Are Always Connected PCs the Future?

We see progress in several tech areas, such as smartphones and cars.You might be asking, will the current laptop ever evolve?

On December 5th, at the Qualcomm Tech Summit, Microsoft partnered with Qualcomm to showcase “Always-Connected PCs”. The uniqueness of these laptops lies on the collaboration between ARM, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, and Windows 10. The Snapdragon 835 is best known for being included in a wide variety of smartphones. The inclusion of the mobile chip into laptops carries many benefits such as up to 22 hours of battery and instant connectivity through the integrated LTE modem. These new mobile laptops are going to ship with Windows 10 S, which depends on the Microsoft Store for their applications. Windows 10 Pro will be offered as an upgrade and will enable the devices to run full desktop apps, such as Photoshop. The initial companies bringing the concept to life are Asus and HP. As of December 17, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Lenovo have announced their involvement for 2018.

The fact that the Always-Connected PCs are priced on a similar range as full Intel core computers is worrisome. Will the power and average consumer replace processing and graphics quality for longevity and connectivity? I am not totally convinced. The Snapdragon laptop offers significant benefits to consumers that are always on the move. Maybe it will be of utility for the business owner that travels on a daily basis. Is it a niche product? I think so. In a market full of Chromebooks and full-featured laptops of all price ranges, it won’t come as a surprise for Always-Connected PCs to struggle with the mainstream consumer. Even though I have placed the product in a bad light, I still think its a clear indicator of mobile computing moving forward.



Sources
https://www.windowscentral.com/hands-hp-envy-x2-always-connected-pc-video
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3240991/computers/the-always-connected-pc-is-coming-but-its-full-cost-remains-unknown.html
http://pocketnow.com/2017/12/05/qualcomm-and-microsoft-bring-on-always-connected-pcs-asus-novago
http://pocketnow.com/2017/12/17/samsung-and-xiaomi-reportedly-also-bringing-windows-10-always-connected-pcs

The Future of Batteries: Graphene

Since its commercial introduction in 1991, lithium-ion batteries have powered most of our mobile devices. Arguably, the advancement of technology is increasing demand for faster and denser batteries. Emerging features on smartphones, such as 4K displays, demand more battery power than ever before.

The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), has developed a 'graphene ball' battery material that allows for a 45% increase in power density and 5 times faster charges compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. This new material has the ability to maintain a stable 60 degree Celsius temperature while charging. How is would this new material be used? It is used for the anode protective layer and cathode materials while keeping lithium-ion components in current batteries.

As a comparison, an iPhone 8 with its original 12W charger and lithium-ion battery takes two hours to charge; the same phone with a graphene ball battery could be fully charged in as little as 24 minutes.

Editor’s Opinion

If implemented correctly, this material is a big step forward in battery technology. Graphene ball material means that existing battery technology can be modified easily and relatively cheaply.

Sources
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antonyleather/2017/11/30/samsung-battery-tech-breakthrough-could-revolutionize-smartphones-and-electric-vehicles

ZTE Axon 7 Review: A $400 Powerphone

Pros Cons

+Price -No wireless charging

+Sound system -No waterproof

+Screen quality -Camera on certain conditions

+Metal construction

+Wifi Calling & Volte support

+Dual-SIM

The Unboxing

-The Axon 7 is protected by a sturdy, classy looking hard cardboard box. The presentation is simple and clean. So, what extras are included in the box? earphones, soft clear TPU case cover and USB-C-to-micro-USB adapter.

The hardware

-At the time of release, the hardware was considered current and high end. The internals is comprised of a Snapdragon 820 2.15GHz, 4GB of RAM, expandable storage, dual sim capabilities, fingerprint scanner and the industry standard USB-C type connector. The phone is lacking waterproof resistance and wireless charging. The internals of the Axon 7 is encapsulated on a unibody metal case. While 95% of the body is metal, plastic is used to cover the front-facing speaker grills. The plastic parts do not detract from the aesthetics of the device. The screen is made of durable and scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 4. After close to a year of usage, the body has held its great looking body to almost perfection thanks to the bundled gel case. Without a case, the phone would have seen a few drops in part because of its smooth surface and hard to grip nature.

The screen

-The screen of the Axon 7 is outstanding. The Quad HD AMOLED screen reproduces saturated colors at a glorious 2560x1440 resolution. Viewing angles stay strong throughout and brightness levels are adequate for any given situation. The only negative aspect of the screen is that there is a minimum warm overtone on the default setting. Thankfully, this can be corrected under the display settings; where options for color temperature are provided.

The software

-ZTE has been very consistent about update the Axon 7 to major Android releases. On February 2017, the software was updated from 6.0.1 to 7.0. A month after the Nougat update, the developers at ZTE released the 7.1.1 update with additional improvements such as Daydream and WIFI calling support. The user interface is layered over by ZTE’s unique take on Android, MiFavor UI. The software experience is generally very smooth and responsive. I have not noticed any major rebooting or force closing event. Performance tends to lag and struggle when the battery discharges to 15 percent. Is it a preventive method to save battery? probably.

The sound experience

-The greatest, loudest and most sophisticated attraction of the Axon 7 is the well equipped sound experience that it offers. The front-facing speakers provide immersive surround sound in a full, crisp and loud manner. The included 32-bit advanced audio DAC delivers superior sound on higher impedance headphones. As an extra for flexibility on the audio department, the device incorporates Dolby Atmos software as an equalizer.

Camera

-The main shooter is a 20-megapixel dual Image Stabilization camera (OIS + EIS). The front-facing camera reproduces 8MP quality photos. On the video department, it is capable of recording up to 4K UHD (30 FPS). On the hardware aspect, the included lens benefits from a Samsung ISO-cell sensor and a sapphire, scratch resistant glass cover. Where the main shooter falls apart is in scenarios involving low light and fast moving objects. To help under low light conditions, a powerful dual LED flash is included. On the color reproduction, saturation is a weak point when taking pictures and video. Sharpness is strong thanks to the 20-megapixel count.

Battery

-The non-removable battery has a capacity of 3250 mAh. The company promises 16 hours talk time and 360 hours of standby. On my day to day usage, I have noticed the battery to be slightly above average with a usual screen time of 4 hours. If that is not enough, Quick Charge 3.0 technology is included for those last minute and quick charging (50% battery recharge in 30 minutes).

Sources

https://www.zteusa.com/axon-7

http://www.zte.co.nz/feature_AXON7.htm

PalmID: A New Biometric Method

From fingerprint scanning to FaceID, plenty of different forms of security methods exist today. Many of them are not 100% accurate for example; FaceID is unable to differentiate between identical twins. A new method recently introduced to the market promises consistently accurate and fast security processing; all with our hand palms by Redrock biometrics. The processing system comprises of converting RGB video of the palm into a template for authentication.

PalmID has several aspects working in its favor. Functioning at less than 100 milliseconds, the system is very fast. In order to function, It does not require any extra hardware than the minimum of a 0.3 pixel camera; making the method very compatible and easy to implement. As stated in its official website, PalmID works over several platforms (from ATMs to smartwatches). And it only requires a one-time enrolling to work across all platforms and systems.

Editor's Opinion

I see this technology useful in scenarios of Virtual Reality, where the palm is easily visible by the camera system. In total darkness, fingerprint scanning still is the most reliable method because it does not require light to function.

Sources

http://u01.appmifile.com/images/2017/10/26/81f63313-95df-49d7-bc1d-43838bd5afee.png http://www.redrockbiometrics.com

ZTE Axon M: Gimmick or Innovation

It is appropriate to say that smartphones have not experienced a drastic innovation as of recent times. They have made significant advances in internal components. Smartphones get faster processors and RAM with the passing of time, yet the outside has followed the same language code as the original iPhone introduced back in 2007. The Chinese company ZTE is looking to break the habit with the recently announced ZTE Axon M. The phone includes the high-end quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, 20 megapixels main camera and USB Type-C connectivity. The phone is quite bulky at 12mm. The main differentiator is the screen, or shall I say screens.

The Axon M includes two 5.2 inches screens divided by a hinge which makes the design foldable. Now, a simple phone transforms into a tablet-like design.

The pros I see with this design is the opportunity to multitask, as each screen can display distinct app content. They can be managed independently with multitouch. It can be easily converted into a tent form factor for comfortable viewing. App developers can take advantage of the dual screens to further adapt their apps for creative uses.

The unique design falls victim of its own ambitions. The hinge in the middle creates a very undesirable black line disrupting the view when watching content in full screen. The design leaves both screens unprotected in an accidental fall since the glasses face outward. Cases for protection?! They would need much creativity to come up with them.

Moving the spotlight from the screens to the camera, the design gives benefit to a single high quality 20 megapixels camera. It serves as both the main and front facing (selfie) camera. You don’t have to worry about low-quality selfies anymore, and the cropping game is stronger than ever with so many pixels.

The ZTE Axon M is a passable prototype that needs polishing and refining. Yes, it can suit the heavy multitasker who needs to get work done while watching video content. And yes, it opens the door for better selfies and larger battery capacities. This new form factor is promising. On the next iteration, I would like to see ZTE incorporate with a slide-out form factor that locks to an edge to edge display, more RAM for the heavy multitasker and a slimmer figure.

Sources

https://www.zteusa.com/axon-m

https://www.pcworld.com

https://cdn57.androidauthority.net

http://media2.intoday.in

https://www.theverge.com