Category: Computers

  • Acer Chromebook Spin 312: New Convertible with Intel CPU and ChromeOS

    Acer Chromebook Spin 312: New Convertible with Intel CPU and ChromeOS

    Acer has launched the Acer Chromebook Spin 312, a new convertible laptop that features hinges allowing for a wide opening angle, making it possible to use the Spin 312 in tent mode. Naturally, a device like this includes a touchscreen. The 12.2-inch screen supports a 60Hz refresh rate and offers a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 (WUXGA), which gives more vertical pixels than the standard Full HD in landscape orientation.

    Performance Specifications

    This convertible notebook is powered by an Intel Core i3-N305 processor, which has eight cores and a maximum turbo clock speed of 3.8 GHz. Alongside the processor, it comes with 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB of flash storage. While these specifications may appear rather basic when compared with regular notebooks, the Spin 312 is designed primarily for web-based tasks and lighter activities such as text editing and educational use. ChromeOS enhances ease of use in this regard and is known for its security features.

    Battery Life and Connectivity

    Acer states that the Chromebook Spin 312 can achieve a maximum battery life of 13 hours and supports charging at up to 65 watts. Interestingly, there is no dedicated charging port; instead, it utilizes USB-C for charging. Additionally, the device is equipped with two USB-A ports, an HDMI 1.4 output, and an audio combo jack. Weighing around 1.3 kg (2.84 lbs), this 2-in-1 Chromebook is priced at US$450 in the United States.

    Source: Link

    Image 1
    Image 1
    Tags:
  • Meta to Compensate Australians $50 Million Over Cambridge Analytica

    Meta to Compensate Australians $50 Million Over Cambridge Analytica

    Meta has struck a deal to settle for $50 million with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) regarding the Cambridge Analytica incident from 2018. This settlement is aimed at compensating Australians whose Facebook data was collected and used for targeted political advertising.

    Breach of Privacy Act

    The OAIC issued a statement, highlighting, "The personal information of some Australian Facebook users was disclosed to the This is Your Digital Life app in violation of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)." As part of the agreement, the OAIC will drop the civil penalty proceedings that have been in effect since February 2024.

    Payment Scheme Details

    Meta will implement a payment scheme that will be managed by an independent third-party administrator. The company plans to announce this mediator at the beginning of next year. The compensation will be available for individuals who meet these criteria:

    1) They had a Facebook account from November 2, 2013, to December 17, 2015.

    2) They were in Australia for more than 30 days during that timeframe.

    3) They either installed the This is Your Digital Life app or were friends on Facebook with someone who did.

    Two-Tier Payment System

    There will be two levels within this payment system. The first tier allows individuals to apply for a base payment "if they feel they experienced generalized concern or embarrassment because of the matter." The second tier is for those who can provide evidence of loss or damage due to the incident, making them eligible for a higher compensation amount.

    "Today’s settlement marks the largest payment ever made to address privacy concerns for individuals in Australia," stated Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd in a press release.

    "It signifies a major resolution to the privacy issues raised by the Cambridge Analytica situation, offers affected Australians a chance to seek compensation through Meta’s payment program, and puts an end to a prolonged court process," Tydd further explained.

    Tags: ,
  • Pico W5: Wireless Raspberry Pi Pico Alternative for Projects

    Pico W5: Wireless Raspberry Pi Pico Alternative for Projects

    At the end of November, we shared updates about the Raspberry Pi RP2350 and the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. As expected, the first alternatives have started to emerge. The new Pico W5 is an alternative built on the Raspberry Pi RP2350. While this computing chip features two Cortex-M33 cores, boards utilizing the RP2350 chip are relatively weak overall and aren’t fit for everyday desktop tasks like the Raspberry Pi 5. In contrast, the Pico W5 is created for connecting sensors and actuators, making it more appropriate for projects that require close interaction with hardware and where, for example, sensor data usage or network data sharing is crucial.

    Specifications and Design

    The Pico W5 is compact, measuring 51 x 21 millimeters and weighing only 3 grams. It comes with a USB-C port, which serves for power supply. The device includes 520 KB of SRAM and has 8 MB of QSPI flash storage. For wireless communication, it supports WiFi in the 5 GHz frequency range, and it can also connect to other devices through Bluetooth 5.0 LE. Additionally, the 26-pin GPIO header supports various protocols, including UART, SPI, and I2C.

    Pricing and Availability

    You can purchase the Pico W5 from Elecrow for just under $7. Meanwhile, the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is available on Amazon for $10.89.

    Source: Link

    Image 1
    Tags:
  • Iris²: European Starlink Alternative Secures €10.6 Billion Funding

    Iris²: European Starlink Alternative Secures €10.6 Billion Funding

    Iris² is a significant satellite initiative by the European Union, following in the footsteps of Galileo, which is a GPS alternative, and the Copernicus program for earth observation. This project aims to create a competitor to Starlink by 2030, ensuring that EU member states have their own reliable and secure internet access, free from the influence of wealthy individuals or the political agendas of other countries.

    Investment Details

    As reported by the Financial Times, the total funding for this initiative will reach 10.6 billion euros. Of this amount, 61% will originate from public resources, while the remaining 39% will come from SpaceRise, an industrial group that includes companies like Eutelsat, Hispasat, SES, Airbus, and Deutsche Telekom. SpaceRise has entered into a twelve-year agreement to develop and manage the network. The planned Iris² system will feature 290 satellites, with a mix of some in medium and others in low earth orbit.

    Service Offerings

    Similar to Starlink, most of the bandwidth from Iris² will be allocated for delivering broadband internet to individuals and businesses, particularly in regions with limited internet access. Nevertheless, a portion of this capacity will also be set aside for government use, which is crucial for maintaining essential infrastructure during crises and for conducting surveillance activities. Currently, there are no additional specifics available regarding the expected bandwidth or the satellite technology that will be utilized.

    Source: Link

    Tags:
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Intel’s Breakthrough Battery Life

    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Intel’s Breakthrough Battery Life

    Customers who purchased Intel laptops over the last few years had to deal with poor battery life. The problem stemmed from Intel struggling to make its CPUs efficient without compromising on performance.

    The Alder Lake Generation’s Flaws

    The Alder Lake series was perhaps the worst in this regard. The 12th gen Core i CPUs brought a new hybrid design that Intel took from ARM, featuring large P cores and smaller E cores. The “E” stands for “Efficiency,” raising hopes that these laptops would enjoy improved battery life. Unfortunately, “Efficiency” turned out to mean “maximizing multicore performance.” As a result, Alder Lake actually provided less battery life than the previous 11th gen Tiger Lake CPUs.

    Progress with Raptor Lake and Meteor Lake

    Intel addressed these issues with the subsequent Raptor Lake and Meteor Lake CPUs, but the battery performance still lagged behind competitors. Then came Intel’s Lunar Lake. This first CPU mostly produced by TSMC finally enhances processor efficiency, leading to better battery life.

    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon: A Case Study

    A great example illustrating Intel’s progress—or lack thereof over recent years—is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. We recently tested the latest Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 featuring Lunar Lake. Since 2021, Lenovo has kept the battery capacity unchanged at 57 Wh. We also evaluated each generation with the available 2.8K OLED display, making it perfect for comparing battery life and Intel’s efficiency.

    The statistics are revealing: while the Alder Lake variant of the X1 Carbon barely lasted five hours in our Wi-Fi test (at 150 cd/m² brightness), the newest Gen 13 model achieves nearly eleven hours—more than double. Our findings also indicate that Alder Lake (12th Gen Core i) and Raptor Lake (13th Gen Core i) represented a regression compared to Tiger Lake (11th Gen Core i). Only the Meteor Lake version (Core Ultra Series 1) of the X1 Carbon Gen 12 (available on Amazon) finally matched the efficiency levels of Tiger Lake. With Lunar Lake (Core Ultra Series 2), the performance sees a significant boost, which is why we consider the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 the best X1 Carbon to date.

    Source: Link

    Tags: , ,
  • Framework Laptop 16 Supports Four M.2 SSDs for 16 TB Storage

    Framework Laptop 16 Supports Four M.2 SSDs for 16 TB Storage

    The Framework Laptop 16 features an expansion bay, which was originally designed mainly for the optional AMD Radeon RX 7700S. This graphics card can be added for an extra $400 when purchasing the laptop. Now, users who don’t require the GPU can utilize the expansion bay for a different module.

    Dual M.2 Adapter Overview

    This new module is referred to as the “Dual M.2 Adapter.” The name clearly indicates its purpose: it utilizes the PCIe interface of the expansion slot to connect two M.2 SSDs. When combined with the two M.2 slots on the mainboard of the Framework Laptop 16, users can install up to four 4 TB SSDs, allowing for a maximum storage capacity of 16 TB. Remember, compatible SSDs must be bought separately if needed.

    Pricing for SSDs

    For instance, the Crucial P3 Plus PCIe 4.0 SSD with 4 TB storage is currently priced at $244.95 on Amazon. The adapter supports all M.2 formats from 2230 to 2280. Furthermore, the dual M.2 adapter does not hinder the cooling system of the Framework Laptop 16, as the two fans are placed in the expansion slot along with the extra SSDs. You can check our in-depth review for more information about the Framework Laptop 16.

    Cost and Purchase Information

    The dual M.2 adapter for the Framework Laptop 16 can now be found in the manufacturer’s online store for just $39. As is customary, Framework provides a manual to guide users through the installation process, which should take about 15 to 30 minutes. A screwdriver is all that’s needed to complete the installation.

    Source: Link

    Image 1
    Image 1
    Image 1
    Tags:
  • AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 and New Asus ROG Flow Z13 Leaked

    AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 and New Asus ROG Flow Z13 Leaked

    Some time back, the ‘Pro’ version of AMD’s high-end Strix Halo CPU appeared on Geekbench. Now, we have the chance to look at its standard model, which has a long name that is a bit confusing, but not as much. The Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 has been tested, giving us a glimpse into its CPU and GPU capabilities. It is found in an Asus ROG Flow Z13, a unique laptop-tablet combination, which was hinted at by a leak earlier this year.

    Performance Insights

    The AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 managed to score 2,894 points in Geekbench’s single-core evaluation. This result is quite similar to the Ryzen 9 7945HX from two generations back, which scored 2,880, and the more recent Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 2,857, not to mention the low-power Core Ultra 9 288V, which came in at 2,864. Interestingly, the Strix Halo flagship falls behind the previous-gen Core i9-14900HX, which averaged around 3,016 in our findings.

    Optimization Needed

    Clearly, the CPU requires some fine-tuning, as demonstrated by Geekbench’s frequency data. The CPU peaks at 5.2 GHz, but the primary listing states its boost clock at 3.939 GHz. Additionally, the memory, which is 24 GB, is shown to operate at a lowly 1,944 MT/s, even though it is supposed to run at 8,000 MT/s. Regardless, the Strix Halo is not expected to launch until next year, giving AMD and Asus time to resolve its issues.

    Multicore Performance

    Looking at multicore performance, the AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 shows off its sixteen Zen 5 cores with impressive results. It achieves a score of 20,708 points, surpassing all previously mentioned CPUs. Since Strix Point incorporates both Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, the best we can compare it to is the Ryzen 9 7945HX, which had an average score of 16,765. This indicates that Strix Halo provides a 25% performance boost over its Zen 4 predecessor.

    In conclusion, while the Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 may outperform its x86 rivals, it is significantly outclassed by Apple’s M4 Pro, which is an Arm-based rival with two fewer CPU cores. Our benchmarking records indicate it scored 3,382 and 22,527 points in Geekbench 6.3. While this doesn’t fully represent a processor’s overall performance, Strix Halo is unlikely to bridge that considerable gap, even with adequate software enhancements.

    Source: Link

    Image 1
    Tags: ,
  • Cable Matters Introduces Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station for 8K Displays

    Cable Matters Introduces Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station for 8K Displays

    The Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station has been revealed in the United States. This versatile 11-in-1 device caters to various users, such as gamers, content creators, and other professionals.

    Features and Compatibility

    As its title indicates, this new docking station by Cable Matters provides upstream Thunderbolt 5, enabling 140W pass-through charging and an impressive 120GBps bandwidth, which is three times that of Thunderbolt 4. In addition to Thunderbolt 5, it also works with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 host devices. The dock features three Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports that offer 15W charging and an 80 Gbps bandwidth. These ports can connect up to three monitors, supporting either 8K@60Hz or 4K@144Hz resolution when paired with a Windows Thunderbolt 5 laptop. For Thunderbolt 4 Windows devices, it supports a single 8K@60Hz or dual 4K@120Hz displays, while MacBook users can enjoy dual 6K@60Hz and single 8K@60Hz support with an M4 silicon chip.

    Additional Connectivity Options

    Moreover, the Thunderbolt Share function allows you to link two laptops at the same time. The dock also provides USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two of which feature a bandwidth of 10Gbps, while the third has a 5Gbps bandwidth suitable for charging. Other connectivity options include a 2.5GB Ethernet port, SD and microSD card slots, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Kensington lock slot for security. Accompanying the dock are a Thunderbolt 5 cable, a power cord, and a stand for convenient setup.

    Pricing Information

    You can purchase the Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station on Amazon for $349.99.

    Source: Link

  • Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, Vivobook 18, and 3 Vivobook 16 Leaked Before CES 2025

    Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, Vivobook 18, and 3 Vivobook 16 Leaked Before CES 2025

    Asus has confirmed that it will hold two events next month during CES 2025 in Las Vegas. As we talked about earlier, it looks like the company is working on new Windows laptops that feature a focus on ‘AI’. In line with this, information about several new Vivobook and Zenbook models has started to pop up at various retailers, although these listings have since been taken down.

    Screenshots Captured

    Despite the removals, sites like VideoCardz were able to grab screenshots of these listings before they disappeared. At this moment, five new laptop models have been spotted online:

    It’s likely that Asus has more Zenbook updates in the pipeline, especially since we’ve only seen a new version of the Zenbook 14 UX3405 (currently priced at $839 on Amazon) so far. Considering when these listings appeared, we think it’s probable that they will be unveiled at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.

    Processor Insights

    In addition, it appears that Asus has plans for laptops featuring Intel‘s Arrow Lake-H and Raptor Lake Refresh, along with models using AMD Ryzen 200 (Hawk Point) and Ryzen AI 300 (Krackan) series APUs. For context, the various listings indicate that Asus’ refreshed Vivobook and Zenbook series will include these processors:

    Source: Link

    Image 1
    Tags:
  • Rhode Island Ransomware Attack: Hackers Demand Payment for Data

    Rhode Island Ransomware Attack: Hackers Demand Payment for Data

    Rhode Island’s officials have announced that a global cybercriminal organization has successfully breached RIBridges, the online portal for social services in the state. The hackers are reportedly engaging in extortion, demanding a ransom in return for access to residents’ personal and banking information, which includes social security numbers.

    Affected Programs

    According to a report from Reuters, this incident impacts individuals enrolled in various state assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, healthcare services offered through HealthSource RI, Rhode Island Works (RIW), Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), and General Public Assistance (GPA).

    Security Breach Confirmation

    In a statement issued to the media, Governor Dan McKee’s office stated that Deloitte has confirmed the likelihood that a cybercriminal has accessed files containing personally identifiable information from RIBridges. The breach was communicated to the state on December 13 by Deloitte, a global professional services company. In response, the state has temporarily taken the RIBridges portal offline to counter the threat and work on restoring the system as quickly as possible.

    Next Steps for Residents

    Deloitte has also indicated that “malicious code was found within the system.” The governor’s office mentioned that affected households will receive a letter by mail detailing how to access complimentary credit monitoring services. A special call center will be established starting December 15, operating from 11 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, to assist those impacted.

    For more information, residents can check the official site at Governor.ri.gov.

    Source: Link

    Tags: