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droneseco · 4 years ago

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Elecrow Crowbits: The Ultimate LEGO-Compatible STEM Learning System That Grows With Your Child

Elecrow Crowbits

9.00 / 10

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Brick builds, combined with magnetic electronics blocks, and programmable micro-controllers. Does it get any better than this? I think my long search for the perfect STEM learning kit is complete. If you have young children just coming up to the right age for it, the Crowbits system can accompany them throughout their primary education and beyond.

Key Features

Magnetic blocks build circuits

Kits to suit various levels

Specifications

Brand: Elecrow

Development Platform: Scratch and MicroPython

Pros

LEGO-compatible to customize your builds

Full range of components planned

Level up with your child with more complex projects and programmable microcontroller

Familiar Scratch-based programming software

Cons

It's a Kickstarter

Instructions need work expanding on the principles and explanations

Buy This Product

Elecrow Crowbits other

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Take a moment to imagine the perfect electronics and engineering learning kit. It would be so simple even a child could use it: magnetic blocks, perhaps? Modular, so you could swap bits in and out to modify projects. It would scale up, so you could start with simple circuits and move on to programmable hardware, catering to all levels of the curriculum. Lastly, I'd throw in LEGO-compatible, because LEGO bricks are the best tool for creativity and engineering ever made.

That's exactly everything the Elecrow Crowbits system is, and it's crowdfunding now.

youtube

Disclaimer: This is a Kickstarter

Four of the five available Crowbits kits were sent to us for evaluation during the Kickstarter, however, they are still very much in the prototype stage, and we've evaluated them on that basis. Some bits were missing, some were non-functional, and the software is still a work-in-progress. This is to be expected at this stage, but the core system is solid.

Also, the usual Kickstarter caveat applies: your money is at risk, and there's no legal obligation with any crowdfunding campaign to actually deliver a product. That said, this isn't Elecrow's first campaign (the CrowPi 1 and CrowPi 2 were a huge success). It's a well-established company with a reputation to maintain and a good track record, so we think the risk is minimal.

What Are Crowbits?

Crowbits modules are magnetic electronics blocks with LEGO-compatible pin holes on the side and stud holes underneath. The 4-pin pogo connections are either male or female, and have a small protrusion on the bottom to prevent wiring them the wrong way around.

Extension cables enable you to place a module elsewhere, and these too feature the same magnetic connection and can't be plugged in the wrong way. The whole system operates on a safe, low voltage, and with rechargeable battery blocks that charge over micro-USB.

Each Microbits module is color-coded for ease of understanding:

Blue modules are power and logic. In the basic sets, these are simple battery modules that don't require programming. In more advanced sets, these are programmable microcontrollers with pin numbers on the connections for addressing modules directly.

Yellow modules are inputs: buttons, basics sensors and such.

Green modules are outputs: LEDs, motors, buzzers, relays.

Orange modules are special and require serial communication lines to the programmable hub. These include things like color sensors, joysticks, or 2G communications hub.

A large range of Crowbits modules are planned, though these will be available separately at a later date. For now, you can only purchase the full Crowbits kits with their included module selections.

No Programming Required!

Since the first two Crowbit kits require no programming, how does that work? Simple, as long as you follow some basic rules:

Yellow input modules must be placed on the left of green output modules (when viewed with the module name being on the top, and symbol in the bottom right).

One input module can control a chain of output modules.

A new input-output chain will be created if you add another input module to the right.

Blue battery modules can go anywhere in the circuit, and their orientation doesn't matter as long as the pins are compatible.

With this, kids can create basic circuits. For more complex circuits (that still don't need programming), a series of bitwise logic operator modules are planned. A "NOT" logic gate is included in the Hello kit, and more will be available later.

This enables you to reverse an input, such that a button that would normally turn on an LED, would now function as a button to turn the LED off.

Crowbits Kits

The Crowbits Kits are divided into five stages of increasing complexity, but all share a common system and are compatible with each other. Some modules are duplicated between kits. Let's take a look at the contents and direction of each kit.

Hello Kit

The most basic of kits is also the cheapest, available for $30. It includes seven modules, one of which is a small battery module. Five project builds are included along with pre-cut cardboard parts to stick together. No programming is required, and the Hello kit is suitable for ages 5-6.

Explorer Kit

The Explorer Kit continues the no-programming theme, but adds movement through the use of a motor module and pack of technic pieces for some basic engineering. A total of eight modules are included, one of which is a medium-sized battery pack. The build guide contains a mix of brick-based and cardboard projects. With a little adult supervision on the trickier mechanical elements, 7-8-year-olds should be able to handle this kit. The Kickstarter price is $80, rising to $130 RRP.

Inventor Kit

The Inventor Kit is a big step up that introduces programming concepts and more complex mechanical engineering. The main module of this kit requires a BBC Micro:bit (v1) to function. This is not included, though it may be available as an add-on if you don't already own one.

For those not familiar, the BBC Micro:bit is an all-in-one programmable microcontroller specifically designed for use in the school curriculum. It's widely used in UK schools, and gaining ground in the US.

Related: 10 Beginner Projects for the BBC Micro:bit

Ten modules are included as well as a large pack of technic bricks, suitable for building projects such as an obstacle avoidance car or color-sorting robot.

Given the use of BBC Micro:bit and Scratch programming in schools from around age 8, this kit would be suitable for 8-12 year-olds. It's available during the Kickstarter for $90, RRP $130.

Creator Kit

This was not yet ready for review at the time of writing, but the core of the Creator kit is an Arduino-based board, and includes 11 modules more suited to smart home projects and more complex interaction programming, along with a small selection of technic blocks. There are no movement motors. The Creator kit is available for $100 now, or RRP $150 later.

Master Kit

The most advanced kit in the range, the Master Kit uses an ESP32-based board at its core, featuring a TFT color screen. Also in the kit are some joystick modules, a small keyboard, laser ranging sensor, and 2G connection.

The Master Kit has a small number of technic bricks, and as well two silicone cases for a working phone, and a retro game console. It's designed to show the modules coming together to create a finished product. However, programming the firmware is quite complex, so I'd rate this kit as suitable for 14 and up. The early pricing is $100 for the Master kit, rising to $150 RRP.

LEGO-Compatible, not Actual LEGO

I should note that the Crowbits kits are not an officially endorsed nor licensed LEGO group product, and do not contain actual LEGO bricks. Instead, the LEGO-compatible technical bricks carry the brand name "CaDA", which I've not come across before.

That said, the bricks are well made and connect simply and securely, which is always a worry with off-brand construction bricks. For context, you can buy a set of at least 500 CaDA technic bricks on AliExpress for under $30.

You can of course decorate the builds with your own real LEGO, should you wish.

As a nerdy side-note, be warned that the instruction for the brick builds are read left-to-right, rather than top-to-bottom. If you're a LEGO family, this is mildly infuriating and means your child might skip steps!

Programming with LetsCode

Programming your Crowbits kits is done using Elecrow's new LetsCode (currently only for Windows, but support is promised for Mac OS and Raspberry Pi later).

LetsCode is a customized version of Microsoft MakeCode, which is itself based on the graphical block programming language, Scratch 3.0. As such, it'll be immediately familiar to anyone with experience of Scratch programming. It's widely used for introductory programming classes all over the world, and includes graphics blocks for all common concepts like loops, branching, and functions.

Pin numbers are printed directly on the blue modules, so it's easy to see which component is attached where.

If you outgrow graphical programming, you will also be able to program in MicroPython or Java, though this was not supported at the time of testing.

Should You Back the Elecrow Crowbits?

The Crowbits magnetic circuit system is easy to use and scales well for different ages and user levels. You can start with simple circuits, and move on to programmable logic controllers, and still reuse all the bits. It's a system that will grow with your child throughout their learning journey from age 6 to 14. Very few educational toys can make that sort of claim.

If you want your child to have a competitive edge in the programming, electronics, and engineering aspect of the STEM curriculum, then supplementing schoolwork is a great idea.

Even though many schools have now returned, it's possible you've opted to fully homeschool or just want to supplement their existing classwork. Over the next few years, schools will inevitably be different. There'll be a lot less practical work going on because of the aspect of touching shared equipment, so having this sort of kit available at home with software that's familiar will be of great benefit.

That said, the Crowbits kits vary greatly. If you're a completionist, you can grab a bargain bundle during the Kickstarter of every Crowbits kit available, for a cool $400 (rising to $600 RRP after the campaign).

But I think the best value comes from the Explorer, Inventor, and Master Kit bundle for $270. This includes a ton of mechanical bricks and plenty of movement modules. The BBC Micro:bit compatibility ties in perfectly to the existing curriculum (in the UK, anyway), while the ESP32 board is a good step up once they're old enough.

If you're only going to purchase one kit, I'd recommend skipping the Hello kit and going straight to Explorer or Inventor, depending on whether you want programming introduced yet. The cardboard projects in the Hello kit just felt a little too contrived and didn't engage my 6-year-old son in the same way LEGO does.

While the mechanical elements of the Explorer kit may need a little adult supervision, he was quite capable of the bulk of construction and able to use the LetsCode software thanks to previous experience with Scratch.

On the other end of the scale, I wasn't overly impressed with the Master kit either. The game console project, while it produces a cool end product, consists of simply the main board and two joystick modules on the side.

There is no construction, and the hardest part is loading on firmware, which tedious at best. The phone project is also impressive but limited to a 2G network, many of which will be disabled by the time the Crowbit kits ship. The ESP32 mainboard is technically impressive, but once your teenage child is ready to program this thing, the magnetic block system may not be appropriate anymore. It's a good addition to your collection if you're purchasing the earlier sets too, but I wouldn't purchase it alone.

Overall though, I think my long search for the perfect STEM learning kit is complete. If you have young children just coming up to the right age for it, the Crowbits system can accompany them throughout their primary education and beyond. And when they're done with it in a decade, we'll probably all be learning in VR anyway.

Alternatives to Crowbits

Crowbits isn't the only STEM kit around. The closest competitor is the littleBits STEAM kit, which retails at around $400, doesn't include any technic bricks, and has a limited selection of magnetic modules. It's more closely aligned to the US curriculum though with more extensive teaching materials, and already in use in many schools.

The LEGO groups' own Robot Inventor MindStorms kit is also worth considering, retailing at $350. It's focused more on robotics than basic electronics, and isn't suited to younger children, but the software is also based on Scratch. It would make a great step once your child reaches 14, and has outgrown the magnetic Crowbits system.

Elecrow Crowbits: The Ultimate LEGO-Compatible STEM Learning System That Grows With Your Child published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

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weekinethereum · 7 years ago

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September 21, 2018

News and Links

Protocol

[SNARKs] Toward ~500 tx/sec through mass tx validation

[ewasm] Latest Ewasm call

[Eth 2.0] Prysmatic’s latest implementation update: proposer & attester responsibilities, RPC validator interactions and minimal beacon chain processing & fork choice. Chose Bolt for database.

[Eth 2.0] Notes from last Eth 2.0 implementers call.

[Eth 2.0] Sigma Prime introduces its Lighthouse Eth 2.0 client

[State channels] Latest state channels call

[State channels] Learn State Channels, similiar to Learn Plasma

[Plasma] snapp - fully verified plasma chain using SNARKs and BarryWhiteHat’s roll_up

[Plasma] Enabling Faster Plasma Exits - NFT collateralization

[Plasma] Data Availability Solution for Plasma EVM without Confirmation

[Plasma] Quark–gluon Plasma - verified Plasma chain without confirmation signatures

[Plasma] Plasma Cash Defragmentation

[Plasma] Plasma Cash Minimal Atomic Swap

[Plasma] The current state of Plasma (before this week anyway!) by Kevin Zhang

[Plasma] Latest Plasma implementers call

A suggestion: if you want to work in this industry, publishing notes on any of these calls (Plasma, Ewasm, Eth 2.0, state channels, etc) is a great way to build knowledge and reputation.

Stuff for developers

Parameterized transaction reviews for when you want to decide which signers you want to approve different types of transactions

hosted Eth nodes and load balancing

Deconstructing Solidity, pt 5: function bodies

Solidity capture the flag pt 4 challenge, with pt 3 writeup

Sigma Prime’s Mehdi Zerouali: ‘breaking smart contracts for fun and profit’ slides

event logs parser

ethjs-abi for use in BigQuery, to decode Ethereum event logs

Ethereum in Google’s BigQuery: how we built this dataset

Ameen Solemaini video code walk through of Moloch DAO

Using APM to replace centralized package managers

Implementing Harberger tax deeds

Zymbit and Oaken blockchain security module available for pre-order for $47. i2c, Raspberry Pi ready. Ships mid-October

Registration open for next ConsenSys Academy cohort. Zastrin also just released an NFT/ERC721 course

RuntimeVerification’s formal verification spec in K of ERC777

Releases

Parity v2.1.1 beta and v.2.0.6 stable. Parity 1.x end of life.

Ecosystem

Multi-Collateral Dai: the code is formally verified and ready. Check it out on Kovan.

Avsa’s Universal logins working demo: first code release

Beltran on UX for mass adoption

Wyohackathon submissions and winners. EthBerlin winners. Also Hack the North Ethereum submissions

What Eth 2.0 layer 1 scalability will look like, by the numbers

TurboGeth is in private beta, per Rachel O’Leary’s interview with Alexey Akhunov

MEWConnect iOS app is out from My Ether Wallet

Ethfinex Trustless - non-custodial trading using Bitfinex order book, settlement on-chain

Governance and Standards

EIP1418: blockchain rent proposal

ERC820 pseudo-introspection registry is in last call

ERC1412: Batch Transfers For Non-Fungible Tokens

ERC1410: partially fungle token

ERC1417: poll standard

Nick Johnson had a chat with Kristy-Leigh Minehan and switched to supporting ProgPOW. Currently, there’s a 20x increase in processing over ethash in benchmarking, though Minehan says that’s because the CPU code is currently just a copy of the GPU code

Tokensoft on its ERC1404: simple restricted token standard

Project Updates

CasinoFair will be the first live FunFair casino later this month. Available in Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Norway and Thailand. Signup for free FUN

Raiden update on mainnet launch. Testnet release: v0.10.0

Augur app v1.5

Streamr helping build a nationwide traffic map in Georgia

WindingTree’s summer demo release

Santiment’s daily active addresses and Github commit data is free.

Grid+ is live with its first electricity customers

Dapped launches with dapp game reviews

Intro to the Golem marketplace during Brass

1.25m Loom (~110kUSD) to run a LoomNetwork PlasmaChain validator

Interviews, Podcasts, Videos, Talks

Two great Blockcrunch podcasts on state channels: Connext’s Arjun Bhuptani and Celer Network’s Mo Dong

EthBerlin videos

Golem, Status, Raiden UX talks from their meetup at EthBerlin

Linda Xie with Laura Shin

First episode of Around the Block documentary

An interview with Conrad Barski

Latest Open Source Block Explorers call

Zero Knowledge Summit videos

Hudson Jameson on Zero Knowledge

Tokens / Business

Chart: staker rewards and total inflation in Eth 2.0

Polymath on using partially fungible tokens from its security token standard for gaming

Claims curated registries: reputation development

Bonding curves as funding mechanisms

Polkadot/web3

Jack Platts: state of the Polkadot ecosystem. Polkascan explorer is live

GRANDPA block finality in Polkadot

Buzzfeed published a sensationalist hit piece on Gavin Wood over a short story he wrote years ago. His response. I read the story years ago; ‘twas obviously fiction.

Cloudflare now runs an IPFS gateway. How they built it e2e

General

15 of the world’s largest banks and trading firms start Komgo to build a commodity trading platform on Ethereum.

Airbus announced an ERC721 framework for charities to take donations

Rep Emmer (R-MN) unveils blockchain-friendly bills to clarify tax with regard to forks and not require miners to register as MSBs (which would be a truly asinine requirement)

NY AG claimed that Coinbase was doing its own trading. Actually, 20% of Coinbase exchange volume comes from Coinbase’s retail. It doesn’t even have an OTC desk.

Putting a Syrian airstrike early warning system on Ethereum for data transparency

SEC Commissioner Peirce speech on being CryptoMom

Blockchain futurism from John Wolpert: sidechains for fun and profit

David Chaum says he has built a better Bitcoin

A Bitcoin bug would have allowed inflation. It was discovered by a Bitcoin Cash developer

Dates of Note

Upcoming dates of note:

September 21-23 - EthAtlanta

Sept 29 - Oct 1 - Ethfinex’s governance summit (Lugano)

Oct 5-7 - TruffleCon in Portland

Oct 5-7 - ETHSanFrancisco hackathon

Oct 8 - Settle virtual hackathon

Oct 11 - Crypto Economics Security Conf (Berkeley)

Oct 12 - Non-fungible summit(SF)

Oct 22-24 - Web3Summit (Berlin)

Oct 24-25 - Winding Tree hackathon (Prague)

Oct 26-28 - Status hackathon (Prague)

Oct 28-30 - Ethereum Magicians Council of Prague

Oct 29 - Decentralized Insurance D1Conf (Prague)

Oct 30 - Nov 2 - Devcon4 (Prague)

Nov 2 - MetaMask, Mist, imToken and Status to stop injecting web3

Nov 3-4 - Enterprise Ethereum hackathon (Prague)

Dec 7-9 - dGov distributed governance conf (Athens)

Dec 7-9 - ETHSingapore hackathon

Feb 15-17 - ETHDenver

If you appreciate this newsletter, thank ConsenSys

This newsletter is made possible by ConsenSys, which is perpetually hiring if you’re interested.

I own Week In Ethereum. As such, editorial control has always been 100% me. If you're unhappy with editorial decisions, feel free to tweet at me.

Shameless self-promotion

Link: http://www.weekinethereum.com/post/178351920908/september-21-2018

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certainheartrunaway · 4 years ago

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Current Ham Radio News

Current ham radio news

We are indebted to Gil, F5NOD for these exciting and often exotic DX recordings. Gil’s website has been online for many years but has not been updated for a very long time; it’s likely one day it will simply disappear. We also believe Gil left the hobby in 2007 although we would love to hear […]

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Historical DX recordings

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Current ham radio news

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson who notes that there currently a Squires Sanders SS-1R on eBay. He notes: Ultra rare amateur receiver. The only thing rarer is a SS-IBS, the SW bands version. This is certainly a “fixer upper” in that it will need a re-stringing and likely at least a recapping. […]

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David, who shares the following random photos he recently inherited and scanned. These were taken at an Antique Wireless Association meeting (AWA) from 2000. Click on images to enlarge: Thank you for sharing these David!

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“We’re delighted that the 3,000th person has just passed their Foundation licence via remote invigilation! Congratulations to them and welcome to everyone who has become a radio amateur over the last year.

There are lots of resources on our Beyond Exams web page – from things you can try, videos about practical skills to watch through to a Facebook group just for new licensees.

SOURCE: RSGB Notices

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Ham Radio – Icom 705 remote control with a cell phone app!

March 08, 2021

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https://youtu.be/btm-ZDR_Ux8 Read more

Ham Radio Simple Accessories for Newcomers

March 08, 2021

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Peter Waters G3OJV, talks about five simple accessories that he uses and recommends, for new ham operators. He also explains why Read more

3,000 person passes Foundation exam via remote invigilation

March 08, 2021

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“We’re delighted that the 3,000th person has just passed their Foundation licence via remote invigilation! Congratulations to them and welcome t... Read more

Quantum Receiver Can Detect Huge Swath of the RF Spectrum

March 05, 2021

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US Army researchers have built a so-called “quantum sensor,” which can analyze the full RF spectrum and real-world signals, a report on Physics.org sa... Read more

Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive

March 04, 2021

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RF noise is a frequent discussion topic among radio amateurs. A proliferation of electronics has cluttered and complicated the noise environment; it’s... Read more

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Shark Antennas Hamsticks are mono band HF antennas that consist of a fiberglass mast with integrated coil and 48 inch stainless steel whip. In this video I review the 10, 15, 20, 40, and 75 meter Shark Hamsticks and give a solution on how to fix the poor SWR of the 40 meter Shark Hamstick.

Antenna

RQ-84 – The classic “Quad” full-size has ten elements for 10m, eight – 15 m, six – 20 m, and four full-size elements on 40m band

August 18, 2015

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RQ-84 – the classic “Quad” full-size has ten elements for 10m, eight – 15 m, six – 20 m, and four full-size elements on... Read more

Attic Mounted HF Loop Antenna In HOA, Does It Work?

September 08, 2018

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“I went to my friends house to check out his setup and get him up and running on some HF digital modes. A lot of hams are struggling in an HOA w... Read more

Cross-Band Yagi 144/430 MHz 5+9 el. 150cm

April 24, 2015

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DK7ZB based, especially recalculated for armateur sattelites use – 146 and 437 MHz. Cross-Band Yagi The antenna is designed mainly for co... Read more

CrankIR Series Antenna Vertical

January 10, 2015

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Steppir Antenna Verticals are the only true ¼ wave continuous coverage antennas available for the HF bands. The SteppIR technology has had a pr... Read more

Installation of New 3 El for 80 meters in LZ5R

September 07, 2018

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MILARA CONTEST CLUB LZ1KFM / LZ5R Read more

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Ham College 43 – General Amateur Radio Exam part 14. Emergency Communications, Skywave propagation, and Yagi antennas.

July 30, 2018

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Ham College episode 43 is now available General Amateur Radio Exam part 14. Emergency Communications, Skywaves, Yagi Antennas Read more

Flex 6600 Hamvention 2017 [ Video Demonstration ]

June 07, 2017

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K5SRD talks about the new Flex 6600 on Amateur Radio Roundtable. FLEX-6600 A Real SDR for Every Operator Both the FLEX-6600 and FLEX-6600M offer the... Read more

Bury 100ft of wire 10in deep in 10 minutes without any mess

March 13, 2017

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The greatest tool any underground utility contractor could own. Bury wire and conduit faster and easier without the mess. Read more

LimeSDR Mini – Full Duplex SDR Transceiver – DATV – QO100 – Es Hail 2

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The LimeSDR Mini development board is a hardware platform for developing and prototyping high-performance and logic-intensive digital and RF designs t... Read more

How to Solder Powerpole Connectors by K7AGE

August 18, 2016

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Weird Ham Radios: Manpack Backpack HYS TG-G25W

October 23, 2020

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SPECIFICATION:Built-in 6A Li-ion battery for 10W radio12A Li-ion battery for 25W radioRadioator FanMini size:210*152*44mmFrequency Range: 136-174/400-... Read more

Amplifier 1.2 kW Spert 1200 – 1.8 to 50 MHz

January 21, 2017

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Output power of 1200 W CW / SSB in the field KF, 700W in the band of 50 MHz Power 50V 35A efficiency of 73-75% frequency range 1.8 to 50 MHz switching... Read more

ICOM IC-PW1 Linear Amplifier

March 02, 2015

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ICOM IC-PW1 Linear Amplifiers offer the power you need to succeed! Wide-frequency coverage with 1 kW output, a built-in automatic antenna tuner, and a... Read more

Adding an Amplifier to your Station [ PodCast ] – ARRL The Doctor is In

March 01, 2018

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Adding an amp is not as straightforward as it sounds. There is much to consider, including AC power. Read more

Motorola APX NEXT XE – Focused in the Extreme

September 23, 2020

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Focused in the extreme. The demands of a call require you to adapt and overcome all obstacles. When your focus on the call is threatened, other lives... Read more

News

Ham Radio – Icom 705 remote control with a cell phone app!

March 08, 2021

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https://youtu.be/btm-ZDR_Ux8 Read more

Ham Radio Simple Accessories for Newcomers

March 08, 2021

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Peter Waters G3OJV, talks about five simple accessories that he uses and recommends, for new ham operators. He also explains why Read more

3,000 person passes Foundation exam via remote invigilation

March 08, 2021

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“We’re delighted that the 3,000th person has just passed their Foundation licence via remote invigilation! Congratulations to them and welcome t... Read more

Quantum Receiver Can Detect Huge Swath of the RF Spectrum

March 05, 2021

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US Army researchers have built a so-called “quantum sensor,” which can analyze the full RF spectrum and real-world signals, a report on Physics.org sa... Read more

Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive

March 04, 2021

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RF noise is a frequent discussion topic among radio amateurs. A proliferation of electronics has cluttered and complicated the noise environment; it’s... Read more

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Antenna

EVER WONDER IF A FULL-SIZE 40M YAGI MAKES A DIFFERENCE? by AA7XT

September 18, 2015

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Check out this YouTube clip that Ulf SM3RAB made A/Bing the K1N DXpedition on a Magnum 340 full-size 3 element Yagi that uses the G0KSC OP-DES feed sy... Read more

Comparing Elevated 1/4w Vertical vs. Link Dipole with WSPR

December 19, 2017

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“Hello Ham Radio Ops, K5ACL from SignalSearch here with another Antenna comparison/testing video using the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSP... Read more

4O3A ANTENNA GENIUS 8X2 | SO2R ANTENNA SWITCH WITH TCP/IP

October 02, 2015

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Ranko 4O3A has taken antenna switches into the 21st century! Antenna Genius 8×2 is the first in a new antenna switch line from 4O3A Signature sit... Read more

MFJ-226 1-230 MHZ ANTENNA EXPECT TIMES GRAPHIC ANALYZER

April 02, 2015

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MFJ VNA Antenna Analyzer covers 1 to 230 MHz, 1Hz resolution. •Frequency sweep plots: SWR, Impedance, Resistance, Reactance,Phase Angle, Comple... Read more

M2 Antenna 1330LP11 – HF Log Periodic

June 30, 2015

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HF Log Periodic SPECIFICATIONS: Model 10-30LP12 Frequency Range 10.0-30.0 MHz Gain 6.8 dBi / 11.6 dBi @ 45′ Front to Back 20 dB Typical Usable R... Read more

Review

ANNOUNCEMENT – FTM-400XD/FTM-400D/FTM-100D PDN

February 15, 2019

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Announcement about the new firmware release for the FTM-400XD, FTM-400D, FTM-100D mobiles radio and PDN functionality. Read more

Customizing the Ailunce HD1

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Ailunce HD1 Ailunce HD1 Dual Band DMR Digital DCDM TDMA Waterproof Two Way Radio Description: HD1 dual band digital radio uses Digital Mobile... Read more

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August 31, 2020

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How To Install Powerpole Connectors

January 05, 2017

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“I introduce you to Anderson Powerpole connectors and how to solder and crimp the connector pins. This connector has become a standard among Ama... Read more

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May 29, 2017

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Double the fun of digital ragchews with the TYT MD-2017 Dual Band DMR Digital Two Way Radio! The MD-2017 takes the clarity and full quieting of digita... Read more

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The WiNRADiO WR-G39DDCi ‘EXCELSIOR’ High-performance HF/VHF/UHF/SHF SDR

June 11, 2016

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WiNRADiO Overview The WiNRADiO WR-G39DDCi ‘EXCELSIOR’ is a high-performance HF/VHF/UHF/SHF software-defined receiver with a frequency rang... Read more

MFJ-269C HF/VHF/220MHZ/UHF,.530-230,415-470MHZ,SWR ANALYZER

February 28, 2016

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MFJ-269C Covers 530 KHz-230 MHz and 415-470 MHz . . . SWR . . . Complex RFImpedance: Resistance(R) and Reactance(X) or Magnitude(Z) and Phase(degrees)... Read more

The DUC/DDC HF/VHF SunSDR2 transceiver

November 23, 2014

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SunSDR2-transceiver – is an up-to-date system of the amateur radio communication in the HF and VHF frequency bands with the digital signal proce... Read more

Ultra portable antenna tower for ham radio 34′

February 19, 2016

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Ultra portable antenna tower Collapsible portable antenna tower. For ham radio, cellular, light, camera, satellite, radio communications etc. FOR SALE... Read more

Vibroplex Code Warrior Jr

June 16, 2015

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Vibroplex The Code Warrior Keys are uniquely serial numbered and dated. With a base measuring only 2 1/2″ by 3″, this small iambic model... Read more

News

Ham Radio – Icom 705 remote control with a cell phone app!

March 08, 2021

No comments

https://youtu.be/btm-ZDR_Ux8 Read more

Ham Radio Simple Accessories for Newcomers

March 08, 2021

No comments

Peter Waters G3OJV, talks about five simple accessories that he uses and recommends, for new ham operators. He also explains why Read more

3,000 person passes Foundation exam via remote invigilation

March 08, 2021

No comments

“We’re delighted that the 3,000th person has just passed their Foundation licence via remote invigilation! Congratulations to them and welcome t... Read more

Quantum Receiver Can Detect Huge Swath of the RF Spectrum

March 05, 2021

No comments

US Army researchers have built a so-called “quantum sensor,” which can analyze the full RF spectrum and real-world signals, a report on Physics.org sa... Read more

Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive

March 04, 2021

No comments

RF noise is a frequent discussion topic among radio amateurs. A proliferation of electronics has cluttered and complicated the noise environment; it’s... Read more

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March 08, 2021 at 11:09AM

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RI0FM Team will be active from Moneron Island, IOTA AS - 149, RR-16-01, RDA SL-16, WFF RFF-193, Russia, 15 - 31 July 2021.

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March 08, 2021 at 02:09PM

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ARRL -

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some members of the Bolingbrook Amateur Radio Society (BARS) in suburban Chicago established a nightly health-and-welfare net to keep area hams in contact with one another after sheltering in place became the norm.

The Anti-Viral Net will mark its first anniversary on March 16. The net runs every night of the week, except for the third Monday of the month, ...

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March 08, 2021 at 02:09PM

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The Anti-Viral Net will mark its first anniversary on March 16. The net runs every night of the week, except for the third Monday of the month, ...

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RI0FM will be active from Moneron Island, AS-149 during July 15-31, 2021. QRV on HF bands. Participation in the RSGB IOTA contest (July 24-25). QSL via R3BY.

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RI0FM – Moneron Island, AS-149

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ARRL -

Dayton Hamvention® has announced its 2021 award winners. Hamvention Awards Committee co-Chairs Michael Kalter, W8CI, and Frank Beafore, WS8B, said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamvention committee elected to go forward in announcing its selection of outstanding radio amateurs and predicted that Hamvention will return in 2022.

Amateur of the Year

Angel M. Vazquez, Jr., WP3R, the head of...

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Amateur of the Year

Angel M. Vazquez, Jr., WP3R, the head of...

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March 08, 2021 at 05:09PM

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ARRL -

The IARU Region 1 (IARU-R1) Youth Working Group has said no youth events will take place before mid-June, and that it will review those scheduled for later in the year as the pandemic situation evolves. The group said these events make social distancing difficult, and it doesn’t believe it would be possible for them to take place safely. Other 2021 events will remain on the calendar for the tim...

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March 08, 2021 at 05:09PM

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ARRL -

With most hamfests canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some radio amateurs in Raleigh, North Carolina, have come up with a way to adapt with a tailgate hamfest in an unused shopping center parking area. The event grew out of the so-called Ham Radio Taco Thursdays, begun many years ago by ARRL Life Member Alan Pitegoff, AB4OZ.

Pitegoff had to put his event on hold when the pandemic erupted. I...

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Pitegoff had to put his event on hold when the pandemic erupted. I...

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ARRL -

The 10th anniversary of Maritime Radio Day (MRD) will take place from 1200 UTC on April 14 to 2200 UTC on April 15. The annual event commemorates nearly 90 years of wireless service for seafarers. Radio amateurs and shortwave listeners are welcome and should register in advance by April 1.

Stations such as coastal radio stations and ships may participate only if operated by former commercial or ...

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March 08, 2021 at 05:09PM

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March 08, 2021 at 05:09PM

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Stations such as coastal radio stations and ships may participate only if operated by former commercial or ...

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WA7BNM Contest Calendar - 0000Z-0200Z, Mar 15

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WA7BNM Contest Calendar - 1630Z-1729Z, Mar 15

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WA7BNM Contest Calendar - 1800Z-2059Z, Mar 15

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WA7BNM Contest Calendar - 2000Z-2130Z, Mar 15

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FEBRUARY 16, 2021 – Starting March 10, 2021 look for Take JG8NQJ to again be active from Minami Torishima, OC-073. His length of stay will be around 3 months. JD/M is #23 most wanted entity listed on Club Log. Video below by JS1WWR from previous activity. NOVEMBER 23, 2020 – Very nice to work JG8NQJ/JD1 […]

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reputationiseverything · 5 years ago

Text

Best Remote Access Software

email marketing html templates

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Have you ever been in your office and realized the files you need are on your home computer? Maybe you’re working remotely or meeting a client, but need to access an app from your office PC.

With remote access software, you can view or access another computer from anywhere in the world.

This functionality is extremely versatile. You might use it to log into a client’s computer and help them overcome technical questions. Or you can share your screen with colleagues as you run a demo on your device. You can also transfer files between two computers without having to go through email or file-sharing software—even from unattended devices.

It’s a common misconception that remote access software is only for help desks, but these tools can be used by anyone.

Which remote access software is the best? After researching and testing dozens of options, I’ve narrowed down my list to five that I can recommend with conviction.

The Top 5 Options For Remote Access Software

Parallels Access

TeamViewer

Remote Utilities

Zoho Assist

LogMeIn Pro

How to Choose the Best Remote Access Software For You

Finding the right remote access software can be tough if you don’t know what to look for. But there are certain feature sets and considerations that must be evaluated as you’re comparing different options.

I’ll break these factors down into greater detail below, so you can make an informed buying decision.

Compatible Devices

The first thing you need to do is figure what types of devices and operating systems you’ll be using. All of the best remote access tools should have cross-platform access.

Examples include Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Raspberry Pi, Windows Mobile, etc.

With that said, if you’re just using the remote access software for personal use or for a small team, you might not need a tool that’s compatible with every device under the sun—just the device’s that you’re using. But if you need remote access software to assist clients or thousands of employees, you’ll want to have more versatility.

Security

When it comes to remote access, security will always be a top concern. Is it really that easy for a third party to just access your devices? What type of sensitive information will they have access to?

Software vendors understand this concern. That’s why they add security features like 256-bit encryption, one-time access codes, two-factor authentication, etc. Always make sure that the remote access software you’re evaluating meets any industry-specific security requirements, such as HIPAA for healthcare.

Number of Devices

Not every remote access software is built to scale. If you’re deploying it with a team of five employees, you likely won’t be using the same software as an SME that needs the software to access 500 or 5,000 devices.

All plans will have limitations in terms of device quantities.

You might come across certain tools with unlimited user access. But unlimited users and unlimited devices are two different things. So be prepared to purchase additional licenses if you have a larger team and need the software on lots of devices.

Functionality

The term “remote access” is pretty broad. Within that category, there are lots of potential functionalities and use cases for the software.

Features to keep an eye out for include third-party integrations, remote printing, multiple monitor access, file sharing, live chat, screen recording, unattended access, etc.

You don’t necessarily need all of these features. It’s just a matter of how you plan to use the software for your personal and business needs. There’s no reason to pay extra for plans with extensive feature lists that you’ll never actually use.

Support

Generally speaking, remote access software should be fairly easy to deploy. But certain solutions are a bit more complicated, especially at scale.

If you need assistance with the setup process, the software vendor should be there to make sure things go smoothly for you. When something goes wrong or if you have questions, you don’t want to be left on an island to figure it out by yourself.

For those of you who have a dedicated IT team, they should be able to manage everything without an issue. But not every business has those in-house resources, so support from the software provider should be a top priority.

The Different Types of Remote Access Software

Not every remote access solution is the same. This software can be segmented into a handful of different categories. However, some software will offer a combination of these types within a single solution.

On-Demand Access

On-demand tools require permission to gain access. Let’s say an IT agent wanted to help a remote employee with a problem on their computer, that employee would need to grant the IT team access in order for them to view and take actions on the screen.

In short, two people must be present (one on each device) for on-demand access software to work.

Unattended Access

Unattended remote access software is the opposite of on-demand. This solution allows you to access devices even if nobody on the other computer.

In most cases, people use unattended access software for their personal devices. For example, you could be in the office and access a presentation, file, or application on your home computer.

But a prospect or client wouldn’t give you unattended access to their personal devices. You’d have to get permission every time (on-demand access).

Cloud-Based Remote Access Software

A cloud-based remote access solution doesn’t need to be installed locally on the device. This is also known as browser-based remote access software.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to access the device of a client to help them troubleshoot a software issue. Or maybe you want a prospect to view your screen as you run a demo. These users shouldn’t be forced to install anything locally. Access to the device can be granted using a web-based link.

Installation-Based Remote Access Software

As the name implies, an installation-based remote access solution must be installed locally on a device to work.

All unattended access software must be installed on at least one device. Otherwise, there would be no way for you to gain access since a person won’t be there to grant permission.

Help Desk Software

Help desk software is in a category of its own. It’s worth noting that not every help desk solution comes with remote access capabilities. Lots of times, help desk software is used for things like ticket support and customer service.

However, some help desk tools do offer remote access functions. This feature is prominent in IT help desk software, designed for in-house support.

#1 – Parallels Access Review — Best For Remote Desktop Access

Parallels Access is a quick, simple, and reliable way to access your computer from anywhere. It’s one of the best ways to retrieve all of your files and applications, no matter where you are in the world.

With just a few clicks, you can connect to your desktop from any mobile device or web browser.

Parallels Access is feature-rich and extremely versatile. Let’s take a closer look at why this software ranks so high on my list:

Access your computer from any web browser with no additional hardware required

Use full-screen applications

Gain full access over PC applications, as if they were installed locally

The software is fully optimized for screen resolution and optimal readability

Access files on remote computers or files stored in the cloud

Manage files by sorting, copying, renaming, deleting, etc.

Ability to share files with friends and co-workers

Copy/paste text and edit files remotely

If you’re going to install Parallels Access on your computers, then I strongly recommend getting the mobile app for your smartphone or tablet. Then your computer can essentially be in your pocket at all times.

Don’t have the smartphone with you? No problem. Just log-in securely to your Parallels Access account from any browser to gain the same access.

Plans for single users and up to five computers start at $19.99 per year. Business plans for unlimited users start at $49 per year.

#2 – TeamViewer Review — The Best For macOS and iOS

More than 2 billion devices are connected to TeamViewer, making it one of the most popular remote access solutions in the world. This software has quickly become a top choice for remote work.

TeamViewer has a wide range of solutions. In addition to remote access, they have tools for remote support, mobile device support, remote assistance for IoT, remote monitoring and patch management, global video conferencing, and more.

Years ago, PCs were the device of choice for business use. So when it came to supporting Macs and iOS devices, most software on the market wasn’t compatible. This was a problem for assisting clients and employees using Apple products.

But TeamViewer became a pioneer in the remote access space for Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

Cross-platform access to iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android

Enterprise-grade security and a VPN alternative

Remote printing capabilities

Easy to install and set up unattended access

Admins can use it to access remote servers

Mobile app available for iOS and Android devices

In-session collaborations for co-workers and tech support

Custom modules with company logos and branding

Centralized management console and device reporting

Today, lots of other remote access tools support Apple devices. But not all of them do it as well as TeamViewer. Individuals can download it for free. Businesses can request a 14-day commercial trial before buying a license.

#3 – Remote Utilities Review — Best Remote Access For IT Teams

Remote Utilities is a bit unique compared to some of the other tools on our list. This software is built specifically for IT help desks.

The tool gives your team total control over your IT infrastructure.

Here’s an overview of the software’s noteworthy highlights:

Download on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android

File transfer mode

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Unattended access to remote servers and workstations

Remote access using LAN or VPN

Deploy the program in an active directory network

Proxy server support

You can use a single PC on your LAN as a gateway to peers on the same network

Easy to scale as large as you need it to be

No mandatory, automatic, or unexpected upgrades

Custom configurations, even for the most demanding IT requirements

Again, Remote Utilities isn’t designed for the average Joe or small business owners. This solution is for IT teams and users with more advanced needs. It’s a little bit more complex than some of the other tools on our list, but it gets the job done for technically inclined users.

Pricing starts at $99 with up to 20 endpoints per tech.

#4 – Zoho Assist Review — Best For Customer Support

Zoho Assist is a web-based remote support solution for businesses. It’s the best way to provide your customers with support through on-demand remote access.

The software also has the capability to manage unattended access sessions for in-house devices on PCs, laptops, servers, and mobile devices.

Zoho Assist is trusted by businesses across a wide range of industries. Whether your company is large or small, this software can accommodate your needs.

Let’s take a closer look at the features, benefits, and noteworthy highlights of Zoho Assist:

On-demand remote support for troubleshooting with no prior installation

Integrated voice and video chat for enhanced customer support

Unattended remote access inside and outside your LAN

Mass deployment options available (supports Windows and Mac)

Secure file transfers with SSL 256-bit AES encryption

Multiple monitor support and automatically detect active monitors

Reboot and reconnect remote desktops from anywhere with a single click

The software is great for customer support, IT help desks, and outsourced MSP support.

Plans start at $8 per month for a single technician. The unattended access solution must be purchased separately from the remote support software. This also starts at $8 per month and includes 25 unattended computers. You can try Zoho Assist for free with a 15-day trial; no credit card required.

#5 – LogMeIn Pro Review — Best For Anytime File and Application Access

If you’re looking for a simple way to access files and apps on your computer from anywhere, LogMeIn Pro is the clear winner. The software is easy to use, secure, and extremely reliable.

It’s a popular choice for SMBs across all industries.

Let’s take a closer look at the software’s features to see why it comes so highly recommended:

Simple step-by-step setup instructions for easy deployment

Access your remote desktop as if you were in front of the screen

Unlimited users and instant collaboration

Free access to LastPass to store and manage all passwords

Multiple monitor display view on a 1:1 local screen

Remote printing functionality

1 TB of file storage to access and share from anywhere

Quick access to frequently visited websites, cloud apps, and desktop apps

Remote access on the go with the LogMeIn Pro mobile app

Plans for individual users start at $30 per month. This gives you access to two computers. To access up to ten computers, you’ll need a small business license, starting at $129 per month.

Summary

Which remote access software is the best? It depends on what you’ll be using it for.

Between Parallels Access, TeamViewer, Remote Utilities, Zoho Assist, and LogMeIn Pro, I know that one of these tools can accommodate your needs.

Just use the methodology I described earlier in the guide to help you choose the right option for your business. There’s something for everyone on my list.

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jimmyjohnsmnm · 5 years ago

Text

Best Remote Access Software

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Have you ever been in your office and realized the files you need are on your home computer? Maybe you’re working remotely or meeting a client, but need to access an app from your office PC.

With remote access software, you can view or access another computer from anywhere in the world.

It’s a common misconception that remote access software is only for help desks, but these tools can be used by anyone.

Which remote access software is the best? After researching and testing dozens of options, I’ve narrowed down my list to five that I can recommend with conviction.

The Top 5 Options For Remote Access Software

Parallels Access

TeamViewer

Remote Utilities

Zoho Assist

LogMeIn Pro

How to Choose the Best Remote Access Software For You

I’ll break these factors down into greater detail below, so you can make an informed buying decision.

Compatible Devices

The first thing you need to do is figure what types of devices and operating systems you’ll be using. All of the best remote access tools should have cross-platform access.

Examples include Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Raspberry Pi, Windows Mobile, etc.

Security

Number of Devices

All plans will have limitations in terms of device quantities.

Functionality

The term “remote access” is pretty broad. Within that category, there are lots of potential functionalities and use cases for the software.

Features to keep an eye out for include third-party integrations, remote printing, multiple monitor access, file sharing, live chat, screen recording, unattended access, etc.

Support

Generally speaking, remote access software should be fairly easy to deploy. But certain solutions are a bit more complicated, especially at scale.

The Different Types of Remote Access Software

On-Demand Access

In short, two people must be present (one on each device) for on-demand access software to work.

Unattended Access

Unattended remote access software is the opposite of on-demand. This solution allows you to access devices even if nobody on the other computer.

In most cases, people use unattended access software for their personal devices. For example, you could be in the office and access a presentation, file, or application on your home computer.

But a prospect or client wouldn’t give you unattended access to their personal devices. You’d have to get permission every time (on-demand access).

Cloud-Based Remote Access Software

A cloud-based remote access solution doesn’t need to be installed locally on the device. This is also known as browser-based remote access software.

Installation-Based Remote Access Software

As the name implies, an installation-based remote access solution must be installed locally on a device to work.

All unattended access software must be installed on at least one device. Otherwise, there would be no way for you to gain access since a person won’t be there to grant permission.

Help Desk Software

However, some help desk tools do offer remote access functions. This feature is prominent in IT help desk software, designed for in-house support.

#1 – Parallels Access Review — Best For Remote Desktop Access

With just a few clicks, you can connect to your desktop from any mobile device or web browser.

Parallels Access is feature-rich and extremely versatile. Let’s take a closer look at why this software ranks so high on my list:

Access your computer from any web browser with no additional hardware required

Use full-screen applications

Gain full access over PC applications, as if they were installed locally

The software is fully optimized for screen resolution and optimal readability

Access files on remote computers or files stored in the cloud

Manage files by sorting, copying, renaming, deleting, etc.

Ability to share files with friends and co-workers

Copy/paste text and edit files remotely

Don’t have the smartphone with you? No problem. Just log-in securely to your Parallels Access account from any browser to gain the same access.

Plans for single users and up to five computers start at $19.99 per year. Business plans for unlimited users start at $49 per year.

#2 – TeamViewer Review — The Best For macOS and iOS

More than 2 billion devices are connected to TeamViewer, making it one of the most popular remote access solutions in the world. This software has quickly become a top choice for remote work.

But TeamViewer became a pioneer in the remote access space for Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

Cross-platform access to iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android

Enterprise-grade security and a VPN alternative

Remote printing capabilities

Easy to install and set up unattended access

Admins can use it to access remote servers

Mobile app available for iOS and Android devices

In-session collaborations for co-workers and tech support

Custom modules with company logos and branding

Centralized management console and device reporting

#3 – Remote Utilities Review — Best Remote Access For IT Teams

Remote Utilities is a bit unique compared to some of the other tools on our list. This software is built specifically for IT help desks.

The tool gives your team total control over your IT infrastructure.

Here’s an overview of the software’s noteworthy highlights:

Download on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android

File transfer mode

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Unattended access to remote servers and workstations

Remote access using LAN or VPN

Deploy the program in an active directory network

Proxy server support

You can use a single PC on your LAN as a gateway to peers on the same network

Easy to scale as large as you need it to be

No mandatory, automatic, or unexpected upgrades

Custom configurations, even for the most demanding IT requirements

Pricing starts at $99 with up to 20 endpoints per tech.

#4 – Zoho Assist Review — Best For Customer Support

Zoho Assist is a web-based remote support solution for businesses. It’s the best way to provide your customers with support through on-demand remote access.

The software also has the capability to manage unattended access sessions for in-house devices on PCs, laptops, servers, and mobile devices.

Zoho Assist is trusted by businesses across a wide range of industries. Whether your company is large or small, this software can accommodate your needs.

Let’s take a closer look at the features, benefits, and noteworthy highlights of Zoho Assist:

On-demand remote support for troubleshooting with no prior installation

Integrated voice and video chat for enhanced customer support

Unattended remote access inside and outside your LAN

Mass deployment options available (supports Windows and Mac)

Secure file transfers with SSL 256-bit AES encryption

Multiple monitor support and automatically detect active monitors

Reboot and reconnect remote desktops from anywhere with a single click

The software is great for customer support, IT help desks, and outsourced MSP support.

#5 – LogMeIn Pro Review — Best For Anytime File and Application Access

If you’re looking for a simple way to access files and apps on your computer from anywhere, LogMeIn Pro is the clear winner. The software is easy to use, secure, and extremely reliable.

It’s a popular choice for SMBs across all industries.

Let’s take a closer look at the software’s features to see why it comes so highly recommended:

Simple step-by-step setup instructions for easy deployment

Access your remote desktop as if you were in front of the screen

Unlimited users and instant collaboration

Free access to LastPass to store and manage all passwords

Multiple monitor display view on a 1:1 local screen

Remote printing functionality

1 TB of file storage to access and share from anywhere

Quick access to frequently visited websites, cloud apps, and desktop apps

Remote access on the go with the LogMeIn Pro mobile app

Plans for individual users start at $30 per month. This gives you access to two computers. To access up to ten computers, you’ll need a small business license, starting at $129 per month.

Summary

Which remote access software is the best? It depends on what you’ll be using it for.

Between Parallels Access, TeamViewer, Remote Utilities, Zoho Assist, and LogMeIn Pro, I know that one of these tools can accommodate your needs.

Just use the methodology I described earlier in the guide to help you choose the right option for your business. There’s something for everyone on my list.

The post Best Remote Access Software appeared first on Neil Patel.

Original content source: https://ift.tt/2HT5WKN via https://neilpatel.com The post, Best Remote Access Software, has been shared from https://ift.tt/3itwzmb via https://ift.tt/2r0Go64

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besteccbest · 6 years ago

Text

How to Make Sure Your Computer Can Run Windows 10

Is your old PC getting you down? Concerned about the lack of updates for your older version of Windows?

While you might be persisting with Windows 7 or 8, there’s a good chance your computer can run Windows 10. Here’s how to check if your computer is up to running Windows and what to do next.

Why You Need to Upgrade to Windows 10

While you might have been happily using Windows 7, Windows 8, maybe even Vista or XP, you should have noticed the problem. Updates have come to an end. Without updates, operating systems lose out on security patches.

So although the operating system appears to work, vulnerabilities can be exploited. Security software can pick up malicious software, but this a reactive measure. Antivirus tools cannot fix issues with the OS. Only the OS developer can do that.

Upgrading to Windows 10 means using an operating system that is updated monthly. Security updates protect your online activity and the personal data stored on your system. It’s a smart approach that has worked well for Microsoft.

As of September 2019, Windows 10 holds 60.65 percent share of the Windows operating system market. Windows 7 is second with 29.39 percent. But to put it simply, you need to upgrade to Windows 10.

Can Old Computers Run Windows 10?

It’s a good question. Windows 10 was released with such low system requirements that in theory, many older computers, from around the Windows Vista era (2007) and later, should be compatible.

In practice, however, this is often not the case. Instead, computers released with Windows 7 are a better option. The system requirements are almost identical to Windows 10, making the later OS an ideal upgrade.

The Windows 10 System Requirements

It’s a good idea to see if your current computer hardware can run Windows 10. Start off by reviewing the minimum system requirements for Windows 10.

The System Requirements for running Windows 10 as confirmed by Microsoft’s specification page are:

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit

Hard disk space: 16GB for 32-bit OS 20GB for 64-bit OS

Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 800×600

If your hardware matches or surpasses these values, you should be able to run Windows 10.

How to Check If Your Computer Will Run Windows 10

The easiest way to see if your computer is compatible with Windows 10 is to run the later operating system in a virtual machine. Our guide to using VirtualBox will show you how to install an operating system like Windows 10 on your computer.

Check Windows 10 compatibility in VirtualBox

Too complicated? No problem. To find out the current hardware of your Windows 7 or 8 PC, click Start then type sys. In the displayed results, click System Information and use this to compare with the minimum system requirements above.

One stumbling block may be the hard disk drive (HDD). While the requirements are the same, upgrading to a larger, faster HDD will improve performance on Windows 10 considerably. Older HDDs rarely perform well with a new operating system, so consider a replacement hard disk drive before upgrading.

Can My Computer Run Windows 10 64-Bit?

Older computers are unlikely to be able to run any 64-bit operating system. While some pre-2007 models have 64-bit hardware, most are 32-bit. As such, computers from this time that you plan to install Windows 10 on will be limited to the 32-bit version.

If your computer is 64-bit, then it can probably run Windows 10 64-bit. However, it will need to meet the system requirements, as listed above.

Confused? Don’t worry—here’s the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

What's the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows? Here's a simple explanation and how to check which version you have.

Can’t Run Windows 10? Here Are Your Options

If your computer isn’t suitable for Windows 10, you have three choices to make.

1. Buy a New PC or Laptop

It’s the easiest option, but potentially the most expensive. While Windows 10 computers are available for all price tags, for a daily driver, budget for around $500. Take the time to head to a local computer retailer with machines on display and try one out.

Able to afford more? Check our guide to the best Windows 10 computers.

What is the best Windows laptop for you? Here are the best Windows laptops of 2019 to help you find one that suits your needs.

2. Identify Upgradeable Hardware and Replace

Computers can be upgraded. For desktop users, this means new memory, a new hard disk drive, and potentially a new processor or graphics card can be added. Laptop owners can usually add RAM. We’ve already recommended that you replace your HDD for improved, increased storage.

The question is, can your existing PC take upgraded hardware that will allow you to run Windows 10?

To find out, compare the minimum specs above with the hardware your computer can potentially be upgraded to. This may take a bit of research, however. If you’re inexperienced with PC upgrades, buying a new computer might be smarter.

3. Install a Different Operating System

If your computer cannot run Windows 10 and you’re not buying a new device or upgrading the hardware, what happens? Well, given the importance of an operating system that is regularly updated, it might be time to look elsewhere. Various alternative operating systems are available, mostly in the Linux family, some of which are designed specifically for Windows refugees.

Check our list of the best Linux operating systems to get started. Alternatively, consider ReactOS, a Windows-like operating system.

The best Linux distros are hard to find. Unless you read our list of the best Linux operating systems for gaming, Raspberry Pi, and more.

Ready for Windows 10? Here’s What to Do Next

By now you should know the truth. Either your computer can run Windows 10, or it can’t. If your PC is compatible with the operating system, it’s time to try Windows 10 out.

Windows 10 will set you back $119 new, but it is possible to try an evaluation version. This 90 day version of Windows 10 Enterprise is available from Microsoft. However, if you opt to buy Windows 10, this won’t be the version you use. It’s worth checking out if you’re interested, however, and don’t plan to buy a new PC.

To install, Windows 10 must be written to USB or a DVD. Microsoft provides a media creation tool to help here.

Install Windows 10 from USB or optical disc

You can also download the consumer version of Windows 10, but this won’t receive any vital updates. It also includes a nag screen till you buy a license.

Welcom to batteriestore.co.uk!We are a manufacturer representative and wholesaler that specializes in Laptop Batteries and Laptop AC Adapters . We have tested Batteries from virtually every manufacturer on the market. Our commitment is to provide our customers with the price/performance available on the market.

Please read the product details carefully to ensure that the brand, model and compatibility of the laptop battery you purchased meets your needs. If you need help, please contact us. Email: [email protected].

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weekinethereum · 8 years ago

Text

October 11, 2017

Ethereum News and Links

Byzantium hard fork is October 16. Update your clients - geth 1.7.2 and Parity 1.7.6 (post-publication edit: Parity has released some hotfixes and the current version is now 1.7.6. Geth also released a new version)

Protocol

Ethereum Foundation development and research roundup over the last 2 months

Core dev call last Friday. Agenda.

EIP 726: EVM inside of EVM

Fabian Vogelsteller: identity standards. Good EthNews article

Stuff for developers

Common holes in Solidity code (video)

Mythril: A framework for bug hunting on Ethereum

Get started with Ethereum & Solidity on Windows

install Raiden on a Raspberry Pi 3

Unity3D + Nethereum + Infura tutorial

Manage recurring payments

Truffle v4.0.0 beta

Oyente v0.2.7

Updated version of Hitchhiker's Guide to Solidity

Brian Armstrong opensources the Week in Ethereum Toshi app - an "example to collect donations for any RSS feed"

Ecosystem

Front-running Bancor in 150 lines of Python (mostly patched, but worth a read)

Ethfinex & Cofound.it Announce Collaboration

More on the Ethtrader Dappening tokenization

IoT Alliance: adds Streamr and accepts its first code the MQTT-Trusted protocol from Oaken

EscrowMyEther is live.

Giveth introduces Decentralized Altruistic Communities

Simon de la Rouviere: Exploring the Power of Token-Curated Registries

Toshi had 5000 transacting users in September, despite not getting to the main net until the end of the month.

Exchanges

Radar Relay is live on mainnet

The 0cean roadmap

IDEX: One-off state hop with on-chain settlement

Dether adds 1200 exchangers with Blueshyft in Australia

Project Announcements

Reality Check: "crowd-sourced smart contract oracle"

StakeTree: timed release of staked Ether to fund projects. Somewhat similar to Catallax Trust.

Dopameme: meme trading platform

Kiosk: ecommerce platform, live on Kovan.

Centre: Circle's pivot is a protocol for payment apps to talk to each other (ie Venmo talks to AliPay)

Project Updates

Basic Attention Token Mercury preview

AragonOS: modular, upgradeable and extendable organizations

Slovenian rapper Gramatik is tokenizing himself with SingularDTV

Iconomi monthly update -- they've added 12 DAA managers

Melon monthly update

More on Jaak's plans for a marketplace for music data

district0x quarterly report

Balanc3 showcases financial statements from Gnosis, Digix, and Aragon

Legacy: the legal problems of property transfer

Enigma Catalyst post-sale update

Interviews and Talks

Print Q&A with Joe Lubin talking banks, token sales, regulators etc

Vice 5 min video with Olaf Carlson-Wee

Status Q&A with Nick Brody of Cent

Ether Review: Kik and Element Group

Nick Johnson - ENS talk at London meetup

Not much of it was new, but sure I'd like to listen to Naval and Olaf talk about putting value at risk. I also agreed with Jordan Cooper's comments: many of these are going to zero within a decade.

My podcast with Alex Miller and Karl Kreder from Grid+ (I've gotten lots of feedback that I should highlight my own podcasts, so perhaps this parenthetical statement does the trick)

Token Sales

Vitalik: "what I am against is protocols that really do not need to have their own tokens for any technical reason shoving a token into their protocol"

Token Sale Projects

Grid+ announces partnership with TEPCO, Japan's largest utility

Lufthansa partnership with Winding Tree

Cofound.it Seed: first five candidates are MediaSifter, Unico, Legacy, Blockie, Aversafe

5 kinds of Leverj users

Raiden talks Dutch auction mechanics

Overstock CEO claims that the token sale for its new utility token for its security token exchange platform will happen before Thanksgiving. He also thinks he'll raise 200-500m USD which seems very optimistic to me. Their stock rose about 20% more than the S&P 500 since the announcement.

Petkanics: PROPS, Livepeer, and the complementary road to decentralization

SpankChain + District0x = Red Light District

Mercury Protocol vision: Social Networking 2.0

General

Bloomberg on Crypto Valley Zug - jurisdictional competition at work

Fidelity is mining Bitcoin and Ethereum. Given that I'm guessing they didn't buy an ASIC box, I imagine their Eth mining has done much better.

Polkadot is live in some sort of countdown. I don't really know because they block my US IP address.

Novogratz CNBC hit

Daniel Zarkisson: stainless steel multi-sig wallet

Bloomberg on zk-snarks: 'Mind-Boggling' Math Could Make blockchain Work for Wall Street

Dates of note

From Token Sale Calendar:

Upcoming token sale start dates:

October 5 – RNDR

October 5 – Crypto.Tickets

October 6 - VuePay

October 10 – AirSwap

October 10 – Air Token (registration Oct 5 -7)

October 10 – Notary Platform

October 11 - Duber

October 11 – Fintrux

October 13 – Streamr (registration Oct 6-9)

October 13 – Request Network

October 15 – Paypie

October 16 – Raiden Network

October 16 – Horizon State

October 16 - Sense Token

October 17 – Ripio Credit Network

October 18 – Leverj

October 19 – Privatix

October 20 – Gizer (SaftLaunch presale already open)

October 20 – WandX

October 21 – Synapse

October 24 – SpankChain

October 24 – TokenBox

October 25 – Mercury Protocol (registration opens Oct 10)

October 28 – Gatcoin

October 30 – Grid+

October 30 – Snov

October 30 – Stayawhile

October 30 – Swarm Market

November 1 – Kudos Project

November 1 – Winding Tree

November 1 – ScriptDrop

November 1 – RockChain

November 1 – Debitum

November 1 – PayFair

November 1 – LevelNet

November 3 – Dmarket

Novemer 6 – Media Sifter

November 13 – Sharpe Capital

November 13 – Gazecoin

November 20 – FundRequest

Ongoing token sales:

Snip

Self Pay

Enjin

Ethino

RefToken

DFS

Hirematch

Etherparty

Doc.ai

Customization Basic Income

Assistive Reality

CarTaxi

Opakeco

EthLend

Jibrel Network

MatchPay

Gimli

Databroker DAO

Relest

Wolk

Spheris

Aeron

Maecenas

Bitjob

Matryx

Atlant

Avalon

PowerLedger

Paragon

Agor

WARNING: list may include or even likely includes scams and quasi-scams. Do your own research and due diligence before putting value at risk.

Want to be included? If you are building your project on Ethereum, email weekinethereum @ gmail [period] com with 1) your URL, 2) sale date and 3) a brief but convincing description of how you are using Ethereum, preferably with a link to your Github repo. Listings are free. But please make sure to follow those instructions. If you don’t follow the instructions, you likely won’t get a response.

[I aim for a relatively comprehensive list of Ethereum sales, but make no warranty as to even whether they are legit; as such, I thus likewise warrant nothing about whether any will produce a satisfactory return. I have passed the CFA exams, but this is not investment advice. If you're interested in what I do, you can find my somewhat out-of-date investing thesis and token sale appreciation strategies in previous newsletters.]

ConsenSys makes this newsletter possible

If you get value from this newsletter, thank ConsenSys:

My charge from Joe Lubin is pretty similar to what Status has told me: keep telling the truth and covering the space as objectively as I can.

Editorial control is 100% me. Blame me first and last.

It's time to shakeup this section. Maybe next week.

I'd love it if you shared this newsletter. Link: http://www.weekinethereum.com/post/166318824818/october-11-2017 Follow me on Twitter? @evan_van_ness

This newsletter is supported by Status.im and ConsenSys (have you seen that we're hiring?).

#ethereum

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certainheartrunaway · 6 years ago

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FCC Readies for Hurricane Dorian

As Hurricane Dorian nears the US southeast coast, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai reports the agency been working throughout the weekend to finalize preparations for the storm and coordinate with federal and state partners.

“Our staff has reached out to wireless carriers and broadcasters to offer assistance,” Pai said in a statement. “With our government partners, including FEMA, we have worked to ensure that communications providers and power companies closely coordinate their activities as needed when service restoration efforts get under way — making sure they implement lessons learned from Hurricane Michael.”

Pai said the Commission has reminded wireless carriers of the need to have roaming agreements in place before the storm hits.

youtube

“Additionally, FCC staff [has] been deployed to conduct ‘pre-landfall’ surveys of the radiofrequency spectrum in projected impact areas, which will help us identify any impacts to public safety communications and broadcaster outages,” Pai continued. “We have activated our Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to collect and report information on the status of communications services.”

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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers — including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable, and Voice over Internet Protocol providers — can use to report communication infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crisis. The FCC requests that communication providers servicing any potentially impacted areas report the status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, and whether they are using commercial or back-up power. Reports are requested until DIRS is deactivated.

Pai said the FCC Operations Center is open around the clock to assist first responders and communication providers.

Source:ARRL

Equipment

IC-PW2 Prototypes Shown at Tokyo Hamfair 2019

August 31, 2019 in: Equipment No comments

IC-PW2 ICOM Icom Inc. will be unveiling new product innovations at the Tokyo Hamfair, taking place in Ariake, Tokyo on August 31st – September 1st 2019. They will be showing: • IC-705 RF direct sampling VHF, UHF, HF, D-Star all mode 1… Read more

ICOM IC-705 [New]

August 30, 2019 No comments

EB104 HF Power Amplifier – 2,4KW water cooling system 5″ LCD touch screen for N0JSN

August 21, 2019 No comments

NEW LNA + FILTER FOR RADIO ASTRONOMY HYDROGEN LINE OBSERVATIONS RELEASED BY NOOELEC

August 09, 2019 No comments

Yaesu FT3D First look at the new Handheld

August 07, 2019 No comments

PTRX-7300 Panorama Adaptor for the IC-7300

July 24, 2019 No comments

EXTRAFLEX BURY /.400″ – Low loss Coax Cable

July 12, 2019 No comments

Ultra-compact transceiver Lab599 Discovery TX-500

July 07, 2019 No comments

Compact In-Line stereo DSP noise cancelling module -BHI

June 30, 2019 No comments

Commradio CR-1a Receiver [ Video ]

June 27, 2019 No comments

1A2R – connect two radios to one amplifier [ 4O3A ]

June 26, 2019 No comments

Software

V1.0b of the Spectrum Analyser software developed by Steve Andrew specifically for the RSP line of products

August 20, 2019 in: Software No comments

“We are pleased to announce the availability of V1.0b of the Spectrum Analyser software developed by Steve Andrew specifically for the RSP line of products. This is a very much upgraded version of the original alpha release and includ… Read more

Fldigi v4.1.08 now available

August 15, 2019 No comments

WSJT-X 2.1.0 is available!

July 15, 2019 No comments

Video showing the suppression of a local noise source using a RSPduo and release 1.32 of SDRuno

July 12, 2019 No comments

SDRuno v1.32 release !

July 09, 2019 No comments

Ham Radio Deluxe version 6.6.0.236

July 01, 2019 No comments

Fldigi v4.1.04 now available

June 20, 2019 No comments

Log4OM 1.36.0 Released

June 15, 2019 No comments

Ham Radio Deluxe Software from Hamcom 2019

June 14, 2019 No comments

N6XI presentation to NCCC featuring the N1MM+ Spectrum Display

June 12, 2019 No comments

N1MM Logger+ Announces a New Website

June 10, 2019 No comments

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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Review

Introducing the IC-705 VHF, UHF, HF, D-Star all-mode 10W QRP portable SDR transceiver

September 03, 2019 No comments

Knot for Coax Strain Relief

August 30, 2019 No comments

“Here’s a handy knot you can use to tie to coax to allow strain relief at coax connections on your antennas. I saw this in QST some time a… Read more

Different Types of Grounds -ARRL The Doctor Will See You Now!

August 29, 2019 No comments

Unboxing the AnyTone 878PLUS by David Casler

August 22, 2019 No comments

Yaesu 891 + WSJT + FT8 Digital on Raspberry Pi 4

August 17, 2019 No comments

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crookedtreepoetry · 4 years ago

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How Is Synthetic Intelligence Used In Analytics?

There could additionally be overlaps in these domains every so often, but primarily, every of these three terms has unique makes use of of its personal. Schedule a no-cost, one-on-one session with experts who've labored with 1000's of shoppers to construct winning knowledge, analytics and AI strategies. Improve business outcomes by infusing machine intelligence into day-to-day selections, utilizing a combination of automation, prediction and optimization. Decision optimization Transform enterprise decision-making with a household of optimization merchandise. perceive the elemental ideas of Object-Oriented Programming, in addition to knowledge and knowledge processing strategies. create a new utility software to resolve real world problems.

In addition, you will want to decide on a variety of obligatory elective courses and you'll additional select from a variety of elective programs. At the top of the programme, you will full a 30 credit Master’s thesis project, the place the acquired data and expertise are put into apply. This requires an excellent understanding of each concept and apply, together with the chances and limitations of present and evolving applied sciences, and the means to responsibly apply these in various conditions. Successful examples of this approach include machine translation, laptop imaginative and prescient, recreation playing and self-driving autos.

Instruction sets, Processor group, Register group, Characteristics and capabilities, Addressing modes, Processor structure and performance, Instruction pipelining. determine the data type to symbolize the real time data representation and operators for computation. However, when you hear a platform known as utilizing "descriptive analytics," it would not necessarily mean it is utilizing AI.

Data science, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence have all been topic to much research and consideration within the final decade. The present use of these three forms and an anticipated enhance in their future applicability signifies that they may correlate with each other to kind the idea of a wise society. Marina is a content marketer who takes eager interest within the scopes of innovation in at present's digital economy.

Just as electricity brought about far-reaching modifications over 100 years ago, synthetic intelligence has fundamentally began to alter our lives. AI is the next part of the commercial revolution and has established itself firmly in our society. Almost all branches of trade have been affected by the continued transformation via its algorithms.

Therefore, with an elevated demand for advanced information methods and laptop applications in a wide range of areas, Data science and AI are becoming essential elements in software program development in general. Artificial Intelligence being essentially the most sought-after skill within the industry, Karunya is partnering with Nvidia, the know-how leader in AI computing. As part of this initiative, Karunya has procured Nvidia DGX Station, with four Nvidia Tesla V100 Tensor Core GPUs every with 32 GB memory and Intel Xeon processor with 20 cores, the workstation delivers 500 teraFLOPS of AI power. The DGX Station can accelerate machine learning coaching up to 215X faster and perform deeper exploration in the fields of Data Science, Machine Learning and Deep Learning.

Also the division has signed an MoU with IBM India Pvt Ltd. The Gothenburg area region consists of many companies with extensive actions in these areas. There are additionally main initiatives in AI at Chalmers and nationally in Sweden, creating extra alternatives sooner or later. Data science is a extremely cross-disciplinary area concerned with how to extract helpful knowledge from data, for deeper understanding and decision assist. It is based on a blend of methods in statistics and machine learning, along with computational techniques and algorithms for dealing with large-scale knowledge. Examples of software areas embrace biology and different sciences, healthcare, business, finance and totally different kinds of internet data.

In most circumstances, programs on knowledge science and AI-ML embrace fundamental information on each apart from the concentrate on the respective specializations. IBM Watson Studio Desktop product tour Take the product tour to learn how to visually build AI and machine studying fashions. To interface Bluetooth with Arduino/Raspberry Pi and write a program to ship sensor information to smartphone utilizing Bluetooth. understand the fundamentals of laptop and software program improvement process.

Simply put, synthetic intelligence goals at enabling machines to execute reasoning by replicating human intelligence. Since the primary objective of AI processes is to teach machines from expertise, feeding the best info and self-correction is essential. AI experts depend on deep learning and pure language processing to assist machines determine patterns and inferences. The master's programme runs for a length of two years, resulting in a Master of Science diploma. During each year, college students can earn 60 credits and full the programme by accumulating a total of 120 credits.

Although it’s possible to explain machine studying by taking it as a standalone topic, it could possibly finest be understood in the context of its surroundings, i.e., the system it’s used within. IBM Cloud Pak for Data product tour Learn tips on how to use IBM Watson Studio Premium for better prediction and optimization. Learn how IMC used knowledge and AI solutions from IBM to help emergency responders present sooner catastrophe reduction providers.

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Artificial intelligence can also be used to unify knowledge throughout platforms. That contains using the speed and scale of AI to pull collectively all of your buyer knowledge right into a single, unified view. Artificial intelligence can also be able to unifying information throughout totally different sources, even hard-to-track ones like call information. Artificial intelligence excels at finding insights and patterns in large datasets that humans simply can't see. Before we get into AI use circumstances in analytics, let's talk quickly about some confusion you might need in relation to completely different terms associated to AI and superior analytics options.

These evaluation purposes formulate reviews which are lastly helpful in drawing inferences. Interestingly, there’s additionally a related area which uses each information science, information analytics and enterprise intelligence applications- Business Analyst. A business analyst profile combines slightly little bit of both to assist companies take data driven decisions. With the digital revolution, Data science and Artificial Intelligence has turn out to be an important part of our lives and in society as an entire.

If you are interested to take up a FREE Course, do take a look at our course on Machine Learning Basics for Free. This course on the Basics of Machine Learning will assist you to to be taught the core concepts for machine studying. Machine studying fall in the identical domain and are linked to every other, they've their specific applications and that means.

Vast quantities of data can be found in science, trade and different organizations, ranging from molecular biology to social media, from quantum physics to enterprise and retail. Skilled information scientists and AI engineers are in excessive demand in all places. With a strong basis in machine learning, and in understanding the various problems of Data science and AI, you will have a variety of profession alternatives to choose from. Through their use of large-scale data and machine learning, the fields of Data science and AI are closely related. They are also connected in their application since it isn't uncommon to first gather and analyse information to raised understand the issue, after which to build algorithms and techniques for choice assist and autonomous decision-making.

That is as a outcome of it’s the process of studying from knowledge over time. So, AI is the software that helps data science get results and the solutions for specific problems. However, machine studying is what helps in attaining that goal. A real-life example of that is Google’s Search Engine. Today, AI expertise exists that may answer questions you ask about your website information analytics. (Think "Which channel had the highest conversion rate?") An synthetic intelligence analytics tool can also advocate actions based on alternatives its seeing in your analytics.

Descriptive analytics just means the platform looks at historic information. If it does not go additional than that, it isn't utilizing AI. Are you enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme at Chalmers now or do you have already got a Bachelor’s degree from Chalmers? If so, completely different application dates and software instructions apply. Whether it is report-making or breaking down these reviews to different stakeholders, a job on this domain is not restricted to just programming or knowledge mining.

For occasion, an AI software exists that writes email topic lines for you utilizing pure language era and pure language processing . The device's AI mannequin uses coaching from people (samples of an organization's advertising copy) to learn and improve. But then the software drafts its own e mail topic traces.

The programme will result in a variety of career alternatives within many various software domains, e.g. virtually every other engineering self-discipline, in addition to inside medication and finance. You shall be properly equipped to pursue a profession in industry or authorities, in addition to for additional doctoral studies and an educational career. Data scientists are professionals who supply, gather and analyse huge sets of knowledge. Most of the enterprise decisions today are primarily based on insights drawn from analysing knowledge, for this reason a Data Scientist is essential in today’s world. They work on modelling and processing structured and unstructured data, and likewise work on deciphering the findings into actionable plans for stakeholders.

Here are some of today’s technologies and providers that use deep studying, information science, and AI. The use of deep learning, data science, and AI in tandem has opened the door for myriad opportunities. AI has a significant position to play in shaping the advantages that we could take pleasure in in the future. As you probably can see, the skillset requirement of both the domains overlap.

The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to AI in Marketing is a free resource with 100+ articles, videos, courses, books, vendors, use instances, and events to dramatically speed up your AI education. It's primarily based on the years we spent on research and experimentation-and you possibly can entry this data in a fraction of the time. Other forms of artificial intelligence systems even give machines the power to move using pc vision , like you see in self-driving cars. Hassabis calls artificial intelligence the "science of making machines sensible." Today, we are ready to teach machines to be like humans.

Both machine learning and its subtype, deep studying, incorporate the method of learning from the information over time. While it is not the one factor connecting the 2, deep studying is a kind of machine studying that works best to strengthen the method of AI and information science. Deep studying can be defined as a machine studying approach that endeavors to show pc systems issues that come naturally to humans.

Computational strategies range from algorithms for accumulating and handling large-scale information, statistical strategies similar to Bayesian modelling, to machine studying methods similar to deep neural networks. Deep studying is machine learning’s strongest approach for making the longer term happen. Much just like the neurons in our brains, deep learning is the connection or the powerhouse present between data science and AI.

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tech-battery · 5 years ago

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Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE 240Hz Portable Monitor Review: Expensive Innovation

Having a portable monitor is a lifesaver. Whether your laptop’s screen just doesn't give you enough space or you’re looking for something to connect to a smartphone or tablet, having an extra screen can instantly boost your productivity. But what if that lightweight screen wasn’t all business? What if it had a fun side too?

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is just that, bringing a pro-level 240 Hz refresh rate to a portable screen for the first time. The 17.3-inch monitor (DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB Type-C or HDMI) delivered most of what I wanted and needed for both work and gaming and made its mark as a one-of-a-kind product. But that innovation comes at a $500 price tag that leaves us wondering if you’re better off just buying one of the best gaming monitors instead.

Design of Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

With speedy specs, there’s no doubt that the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is for gamers, but with portable monitors offering little space to work with, gamer aesthetics are only embodied by a pair of watchful eyes that are the Asus ROG logo. With black the dominating color, the overall look here is pretty mute, but Asus found subtle ways to include premium touches.

With its subtle placement, smooth feel and silver look, the Asus ROG logo actually looks good in a bottom bezel that also manages to fit in two 1W front-firing speakers without taking up too much room. The back of the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is its fanciest looking part. A diagonal line starkly divides two contrasting brushed finishes that makes one half look darker than the other. Here lies another ROG eye that glows when the monitor’s on. I’m not usually a fan of massive branding, but when the logo looks this good and gives out a vibe this creepy, I can’t help but appreciate it.

The 17.3-inch Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE will naturally take up more desk space than the 15.6-inch MSI Optix MAG161V (15.7 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches for the Asus versus 14.05 x 8.94 x 0.43 inches with the MSI), but it’s still comparably thin and even thinner than the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 (12.7 x 8.2-8.7 x 3.8 inches). However, with its larger size, the Asus is also heavier than those non-gaming portable displays (2.3 pounds versus the MSI’s 2 pounds and the Lenovo’s 1.3 pounds). But if you want larger screen size, which is handy for immersing yourself in the game as much as possible, the extra screen real estate will be worth the extra pound, and pixel density is still fantastic at 127.3 pixels per inch.

A small way the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE starts earning its price tag is through versatile connectivity options. If you have a laptop or desktop with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, you can connect to the monitor that way. If your computer's USB-C port can charge other devices, you can even use the ROG Strix XG17AHPE without ever having to worry about it running out of battery. Through USB-C, the monitor can receive up to 12V at 2A (with USB Power Delivery 3.0). With my laptop’s Thunderbolt port, I was able to use the ROG Strix XG17AHPE with a single (included) USB-C to USB-C cable for hours without its battery life ever dropping. USB-C also serves to connect tablets and smartphones, including a Samsung Galaxy S10 I connected to it effortlessly.

Either of the two USB-C ports can power the monitor, so if none of your system’s ports can’t do that, you can use one to connect to your device and the other to supply it power. The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE comes with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, which plugs into an included power brick. That adapter also means the monitor can connect to your system’s USB-A port and receive power.

In addition to USB-C or USB-A, you also have the option to connect to a device’s HDMI port via a MicroHDMI to HDMI cable. This opens up possibilities in the world of Raspberry Pi, gaming consoles and even cameras. If you use HDMI, it’ll either run on battery (see the Battery Life section) or you could simultaneously give the monitor power through a USB-C cable. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in your best gaming headset.

The panel’s left side holds all the ports and controls. Controls come in the form of a power button located higher than the rest of the inputs and lights up when on or charging, plus three additional buttons. They’re all pretty shallow but worked on the first try.

Origami Stand on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

Like with many portable monitors, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE uses an origami-style stand that you must fold a certain way to prop up the monitor. It felt a little more intuitive to fold than the one found on the Optix MAG161V, and the Asus has a magnetic hard bit that secures under the bottom bezel for added stability. But the stand was still a pain in the butt.

The origami stand does allow for different levels of back tilt, but I sometimes wished I could get the monitor closer to 90 degrees to better line it up with a connected laptop. If my table started shaking due to aggressive typing, I’d notice the XG17AHPE wobbling too. But the monitor never came crashing down, even if I slid it across my desk (putting pressure on the top bezel was a different story though).

In portrait mode, the stand never failed me, but I felt nervous the whole time. The stand just doesn’t provide enough of a foundation for me to feel safe using it that way long-term or with a wobbly table. But I have to admit that having this much vertical screen space is fantastic for reading and something missed with the vast majority of laptops.

We wish more monitors would employ a reliable and sturdy kickstand like Lenovo does with the ThinkVision M14, which has not one, but two built-in stands. Portable monitors are just too delicate and, in the XG17AHPE’s case, expensive to bet it all on thin, bendy stand-sleeves. The monitor will eventually be available as a different SKU (XG17AHP) with a tripod stand, (plus the same sleeve and a bag), but that ups the monitor’s price to $600.

As bad as this thing is as a stand, it’s even worse as a protective case. While the cover makes a debatably safe stand, it’s an undeniably flawed protector that leaves the sides and back of the monitor exposed. Since this monitor’s meant for traveling, we expected Asus to provide a sleeve that covered all bases without easily sliding off.

Gaming Performance of Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

A 240 Hz monitor opens up a world of potential for first-person shooters and other eSports. While even the best graphics cards for gamers can’t always push AAA titles at a frame rate of 240 frames per second (fps) and high settings, eSports games look extra smooth at 240 fps with low latency and the elimination of disastrous distractions, like ghosting. The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's FreeSync fights off screen tearing, which happens when your GPU’s frame rate doesn’t match up with the display’s refresh rate, but that only works with AMD graphics cards.

Unfortunately, with New York City in lockdown we couldn’t use our lag tester on the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE; however, I put it through its Overwatch paces, paired to a gaming laptop running an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 mobile GPU. I used the monitor’s out-of-the box settings, so overdrive was set to Level 3.

As I played Overwatch for a few hours, I didn’t notice any input delay with the monitor with the game set to run at 1920 x 1080 at 240 Hz, but with a GTX 1060 GPU, I was only able to hit a frame rate of about 63-85 fps. To maximize the screen’s potential, I’d need a more-powerful GPU that can push out 240 fps with this game.

Still, images on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE appeared smooth, even during Sigma’s most intense and fastest moments of battles or when enemies filled the screen. Trotting around felt very smooth and realistic. Ocean waves in the distance moved smoothly without stuttering. I’m used to gaming on a 17.3-inch 144 Hz screen, so I didn’t notice a grand improvement in quality when graduating to a 17.3-inch 240 Hz display. But if you’re moving from a standard 60 Hz screen, your experience may differ.

On-Screen Display, Calibration on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's on-screen display (OSD) is surprisingly navigable for a portable monitor settings menu. Pressing the menu button on the side brings up icons on the display that align with the corresponding buttons for activating. This makes it easy to know where the buttons for scrolling, selecting and back are. It’s no joystick, but the pop-ups are large and proved helpful in navigation.

Asus also surprised me with a large number of calibration options on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE. The Gaming menu features overdrive (five levels of overdrive, plus off), an option for toggling FreeSync and the GamePlus menu, which has a crosshair, timer, FPS counter and display alignment. In the GameVisual section, you can pick from eight image modes. Racing is the default, but there’s also Scenery, Cinema, RTS/RPG, FPS, sRGB, MOBA and User. The Gaming section also has Shadow Boost, which, according to Asus, “clarifies dark areas of the game without overexposing brighter areas” with three levels, including 0, the default.

The Image section of the ROG Strix XG17AHPE's OSD provides control over things like brightness, contrast and the blue light filter, depending on the mode selected. Meanwhile, the Color menu has options for Color Temp (cool, normal, warm, or user with red, green and blue sliders from 0-100%), Gamma (2.2, the logic default, or 1.8 or 2.5) and Saturation.

Other menu sections include Power, Input Select (HDMI or USB Type-C), My Favorite, for shortcuts and customized settings and System Setup, with standards like language, volume, key lock, OSD setup and reset. There’s also an Auto Rotation feature, but to use it you must download Asus’ DisplayWidget software.

Image Quality on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

We did our testing with out-of-the box image settings, so the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE was in Racing Mode with contrast set to 80 and the blue light filter and Shadow Boost off.

The ROG Strix XG17AHPE worked great as my general second display with plenty of brightness. Even when I was facing a sunny window, the screen was bright enough for productivity use at 50% max brightness, and games were playable at this setting, albeit more dull.

Word documents were luminous enough to edit while looking at the monitor head on, and when I turned it perpendicular from me, I could still view documents and games, but with just a touch of reflection in the further third of the screen. When I boosted brightness up to 100%, that reflection was barely noticeable. Additionally, with the screen completely flat, I could comfortably view documents and movies, only sacrificing a small amount of brightness. Credit is due to Asus’ use of IPS, a panel tech known for strong viewing angles.

Overwatch, a particularly colorful game, looked properly saturated on the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE, and dark colors were distinct. Different shades of dark green topiaries and a yellow sunflower were apparent in shadowed corners. Colors on the movie Mission: Impossible Fallout were also strong, from green poplars that looked exuberant and vivid as Ethan and Ilsa walked past them, to differing shades of gold and rust in a club scene. Even the secretly olive green in Ilsa’s jacket was discernible on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE.

The ROG Strix XG17AHPE proved pleasantly bright in our testing but fell short of Asus’ 300-nit max brightness claim. Still, 285.6 nits is plenty and still brighter than the next runner up by 117.2 nits, as well as the average of the comparison group by 81.6 nits.

Asus claims that the ROG Strix XG17AHPE covers 100% of the sRGB color space, but our review unit actually surpassed that slightly. Colors on the Asus should look more saturated than those on the MAG161V or the 15.6-inch Asus ZenScreen MB16AC. The Lenovo fell behind the XG17AHPE by 11.5%. When it came to the wider DCI-P3 space, the XG17AHPE hit an impressive 77.5% coverage, significantly better than what MSI’s MAG161V or Asus’ MB16AC can do here.

Battery Life on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE runs on a 7,800mAh battery. If you have a USB-C or USB-A port with Power Delivery 3.0 support, it can provide the monitor enough power to save you from having to get a charger. When I used it with a Thunderbolt port, battery life never fell below 100%, and when I used it with a supporting USB-A port for 7 hours at max brightness, the battery life only dropped to 97%.

But if your device doesn’t have a Power Delivery port, the monitor will be running off battery power. With the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE running at 240 Hz and using the speakers at max volume, it lasted about 2 hours at 80% brightness. At 100% brightness and without using the speakers, it lasted about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

At 60 Hz, the display uses less battery power. With brightness maxed out, but rarely using the speakers, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE lasted 3 hours. When I used the XG17AHPE at 50% brightness at this refresh rate, the portable monitor lasted about 4.5 hours.

Asus claims that the ROG Strix XG17AHPE can get enough juice to game for 2 hours at the max 240 Hz refresh rate with an hour of charging.

Audio on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

It’s not the primary reason people buy portable monitors, but the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's two 1W stereo speakers are shockingly loud and might outblast a connected phone, tablet or disappointing laptop speakers. The ROG Strix XG17AHPE’s speakers were especially handy when I played emulated N64 games off a Raspberry Pi, which, of course, doesn’t include speakers, as would also be the case if you connected the XG17AHPE to a gaming console.

Because the speakers on my laptop are particularly bad, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's speakers were actually an upgrade when I played Overwatch. With front-firing speakers, audio from the monitor never sounded muffled. During battle, I could make out the differences in sound effects from various weapons and still clearly hear characters' voices and even that of my teammate, who wished something bad would happen to me in real life (I hope you live a long life, pal!). Overall, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE provided fuller sound, even allowing me to hear wind blowing in the background during a quiet training session that I couldn’t hear when I toggled audio back to my lackluster laptop speakers.

Hearing Mission: Impossible Fallout was also easy, even with the windows in my Brooklyn apartment open. Ethan and Ilsa’s whisperings were hard to make out, but gunshots were booming, and I could even follow the echo of Luther’s pained voice traveling down a tunnel.

You can also plug a pair of cans into the display’s 3.5mm headphone jack, which uses an integrated ESS ES9118 digital-to-analogue (DAC) converter. For audiophiles, the SoC drives 24-bit, 192 kHz lossless playback that Asus promises delivers “unprecedented dynamic range and ultra-low distortion.”

Bottom Line

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is an amazing portable monitor for gamers with the need for it. Nothing can compete for pairing with a good graphics card or gaming console or just packing up for a LAN party, thanks to its thin build and 2.3-pound weight. And with great viewing angles, it’s also a great second screen for work.

But $500 is a steep price to pay for a portable monitor considering that some of the best full-sized PC gaming monitors are available for less. 240 Hz monitors are so speedy that they’re in their own category, but our favorite 240 Hz desktop monitor right now is the Samsung 27-inch CRG5, which as of this writing is a mere $400. Looking around online, I also found a 27-inch LG 240 Hz monitor for pre-order at $279 and a 240 Hz Acer 25-inch available now for $300. At $500, then, the XG17AHPE isn’t for gamers seeking an inexpensive way to add a 240 Hz display to their setup.

Therefore, this monitor’s best audience is those who need a monitor they can easily pick up. If you travel a lot, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE will make sure you’re never stuck gaming on a lackluster screen or, even worse, not gaming at all.

If you’re just looking for a quality portable display, the Lenovo Thinkvision M14 isn’t fit for gaming, but is half the price ($250) and has a built-in kickstand rather than an annoying origami stand. That said, you can’t get this level of color saturation from Lenovo’s monitor. And the ROG Strix XG17AHPE's port selection brings valuable versatility, including console gaming, connecting to a Raspberry Pi and getting power and data from one cable.

If you need a gaming monitor that can move with you while delivering very high refresh rates, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is a premium option, but it’s also the only option we know of.

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componentplanet · 5 years ago

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Living With the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

If you’re on the road a lot – or were on the road a lot – and you’ve got to do business work that can’t be handled with a smartphone or tablet, you may want to invest in a seriously good, seriously compact notebook computer. The very lightest weigh in under 3 pounds, sometimes approaching just 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds. The best is the Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1, with a 14-inch display, priced from $1,400 to $2,400.

Working from home? The small size makes for a great computer-at-home when multiple adults and students are sheltering in place in the age of coronavirus: sitting at a kitchen table, draped across a couch, or lying in bed.

It’s not merely the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s low weight. It’s the compact size, barely bigger than a sheaf of paper a half-inch thick. It’s the small power adapter and the 10-15 hour battery life. It’s also knowing that the machine is not going to break down when you’re on the road, or when you’re working from home and your company’s nearest IT guy is sheltering 20 miles away. ThinkPads don’t break very often. The price delta over a mainstream five-pound portable is not insignificant, but it’s less important than the fact that you’re remaining productive.

Great view(s): The companion ThinkVision M14 USB C display doubles screen real estate. It’s perfect for times when the hotel doesn’t let you jack into the big screen TV. (No, not all hotel rooms have this kind of view. Some trips, you get lucky.)

Second Display Extends Main Display

ThinkPad M14 display. Thick USB-C cable provides power and signal.

Dropping down from a larger, heavier notebook of 4-5 pounds also reduces how much bulk you have to carry when traveling. I’m on the road 20-plus times a year. (Well, I was until, uh, everybody stopped traveling.) The photo above was shot during a week at an auto show, where I needed to write stories; process photos; work social media to raise my ExtremeTech stories’ visibility on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and keep up with friends and family, working not just in the hotel room-with-a-view but on shuttle buses, in downtime between meetings, or at airport departure gates.

For years, I’ve traveled with a thin HDMI cable 10-15 feet long ($15-$50) that I could jack into the hotel’s big TV if I could access the rear jacks, if the TV didn’t lock out access to the HDMI2 jack, and if the TV could be seen from the desk. That let me look at dozens of photos in Adobe Lightroom or stream videos. Now I travel with a second display, the ThinkVision M14 USB C display ($250), that quickly plugs in when I’m in the hotel or working in a convention center press room. Feet on the base let you get the screen bottom level with the base of the computer’s screen.

The 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon is only a little smaller in every measurement. Calculate total size (volume) and weight, and the Extreme Gen 2 is half again as bulky and heavy. You notice it.

Whether stepping down to the hotel bar or at home headed to the media room to watch TV, I find that I now tuck the X1 under my arm – instead of my iPad – if I might want to check mail or social media. It’s unobtrusive. I wouldn’t do that with a 15-inch laptop weighing 5 pounds. Even the very nice ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 is just a little bigger in every respect (table above), enough so that you feel the size and heft going from place to place. And this one’s light compared with most notebooks with 15- to 16-inch screens.

The left side of the ThinkPad X1 has a USB C/Thunderbolt connector for power, a second that also connects the ThinkPad docking station, a wired Ethernet connector that requires a $35 adapter, a USB 3 jack, and an HDMI (full-size) jack.

First-Class Mechanicals

I’ve been a long-time user of laptop and notebook PCs. I wrote a book on using laptops in the early days, and was thrilled to see weights come down from 10 pounds and then slip below 5 pounds. Over time, I’ve valued ruggedness and reliability over low prices or (until now) the absolutely lowest weight. The X1 lets you have it all. Other than a low price: The cheapest X1 is still well over $1,000 and the every-options-box-checked X1 approaches $2,500.

If you go out on the road or commute daily by mass transit, when you lift the lid, you want the machine to come back to life every time, right away. For that, it’s worth a higher initial price point. It absolutely is when the company is paying, but probably is even when you’re paying. (Maybe you don’t need the 4K display upgrade on a screen measuring just 12 inches across.)

Mostly, I do the usual things on the road: deal with email, write documents and stories, chatter on Slack, and check social media. For that, any laptop works. I also handle a lot of photos and videos. For those, the X1 Carbon is more than workable. That said, Adobe is finally pushing its Photoshop and Lightroom tools onto the iPad and they’re certainly usable.

I have a 30-inch desktop monitor at home. Away from home, I compensate with the ThinkVision secondary display or jacking into the hotel TV when it’s accessible.

The right side has a headphone jack, always-on-for-power USB 3 jack, and a locking connector.

The X1 Carbon has two USB and two Thunderbolt/USB jacks plus a wired-Ethernet connector that requires an adapter. There is also a microphone array and a 720p front-facing camera with IR illumination for dark locations. You can almost double the price by upgrading:

14-inch 1920 x 1080 full-HD display (400 nits) to touchscreen to 2560 x 1440 WQHD to 3840 x 1440 UHD (500 nits)

CPU from 10th generation Intel Core i5-10210U at 1.6GHz to 8th generation i7-8665U at 1.9GHz

Solid state drive from 256GB to 512GB to 1TB storage (2TB not offered)

8GB to 16GB RAM

Windows 10 Home to Pro

ThinkPad keyboards have always been first-class. Use the TrackPoint, touchpad, or your own mouse to point.

Not the Only Ultra-Light Notebook

There are at least a half-dozen competing ultraportable laptops, those weighing 3 pounds or less, typically with 13- or 14-inch displays, solid-state hard drives, and battery life over 10 hours. The two that draw the most attraction are the Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch. They’re both premium-priced and score high for reliability. I like them both; my wife has a 13-inch MacBook and she’s an artist, and that (artist) is a near-automatic win for Apple.

If you can live with 512GB not 1TB of storage, one of the best deals on the X1 Carbon is Costco’s take-it-or-leave-it $1,500 single configuration: the more powerful Intel Core i7-8565U processor, the larger 16GB RAM config, a 1920 x 1080 touchscreen with 300 nits brightness (the other X1 displays are 400, 300 and 500 nits), and Windows 10 Home.

Other good choices are the Dell XPS 13 (13-inch LCD, 2.7 pounds) and Inspiron 14 7000 (14-inch LCD, 2.9 pounds), HP Envy 13 (13.3-inch LCD, 2.6 pounds), and LG Gram 14 14Z90N (14-inch LCD, 2.2 pounds). Most offer 8GB or 16GB of RAM (typically soldered down) and 256GB to 2TB of SSD storage (512GB and 1TB are most common). If your company just buys one brand of portable PC, they’re all pretty good. You may want big-screen monitors at your home and office work desks, and 24-inch displays are so inexpensive now.

The Apple MacBook Air (13.3-inch LCD, 2.8 pounds) is even lighter than the MacBook Pro 13, but it’s light on I/O as well: You use the two Thunderbolt/USB-C for external VGA, HDMI, or wired Ethernet.

Of note is the LG Gram 17, a 17-incher with 2560 x 1600 (WQXD) resolution, weighing just 2.9 pounds with a rated 17-hour battery life. So it’s super light, but also may call for a larger backpack or shoulder bag, and you want to be extra careful you don’t torque or stress the case.

Over the years, I’ve used IBM/Lenovo, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, HP, NEC, Panasonic, and Toshiba laptops. All were major productivity enhancers at the time. The most dazzling was a 4-pound NEC UltraLite at a time when only a handful of laptops were under 10 pounds. I still have it as a souvenir, next to an ancestor’s Underwood 5 typewriter. Right now, the go-to notebook for me is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon because portability matters. Even when the word portable, for now, means only from the den to the living room to the kitchen table.

Now read:

AMD and Intel’s Latest Mobile CPUs Go Head to Head in Benchmark Leak

Now You Can Fight Coronavirus on Your Smartphone or Raspberry Pi

Why TFLOPS Are Bad for Comparing PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X Performance

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/computing/282800-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-review from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/04/living-with-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon.html

#Living With the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

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cryptofeedzposts · 5 years ago

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The best gadgets of 2019

Bigger, lighter ultraportable laptops

Cherlynn Low Reviews Editor

Good lord, did laptops get a facelift this year. After all the progress that notebooks as a category made last year, I wasn’t expecting to see much more improvement in 2019. I was wrong. This year, Dell launched a new XPS 13 2-in-1, which my colleague Devindra called the “perfect ultraportable,” and HP released the Elite Dragonfly, which the company markets as “lighter than air.”

No device is actually lighter than air, but this year, mainstream laptops certainly got a whole lot lighter and thinner than before while growing more powerful, without sacrificing battery life. That’s to be expected, after years of incremental improvements, but we also have to give Intel a little credit. Its Project Athena program rolled out this year, spurring the development of more compact, lightweight ultraportables that last all day. Shout out also to the Galaxy Book Flex and Ion, which launched late in the year and proved that Samsung can make gorgeous, super sleek notebooks. And even though the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy Book S didn’t actually arrive in time to make this year’s list, my hands-on with it left me impressed by its lightweight, attractive exterior.

Aided by potent processors like NVIDIA’s Studio products, laptop makers also delivered powerhouse notebooks targeted at creators who need the beef for editing multiple 4K video streams but don’t want gaudy or chunky gaming machines. Acer and ASUS both made devices for these purposes, with the ConceptD and ProArt StudioBook sub-brands respectively. These proved that laptops could pack plenty of muscle without weighing a ton.

But 2019 also saw the arrival of the LG Gram 17 — a surprisingly sleek machine for having a 17-inch screen — and the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3. Apple also released a new 16-inch MacBook Pro, delighting power users and fans of usable keyboards. While these larger laptops still have their flaws, the fact that they’re no longer chunky slabs of metal and plastic is a promising sign of bigger and better to come in 2020 and beyond.

iPhone 11 Pro

Mat Smith Bureau Chief, UK

It’s hard for any smartphone to break out in 2019. Especially in a year where the industry was obsessed with folding gimmicks and a 5G network not ready for prime time. Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro launched with a brighter screen, was predictably faster and has better — and more — cameras. It’s costlier, sure. In fact, it’s Apple’s most expensive phone ever. But it also tackles one of the perennial issues with nearly all smartphones: mediocre battery life.

The 11 Pro Max is a barely noticeable 0.02 inches thicker than the iPhone XS Max, but with that extra space and a new L-shaped battery cell, the latest 11 Pro Max adds roughly four more hours of use compared to its predecessor. My iPhone 11 Pro Max consistently clocks almost two days on a single charge. It’s better than any smartphone I’ve owned in the last few years.

And then there are the cameras. After leading the smartphone camera revolution, a decade ago, Apple has recently lagged behind the competition. With the iPhone 11 Pro, it’s caught up. In fact, the company has arguably reclaimed the top spot. From Deep Fusion, which adds improved textures and detail, to the ultra-wide-angle cameras for squeezing in crowds, landscapes and more, to the improved night shooting mode, the iPhone 11 Pro is on equal photography footing with the Pixel 4 or the Galaxy Note 10.

There are other highlights, too. The 11 Pro phones come with a high-speed USB-C charger (and a USB-C to Lightning cable), making charging considerably faster. It also means I can connect my iPhone to my year-old MacBook Pro’s USB-C ports without a dongle. Instead of having to plug it in overnight, I can charge the iPhone 11 Pro Max to 50 percent in just thirty minutes. Better battery life isn’t the sexiest feature, but it’s never been more appreciated.

Powerful processors and GPUs

Steve Dent Associate Editor

The PC market is no longer moribund, thanks in large part to devices that are more interesting and powerful. That’s certainly true in the gaming and content creation markets, and for that, we can largely thank AMD and NVIDIA. At the same time, we’ve never had so many lightweight but powerful laptops, and we give Intel credit there.

The processor of the year for gaming and content creation is AMD’s $750, 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X. Intel still has the edge in gaming with its Core i9 9900K, sure, and that model is also cheaper at $500. But the Ryzen 9 3950X is really close, and once you switch over to content creation tasks, those eight extra cores let it destroy the 9900K.

Best of all, AMD’s new Ryzen chips have forced Intel to drop prices, making powerful PCs cheaper across the board. For instance, Intel’s 18-core 9980XE launched in 2017 cost a cool $2,000, but its successor, the 18-core 10980XE costs just half of that. That’s because Intel had to react to AMD’s Threadripper 3970X, which has 32 cores and costs $1,999.

Last year, we called out NVIDIA’s RTX 2080 Ti as one of the worst products of 2018, thanks to its high price and abysmal ray-tracing support. To its credit, though, NVIDIA has introduced new features that make its RTX lineup more desirable, particularly the RTX Studio drivers. Those put NVIDIA’s ray tracing to work, speeding up 3D apps like Blender, and making video and photo editing quicker and more stable, too. On top of that, games like Metro Exodus and Control are finally making better use of ray tracing, and we can expect more of the same in 2020.

Intel is losing in the high-end CPU market, but it’s still thumping AMD when it comes to laptops. Devices like Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 show that Intel has crammed a ton of power into low-energy, long-lasting devices, with big improvements in on-board graphics. Anyone getting a PC with a 10th-gen Intel CPU will see much better performance than last year’s machines, and we’ll have lots of great notebooks to look forward to next year.

Sonos and IKEA Symfonisk Table Lamp

Igor Bonifacic Contributing Writer

We’ll admit: Sonos and IKEA’s Symfonisk table lamp looks goofy. But get past its unusual appearance and you’ll find one of the most versatile gadgets released this year.

As an affordable entry into the Sonos ecosystem, the Symfonisk lamp has almost everything you could want. Setup via the Sonos app is easy whether you’re adding to an existing sound system or starting from scratch. What’s more, the lamp sounds almost as good as the more expensive Sonos One, which is one of the best speakers you can buy. Best of all, even though it’s not a premium product, Sonos didn’t skimp on features like AirPlay 2 compatibility.

What you won’t find are any microphones onboard for Google Assistant and Alexa support. Some people might prefer this; it’s one less device listening to their conversations. For everyone else, it’s easy enough to integrate the lamp with your existing smart speakers for voice control.

But the Symfonisk lamp isn’t just a good speaker, it’s also a great lamp. Although it uses smaller and less common E12 light bulbs, it still adds a lot of warmth to a room. Its versatility as both a speaker and a lamp means you’ll consistently get a lot of use out of it. Add to that its low price and the Symfonisk lamp is one of those rare collaborations that actually delivers the best of both partner companies.

8BitDo SN30 Pro+

Kris Holt Contributing Writer

The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic system, with great games and unrivaled portability for a console. But its standard controller setup is far from ideal.

Joy-Cons are terrific if you’re hanging out with a friend and want to fire up your Switch for co-op action. But when you have to use both Joy-Cons for a single-player game, particularly one that requires dual thumbsticks, they’re not the most practical. In fact, the right thumbstick is positioned too awkwardly to comfortably use for very long. But thankfully, there are plenty of other options out there.

The Switch Pro Controller is a solid alternative, but I much prefer 8BitDo’s excellent SN30 Pro+. It feels far more natural to hold than Nintendo’s controllers, and I have no problem using it for hours at a time. I love the SNES/DualShock 4 mashup approach to the design, too. I haven’t encountered any significant latency issues, and its compatibility with Android, Raspberry Pi, PC and macOS is a nice bonus. The customization options on the 8BitDo Ultimate Software are also terrific and a boon for accessibility.

The SN30 Pro+ makes the Switch even more of a joy, especially for playing Overwatch or Fortnite on the go. I only wish 8BitDo included a headphone jack for more flexibility, especially for when I dock my Switch and I’m across the room from my TV. Still, the controller is an almost-perfect solution for my Switch setup.

Mixer

Jessica Conditt Senior Editor

Mixer has come a long way in a short time. As recently as last year, we were describing Mixer as “Microsoft’s Twitch rival” in headlines, worried that people wouldn’t recognize the service by name. Today, Mixer has 30 million monthly active users, exclusivity deals with a roster of high-profile streamers and plenty of practice in the tech-news spotlight. Mixer has Ninja. What more needs to be said?

Not only did Mixer steal Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the world’s most popular streamer, from Twitch in August, but a handful of other popular names have followed suit. This year, Mixer has picked up Cory “King Gothalion” Michael, Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek and Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler, and Twitch has only recently responded with exclusive acquisitions of its own. Of course, the follower counts of Twitch’s most recent members — Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo, Saqib “LIRIK” Zahid and Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar — reach 10.73 million combined, while Ninja alone had 14.7 million followers when he ditched Twitch. Ninja racked up more than 1 million followers in his first week on Mixer.

At one point, it seemed as if Twitch was the undisputed, permanent champion of video game streaming, but a handful of moderation missteps and the loss of key personalities this year have left the company vulnerable. Of course, all of the main live-streaming platforms have the backing of massive tech companies — Twitch is owned by Amazon, Mixer is the property of Microsoft and (surprise!) YouTube Gaming is run by Google — so they have significant runway to try new things, fail and try again. But in 2019, Mixer got a lot of steps right and laid the foundation for the service’s continued growth in 2020.

#Cryptocurrencies #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Litecoin #Ripple #XRP

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