Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Google discontinues the Chromebook Pixel 2 without replacing it | Ars Technica
"Since it was introduced in 2013, Google's Chromebook Pixel line has always been an option for people who love Chrome OS and high-quality hardware and aren't worried about paying money to get both. But according to a statement from Google given to VentureBeat, Google has discontinued 2015's Chromebook Pixel 2, and there's no replacement in sight.
“We’re committed to the Pixel program but we don’t have plans to restock the Pixel 2,” a Google spokesperson said.
The team that developed the Pixel and Pixel 2 also designed the more recent Pixel C, an Android tablet that almost definitely began life as a Chrome OS device. It's possible that Google intends to refocus the Pixel brand around Android rather than Chrome OS, given that Android will soon have a very desktop-y windowed multitasking mode. Google is also said to be merging Android and Chrome OS at some point in the future.
People looking for a high-quality Chromebook in the same general neighborhood as the Pixel should look to HP's Chromebook 13, an all-aluminum Chromebook that starts at $499 for a dual-core Pentium CPU, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 3200×1800 display. An $819 version with 8GB of RAM and a Core m5 CPU will come closer to the Pixel's performance."
Google discontinues the Chromebook Pixel 2 without replacing it | Ars Technica
The Anthropocene epoch: scientists declare dawn of human-influenced age | Science | The Guardian
"Humanity’s impact on the Earth is now so profound that a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene – needs to be declared, according to an official expert group who presented the recommendation to the International Geological Congress in Cape Town on Monday.
The new epoch should begin about 1950, the experts said, and was likely to be defined by the radioactive elements dispersed across the planet by nuclear bomb tests, although an array of other signals, including plastic pollution, soot from power stations, concrete, and even the bones left by the global proliferation of the domestic chicken were now under consideration."
The Anthropocene epoch: scientists declare dawn of human-influenced age | Science | The Guardian
Nasa: Earth is warming at a pace 'unprecedented in 1,000 years' | Environment | The Guardian
"The planet is warming at a pace not experienced within the past 1,000 years, at least, making it “very unlikely” that the world will stay within a crucial temperature limit agreed by nations just last year, according to Nasa’s top climate scientist.
This year has already seen scorching heat around the world, with the average global temperature peaking at 1.38C above levels experienced in the 19th century, perilously close to the 1.5C limit agreed in the landmark Paris climate accord. July was the warmest month since modern record keeping began in 1880, with each month since October 2015 setting a new high mark for heat.
But Nasa said that records of temperature that go back far further, taken via analysis of ice cores and sediments, suggest that the warming of recent decades is out of step with any period over the past millennium.
Nasa: Earth is warming at a pace 'unprecedented in 1,000 years' | Environment | The Guardian
Why Intel's new Kaby Lake processors won't make your computer much faster - CNET
"Intel's seventh-gen Core processors, codename Kaby Lake, are now official -- but they aren't as big an upgrade as you'd expect from Intel.
Sure, they're a little bit faster and a little bit more power-efficient. But the best thing about Intel new CPUs might actually be this: the deals you'll find on PCs with last year's chips.
Here's why Kaby Lake isn't such a big deal.
What's a Kaby Lake?
Intel's seventh-generation Core processors, the latest and greatest CPUs the company has to offer. They're the successor to Intel's sixth-gen "Skylake" processors from 2015.
But Kaby Lake isn't a true successor to Skylake. It's more like Skylake+.
Usually, Intel creates a powerful new processor architecture, then the following year shrinks down the circuits for better efficiency. (Intel, much like Ke$ha, is industry-famous for that "Tick-Tock" product cycle.)
Kaby Lake isn't huge. It's about twice the size of California's Lake Tahoe -- a popular vacation spot for Silicon Valley residents.
Google Maps
But Kaby Lake doesn't do either of those things. The circuits are the same 14 nanometer size as Intel's earlier Skylake and Broadwell chips, and it's not a new architecture either. Intel had been trying to shrink down to 10nm with a processor called Cannonlake, but those chips were delayed.
So for now, we're stuck at Tock.
No, really, what's a Kaby Lake? Is "Kaby" a kind of fish?
Oh. No, it appears to be an actual lake in Canada. Maybe the CEO enjoys hunting moose in his spare time?
Is Kaby Lake any better than my existing computer processor?
Intel thinks so! The company says its thin laptop chips are 12 percent faster than Skylake in raw performance, and far more efficient at decoding 4K video.
In fact, Intel claims you could get 3 more hours of battery life while streaming YouTube 4K videos (7 vs. 4 hours) compared to last year's chips.
And for gamers, the company even showed an incredibly thin laptop playing fast-paced shooter Overwatch reasonably well.
That sounds great, no?
Sure -- until you take a hard look at how Intel generated those numbers.
It's not too surprising that Intel's Kaby Lake CPU ran 12 percent faster than the comparable Skylake -- because the new chip is clocked 12 percent faster anyhow! Which could be a problem, because faster clock speeds tend to generate more heat and consume more battery as well.
intel-7th-gen-core-perf-gain.jpgEnlarge Image
Intel shows performance gains of 12 percent. Perhaps it's because the chip is working 12 percent harder?
Intel
And while Intel's battery life numbers for 4K video are hard to ignore, Intel tells me that battery life should be "similar" -- not necessarily better than Skylake -- across other kinds of workloads.
We could easily be in a situation like Intel's Broadwell vs. Haswell, where the company claimed better performance with the same battery life, but devices actually consumed a bit more battery in real-world use. I'm optimistic, though, and we'll need to test for sure.
What about the gaming performance?
I wouldn't get too excited just yet. We took a closer look at Overwatch on a Dell XPS 13 with the new Intel chip, and it ran pretty smooth...but with a few caveats. Judge for yourself:
Also note that Intel may still have some more powerful graphics in the near future: we haven't yet seen how far the company's souped-up Intel Iris graphics have come.
Why Intel's new Kaby Lake processors won't make your computer much faster - CNET
Apple said to be planning Mac lineup refresh, iPad upgrades - CNET
"Would you like to use Apple's stylus with your iPad? That is one of the planned software updates that will accompany hardware improvements already in development, sources tell Bloomberg.
The updated iPad software, which is designed to cater to the needs of professionals, is expected to ship in 2017, the unidentified sources told the news outlet.
The tech titan, which will be making product announcements at an iPhone event on September 7, is also working on a new line of Mac laptops and desktops, Bloomberg reported. The new lineup, which could debut as soon as this year, will include new versions of the iMac desktop, MacBook Air laptop, and a thinner MacBook Pro laptop, according to Bloomberg. With the exception of its 12-inch MacBook, Apple has not updated its Mac lineup since last year.
The company also is planning to launch a 5K standalone monitor in collaboration with LG Electronics. News of a new monitor emerges roughly two months after Apple announced plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt display, a well-liked but aging monitor. The monitor was introduced in 2011 but never updated."
Apple said to be planning Mac lineup refresh, iPad upgrades - CNET
The updated iPad software, which is designed to cater to the needs of professionals, is expected to ship in 2017, the unidentified sources told the news outlet.
The tech titan, which will be making product announcements at an iPhone event on September 7, is also working on a new line of Mac laptops and desktops, Bloomberg reported. The new lineup, which could debut as soon as this year, will include new versions of the iMac desktop, MacBook Air laptop, and a thinner MacBook Pro laptop, according to Bloomberg. With the exception of its 12-inch MacBook, Apple has not updated its Mac lineup since last year.
The company also is planning to launch a 5K standalone monitor in collaboration with LG Electronics. News of a new monitor emerges roughly two months after Apple announced plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt display, a well-liked but aging monitor. The monitor was introduced in 2011 but never updated."
Apple said to be planning Mac lineup refresh, iPad upgrades - CNET
Apple Must Pay Billions for Tax Breaks in Ireland, E.U. Orders - The New York Times
"Europe’s antitrust enforcer ordered Ireland on Tuesday to claw back billions from Apple over illegal tax breaks, a move that will ramp up trans-Atlantic tensions over how much global companies should pay to countries where they do business.
Apple Must Pay Billions for Tax Breaks in Ireland, E.U. Orders - The New York Times
The decision by Margrethe Vestager, the European Union commissioner for competition, is the culmination of a two-year investigation into whether Ireland gave preferential treatment to Apple, part of a broader crackdown on corporate tax avoidance.
The clawback from Apple, which covers 10 years of back taxes of up to 13 billion euros, or about $14.5 billion, from Apple, is the largest of its kind since the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-member union, started going after member states that favored selected companies.
The ruling adds to a strained relationship between the United States and the European Union over who has the right to regulate tax payments by some of the world’s largest companies."
Apple Must Pay Billions for Tax Breaks in Ireland, E.U. Orders - The New York Times
Monday, August 29, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
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