USB-based YubiKey now boosts security for iPhones running iOS 11

If you’re a stickler for security, then you may be familiar with the YubiKey, the USB device that adds an extra layer of protection to your various internet accounts. Unfortunately, thus far, it’s only been compatible with devices that have USB ports, which means that phones were more or less out of the question. But now, that’s no longer the case. Thanks to the NFC chip embedded in iPhones (iPhone 7s and older, that is) and iOS 11, the YubiKey can now be used with Apple smartphones.

For those unfamiliar with the YubiKey, the tiny device is meant to be inserted into a computer, and has a little button that can be pressed anytime two-factor authentication is needed. This is faster, more secure, and more reliable than using some other authentication method, and as such, the YubiKey is quite popular among both companies and individual users.

And now that iOS 11 has opened up the possibility of third parties to integrate with the NFC chip via a new SDK, the YubiKey is iPhone compatible. All you need to do is tap the YubiKey against the iPhone.

Unfortunately, for the time being, this only works with apps that use the SDK, and it’s currently a short list — only LastPass is eligible. However, given that LastPass is a password manager that likely controls all your other passwords, it’s perhaps the most important app.

As LastPass noted, “LastPass users with iPhone 7 or above, running iOS 11, can now authenticate to their LastPass Premium, Families, Teams and Enterprise accounts on their mobile device with the same YubiKey NEO that they use for their desktop or laptop.” The note continues, “At the time of mobile login, users can touch the YubiKey NEO to the iPhone to wirelessly transfer a Yubico one-time password and securely access the application.”

In the future, we can likely expect other apps and sites like Google, Facebook, Dropbox, GitHub, Dashlane, and more to use the SDK as well, opening up new YubiKey possibilities. And if you’re interested in purchasing a YubiKey yourself, now that it’s more widely usable, you can do so on Amazon for $50.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Common iOS 11 problems and advice on how to handle them
• Apple’s iOS 11.3 is now available for download on the iPhone and iPad
• How to reset your Apple ID password and gain control of your account

Notes show Sony’s next PlayStation may have an AMD Ryzen processor

The next PlayStation console may rely on an AMD Ryzen processor. The news arrives by way of principal programmer Simon Pilgrim from Sony’s Advanced Technology Group who is tweaking the LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) compiler stack to improve support for the “Zen” core architecture used in AMD’s Ryzen processors. That compiler component is part of the development environment for PlayStation consoles. 

The current PlayStation 4 relies on a custom all-in-one chip from AMD that contains six “Jaguar” CPU cores and 1,152 Radeon-branded graphics cores. Sony also sells the Pro variant, which packs updated graphics cores and higher CPU core speeds to support 4K HDR visuals. This model landed in September 2016.

For developers, that hardware creates a better environment because the components are based on what they are using on a PC to create games. Both Sony and Microsoft went with AMD’s hardware for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, and the fact that Sony is gearing up for another console using AMD’s hardware isn’t surprising.

AMD spent four years designing its Zen architecture to pack more performance per watt, providing processors that could match Intel’s CPUs in performance but at half the cost. The first family of Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5, and Ryzen 3 processors arrived throughout 2017 followed by the initial rollout of the second-generation Ryzen processors based on a refreshed Zen design earlier this year. 

Serving as a principal programmer at Sony since 2009, Pilgrim is spending his time supporting the first-generation Zen architecture, listed as “znver1,” in the LLVM compiler. The information regarding this work resides on Github where he made several znver1-based changes last week and submitted a cleanup for the znver1 code on Friday. Improvements go back at least two weeks. 

Despite the generation one Zen reference in Pilgrim’s work, he’s likely updating the LLVM compiler with support for AMD’s new Zen architecture refresh used in its four new Ryzen desktop processors. As previously reported, AMD’s next processor family, its third-generation Ryzen processors for 2019, will be based on a second-generation Zen architecture (Zen 2). Given Sony needs to be locked down to specific hardware now for a future PlayStation console release in the next few years, the company will likely miss out on Zen 2. 

Meanwhile, Microsoft deems its just-released Xbox One X as the most powerful console currently on the planet. Like the original Xbox One, it’s based on AMD’s hardware, but packs a meatier all-in-one chip with eight “Jaguar” cores clocked at 2.3GHz and 2,560 Radeon graphics cores clocked at 1,172. When released, the PlayStation 5 could be the first gaming console based on AMD’s new Zen CPU architecture. 

We can’t help but wonder if Sony will tease the PlayStation 5 next month during the E3 2018 gaming convention. A reveal is highly unlikely given the PlayStation 4 Pro isn’t even two years old, but at least we will already have an idea of what will be under the hood whenever the fifth-generation console finally makes its debut. 

Editors’ Recommendations

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• The Ryzen 7 CPU could see a nice speed increase over AMD’s current chip
• AMD’s leaked road map shows plans for Ryzen, Threadripper processors until 2020
• AMD combats upgrade woes with ‘crates’ featuring discounted hardware bundles

Data-stealing bug prompts Comcast to shut down Xfinity activation website

Ken Wolter/123rf

Two security researchers uncovered a bug within Comcast’s online activation portal that revealed a customer’s home address along with the Wi-Fi network name and password in plain text. Within hours of learning of the flaw uncovered by Karan Saini and Ryan Stevenson, Comcast shut down the Xfinity activation site, citing customer security as its top concern.

In order for customers to activate their routers, they have to visit an Xfinity activation website to enter some user information in order to setup their router and service. Saini and Stevenson discovered that even though the website asks for a customer’s full address, just an apartment or house number was needed along with an account ID. Both pieces of information required to gain access to the activation portal could easily be found on a discarded bill.

The activation portal continues to work and return information about the customer and the Wi-Fi network even after the router and home broadband service has been activated.

If a customer is using a Comcast or Xfinity-branded router, then the activation portal continues to return updated network information, so if a customer changes the network name or password, that latest information would be displayed on the activation portal. ZDNet noted that there’s no way for a customer to opt out of this system. For customers using their own router, the publication discovered that the portal doesn’t have access to the Wi-Fi network name and password to display.

On the primary level, the security concern is that customer’s network data and home address isn’t protected by requiring information that’s not readily available through an account statement. Further, once a hacker obtains the network data, they can use it in a malicious manner if they’re within close proximity to the Wi-Fi network. The network ID and password could be used to gain access to unencrypted web traffic that passes through the router. Additionally, hackers can also temporarily lock users out by changing the network name and password once they have access.

Comcast has since disabled this feature on its website to correct the security flaw. “Within hours of learning of this issue, we shut it down,” a Comcast spokesperson told ZDnet. “We are conducting a thorough investigation and will take all necessary steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.” In a separate statement to Gizmodo, Comcast noted that it doesn’t believe that any data was improperly accessed as a result of this bug.

News of the bug comes at a time when Comcast is launching its own mesh networking accessory.

Looks at the size of that thing! LG shows off its 77-inch rollable OLED TV

In recent years, LG has given us glimpses of prototypes of both transparent OLED displays and rollable OLED displays, but it was always in the context of technology we will see someday in the future. Now it seems the future is getting a little closer, as the company is showing off what it calls the world’s first 77-inch transparent flexible OLED display at the Society for Information Display (SID) conference in Los Angeles, and it shows that LG is making great strides with this type of technology.

Combining its transparent and rollable OLED display technologies, especially in a display this size, shows that LG is making great progress. The panel itself is capable of the standard Ultra HD (UHD) resolution of 3840 × 2160 with 40 percent transparency and can be rolled up to a radius of 80mm without any negative effects on its functionality. At first, you might wonder how transparency could work in your living room, but looking at the Ambient mode in Samsung’s latest TVs shows how it could be useful, blending into your decor rather than sticking out like, well, a TV.

“LG Display is proud to have a pioneering role in the 50-year history of LCD innovations by introducing world-first and world-best technologies such as IPS,” LG Display executive vice president and chief technology officer In-Byeong Kang said in a statement. “We will continue to create innovations in the display industry by establishing a new display paradigm with OLED technology and opening another revolutionary chapter of display history.”

For the time being, most actual uses of these new transparent flexible OLEDs would be digital signage, similar to the transparent and mirrored displays Samsung introduced a few years ago. That said, the rollable OLED we saw at CES would fit well in your living room. LG isn’t saying when it might roll out these displays, but the company is definitely progressing quickly.

While these technologies might come to your home in the future, they’re not useful if you’re looking to buy a TV now. Fortunately, we have a TV buying guide and a list of the best TVs you can buy to help you in your shopping.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best TVs you can buy in 2018
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• OLED vs. LED: Which is the better TV technology?
• Become a TV tech expert with our 4K TV buying guide
• QLED vs. OLED TV: Similar names, totally different technologies

We now know when Apple will show off its latest software innovations at WWDC

Apple’s fall event may get more press thanks to the launch of the latest and greatest iPhone model, but some fans of the brand get much more excited about the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference, also known as WWDC. Why? Well, it’s often where Apple launches new Mac models and debuts new iPads, as well as where we learn about what Apple has been working on when it comes to software.

We now finally know exactly when Apple’s 2018 WWDC event will take place. According to Apple, WWDC 2018 will be held from June 4-8 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. The company has now even sent out press invites to the event. We have been invited to the event, and will be on the ground covering it — so keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as our home page, come June 4.

“The McEnery Convention Center will be home to the world’s most creative developer community, who come together every year to share unique perspectives and learn about the future of Apple’s breakthrough products and services,” said Apple in a press release.

There are a few things we expect to see at WWDC. For starters, a big focus will likely be on the future of iOS. According to some rumors, Apple will be placing a heavy emphasis on reliability in iOS 12, rather than going for a big redesign. Of course, we’ll still get some sweet new features, and it appears those new features might show up on the iPad. In particular, we may see tabs for apps on the iPad, and Animoji support, which will coincide with the launch of an iPad with Face ID. We’ll also see Apple’s latest Mac operating system, as well as any new features in WatchOS, the Apple Watch operating system, and tvOS, the operating system that runs on the Apple TV.

Just because WWDC is software-focused, that doesn’t mean we won’t see any hardware. Apple announced that we won’t see the upgraded Mac Pro for a while, but we could still see a MacBook Pro refresh, and it’s possible the company could update the Mac Mini for the first time in four years, too.

Update: Invitations for WWDC 2018 have gone out.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Apple iPad Pro (2018): News and rumors
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• Apple plans a radically redesigned Mac Pro for 2019

How to enable navigation gestures on the OnePlus 6

Gestures offer an interesting new take on navigation.

OnePlus introduced navigational gestures to the OnePlus 5T earlier this year, and the feature has made its way to the OnePlus 6 as well. Gestures offer a new way to interact with the interface, and in many instances, they’re a more intuitive way of navigating the UI. Google is set to roll out gestures of its own with Android P, and while OnePlus’ implementation is slightly different to that of Google’s, it’s clear that gestures are the way forward for navigation on Android.

It’s a straightforward process to get started with gestures on OxygenOS. As is the case with any new navigation system, it takes a few days to get fully acclimated, but you’re comfortable using gestures, you won’t go back to using a fixed navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. Another advantage with gestures is they free up the space taken by the nav bar, allowing the UI to scale to the full width of the screen.

How to enable navigation gestures on the OnePlus 6

Open Settings from the app drawer or home screen.
Tap Buttons.

Tap Navigation bar & gestures.

Select Navigation gestures.
You’ll get a quick demo on how the gestures work at the lower half of the screen.

The navigation bar is now hidden, and the interface scales to the full width of the screen.

Like the three buttons on the nav bar, you get three gestures to replicate their functionality: a swipe up from the bottom center of the display takes you to the home screen, a swipe up from bottom of either edge of the screen is for going back in an app (or exiting it), and you swipe up from the bottom and pause to access the multitasking pane.

Do you use gestures to navigate the OxygenOS interface?

OnePlus 6

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• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Best Buy may have just cut the best discount membership for PlayStation gamers

But that doesn’t mean the end of video game discounts…

Sadly for gamers and deal hunters across the nation, Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked seems to have come to an end according to a leaked internal memo. The company is no longer accepting new memberships online or in-store as it has decided to terminate both the free Gamers Club and paid Gamers Club Unlocked services.

If you’re currently a Gamers Club Unlocked member, you’ll continue to receive the benefits you paid for while your membership remains active. If you had been planning on signing up for the service soon, like me, you’ll unfortunately need to hunt for a new way to save on video games. But our friends over at Thrifter have a few solid ideas for you already.

Gamers Club Unlocked was fantastic because it saved members 20% on all video game purchases. They also recieved extra discounts on pre-owned games and more for just $15 yearly. Thankfully, both Best Buy and Amazon still provide some exclusive discounts when you pre-order a game before its release date. At Best Buy, you’ll receive a $10 reward certificate with select pre-orders, while Amazon Prime offers 20% off all standard video game pre-orders. We’ve noticed they don’t offer this discount on options such as collector’s editions however. That’s part of why this move by Best Buy hurts, because the GCU discount was valid on those items as well as Toys to Life products like amiibo and Skylanders figures which Amazon Prime doesn’t discount.

These pre-order methods are the most consistent ways to save on video game purchases currently. A majority of a game’s sales come from its very first day of being on sale, so retailers really strive to get your attention beforehand. That’s why we always see pre-order bonuses for video games. Recent warcries by gamers to not pre-order games so that audiences can see whether developer promises have been kept may also be a reason why stores are attempting to provide more enticing pre-order bonuses.

For the time being, it looks like being a Prime member at Amazon has the best benefits for gamers if you’re looking for immediate discounts on new releases, free PC games every month via Twitch Prime, and more. Luckily, you can start a free 30-day membership to check it out for yourself.

The wisest way to save on video games without a membership somewhere is to wait a week after release and keep your eye on Thrifter. They’ll keep you up to date on the latest price drops for recently released and best-selling games at no additional cost. Beat that, Amazon.

Amazon Prime Exclusive Phones: Everything you need to know

Prime Exclusive Phones consist of quality handsets at discounted prices — exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers.

It’s hard to keep track of all the perks that come with an Amazon Prime membership, but if you’re an Android fan, one of the best ones is easily Amazon’s Prime Exclusive Phones.

Prime Exclusive Phones are sold exclusively to Amazon Prime members, and this program allows you to purchase quality phones from LG, Motorola, and others at discounted rates. Here’s everything you need to know!

May 22, 2018 — The LG K30 joins the lineup with a price of $140

The latest phone entering the Prime Exclusive program is LG’s K30. It’s got a 5.3-inch 1280 x 720 screen on the front in addition to on-screen navigation buttons and a 5MP selfie camera. Plastic is the material of choice for the K30’s design, and on the back, you’ll find an 8MP shooter along with a fingerprint sensor.

Other specs include the Snapdragon 425, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 2TB), and Android 7.1 Nougat.

You’ll pay $139.99 for the K30.

What phones are available?

Amazon’s list of Prime Exclusive Phones is always changing, and as it does, we’ll be updating this list to reflect the most current lineup. As it stands right now, these are the phones you can get through the Prime Exclusive program —

• LG G6+ ($519.99)
• LG G6 ($419.99)
• LG Q6 ($189.99)
• LG K30 ($139.99)
• LG X Charge ($169.99)
• Moto E4 ($119.99)
• Moto X4 ($279.99)
• Moto G5 Plus ($204.99)

Can anyone buy the phones?

Nope.

In order to purchase Prime Exclusive Phones, you’ll need to have an active subscription to Amazon Prime.

Amazon Prime costs $119 for 12 months or $39 for 3 months, and along with access to these phones, you also get free two-day shipping, access to shows/movies on Prime Video, free Kindle e-books, and much, much more.

See at Amazon

How are they so much cheaper?

Prime Exclusive Phones are considerably cheaper than their non-Prime counterparts, but how can this be?

No matter which one you choose, all Prime Exclusive Phones come with pre-installed Amazon apps, including Amazon Shopping, Prime Video, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Music, etc.

There used to be advertisements on the lock screen of every Prime Exclusive phone, too, but Amazon changed this is February by simply kicking the price up of all its phones by $20 and removed the ads.

Amazon Echo vs. Dot vs. Tap vs. Spot vs. Show: Which should you buy?

Lenovo 500e Chromebook review: A true winner

One of the best Chromebooks you can buy in 2018.

When part of your job is reviewing products, you get to a point where you know almost everything you want to say in the first 15 minutes.

It’s refreshing when something comes across your desk that breaks that theme. Unboxing and charging the Lenovo 500e Chromebook had me thinking this was another solid offering from the company that knows laptops like no other, but not something that would offer any surprises.

That line of thinking was completely wrong and this Chromebook quite literally surprised me. In a very good way.

See at Lenovo

The construction: Tough and full-bodied

It’s certainly not how it looks; the 500e is not what you would call pretty in any way. It wasn’t designed to be, and instead is a utilitarian dark thick plastic reinforced in the right places to be considered rugged.

As part of the Yoga line of products, it doesn’t get the classic ThinkPad treatment of rubberized black construction that helps a tough laptop look good. If having something that will turn heads at the coffee shop is a must in your next Chromebook, then the 500e isn’t for you.

That doesn’t necessarily count as a negative. It looks tough and rugged, and that’s what it is. The thick soft plastic shell helps make the 500e drop-resistant up to 29.5 inches (the height of a school desk) and MIL-STD-810G compliant.

The 360-degree hinges are thick and solid — you can’t make the two halves wiggle laterally even if you try — there’s a rubber bumper around the entire body, and even the ports are reinforced. It’s built tough enough for the U.S. Military to use which also means it’s tough enough for kids in primary school to use.

The durability doesn’t stop there. The display is covered completely with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 NDR (native damage resistance) which uses a separate sheet of alkali-aluminosilicate glass that prevents chips and gouges in a full size display.

To round things out the keyboard and trackpad pan are designed to be water resistant so a spill doesn’t send your Chromebook to that ranch in the sky where dead Chromebooks run free. It’s built tough, so I’m fine with it looking like it’s built tough.

Use it three ways

As a convertible device, the 500e does suffer a bit because it’s bulky. In tented or display mode for tasks like watching a video or chatting on a hangout, it’s great. I think the bit of extra volume keeps it more steady, though that is probably perception and not reality. But as a tablet this thing is thick and heavy.

Being thick and durable isn’t what you want in a tablet.

A few days of trying different things with it and I’ve found it’s fine for some tasks, like sitting on a desk or table while you’re doodling in tablet mode, but not very good at others — don’t fall asleep with this one over your face. I’ve become able to ignore the keyboard keys when a Chromebook is folded into a tablet, but when you add in the extra bulk and weight it’s just not that comfortable to hold. Maybe I could get used to the weight, too, but I’m doubtful.

My takeaway here is that you don’t get both a rugged build and a feather-light weight in the same device. Lenovo knows this as well as you and I know it, and decided that toughness trumps slimness. Some of us will agree with that idea, and this is built for those who do. It’s definitely something to consider before you buy.

The specifications

François Beaufort’s Cog extension; get it at the Chrome Web Store.

Processor	Intel Celeron N3450U Processor (1.10GHz 2MB)
Display	11.6″ HD (1366 x 768) IPS Multitouch
Graphics	Intel HD 500
Battery	42 Wh (up to 10 hours)
Camera	720p HD front facing5MP world facing
Pen	Wacom EMR, integrated slot
RAM	4GB LPDDR4
Storage	32 GB eMMC
Ports	2 USB-C2 USB 3.0Micro SD card readerAudio combo jack
Connectivity	Intel dual-band Wireless AC (2×2 MIMO)Bluetooth 4.2
Dimensions	11.41-in x 8.03-in x 0.8-in(290mm x 204mm x 20.35mm)
Weight	2.97 pounds (1.35kg)

Hardware features: Good & Plenty

The 500e has everything you want a modern Chromebook to have when it comes the hardware. Powered by a 64-Bit Intel Celeron N3450, it has plenty of power to run anything Chrome will throw at it and I’ve seen no problems with a handful of tabs in the browser plus several Android apps running.

There isn’t a lot of difference on the user end between an Intel chip or an ARM chip when it comes to Chromebooks, provided the ARM chip is built for the extra load. But having a 64-bit Intel X86 processor puts it in the front of the queue for some upcoming Chrome OS features like Linux programs or anything that would use CPU virtualization like the rumored emulation mode.

The 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage are on par with almost every other Chromebook in the price range, and both are adequate. RAM hungry applications tend to run full window so suspended apps will free their RAM, and the news that Google is finally happy with using SD cards for Android apps makes 32 GB of storage plenty for an average user.

Power users may have needs that require more of either or both, and you probably already understand that a normal Chromebook isn’t the right device if that’s you.

The ins and outs

The 500e has all the ports you need. There’s a USB Type-C port on either side, and the power delivery spec means you can use either to charge the Chromebook or to charge another device like your phone. I got a kick out of the power supply that ships with this Chromebook, as it’s designed to look like an old-school laptop power cord complete with a box inline.

A more standard looking 45 watt charger is also available from Lenovo if you want to grab a spare. You also find a USB 3.0 Type-A port on both sides (seriously, well-done Lenovo) as well as a micro SD card slot, Kensington Lock slot, and a combo 3.5 audio jack.

As your windows to the world, you’ll find two HD (720p) cameras on the 500e. One is where you expect to see a camera on a laptop and the other is nestled above the keyboard to use as a “world camera” when folded into tablet or tent mode. Both are fine for their intended purpose — video communication — but you’ll not want to use them to take photos of your wedding or a once in a lifetime trip.

The display

You’ll be impressed with the quality of the display on the 500e, but not impressed with the resolution.

The display is rich and bright. Too bad it’s the same resolution laptops have used for 15 years.

It’s the same industry standard 1366 x 768 resolution we see in hundreds of other laptops. I can’t say that’s a bad thing, but seeing something a bit bigger in the display department is always a welcome surprise. The good news is that the IPS LCD Lenovo is using is beautiful.

The colors are bright and a tad bit over saturated, there is no color shift or banding while watching video, and the viewing angle is nice and wide. It is a glossy display which makes me a little skeptical about outdoor use but nonstop rain since it arrived has kept me from doing much testing in this department.

Touch and Pen input

The digitizer on the 500e is excellent. It’s responsive and accurate even when working with multiple windows at the same time and the tough balance between precision and palm rejection is on-point.

The 500e comes with an on-board pen hidden in its own slot. It’s a fine-point stylus using Wacom’s EMR (ElectroMagnetic Resonance) tech, which has become the standard for Chromebooks as of late. That means you don’t need any batteries and any suitable stylus with an EMR coil will work just fine.

Lenovo has done its part to optimize the hardware for Pen input.

EMR tech comes with a few drawbacks. Most notably, jitter or drift of the cursor depending on the angle of the pen and how close it is to the edge of the display. There are two ways to offset the issue, and one is bonding the digitizer layer to the LCD. It appears that Lenovo has done this and apps that have been optimized for Chrome Pen input (the second way to mitigate any drawbacks) as well as the Chrome OS interface itself work great. Keep and SketchBook have a drawing experience that’s as good as anything you’ll find.

Android apps that haven’t been optimized for Chrome Pen input still work and aren’t horrible, but you’ll occasionally notice a bit of cursor lag, especially when near the edges.

The keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad on the 500e are absolutely outstanding.

We don’t get to say that about Chromebooks very often, but Lenovo has outdone itself here and the keyboard in particular is a pleasure to use. There’s plenty of travel on the roomy keys with the perfect amount of resistance. The only thing I would have like to see was key back lighting, but at this price point that’s a rarity. This keyboard is a solid 10 out of 10.

I was skeptical about the trackpad, but didn’t need to be. It’s not glass coated, but it is nice and large and tracks my fingers very well across its smooth plastic surface. It’s not Pixelbook level, but the 500e also isn’t $1,000 and the trackpad is one of the best you’ll find in the price range.

The software and performance

There’s nothing special about Chrome OS on the Lenovo Chromebook 500e, and that’s fine with me.

The 500e does everything you ask of it, and does it all day long.

Google’s on-boarding process has been overhauled to be friendly and easy to follow, and you’ll go from opening the lid to being up and running in no time. Especially nice is the way the whole thing stops and shows the full EULA for those that wish to read it.

Google Play integration is also seamless and after you sign in you’re given the option to use the login at the Play Store. Saying yes will update a handful of “stock” Android apps on Chrome and put an icon for the Play Store in your tray.

Performance was as expected across the board. Most everything works well and offers a great user experience, though an Android app or two will be ugly and janky in full screen. One thing you will notice is how apps like Microsoft’s Office suite lacks integration with the Chrome pen input API and can be a little jittery when drawing or writing fast using long strokes. You see it more because the apps that are optimized, like SketchBook or Squid work so well.

Lenovo says the 42 Wh battery on the 500e will last 10 hours, and that’s pretty close to the truth. Surfing the web or streaming video gets you all day battery life but full screen intensive tasks and games cut into that considerably. It charges fairly quickly with the included charger and can be used with no problems while charging.

Should you buy this? Yes!

The one thing you should consider before you buy the Lenovo 500e is the way it’s built. Being tough and ready for some abuse means it’s not a looker, and notably thick and heavy. it’s intended to be a tough Chromebook that’s ready for the education market, so this isn’t an oversight or accidental — the Chromebook 500e is supposed to be a Hummer and not a Corvette.

If tough and rugged is what you want, then the 500e is the Chromebook you want.

Besides the way it looks, there are issues using it as a tablet because of the tough design. thick durable plastic and rubber combined with heavy-duty 360-degree hinges mean the 500e is thick and heavy when folded back onto itself and not ideal for holding in your hands or reading in bed. No excuses here, and no apologies from Lenovo — this is exactly how the 500e is supposed to be.

If you’re looking for a Chromebook that’s affordable and performs well, plus has the added bonus of an excellent keyboard and optimized construction for Pen input, the Lenovo 500e Chromebook is an excellent choice. I’d highly recommend it to anyone without concerns about using it as a tablet. It’s the best Chromebooks we’ve seen from Lenovo, and one of the best of 2018 so far.

See at Lenovo

The Good

• The Display: brightness and color pop.
• Rugged and water-resistant design.
• Excellent keyboard feedback.
• Highly optimized for Pen input.

The Bad

• It’s thick and on the heavy side.
• 1366 x 768 resolution should not be a thing in 2018.
• No keyboard back lighting.
• Unwieldy when using as a tablet.

4.5
out of 5

Chromebooks

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• Chromebooks in education: Everything you need to know
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Chromebook Buyers Guide
• Google Pixelbook review
• Join our Chromebook forums

Vivo teases a June 12 announcement for its Apex bezel-less smarpthone

This is the retail version of the Apex concept phone we saw at MWC.

During Mobile World Congress this past February, Vivo showed off its eye-catching Apex concept phone. The Apex stole the show with a screen-to-body ratio of more than 90%, front-facing camera that popped up from the top frame, and an in-display fingerprint sensor. Soon, that concept will be turned into a product you can actually buy.

Vivo recently shared a commercial it’ll be airing during the 2018 FIFA World cup, and it shows a device very similar to the Apex concept from MWC.

All of the highlight features from the Apex appear to be here, but it’s unclear what the phone will be called, what specs it’ll have, where it’ll be available, or how much the thing will cost.

Vivo did reveal that an event will be held in Shenzhen, China to announce the phone on June 12, but that’s all we know for the time being.

It was announced in March that Vivo would be starting full-scale production for this Apex phone in mid-2018, and it’s exciting to see the company keep moving forward with a project as ambitious as this is.

Vivo’s Apex concept phone has tiny bezels, pop-up camera and in-display fingerprint sensor