Unannounced 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor for laptops lands on Geekbench

Benchmarks of an upcoming eighth-generation Intel “Coffee Lake” processor for notebooks recently appeared in the Geekbench database. The unannounced chip is listed as the Core i7-8750H and tested in three different notebooks: Two by Quanta and one by HP. All three show the chip to have six cores and 12 threads with a base speed of 2.2GHz. 

Here are the processor specifications as listed in the benchmarks: 

Name: 

Intel Core i7-8750H 

Cores: 

6 

Threads: 

12 

Base speed: 

2.20GHz 

Max speed: 

4.09GHz 

L1 instruction cache: 

32KB x 6 

L1 data cache: 

32KB x 6 

L2 cache: 

256KB x 6 

L3 cache: 

9MB x 1

 As for the actual benchmarks, here are the numbers: 

Single-Core Score 

Multi-Core Score 

Quanta NL5T #1 

5008 

20715 

Quanta NL5T #2 

4700 

17504 

HP Pavilion 15-xx0xx 

4980 

19402 

Although technically Intel already offers five eighth-generation processors for laptops (and that’s not including the new modules with Radeon graphics), they’re not based on Intel’s eighth-generation “Coffee Lake” processor design. Instead, they rely on tweaked seventh-generation (Kaby Lake) technology. But the upcoming Core i7-8750H and whatever else Intel has up its laptop sleeve will undoubtedly be true eighth-generation designs. 

A note to keep in mind is the suffix used in Intel’s processors. The “U” typically stands for ultra-low power, meaning the chip is ideal for ultrathin laptops and focuses on long battery life versus high performance. Meanwhile, the “H” indicates high-performance graphics, thus the resulting laptop won’t be quite as battery-conservative, and possibly support discrete graphics. These chips may include the same integrated graphics component seen in the desktop models: Intel UHD Graphics 630. 

As a comparison, the single-core score of the current four-core i7-8650U chip averages around 4332 — depending on the parent laptop — whereas the multi-core score averages around 13928. Meanwhile, the six-core i7-8700K chip for desktops has a single-core score average of 5939 and a multi-core score average of 25884. The next step down is the six-core i7-8700 desktop chip with an average single-core score of 5689 and an average multi-core score of 24994. 

If anything, the upcoming Core i7-8750H may be on par with the current six-core i5-8400 chip for desktops. It has an average single-core score of 4991 and an average multi-core score of 18631. Of course, the benchmark numbers we now see for the unannounced i7-8750H are preliminary, so the numbers may rise before the products go live. At least now we have a taste of what’s coming to laptops in the near future. 

Intel’s upcoming laptop processors will join the company’s new modules packing seventh-generation cores, AMD Radeon graphics, and dedicated graphics memory into a single package. Intel officially revealed five of these modules at the beginning of the year featuring four processor cores with base speeds ranging from 2.80GHz to 3.10GHz, and maximum speeds ranging between 3.80GHz and 4.20GHz. Over on Geekbench, the top-of-the-line i7-8809G module has a single-core score of 5270 and a multi-core score of 17012. 

Laptops with Intel’s unannounced eighth-generation processors will likely appear by the end of March. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Eight new Intel Coffee Lake CPUs could replace chocolate this Valentine’s Day
• Reviews arrive days before the iMac Pro launch, and it’s a big performance jump
• Intel’s chip-packing Radeon graphics slips a brief tease just before CES 2018
• AMD vs. Intel: How does tech’s oldest rivalry look in 2018?
• Refreshed LG Gram laptops head to North America in January for CES 2018

Unannounced 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor for laptops lands on Geekbench

Benchmarks of an upcoming eighth-generation Intel “Coffee Lake” processor for notebooks recently appeared in the Geekbench database. The unannounced chip is listed as the Core i7-8750H and tested in three different notebooks: Two by Quanta and one by HP. All three show the chip to have six cores and 12 threads with a base speed of 2.2GHz. 

Here are the processor specifications as listed in the benchmarks: 

Name: 

Intel Core i7-8750H 

Cores: 

6 

Threads: 

12 

Base speed: 

2.20GHz 

Max speed: 

4.09GHz 

L1 instruction cache: 

32KB x 6 

L1 data cache: 

32KB x 6 

L2 cache: 

256KB x 6 

L3 cache: 

9MB x 1

 As for the actual benchmarks, here are the numbers: 

Single-Core Score 

Multi-Core Score 

Quanta NL5T #1 

5008 

20715 

Quanta NL5T #2 

4700 

17504 

HP Pavilion 15-xx0xx 

4980 

19402 

Although technically Intel already offers five eighth-generation processors for laptops (and that’s not including the new modules with Radeon graphics), they’re not based on Intel’s eighth-generation “Coffee Lake” processor design. Instead, they rely on tweaked seventh-generation (Kaby Lake) technology. But the upcoming Core i7-8750H and whatever else Intel has up its laptop sleeve will undoubtedly be true eighth-generation designs. 

A note to keep in mind is the suffix used in Intel’s processors. The “U” typically stands for ultra-low power, meaning the chip is ideal for ultrathin laptops and focuses on long battery life versus high performance. Meanwhile, the “H” indicates high-performance graphics, thus the resulting laptop won’t be quite as battery-conservative, and possibly support discrete graphics. These chips may include the same integrated graphics component seen in the desktop models: Intel UHD Graphics 630. 

As a comparison, the single-core score of the current four-core i7-8650U chip averages around 4332 — depending on the parent laptop — whereas the multi-core score averages around 13928. Meanwhile, the six-core i7-8700K chip for desktops has a single-core score average of 5939 and a multi-core score average of 25884. The next step down is the six-core i7-8700 desktop chip with an average single-core score of 5689 and an average multi-core score of 24994. 

If anything, the upcoming Core i7-8750H may be on par with the current six-core i5-8400 chip for desktops. It has an average single-core score of 4991 and an average multi-core score of 18631. Of course, the benchmark numbers we now see for the unannounced i7-8750H are preliminary, so the numbers may rise before the products go live. At least now we have a taste of what’s coming to laptops in the near future. 

Intel’s upcoming laptop processors will join the company’s new modules packing seventh-generation cores, AMD Radeon graphics, and dedicated graphics memory into a single package. Intel officially revealed five of these modules at the beginning of the year featuring four processor cores with base speeds ranging from 2.80GHz to 3.10GHz, and maximum speeds ranging between 3.80GHz and 4.20GHz. Over on Geekbench, the top-of-the-line i7-8809G module has a single-core score of 5270 and a multi-core score of 17012. 

Laptops with Intel’s unannounced eighth-generation processors will likely appear by the end of March. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Eight new Intel Coffee Lake CPUs could replace chocolate this Valentine’s Day
• Reviews arrive days before the iMac Pro launch, and it’s a big performance jump
• Intel’s chip-packing Radeon graphics slips a brief tease just before CES 2018
• AMD vs. Intel: How does tech’s oldest rivalry look in 2018?
• Refreshed LG Gram laptops head to North America in January for CES 2018

Running is easier with music in your ears: 7 of the best iPhone armbands

LifeProof

LifeProof

Exercising is great for the body and it’s made even better (and sometimes more tolerable) when the right music is playing. Sure, you can put your phone in your pocket and have your headphones dangling across your chest, but a much better option is to use an armband to keep your phone close to you for quick access, and your headphones out of the way.

It’s not as difficult to sort through iPhone armbands as it is to choose protective cases, but there are still a few things you may want to look out for when shopping for one. Is it adjustable? Can it hold your headphones? Can you wash it after a sweat-inducing run? We’ve done the hard work for you and sifted through the available armbands for the iPhone, and here are the best ones out there that we recommend.

While you’re here, make sure you’re getting the best sound from your workouts with our selection of the best deals on fitness earphones to keep your tunes going and your legs pumping.

TuneBand Go ($20)

The TuneBand Go isn’t made specifically for the iPhone — it works with Android phones as well — but it is compatible with every iPhone from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone X, as well as the iPod Touch fifth and sixth Generation. The TuneBand Go uses two elastic straps to fit around your arm and four elastic clips to secure the phone in place. The screen is easily accessible, as are the ports and buttons. One downside is that the armband may not work as well with phones using bulkier cases. The OtterBox Defender case, for example, will not fit, but a slimmer case will. If you want to be certain your phone and case will fit, measure it beforehand.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Incase Active Armband ($40)

Incase has made several Active Armbands in order to support a range of iPhone models, from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 and 6S Plus. While they don’t sell any specifically for the iPhone 7/8 and 7 Plus/8Plus, the aforementioned 6 and 6 Plus products should work just fine — and if you’re looking for an iPhone X, Incase has an armband just for that too. The Active Armbands are lightweight, they have small holes to let air in, and they’re sweat-resistant. They also feature reflective materials, making it easier to see the band in low light. You can get these iPhone armbands in a range of colors, including Heather Grey, Mint, Lava, Black, and Stratus Blue.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

LifeProof LifeActiv Armband with QuickMount ($29)

If you’re a fan of LifeProof’s waterproof cases, you should look into their LifeActiv armband, which is made to be compatible with all of their cases (and many other cases), so you can use this particular armband while swimming, surfing, or running in the rain. It forgoes the typical phone sleeves that armbands employ in favor of a special phone mount that clicks into place to let you know it’s secure and ready to go and it can be removed with a simple twist. It supports all iPhone models and is adjustable to fit 8.5-inch to 19-inch biceps.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Belkin Sport-Fit Armband ($13 plus)

Belkin’s Sport-Fit armband is available for several different iPhone models, starting with the iPhone 5. Like others on this list, it’s lightweight, sweat-resistant, and adjustable to fit just about any arm size, but it also comes with a built-in screen protector that will protect your display from debris without interfering with your phone’s touchscreen capabilities. Best of all, it’s hand washable, so after a particularly long or demanding run, you can quickly and easily wash it, getting it ready for your next outing.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Belkin

VUP Rotating Armband ($16)

Sometimes the elastic-style of a phone armband can make your phone difficult to check when out running, so if you need easy and constant access to your iPhone, then check out this armband from VUP. Rather than putting your phone behind a plastic screen, it uses a pair of tough elastic bands to grip your phone and hold it in place, making it easier to access while out and about. The whole arrangement can be rotated if needed, giving you the flexibility to mount it wherever you like. Be warned though — since it’s not protecting your phone behind plastic, your device is fully exposed to the elements, so be sure your iPhone can take the rain, or just avoid bad weather.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Gearwear Reflective Armband ($14)

At the other end of the needs spectrum, we have an armband from Gearwear that hides your phone away completely. Made from a soft water-resistant fabric, this armband uses an elastic pouch to hide your phone from sight, keeping it safe and secure from the outside world. There is also a second pouch so you can fit a second phone, some cash, or your keys in with your iPhone, and the armband is large enough to accommodate pretty much any size of arm. The outside of the armband also has a reflective arrow printed on it, perfect if you find yourself running in low-light conditions.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Joto Sport Exercise Armband ($6)

Joto’s armband is the cheapest option on this list, and if you’re looking for an iPhone armband that won’t break the bank, you can’t go wrong with this one. It can fit arm sizes between 9.5 inches and 16 inches, it’s sweat-resistant, and it has a few storage compartments for a single house key, and a couple of credit cards or IDs. It also has a screen protector, which is useful, but unfortunately, it does interfere with the iPhone’s home button. This means you will have a harder time unlocking your phone with your fingerprint. There are ways around this, such as enabling Assistive Touch to make a virtual button, but this could be a turn off for some iPhone owners. If you’re not bothered by this, however, it’s still a great, inexpensive armband that will serve you well on your run.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

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Can phone A.I. control a car? We hopped in a Huawei-driven Porsche and found out

Climbing into the black Porsche Panamera, as the snow began to fall heavily outside, the Mate 10 Pro stuck to the windshield caught our attention. It looked like it was there to help with navigation; but we knew better. A cable running from the USB port deep down into the car revealed its true purpose. The phone was going to drive the car, and make sure we didn’t hit something that would suddenly appear in front of us.

Nervous? Wouldn’t you be?

Can a smartphone really power a driverless car? At MWC 2018, we found the answer to this question is yes, provided the phone is adept at harnessing artificial intelligence. Huawei invited us along to a demonstration of Project Road Reader, which despite outward appearances isn’t the announcement of its intention to build an autonomous car; but a very visual and exciting way to show off the capabilities of its Kirin 970 processor and its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) inside the Mate 10 Pro phone.

Demonstrating the power of AI

As a term, “artificial intelligence” has lost much of its meaning recently, due to so many products and services being promoted as having some kind of AI behind it. Huawei launched the Mate 10 Pro phone with the NPU last year and struggled to illustrate the chip’s benefits effectively. We saw it at work in the camera app, and throughout the operating system; but its hard to understand how powerful it really can be. That’s why Huawei fitted a modified Porsche Panamera with a Mate 10 Pro and drove journalists towards fake bikes, balls, and animals.

The Mate 10 Pro’s job was to recognize hazards popping up in front of it, and take appropriate action. Think about that: The same phone you use for Twitter, email, and calling a friend, is also clever enough to see and recognize an object, while moving at speed, then make the decision to carry out a pre-determined action.

This isn’t some beefed up Mate 10 Pro. It’s a standard, out-of-the-box phone.

To make it clear, this isn’t some beefed up Mate 10 Pro. It’s a standard, out-of-the-box phone. The image recognition has the same capabilities too, it has just been taught something new. It has to recognise bikes, balls, and dogs, and not sunsets or snow. No changes have been made at all, outside of an app to control the car being produced. This was made with Huawei’s readily available development kit, and in theory, with the right talent, car, and private race track, anyone could replicate the same experience. However, it’s not recommended, for obvious reasons.

Why the Panamera? Porsche’s car was chosen because it’s not autonomous at the moment. The modified car here is controlled by hydraulics and servos — the driverless part is mechanical rather than electronic or robotic. On the top is a ski box protecting a large camera from the weather — it was actually snowing during our test. Although the Mate 10 Pro’s own cameras could be used, there were concerns about then being obscured by the windscreen, or something falling on it. Safety first.

Taking control

The camera films the road ahead and delivers the information to the Mate 10 Pro by HDMI cable, scanning for objects, which it can recognise at 30 frames per second (fps). This uses the same tech that the camera uses to improve pictures. None of the AI processing happens in the cloud, it’s all done on the device, which is the NPU’s real special ability.

Huawei

The first run was taken at 5 mph, and three objects were randomly presented in the road ahead of the car, allowing the Mate 10 Pro to capture and recognize them. A total of 1,000 common objects found on or near roads had been programmed into the phone. Once the learning phase was complete, we told the phone what we’d like to do when it encountered one or more of these objects on the next run. For example, brake when it sees the dog, or swerve when it sees a bike.

No bikes, fake cyclists, real journalists, or expensive Panameras were hurt or damaged.

With this done, it was time for the main run, which would be at 30mph — significantly faster, and the true test of the Mate 10 Pro’s ability. Huawei claims it could safely react up to 60 mph, but space constraints prevented us from finding out.

The car set off abruptly, reaching its target speed immediately. What happened next was over in a split second, as the fake bike came into its path, the Mate 10 Pro saw it, and swerved in the direction we had previously told it to. No bikes, fake cyclists, real journalists, or expensive Panameras were hurt or damaged.

Further potential

The fact a phone did this is impressive enough, but not just any phone could have been used in the demonstration. The developers tried out other phones, but the image recognition wasn’t robust enough. The NPU inside the Mate 10 Pro helps the phone recognize 2,000 images per minute, while on some other flagships this number drops down to around 500, or even as low as 80.

Impressively, the demo could be taken a stage further, with the system reacting intelligently to an emergency situation. Anyone knows that if a ball rolls into the road, a child is likely to follow. Standard radar systems on autonomous cars don’t know this, and a computer is required to make those calls. The Mate 10 Pro is capable of doing that job.

What does this mean for us, if Huawei isn’t about to offer a Mate 10 Pro-controlled car? It’s a visual showcase of the NPU’s prowess and AI’s growing ability, in a way people can better understand. Huawei told us there are a lot more things to do with the onboard AI coming soon. While the camera is the most prominent feature for AI at Huawei, there are many other possibilities for the future, some of which may be revealed when the P20 arrives at the end of March, a fact also revealed by CEO Richard Yu when we spoke to him at the show.

No, we won’t be getting a car that’s controlled by a phone in the near future, but there is one out there with enough processing power and smarts to actually do so. That means taking better photos and making my life easier should be comparatively easy by comparison, and that’s very reassuring.

Best Third-party Watch Bands for Huawei Watch in 2018

All the watch band things for Huawei watches

Whether you need to replace a broken watch band or you simply want to try a different style of band, you have many choices for your Huawei watch.

We’ve rounded up a few of the best third-party watch bands available.

• Yesoo magnetic Milanese stainless steel strap
• Barton quick-release band
• Motong leather band
• FanTEK silicone sports band
• TRUMiRR ceramic band
• MoKo leather band

Yesoo magnetic Milanese stainless steel strap

If you’re looking for style and that elegant, upper-crust feeling, then look no further than Yesoo’s magnetic Milanese watch strap.

A favorite among our comments section, Yesoo blends elegance and durability together with this watch band. Made of stainless steel, its beautiful Milanese loop pattern won’t look out-of-place at a black tie event.

Forget fumbling and struggling with buckles to get your watch strapped on. Yesoo’s magnetic clasp clicks into place with little effort and stays closed until you decide to take your watch off. Snag it off Amazon for about $19.

See at Amazon

Barton quick-release band

Getting a silicone band for your Huawei Watch is a great way to make sure you have a band that’s durable, lasts, and follows you anywhere.

Barton’s quick-release bands are just about the best silicone bands you can get because not only are they incredibly easy to put on and take off your watch, but they’re inexpensive as well, meaning you can grab a few and switch it up daily! They also have special offers every now and then where you can buy a few for a reduced price (cha-ching!).

Barton’s bands are washable and waterproof, so no more stink-wrist and no soggy wrists if you get caught in the rain.

You have 13 fun colors to choose from to match your style, and these bands will fit most wrists (up to 8 inches around). Pricing starts around $14.

See at Amazon

Motong leather watch watch band for Huawei watch

Made of beautiful Italian leather, Motong’s replacement band lends a touch of European elegance to your Huawei watch.

This replacement band has strong fold-over clasp that feels comfortable against your wrist and keeps your watch securely fastened to your wrist. You can release it with a single press of a button, too.

Measuring 18mm wide, it is about 6.9 inches long and adjusts to fit most wrists, and pricing starts around $13.

See at Amazon

FanTEK silicone sports band

Reminiscent of Apple’s NIKE Apple Watch band, this quick-release band from FanTEK is perfect for folks who want to give their Huawei Watch a more athletic look or simply want one to wear while they work out. The air holes help keep your wrest drier during the sweatier times, and the eight color options are vibrant and fun. If you’re looking for comfort and durability, this is the way to go. Pricing starts at only $10.

See at Amazon

TRUMiRR ceramic band

TRUMiRR’s ceramic and steel band is reminiscent of Batman’s utility belt from “Batman Begins”. It’s a cool blend of black ceramic and rose gold-plated steel (or there’s the less interesting option with steel-colored steel). This one will fit wrists up to 8.7 inches in circumference and you can remove all the links to size it perfectly if you’re of the tinier persuasion.

The push button clasp makes this easy to undo and put on, and TRUMiRR provides a lifetime warranty for a refund or replacement, should you experience defects. The silver iteration is roughly $23, while the rose gold band goes for about $30.

See at Amazon

MoKo leather band

MoKo’s leather bands have that classic leather look that’s reminiscent of your mom’s watch from the 80s. But hey, that crocodile style’s back “in” again! The listing says these are genuine leather, but I have a hard time believing that when they’re only $11. That being said, they look great, are comfortable, and come in five colors to suit your style. For the price, you might as well pick up a couple and swap ’em out.

See at Amazon

What’s on your Huawei Watch?

Are you using an awesome third-party band that we missed here? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated February 2018: Overhauled the list to remove the Eagwell, Hadley-Roma (MODE), and Monoy bands, since none of them are available. Updated other selections with pricing information, and added FanTEK, TRUMiRR, and MoKo’s bands.

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How to update the Trusted Platform Module on your Chromebook

Most Chromebooks will need to have the TPM firmware updated. Here’s how to do it!

Chromebooks and Chromeboxes are some of the most secure computers currently on the market. They can’t run traditional programs, which means that viruses and malware designed for Windows and macOS just don’t work. If Chrome OS is modified in any way, the device will flash a scary warning message every time it’s turned on. These — combined with an interface that is easy to use — make Chromebooks great computers for almost anyone.

But there are still vulnerabilities to be aware of. Technology isn’t magic, and even the most secure systems need regular maintenance. For the most part, this happens automatically — Chromebooks download OS and security updates in the background, and they get installed when a user reboots the machine. Recently, a flaw was discovered with the Trusted Platform Module — or TPM — used in almost every Chromebook.

The TPM is the chip responsible for a whole bunch of stuff — mostly having to do with securely storing really sensitive content like security keys and administrative passwords for your device. The firmware for the TPM is updated separately from the rest of the operating system for extra security.

The TPM maintains its own private keys, but bugs in some TPM versions could make those private keys available to attackers. In practical terms, that could expose device data and allow someone to brute force their way into your account. If you have one of these Chrome devices, you may be running one of the affected TPM versions.

Here’s how to find out if you need to complete the update:

Type chrome://system in the Chrome search bar.
This page displays all the hardware and software information about your device, so wait a minute or two for it to all load.
Press Ctrl + F on your keyboard to open a search box.
Type tpm. The second result will be tpm_version.

Click expand next to tpm_version to display your TPM’s firmware version.

If you have one of the below firmware versions, you will need to install the update:

• 000000000000041f – 4.31
• 0000000000000420 – 4.32
• 0000000000000628 – 6.40
• 0000000000008520 – 133.32

If you have one of these firmware versions, you are already protected against the bug:

• 0000000000000422 – 4.34
• 000000000000062b – 6.43
• 0000000000008521 – 133.33

Fortunately, all you have to do to install the update is Powerwash your Chromebook. Unfortunately, this will erase your local data. Be sure to backup any local files you or other users have. When you go to Powerwash your Chromebook, you’ll see an extra check box that says “Update firmware for added security”. Check this box, let your device reset, and that’s it! Just set your Chromebook back up and you’re done.

When was the last time you updated your Chromebook? Let us know down below!

Chromebooks

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More people are buying used/refurbished phones than ever before

Why? Because $1000 smartphones are ridiculous.

2017 saw a lot of excellent phones get released, but it also signified a pretty steep shift in the cost of the devices we know and love. Apple’s iPhone X debuted with its infamous starting price of $999, the Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 XL can both set you back $950, and the newly announced Galaxy S9+ will put a dent of $840 in your pocket.

While there’s no doubt these are all excellent gadgets, no one blames you for cradling and soothing your wallet after seeing those prices.

So, what do we do when it comes time to upgrade our phone and the market’s most popular phones are selling for nearly $1000. According to the Wall Street Journal, a lot of folks are turning to refurbished and pre-owned options.

Per B-Stock Solutions Inc.’s (a marketplace for overstock and trade-in phones) Director of Mobile, Sean Cleland —

Smartphones now resemble the car industry very closely. I still want to drive a Mercedes, but I’ll wait a couple of years to buy the older model. Same mentality.

Counterpoint Technology Mark Research reports that 1 out of 10 devices sold around the globe are now refurbished, and considering that refurbished phones can easily cost multiple hundred dollars less than their new counterparts, that’s not shocking at all in a world of iPhone Xs and Galaxy Note 8s.

Smartphone sales hit one of its lowest points in years at the tail-end of 2017, and along with buying second-hand devices, WSJ also attributes a lot of this to leasing programs that carriers like T-Mobile and Sprint offer.

Another trend borrowed from the car industry that has helped consumers get around sticker shock: leasing. Instead of buying new phones, Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. allow subscribers to effectively lease them, allowing them to trade up for the latest device. That option, though, hasn’t yet gone mainstream.

My current phone is the Pixel 2 that I bought brand-new in October for $649. It’s been a great device, but it’s the most I’ve personally ever spent on a phone. Prior to it, most of my handsets have been purchased during sales or pre-owned from sites like Swappa.

What about you? Do you often buy phones brand-new, do you lease them through your carrier, or do you go the pre-owned route? Sound off in those comments down below!

Motorola study sheds light on how addicted we really are to our phones

Dropbox getting new integrations with Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and more

A big win for online collaboration.

Dropbox is the go-to cloud storage solution for millions of people, and in an effort to make your online workflow as seamless as can be, it’s getting a heap of new integrations with the Google Cloud suite.

First off, you can now create, edit, and share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides right from Dropbox. All of the functionality you know and love from these services is here, and when it comes time to save your work, it’ll be saved in both your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts. Plus, if you’re a Dropbox Business admin, you can manage these files like everything else that’s in your online account.

Along with this, Dropbox is also adding a new tool for users of Gmail and Google’s new Hangouts Chat. Per Dropbox:

We’re also building new, native Dropbox integrations for Gmail and Google Hangouts Chat. With them, you’ll be able to select files from your Dropbox account and send links directly from Gmail and Hangouts Chat.

On that same note, you’ll be able to see creation, modification, and last-accessed info in Gmail and see file previews for linked files in Hangouts Chat.

Dropbox says these features are rolling out soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

More people are buying used/refurbished phones than ever before

BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition now available in the U.S. for $549

An extra $50 gets you more RAM, storage, and a sleek black paint job.

Last August, BlackBerry released an upgraded version of the KEYone called the “Black Edition.” The phone’s been available across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other countries, and now the United States is getting in on the action.

So, what separates the Black Edition KEYone from its base version? Right off the bat, you’ll see that it looks damn good. All of the silver on the regular KEYone has been replaced with black, and it results in my personal favorite version of the phone.

The Black Edition also has a couple spec bumps in regards to RAM and internal storage. Multi-tasking should be a touch smoother thanks to 4GB of RAM as opposed to 3GB, and the included storage is doubled from 32GB to 64GB.

You can buy the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition now from Amazon and Best Buy, and it’ll set you back $549. That’s $50 more than the normal KEYone, and considering the updated look and increased specs of the phone, I imagine BlackBerry fans will be all over this.

See at Amazon

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• BlackBerry KEYone review
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• Join the discussion in the forums

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Prime members can rent these Oscar-nominated films in Digital HD for $2 each

Catch one of these awesome flicks for just $2 each for a limited time.

Amazon has select Oscar-nominated films available to rent in Digital HD for $1.99 each. This deal is exclusively for Prime members. These movies were all up for Best Picture in recent years.

As the nomination suggests, the films in this selection are all highly-rated and worth a watch. Some of them include movies like Her, Captain Phillips, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Visit Amazon’s Prime Video store for the full selection.

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