CAT S61: One of the best rugged phones gets a laser-powered upgrade

If you ask me, smartphones can’t have enough sensors. Sure, the communicator was my favorite Star Trek gadget growing up, but coming in a close second was the tricorder. Starfleet’s palmtop scanner could see through walls, alert the crew to the presence of poison gases, and determine the distance to the nearest drove of dilithium – all while surviving the kind of punishing abuse only Paramount Pictures soundstages- I mean, Exotic Alien Worlds could dish out.

The Cat S61 isn’t quite a proper tricorder, but it comes closer than almost any modern smartphone. The sequel to last year’s Cat S60 adds a laser rangefinder and air quality sensor to an even beefier chassis with improved waterproofing and durability, while also improving the FLIR thermal camera to support higher resolution and a wider range of temperatures. Best of all, it doesn’t skimp on the smartphone fundamentals with a 4500mAh battery, removable storage, and Android 8.1 (with a guaranteed upgrade to Android P).

At $999, the Cat S61 isn’t for the casual consumer – but if it lives up to even half its promises, it might be just the phone for the construction worker, electrician, or Starfleet away team member in your life. Check out the MrMobile Cat S61 Hands-On video above, and stay tuned for the full review to come later in 2018!

Stay social, my friends

• YouTube 
• The Web
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• Instagram

A flip phone with Google Maps? KaiOS is making dumb phones smarter

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Android Go may be Google’s answer for more affordable smartphones, but with 1.3 billion feature-phone owners in the world, according to Counterpoint Research, that still leaves a lot of people using yesterday’s technology. Maybe not for long. A relatively-new software company called KaiOS Technologies is bringing an enriched “dumb” phone experience to a market most manufacturers have neglected for the past decade.

The company is bringing modern smartphone apps and experiences to affordable devices.

You may have never heard of KaiOS, but there’s a chance you’ve seen its software in action if you have read anything about HMD Global’s newly-announced Nokia 8110 4G — it runs KaiOS. The software is lightweight, based on HTML5, and manufacturers that use it on their non-touch phones are able to customize the look to their liking. In HMD’s case, it’s designed to be reminiscent of Nokia’s old Symbian operating system.

KaiOS Technologies now has its software on phones from Doro, Reliance Jio, HMD, and soon, Bullitt (with a Cat phone) and Micromax. What’s even more impressive is how the company is bringing modern smartphone apps and experiences to these affordable devices, thanks to entry-level processors in feature phones from chipmakers like Qualcomm.

A partnership with Google, Facebook, and Twitter also means people who use feature phones running KaiOS will soon have access to an app store, as well as web apps including Google Maps, Google Assistant, Facebook, Twitter, and more. JioPhone 4G phone owners, for example, already have access to JioTV’s video-streaming service — meaning they can watch shows and movies on their feature phones.

Just the essentials

We tested Google Maps on the Nokia 8110 4G, and while we had to take a few minutes to get used to a non-touch screen phone, we were able to look around on the map and find nearby places — just like on a smartphone. Google Assistant lets you tap a button to ask it a question, such as a query about the weather, but we weren’t able to do further testing due to congested cell phone coverage at Mobile World Congress.

All of this is possible because new feature phones are launching with support for 4G networks, largely because carriers are dropping 2G and 3G to make way for 4G LTE expansion as well as 5G. As mobile operators look for ways to replace revenue earned from voice and text, they are increasingly looking at a data and services business model. 4G feature phones are becoming essential in countries where data is expensive, and where there’s a wide gap in digital literacy. Since KaiOS doesn’t need to use much data, it’s likely a cheaper option than going for an Android Go smartphone; it also doesn’t require as much of a learning curve for someone who has never used a smartphone before.

But the software doesn’t just work well for emerging markets — it also works for people with smartphones. The Nokia 8110 4G, for example, can act as a 4G hotspot for your smartphone, or as a backup phone thanks to its 17-day battery life. Access to email, calendar, contacts, as well as apps like Facebook and Google Maps, give you all the essentials you might want on a phone to use, say, on your next hiking trip. KaiOS is present in the U.S., and its software is available on feature phones sold on AT&T and T-Mobile.

Bridging the digital divide

KaiOS Technologies originally started as a project at TCL Corporation, but founder and Chief Executive Officer Sebastien Codeville told Digital Trends he pitched the idea of separating it as a new company so KaiOS could work with different manufacturers. TCL agreed, and it spun off in 2016. Codeville said his company now has almost 200 employees, with offices set up around the world. With 20 million active users as of February 2018, Codeville said he’s targeting between 120 to 150 million active KaiOS users by the end of the year.

Codeville said he’s targeting between 120 to 150 million active KaiOS users by the end of the year.

What’s unique about the company is how hyperlocal it is — especially since it has employees across the world. The idea is to encourage local developers to develop apps for the operating system, offering localized content on these localized smartphones. To give a sense of how localized these feature phones are, the JioPhone running KaiOS already supports 22 Indian languages and dialects, making the phone accessible for a wide number of people.

Codeville said a KaiOS Store will be available soon with free apps at first, but developers can add paid apps at a later date. It’s also working on an advertising platform, as another revenue model for the company and developers. Other features on the roadmap this year include adding support for near-field communication, so feature phones with NFC can make contactless payments. Video calling is also in the works, as well as support for dual-SIM and enterprise.

KaiOS Technologies isn’t just focusing on the phone market. Codeville said the company has plans to expand its software into the wearables space, creating entry-level wearables for children and elders; as well as the smart home and automotive industries.

With 600 million feature phones to be sold every year for the next 5 years, according to estimates from the International Data Corporation and KaiOS Technologies, Codeville said his company is not a competitor to Android or iOS. The goal is to connect unconnected feature phones, improve digital literacy, and decrease the digital divide.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Best phone of 2017
• Here are all the Nokia phones HMD Global unveiled at MWC 2018
• These are the phone trends that will dominate 2018
• Essential Phone (PH-1) Review
• Track down a phone with your remote using Xfinity Mobile’s Phone Finder

Babolat Pop is a tennis tracker that will improve your game on the court

If you’re serious about your tennis, you may want to get hold of Babolat Pop, a sensor-packed smart wearable that is designed to track your game on the court, right down to its finer strokes. Looking like a regular wristband, the Babolat Pop sits on your dominant hand. Once there, it will track your activity during a tennis game, from basic metrics like the speed of your swing to more in-depth analysis of things like spin and style.

This information is then sent wirelessly to your connected smartphone or another mobile device, which allows you to break down the information stroke by stroke. While it won’t offer you detailed coaching tips, it will be able to tell you about the consistency of your game — and provide enough numbers that the more competitive of “quantified self” enthusiasts will have something to battle over.

The gadget was created by Babolat, the French tennis, badminton, and squash equipment company which dates back to 1875. Working with Babolat was the French tech company Piq, which has created other smart sensor tech for a number of sports. It actually launched a couple years back, but Babolat has continued to update the mobile app in the time since then. Its latest app update came out in February, adding a few bug fixes to improve the overall tennis experience.

The app boasts two main features: “Activity” and “Challenge.” The former tracks your court time, complete with the number of shots that you take. The latter meanwhile adds an extra gamified element (as if playing tennis wasn’t enough of a game!) by letting you compete with friends and other players around the world. You can even get your Piq score, a combined number made up of your various metrics, ranked in the global community.

Here in 2018, there are plenty of wearable sports trackers to choose from — with the market-leading Apple Watch Series 3 seemingly adding new sports by the day. If you’re looking for a good tennis-focused tracker, however, this smart device is definitely worth checking out. You might also want to check out sports sensor company Zepp’s Head Tennis Sensor for an alternative digital coach.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Stay fit and save cash with our top 10 affordable Fitbit alternatives
• Put your health first and get into shape with the best iPhone fitness apps
• The best workout clothes
• IronCloud hopes to be your fitness companion for any and all activities
• Find your fitness with our favorite health and fitness apps for Android

Social Feed: Fire department saves kid on Facebook; YouTube’s latest gaffe

Social media is a fluid technology — nearly every day, the major social media networks are announcing a big change, coming under fire for the latest controversy or moving forward in smaller ways. Social Feed is a collection of those smaller changes that you may have missed with this week’s biggest news — like Facebook axing Explore and the split feed tests, Twitter’s new bookmarks and YouTube’s new geotags. Find Social Feed every weekend for the latest social news tidbits.

YouTube’s new moderation staff accidentally suspended some channels

In the wake of the Logan Paul fiasco and a fake news video of a Florida school shooting survivor hitting the trending section, YouTube’s moderators got a bit overzealous this week. In a statement on Wednesday, February 28, YouTube said that new members of the team misapplied policies and removed videos that should not have been taken down. Bloomberg said that several entire channels — with largely right-wing views — were pulled. YouTube’s statement continues an ongoing discussion on finding the balance between moderation and censorship.

Facebook Pages tests Broadcast Messenger, a tool for sending out mass chat messages

Businesses could soon have the ability to send out mass messages on Facebook. On Wednesday, Facebook began testing the Broadcast Composer with select Pages in the U.S., Mexico, and Thailand. The tool allows businesses to send a group of people the same message using the messaging tools in Pages. Facebook says the tool is designed for small businesses that don’t have the resources to develop auto-response bots.

So are Facebook users about to get a bunch of marketing messages on Messenger? Not exactly — businesses can only send the messages to users that initiated contact. Facebook says it will be looking to see that both people and businesses find value in the tool before considering a wider rollout.

Facebook also added new quick responses for Pages along with more customization options for businesses using Messenger.

Fire department saves a choking child — via Facebook

When one Michigan woman needed to call 911 but didn’t have a phone, the mom instead messaged a fire department on Facebook. When her son started choking, the mom reached out to who she thought was a local fire department on Messenger. In her panic, however, she contacted the Wayland, Massachusetts department instead of the Wayland, Michigan department. The Massachusetts department, however, contacted the appropriate authorities and walked her through what to do until an ambulance arrived. The fire department later reported that the boy is fine after the ordeal.

The EU gives social networks a one-hour deadline to remove illegal content

The European Union has released new recommendations for social media companies and the guidelines now give the networks an hour deadline to remove illegal content such as hate speech and child pornography once the post is flagged by authorities. The changes also push for both more automation and more human oversight to the process. The recommendations aren’t actually law but the European Commission says it will follow-up with legislation if the guidelines aren’t followed.

Facebook is spending $3 million to help local journalism

After rolling out efforts to promote local news in the news feed, Facebook is now looking to boost local journalism with a new accelerator program. The three-month, $3 million program is designed to help newspapers grow their digital subscriptions. The Facebook Journalism Project will work with 10 to 15 metro news companies on training and coaching, including individualized plans to help that particular area. The program already includes several large but local publications such as the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and the Miami Herald.

Facebook says there were few Russian-backed ads during Brexit

Facebook found only $1 worth of Russian-bought ads on Brexit topics last year and after continuing with a second investigation, the social media platform did not increase those numbers. The network promised to look into the ads again after criticism, but now says it didn’t find any ads outside of the three purchases that amounted to less than $1. In comparison, Facebook’s investigation into an alleged disinformation campaign during the U.S. presidential election uncovered more than 1,000 times that with more than 3,000 ads.

Feedless is an app for social media users that can’t handle the distraction

If Facebook’s news feed algorithm changes to promote more posts from friends isn’t enough, a new app could help eliminate the distraction — by removing the feed entirely. Feedless is an iOS app by Ryan Orbuch that dwindles Facebook, Twitter and Instagram down to only a few basic features. With the app, users can update their status and see notifications — but the news feed is gone. The app only works inside the Safari browser version of the social networks, but the free app already has a handful of five-star reviews on the App Store.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Social Feed: Embeds might be iIllegal, Vimeo adds simultaneous live-streams
• Social Feed: Messenger adds shortcut for group calls, Instagram expands privacy
• These 100 best iPhone apps will turn your phone into a jack-of-all-trades
• Photo editor VSCO gives users a chat option for creative conversations
• Sharing Pins in Messenger just got simpler with new Pinterest extension, chatbot

Google tiff brings an end to Amazon selling Nest products

Amazon and Google probably won’t kiss and make up anytime soon. According to Business Insider, Amazon’s retail team told Nest on a call that the e-commerce website won’t be listing the Google-owned company’s newer products. Those include Nest’s new thermostats and its Secure home security system launched late last year. While the team didn’t say who exactly issued the order, it reportedly told Nest’s employees that the decision “came from the top.” Whether that means Amazon chief Jeff Bezos was behind the move is unclear — either way, Nest is apparently responding in kind by leaving the website altogether.

BI said that once Nest’s current inventory on Amazon is sold out, it’ll no longer replenish its stocks. Nest wants to be able to offer its whole portfolio on the platform. It would rather not sell anything on the website at all if it can’t, though it’s still unclear if that means even third-party sellers can’t list Nest devices on the marketplace. An Amazon rep told Engadget that the company doesn’t have an official response to the report, but she didn’t deny it either.

It’s worth noting that Amazon recently purchased Ring’s smart doorbell business: The company is expected to integrate Ring’s products into its ecosystem and to find more possible Alexa tie-ins. Amazon has been growing its smart home biz in other ways for quite a while, though. In addition to making its own devices like the Cloud Cam, it also acquired home security company Blink, which makes smart doorbells and wireless security cameras, in December.

The e-commerce titan first waged war against Google back in 2015 when it pulled Chromecast (and Apple TV) listings over the lack of Prime Video support. Google then blocked the Echo Show and Fire TV devices from accessing YouTube due to “lack of reciprocity.” The relationship between the clashing corporations seemed to be on the mend back in December when Amazon announced that it’ll start selling Chromecasts (and Apple TVs) again. But if this report is true, then the war between the two giants is clearly far from over

Source: Business Insider

MoviePass blackouts and anti-fraud tests upset some customers

As MoviePass continues to grow its subscriber base, the all-you-can-watch theater card has upset some customers with a pair of recent moves. This week customers complain that they’ve seen many showings of the new Jennifer Lawrence movie Red Sparrow marked “not supported” by their pass. As Pop Culture Beast theorizes, this could be an attempt to black out certain theaters, drive users to others and prove the service’s value as a way of leading traffic to particular movies or locations. While it’s a bit harder to see Red Sparrow, MoviePass is pushing Death Wish, which also opened this week.

As we continue to enhance our service for everyone, certain inventory may not be available at all times, and the only place all of this is reflected in real-time is in the app. Please make sure to always check the app before heading to the theaters!

— MoviePass (@MoviePass) March 1, 2018

The other issue is the reports it has been requiring some users to send in pictures of their ticket stub before using their card again, ostensibly to prevent abuse. In a statement to Gizmodo, MoviePass said “There are multiple methods by which individuals can abuse our service, so we are developing and testing a few different catch-all systems that will help prevent against fraud…The group we are testing this feature on has not done anything wrong, but they will help us to determine if this new system is effective.”

Source: Gizmodo, Deadline, Pop Culture Beast, Slashfilm

A future Microsoft laptop could have a single flexible touch-capable display

A recent patent application filed by Microsoft reveals that the company wants to make a computing laptop-style device consisting of an all-encompassing, touch-capable, flexible screen. This screen would essentially be divided up into three sections: The top to present content typically seen on a laptop screen, a “transition” section at the “bend” that renders a taskbar, and a third section rendering a virtual keyboard. Embedded sensors determine which screen you are using to display content. 

According to the diagrams, the device sports a hinge consisting of “wheel elements” and octagonal rods extending along the Y-axis. This design enables the device to bend in either direction, with the screens facing each other in a “closed” position, or with the screens facing outward in a makeshift tablet-like configuration. Hexagonal or cylindrical rods could also work, the patent suggests. 

On a more technical level, the device would consist of a transparent cover, a touch-sensitive layer underneath, the flexible display unit, and a thin “shell” binding these ingredients to the hinge. This shell can consist of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metals, or any combination of these materials as long as the hinge area remains flexible. 

What will be interesting to see is how Microsoft plans to cram the actual computing hardware inside its flexible device. The list includes a processor, a graphics chip (if it’s not integrated into the CPU), system memory, non-removable storage, wireless connectivity, and so on. That is in addition to the actual screen, the touch-input sensor layer, and enough space inside to passively cool the inner hardware. 

Meanwhile, the diagrams only show two external components: one located on the top-left side of Microsoft’s device and one planted on the left side of the hinge. These two areas can be used for a power button, a volume toggle, a docking port, a headphone jack, a USB port, HDMI output, and more. That said, the device will likely have more external components than shown in the patent. 

Microsoft believes this design is a more natural approach to computing than your standard laptop or 2-in-1 device. For instance, you could easily take hand-written notes using the bottom portion of the screen while viewing an online lecture in the top portion. Right now, customers must toggle between devices or screens to accomplish “routine” tasks. But the company also notes difficulties in creating devices with flexible displays. 

“Flexible display devices may have problems with visual distortions appearing on the display screen after the display device has been bent one or more times,” the patent states. “The process of bending the display device may temporarily or permanently damage certain pixels within the display, locally altering the image by color and/or intensity. This provides challenges in the manufacturing design of a flexible display device.” 

Yet Microsoft’s design, as seen in the patent, may prevent bending-based pixel damage by relying on a protective cover and a protective foundation. The only visual flexible aspect, it seems, is the curvy 360-degree hinge and the full-body flexible display. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• The 20 best iPhone SE cases to keep your phone looking like new
• LG unveils two patents for foldable smartphones
• The best Google Pixel 2 XL cases to keep your phone picture perfect
• Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 VR reference headset puts body tracking in mobile VR
• Dell XPS 13 9370 review

Asus Zenbook Flip S 14 UX461UN review

Research Center:
Asus Zenbook Flip S 14 UX461UN

If you’re in the market for a thin and light Windows 10 convertible 2-in-1 in the 13-inch or so class, then you have a ton of great options. Asus knows this, and so it’s new entry into the market, the ZenBook Flip 14, offers the same ability to flip the display around to table mode but with a new twist. Specifically, the machine sports an entry-level discrete GPU to significantly speed up its gaming chops.

The notebook sports a 14-inch display and is competitively priced for a premium 2-in-1. It starts at $900 for an eighth-generation Core i5-8250U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SATA solid-state drive (SSD), and a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 157 PPI) display. Step up to a core i7-8550U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD — our review unit — and you’ll spend $1,300.

Discrete GPUs generate extra heat, which can be a problem for thin and light machines. Read on to see if Asus managed to squeeze some real performance out of its latest highly-mobile convertible 2-in-1.

A conservative design and build that doesn’t stand out

If you’ve seen a ZenBook, you’ve seen them all. Okay, that’s not precisely true, but it’s pretty close — and there’s nothing wrong with it. Asus has created a distinctive aesthetic for its premier line of notebooks, and the ZenBook Flip 14 maintains it. There’s the iconic Asus concentric circle pattern on the lid, and the usual all-aluminum build. Asus offers Slate Gray (our review unit) and Icicle Gold, and they’re both attractive without being ostentatious. Dell’s newest XPS 13 and HP’s Spectre x360 13 are both much more striking, but the Asus won’t embarrass you in a coffee shop.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

In terms of build quality, the ZenBook offers a metal chassis that’s only slightly bendy in the lid and keyboard deck but solid underneath. We’re noticing this increased flexibility as notebooks get ever thinner, and both the Spectre x360 13 and the XPS 13 suffer from it along with the ZenBook. Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 13, on the other hand, is solid as a rock, but it’s also considerably thicker.

The ZenBook’s
all-metal chassis
is  just slightly too flexible in the lid
and keyboard deck.

The ZenBook Flip 14’s hinge is quite stiff, which means you’ll need two hands to open it but also that it holds the lid in place through the 2-in-1’s various forms. Whether in laptop, tent, presentation, or tablet modes, you won’t need to worry about the display losing its place. Although we’ll note that with its 14-inch 16:9 display, the ZenBook Flip 14 is like most 2-in-1’s right on the verge of being uncomfortable as a tablet — the tear-off 3:2 display on the Surface Book 2 13 makes for a much better tablet design.

Asus could have made the ZenBook Flip 14 more portable by trimming off some bezels and reducing the chassis size. Lenovo’s Yoga 920 has slightly smaller bezels and is thus slightly smaller in every dimension. It’s also slightly thinner at 0.5 inches versus the ZenBook Flip 14’s 0.55 inches, and the ZenBook is a little heavier at 3.31 pounds versus 3.02 pounds. Get the theme here? The ZenBook Flip 14 isn’t the most svelte 14-inch 2-in-1 you’ll find, but it’s not exactly a heavyweight either.

Plenty of ports, but no Thunderbolt 3

The ZenBook Flip 14 packs in a fair number of ports, and they almost make for a complete set. There are two USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C 3.1 port, a full-size HDMI port, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. Unfortunately, the USB-C port doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3, which means that although legacy support is there the future is left hanging – an omission that the Yoga 920 doesn’t mimic.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Of course, there’s also the usual 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios. Because the USB-C port doesn’t power the notebook, Asus has packed a proprietary power supply and connector into the box. That’s not our favorite choice, but at least it enables a fast charge function that brings the notebook to 60 percent battery life in only 49 minutes.

Extremely average 2-in-1 input options

As a convertible 2-in-1, the ZenBook Flip 14 provides the usual wide range of input options. There’s a rather typical island keyboard sporting black keys with white lettering, and it offers up a standard layout and consistent backlighting with three brightness levels. While there’s an ample 1.4mm of key travel, the keyboard’s bottoming action is surprisingly abrupt. It’s a comfortable keyboard, but not nearly as precise as the one you’ll find on the Spectre x360 13.

The Zenbook Flip 14 sports an ample 1.4mm of key travel

The touchpad is large and provides a pleasant surface for mousing on the go. The Microsoft Precision protocol support means Windows 10 gestures are precise and responsive, and the buttons are clicky without being overly loud. The only distraction is the Windows 10 Hello-supporting fingerprint scanner in the upper-right corner of the touchpad, which takes a little getting use to.

Of course, Asus builds active pen support into the ZenBook Flip 14’s display, and includes an Asus Pen in the box that offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. That’s well behind the curve today, where machines like the Yoga 920 and Surface Book 2 offer 4,096 levels along with tilt support. Also, the ZenBook 14 Flip’s display has a slightly tacky surface the offers up too much resistance — inking is therefore less comfortable and precise as it should be.

An average display mates with nice sound for a decent enough audiovisual experience

Asus offers only one display option with for the ZenBook Flip 14, a 14-inch Full HD display that remains popular at this price point. Depending how sensitive you are to such things, you may find that 14 inches and Full HD results in some pixelated text. It’s unfortunate that Asus isn’t offering a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) option — that would make for a much shaper display at this physical size.

When we subjected the ZenBook Flip 14’s display to our colorimeter, we discovered that it provides an objective experience that’s on the low side of average. Its brightness was considerably lower than we like at 239 nits, which is well below the 300 nits baseline we prefer and that the Yoga 920 and Spectre x360 13 exceeded. Contrast was at the low end of our comparison group (particularly the Surface Book 2 13, which is a standout performer here), and color gamut support was just average. In its favor, color accuracy was better than all but the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen, and gamut was spot on at 2.2 — meaning videos and images will be neither too dark nor too light.

As is usual with the displays on today’s premium notebooks, average colorimeter results translated into a good subjective viewing experience. For the usual productivity tasks and for consuming media, the ZenBook Flip 14 was plenty colorful and vibrant. Only the displays relatively low brightness and less sharp resolution held it back from being more than just okay.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

For its notebooks’ sound capabilities, Asus works closely with Harman Kardon. The ZenBook Flip 14 is a standout example of how well that collaboration works, with dual speakers and a “Smart Amp” that combine to create some impressive audio. Volume isn’t terribly loud, but you can crank it up to its full volume without distortion. Music and TV shows sound great, and only the usual lack of deep bass holds music back from being enjoyable. You can tweak the audio settings if you want with Asus’s AudioWizard utility, which allows you to optimize the sound based on the source material.

Just as fast a thin-and-light 2-in-1 as you’ll find

The ZenBook Flip 14 joins the growing list of machines to pack Intel’s excellent quad-core eighth-gen Core processors, in this case the very fast Core i7-8550U. Usually, that results in a fast machine at the high end along with one that sips power when running less demanding productivity tasks.

Unsurprisingly, the ZenBook Flip is a sprightly 2-in-1. Looking at both synthetic benchmarks and a real-world test, it offers similar performance to its competitors including the Yoga 920 and Spectre x360 13. That means it’ll make short work of the usual productivity tasks, and it can even be asked to tackle some demanding tasks like video editing. Indeed, regarding the latter, the inclusion of a discrete GPU in the Nvidia MX150 promises some extra oomph — more on that in the next section.

Looking at storage speeds, Asus split the difference between low-end SATA drives and the fastest PCIe versions by opting for the Intel 600p PCIe SSD. This drive provides solid but not spectacular performance, meaning it will churn through everything but the most demanding storage tasks. Most productivity users will find it to be plenty fast.

Decent entry-level gaming in a thin and light machine

The ZenBook Flip 14’s real claim to fame, at least among thin and light convertible 2-in-1s, is its Nvidia GeForce MX150 discrete GPU. That’s an entry-level option that’s a real step up from integrate Intel graphics but significantly less powerful than gaming-oriented GPUs like the GeForce GTX 1050. The biggest question is how well the ZenBook Flip 14’s thin chassis can handle the heat the chip generates.

As it turns out, the ZenBook Flip 14 makes decent use of the GeForce MX150, at least when stacked up against most other similarly-sized convertible 2-in-1s. Not surprisingly, its gaming results are almost identical to those of its sibling, the ZenBook 13. As our benchmark results demonstrated, the ZenBook Flip 14 provides a much more satisfying gaming experience than machines that rely solely on Intel’s UHD 620 graphics.

Essentially, the MX150 is an upgrade from the older GeForce 940MX, meaning it’s about midway between integrated graphics and the GTX 1050 used by 2-in-1s such as the Surface Book 2 13. Notably, the ZenBook Flip 14’s implementation falls a little behind some thicker machines, such as the 15.6-inch Acer Aspire 5, that benefit from a thicker chassis that can dissipate heat a little more efficiently.

Asus Zenbook Flip S 14 UX461UN Compared To

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

HP Envy x2 (2017)

Asus NovaGo

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017)…

Acer Spin 7

Dell Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 (2016)

Acer Switch Alpha 12

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

Huawei Matebook

Dell Inspiron 11 (2015)

Toshiba Satellite Radius 14…

Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Special…

Lenovo Yoga 3

Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi

Toshiba Satellite Click 2 Pro

Consider a few benchmark results, where the ZenBook Flip 14 falls short of being able to comfortably run a few modern titles at 1080p resolution and medium to high graphics settings. For example, while the 2-in-1 managed to run Civilization VI at Full HD and medium detail at 33 frames per second (FPS) — a playable result — it couldn’t manage ultra details, running at only 16 FPS. Battlefield 1, meanwhile, was almost playable at 26 FPS at Full HD and medium detail – while the Acer Aspire 5 managed a much more playable 34 FPS. The ZenBook Flip 14 fell far short on the rest of our higher end titles, such as Deux Ex: Mankind Divided.

If your preferences run to lower-end or older games, though, the ZenBook Flip 14 is a more realistic option. Consider Rocket League: Even at the highest detail at Full HD, the 2-in-1 ran at a decent 47 FPS, while dropping to medium detail netted 69 FPS. Interestingly, that’s the one result that was faster than the ZenBook 13.

Lower the graphics a bit and you’ll find this a viable gaming 2-in-1.

Ultimately, these results are good news for other lighter titles, such as esports games, as well as many recent but not quite current options. If you’re willing drop to 720p resolution or to reduce graphics a bit further, you’ll enjoy a decent gaming experience — a nice plus for a convertible 2-in-1 that’s around half an inch thick and converts to a tablet.

Note as well that the discrete GPU is good for more than just gaming. If you need to do some video encoding on the run, for example, then the MX150 is going to prove a speedier option than the integrated graphics on other 2-in-1s.

Battery life

Asus packed in 59 watt-hours of battery capacity in the ZenBook Flip 14. That compares to the 63 watt-hours in the Spectre x360 13 and the hefty 70 watt-hours in the Yoga 920. Combined with the highly-efficient Intel Core i7-8550U when running less demanding productivity tasks, and we were hoping to see a full day’s worth of battery life.

Overall, the ZenBook Flip 14’s battery life was mixed. It did just fine running our most intensive Basemark web benchmark test, lasting a little longer than the Yoga 920 but calling short of the Spectre x360 13. It was also strong in our web browsing test, where it beat out both of these machines. In terms of looping our local test video, though, the ZenBook Flip 14 barely managed to exceed 10 hours, well short of the Yoga and Spectre that both exceeded 14 hours.

Overall, this promises close to a full day’s battery life when running typical productivity tasks. If you fire up the MX150, however, be prepared to pull out your power brick.

Our Take

The Windows 10 2-in-1 market has grown by leaps and bounds, with a passel of excellent thin and light options to choose from. Any brand-new option needs to set itself apart, and the ZenBook Flip 14 depends entirely on its discrete GPU to do so. In terms of general performance, battery life, and build quality, the Asus doesn’t stand out, but once you consider light gaming and creative app performance, the ZenBook Flip 14 is much more compelling — particularly given its reasonable $1,300 price as configured.

Is there a better alternative?

The most direct comparison to the ZenBook Flip 14 is the Lenovo Yoga 920, another 14-inch premium convertible 2-in-1 that tries to offer a slightly larger display in a reasonably svelte frame. In the same Core i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD configuration, the Yoga 920 costs $1,730 (on sale for $1,600). That’s over $300 more than the ZenBook Flip 14 even on sale. The Yoga 920 is considerably more solid in its build and has a more precise active pen, but it doesn’t offer much more to justify the higher price and slower graphics performance.

If you slip down into a smaller chassis, then you can consider the HP Spectre x360 13 that’s $1,480 ($1,280 on sale) for the same configuration. That convertible 2-in-1 is considerably lighter and thinner, and it enjoys a superior keyboard and inking experience. Once again, though, it’s limited to integrated.

Of course, if it’s higher-end graphics you’re looking for, then Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 13 is another interesting option. It’s much more expensive as configured with its optional Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU, at $2,500, but it’s also a much more viable gaming system that can run modern games at 1080p and reasonable graphics detail. It’s thicker but more solidly built, and it has a much better keyboard and a  Surface Pen that is more accurate, offers tilt support, and is more responsive.

Finally, if you want a thin-and-light notebook with discrete graphics but don’t care about the 2-in-1 format, you can consider the ZenBook 13 UX331UN, a sibling of the ZenBook Flip 14. You’ll get almost identical performance with the same typing experience and general build quality, but you’ll be limited to a Core i5-8250U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD configuration for $1,000.

How long will it last?

The ZenBook 13 is well-equipped to last for several years of solid productivity work, thanks to its utilization of the latest generation of Intel Core processor, and it’s built well enough that it should survive the usual mobile office worker’s treatment. The notebook will also support future USB-C peripherals, which is a plus, although the lack of Thunderbolt 3 support is limiting. Also, Asus includes a one-year accidental damage protection policy with its ZenBooks, meaning your covered should you drop it or spill coffee on it.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you want a thin and light convertible 2-in-1 that can play some lightweight games and speed up video encoding while on the road. If you do neither of those things, then there are some better options.

UK and Australia are monitoring their domains with Have I Been Pwned

A lot of people have used Troy Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned to see if their email addresses are attached to any services that have experienced data breaches. Large organizations can also use it to search their domain names as a group and now, the service counts the UK and Australian governments among them.

As Hunt explained in a blog post: “Amongst those verified domain searches are government departments and they too are enormously varied; local councils, legal and health services, telecoms and infrastructure etc…The thing is, loads of government departments within different countries have all been running these searches independently and that means an awful lot of duplication of effort has been going on.”

So, to make things more efficient, he’s set up the service to allow the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Cyber Security Centre to be able to search for any .gov.uk or .gov.au domain, respectively. This way, the governments can search all government-associated domains all at one time rather than each individual department having to do it separately themselves.

Regarding why he’s providing the service for free, Hunt said “We really want governments to do their best to protect the folks working in their departments; many of them are working in capacities that help protect our respective nations from all sorts of threats and increasingly, as we all know, that means online threats as well.”

Hunt’s tools are incredibly popular. Recently, Hunt’s leaked password search service Pwned Passwords was incorporated into 1Password, making it easy for 1Password subscribers to check if their passwords have been exposed in any number of data breaches. Others who have implemented the new version of Pwned Passwords include Cloudflare, Nextcloud, Azure Functions and Iowa State University.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Troy Hunt

YouTube is replacing the green screen with an AI tool

Google is bringing pro-level video-editing techniques to your phone. The search juggernaut is using AI and machine learning (naturally) to make replacing the background of video you take as easy as adding an Instagram filter to a photo. There’s a lot of technical jargon explaining how it all works at the source link, but suffice to say, based on the results it looks pretty convincing. All without the need for an elaborate green screen setup, too.

The tech is only available in a limited beta, and even then, just for certain YouTube creators. To get just a little more limited, the feature is just for “stories” using the video service’s new video format. Yes, they look like Snapchat’s and Instagram’s video captures by the same name. Don’t trust me? Glance immediately below this paragraph.

The results aren’t perfect, of course — there are some halo-like artifacts around the edges of dark clothing, for example — but this looks like the next logical step after Google’s AI-powered portrait mode for still photos on the Pixel 2.

Source: Google