival, the retailer is rolling out a 10% cashback deal to Citibank credit and debit card holders, so if you’re a Citibank customer, you get an additional 10% off the price of the Echo devices. Then there’s the annual Prime membership, which is a ₹999 ($15) value. If you’re already a Prime member, you’ll get an additional year’s worth of membership for free, but if you haven’t subscribed yet, you’ll be enrolled in the program.

The caveat here is that you just can’t head to Amazon and purchase the device. The introductory price is invite-only, so you’ll have to submit a request to purchase an Echo device. If you’re invited, you’ll receive an email from Amazon to purchase the device of your choice. After registering interest, it takes roughly around 15 hours for Amazon to send you an invite, and the invitation itself is valid for three days.

30% off an Echo device is an amazing offer, and the additional Citibank cashback combined with free Prime makes this a stellar deal. If you’ve been eyeing the Alexa platform, now is the time to make the jump.

See at Amazon

Amazon Echo

• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
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• Get the latest Alexa news

See at Amazon