D-Link Covr brings reliable Wi-Fi to your 6,000-square-foot mansion

D-Link unveiled five new home Wi-Fi router products in three categories on January 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show. Each focuses on fixing a different problem common to home Wi-Fi: Security, speed, or coverage. Addressing the final concern is the brand new Covr line of wireless mesh networking solutions, designed to cover an entire home — up to 6,000 square feet — with reliable and fast Wi-Fi.

Two distinct Covr models will be available: The dual-band COVR-C1203 and the tri-band COVR-2202. The dual-band system uses three units to extend Wi-Fi coverage up to 5,000 square feet, while the tri-band system needs just two units to cover up to 6,000 square feet. The former transmits using the AC1200 standard, while the latter uses the faster AC2200. Both feature MU-MIMO technology to handle large groups of users.

The COVR-C1203 is slated to be available in first quarter 2018 for $250, while the COVR-2202 won’t be available until second quarter with a price of $320.

802.11ax Wi-Fi is here

If speed, rather than coverage, is more your thing, then D-Link also has you covered with the dual-band AX6000 and tri-band AX11000 Wi-Fi routers utilizing the latest 802.11ax standard. Named for their data rates, the former can hit combined speeds of 6,000 megabits per second (Mbps) while the later surges to an impressive 11,000Mbps.

With eight antennas extending from their angular bodies, both routers feature the futuristic, alien space ship design that D-Link has been known for for some time now, but we don’t expect anyone would be unhappy if one of these new models invaded their home. D-Link hasn’t yet announced pricing on either model, but has stated they will be available in the second half of this year.

Automated security to guard your smart home

The Internet of Things has turned mundane objects like refrigerators and door locks into high-tech gadgets of desire, but the more devices we connect to our routers, the greater we risk exposing ourselves to hackers. As more people turn to smart cameras and smart lights to protect their homes, a new question of security arises: What’s protecting those devices?

D-Link hopes the answer is the company’s new McAfee-powered AC2600 Wi-Fi router. With support for 128 connected devices, the AC2600 is designed to handle a home full of smartphones, tablets, computers, and IoT devices. Thanks to McAfee’s Global Threat Intelligence, it uses machine learning to detect and prevent malware and other malicious attacks.

The cube-shaped router appears to take design influence from a safe, which would make sense, and will be available in second quarter 2018 for $250.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Extend your Wi-Fi range with one of the best Wi-Fi extenders
• Intel wants to bring you faster Wi-Fi in the next couple of years
• Protect your home with Securifi’s mesh Wi-Fi and smart home combo
• RCA enters the smart home space with a new smart camera and doorbell camera
• Asus NovaGo, the first gigabit LTE-capable laptop, promises fast download speeds

Shareholders urge Apple to ‘think differently’ about impact on kids

It’s easy to forget that smartphones haven’t really been around us for all that long. The first iPhone launched only ten years ago, and the constantly evolving nature of technology has meant that tech from a decade ago is totally different from what’s embedded in the latest iPhone X. As such, it’s important to remember that we don’t know everything there is to know about the impact of our favorite pocket companions.

The dangers of smartphones have been suspected for a while now, whether it be indirectly from people trying to take the best selfie, or simply the effect that smartphone use has on conversations. The impact that smartphone use has on children is of particular interest, and two major shareholder groups have written an open letter urging Apple to take a larger role in researching the impact that smartphone use has on young children.

The two shareholder groups, JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), hold $2 billion in shares from the Cupertino giant, and while that number is a small fraction of the overall $860+ billion worth that Apple commands, JANA has proven to be highly influential in the past, while CalSTRS is the eleventh-largest pension fund in the world.

The letter is focused on various studies and groups that have found negative links between consistent smartphone use in children, including a reduction in children participating in lunchtime activities, a higher risk of depression, and an increase in sleep deprivation. While the letter admits the seeming shortcomings of these devices on children’s overall health, its also quick to point out that smartphones and tablets also have many educational benefits for the young, and an “all or nothing” approach is not what they’re looking for.

The letter goes on to point out an APA report that 94-percent of parents have taken actions to somehow limit their children’s access to smart devices, and postulates that parents would be far more effective in helping their children to avoid the negative side effects of smart devices if they were backed up by research and tools created by Apple. And while it may seem counterproductive for Apple to restrict audiences from its premier products, the letter insists that the goodwill from such an act would put Apple in good stead in a future connected by these smart devices. It finally goes on to list the various ways that the company could start to make progress.

If you’re a parent and looking for ways to introduce your children to smart devices, or you want to rethink how they see them, then we’ve written some great guides on introducing your children to devices, as well as some of the best phones for kids.

Editors’ Recommendations

• BlackBerry KeyOne review
• iPhone X beats Samsung’s Note 8 and 7 Edge in OLED display burn-in test
• Researchers may have found what causes smartphone batteries to explode
• Find out how to track a phone with these helpful tracking tips
• Razer Phone vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 8: A new challenger approaches

Asus announces suite of new All-In-One desktops, mini PCs, and more

At CES 2018, Asus has announced a new lineup of desktop computers, covering a side swath of form factors. The new entries include the V272 and V222 All-In-Ones, the Chromebox 3, two mini PCs, and a single-board computer called the Tinker Board S.

All-In-Ones

Asus AiO V272

Asus is introducing two new All-In-Ones: the AiO V272 and V222. These are all-in-one desktops, meaning Asus has stuffed all the internals components into the frame of the display. The first features a 27-inch, multitouch display, that the company says shows 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut. It didn’t mention anything about the AdobeRGB scale, or the resolution of the display.

As for the components, you’ll get an 8th-Gen Intel Core i7 processor and the Nvidia GeForce MX150. Asus didn’t offer details about storage or memory options.

Asus also mentioned the audio system, which claims to have “bass-reflex” speakers, and support for the Asus ZenAnywhere app to allow for remote access.

Asus AiO V222

The 22-inch version of Asus’ new All-In-One has a Full HD display, that has some slimmed-down bezels compared to the larger model. We are assuming that the V222 includes the same configuration options as the V272, but Asus did not mention what CPUs and GPUs would be available.

Outside of that, Asus claims similar features as the V272, including Cortana support, remote access, and bass-reflex speakers.

Both AiOs are due out in the first half of 2018, and pricing details will be available at launch.

Origin Millennium gaming desktop review

Research Center:
Origin Millenium

Remember that scene from Jurassic Park, where the raptor arrives in the big metal cage on a giant forklift, snarling and biting at the cage? That’s kind of what it’s like to receive an Origin desktop. The 2018 Origin Millennium arrived to us in a giant wooden shipping crate, chomping and snarling, just begging to be set free. It’s an appropriately dramatic arrival for a fully-loaded gaming desktop.

The 2018 Origin Millennium packs an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8700K processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB Samsung 960 Pro SSD, 6TB Western Digital Red hard drive, and not one but two Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards running in SLI. All that powerful hardware is contained within a custom-built chassis clad in cherry-red aluminum and smoky tempered glass. Our review unit, as equipped, would run you $4,530. That’s a hefty price tag, but Origin has a track record of delivering killer high-end machines. Let’s find out if the Origin Millennium upholds that tradition.

Custom-built, and fine-tuned

This thing is stunning, but getting to it is a bit of an adventure. After wrestling it out of a giant wooden shipping crate, like the one Indiana Jones used to seal away the Ark of the Covenant, you’ll need to un-sleeve the PC itself from a separate inner box. And finally, you’ll need to peel a slick, silky body glove off the glass-and-aluminum case, like unveiling a luxury car for the first time to an awestruck crowd.

When you first lay eyes on the Origin, the struggle to free it from its wooden tomb is immediately justified. The default side panels include a aluminum panel for the right side, and smoked tempered glass on the left. If you’d like, you can order a second tempered glass panel ($75) or, if you think glass is too fragile, a second aluminum panel ($50). Both panels swing open on well-oiled hinges, like the glass door on a vintage Kenwood stereo system – the one you weren’t allowed to touch as a kid, but totally did anyway.

The Millennium has a custom case exclusive to the Origin, and it’s been redesigned for 2018. The earlier model used plastic panels, which looked nice but felt flimsy. Those are now replaced with a (mostly) aluminum exterior, and available tempered glass side panels. It takes PC’s look and feel to a new level, and has advantages over a standard case.  A desktop like the AVADirect Avant can offer identical hardware to the Origin Millennium, but it won’t look unique. With the Origin Millennium, though, there’s a level of detail that makes it feel like a luxury. Which is good, given the price.

This PC is stunning, but getting to it is a bit of an adventure

There’s a door on each side of the case, so the interior where your graphics cards resides, glowing softly, is just as accessible as the rear-side, where Origin’s cable management keeps the insides nice and clean. The interior lighting is subtle, but just present enough, with an LED strip along the back of the case and the top edge. The light strips are hidden by the tempered glass panel when it’s shut, allowing the light to diffuse throughout the interior of the case. Origin’s attention to detail has long been the company’s defining characteristic, and it evident here. Everything is meticulous. The company’s system builders don’t seem to have the words “good enough” in their vocabulary.

There are a few other lights inside, from the G.Skill RAM, and the Asus ROG motherboard itself, but nothing overpowers or clashes with the customizable lighting from the LED strips. Like most desktops with interior lighting strips, the Origin ships with a remote control you can use to change the color, the pattern, and pulse or flash speed. Lighting can also be changed from the motherboard (depending on the motherboard you choose during configuration).

As for utilitarian features, our Origin Millennium shipped with cherry-red aluminum side panel, in case you’re a little uncomfortable with having two tempered glass side panels, and want something a little more accidental-kick-resistant.

Secret ports

On the backside of this desktop you’re not going to find any big surprises, as the I/O panel is exactly what you’d expect with a couple small exceptions. On the motherboard, there are seven USB ports, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port, and two coax plugs for the included Wi-Fi fin. Below the ethernet port, you’ll find the standard array of audio input and output jacks.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Below that, where your two video cards offer up their DisplayPorts and HDMI ports, you’ll find something a bit peculiar but very welcome. Most of those plugs have plastic caps over them, preventing you from using them. The HDMI port on the top video card, the primary one you should plug your monitor or monitors into, is uncapped. It’s a small detail, but one that reminds you of the unique peculiarities dual-GPU systems have.

Moving around to the front side of the Origin, you might try to open the red aluminum front plate, to find the power button. Inside, you’ll find only empty drive bays and locked quick-access bays for SSDs, but no frontal I/O or power button. That little guy is hidden under a plastic cap just above the red front plate. You’ll have to just slide it upward to reveal two extra USB ports, a USB-C port, and a couple audio jacks. Oh, and the power and reset buttons.

Our only complaint here is that the plastic cap which hides the front-side I/O pops off a little easily, and doesn’t slide upward very smoothly. It’s the one part of Origin’s custom case that feels half-baked.

Luxurious and airy

For a system so chock-full of powerful hardware, the interior is remarkably open and airy. The layout is clearly designed to look clean, but that cleanliness serves an important purpose. Cable management is simple, precise, and most importantly, it makes sense. Everything is placed with purpose, and zip ties keep cables out of the way, bundled together without obstructing the view.

Beneath the right panel, where cables can traditionally get a little messy, the Origin Millennium keeps things neat and tidy. Cables are bundled together and snaked through from the front side without getting twisted, tangled, or losing their clarity of purpose. Open the back for the first time, and it’s easy to see what goes where and why. It all makes sense, which makes your job a little easier when it comes time to upgrade.

Origin’s proprietary Frostbyte 360 liquid cooling system keeps system noise to a minimum.

Even the removable dust filters on the top and front interior of the case are tucked away out of sight, without limiting their accessibility. The top filter just pops off, and the front filter can be removed and replaced by opening the tempered glass side-door.

Moving on to the more utilitarian aspects, the Millennium has Origin’s proprietary Frostbyte 360 liquid cooling system, and it does an excellent job of keeping system noise down. Even under heavy load, the Origin is never too loud – though it does get noticeably noisier when you’re running a game at 4K resolution.

The power supply and its cables are partitioned off from the rest of the case, tucked away inside a metal enclosure which is a bit tricky to access or remove, but given the power supply’s size, 850 watts, it probably won’t need replacement any time soon. Still, the metal partition breaks Origin’s promise of “tool-free upgrades. To access the partition you’ll need a screwdriver, and a little patience. Otherwise, the liquid cooling, cable management, and fan placement all make for an exceptionally well-designed interior.

The latest and gr-eight-est (I’m so sorry)

The processor is one of the first components you’re likely to notice on the Origin Millennium’s spec sheet. It’s the Intel Core i7-8700K, an unlocked, 8th-generation processor with six cores and 12 processing threads. Let’s skip the preamble and get right into the question on everyone’s mind: Is the 8th-generation Core i7 that much faster than a 7th-generation Core i7? Yes, and no — our results are a bit mixed. Let’s get into it.

Looking at Geekbench scores, you can see that the i7-8700K is a very quick processor, but its greatest strength is its multi-core performance. The AVADirect Avant and Origin Neuron, both of which featured the Intel Core i7-7700K processor, are still top-performers. The Origin Neuron’s processor — likely due to a superior cooling setup — comes in ahead of the AVADirect Avant, and just a hair ahead of the Origin Millennium in single-core performance.

That lead absolutely crumbles beneath the Millennium’s multi-core performance though, in which the Millennium outperforms the Neuron and the Avant by a substantial margin. The Core i7-8700K’s two additional cores make their presence known.

That lead widens to a significant win in our real-world test, a 4K transcode conducted with Handbrake. We had each one of these processors crunch the same trailer of Elysium, and the results illustrate the real strength of the i7-8700K. The Origin Millennium finished the encode in just over three minutes, shaving over a minute and a half from the best times we saw from the AVADirect Avant and Origin Neuron. It’s an impressive margin, and it proves the new Millennium can handle anything you throw at it.

Quick and quicker

The Origin Millennium, as a premium gaming desktop, features two hard drives. One is a lightning quick 512GB Samsung 960 Pro SSD, the other is a much slower, but much larger, 6TB Western Digital Red hard drive. It’s worth mentioning that during everyday use, these two drives might seem a bit quicker than they really are thanks to some software wizardry. The Origin Millennium ships with RAM caching software, which essentially uses your RAM like a super-fast SSD to temporarily cache files. Turning it off reveals the Millennium’s true drive speeds, which are still quick, but not nearly as quick as they appear to be with the RAM caching software enabled.

When it comes to actual speed, we have a split result here. The Origin Millennium possesses the quickest read speed, with its Samsung 960 Pro SSD coming in at 2,753 megabytes-per-second to the AVADirect’s 2,013 Mb/s, and the Origin Neuron’s 2,557 Mb/s. On write speed, the Millennium falls just a bit behind the Neuron, but both remain well ahead of the AVADirect Avant. The Origin Neuron hit 1,987 Mb/s, and the Millennium topped out at 1,972 Mb/s, while the AVADirect Avant came in at a quick, but not super-quick 1,414 Mb/s.

With speeds this quick, though, you’re likely going to be satisfied with any of the desktops we’ve recently reviewed. They’ll all load files, and games, with incredible speed.

SLI prize fight

It’s pretty hard to find systems that can stand up to the Origin Millennium’s graphical setup, since it features not one but two of, arguably, the quickest consumer graphics cards on the market — the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Luckily for us, the AVADirect Avant and Origin Neuron were both tested with dual-1080 Ti setups, so this will be as fair a fight as we can make it. Let’s see how these heavyweights stack up.

Starting off with 3D Mark, we can get an idea for where these systems all stand in relation to one another with some impartial numbers. Looking at Fire Strike scores, the AVADirect Avant comes in third with an impressive score of 28,083. The Origin Neuron hits 30,051, which is pretty high for plain-old Fire Strike, but the Origin Millennium surpasses it by a fair margin, achieving a score of 33,584. These are the same standings we see in Time Spy, a more demanding benchmark, with the AVADirect Avant coming in at 13,853 to the Origin Neuron’s 15,227, and the Millennium’s 16,776. Moving on to some real-world tests, things are a bit less cut-and-dried.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Origin Millennium just obliterates our 1080p benchmarks. After all, a dual-1080 Ti setup is a bit overkill for humble 1080p, where even mid-range systems can hit high framerates without too much difficulty. The AVADirect Avant and Origin Neuron also make short work of our benchmarks here, achieving impressive scores across the board — even surpassing the Origin Millennium in a few games.

The Origin Millennium is a stellar gaming desktop. It matches or beats its closest competition in pretty much every category.

That part isn’t too big a shock either. These systems might have the same graphics card setup, but their hardware differs pretty wildly. The AVADirect Avant, for instance featured 64GB of RAM, and the Neuron featured 32GB of RAM, and both featured overclocked processors. Those differences alone likely account for some of the variation we see here.

For instance, in Civilization VI, we see the Origin Neuron fall behind, with the AVADirect Avant and Origin Millennium neck-and-neck. The Millennium pushes ahead by a bit, but in Civilization VI you’re not going to notice an extra couple FPS.

Our Battlefield 1 results came in along similar lines, but with the Origin Millennium and Neuron coming in very close to each other at the Ultra detail setting. The Millennium hit 189 FPS, and the Neuron topped out at 186 FPS, while the AVADirect Avant fell behind, with 167 FPS.

In For Honor the variation becomes more pronounced, with the Origin Neuron achieving the highest framerates at Medium and Extreme detail settings. In both cases, the AVADirect comes in a close third to the Origin Millennium’s second place.

Predictably, we saw performance fall a bit as we upped the challenge, cranking the settings up to 1440p. In Civilization VI, the AVADirect Avant actually comes in first, with 97 FPS. The Neuron hit 81 FPS, and the Origin Millennium capped out at 93 FPS at the Ultra detail preset.

In Battlefield 1, the Origin Millennium beat the competition by a sizable margin, coming in with an average of 167 FPS, to the Origin Neuron’s 133, and the AVADirect Avant’s 143. That’s an important thing to note because it means you can run Battlefield 1 on a 1440p monitor quick enough to make the most of high refresh rate display (like one of those fancy 144Hz gaming monitors).

All three of our contenders here pushed past that margin in For Honor at the Extreme detail preset. The AVADirect Avant managed an average 150 FPS, and the Origin Neuron hit 210 FPS, while the Origin Millennium achieved an average framerate of 190 FPS.

Origin Millenium Compared To

Asus G11DF-DBR5-GTX1060

Dell Inspiron 5675

Asus ROG Strix GD30CI

Velocity Micro Raptor M60

Origin Neuron

Alienware Area 51 (2017)

MSI Trident 9S6-B90611-02S

Digital Storm Velox (Kaby Lake)

Cybertron CLX Ra

Digital Storm Velox

Falcon Northwest Talon (2015)

Origin Millennium (2014)

iBuyPower Erebus

Gateway FX6800-01e

HP Blackbird 002

So pretty much no matter what, if you have two GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards in your desktop, you’re going to be able to run very demanding games at high framerates — typically high enough to run your games at 1440p and 144Hz without any difficulty.

Running games in 4K however, is a different story. Remember just a paragraph ago when we were talking about how quick the Origin Millennium was at running Battlefield 1 on the Ultra detail preset? Well, at 4K the Millennium barely managed 107 FPS, which means its performance dropped by almost a third just by moving the settings up to 4K. To be fair, the Millennium is powerful enough to run most games at max settings in 4K, but you’re going to see some significant loss in your overall performance. Your game will look better on that 4K monitor, but you’ll need to settle for a 60Hz refresh rate, instead of 120Hz or 144Hz.

A notable, and welcome, absence

There are a number of other apps which come preinstalled, but nothing obtrusive.

The Origin Millennium doesn’t ship with a forcibly installed trial copy of McAfee Antivirus. That alone is worth noting, because it means you won’t need to pop open your control panel and rip that thing out, root and stem, before you get to enjoy your new gaming rig. There are a number of other apps which come preinstalled, but nothing obtrusive, and certainly nothing that requires immediate emergency surgery to remove.

The included Asus ROG software makes it easy enough to keep an eye on your system status, adjust your overclock, or just keep an eye on internal temperatures – which tend to stay nice and cool even during heavy use.

Warranty information

The Origin Millennium ships with lifetime 24/7 U.S. based support, lifetime free labor, and one-year part replacement coverage, with a 45-day shipping warranty against any damage the Millennium may have suffered on in transit.

Our Take

The Origin Millennium is a stellar gaming desktop. It matches or beats its closest competition in pretty much every category. But let’s be honest, at $4,530 it absolutely should be a killer gaming PC. Ordering one of these, you’re going to end up with a powerful gaming rig that can make short work of even the most demanding games. The question is, should you buy the Millennium over the competition?

Is there a better alternative?

By their nature gaming desktops are highly customizable, so you could always just re-build any given gaming desktop at another manufacturer’s website and maybe save a few bucks. However, when you’re comparing desktops which all come in at around $4,000, every little detail counts.

Our Origin Millennium review unit was priced at $4,530 as-tested. The Origin Neuron comes in at $4,200, and the AVADirect Avant is $3,850. Even though the Neuron and Avant are a bit cheaper, and both feature more RAM than the Millennium, neither one had an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, or a completely custom-built chassis like the Millennium.

While you can get very similar performance out of a slightly cheaper desktop, there really isn’t a better alternative if you’re looking for a top-end gaming desktop with a custom enclosure and bleeding-edge performance.

How long will it last?

The Origin Millennium is built to last — maybe not exactly for 1,000 years, but it’ll see you through more than a few hardware generations. With two GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, and an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, you’re not going to feel this thing slow down any time soon. You might want to add some more RAM in the next couple years, but other than that, this thing is going to outlast most of the other electronic devices in your life.

Should you buy it?

If you’re in the market for a gaming desktop, and you have enough room in your budget for a $4,530 gaming PC, then you should absolutely buy the Origin Millennium. The Origin Millennium is excellent in every way a gaming desktop should be.

Don’t buy your kids a camera, let them build one with the Kano Camera Kit

Sure, digital cameras designed for kids teach basic photography skills, but what about codings skills or DIY photo editing? The Kano Camera Kit is now close to getting in consumers’ hands after a half-million dollar Kickstarter campaign. During the Consumer Electronics Show, Kano shared the latest prototype for the camera kit.

The Kano Camera Kit is a DIY digital camera designed to teach kids well beyond the photo basics, but coding and creative photo manipulation, too. Kano, a London, England-based company, says the kit is as easy to build as Lego bricks, with detailed guides. After constructing the 5-megapixel camera, kids can code their own photo filters or use code to change the color of the flash. Kids can also use the camera to create GIFs and explore other creative ways to manipulate the image.

The latest prototype, following the successful Kickstarter campaign, will be shown at CES, the first time the kids tech company has participated in the annual trade show. Attendees can try out the camera on the show floor, while anyone interested in the DIY camera kit can sign up for a new email list to get an alert when the kit is available.

“Our goal is to open up technology, so that anyone can understand and shape it,” Alex Klein, co-founder and CEO of Kano, said. “We are thrilled to bring simple, playful, creative computing to CES for the first time.”

Kano is the same company behind the $250 laptop kids can build themselves, a Raspberry Pi-based computer kit that launched last year. Along with the kits to build the actual hardware, the company uses DIY coding kits to program the software.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Got a new camera? Make the most of it with this camera guide for beginners
• Best camera of 2017
• The best DSLR cameras for beginners
• This $207 gadget turns old film cameras into digital shooters
• Rylo 360 camera review

Asus shows off Zenbook 13 with up to 15 hours of battery life and Nvidia graphics

Asus has been burning up the notebook market lately, introducing a broad line of machines that fit into just about every possible nook and cranny. It’s released a few new models recently, and took advantage of the CES 2018 hype to discuss a trio of new machines, the ZenBook 13, the Laptop X507, and the NovaGo.

Asus ZenBook 13

Key Specs

Up to Intel eighth-generation Core i7

Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU with 2GB

Up to 16GB RAM, up to 1TB PCIe SSD

Battery life up to 15 hours

13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) touchscreen display

Starting at 2.17 pounds

310 x 216 x 13.9 mm

2 x USB-A 3.1, 1 x USB-C 3.0, 1 x HDMI, microSD card reader

The ZenBook 13 is designed to be both thin and light while providing plenty of performance. It’s equipped with eighth-generation quad-core Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD). Most unusual for a machine that weighs 2.17 pounds and is just .55 inches thin is the presence of a discrete GPU, namely Nvidia’s GeForce MX150 with 2GB of VRAM.

All of that power fits into an all-metal chassis that features the same spun-metal design that adorns all ZenBook models and creates an easily identified aesthetic. Two color options are available, royal blue and slate gray, both with a “luxurious crystal-like gloss coating,” as Asus refers to it, courtesy of a non-imprinted lithography process.

The 13.3-inch display offers a very modern look, with minimal (6.86mm) bezels and an 80 percent screen-to-body ratio. Display options range from Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 165 PPI) up to a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 or 331 PPI), each with 10-point touch capabilities.

Asus has equipped the ZenBook 13 UX331UAL with a wide range of connectivity options. Two USB-A 3.1 ports, one USB-C 3.1 port, a full-size HDMI port, and a microSD card reader are all on hand. Wireless connectivity is provided by 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. A fingerprint reader provides Windows 10 Hello password-free login support.

Asus hasn’t yet provided pricing or availability for the ZenBook 13, other than to say that it will arrive sometime in the first half of 2018.

Origin upgrades its towers of power to aluminum design, with a slew of options

Origin PC has a trio of new gaming PCs on show at this year’s CES and all of them are designed to give gamers and hardware enthusiasts easy access and easy upgradeability through magnetic side panels and tool-less thumbscrews. Because of that, the side panels and front door can be swapped out for one with a different paint job or material if you so choose, meaning whatever your PC looks like when you buy it, it needn’t stay that way.

Although most new system announcements, especially in the gaming segment, focus on the new hardware options you can include in your PC, Origin’s latest systems are focused on the practicalities and physical features of the new iterations on its Genesis, Millenium, and L-Class PCs. If you look at its customization pages for these existing rigs, you’ll see that you can effectively create any sort of PC you want, from entry-level gaming systems equipped with AMD Ryzen 3 CPUS and RX 560 graphics cards, all the way up to monster desktops with overclocked Intel Core i7 CPUs and Nvidia Titan V graphics cards with 12GB of memory.

Don’t worry about the hardware for now. Take a look at some of the fancy features the new builds will feature that will make using and upgrading that much more pleasurable.

Millenium

Key Specs

Newly designed, streamlined aluminum chassis.

Variable mounting for standard, inverted ATX, 90-degree or 90-degree inverted motherboard.

Magnetic side panels and thumbscrew internals for tool-less use.

Swappable side panels to change the look or add a window.

Fully convertible to Genesis with Super Tower Bottom expansion kit.

Remote controlled LED lighting.

Although the Millenium is one of the smaller of Origin systems, it’s still impressive inside and out. The Millenium has a newly streamlined aluminum exterior, which should be a big improvement over the plastic build of the previous version. There’s also options for various side panels and paint jobs. Because everything is magnetically mounted, you can easily hot swap one side panel for another, so if you feel like having a window sometimes and sometimes not, it’s easy to add.

Even the front door panel is customizable, giving buyers the option of having it swing open one way or the other. Although a reverse door would be eye-catching in its own right, Origin’s patented alternative mounting system for the motherboard is sure to turn even more heads. You can have your system mounted in a standard or inverted configuration, opening up the right-hand side for window-viewing if you want. Alternatively, cant the whole thing at a 90-degree angle, offering better cooling by placing your graphics cards near the roof and giving your PC’s insides a unique look.

In the future, should you wish you had more space for storage drives or cooling, you can simply purchase the Super Tower upgrade kit to turn your system into the new “Genesis” with free labor from Origin.

If at any point you aren’t happy with your build, you can contact Origin directly and make use of its 24/7, lifetime, U.S. support service.

Find out more about the new build options on the main Origin web page.

Asus debuts ROG desktop, mechanical keyboard, cool lighting accessories at CES

Asus unloaded a truckload of announcements prior to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, some of which fall under its Republic of Gamers label. One product is already on the market, while another device – a limited-edition laptop – finally received a launch date and price. Everything else listed here appears to be sparkly new products.

The company’s game-centric portfolio for the show isn’t exactly robust. For starters, we have a new desktop supporting up to an overclocked eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, and up to a GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. The lineup also consists of a new mechanical keyboard that relies on Cherry MX RGB switches, while all other products are cosmetic in focus and bring illumination to your physical gaming space.

ROG Strix GL12 Desktop

Key Specs

CPU: Up to an overclocked 8th Gen Intel Core i7

Graphics: Up to a GeForce GTX 1080

Storage: Easy-swap SSD tray

Lighting: Customizable Aura Sync RGB

Release date: April 2018

Starting price: TBD

The first product in the gaming-themed batch is the ROG Strix GL12 desktop. According to the company, it will be configurable with up to a six-core eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processor with an out-of-the-box overclocked maximum speed of 4.8GHz. That tease points to the Core i7-8700K chip released in the third quarter of 2017 with a base speed of 3.7GHz and a maximum speed of 4.7GHz. It’s joined by graphics options of up to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 add-in card.

Outside the processor and GPU aspects, Asus says the new desktop includes an easy-swap SSD tray for quick storage upgrades. It also supports the Aura Sync platform for synchronizing colors and lighting effects across all compatible platforms. Supporting more than 16 million colors, this platform illuminates two angular “slashes” embedded in the front, and the water block’s red ROG logo seen through the left side’s transparent panel.

Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have prior to the official reveal during the show. Product images show two USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, two USB-A 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack on an I/O panel mounted at the top of the front panel. We expect to hear more details in the following months.

The new Onewheel has more power, more torque, and twice as much range as before

Future Motion, the company behind the infamous Onewheel rideable, announced at CES 2018 today that it’s now taking pre-orders for it’s latest product: the newly-announced Onewheel+ XR. While the new board doesn’t look any different than the previous model that was announced at CES 2017, it boasts a number of improvements under the hood. In addition to a bit more power and torque for climbing hills, a single battery charge on the XR will get you between 12 and 18 miles of use — more than double the range of earlier models.

To make a splash at the show (which Future Motion is known for — just ask the Chinese company that attempted to copy them at CES 2016), the company is attempting a three day, 300-mile trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to prove the XR’s abilities. We’ll report back if the endeavor is successful.

Of course, these new long-range capabilities don’t come cheap: Whereas the Onewheel+ will set you back $1,500, the XR costs an additional $300 — which puts it out of the price range for most average consumers. That said, our Emerging Tech Editor Drew Prindle reviewed the Onewheel+ last year, dubbing it not “just a fun toy, but a legit commuter vehicle.”

That’s something Future Motion’s chief evangelist Jack Mudd says the company is hearing from its early adopters. “We’re hearing more and more customers talk about leaving their cars at home and riding everywhere, it’s really a vehicle replacement,” he says.

Future Motion says that it’s not  is talking up the extended range of the XR combined with the smoothness and stability that made the Onewheel+ a much better product. The original Onewheel wasn’t the smoothest, but was still a riot to ride (especially if you already have board sport experience). But of course, not all of us are that coordinated, so the extra smoothness and stability of Future Motion’s new Onewheel devices are definitely welcome.

While you’d think doubling the battery power might add quite a bit of additional bulk to the board, it actually adds just one extra pound of weight. Future Motion says this is thanks to an improved battery system developed in-house using NMC cells. NMC batteries are ideal for applications where there is frequent recharging as they have a longer usable life and better efficiency.

Future Motion has not immediately set a release date for the board beyond the pre-order announcement.

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How to watch LG’s CES 2018 press conference

While CES 2018 doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, January 9, that won’t stop major brands from jumping the gun with their own press conferences, and it doesn’t stop our coverage either. LG’s press conference kicks off today, and you can watch it right here.

Given the sheer number of product lines coming out of LG, expect a fairly diverse spread of topics throughout the stream. The company has already announced its 2018 line of TVs, as well as its new smart home appliances. That said, we can expect to see them covered here as well, if only briefly, along with the company’s new ThinQ sub-brand, which ties together all of LG’s smart and A.I.-driven products.

Any of the announcements the company has already made will likely be featured as well, but we can likely expect a few surprises to be thrown in, too. Will we see anything as impressive as the 65-inch UHD rollable OLED the company introduced over the weekend? Hopefully.

The press conference kicks off January 8 at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and can be watched in the embedded video once it kicks off.

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