Lenovo Chromebook 500e vs. ASUS Chromebook Flip C213

Which of these two rugged Chromebooks is the best buy?

2018 is turning out to be a stellar year for Chromebooks and it’s only the beginning of the year. This is even more evident when you look at the “ruggedized” education-focused models and see their prices. You used to need to spend an arm and a leg to get an educational Chromebook, but new products like the ASUS Flip C213 and Lenovo’s 500e bring these tough and capable laptops into the $300 range. At that price, buying one is a no-brainer. Choosing which one to buy is a little more difficult.

The Best Chromebook

Let’s start by comparing what’s the same. The Lenovo 500e and ASUS Flip C213 are both 12-inch Chromebooks (that means they have an 11.6-inch display) designed for the education sector. A Chromebook built for education isn’t that different from a standard model outside of how they are constructed. Educational tech hardware needs to be able to help teach the next generation, but it also needs to be able to take a lot more abuse than a standard consumer model does, and both of these products have what it takes to meet those standards:

• MIL-STD-810G compliance
• Spill-resistant keyboard tray
• Rubber bumpers and construction that will survive a fall

Both models run Chrome OS (of course) which isn’t subject to a manufacturer’s whims when it comes to the user interface, application support, or pre-install applications. You’ll see official support with automatic updates direct from Google for at least 6.5 years so a Chromebook you buy today will have the latest version of its software in 2024; long after you’ve stopped using it. After the AUP (Automatic Update Policy) period has finished, you’re free to install Chromium (the free and open-source operating system Chrome OS is based on) for as long as you would like.

One thing the same on every Chromebook is the software and 6.5 years of full support from Google.

Both Chromebooks also have access to all the apps you’ll find in Google’s Play store, as the Android app framework is now a part of Chrome OS. There is one difference in the software, though. The Lenovo 500e sold through retail channels will still offer the G Suite for Education and Google Classroom support. For most of us this makes little difference, but if you’re buying a Chromebook that a student or teacher will be using it would be nice to have access to everything on both a “work” and a personal Chromebook.

They’re also pretty similar when it comes to tech specs. You’ll find 32GB of storage (eMMC for those interested in the type), an outdated 1366 x 768 display resolution, support for an EMR stylus, a microSD card reader, 4GB of memory and an Intel Apollo Lake processor in each. The last two aren’t quite equal, though.

Internal hardware

Let’s start with the processor. Both are Apollo Lake (Goldmont) Intel Celeron processors. Apollo Lake is Intel’s 2016 platform for embedded, mobile, server and light workstation products and they are suited quite well in the coming ARM vs. Intel CPU wars in this segment. The Celeron series has several models to choose from and the N3350 we see in the ASUS C213 is identical to the N3450U inside the Lenovo 500e in some specs: 1.1GHz, 2MB of cache and a TDP of 6 watts. Where they differ is the burst speed and number of cores, with the N3450U in the Lenovo being the superior product with a 2.4GHz burst speed and four cores compared to the 2.2 GHz burst speed and two cores from the N3350 seen in the ASUS.

Both models also feature 4GB of DDR4 RAM thanks to the Intel Goldmont CPU architecture that brings DDR4 and other goodies like USB 3.1 support to mobile processors. But again, things aren’t quite equal because the ASUS C213 has 2400MHz RAM and the Lenovo 500e has 1600MHz RAM.

Small differences in specs aside, both of these models have hardware that’s very well suited for a premium Chromebook.

It’s unfortunate that the better memory isn’t inside the Chromebook with the better CPU because that would make deciding which has the better hardware an easy decision. From a performance standpoint, the Lenovo 500e will be better at any task optimized for the x86 Goldmont architecture when it comes to calculations, but the 2400MHz RAM makes the ASUS C213 better when it comes to memory utilization because of the higher clock speed. Chrome OS (and that includes the Android portion) will be optimized for the Intel chip on both models, but I would have to pick the ASUS as having the better hardware because of the faster RAM and the way Chrome uses RAM and sandboxes each process.

But really, this is a complete wash. You would see very little difference in how either of these Chromebooks operates in day-to-day use. Technically the Lenovo can calculate twice as much data per second (even more when the CPU clock is boosted) but the processor isn’t going to be the bottleneck here. Ditto for the RAM; the ASUS C213 can swap more data in and out of memory faster because the memory is 25% faster, but the 1600MHz memory in the 500e is more than fast enough. These are Chromebooks. Chrome isn’t designed to play intensive 3D games or compile a big software project or render a 50GB 3D CAD file.

Know that either of these models will be a good match form Chrome OS from a hardware perspective, and the minor differences really only matter if you plan to install another OS on them.

Pricing

Another thing that’s always important to consider is the price. Thankfully, both models look good here.

The Lenovo 500e as displayed at the announcement and currently listed on Lenovo’s website has a $309 price tag. The ASUS C213 comes in two flavors, and the model that compares with Lenovo’s offering can be bought right now at Amazon for $398. These models feature a display that’s not only touch-capable but also supports a Wacom EMR pen. If you’ve never used a stylus with Wacom’s EMR technology, know that it’s one of the few passive designs that work as well as an active stylus that needs a wireless connection and takes a battery. It’s a good thing to have if you think you might want or need stylus support.

All things being equal here, and despite minor differences in the hardware I think they are, the Lenovo is the easy winner if you want a Chromebook with stylus support baked in because the 500e is almost $100 less.

See the 500e at Lenovo

See the C213 at Amazon

Lenovo also has a model without a stylus, the 300e. It has an ARM CPU instead of the Intel we see in the 500e, but the look, the rugged MIL-STD design, and Chrome software with Classroom apps are the same. For models without a stylus, you’ll see the Lenovo 300e at $269 and the ASUS C213 at $299. The ASUS is the better choice because the Intel CPU is worth the extra $30. ARM chips work great for Chrome OS and Android apps, but the Intel will squeeze out a bit more performance.

See the 300e at Lenovo

See the C213 at Amazon

One thing is certain; seeing consumer sales of these education and enterprise-grade Chromebooks at these low prices is pretty awesome and I certainly hope the trend continues!

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• Acer Chromebook 14 review
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This is your last chance to get YouTube TV for $35 a month

Today is the last day to subscribe to YouTube TV for $35 a month.

YouTube TV’s price hike is going into effect from tomorrow, March 13, with new subscribers having to shell out $40 a month, up $5 from the existing rate of $35. The service offers over 40 live channels — including the likes of ESPN, Disney, and Fox — and there’s a native app for Android TV along with support for Chromecast.

YouTube TV: Everything you need to know

You get access to your local stations as well as live sports, making YouTube TV a viable cord-cutting option. YouTube TV also comes with a seven-day trial, which gives you plenty of time to figure out if you want to go ahead with the monthly subscription.

The service is live in over 80 cities across the U.S., so if you’re interested in taking a look, hit up the link below to subscribe to YouTube TV for $35 a month.

Sign up for YouTube TV

Best Screen Protectors for Samsung Galaxy S9

Keep your Galaxy S9 display safe and scratch-free

With the release of a brand new Samsung Galaxy S9 comes the inevitable debate of the best way to keep your phone safe. Some people are content with just “being careful” with their phone to avoid scuffs and cracks, but the rest of us are better off staying safer than sorry.

But protecting the curved display of the Galaxy S9 is no easy task — tempered glass offers the best protection but a PET film can generally flex around to the edge of curved displays better. There’s also a price difference so there’s a lot to consider when you’re buying.

Whether you prefer tempered glass or a flexible film, these are the best screen protectors for the Samsung Galaxy S9.

• Whitestone Dome Glass
• amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• Spigen NeoFlex Screen Protector (2-pack)
• IQShield Case Friendly Film Screen Protector (2-pack)
• Ringke Invisible Defender Full Coverage Screen Protector
• GadgetShieldz Galaxy S9 Screen Protector

Whitestone Dome Glass

The Whitestone Dome Glass screen protector was another option that was getting people talking in the forums. The big selling feature for this wet install screen protector is its unique curing process, which uses UV light.

It’s proven to be a very popular screen protector and is currently on sale for $45, down from $60. Check out this review and installation guide to get an idea of how this tempered glass screen protector uniquely adheres like no other screen protector you’ve seen before. If the worst case scenario has already occurred and your screen is cracked, think of this as a second chance screen before dropping hundreds of dollars on a proper replacement screen. With a UV light packaged to complete the curing process, this is a pricier option than other screen protectors out there, but based on video review and reviews on Amazon it’s an early favorite. I guess time will tell how well the Whitestone Dome Glass holds up in real-life use.

See at Amazon

amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Whereas the Whitestone Dome Glass might require the most complicated installation process, amFilm has tried to simplify the process by providing an installation guide so you can line up the perfect fit.

The offering here is a curved tempered glass screen protector that adheres to the phone using a silicone gel along the edges and a dot matrix along the majority of the display. amFilm says if you properly install this phone you will get a perfet fit with no clicking, no rainbow effect, and a strong adhesion that won’t peel up. This is a case-friendly option that can be yours for just $10.

See at Amazon

Spigen NeoFlex screen protector (2-pack)

Spigen always makes great cases so it only makes sense that they’d also offer screen protectors that are compatible with cases.

If you’ve got the patience to take the time for a film screen protector with a wet installation, you should be more than satisfied with this two-pack of reliable screen protectors. Because it’s a flexible film, the NeoFlex can offer full protection for your screen without affecting the touch responsiveness. Spigen provides a comprehensive installation video that actually recommends installing the screen protector with your phone in a case to help like things up on the first shot. Didn’t get it quite right? Just peel it back off and try again.

It will take 12 hours for the screen protector to fully adhere so make sure you give it enough time. Get this two-pack from Amazon for just $9

See at Amazon

IQShield Case Friendly Film Screen Protector (2-pack)

IQShield offers a two-pack of plastic film screen protectors that have been updated to be completely compatible with even the most rugged cases. That’s in part due to these being PET film screen protectors rather than tempered glass.

This is a paper-thin screen protector that you will hardly notice after a clean installation. These screen protectors have an oleophobic coating to help prevent fingerprints and smudges and are easy to install. With over 100 5-star reviews on Amazon, you can buy with confidence. Get your two-pack of case-friendly screen protectors from IQShield for just $8.

See at Amazon

Ringke Invisible Defender Full Coverage Screen Protector (3-pack)

Ringke’s screen protector for the Galaxy S9 stands out from the rest thanks to its wings that wrap around the sides of your phone. There are a few benefits to this unique screen protector style. Since the film wraps around the edges, you have button cutouts to guide you for the perfect fit, while also helping to prevent the edges from peeling up with a case installed too.

These screen protectors are made of crystal clear urethane material and can be yours for just $10. The kit includes everything you’ll need for a clean installation, along with an extra screen protector in case your first one takes a beating and needs to be replaced.

You can also get a three-pack for the Galaxy S9+, too, if you’re rocking the larger device.

See at Amazon

GadgetShieldz Galaxy S9 Screen Protector

This one comes from the Galaxy S9 forums. GadgetShieldz offers an ultra-thin film protector that offers coverage for your entire device while remaining case friendly.

If you find the glass backing of Samsung’s phones to be a bit slippery, you can add the film to the back of your phone and it will remain virtually invisible while adding grip to the device.

You can get full-body protection for your Galaxy S9 for just $11 with free shipping from GadgetShieldz.

See at GadgetShieldz

Where do you land on the screen protector debate?

Are screen protectors and cases a must-buy for any new phone you own or do you prefer the naked look and feel? Have you had hands-on experience with a screen protector that others should know about? Let us know in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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SanDisk’s $63 200GB microSD card is a must-have for all Galaxy S9 owners

Don’t go without it.

This 200GB card normally sells for closer to $70 and this is the first price drop on it since Black Friday. You can use it to expand the storage in your phone, tablet, action camera and much more. It has transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s and it is shockproof, waterproof and can even withstand X-rays.

If you can sacrifice a little bit of speed, B&H has the older variant of this card for $60.95. It offers speeds of up to 90MB/s instead of 100MB/s.

See at Amazon

Panasonic designed blinkers for the digital age

There could be a whole category of recent devices labeled “technology to keep you from being distracted by technology.” From “dumb phones” to revivals of Ektachrome film, the same companies that contribute to our digital exhaustion are trying to provide the answer with… more tech.

Enter Wear Space, a prototype we spotted at Panasonic’s SXSW exhibition. A collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Kunihiko Morinaga, it embeds noise-cancelling headphones in what’s basically a glorified horse blinker. The idea is to keep you focused when working in open spaces like coffee shops or communal co-working spots.

Yes it looks sleek, and yes, it’s a positive development that product designers are becoming more mindful of our collective concentration deficit. But perhaps it also highlights how badly we need better solutions — whether in ethical software design, regulation or individual habits. There must be more dignified ways to sharpen our attention than a human pet cone, no matter how fashionably it’s designed.

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

You’ve got an hour to unsend messages on WhatsApp

Sometimes you need more than seven minutes to unsend a message on WhatsApp. Thankfully, with the most recent update, now we do. The most recent patch (2.18.31) extends the “delete for everyone” period to one hour, eight minutes and 16 seconds according to a tweet from the messaging service. Is that oddly specific amount of time a reference to anything? It seems like it is, but as far as we know, it isn’t. We do know one thing for sure: Telegram users have 48 hours to delete a message and save face before anyone else sees it, so WhatsApp still has some catching up to do. Both are still more generous than GMail’s 30-second unsend feature though.

A new WhatsApp for iOS update (2.18.31) is available on AppStore.
It is a bug fixes update, but it has the new “Delete for everyone” limit, that’s 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 8, 2018

Via: The Verge

Source: WhatsApp (Twitter)

YouTube TV’s price goes up to $40 per month tomorrow

Today is your last day to get YouTube TV for $35 per month. Tomorrow, the price increases to $40 per month, putting it in line with similar services such as Sony’s PS Vue and Hulu’s live TV plan. Google launched last April in a limited number of markets, but since then, it has grown significantly in both reach and offerings. Google announced the planned price increase last month as it added a number of new channels, including TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network and CNN to the service. Those who subscribe before March 13th will retain the $35 per month price.

Source: Google

Future dialysis patients could grow their own artificial veins

I rarely think about kidney failure, and when I do, it’s almost always in the context of a charity appeal from my local hospital. Dialysis machines are the primary way that people with kidney disorders survive until a donor organ can be found. Going to a hospital multiple times a week to have your blood cleaned never seemed like it was a fun way to spend one’s time, either. But after talking to Aditlys CEO Silvére Lucquin, I learned these trips to the hospital are not the worst part of the process.

Lucquin’s company has been working on a polymer-based implant that can be wired into a person’s blood vessels. The implant is, essentially, a hollow scaffold built from a new plastic polymer that encourages tissue growth. Once inserted into a person’s veins, their own bodies begin growing a new blood vessel around the artificial one. The implant then dissolves after a couple of months. Leaving behind an entirely new link that can be connected up to a dialysis machine.

The implant itself is harnessing a variety of doctrines, including electrospinning and supramolecular chemistry. These techniques have been married under the new process of endogenous tissue restoration which has been pioneered by a company called Xeltis. That company, however, has used the process to restore damaged heart valves, leaving Aditlys to experiment with its vascular implant.

Our kidneys, you see, are filters that clear out the excess fluid and junk that lingers in our bloodstream, turning it into urine. If a person’s kidneys shut down, then the bad stuff in their blood builds up, which can often be fatal. Until a transplant can take place, patients have to visit hospitals every few days to have their blood cleaned. That’s where the dialysis machine comes in, which pulls blood out of a vessel, filters it and pushes it back into their bodies.

In emergencies, that can be carried out using a catheter that’s been inserted into a blood vessel, but that’s not possible on a regular basis. Long-term dialysis users instead need to have a plastic tube implanted into their arm, either an arteriovenous graft or an arteriovenous fistula — essentially an artificial junction. Regular veins simply can’t cope with having thick needles shoved in on a biweekly basis and all that blood taken out. Not to mention that fistulas help improve the blood flow, making dialysis easier.

But “when you leave plastic implants in the body,” explained Lucquin, “they tend to occlude [block] quite easily.” His research claims that these blockages take place around 50 percent of the time, often within the first year. That’s not the only problem because, according to a paper out of Bayer College of Medicine, these implants are a hotbed of germs. Researchers George Nassar and Juan-Carlos Ayus say that the pipes have “repeatedly shown to be a risk factor for bacteremic and nonbacteremic infections.”

Worse still, even in a best-case scenario, fistulas fail in almost 40 percent of implantations for a variety of reasons. Even if it doesn’t, they normally have to be replaced once every two years or so, and that means regular trips back to the vascular surgeon. Those patients, explained Lucquin, “after a decade of dialysis and all that decay, means that it’s really complicated to find a clean place to put a new graft or fistula.”

Now, the hope is that with Aditlys’ new device, many of these issues will go away and most patients will need only one implant. Or, at the very worst, a couple, but that’s not something that Lucquin could comment on publicly. After all, things are at such an early stage that it’s not clear if the theory and the practice really match up. But the CEO did point out that even if the vessels do fail, those failures won’t nearly be as frequent as they are right now.

Of course, it’s going to be several years worth of clinical testing before the company can market the implant to patients. And it’ll take a while before vascular surgeons decide to attempt to use the tool in place of what currently works. But if successful, some of the many additional pains that people with kidney failure have to deal with may be a thing of the past.

Apple to Acquire Digital Magazine Service Texture

Apple today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire digital magazine service Texture, available on iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, and Kindle devices. The deal is pending approval and financial terms were not disclosed.

Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue, who revealed the news at the SXSW media festival in Austin, Texas today:

We’re excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalog of magazines from many of the world’s leading publishers. We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users.

iPhone and iPad users can download the Texture app and subscribe to unlimited access to over 200 of the world’s most popular magazines for $6.99 per month as part of an ongoing sale. Magazines can be read on up to five devices per subscription, with the ability to download issues for offline reading.

Some of the magazines available include People, Vogue, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Wired, Maxim, Men’s Health, GQ, Bloomberg Businessweek, ESPN The Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly. New issues are available alongside a searchable archive of thousands of past issues.

More details to follow…

Tags: Apple acquisition, Texture
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UK delays mandatory age verification on porn sites

Ever since the Digital Economy Act became UK law this time last year, we’ve known there would come a time when porn sites would be compelled to verify the age of British visitors to ensure they’re only letting adults in. Not long after, the UK’s digital minister set a deadline of April 2018, at which point porn sites would have to comply or face the consequences. We had assumed everything was on track, but the UK government has admitted we’re nowhere near ready to police porn sites, and now it expects age verification won’t be enforceable until the end of the year.

The UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport announced over the weekend the recipients of a £25 million ($35ish million) pot earmarked for 5G projects. The fund will support trials of 5G-equipped drones geared for “smart farming,” internet of things things in healthcare applications and autonomous vehicle tech, among other research. Curiously, the government slipped into this release an admission that we don’t yet have clear guidelines drawn up for porn sites to follow, and so mandatory age verification will be delayed until these sites know what’s expected of them.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which decides the age ratings for movies, games and music videos, recently took on the additional role of porn regulator. The BBFC will be able to fine sites that don’t introduce age checks up to £250,000 (around $346,000) or up to 5 percent of their turnover. Additionally, it can order ISPs to block sites and even tell service providers, such as those that process payments or manage on-site advertising, to stop working with sites not adhering to the rules. Social networks will also have a responsibility to mute the voices of non-compliant peddlers.

We knew the BBFC was likely to take on this extra job as far back as 2016, but it was only officially appointed in the new regulatory role last month. That’s the main reason for the delay: The BBFC is just now writing the guidelines porn sites and their service providers will have to follow. These will be published towards the end of this month in draft form, so the industry and anyone else with an opinion can comment on them. When it seems like a best-fit solution has been reached, the government then has to voice its approval before giving porn sites three months to get ready to implement age verification tools. This is all expected to come to a conclusion before the end of the year, but as with all things government, the process could very well drag on for longer.

A big part of what the BBFC has to figure out is what forms of age verification will be appropriate. “We expect to see a number of solutions offered by providers to give people different ways to verify their age,” an FAQ on the BBFC website states. The owner of Pornhub and many other adult sites, Mindgeek, recently detailed the system it intends to use. AgeID is an encrypted login that can work across any site, meaning someone only has to verify their age once to get into any site that uses the same tool. Apparently it doesn’t store any personal information, just the data it needs to tell a site: Yes, this visitor is over 18.

Mindgeek isn’t just planning to use AgeID across its own brands. It intends to license the tool out to other sites and let smaller, independent providers use it for free. There is the question of whether one huge porn distributor should dictate how every UK-facing site checks age, but that’s exactly the kind of thing the BBFC should be looking at. As you can imagine, a lot of people aren’t happy about mandatory age verification in general. The worry is that any mechanism will leave a digital trail, meaning your personal porn habits are cataloged… somewhere — one of the benefits of Mindgeek’s AgeID tool is that it follows you around so you don’t have to log in to every individual site. And if a record exists, how can we be sure this remains private and secure?

In that sense, the BBFC is likely glad to have more time to get its ducks in a row and the industry in agreement. Between now and whenever age verification eventually becomes mandatory, perhaps it will allay the public’s fears by being transparent about how exactly age checking systems are going to work in practice.

Source: UK government