Peloton Digital app gives you unlimited workouts for $20 a month

With its hugely popular fitness bike, Peloton brought cycling and spin classes to the masses. Now, the company is looking to revolutionize the way we do workouts once again with a new app that offers a massive catalog of live and on-demand exercise classes. Dubbed Peloton Digital, and available exclusively for iOS devices, this app offers something for just about every kind of athlete, both in and out of the gym.

The new app requires a membership fee of $19.49 per month, but grants users access to a massive library of Peloton-created content. The company says there are over 10,000 fitness classes already available within the system, including instructor-led workouts that are livestreamed as they take place, as well as a sizable library of prerecorded videos that can be viewed at any time.

As you would expect, Peloton Digital has a healthy dose of cycling workouts for users to take part in, but the videos courses that are available cover a wide variety of other options, too. For instance, there are yoga classes, strength training and cardio workouts, and even stretching routines. And for the first time ever, Peloton is allowing users to head outdoors, offering both running and walking workouts for those who prefer to leave the gym equipment behind. These audio-only classes are 20 to 60 minutes in length, and feature the same instructors as the video content providing instructions and inspiration throughout.

Peloton Digital is available for iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV via AirPlay. The monthly membership allows the library of courses to be streamed on three different devices at once, giving multiple family members the opportunity to complete their workouts at the same time.

At launch, Peloton Digital offers 175 Tread Studio running and bootcamp courses, as well as 15 outdoor running classes. The company promises to add an additional 10 courses each month as it continues to ramp up its content library. It also continues to add new instructors to its roster, brining in personalities who will appeal to a wide range of athletes.

When announcing the new fitness app, Peloton’s chief content officer Fred Klein said, “We cannot emphasize enough how excited we are to finally bring the full diversity of our fitness programming to the viewing public.” He went on to add, “With the launch of Peloton Digital, we’re now able to leverage the freedom and flexibility of our live and on demand classes to offer engaging, authoritative fitness instruction that will appeal to anyone, regardless of fitness level, interests, or how much time they have to work out. Whether you already own home fitness equipment and are looking to amplify it with our world-class programming, or you just want to take us to your gym, your office, on vacation or just outside your door, we have something for you.”

Fitness fanatics are invited to take Peloton Digital for a spin with a 14-day free trial. The app is available to download now to your iOS device.

Editors’ Recommendations

• NordicTrack’s new RW900 rowing machine is a high-tech wonder
• Studio’s new running class takes its workout show on the road
• Strava’s ‘Relative Effort’ levels the playing field across a variety of sports
• Solos smart glasses’ head-up display lets runners, cyclists keep eyes on road
• Smart bike helmet maker Coros’ GPS fitness watch promises 30 days of battery life

Honor 10 vs. Nokia 7 Plus: Two of the best $400 phones on the market

The Honor 10 has a flashy design, while the Nokia 7 Plus is all about a clean user interface.

If you’re in the market for a $400-equivalent phone, the Nokia 7 Plus and the Honor 10 are two of the best options available.

The Honor 10 is notable for its aurora glass design, which alternates between several shades of blue (or green) based on how light reflects off the back. The phone also comes with 128GB of storage as standard, and has a similar set of AI-based camera features as the more expensive Huawei P20 Pro.

The Nokia 7 Plus, meanwhile, comes with a durable aluminum chassis, and runs Android One. HMD focused on the basics, and that has worked in its favor.

Neither the Nokia 7 Plus nor Honor 10 are available to purchase in the U.S. This guide is for those in the UK, Europe, and India.

Honor 10 vs. Nokia 7 Plus: Specs

Operating system	Android 8.1 OreoEMUI 8.1	Android 8.1 OreoAndroid One
Display	5.84-inch IPS LCD, 2280×1080 (19:9)Gorilla Glass	6.0-inch 18:9 IPS LCD 2160 x 1080Gorilla Glass 3403ppi pixel density
Chipset	Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 9704×2.4 Cortex A73 + 4×1.80GHz Cortex A53	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 6604×2.20GHz Kryo 260 + 4×1.80GHZ Kryo 260
GPU	Mali-G72 MP12	Adreno 512
RAM	4GB/6GB	4GB LPDDR4
Storage	64/128GB	64GB eMMC 5.1
Expandable	No	Yes (up to 256GB)
Rear camera 1	16MP, ƒ/1.8Dual LED flash4K@30FPS	12MP ƒ/1.75, 1.4umDual Pixel AutofocusEIS, Carl Zeiss optics4K@30fps
Rear camera 2	24MP, ƒ/1.8Monochrome	12MP ƒ/2.6, 1.0um
Front camera	24MP, ƒ/2.0	16MP, ƒ/2.0
Battery	3400mAh	3800mAh
Charging	USB-CFast charging (5V/4.5A)	USB-CQuick Charge 3.0
Water resistance	No	No
Security	Fingerprint sensorFace unlock	Fingerprint sensor
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2USB-C (2.0), NFCGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo	Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, FM radioNFC, LTE with VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou
Dimensions	149.6 x 71.2 x 7.7mm153g	158.4 x 75.6 x 8mm183g
Colors	Phantom Blue, Phantom Green, Glacier Grey, Midnight Black	Black/Copper, White/Copper

Where they’re equal

Both the Nokia 7 Plus and the Honor 10 field great hardware. The Honor 10 has the distinction of being the most affordable phone yet to feature HiSilicon’s Kirin 970 chipset. The chipset offers a dedicated Neural Processing Unit, and the Honor 10 leverages the core for AI-assisted camera features.

The Nokia 7 Plus is running the Snapdragon 660, and while it may not be quite as fast as the Snapdragon 845, the differences in day-to-day usage are minute. The Snapdragon 660 strikes the ideal balance between performance and affordability, and is Qualcomm’s best mid-range chipset in a long time. In regular usage, the Snapdragon 660 is just as fast as the Kirin 970.

The Honor 10 comes with 128GB of storage as standard, which is double that of the Nokia 7 Plus. The downside is that there’s no microSD card on the phone, whereas the Nokia 7 Plus has a hybrid SIM card slot with the second SIM card tray doubling up as a microSD slot. Thankfully, both devices have a headphone jack.

What the Honor 10 does better

The first thing you notice about the Honor 10 is just how distinctive it is. Although the P20 Pro also has a color-shifting back, the effect isn’t anywhere as pronounced as the Honor 10. If you’re looking for a phone to turn heads, this is the one to get.

The Honor 10 doesn’t have the P20 Pro’s insane Night Mode, but otherwise the AI features are similar to what you’d find on Huawei’s flagship. The Nokia 7 Plus also has dual cameras — with a telephoto lens for the secondary sensor — but the Honor 10 has a distinct edge when it comes to camera prowess.

The AI feature makes a tangible difference to the overall image quality, but like the P20 Pro, it tends to oversaturate photos. It also fails to recognize scenes accurately at times, leading to images with vastly overexposed colors. In the first photo below, the AI identified the Smaug figurine as food (which is hilarious), and oversaturated the gold hues. I had to turn off the feature to get a photo that looked close to reality.

Honor 10 on the left, Nokia 7 Plus on the right.

But when the feature does work, the results look stunning, as you can make out from the image above.

Minor quirks like that aside, the camera on the Honor 10 is a winner. It produces great images, and while it lacks the P20 Pro’s Night Mode, it shoots decent photos in low-light scenarios.

See at Amazon UK

What the Nokia 7 Plus does better

The Nokia 7 Plus may not look as flashy as the Honor 10, but it’s safe to say that this is one of the most durable phones you can pick up today. The chassis is made out of series 6000 aluminum, and there’s a six-layer ceramic coating at the back that gives it a matte finish — making it easier to hold and less prone to fingerprint smudges.

You’re also getting a better display on the Nokia 7 Plus — it’s not only larger, but it also has better color saturation. Best of all, the Nokia 7 Plus doesn’t have an ugly notch at the top of the display, and that’s an automatic win for HMD’s handset. Honor doesn’t specify what version of Gorilla Glass is on the Honor 10, but the Nokia 7 Plus features Gorilla Glass 3, which fares better against tumbles but is not as resistant to scratches.

The Nokia 7 Plus runs rings around the Honor 10 on the software front.

Another area where the Nokia 7 Plus has a distinct advantage is the software. HMD’s commitment to Android One means the Nokia family of devices are first in line to receive security and platform updates, and we’ve seen that being the case over the course of the last year. The interface itself is akin to Google’s vision of Android, with a focus on clean design and speedy performance. That’s the underlying theme with the Nokia 7 Plus in general — it’s a solid phone that gets the basics right.

For what it’s worth, Huawei has made a lot of strides with EMUI over the last 18 months, with the Honor 10 running Andorid 8.1 Oreo out of the box. That said, EMUI still doesn’t feel like a cohesive effort, and it’s missing that final bit of polish.

The Nokia 7 Plus has a larger 3800mAh battery — versus the 3400mAh unit on the Honor 10 — and I noticed marginally better battery life on the device. Both phones will easily last a day on a full charge, but the Nokia 7 Plus goes that little bit further thanks to the larger battery. Both phones also offer fast charging: the Honor 10 comes with Huawei’s fast charging solution, which goes up to 22.5W. The Nokia 7 Plus offers Quick Charge 3.0, which tops out at 18W.

Which should you buy? Nokia 7 Plus

The Honor 10 is incredible in its own right, and the aurora glass back makes it one of the most evocative phones of 2018. And while it has beefier hardware, EMUI still has its share of quirks.

The Nokia 7 Plus looks plain in comparison, and comes with just 64GB of storage. But for $400, you’re not going to find a phone that offers a similar software experience. And it doesn’t hurt that the device is built like a tank. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about a notch on the Nokia 7 Plus.

HMD’s decision to go with Android One for all of its devices is a masterstroke and makes the Nokia 7 Plus a much more compelling option. Sure, the Honor 10 has a flashier design and more storage, but the Nokia 7 Plus wins out in day-to-day usage. HMD has done a magnificent job filling the void left by the discontinuation of the Nexus lineup, and the Nokia 7 Plus is the best option if you’re coming from a Nexus 6P or even a Nexus 5X.

It’s a shame that neither device will be up for sale in the U.S. anytime soon, because both the Nokia 7 Plus and the Honor 10 offer incredible value in the $400 segment. HMD and Honor have a huge presence in India and Europe, and you’ll be able to pick up both devices in these markets.

The Nokia 7 Plus is up for sale from Amazon UK for £349, and you’ll be able to pick up the device direct from Nokia in India for ₹26,999.

See at Amazon UK See at Nokia India

These are all the phones Xiaomi is releasing in 2018

Do you know what phones Xiaomi’s coming out with this year?

You may not be all that familiar with Xiaomi if you live in the U.S., but for folks in China, India, and other parts of the globe, Xiaomi is one of the most popular consumer technology brands in the business.

Xiaomi crafts a variety of gadgets and gizmos, ranging from laptops, smart vacuums, and even electric bicycles, but its bread and butter lies with smartphones.

Each year sees Xiaomi kick out a heap of phones, and because of this, keeping track of what’s available and what’s still down the pipeline can be a chore. To help keep you in the loop, here’s a list of everything the company’s coming out within 2018.

The phones we’re still expecting

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.

Ever since 2016, Xiaomi’s Mi Mix series has easily been the most interesting in its entire portfolio. The company kicked off the bezel-less trend in 2016 with the first Mi Mix, followed it up in 2017 with the Mi Mix 2, and this year, we’re expecting Xiaomi to keep the trend going with the Mi Mix 3.

We’re still waiting for the rumor mill to get going for the Mix 3, but based on past releases, we should see the phone come out between October and December. The price tag will be big, the bezels will be thin, and the specs will be overly powerful.

With so many other phones trying to shrink bezel sizes, it’ll be interesting to see if Xiaomi succumbs to the notch on the Mi Mix 3 or tries something a bit more experimental similar to the Vivo NEX.

Xiaomi Mi A2

The Xiaomi Mi A1.

The Mi A2 is expected to be the global version of the already-released Mi 6X, so while there won’t be any real surprises here, there’s one big differentiator that’ll make the Mi A2 stand apart from its sibling — its software.

Similar to its predecessor, the Mi A2 is expected to ship with Android One. In addition to fast updates and regular security patches, this also means a completely stock build of Android instead of Xiaomi’s own MIUI interface.

Last year’s Mi A1 was announced in early September, so that’s likely when we’ll learn more about the Mi A2.

The phones that have been released

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

One of the first phones Xiaomi released in 2018 was the Redmi Note 5, and it did a great job at setting the stage for the rest of the company’s portfolio for the rest of the year.

Launched in February, the Redmi Note 5 has an 18:9 display with slim bezels and a 2160 x 1080 resolution. It measures in at 5.99-inches and uses a pretty good LCD panel. The 12MP camera on the back is the same one found on the Mi A1 and it’s powered by the capable Snapdragon 625.

Add all that together with a beefy 4,000 mAh battery, and you end up with one well-rounded package.

In regards to price, the Redmi Note 5 retails for ₹9,999 (around $146) for the model with 3GB RAM, but you can step up to a 4GB RAM option that costs ₹11,999 ($176).

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: Everything you need to know

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Shortly after the Note 5 was released, the Note 5 Pro followed it up as a more powerful smartphone that still came in at a price point that’s manageable for most people.

The display is the exact same one found on the regular Note 5 but it swaps out the Snapdragon 625 for the more powerful 636. You also get more RAM with your choice between 4GB and a whopping 6GB!

As for the camera situation, Xiaomi keeps the 12MP rear camera from the Note 5 but pairs it with a second 5MP lens on the Note 5 Pro. The dual camera setup allows the Note 5 Pro to pull-off the famous portrait style shots that have been huge in 2018, and when you’re ready to take selfies, you’ll find an impressive 20MP camera up front.

The Note 5 Pro is a bit more expensive with a starting price of ₹13,999 / $205 with 4GB RAM (₹16,999 / $249 for 6GB RAM), but it still offers a tremendous amount of value considering all the tech packed inside.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: King of the hill

Xiaomi Redmi 5

If you like what you’re seeing with the Note 5 and Note 5 Pro but still wish they were a bit cheaper, Xiaomi’s got a solution in the form of the Redmi 5.

The Redmi 5 costs just ₹7,999 (about $125) and punches way above its asking price.

Design-wise, the Redmi 5 is very similar to the Redmi Note 5. There’s an 18:9 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 IPS LCD display and very slim bezels. The rear camera is a single 12MP sensor and has a 5MP camera on the front for all your selfies.

Under the hood, the Redmi 5 offers the Snapdragon 450, 2, 3, or 4GB RAM, and a 3,300 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 launches in India: Everything you need to know

Xiaomi Black Shark

Gaming phones have recently become a popular niche in the Android space, and trying to best the Razer Phone, Xiaomi released the Black Shark in mid-April.

Right off the bat, the Black Shark impresses with a totally unique design that helps it stand out from all of Xiaomi’s other phones. The black and green color combo is stunning to look at, and the X-style layout on the back is supposed to make the phone easier to grip and hold onto during an intense gaming session.

Some of the specs include a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB RAM, and a 12MP + 20MP camera combo on the back. Oh, and did I mention the Black Shark even has its own liquid cooling system?

The starting price for the Xiaomi Black Shark is about $480, so while it’s not cheap, is a lot more affordable than Razer’s $800 competition.

Xiaomi’s $480 Black Shark gaming phone is designed to take on the Razer Phone

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

Before we (hopefully) get our hands on the Mi Mix 3 later in the year, Xiaomi decided to throw a bone to hold us over with the Mi Mix 2S. The Mi Mix 2S is nearly identical to the Mi Mix 2, but it offers a few key upgrades under the hood that make it a vastly better product.

First and foremost, the Mi Mix 2S has Qualcomm’s impressive Snapdragon 845 at the heart of it. The 845 is one of the best mobile processors on the market right now, and because of it and 6 or 8GB RAM, the Mi MIx 2S absolutely flies.

The 2S also comes with dual 12MP cameras on the back (the second of which is a 2x telephoto lens), 3,400 mAh battery, Android Oreo, and was the very first Xiaomi phone to ship with wireless charging.

Pricing starts out at $530, and considering the Mi Mix 2S’ futuristic design and bleeding-edge specs, that’s a steal.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S preview: Great hardware backed by vastly improved software

Xiaomi Mi 6X

The Xiaomi Mi 6X is yet another mid-range / budget phone from the company, but there’s one aspect that makes it particularly interesting. Later in the year, the Mi 6X will be re-released as the Mi A2 with Android One. Android One is an initiative Google’s been running for a couple years now, and all phones that are part of it ship with a stock build of Android and often get quick updates to new software versions and security patches.

All of the hardware from the 6X will carry over the A2, and boy is there some good stuff to talk about.

The Mi 6X comes equipped with a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 636 processor, up to 6GB RAM, and a 3,010 mAh battery. Other notable specs include 12MP + 20MP cameras on the back, Bluetooth 5.0, and an IR blaster.

Pricing starts out at around $250 for the model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and maxes out at $315 if you opt for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Xiaomi Mi 6X offers upgraded cameras and Snapdragon 660 for just $250

Xiaomi Redmi S2 / Y2

The next phone on our list goes by the Redmi S2 or Redmi Y2 depending on where you buy it, and it essentially takes the design of the Mi 6X, downgrades a few of the specs, and cuts the price to make it even more affordable.

You’ll still find a 5.99-inch 18:9 screen around front, but the resolution is dropped down to 1440 x 720. There are dual 12MP + 5MP cameras on the back, 16MP front-facing camera, Snapdragon 625, and your choice of 3 or 4GB RAM.

Pricing for the Redmi S2 / Y2 starts at just $146.

See at Xiaomi

Xiaomi Mi 8

Xiaomi’s often been notorious for taking heavy inspiration from Apple for some of its products, and that theme is on full display with the Mi 8.

The Mi 8 was very clearly inspired by the iPhone X, featuring a wide notch at the top of the 6.21-inch 2248 x 1080 AMOLED screen and dual cameras on the back (12MP + 12MP) in a vertical setup with an LED flash separating them in the middle. It’s not subtle in the slightest, but then again, it’s not a bad look at all.

Internal specs for the Mi 8 include the Snapdragon 845, 6GB RAM, 20MP front-facing camera, and a 3,400 mAh battery. Xiaomi even included an infrared lens in the notch to mimic Apple’s FaceID.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 starts at $420, and along with it, you can pick up the Explorer Edition for $580 that comes with an in-screen fingerprint sensor and transparent glass back.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 is a blatant iPhone X ripoff with a full-sized notch

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE

Alongside the Mi 8, Xiaomi also revealed the Mi 8 SE. The Mi 8 SE has a very similar design compared to the Mi 8, but as you might expect, comes with less-impressive specs and a more affordable price.

The Snapdragon 845 has been replaced by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, and while that may sound like a downgrade, you really shouldn’t notice any difference in speed. The 710 is essentially a version of the 845 that’s been modified for mid-range smartphones, and it’s easily one of the most exciting processors Qualcomm’s come out in some time.

Other specs for the Mi 8 SE include a 5.8-inch AMOLED display, 12MP + 5MP rear cameras, 20MP selfie camera, 3,120 mAh battery, and a starting price of only $280.

The $280 Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is the world’s first phone with a Snapdragon 710

Xiaomi Redmi 6 / 6A

Xiaomi announced the Redmi 6 and 6A on June 12, and to no surprise at all, these are two more budget phones that aim to offer a quality experience for folks that don’t want to spend a ton of cash.

The 6 and 6A are very similar phones, with both sharing a 3,000 mAh battery, 5MP selfie camera, and a 5.45-inch 1440 x 720 screen with an 18:9 ratio. The 6A is powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 processor and comes with your choice of 3 or 4GB RAM and 32 or 64GB of storage, whereas the 6A uses the Helio A22 and only comes in one configuration with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage.

You can pick up the Redmi 6 between $125 and $155 while the 6A costs a measly $95.

Xiaomi Redmi 6/6A bring face unlock and 18:9 displays to the entry-level segment

How to Stop WhatsApp Auto-Saving Images and Video to Your iPhone’s Camera Roll

Some 60 billion messages are sent over the WhatsApp chat platform every day. One of the reasons for the service’s massive popularity is that it lets users send and receive as many media-rich messages as they want, which – as long as they’ve limited WhatsApp’s use of their cellular data plan – costs them next to nothing.

That’s great news for senders, but one of the drawbacks of receiving multiple images and video clips from your WhatsApp contacts is that they’re automatically saved to your iPhone’s Photo Library. Apart from being an unwelcome sight in your personal Camera Roll, they can start to take up valuable storage space. Fortunately, you can easily prevent this default behavior by following the steps below.

How to Stop WhatsApp Saving to Your Camera Roll

Launch the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.

Tap the Settings icon (the small cog wheel) at the bottom right of the screen.

Tap Chat Settings.

Toggle off the Save Incoming Media option so that it no longer shows as green.

Once you’ve turned off the above setting in WhatsApp, you can still manually opt to save individual media files that you receive in a chat thread. If your iPhone supports 3D Touch, simply hard press on the photo or video clip in question and swipe up to reveal the Save option. Alternatively, you can access the Save option by tapping the photo or clip and selecting the Share icon in the lower left of the screen.

How to Limit WhatsApp Media Downloads to Wi-Fi

If receiving images or video over WhatsApp is sapping your cellular data when you’re out and about, you can prevent them from downloading to your iPhone until you’re safely back in range of a Wi-Fi connection.

To do so, return to WhatsApp’s Settings tab and select Data and Storage Usage. The options under Media Auto-Download let you dictate which types of media can be downloaded and under what circumstances. Make sure that the media types you’re happy to wait for are set to Wi-Fi.

Tag: WhatsApp
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Microsoft Updates Bing iOS App With AI-Powered Visual Search

Microsoft has announced a new visual search feature for its Bing app that lets users snap a picture with their phone’s camera and use it to search the web.

The new visual search function builds on the AI-powered intelligent search capabilities already used by Bing, and works pretty much like Google Lens: Users take a photo of something or upload one from their camera roll, and then the search engine identifies the object in question and offers additional information by providing links to explore.

The feature appears as an icon in the Bing app’s search bar, and can be used to search for everything from landmarks to breeds of dog, but Microsoft is pushing it as a way to shop from photos for clothes and home furniture:

Let’s say you see a friend’s jacket you like, but don’t know its brand or where to purchase. Upload a pic into the app’s search box and Bing will return visually-similar jackets, prices, and details for where to purchase.

Visual Search is available today in the U.S. via the Bing app [Direct Link]. Microsoft says the feature will also roll out soon for Microsoft Edge on iOS as well as Bing.com, which remains a search engine option in Apple’s latest version of Safari browser.

Tags: Microsoft, Bing
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Laptop vs Desktop: Which One Should You Get?

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-computer-connection-contemporary-450035/

When you’ve already made the decision to buy a computer, you find yourself being met with another important choice to make: laptop or desktop? It can be a little confusing to decide which one is the better fit. It all comes down to choosing which hardware best meets your needs.

There are some key considerations you need to decide on when you’re shopping for a laptop or a desktop. Whatever it is you are picking, either one has their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Check out a brief summary of the two below:

Laptops

Since their invention, laptops have been touted as a portable computer you can carry everywhere you go. It has its own rechargeable battery that can power the device on its own for a few hours which can be useful if you are constantly on the move and you need to work on something while in transit. In order to be portable, they are smaller than most desktop computers, take less space, and less heavy.

Laptop computers have come a long way in the last decade that some have internal components like processors and GPU that can rival the midrange desktop computers of today. The downside is, decent gaming laptops tend to be on the more expensive side. However, their power is still limited because of the way they are built to be compact. High-functioning components need a lot of space and its size is a disadvantage when it comes to heat dissipation so while heavy-duty gaming is possible, it will need an external cooling system or run the risk of overheating and permanent damage.

Furthermore, upgrades can be a bit of a drag with these devices since components are built-in or not removable and if there are, it is only the memory and hard drive that can be taken out. This is another disadvantage when trying to replace malfunctioning or broken parts because there is little to no availability for the parts. If you find yourself charting this path in the near future, check first if it is cheaper to replace your laptop instead of upgrading it because the latter may end up more costly. The screen size is dependent on the size of the laptop but it can be connected to an external display if needed.

When it comes to ease of use, laptops have this on lock. They require little to no installation when brought out of the box so you can just charge it for a specific amount of time then turn it on and then begin to use it. When it comes to accessorizing, laptops are straightforward because you only need a laptop sleep or a hard casing for the device to protect it from bumps and scratches.

Desktops

Desktop computers dwarf laptops in size and unlike the latter, they are bulky and come in many parts. They are designed to stay in one place like in the home or office and because they don’t get much mileage, they are less prone to being damaged in transit. It needs to be plugged in all the time in order for you to use it so while it may not be portable, it is reliable and ergonomic considering it has a big keyboard and proper screen.

They have a large range of prices because you can buy them pre-built or customize them to suit your needs. Since size is not a problem, desktop computers can accommodate a lot more components including the most advanced processors, GPU, motherboard, and many more. Overheating is largely preventable in desktop PCs because the CPU case can accommodate air cooling fans or even a liquid cooling system.

The beauty of building a PC of your own is that you can easily control your budget or oversee which components you can spend more on because there are many budget-friendly alternatives out in the market. Another advantage is having the option of customizing your desktop to have certain specs for work or gaming because this is not available for laptops.

Upgrade and replacement are a breeze since you can take apart parts and replace them easily. A downside is connecting everything together and while it may not require rocket science, it still is extra work needed to make it operational.

The Bottom Line

It all comes down to what you need and prefer. No matter what you choose, it should be able to answer your needs and convenience. With so many available laptops and desktop computers out in the market today, either offer a range of affordable options and you should have no problem finding them.

Are you a laptop or desktop person? Share your perspective in the comment section below.

Processed pies: Silicon Valley’s Zume Pizza ready to offer you dinner made by a robot

Even the food in Silicon Valley is getting high tech. No, we’re not talking about meal-replacement shakes or coffee with butter in it — we’re talking good, old-fashioned pizza. Well, not exactly old-fashioned — the pies from Zume Pizza are made by robots. To help it reach new heights, the company is upgrading its existing robots by adding arms into the mix.

It is the latest in a new trend within the food industry  — and a number of industries globally —  to increasingly depend upon machines rather than human labor. In this case, robots are not just taking your order or clearing your tables — they are the chef, too.

In order to help these machine chefs better do their jobs, Zume is giving them ABB robotic arms, which are capable of pulling pizzas from 800-degree ovens, and placing them on shelves. So efficient are these appendages that they can fill a whole rack in just 4.5 minutes.

“We’re going to eliminate boring, repetitive, dangerous jobs, and we’re going to free up people to do things that are higher value,” co-founder Alex Garden, a former Microsoft manager and president of mobile game maker Zynga Studios, told the Associated Press in 2016. Seeing that a stat from Cintas claims that restaurants jobs are responsible for up to 33 percent of occupational burns, Zume really could be saving humans several trips to the hospital.

Already, Zume’s robots are taking care of spreading sauce on pizza dough when it comes down a conveyor belt and sliding the raw masterpieces into a hot oven. While humans are still dealing with prepping the dough and ensuring the right amount of cheese and toppings make it onto every pie, robots will soon be in charge of that aspect as well.

“We automate those repetitive tasks so that we can spend more money on higher quality ingredients,” said Julia Collins, Zume’s CEO and co-founder. “There will always be a model here at Zume where robots and humans work together to create delicious food.” So don’t worry — robots won’t be kicking you out of the restaurant industry altogether, yet.

That said, robots seem to be taking the place of humans at an increasingly alarming rate. Wal-Mart cut 7,000 jobs due to automation and both hardware manufacturer and fast-food chain Wendy’s made similar changes to their workforce. The restaurant industry has not always had luck replacing people with machine parts — in fact, a Chinese restaurant chain had to shut down a couple locations due to poor service from its robotic waitstaff.

But who knows — maybe machines will have better luck with Italian cuisine.

Updated on June 21: Zume adds a robotic arm to help with its automated pizza-making process. 

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YouTube boosts creators with channel subs, merchandise stores, and premieres

YouTube is offering its creators more ways to rake in the cash.

The video-streaming site announced several new money-making possibilities on Thursday at the annual VidCon gathering in Anaheim, California.

First up is Channel Memberships where creators can offer bonus items to their followers for a $5 monthly fee.

The perks could include anything from “exclusive livestreams, extra videos, or shout-outs” to “unique badges, new emoji, members-only posts in the Community tab,” as well as unique custom perks offered by creators, YouTube said in a blog post announcing the new features.

Up to now, this Channel Memberships have been available as Sponsorships for YouTube Gaming channels, but it’s now coming to all eligible YouTube channels with more than 100,000 subscribers.

The company is also expanding opportunities for creators to sell merchandise (see video above) through their channels by teaming up with Teespring, which offers customization options on more than 20 merchandise items that include logo-emblazoned shirts, and, if you really must, phone cases “with a creator’s face.”

The merchandise feature is available from today to all eligible U.S.-based channels with more than 10,000 subscribers, with YouTube aiming to introduce additional merchandising partners in the near future.

And there’s more. YouTube is launching Premieres (above), which enables creators to debut pre-recorded videos as a live moment.

“When creators choose to release a Premiere, we’ll automatically create a public landing page to build anticipation and hype up new content,” the blog post explains. When fans hit the page to watch the new video, they’ll be able to chat with each other, as well as with the creator, in a live chat before the video begins. “It’s as if a creator’s entire community is in one theater together watching their latest upload,” YouTube says.

YouTube’s latest initiatives for revenue generation follow recent controversy on the site that’s seen some creators complaining about what they see as unfair demonetization of their videos. It’s also a response to efforts by Facebook to attract YouTube creators to its platform, with more pressure coming in recent days with the launch of IGTV, a new long-form video feature from Facebook-owned Instagram.

YouTube is in the middle of a busy patch just now. Earlier this week the Google-owned company launched a revamped version of YouTube Music and introduced YouTube Premium subscription services.

YouTube streamed its very first video in 2005 and now has more than 1.9 billion monthly users across 90 countries and 80 languages.

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Google Measure app now works on any ARCore-capable phone

Apple has been embracing augmented reality on the iPhone, and recently introduced a new feature to iOS 12 that allows users to measure real-world objects using AR on their phone. Now, Google is expanding its version of the feature. The Google Measure app is being expanded to work on any ARCore-capable phone. Previously, it was only available on Project Tango devices that had specialized sensors.

In other words, dozens of Android phones can now take advantage of augmented reality measuring capabilities on their phone, including the likes of the Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S9, and more. Even an original Google Pixel XL will support the new app.

When you first open up the app, which is Measure 2.0, it’ll walk you through how to use it, but we found it generally easy overall to use the app — when it worked properly. When we installed the app, it seemed a little buggy at times, though moving the phone around the room fixed most of those issues, as it allowed the app to better scope out the environment.

So what about accuracy? When used properly, the app did pretty well. It managed to correctly measure a desk that was six feet wide, but it measured a ledge on the desk, which is 11 inches, as 10 inches. The app itself warns that its measurements should be correct plus or minus one inch, so it does deliver on its promise — though if you’re looking for something ultra-precise, then you may want to stick to that trusty tape measure.

The app also allows you to take a photo — so you can save the measurements you take without having to continuously remeasure. That’s a pretty handy feature, especially for those that might need to take their measurements to a furniture store, for example. In the settings, you can also switch between metric or imperial units — so it should be usable in countries around the world.

Of course, the app will likely continue to get better over time as Google applies machine learning and its object-recognition technology continues to get better. Either way, if you want to get the Google Measure app for yourself, visit the website.

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The Glitch Mob spent a year making a VR experience as otherwordly as their music

Daniel Johnson

Watching electronic dance music (EDM) group The Glitch Mob perform would seem to be the perfect greeting after being abducted by aliens.

The group’s current stage design is a space-inspired work of art known as The Blade 2.0, and the trio of musicians perform in glowing pods with thick Dell touchscreens at their fingertips, like Star Trek pilots. But the elaborate design isn’t only about aesthetics. The touchscreens are there for the group to precisely re-create their complex music live, and the pods are partly so the crowd isn’t staring at the back of laptops for an hour.

“The technology is just there for us to be able to perform our music.”

“The important thing, really, is that the technology gets out of the way,” Glitch Mob member Justin Boreta told Digital Trends. “The technology is just there for us to be able to perform our music.”

Boreta spoke with Digital Trends after Glitch Mob brought The Blade 2.0 to this year’s Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. He discussed how the band’s latest album entered virtual reality, the group’s influences as “children of music technology,” and why they think Windows-based hardware is better than Apple’s.

Digital Trends: Explain to me exactly what this spaceship-looking stage design called The Blade 2.0 is and who came up with the idea? How is it an improvement on 1.0?

Justin Boreta: I’ll give you a brief bit of context here. We all used to be DJs. The way that we came together as a group was that we were individual DJ’s, and we decided to play at the same time. So we started by connecting our computers and having a sort of DJ jam-out. Then at some point, we decided to make original music, and then it continued from there. Collaboration has always been in the DNA of what we do.

At one point, we wanted to figure out a way to perform electronic music but not with instruments and keyboards, and stuff like that. We wanted to actually play music like a rock band, and have the live performance aspect on stage. So we started taking these touchscreen controllers at the time called Lemur, which are not even around anymore. This was right around the time iPads came out, or right before iPads. We would tilt them toward the crowd and remove the laptop from the equation. So when you’re up there DJing, and you’re looking at a laptop, it’s hard to really connect with people. So, we tilted these touchscreens toward the crowd and started triggering all of our sounds off Ableton, which is the software that we use to write and perform it.

A stage design isn’t just about function, it’s also about form. What were the compromises you made to make sure The Blade 2.0 not only performed well but carried a certain aesthetic?

An interesting thing about doing a show like this is that it has to get taken down and put up every single night. So, there’s a special skill set of our crew, team, and the designers that have to know how to fit in all these different stages right. We played Bonaroo last week in front of 30,000 people, or something like that, on this massive stage. Then sometimes we’re traveling around the country playing very small stages where we have to shrink down. So the whole thing can really telescope out and become larger. There’s a lot of compromise that happens there, just spatially. I mean, if we had all the space in the world to play with, we would do a lot more stuff.

Simon Bonneau

EDM, unlike most other forms of music, has its progression tied largely to the technology used. What have been some technologies that didn’t exist, or weren’t as popular in 2010, when you debuted with your ‘Drink The Sea’ album, that have come out in the years since?

Yeah, absolutely. I think that it’s part of our ethos, to use technology to get up there and perform. It’s an important part of what we do because we are children of music technology. Everything that we do is pushing the boundaries of the computer. We’re always using the fastest computers and always breaking them. [Laughs]. We have 20 controllers plugged into one laptop. Just what we can do right now, on stage with The Blade, wouldn’t have been possible even a couple of years ago. In the very beginning, it was totally different.

“What we can do right now, on stage with The Blade, wouldn’t have been possible even a couple of years ago.”

So, mainly, the software we use for everything is based off of Ableton, Ableton Live. We have a laptop running this massive session with all of our songs in there. We have a documentary about the craziness of it. But, there’s really a lot that’s going on behind the scenes to make everything feel reliable so that everything doesn’t crash. But really, what we do wouldn’t even have been possible a couple of years ago, or without all of the sort of music tech stuff. … The important thing really is that the technology gets out of the way and the touchscreen turns into something else. The technology is just there for us to be able to perform our music.

Your new album, ‘See Without Eyes,’ has such a wide variety of sounds meshed together. In some cases, I’ve never heard anything like them before. What are some of your favorites, and were there any weird or accidental ways you’ve discovered a new sound?

Absolutely. The way that we work, there’s a lot of found sounds that go in there into the music. There’s a lot of custom sounds. There’s field recording from our life that go into there. There’s also a lot of experimentation and happy accidents. So, some of the songs started off at one tempo, and they changed to be another. Or we recorded vocals for one song, and then use them for another.

So for instance, the vocals on Take Me With You were actually recorded for a different song on the album. We have all this material that we treat like samples, almost as if they’re samples we’ve taken off of vinyl, but they really are vocals that we recorded. Then we take it, chop it up, mix it, recontextualize it, and put it in there. So, there’s a lot of that sort of mosaic work that goes into the record, and there’s tons of sound design that is really just there to add another layer of narrative and a cinematic texture to everything.

You’re also putting out a VR experience in support of your new album. What are the benefits of VR for musicians and how long did it take to create your experience? Who did you work with?

We collaborated with a company called The Wave, Dell, and Alienware to create this VR experience. VR’s really exciting, even though it’s something that is just all happening right now, and the technology is getting there. But there’s some really crazy stuff that’s possible. This is an entirely new way to experience the album. It’s a music video times a million.

This is an entirely new way to experience the album. It’s a music video times a million.

You get to get inside of the music and interact with it, and you’re on that trip through this four-song — I think it’s four songs right now — journey. It’s an entirely new way to experience music because you actually get to go into a literal narrative through it. I mean, I heard it in an entirely new way, and we have a lot of visual cues that we use to create the album art, to create all of the videos. We collaborated with The Wave and this guy named Strangeloop and his studio, who we’ve collaborated with a lot, because they understand the ethos and the DNA behind the project. They were able to create a whole world around it, easily.

How long did it take? How involved were you guys in the final design?

Took about a year. It’s actually interesting because we were very, very involved in the whole process. We didn’t do any of the actual programming ourselves, but we’re getting constant contact, texting, calling, and going to the studio all day to look at stuff. But if you go on YouTube right now, you can see that we have a video for every single song in a sort of visual accompaniment for the album. So, Strangeloops Studios created that using game engine software used for VR. … He created the video mainly in Unity and Cinema 4D, then he went and made the VR version of it because he had created the world using gaming engine software. So, already it was easy to turn it into a VR experience.

This is your first album in four years. Why such a long gap in between albums? How has the group changed?

Well, it took us about a year to a year and a half to write the album, and we had an EP come out in 2015, mid-2015. So basically, we were just on tour. When we released the album, we did a two-year tour cycle. Pretty much all 2015, we were on tour. Then 2016, we started writing the album … . So, it’s really sort of like pausing the whole tour life and coming back to really do the work it takes to write a full album like this and everything around it.

With such complex music, it must be common for songs to go through numerous iterations before they’re released. For the new album, what was the most difficult song to complete in terms of how many different versions you had and the hardest to put together?

How Could This Be Wrong, I think was the one that had so many versions. It was up into the hundreds. [Laughs]. We had actually got rid of that song and deleted it, and then at one point, we thought, “Wait a second. We want a song that has this particular vibe.” So, we brought it back, and we had met Tula, who is the vocalist on there.  She was also on the Keep On Breathing track. She did vocals on Keep On Breathing, which we loved.

So, we took the song out of its grave, sent it to her, and she sent the vocals over, and we actually revived it. So, that was the last addition, but it took a lot of wrangling to change everything, and take it from where it was to a completely different song.

See Without Eyes is your second consecutive album to hit No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Album chart after your first few records failed to reach the Top 5. How much of your recent success do you attribute to new distribution technologies like streaming?

I mean, clearly, I think that a lot of that has to do with the fact that the algorithms that measure what becomes No. 1 change over time. To be quite honest, we don’t stay too focused on that. I mean it’s nice that we have a No. 1 song and a No. 1 album, and the fact that really our fans are out there listening to music over and over again. We’re an independent label, we don’t have a major label behind it, we did it with our own machinery here. We’re pretty DIY. It’s a great sort of hat tip to the music and the fact that we try to make music that’s classic and timeless, and that people will grow with.

The Blade 1.0 was used in promotion of your 2014 album Love Death Immortality, and 2.0 is for the most recent album. Will you continue this trend for your next album? And if so, what do you think it’ll look like?

It’s an interesting progression because, as technology gets stronger and there’s the ability to create more immersive shows, we’ll be constantly finding new ways to tell a story with music. So, who knows? But we have some more music in the works. We have some cool stuff that’s going to be coming out soon. I think for the fall tour, we might make some updates. It might be a Blade 2.1 or maybe a 2.5. I can’t say just yet, but there’s going to be some fun updates to it. We’re all trying to figure out new ways to rock out more on stage.

Go back in time for me a bit. What was the first gadget you fell in love with?

“We use the most powerful Mac Pro, completely maxed out next to the most maxed out Alienware and it’s quite a bit more than twice as fast.”

The first gadget I ever fell in love with? Wow, that’s a really good question. You know, it would have to be my very first computer, which was an Apple IIGS, very early Macintosh. My grandfather bought it for me when I was super-young. I was like 5 years old or something like that. [Laughs]. I spent a lot of time playing games and learning how to write computer code and I always had a computer from there on out. I’m not a classically trained musician, in any way. None of us really are. We all just came into it from tinkering.

Then after that, I had a PC with Fruity Loops in high school. I would spend all of my time learning how to make jungle and drum and bass. So for me, I come into music through technology. I’m completely a student of the tech first and then sort of a music theory [student] second.

What is the current tech obsession or fascination you have right now?

I think the biggest thing is the move we made over to Windows machines, which is funny because, in the music world, people typically write on Macintosh. But … we really need the most horsepower possible, and there’s a lot of graphics and graphics cards we have in these Alienware machines. We used the most powerful Mac Pro, completely maxed out next to the most maxed out Alienware, and it’s quite a bit more than twice as fast.

So, for us, that just means we can play more music. I think that it’s going to be a really exciting time for Windows and Dell, specifically because what they are doing with allowing musicians to create stuff is going to allow some pretty next-level art to happen. It’s the same thing with VR. What we can do, all that stuff happened on these really powerful gaming machines. The gaming machine, the graphics cards, and the GPUs you need, putting that into the music tech world, we can do some really crazy stuff.

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