Leaked internal memo warns Apple employees about the dangers of leaking

Apple, the world’s largest tech company, issued a very stern memo to its employees warning about the consequences of leaking future product and software road maps to the press and analysts. The confidential memo, leaked to Bloomberg, comes after a series of embarrassing leaks in 2017 and 2018 leading up to the launch of the iPhone X, iOS 11, EarPods, and iPad Pro.

This isn’t the first warning the company has issued. In 2012 Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to double down on secrecy shortly after replacing the company’s founder, Steve Jobs. The company also held a private meeting with employees in 2017 in attempts to stop internal leaks, though many of the leaks mentioned in the memo appear to have taken place after the meeting.

Apple acknowledged product and software leaks are not limited to internal employees. The memo states Apple’s Global Security team “caught 29 leakers. Twelve of those were arrested. Among those were Apple employees, contractors and some partners in Apple’s supply chain.”

A few examples of internal leaks listed in the memo include that of an employee who leaked the golden master of iOS 11 in 2017 and was caught by the company’s internal investigations team within a matter of days. It also calls out 9to5Mac by name as a recipient of multiple product leaks from employees.

Apple advises of the consequences of leaking in the memo, stating that leakers will not only be fired, but can face felony prosecution as well. Tom Moyer of Global Security also warns “the potential criminal consequences of leaking are real, and that can become part of your personal and professional identity forever.”

Apple also warns employees of the possibility  of “being played” by journalists and analysts who may attempt to befriend them on social media to gain trade secrets. “The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and making them public. A scoop about an unreleased Apple product can generate massive traffic for a publication and financially benefit the blogger or reporter who broke it. But the Apple employee who leaks has everything to lose.”

While Apple uses its own internal investigations to sniff out internal leakers, the memo also discusses the steps the company is taking to protect its intellectual property when working with suppliers and vendors. Apple’s Global Security division works closely with these third-parties to pinpoint vulnerabilities and ensure its safety practices, both technological and physical, meet or exceed the exacting demands of the tech giant. The approach appears to be working as Apple reported the “programs have nearly eliminated the theft of prototypes and products from factories, caught leakers and prevented many others from leaking in the first place.”

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Leak reveals list of upcoming Samsung Galaxy devices in 2018

Forget cloning dogs, A.I. is the real way to let your pooch live forever

Once superintelligence arrives, we don’t know if it’s going to be on our side or against us. But in the meantime, you could do a lot worse than training artificial intelligence to respond like humanity’s best friend, the dog. That’s what researchers from the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence set out to do recently with a new deep-learning A.I. that is designed to predict how dogs would respond in any given situation.

“The goal of the project is to train statistical models that behave like the brain of a dog,” Kiana Ehsani, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “We try to predict, based on what the dog sees, how she will move her joints, follow the owner, fetch treats and toys, and in general react to the outside world.”

To create their unlikely A.I., the researchers fixed a range of sensors to an Alaskan Malamute named Kelp M. Redmon. These included a GoPro and microphone on its head, inertia sensors on its body, legs and tail, and an Arduino unit on the back to collect the data. They then let the dog go about its data activities, such as playing in the park.

Once more than 20,000 frames of video had been collected, the researchers used this to train their A.I. They were interested in three main goals: Predicting future movements, planning tasks, and learning doggy behavior. The hope is that they will be able to present the dog A.I. with scenarios — like spotting a squirrel — and then accurately modeling a response. Of the 24,500 frames of video collected, 21,000 were used to train the A.I., and the remainder to test its performance.

Right now, the A.I. isn’t hooked up to a physical body, but that could soon change. The team is interested in using their A.I. to create a realistic robot dog. This might have applications in training robots to carry out tasks like route planning with greater efficiency. There is also an altogether more intriguing use.

“Another application would be making a robot dog that acts exactly the same as your real dog,” Ehsani said. “The emotional reactions and their interests will be the same. It’s like making your dog live forever.”

Hey, that certainly beats Barbra Streisand’s Black Mirror-come-to-life scenario of just cloning her dog over and over again.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Baidu’s new A.I. can mimic your voice after listening to it for just one minute
• Smart toys accurately predict whether a guide dog will make it through training
• Don’t be fooled by dystopian sci-fi stories: A.I. is becoming a force for good
• Deep learning vs. machine learning: what’s the difference between the two?
• Science fiction’s 5 most haunting A.I. villains, ranked

Forget cloning dogs, A.I. is the real way to let your pooch live forever

Once superintelligence arrives, we don’t know if it’s going to be on our side or against us. But in the meantime, you could do a lot worse than training artificial intelligence to respond like humanity’s best friend, the dog. That’s what researchers from the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence set out to do recently with a new deep-learning A.I. that is designed to predict how dogs would respond in any given situation.

“The goal of the project is to train statistical models that behave like the brain of a dog,” Kiana Ehsani, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “We try to predict, based on what the dog sees, how she will move her joints, follow the owner, fetch treats and toys, and in general react to the outside world.”

To create their unlikely A.I., the researchers fixed a range of sensors to an Alaskan Malamute named Kelp M. Redmon. These included a GoPro and microphone on its head, inertia sensors on its body, legs and tail, and an Arduino unit on the back to collect the data. They then let the dog go about its data activities, such as playing in the park.

Once more than 20,000 frames of video had been collected, the researchers used this to train their A.I. They were interested in three main goals: Predicting future movements, planning tasks, and learning doggy behavior. The hope is that they will be able to present the dog A.I. with scenarios — like spotting a squirrel — and then accurately modeling a response. Of the 24,500 frames of video collected, 21,000 were used to train the A.I., and the remainder to test its performance.

Right now, the A.I. isn’t hooked up to a physical body, but that could soon change. The team is interested in using their A.I. to create a realistic robot dog. This might have applications in training robots to carry out tasks like route planning with greater efficiency. There is also an altogether more intriguing use.

“Another application would be making a robot dog that acts exactly the same as your real dog,” Ehsani said. “The emotional reactions and their interests will be the same. It’s like making your dog live forever.”

Hey, that certainly beats Barbra Streisand’s Black Mirror-come-to-life scenario of just cloning her dog over and over again.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Baidu’s new A.I. can mimic your voice after listening to it for just one minute
• Smart toys accurately predict whether a guide dog will make it through training
• Don’t be fooled by dystopian sci-fi stories: A.I. is becoming a force for good
• Deep learning vs. machine learning: what’s the difference between the two?
• Science fiction’s 5 most haunting A.I. villains, ranked

Another initial coin offering ‘exit scam’ steals $660M from Vietnam’s investors

A budding cryptocurrency firm located in Vietnam is accused of raising funds from an initial coin offering and disappearing with the money. Modern Tech, based in Ho Chi Minh City, set out to launch two cryptocurrency platforms: iFan for making payments between celebrities and fans, and Pincoin for general transactions backed by a rewards system. The company raised $660.79 million from around 32,000 investors before throwing on its invisibility cloak. 

An initial coin offering is a means to raise funds to launch a cryptocurrency platform. Investors shell out money in return for tokens (think stocks) that appreciate in value over time. Once the cryptocurrency platform is fully funded and goes live, these tokens can convert into virtual currency. The tokens served up by Modern Tech promised to “skyrocket” once the platforms went live. 

On the iFan front, the value of this specific cryptocurrency was expected to rise “on a daily basis” as the company signed on Vietnamese singers. Meanwhile, the value of Pincoin would rise as investors brought other individuals into the network, providing an 8 percent commission for each new Pincoin member. Ultimately, investors were promised a profit rate of 48 percent a month, and a full recoup all investments within four months. After that, investors could seemingly shower in money. 

At first, Modern Tech began paying commissions with real money. Investors watched as both cryptocurrency platforms increased in value on a daily basis, as promised. But eventually the company replaced cash payments with tokens that couldn’t be withdrawn for real world money. That suddenly raised a red flag for all investors. 

Victims turned to social media and forums to report their investment loss in Pincoin and iFan while on Sunday many parked in front of Modern Tech’s headquarters with signs to denounce the company and demand a refund. Victims are also currently signing an official complaint demanding a return of their investments. 

According to a report from Vietnam, the team behind the Pincoin and iFan initial coin offerings consist of seven Vietnamese nationals that lured investors by holding conferences in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other remote areas.  

Using initial coin offerings to raise cash for cryptocurrency platforms and disappearing with the money isn’t anything new. The method is called an “exit scam” and previously used by Confido, LoopX, Prodeum, Starscape Capital, Knoxcoin, and many others. The problem is that initial coin offerings, along with all cryptocurrency platforms, aren’t regulated, so there are no federal laws protecting investors. 

In North America, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) admitted that it was investigating companies and individuals for possibly violating securities laws through initial coin offerings. The SEC says virtual currencies should be listed as securities and registered with regulators given all promoters of initial coin offerings and cryptocurrencies won’t “act responsibly” and abide by federal laws. 

“The SEC is undertaking significant efforts to educate the public that unregistered securities investments offered by unregistered promoters, with no securities lawyers or accountants on the scene, are, in a word, dangerous,” stated SEC chairman Jay Clayton. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Companies, lawyers probed for selling cryptocurrency initial coin offerings
• SEC shuts down AriseBank initial coin offering after it made fraudulent claims
• Hackers steal as much as 10 percent of new cryptocurrency funds
• CryptoCelebs: Famous people who’ve bought the cryptocurrency craze
• Facebook bans advertisements for cryptocurrency exchanges

Facial recognition tech picks a suspect out of a crowd of 50,000 in China

Police in southeast China have reportedly arrested a fugitive spotted in a crowd of 50,000 people attending a pop concert — thanks to some eerily accurate facial recognition technology. According to local reports, the man was arrested while attending a show by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung in the Nanchang, Jiangxi province.

The man’s full name hasn’t been released but he is described in reports by his family name, Ao. “Ao was suspected to be involved in an economic crime and was listed on a national online system,” police officer Li Jin is quoted as saying. “He was very shocked and had a blank face when we caught him.” Ao had reportedly thought that he was safe to attend the crowded event because he considered that there was minimal chance that he would be identified in such a large group of people.

China has invested heavily in facial recognition technology for its law enforcement. Provided that this story is accurate — and not simply overstating the technology’s abilities to keep people in line — it suggests that this technology is incredibly well integrated. Not only is the ability to pick individual faces out of a crowd of 50,000 people some serious CSI-level tech, but it indicates that China is keeping a massive country-wide database of criminal identities which can be accessed by security cameras. According to the original report, 31-year-old Ao had driven between cities to attend the concert.

China’s Ministry of Public Security launched its facial recognition tech in 2015. Since then, it has been used in a variety of different contexts. Earlier this year, it was reported that police in Beijing are being kitted out with facial recognition smart glasses that let them identify individuals and match them up with a police database of wanted suspects. Visitors to a restroom in Beijing have also been subject to facial recognition tech intended to stop them from using too much toilet paper.

China’s President Xi Jinping is supposedly enthusiastic about ways to use artificial intelligence, including facial recognition technology, to track behavior which is viewed as running counter to the interests of the ruling Communist Party.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Chinese police are using facial-recognition tech to catch criminals
• Facial recognition has a race problem — here’s how Gyfcat is fixing that
• Crime-predicting A.I. isn’t science fiction. It’s about to roll out in India
• Horizon Robotics’ smart security camera uses A.I. for serious facial recognition
• North Carolina police force asks Google for data from devices near crime scenes

Facial recognition tech picks a suspect out of a crowd of 50,000 in China

Police in southeast China have reportedly arrested a fugitive spotted in a crowd of 50,000 people attending a pop concert — thanks to some eerily accurate facial recognition technology. According to local reports, the man was arrested while attending a show by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung in the Nanchang, Jiangxi province.

The man’s full name hasn’t been released but he is described in reports by his family name, Ao. “Ao was suspected to be involved in an economic crime and was listed on a national online system,” police officer Li Jin is quoted as saying. “He was very shocked and had a blank face when we caught him.” Ao had reportedly thought that he was safe to attend the crowded event because he considered that there was minimal chance that he would be identified in such a large group of people.

China has invested heavily in facial recognition technology for its law enforcement. Provided that this story is accurate — and not simply overstating the technology’s abilities to keep people in line — it suggests that this technology is incredibly well integrated. Not only is the ability to pick individual faces out of a crowd of 50,000 people some serious CSI-level tech, but it indicates that China is keeping a massive country-wide database of criminal identities which can be accessed by security cameras. According to the original report, 31-year-old Ao had driven between cities to attend the concert.

China’s Ministry of Public Security launched its facial recognition tech in 2015. Since then, it has been used in a variety of different contexts. Earlier this year, it was reported that police in Beijing are being kitted out with facial recognition smart glasses that let them identify individuals and match them up with a police database of wanted suspects. Visitors to a restroom in Beijing have also been subject to facial recognition tech intended to stop them from using too much toilet paper.

China’s President Xi Jinping is supposedly enthusiastic about ways to use artificial intelligence, including facial recognition technology, to track behavior which is viewed as running counter to the interests of the ruling Communist Party.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Chinese police are using facial-recognition tech to catch criminals
• Facial recognition has a race problem — here’s how Gyfcat is fixing that
• Crime-predicting A.I. isn’t science fiction. It’s about to roll out in India
• Horizon Robotics’ smart security camera uses A.I. for serious facial recognition
• North Carolina police force asks Google for data from devices near crime scenes

Acer Nitro 5 Spin review

Research Center:

Acer Nitro 5 Spin

The Windows 2-in-1 market is showing remarkable flexibility (no pun intended), with a wide variety of form factors and configurations aimed at all kinds of users. There are 2-in-1s for productivity, 2-in-1s for creativity, and 2-in-1s that can act as gaming notebooks in a pinch. And then there are even more niche machines, like gaming 2-in-1s that can also do productivity work. As an example, Acer has its Nitro 5 Spin, a 2-in-1 that’s clearly designed for gaming while offering the ability to spin the display all the way around.

Our review unit came equipped with a quad-core eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), a 1TB 5400 RPU SATA hard disk drive (HDD), and a 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 141 PPI) IPS display. It’s priced at $1,100, inching it into premium territory and pitting it against some serious competition.

Is it possible to make a great convertible 2-in-1 with gaming as its primary focus? Read our Acer Nitro 5 Spin review to find out.

A design that’s gaming first, 2-in-1 second

The Nitro 5 Spin’s deep black chassis with red trim along the keyboard deck and red hinges immediately gives it away as a gaming-focused notebook. Open the lid and you’ll see copious amounts of red on the keyboard as well, along with the telltale dedicated WASD keys that stand out whether the backlight is on or off. But while it’s clearly a gaming aesthetic, it doesn’t sport any weird angles or jet exhaust venting like with the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 that will stand out in a coffee shop.

And, unlike many gaming notebooks, Acer utilized an all-metal build in the Nitro 5 Spin that’s similar in quality to pure productivity notebooks like the Lenovo Yoga 720 15 and HP Spectre x360 15. There’s just the slightest bit of flex in the lid, but otherwise it’s a robust enough build that it inspires confidence carrying it around. The hinge is well-designed with good grip and a fluid motion, allowing the display to be lifted into clamshell mode with one hand while holding things together in multimedia, tent, and tablet modes.

Of course, it’s a large 2-in-1 thanks to its 15.6-inch display and large bezels that make the chassis almost an inch wider than it might have been. It’s relatively thin, coming in at 0.70 inches – that’s just slightly less than both the Yoga 720 15 and the Spectre x360 15. But it’s also heavier than both of those 2-in-1s at a hefty 4.85 pounds. That means that you’ll be less inclined to use it as a tablet, at least while it’s tucked away in the crook of your arm, unless you spend plenty of time in the gym.

The Nitro 5 Spin’s deep black chassis with red hinges and trim along the keyboard deck immediately gives it away as a gaming-focused notebook

As with most larger notebooks, the Nitro 5 Spin makes good use of its chassis size and packs in plenty of ports. There’s a USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port (unfortunately, without Thunderbolt 3 support), two USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port, a full-size HDMI port, and an Ethernet jack. For wireless connectivity you get the usual 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac and Bluetooth radios. Oddly enough, there’s no SD card reader, which would have been nice to have.

Input is mediocre, but those WASD keys are nice to have

As mentioned earlier, the red-trimmed and backlit (one brightness level) keyboard sports handy WASD keys for gaming, and that’s where the major accolades end. The keys lack travel and have an abrupt bottoming action that’s a bit jarring, but they’re snappy which again likely appeals most to gamers. Fitting in a numeric keypad meant squeezing the layout a bit, with some keys on the right-hand side – notably the Alt and Ctl keys – smaller than we’d like.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The touchpad is a decent size and is a Microsoft Precision version. Windows 10 multitouch gestures are therefore reliable and precise, and the surface is conducive to fast swiping. The Windows 10 Hello fingerprint scanner is in the upper right-hand corner of the touchpad, which means it’s a bit in the way, but it responds quickly for password-less login.

Finally, the display support multitouch, and the Acer active pen is a $50 option. It’s nothing special, with only 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity versus the 4,096 levels and tilt support on competitors like the Microsoft Surface Book 2 15. It works, but you’ll want to use it with the Nitro 5 Spin laying on stable surface given the 2-in-1’s significant size.

A display that’s average for productivity but superior for gaming

The Nitro 5 Spin comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 142 PPI), which is becoming more and more typical of today’s notebooks. It’s also a good resolution for an entry-level gaming system, which can then play modern titles at native resolution with some level of performance.

When subjected to our colorimeter, the panel that Acer chose for the machine is just about average compared to run-of-the-mill 2-in-1s, it falls short against more premium versions, and it’s better than the typical gaming notebook. Compare contrast, for example – the Nitro 5 Spin is right in line with the Yoga 720, falls short of the ultra-expensive Surface Book 2 and Dell XPS 2-in-1, and beats out the Inspiron 15 7577 Gaming.

The same is true for brightness, where the Nitro 5 Spin is good but not great at 292 nits and color gamut. Color accuracy is a real weakness, and gamma is too dark at 2.4, which impacts video and photo viewing.

In our own daily usage, we didn’t have complaints about the display, but it didn’t knock our socks off either. That’s pretty much the definition of “average,” but it is worth nothing that gaming notebooks in this price range sometimes come up short in contrast, brightness, and color gamut.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Acer spent some time creating a powerful audio system for the Nitro 5 Spin, and it shows. Two front-firing speakers mate with a dedicated subwoofer to provide quite a bit of volume and some real punch for watching movies and TV. Given the notebook’s size, there’s even some stereo separation, which adds to the audio experience. You’ll notice some distortion above 80 percent volume or so, but you don’t really need to turn it up that loud to fill a medium-size room.

Solid performance for both gamers and workers

Many gaming notebooks — like the HP Omen 15 — opt for 45-watt Intel CPUs, but the Nitro 5 Spin makes due with the eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U, a 15-watt processor. That means that it performs almost as well, but is far more efficient.

Acer Nitro 5 Spin Compared To

Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

HP Spectre x360 13-ae002xx

HP Envy x2 (2017)

Asus NovaGo

Acer Switch 3

HP Omen 15

HP Spectre x360 15-bl075nr

Origin EON15-S

Lenovo Yoga 720 13-inch

Acer Spin 7

Samsung Notebook 7 spin

Huawei Matebook

Acer Aspire R7 (late 2013)

Acer Aspire R7

Acer tuned the Nitro 5 Spin quite well, and it squeezes out all of the CPU’s performance. It competes well against other similarly-equipped notebooks such as the Surface Book 2 15, and it even competes with the very fast Intel Core i7-8705G in the Dell XPS 2-in-1 with its higher power rating. That’s true in both the Geekbench 4 synthetic benchmark, although the Dell’s faster CPU managed a better score in our Handbrake real-world video encoding test.

Acer equipped the Nitro 5 Spin with a 256GB Micron 1100 SATA SSD and a secondary spinning hard disk drive (HDD). Unsurprisingly, the SATA SSD was considerably slower than the PCIe SSDs in our comparison group. It’s not something you’ll notice in most real-world tasks, and you’ll likely be loading your games from the larger HDD that’s going to be the real storage bottleneck.

Overall, the Nitro 5 Spin is fast enough for most anything you’ll throw at it, be it productivity apps or gaming, and you’d hope to get some extra efficiency as well. But you’ll likely find faster PCIe SSDs at this  price point, particularly with most 2-in-1 competitors.

Somewhat disappointing entry-level gaming chops

Acer equipped the Nitro 5 Spin with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU. That’s usually good enough for solid entry-level 1080P gaming in most modern titles, as long as you’re willing to set graphical detail at a medium setting.

The gaming 2-in-1’s synthetic 3DMark benchmark tests are in line with what we’d expect for the GPU, competing with the Yoga 720 15, Microsoft Surface Book 2 13, and Asus VivoBook Pro N580. Unsurprisingly, it falls down against dedicated gaming systems with faster GPUs like the Dell Inspiron 15 7577, and it can’t keep up with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics in the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1.

In real-life gaming, though, the Nitro 5 Spin was a bit disappointing. It only managed 41 frames per second (FPS) in Battlefield 1 at 1080P with medium graphics, for example, which is slower than the 63 FPS managed by the Asus VivoBook Pro N580, the 55 FPS scored by the Yoga 720 15, and the 53 FPS in the Surface Book 2 13 in “Best performance” mode. Its 44 FPS in Civilization VI in 1080p with medium graphics is also lower than most machines in our comparison group.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Ultimately, while you can get a better gaming experience out of the Nitro 5 Spin than you will from even some other 2-in-1s, with the Yoga 720 15 being a prime example for most games. Acer’s 2-in-1 may look like a gaming machine, but in real-world testing its gaming chops are mostly skin deep.

Not bad for a gaming notebook, but heavy and short-lasting for a convertible 2-in-1

The Nitro 5 Spin has a relatively small 50 watt-hours of battery capacity tucked away in its generously-sized chassis. Although its CPU is efficient, that’s not a lot of juice for a machine with a 15.6-inch display even if it is “only” Full HD.

Unsurprisingly, battery life was unimpressive. Acer’s 2-in-1 managed only three hours in our Basemark test, which isn’t a bad score for gaming notebooks but falls well short of 2-in-1s like the Surface Book 2 15 and the smaller Asus ZenBook Flip 14. Only the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 was worse at just over two hours, although we’ll note that our review unit was equipped with a power-sucking 4K display.

In our web browsing test, the Nitro 5 Spin managed under seven hours, which fell short of the Yoga 720 and the Surface Book 2 15. Again, the XPS 15 2-in-1 fell short against other 2-in-1s. Finally, in our test that loops a local video until the battery runs out, the Nitro 5 Spin couldn’t make it to nine hours, where the Yoga 720 15 and ZenBook Flip 14 lasted for around an hour longer and the Surface Book 2 15 was spectacular at more than 20.5 hours.

It’s large, heavy, and the battery life is mediocre at best. That’s another knock against the Nitro 5 Spin as a convertible 2-in-1 even as it’s a decent enough result for a gaming notebook.

Our Take

The Acer Nitro 5 Spin has some serious aspirations. It wants to be both a gaming notebook and a productivity 2-in-1, and it certainly packs in the right components. Unfortunately, although it looks the part, it’s not a terribly competitive gaming notebook. And like many 15-inch convertible 2-in-1s, it’s just too big to use as a tablet, meaning you’ll mostly just be swiveling the display around for watching video. In the end, the Nitro 5 Spin is a Jack of two trades and a master of none.

Is there a better alternative?

The 15-inch 2-in-1 market is chock full of good alternatives. We’ve already mentioned the Lenovo Yoga 720, which is slightly lighter, packs in similar components, and performs just as well if not better. And, it’s a bit less expensive at $1,000 for a Core i5-7300HQ, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and without the 1TB HDD.

If you can spend some additional money, you could consider either size of Microsoft’s Surface Book 2. The 13.5-inch model has a slightly faster CPU and a GTX 1050 that’s a bit faster in real-world gaming, and the 15-inch model has a significantly faster Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 that blows the Nitro 5 Spin away in playing modern games. Or, you could opt for a dedicated gaming notebook like the Dell Inspiron 15 7577 and eschew the 2-in-1 form factor completely. For $950 or so, that would net you an Intel Core i5-7300HQ, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with Max Q that will be a real step up in gaming. You’ll give up some things, though, such as in the svelte chassis, the display, and in battery life.

How long will it last?

The Nitro 5 Spin is built well enough that you shouldn’t worry about it falling apart on you, and it’s equipped well enough for years of productive use. It’s not a long-term gaming solution, though as its GTX 1050 won’t keep up with newer titles and it’s not the fastest implementation to begin with. The one-year warranty is standard, neither better nor worse than most competitors.

Should you buy it?

No. If you want a gaming notebook, then buy one. Don’t bother with a convertible 2-in-1 that just pretends to be for gaming. Even if that’s what you are looking for, this isn’t the best of the options.

Internet-free Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro aimed toward keeping students on task

Samsung has announced the launch of its Galaxy J2 Pro smartphone in South Korea. The device supports all the basic functions of a phone such as calling and texting, but it can’t connect to 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, or Wi-Fi.

The Internet-free device is geared mainly toward students who need to focus on studying without any distractions. Not being able to constantly access the outside world on their phone — whether it’s social media, games, or even a web browser — might make it easier for them to stay on task. But it can also be an option for people who don’t need to access the internet from their smartphones and only need to make phone calls or send text messages.

In terms of specs, the Galaxy J2 Pro comes with a 5-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, along with an 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. Under the hood, is a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 2,600mAh replaceable battery. For storage, the device also has a microSD slot.

The Galaxy J2 Pro is available in two colors — black and gold — and costs $190 U.S. When it comes to aesthetics, it’s curved design and glossy look doesn’t make it seem too outdated in comparison to other budget phones.

There’s not much else to the device other than an offline “Diodict4” electronic dictionary application that can be used for foreign language learning. Other features include a calendar app, an FM radio, and a calculator. While there is an LTE modem in the phone, it’s disabled for any tasks other than calling or texting people, The Verge notes. But you can choose a data plan that puts a limit on how many texts you’re able to send out.

Samsung is also currently running a special promotion in honor of the new device for students between the ages of 18 and 21. Once students have completed the College Scholastic Ability Test — a college-entrance exam taken in South Korea — after 2019 and 2020, they’ll be able to trade in their Galaxy J2 Pro for a Galaxy S, Note, or A Series phone — as long as it was released after 2018.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Check out the best affordable Samsung phones for March 2018
• Which Verizon plan is best for you? We check out family, individual, and prepaid
• Huawei P20 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Are three better than two?
• Everything you need to know about the Essential PH-1 phone
• Best mobile plans and cell phones for seniors who just want to stay in touch

‘Shenmue’ I & II return on PS4, Xbox One and PC this year

Die-hard Shenmue fans don’t just have the crowdfunded Shenmue III to look forward to anymore. Tonight at the Sega Fest event, Sega announced the first two games in the series will be re-released later this year for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Fans can expect both physical and digital releases, while the games promise a “definitive version of these all-time classics.” Relive Ryo Hazuki’s quest for revenge with the classic or updated controls, options for either Japanese or English voiceovers and an updated UI. You can check out the reveal trailer with some pre-release footage after the break.

You’ve asked, we listened and we’re extremely excited to finally announce that Shenmue I & II are coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC in one package! Both games will feature Japanese and English voice overs, the choice of classic or modern controls and more! #ShenmueSaved pic.twitter.com/EvtcEt5pgn

— SEGA (@SEGA) April 14, 2018

Source: Shenmue

Waymo formally applies for fully driverless car tests in California

Waymo has officially applied to the California DMV to test autonomous cars without drivers in the state. A source told the San Francisco Chronicle that the company will start trials around its Mountain View headquarters where it’s been testing its self-driving Chrysler Pacific minivans, though those had personnel behind the wheel just in case. Eventually, they’ll expand no-trial driving to more of the Bay Area, the source said.

The California DMV had predicted they’d be ready for automakers to start testing driverless cars on public roads in April, and started accepting applications on the 2nd of the month. The new rules also allow testing vehicles without steering wheels, foot pedals and mirrors. Waymo is actually the second company to apply for driverless testing in California. The DMV confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle that two have submitted appropriate paperwork (the first applied earlier this month), but declined to identify either.

In place of a backup driver, the DMV would require companies to link their test vehicles to remote operators, who could take over in the event of an emergency. Back in March, Arizona’s governor opened up driverless car tests in the state, and notably won’t require the same wired-in operators waiting to step in. It should be noted that in the fatal crash involving an autonomous Uber car just weeks later, a test driver had been behind the wheel.

Via: The Verge

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle