Waymo will begin self-driving semi truck pilot in Atlanta next week

Today, Waymo, which is Alphabet’s self-driving company, announced a pilot program located in Atlanta to further test its autonomous technology. This time, though, the focus is on semi trucks. Beginning next week, Waymo’s self-driving trucks will begin hauling cargo to Google’s data centers. There will, of course, be highly trained drivers in the cabs in case anything goes awry.

To do this, Waymo is teaching its software, which has become accustomed to driving cars, how to instead manage the increased challenge of a truck. It’s done in the same way you’d teach anyone with passenger car driving experience how to drive a semi.

Waymo isn’t the only company testing self-driving truck technology. Embark has teamed with Frigidaire and Ryder to deliver smart fridges; one of its trucks just completed a trip from California to Florida. Also, Uber announced just this week that its autonomous trucks have been operating in Arizona for a couple of months now. That’s a result of Otto, the company that Uber acquired in 2016 and has been the center of a lawsuit between Waymo and Uber. The two companies settled recently and are now discussing a partnership.

Source: Waymo

Siri Co-Founder Suggests Apple is ‘Looking for a Level of Perfection They Can’t Get’ With Assistant

Since Siri’s introduction in the iPhone 4s in 2011, responses to Apple’s AI assistant have often weighed towards the unfavorable side, most recently in several HomePod reviews that specified Siri as one of the biggest downsides of owning the speaker. This week, Siri creator, co-founder, and former board member Norman Winarsky added in his own commentary about the assistant’s current state, saying that he didn’t think this is where Siri would be at this point (via Quartz).

In 2008 Siri began as spin-off of SRI International, where Winarsky was the President, and eventually launched as an app for iOS in February 2010. Two months later Apple acquired Siri, and just over a year after that introduced it within the iPhone 4s, shutting down the standalone app shortly thereafter. Seven years later, Winarsky said that Siri’s capabilities have fallen short of his earlier predictions for where he thought the assistant, and Apple’s development, would end up.

Specifically, Winarsky’s comments focus on what Siri’s intention was “pre-Apple” versus where the assistant is today. According to the co-founder, Siri was originally meant to be incredibly intelligent in just a few key areas — travel and entertainment — and then “gradually extend to related areas” once it mastered each. Apple’s acquisition pivoted Siri to an all-encompassing life assistant, and Winarsky said that this decision has likely led Apple to search “for a level of perfection they can’t get.”

But part of it is also likely because Apple chose to take Siri in a very different direction than the one its founders envisioned. Pre-Apple, Winarsky said, Siri was intended to launch specifically as a travel and entertainment concierge. Were you to arrive at an airport to discover a cancelled flight, for example, Siri would already be searching for an alternate route home by the time you pulled your phone from your pocket—and if none was available, would have a hotel room ready to book.

It would have a smaller remit, but it would learn it flawlessly, and then gradually extend to related areas. Apple launched Siri as an assistant that can help you in all areas of your life, a bigger challenge that will inevitably take longer to perfect, Winarsky said. […] “These are hard problems and when you’re a company dealing with up to a billion people, the problems get harder yet,” Winarsky said. “They’re probably looking for a level of perfection they can’t get.”

Last September, Apple VP of marketing Greg Joswiak commented on a few aspects of Siri’s development, stating that Apple’s aim from the beginning has been to make Siri a “get-s**t-done” machine. Joswiak did a series of interviews around the same time last September, after Siri leadership moved to Craig Federighi and before the assistant’s six year birthday. In one, he discussed the claim that Siri development has been hindered by Apple’s commitment to privacy, describing these reports as “a false narrative.”

The original Siri Assistant iOS app
Winarsky didn’t specifically comment on Apple’s focus on privacy and how that could be a factor in Siri’s development, but he did state that there’s one simple factor absent from Siri today: “Surprise and delight is kind of missing right now.”

Tag: Siri
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If you’re a Northeast Xfinity customer, your internet will soon be faster

If you’ve been complaining to everyone who will listen about the speed (or lack thereof) of your internet, it looks like someone important may have been listening. Comcast announced that it will be increasing download speeds for its customers in 14 states across the northeastern region of the United States, ranging from Maine to Virginia. If you’re an Xfinity internet user, you should soon be seeing an increase in internet speed, regardless of which of the four tiers of service you’re currently subscribed to. That said, there will be variations in just how much faster your internet gets depending on how much you’re paying.

Folks who are subscribed to the premium plans, “Blast” and “Performance Pro,” can expect their download speeds to jump from 200 to 250 Mbps, and 150 to 200 Mbps, respectively. The more standard “Performance” tier will see its speed jump from 25 to 60 Mbps (which is technically the largest percent increase), while the most basic “Starter” tier will see a 50 percent increase from 10 to 15 Mbps.

Best of all, you won’t have to pay extra to get extra-fast internet. According to Comcast, as a result of this adjustment, 80 percent of Xfinity internet customers will soon be enjoying internet speeds of at least 150 Mbps. The speed increases are slated to begin rolling out over the course of  April and in order to actually see the differences go into effect, you have to restart your modem.

If you’re not in the Northeast and wondering why you’ve been left out of this recent act of kindness, Comcast has the semblance of an answer for you. A spokesperson noted that it’s quite common for the company to implement changes first in a particular region before going national with a new plan. Folks in the Midwest actually received a speed increase in 2017, though the improvements were not exactly in line with these latest changes. In any case, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the speed increases will soon roll out across the rest of the U.S., too.

As for the folks in the Northeast, keep in mind that while your download speeds will increase, there is no word on whether or not there will be any change in your upload speed.

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We may see the Spring Creators Update arriving soon to Windows 10

Believe it or not, the next major Windows 10 update is right around the corner. Fall Creators Update might feel like it arrived only yesterday, but in fact, it actually launched in October. Now, as spring approaches, it is getting close to time for Microsoft to push the upgrade button again.

According to some information buried in recent Windows Insider builds, Microsoft will be maintaining its recent naming convention by naming the newest version Windows 10 Spring Creators Update. In April 2017, it released Windows 10 Creators Update, with a clear focus on adding tools such as Paint 3D and Windows Ink improvements that appeal to people who use their PCs for creative tasks. Then, Fall Creators Update maintained the theme with an improve Photos app and Mixed Reality updates.

This comes as no surprise to anyone who has been following along, as the name was hinted at previously and, in fact, many pundits have been referring to Windows 10 version 1803 as Spring Creators Update for a few weeks now. The latest information comes via a tweet that shows pertinent information buried in the latest test build, where a Windows 10 PowerShell screenshot is posted showing all of the supported virtual machine configurations:

pic.twitter.com/5bMdXY6QeM

— Pennybridge1969 (@warnelidl) March 8, 2018

Interestingly, the main features expected in the next version are aimed more at productivity work than creative tasks, including the new Timeline feature that lets users go back in time and pick up previous tasks. It is also another relatively lightweight update, which might be the primary reason why Microsoft is maintaining the name and just updating it for the season.

Other changes expected for Spring Creators Update include continued work on Microsoft’s Edge browser, enhancements to the My People contact management function, and the continued rollout of the new Fluent Design System that is aimed at making the user interface more dynamic and more responsive to the task and the device. These features have been rolling out to Windows Insiders for the last several months, and so if you have been running the latest builds then you are already familiar with what’s going to arrive in the next 30 days or so.

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Windows Defender thwarts major malware attack directed mostly at Russian users

On Thursday, March 8, Microsoft said that just before noon on Tuesday, Windows Defender blocked more than 80,000 instances of a massive malware attack that used a trojan called Dofoil, also known as Smoke Loader. Within the following 12 hours, Windows Defender blocked another 400,000 instances. Most of the smoky outbreak took place in Russia (73 percent) followed by Turkey (18 percent) and Ukraine (4 percent). 

Smoke Loader is a trojan that can retrieve a payload from a remote location once it infects a PC. It was last seen in a fake patch for the Meltdown and Spectre processor vulnerabilities, which downloaded various payloads for malicious purposes. But for the current outbreak in Russia and its neighboring countries, Smoke Loader’s payload was a cryptocurrency miner. 

“Because the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continues to grow, malware operators see the opportunity to include coin mining components in their attacks,” Microsoft stated. “For example, exploit kits are now delivering coin miners instead of ransomware. Scammers are adding coin mining scripts in tech support scam websites. And certain banking trojan families added coin mining behavior.” 

Once on the PC, the Smoke Loader trojan launched a new instance of Explorer in Windows and placed it in a suspended state. The trojan then carved out a portion of the code used it to run in the system memory and filled that blank space with malware. After that, the malware could run undetected and delete the trojan components stored on the PC’s hard drive or SSD. 

Now disguised as the typical Explorer process running in the background, the malware launched a new instance of the Windows Update AutoUpdate Client service. Again, a section of the code was carved out, but coin mining malware filled the blank space instead. Windows Defender caught the miner red-handed because its Windows Update-based disguise ran from the wrong location. Network traffic stemming from this instance constituted highly suspicious activity as well. 

Because Smoke Loader needs an internet connection to receive remote commands, it relies on a command and control server located within the experimental, open-source Namecoin network infrastructure. According to Microsoft, this server tells the malware to sleep for a period of time, connect or disconnect to a specific IP address, download and execute a file from a specific IP address, and so on. 

“For coin miner malware, persistence is key. These types of malware employ various techniques to stay undetected for long periods of time in order to mine coins using stolen computer resources,” Microsoft says. That includes making a copy of itself and hiding out in the Roaming AppData folder and making another copy of itself to access IP addresses from the Temp folder. 

Microsoft says artificial intelligence and behavior-based detection helped thwart the Smoke Loader invasion but the company doesn’t state how victims received the malware. One possible method is the typical email campaign as seen with the recent fake Meltdown/Spectre patch, tricking recipients into downloading and installing/opening attachments.

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What is a CPU?

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

A central processor, or CPU, is arguably the most important component of any computing device. It handles basic instructions and allocates the more complicated tasks to other specific chips to get them to do what they do best. It’s the core of your PC, smartphone, or tablet. and it’s what makes the whole device run as it should.

What makes a CPU a CPU?

The CPU itself is a core component of what makes a computer a computer, but it isn’t the computer itself — it’s just the brains of the operation. It’s a small computer chip that sits atop the main circuit board (motherboard) of a computer, whether that’s a desktop PC, laptop, or tablet. It’s distinctly separate from the memory, which is where information is stored, and the graphics card or graphics chip, which handles all rendering of video and 3D graphics to your monitor or screen.

CPUs are built by placing billions of microscopic transistors onto a single computer chip. Those transistors allow it to make the calculations it needs to run programs that are stored on your system’s memory.

One of the most common advancements of CPU technology is in making those transistors smaller and smaller. That’s resulted in the improvement to CPU speed over the decades, often referred to as Moore’s Law.

In the context of modern devices, a desktop or laptop will have a dedicated CPU which performs a number of processing functions for the system. Mobile devices and some tablets instead utilize a “System on Chip” (SoC) which is a chip that contains its  CPU alongside other components. Intel and AMD both offer CPUs with graphics chips and memory stored on them too, meaning they can do more than just standard CPU functions.

What does a CPU actually do?

At its core, a CPU takes instructions from a program or application and performs a calculation. This process can be broken down into three key stages: Fetch, decode, and execute. A CPU fetches the instruction from a system’s RAM, then it decodes what the instruction actually is, before it is executed by the relevant parts of the CPU.

The executed instruction, or calculation, can involve basic arithmetic, comparing certain numbers together, or moving them around in memory. Since everything in a computer is represented by numbers, those kinds of simple tasks equate to what a CPU does. It’s what facilitates everything from starting up Windows, to watching a YouTube video.

In modern systems, the CPU doesn’t do everything, but it still has to feed specialized hardware the numbers they need to do their job. It needs to tell the graphics card to show that explosion because you clicked on that fuel barrel, or grab the contents of your Office document from the local memory

Cores, clocks and costs

Originally, processors had a single processing core. Today’s modern processors are made up of multiple cores which allow it to perform multiple instructions at once. They’re effectively several CPUs on a single chip. Almost all CPUs sold today are at least dual core, but at the higher end, you’ll see four (quad) core CPUs, and even six, eight and 12 core CPUs in some cases. Some processors also employ a technology called multi-threading, which creates virtual processor cores. They aren’t as powerful as physical cores, but they can help improve a CPU’s performance.

Clock speed is another number that’s thrown around a lot with CPUs. That’s the “gigahertz,” (GHz) figure that you’ll see quoted on CPU product listings. It effectively denotes how many instructions a CPU can handle per second, but that’s not the whole picture when it comes to performance. Clock speed mostly comes into play when comparing CPUs from the same product family or generation. When all else is the same, a faster clock speed means a faster processor, but a 3GHz processor from 2010 isn’t going to be as fast as a 2GHz processor from 2018.

So, how much should you be paying for your CPU? We have a number of guides to give you some suggestions for the best CPUs you can buy, but for a general outline, unless you’re a hardcore gamer or someone looking to do photo or video editing, you don’t need to spend more than $200. Stick to a recent generation. For Intel chips that means 6th, 7th or 8th-generation chips, and for AMD, its Ryzen 1000 or 2000 CPUs.

How important is the CPU?

Although the CPU isn’t as important for overall system performance as it once was, it still plays a major part in making a device run quickly. Since it is solely responsible for executing commands within programs, the faster your CPU is, the faster many applications will run.

That said, a fast CPU isn’t everything. A processor, no matter how powerful, can’t easily render the latest 3D games, nor can it store information. That’s where other components, like graphics cards and memory, come into play.

In short, the CPU isn’t everything, but it is important. In general, a faster CPU will mean that your system or device will run faster. At the very least it won’t be a bottleneck in its own right. Multiple cores and threads can help you do more things at once.

Would you like a little more help to buy your next CPU? Here is our guide to the best chips from AMD and Intel.

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How to Install an SSD in a PlayStation 4 or PS4 Pro

Despite the fact that solid-state drives (SSDs) read and write data much faster than mechanical hard drives do, the PlayStation 4 and even the PlayStation 4 Pro still come with the latter. Fortunately, Sony made the PS4 hard drive replaceable, so users can expand the console’s internal storage or, better yet, swap out the mechanical drive with a faster-loading solid state drive.

With a few basic tools, you can add an SSD to your PS4 in no time at all. Here’s a glimpse at what an SSD can do for you, and instructions on how to drop one in yourself.

SSDs vs. mechanical hard drives

Before we swapped out the PS4’s hard drive with an SSD, we tested the hard drive that the system came with by measuring the amount of time the PS4 needed to boot up to the screen where the OS asks you to press the PS button on your controller. We tested it twice, and got times of 27 seconds, and 24.9 seconds.

Once we removed the PS4’s hard drive and performed the task that we’re about to take you through, we ran the boot tests again. We got boot times of 19.2 and 19.4 seconds with the SSD in there. So, boot-up is anywhere between roughly 5-8 seconds faster with an SSD than with the mechanical hard drive that the PlayStation 4 ships with.

If you don’t think that’s significant, remember that loading save games, loading levels, and more will also get substantially faster. Over time, those shaved seconds will make your PS4 feel a lot faster.

Apple files patent for a crumb-resistant MacBook keyboard

Time for MacBook owners to rejoice, at long last your troubles are at an end. Well, one of them, maybe. According to a patent application made public on Thursday, March 8, Apple could be developing a new MacBook keyboard designed to prevent crumbs and dust from getting those super-shallow MacBook keys stuck.

“Liquid ingress around the keys into the keyboard can damage electronics. Residues from such liquids may corrode or block electrical contacts, getting in the way of key movement and so on,” the patent application reads.

The application goes on to describe how those problems might be remedied: With the careful application of gaskets, brushes, wipers, or flaps that block gaps beneath keycaps. One solution would include a membrane beneath each key, effectively insulating the interior of the keyboard from the exterior, while another describes using each keypress as a “bellows” to force contaminants out of the keyboard.

“A keyboard assembly [could include] a substrate, a key cap, and a guard structure extending from the key cap that funnels contaminants away from the movement mechanism,” the patent application reads.

Apple’s engineering is notoriously exacting, it’s why products like the MacBook Pro and iPhone command such high prices compared to their competitors. Whether or not those prices are warranted is another matter entirely, but Apple’s brand is built upon the promise of premium and highly engineered user experiences.

When a stray piece of dust can ruin one of those experiences, it’s no wonder Apple is investing in keeping those crumbs out of its keyboards. As with all patent filing news, it remains to be seen whether or not this particular change to the MacBook design will make it out into the real world, but it’s an improvement that solves a very real problem.

It might seem like a small issue, but for owners of the latest MacBook Pro, it’s been a bit of a sticking point. On a laptop that can run you around $3,000 depending on specs, losing keyboard functionality because of a stray crumb is a big deal. There is even a song about it. With the MacBook line slated for an update in 2018, we might see crumb-resistant keyboards sooner rather than later.

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Intel finally dishes out stick-shaped Optane storage SSDs for mainstream PCs

After launching Optane-branded solid-state drives for enthusiasts and professionals in October, Intel is following up with Optane storage products targeting the mainstream market: The Optane SSD 800P series. Right now, this storage family consists of two stick-shaped models designed to plug into your PC’s internal M.2 slot. Both are NVMe-class devices using two PCI Express 3.0 lanes, providing sequential read speeds of up to 1,450MB per second. 

Here are the specifications: 

Memory type: 

3D XPoint 

Capacity: 

58GB ($129)
118GB ($199) 

Sequential read: 

1,450MB per second 

Sequential write: 

640MB per second 

Random read: 

250,000 IOPS 

Random write: 

145,000 IOPS 

Write latency: 

18 microseconds 

Read latency: 

7 microseconds 

Power (active): 

3.75 watts 

Mean time between failures: 

1.6 million hours 

Lifetime writes: 

365 TBW 

Warranty period: 

5 years 

Size: 

22mm x 80mm 

 The big deal with these two Optane-branded sticks resides in the underlying 3D XPoint technology. Intel collaborated with Micron to create NAND Flash memory with the capacity of a solid state drive but the speed of system memory. Rather than expanding horizontally like typical NAND flash, 3D XPoint builds memory vertically in a transistor-free cross-point design, providing more storage in the same physical space occupied by standard NAND flash memory. 

On a more technical note, each “level” of 3D XPoint memory consists of memory cells connected to selectors residing at the intersection of two perpendicular wires. A memory controller can access each memory cell individually by sending a current to the wires residing above and below the memory cell. Each cell is one bit, meaning it can only store a one or zero value. But the technology itself can stack layers, building storage capacity vertically. 

The first Optane-branded products introduced by Intel served as cache sticks for PCs relying on clunky hard drives and slow, SATA-base solid-state drives. But with the 900P and 800P series SSDs, customers can use these devices as their primary storage drive to shorten system load times, shorten program and app load times, and speed up multitasking. Intel says the 800P units are also great for dual-drive and RAID configurations. 

“The drive also supports lower-power states, allowing it to operate in devices like laptops and 2 in 1 devices, as well as desktop systems,” the company says. “The 800P excels with low queue depth random workloads, where most client system activity takes place and offers uncompromising responsiveness and throughput.” 

The 900P series introduced in October doesn’t provide M.2-class devices. Instead, enthusiasts and professionals will find a U.2-class storage device with a 280GB capacity, and two PCI Express-based add-in cards (half length, half height) with 280GB and 480GB storage capacities. The U.2-based version isn’t exactly stick-shaped but instead resembles a standard SSD measuring 15 by  70 by 101 millimeters. 

But for a higher price, the 900P SSDs can generate serious performance. All three provide sequential read speeds of up to 2,500MB per second and sequential write speeds of up to 2,000MB per second. Likewise, the random read performance is higher too at 550,000 IOPS and the random write speeds are up to 500,000 IOPS. 

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The best stealth gaming laptops

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Gaming on a laptop doesn’t necessarily mean paying through the nose for a high-end solution with a top of the line graphics processor (GPU) and an RGB backlit keyboard. With a whole spectrum of games you can enjoy and a number of decently-powered laptops aimed more at mid-range, general users, there are a number of laptops out there that can have you gaming away in your off hours at decent detail levels and framerates.

These hidden gaming gems do have powerful hardware, great displays, and solid battery life, but also the kind of thin and light design that won’t embarrass you at a coffee shop. Unlike actual gaming laptops, which are often chunky and heavy, these stealth gaming laptops hide their potential for gaming sessions behind a sense of professionalism and refinement.

The best

Surface Book 2 ($1,500+)

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

With industry-leading battery life, the Surface Book 2 will keep you working longer than almost anything else out there, but that’s not all it has going for it. With up to a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a GTX 1060, it has more than enough power under the hood to display great gaming visuals at decent frame rates on its 13 or 15-inch, 3,240 x 2,160 display.

All that hardware lets the Surface Book 2 handle Ultra settings in games like Civilization VI, For Honor, and Battlefield 1 at 1080P resolution — even edging over 60 frames per second when in performance mode.

That performance is backed up by a great keyboard and touchpad. The keys have a nice feel and good travel and there is even a little backlighting for finding those important keys when gaming in the dark. Even with the keyboard detached, the fact that the touchscreen is so light when in tablet mode means that the Surface Book 2 makes for a surprisingly great touch-gaming solution for games that work well with that input option.

When all of that is combined with the 90 watt-hour battery, you’ll game for far longer than even most gaming laptops, though in our Surface Book 2 review we did note that you can lose charge during heavy gaming, even when the charger is plugged in. Bear that in mind if you’re going for a marathon session.

Although an expensive option, if you want a portable device that’s a great machine for work and play, the Surface Book 2 is hard to beat.

Buy now now at:

Microsoft Store Amazon Newegg

The rest

Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN ($1,000)

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The smaller ZenBook 13 might not be as powerful as its larger form-factor cousin, but it still packs quite a punch and offers solid entry-level gaming at the attractive price point of $1,000, thanks to its GeForce MX150 GPU. Even our beloved XPS 13 only gives you Intel HD graphics for similar money.

Despite the added GPU though, you don’t lose out with battery life or CPU power. It comes with a Core i5-8250U CPU at the entry-level price point, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. All of that can chug along for most of a working day, or give you a few hours of gaming, if you prefer.

The hardware means that even in AAA titles like Civilization VI and Battlefield 1, you can hit playable frame rates at medium detail levels. If speed is more important to you than beauty, with some tweaking you could nudge those numbers towards 60 FPS. Some titles will be too much for the MX150, though. In our testing, we found that the Zenbook 13 really struggled with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Buy one now at:

Asus Store Amazon

Dell XPS 15 ($1,000+)

Although the Dell XPS 13 is still our favorite laptop, the Dell XPS 15 is a fantastic piece of kit in its own right. Its larger form factor and more powerful internal hardware make it a great stealth gaming laptop as well.

Building atop the success of its smaller sibling, the XPS 15 employs the same premium materials and feel as the XPS 13, but with heftier hardware options. For just a few hundred dollars over the base price, you can net yourself a GTX 1050 graphics chip, paired up with 8GB of RAM and a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 CPU.

With that Nvidia graphics chip on board, the XPS 15 is more than capable of playing a wide variety of titles, including some AAA games at playable frame rates. If you keep yourself to 1080P resolution, Battlefield 1 can be played at maximum detail, as can Civilization VI. The XPS 15 put out an average of more than 30 FPS in our tests in both those titles.

All of that helps this laptop deliver impressively capable gaming performance and when paired with up to a beautiful 4K IPS display, your games look as good as they would on much pricier gaming systems.

Buy one now at:

Dell Store Amazon  Newegg

Asus ZenBook Pro UX550VE ($1,700)

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Although the Asus ZenBook Pro does leave you limited to a 1080P display, its combination of a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 CPU with a GTX 1050 Ti GPU makes it a potent gaming notebook, even when compared with systems marketed as such.

You’ll be able to play games at decent frame rates, too. In our testing, we found the Zenbook capable of handling games like Battlefield 1 and Civilization VI at ultra detail. It even achieved more than 30 frames per second in the taxing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided at high detail.

Unlike some of the other entries in this guide, the ZenBook Pro comes equipped with impressive audio components. It has a speaker on either side of the keyboard and a pair of subwoofers placed in the base of the laptop. It’s perfect for those who like to game without headphones.

Although the 1080p display doesn’t offer the detail of some other entries in this guide, color accuracy on the ZenBook Pro’s panel is excellent and the lock at 1080p resolution means that battery life isn’t too adversely affected. You can work all day on this machine, and get a couple of hours of gaming in at the end of it, without being too concerned about draining it flat.

Buy  one now at:

Amazon Newegg

Asus ZenBook Flip S UX461UN ($1,000)

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Even if it’s not as lightweight of as powerful as the Surface Book 2, Asus’ ZenBook Flip S is by far the cheaper 2-in-1 and if you prefer a 360-degree hinge to Microsoft’s “dynamic fulcrum” design, the ZenBook may be a better option for you. It has Nvidia’s GeForce MX150 graphics and the Intel Core i7-7500U, a powerful dual-core chip that will give you decent general-computing performance and great entry-level gaming ability too.

With a 1080p display, there’s no need to be concerned about trying to run ultra-HD resolutions and at 13.3-inches diagonally, it still looks plenty detailed. Color accuracy is decent, meaning the games you do play should look bright and colorful.

The real standout feature of this 2-in-1 though is its keyboard. Surprisingly comfortable over long periods for a convertible laptop, the ZenBook Flip S will keep you gaming and typing for long periods without discomfort.

Buy one now at: 

Microsoft Store Best Buy

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