Everything Lenovo Smart Display does better than a tablet in the kitchen

Android Things is functional in ways a normal tablet can’t manage, and that’s okay.

With the launch of Lenovo’s Smart Display with Android Things onboard, we’ve seen one question, in particular, stand out above the others. Why buy this when you can buy an Android tablet? Wouldn’t it be better to have something battery powered you could take with you everywhere? In some ways, sure, a tablet offers portability and functionality beyond the Android Things platform.

But as someone who has done exactly this for years, used an Android tablet around the house while cooking or folding laundry or working on my bike, I greatly prefer the experience I’ve had with the Lenovo Smart Display. And if you really think about it, there’s a good chance you’ll see an Android tablet just doesn’t cut it. Especially in the kitchen.

Lenovo Smart Display is way, way louder

There are some pretty great Android tablets out there these days, but none of them can produce sound like the Lenovo Smart Display. And in the kitchen, especially my kitchen, volume is everything. You’d be surprised by how quickly the speakers on a tablet become inadequate when you’ve got a window open and an exhaust fan on your range hood running and three different pans sizzling.

The Smart Display, on the other hand, can drown out all of that noise well before hitting max volume. In fact, max volume on this thing is way too loud for any occasion in my house, which is great. I’ll never be able to say the same for a tablet, and that all comes down to size. The larger body of the Lenovo Smart Display means it can hold bigger, more capable speakers. In much the same way Google Home does a better job delivering audio than a tablet, Lenovo Smart Display does a better job delivering video.

Lenovo’s microphones make a big difference

Just like Google Home, Lenovo Smart Display offers far-field microphones and Google’s voice imprint tech. I can get the Lenovo Smart Display in my kitchen to respond to me reliably from the living room. I’ve been using this model every day for the last two weeks, and so far have not had it miss what I was saying once. And like Google Home, it’s very good about picking up when one of my kids ask to play for their playlists instead of mine.

I have never successfully done the same with an Android tablet. Even when I can reliably get “OK Google” to work on a tablet, the follow up is typically not as good because the microphones just aren’t as capable. And if they work good enough to be considered reliable when you hold the tablet in your hand, you can never recreate that experience from across the room.

Android Things is a better interruption-free system

I get too many notifications. Between my work and home email, my social networks, messages on Slack, messages from friends, and the occasional game reminding me it exists, I pretty much live with some form of Do Not Disturb on at all times. If I didn’t, when I wanted to do something full screen the notification drop down would constantly interrupt me. Setting this up takes time, remembering to turn it off when I actually need to get my notifications is something I don’t do as often as I should, and frankly, it all becomes kind of tedious. I don’t need this in the kitchen.

But it’s not just the act of getting a notification. The ribbon UI in Android Things is an important way of delivering me information without touching the screen. From a distance, I can see my next calendar appointment, traffic details for that appointment, and notes I have left myself. If I’m cooking and my daughter isn’t home, she can reach me through Google Duo and I don’t need to use my hands to interact with any of this UI. When the call ends, I get right back to the recipe. This interface was purpose-built for these situations, and I can’t recreate any of this on an Android tablet without needing to touch the screen in some way.

Android tablets kinda suck right now

While I used to love Android tablets, it’s been a while since any particular version of one has been worth buying in my opinion. If you already own an Android tablet you love and enjoy carrying with you everywhere, congrats. You have a few more video streaming options, but you’re still not getting anything close to the Lenovo Smart Display experience.

If your argument against Lenovo Smart Display is to pick up a similarly priced tablet, so you have even more functionality and portability, I challenge you to show me a $200 Android tablet worth buying today. Spoiler – they don’t exist. The only company making Android tablets worth buying right now is Samsung, and not only does that mean you have to deal with Samsung’s extra UI things but you’re also paying way more than $200 for a good one. Not only is it impossible to recreate the Lenovo Smart Display experience with software alone right now, but trying to with comparable hardware is prohibitively expensive.

And unfortunately, this isn’t changing anytime soon. Google has made it clear the current focus is Android apps on Chrome OS, like the Pixelbook. If you’re waiting on a hero tablet from Google, you’re going to be waiting a long time and possibly not getting what you want. Instead, get a Lenovo Smart Display, and you’ll be a lot happier.

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Chrome OS may soon get facial recognition

Existing Chromebooks won’t be updated to support this.

Thanks to recent efforts from HP and Dell, it’s quickly being proven that Chrome OS is just as suited for professional, adult machines as it is for the educational market. As the operating system continues to evolve, it looks like one of its next big features will be facial recognition.

The following commit, spotted by Chrome Story, confirms these plans:

intel: ipu3: Add face detection

The face detection works if set the mode
to FD_MODE_FULL.
The face info could be got by method getResult().

It’s disabled currently.
Add metadata and enable it in the future.

While this is certainly exciting stuff, it’s important that we keep our expectations in check.

For one thing, facial recognition won’t magically be added to all Chromebooks that are currently on the market. Instead, this feature appears to require special hardware of some sort (the commit goes on to mention Intel’s Face Engine).

Even with that said, it’s still encouraging to know that something like this is in the works. Facial recognition for the Pixelbook 2, anyone?

Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 hands on: Much too good for children

New Casio WSD-F30 smartwatch has improved dual-layer display, smaller case

This is still a huge watch, but Casio has made important changes.

Casio has made some of the most unique-looking smartwatches in the business, and is iterating its lineup with the new rugged WSD-F30 running Wear OS. At a glance it looks very similar to its predecessors, but it actually has some important changes both externally and internally to keep it compelling heading into 2019.

The WSD-F10 and -F20 models were unabashedly large, which kind of fit with their capabilities, but was a serious hinderance to anyone who wanted to wear the Casios on a daily basis. The WSD-F30 is still easily the biggest Wear OS smartwatch, but it’s smaller than its predecessor — 3.9 mm narrower, 0.4 mm thinner and now under 90 grams including the strap. It’s still larger than the LG Watch Sport, which was regularly ridiculed for its size, but the WSD-F30’s large case — along with the chunky design and bold colors — kind of fits the persona of the device. The (non-removable) band has also been redesigned for greater flexibility, and there are more holes for size adjustability.

Aside from the size, Casio has notably improved its unique dual-layer display technology. Like its predecessors the WSD-F30 has a pair of screens — one monochrome, one color — stacked together, so you can use the monochrome mode to save battery and the color mode for more advanced functions. Casio’s new monochrome screen is capable of showing more information — like atmospheric pressure and compass information — while extending battery life dramatically. The color display is now OLED, with an improved 390×390 resolution, for finer detail on this 1.2-inch circular screen.

It’s the same awesome Casio watch, now a little smaller with a much better dual-mode display.

That color display can be used in a new Extend Mode to show an offline color map and provide GPS tracking for three days (8 hours of screen and tracking use per day) without charging — another great tool for those multi-day excursions without a charger. Timepiece Mode is still here to use just the monochrome display without any smartphone connection for up to a month of battery life as a regular watch. The standard battery life with all of the usual smartwatch functions enabled is rated at 1.5 days.

As you’d expect the WSD-F30 is extremely robust. It’s rated for water resistance up to 50 meters, and has a MIL-STD-810G rating. And just look at the thing … it can clearly handle the abuse of being out in the wilderness (or whatever other punishing terrain) with you.

Casio hasn’t yet detailed the exact specs of the WSD-F30, so we can only assume that it’s still running the same basic internals as the last generation and not the new processor Qualcomm is teasing for a September announcement — but we’d love to be proven wrong in that assumption. It’s also unclear whether it will ship with the new Wear OS interface that was just announced — but even if it doesn’t, it will absolutely be updated shortly after release. Also yet to be announced are pricing and availability details.

Press release:

Casio to Release PRO TREK Smart with Color Maps Usable for Up to Three Days

Tokyo, August 30, 2018 — Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today that it will release a new addition to the PRO TREK Smart series of wrist devices for outdoor enthusiasts. The WSD-F30 enables use of offline maps and GPS log recording for up to three consecutive days.

In 2016, Casio marked its entry into the smartwatch market with the release of the WSD-F10 wrist
device for outdoor enthusiasts, with water resistance up to 50 meters and environmental durability
built to military specifications. The WSD-F10 was built to run Google’s Android Wear (now Wear
OS by Google) and the device and OS have been evolving together. The following year, Casio
released the PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20 with GPS, which is winning over outdoor enthusiasts
and other users with its wearable map functionality.

Extend Mode for using color maps and GPS offline up to three consecutive days

The new WSD-F30 comes with Extend Mode which enables use of offline color maps and GPS for up to three days on just a single charge. In Extend Mode, time and measurement data is continuously shown on the monochrome display, and a color map can be displayed with a push of button. Extend Mode also conserves energy by switching the operating system to energy-saving stand-by mode on a schedule set by the user. It also ensures optimal power management based on the activity plan, allowing the user to track his or her current location on an offline map and record tracks during activities longer than a single day.

New and improved dual-layer display

The WSD-F30 features a new and improved dual-layer monochrome and color display. The new color display employs an OELD that shows maps and data in finer detail. The layout of the monochrome display now shows more than just the time; it also displays atmospheric pressure/altitude and compass bearing, as befits the PRO TREK outdoor gear brand. The wrist device also comes with Multi Timepiece Mode, an evolution of the popular Timepiece Mode that allows only time data to be shown in monochrome while toggling off smartphone communication and the color display. In addition to the time, Multi Timepiece Mode now shows measurement data such as altitude and atmospheric pressure in monochrome, while still extending battery life without a charge to about a month, like its predecessor. This feature provides useful information for outdoor activities at a glance while conserving energy.

Smaller, thinner case for enhanced wearability

The inner components have been rearranged to realize a watch case that is 3.9 mm narrower and 0.4 mm thinner than before, for a more compact profile that also looks good on trim wrists. Nano treatment gives the resin bezel a metal-like luster for a luxury feel. The watchband has been improved and is now more flexible and has more holes for greater adjustability and fit.

Pokémon Go Seeing ‘Resurgence’ With Most Daily Spending Since Launch, Due to Trading Update

It’s now been two years since Pokémon Go launched on iOS, becoming immensely popular with players across iOS and Android in the months that followed its debut. Although the number of players in the game has lessened since then, Pokémon Go has remained consistently popular among its fans, and this week Sensor Tower reports that it’s seen a “resurgence” this summer thanks to the long-awaited Pokémon trading update.

That update came this past June, allowing players to trade Pokémon with nearby friends — a feature that took the company two years to implement because it “wanted to make sure” the mechanic was done right, according to Niantic software engineer Kiersten Koa.

Now, Sensor Tower says that Pokémon Go players have spent an average of $2.5 million per day in the game since the June 19 update. In the 60 days leading to the update, players worldwide were spending about $1.8 million per day in the app. This means that the trading update has increased Pokémon Go’s daily revenue by $700,000 per day, representing a 39 percent increase.

Sensor Tower points out that this daily spending “hasn’t been seen since its summer 2016 launch.”

Niantic’s Pokémon GO has never stopped being popular, but it’s definitely had its share of peaks and valleys when it comes to player spending. Right now, it’s in the midst of a resurgence the likes of which hasn’t been seen since its summer 2016 launch, and the game’s most fevered spending has come in the wake of June’s big friends and trading update.

Next, Sensor Tower says it’s looking to see how the change of seasons will affect the game, since its revenue tends to peak during the summer months as more players venture outside to play the game. Still, another major update is scheduled to arrive before the end of 2018, enabling a player-versus-player mode, which should again “propel player spending back to the levels seen at the game’s launch.”

Although not part of Nintendo’s mobile gaming initiative with developer partners like DeNA and Cygames, Nintendo does have a stake in Pokémon Go’s success since it owns part of The Pokémon Company. The next main Nintendo game to see a smartphone launch will be Dragalia Lost, which was just announced to have a debut on September 27.

Tag: Pokémon GO
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Spotify and Hulu Update Student Deal to Include Showtime, All Bundled for $4.99/Month

Spotify and Hulu are further sweetening their student subscription offer by adding a monthly Showtime subscription into the mix, pricing everything at $0.99 for the first three months and $4.99 per month after (via The Verge). This means that eligible college students can get a Spotify Premium subscription ($9.99/month), Hulu With Limited Commercials subscription ($7.99/month), and a Showtime subscription ($10.99/month) for $4.99 per month.

The updated student subscription is available beginning today and is open only to higher education students above the age of 18 who haven’t already tried Spotify Premium. The offer will be live for just over one month, expiring on October 9, 2018. To verify your status as a student, Spotify uses a third party service called SheerID.

With the deal, users will be granted access to Showtime via Hulu’s in-app premium network add-on feature. Of course, customers can also use their Hulu log-in information to gain access to the separate Showtime Anytime app on devices like iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. For more information about the new student plan, check out Spotify’s page right here.

Spotify chief premium business officer told The Verge that its Hulu partnership has been “an overwhelming success.”

“We’re always trying to find creative solutions to add value back to our premium customers, especially via partnerships, and our focus is on the long-term relationship with each subscriber. If we do the right thing, they reward us with loyalty.”

For Showtime, the move provides an excellent way to get in front of — and attempt to lock in — the next generation of potential premium cable subscribers. “We had to figure out ways to get into a place where kids could stream us easily,” Showtime COO Tom Christie tells The Verge. “There’s no other brand out there today that’s been more successful in setting up streaming business on campus than Spotify”

Spotify and Hulu originally partnered for a student plan back in September 2017, offering access to Spotify Premium and Hulu With Limited Commercials at $4.99 per month. Due to its popularity, the companies then expanded to offer a similar plan to all users in April 2018 at a price point of $12.99 per month. Showtime says it is “having conversations” about potentially joining the non-student bundle as well.

Tags: Spotify, Showtime, Hulu
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Apple Expanding Pilot Program Allowing Repairs of Select Vintage Macs Worldwide Starting With 2012 MacBook Air

Apple will add 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models released in Mid 2012 to its vintage and obsolete products list on August 31, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers and obtained by MacRumors from a reliable source.

Normally, this would mean the 2012 MacBook Air is no longer eligible for hardware service, except where required by law. However, Apple has decided to include the notebook in its recently launched pilot program that allows for repairs to continue into the vintage period, subject to parts availability.

Apple says 2012 MacBook Air models will remain eligible for service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers worldwide through August 31, 2020, a full two years after the notebook is classified as vintage. Mail-in service will also be an option in the United States and Japan through that date.

Apple launched this pilot program in February, starting with 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac models released in Mid 2011, but only in the United States and Turkey, so this marks the first time the initiative has expanded worldwide.

The coverage period for the Mid 2011 iMac models was initially set to expire August 31, 2018, but Apple has extended it to January 1, 2019, according to internal documents. However, unlike the 2012 MacBook Air, service for the Mid 2011 iMac remains available in the United States and Turkey only.

Apple’s pilot program chart reproduced by MacRumors
If parts are unavailable for a specific repair for these vintage Macs, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are instructed to decline service. This is also a pilot program to begin with, so it is subject to change or end at any time.

Apple products become vintage-obsolete five years after they are last manufactured, at which point they typically become ineligible for hardware service. 2012 MacBook Air models were last sold in June 2013, slightly over five years ago, but they’ll now receive an impressive eight years of repair support.

The exact reason for the pilot program is unclear, beyond Apple apparently having a surplus of repair parts for these specific MacBook Air and iMac models. Any extension of hardware service eligibility is certainly a bonus for customers.

MacRumors has reached out to Apple for comment.

Related Roundup: MacBook AirTag: vintage and obsoleteBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Air (Don’t Buy)
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Instagram now lets everyone apply for a verification badge

If you’re on Instagram and unverified but really like the idea of having a blue badge next to your name, then the route to that goal has become a little bit easier.

We say “a little” because Instagram says the new system, which lets you apply for the verification badge through the app, is mainly for “notable public figures.” With most folks on the planet unable to be classified as such, the coveted blue badge looks set to remain out of reach for many, at least for now.

In a message posted on Tuesday, August 28, announcing the increased access to verification, Instagram co-founder and chief technology officer Mike Krieger described the blue badge as “an important way for you to know that the account you are interacting with is the authentic presence of a notable public figure, celebrity, global brand, or entity,” adding that verified accounts are usually ones that “reach large audiences.” You must also, of course, comply with Instagram’s terms of service and community guidelines to have any chance of being given a blue badge.

How to apply:

If you have a decent-sized following and fancy your chances, here’s how to apply:

First, go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select “Settings” at the bottom, and then choose “Request Verification.” You will need to provide your account username, your full name and a copy of your legal or business identification. Instagram promises that this information will never be shared publicly.

Krieger says that once your request has been reviewed, you’ll receive a message in your notifications tab confirming or declining it, though he doesn’t say how long the process is likely to take. Suspecting that scammers might try to make a few bucks out of the new system, the Instagram co-founder points out that the platform “will never request payment for verification or reach out to ask you to confirm your verification.”

It has actually been possible to get verified on Instagram before now — you’ve no doubt spotted a few of the badges already — but there seems to be some confusion about how the system works.

Other changes being rolled out include new “About” pages featuring more detailed information about an account, including how long it has been on the service, its country location, any username changes, and any ads that the account is running. Launching first for high-profile accounts, you can view the About page by tapping on the profile and then on the menu icon, and finally on “About this Account.”

The changes are part of efforts to reassure followers that the account they’re following is genuine, and follows similar moves made recently by its parent company, Facebook.

Instagram will also soon make it possible for people to use third-party authenticator apps, such as those offered by Google and Authy, to log into their Instagram account more securely. At the moment, two-factor authentication requires a phone number to which access codes are sent. When the option to use an authenticator app goes live, you’ll see it in the list under “two-factor authentication” in Settings.

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Acer targets gamers with new color-rich 4K Predator and Nitro monitors

Acer Nitro VG1

With an eye on gamers, Acer took the wraps off of four new monitors across its Predator and Nitro lines at the IFA 2018 show in Berlin. All four come with fast 144Hz refresh rates to prevent screen tearing when playing fast action games.

At the high end of the spectrum are the 27-inch Predator XB273K and the 27-inch Nitro XV272K displays. The primary difference between these two panels is that the Predator unit comes with support for Nvidia’s G-Sync tech to eliminate screen tearing, while the Nitro series utilizes AMD Radeon FreeSync technology to achieve a similar purpose.

• 1.
  Acer Nitro XV3
• 2.
  Acer Nitro XV2

“Boasting AMD Radeon FreeSync, the new Nitro monitors’ frames sync with the PC’s graphics cards to support dynamic refresh rates, eliminating screen tearing and minimizing lag. Integrated Visual Response Boost (VRB) decreases blur in fast-moving images to achieve the effect of a 1ms MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time),” Acer said in a statement. Additionally, the Nitro XV273K display also features six-axis color adjustments, so gamers can make adjustments to the color, hue, and saturation. Gamers can also select from 11 black level options using the built-in black boost features to gain a visual advantage when trying to spot enemies in darker game scenes.

Both displays come with UHD 4K IPS panels with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, VESA HDR 400 certification, and support for 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. All four displays come with Acer’s VisionCare technology, featuring Flickerless, BlueLightShield, ComfyView, and low dimming technologies to reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions. The Predator display comes with an ErgoStand and shielding hood to minimize distraction during game play.

Acer Nitro XV3

In addition to the 4K configuration, the Nitro series also includes the WQHD Nitro XV272U, which covers 95 percent of the wide color gamut with its IPS display panel. Acer also announced a second  WQHD model that uses a twisted nematic (TN) panel in the form of the XF272U. That model has a display that covers up to 90 percent of the wide color gamut.

The monitors also come with a VESA-compatible mount, so you can free up desk space by hanging the displays on a wall. All monitors come with minimal bezels thanks to Acer’s ZeroFrame design, which makes connecting multiple displays more seamless.

Acer’s 27-inch gaming displays will be available in the fourth quarter in North America. The Predator XB273K will start at $1,299, while the Nitro XV273K will start at $899. The WQHD Nitro XV272U will start at $499 and the XF272U will start at $449.

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Acer OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality headset lets you straddle real, virtual worlds

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Acer has announced its newest Windows Mixed Reality headset at the IFA 2018 conference in Berlin. Dubbed the Acer OJO 500, the headset boasts a number of innovative features, such as sound pipe technology, a detachable design, and a new app-based calibration design that Acer claims will lead to sharper, clearer images. Users new to Windows Mixed Reality will be able to pick up a package that includes the two optional Bluetooth motion controllers that sync with the headset. The headset will be available in November, with prices starting at $399 in North America.

“The Acer OJO 500 brings several significant new features to this class of Windows Mixed Reality headsets,” said Andrew Chuang, Acer’s general manager of presence computing. “We’ve improved the user experience with innovative visual and audio technologies and made the headset more comfortable and easier than ever to use.”

“We’ve improved the user experience with innovative visual and audio technologies and made the headset more comfortable and easier than ever to use.”

The headset’s detachable design allows the lens and head straps to be removed, making it easier to store and clean the device. Acer claims that the removable strap design will allow businesses, like car showrooms, for example, to adopt the OJO 500 and keep the experience clean and sanitary for their customers. The OJO can be configured with either a hard or soft strap, and the soft strap is machine washable.

If you need to temporarily pause your journey into the virtual or mixed reality world, you don’t even need to take the OJO 500 off. The headset comes with a design that allows the mask to be flipped up, which temporarily and quickly pauses your mixed reality experience.

When you’re in the mixed reality experience, the OJO 500 doesn’t require headphones for immersive audio. A unique sound pipe helps direct sound from the headset’s built-in speakers to the user’s ears. This open audio design means that you’re not isolated from the real world, making the OJO 500 suitable for use in public spaces where you may not want to be cut off from your surroundings. The audio system comes with a built-in microphone array, embedded speakers, and the sound pipe. If you want a more private audio experience, you can also use the earphones that are built into the hard head strap or use your own headphones with the soft head strap.

For clearer and sharper images, the OJO 500 comes with a built-in interpupillary distance (IPD) wheel. You can also use a software-assisted app to calculate the distance between your pupils and the display to calibrate the screen. The OJO 500 comes with two front-hinged 2.89-inch displays providing a 100-degree field of view at 2,880 x 1,440 resolution. The OJO’s screen comes with a 90Hz refresh rate.

An external camera helps the headset maintain tracking, so you don’t need any extra hardware when the headset is plugged into a PC that supports Windows Mixed Reality. The headset can track backward and forward, up and down, and left and right directions along with pitch, yaw, and roll. The headset connects to your Windows 10 system’s HDMI and USB 3.0 ports via a 13-foot long cable.

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Designed to engulf players, Acer’s Predator Thronos is a titan of a gaming chair

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It’s no coincidence that Acer’s Predator Thronos Gaming Chair has a name that’s similar to that of an evil, world-killing villain from Marvel lore. It’s just as titanic in nature as Thanos, wielding three monitors and a tower desktop. Unveiled at the IFA 2018 convention in Berlin, this isn’t just a chair: It’s also a titan.

Measuring nearly five feet tall, the throne-like Predator Thronos is made of steel and sports a two-tone color scheme: Black with illuminated white accents or black with lit blue accents. It resembles something ripped straight out of science-fiction, providing a “cabin” that reclines up to 140 degrees. Inside is a vibrating chair that reacts to your on-screen action, along with a comfy foot rest.

Slung over your head like a metallic scorpion’s tail is a brace that holds three 27-inch displays – sold separately – in front of your face. This brace appears to be illuminated by multiple variants of the Acer Predator logo stretching out along the top, sides and bottom. The piece joining the two monitor support rails to the overhead brace includes the full, illuminated Predator logo.

But there’s more to the Predator Thronos than just the chair and monitor rails. Everything sits on a huge metallic base complete with illuminated “Predator” wording, illuminated accents and backlighting creeping out from under the chair. There are two handles mounted on each side of the base, so you can drag this huge metallic beast to your favorite spot.

We’re not exactly sure where the desktop — sold separately — resides on this monstrous contraption, and Acer provided very little detail about this product prior to its reveal. Based on the images, it may reside directly behind your back on the other side of the steel structure supporting the seat. Presumably, the Predator Thronos already includes cabling mounted within the brace and through the two display rails so you’re not running crazy-long cables throughout the setup.

“The all-new Predator Thronos reimagines the gaming chair for a new level of gamer,” the company says. “It puts the gamer in the game through deep impact vibration, where the chair vibrates upon in-game impact. Integrated with a Predator PC and triple Predator monitors plus gadgets, the Thronos becomes more than a gaming chair—it’s a gamer’s cave.”

The Predator Thronos is what you could consider as an “extreme” upgrade to the company’s Gaming Chair. This version consists of premium PVC leather, an ergonomic “body-contouring” design, a detachable headrest, lumbar cushions, and adjustable armrests with a 180-degree recline. The chair is mostly black save for a blue highlight that snakes around the front edge of the cushions.

At the time of publication, Acer didn’t say when the Predator Thronos would arrive or how much it will cost. Chances are that it may arrive in the fourth quarter of 2018, along with the company’s other new gaming products introduced during the show. These include new monitors and peripherals based on the Predator and Nitro brands.

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