The RISC-V CPU architecture is making progress across a plethora of devices. From soldering irons and watches to desktop computers, the open source RISC-V CPU looks set to make an impact in 2021. Seeed Studio and Beagleboard have today announced an official collaboration with StarFive, a leading RISC-V solutions provider. The focus of this announcement is the Beagle V, an affordable single board computer (SBC) which runs Linux and is powered by a dual core RISC-V.
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(Image credit: Seeed, BeagleBoard, StarFive)
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(Image credit: Seeed, BeagleBoard, StarFive)
Powering Beagle V is a dual core 64-bit U74 RISC-V CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz and up to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM. From a CPU perspective Beagle V looks to be slightly faster than a Raspberry Pi 4, but looking at the StarFive JH7100 System on Chip (SoC) we can see a Tensilica-VP6 used in computer vision projects, an Nvidia Deep Learning Accelerator (NVDLA) used for artificial intelligence and finally a Neural Network Engine. All of these point towards a board that looks on paper to be quite the AI / machine learning powerhouse. Best of all Beagle V is a purely open source product, with both the hardware and the software offered under an open source licence.
MicroSD card slot for operating system and data storage
1 x Wi-Fi 2.4GHz b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2
Power with USB Type-C (5V@3A)
1 x Reset button and 1 x Power Button
At its heart, Beagle V is still an SBC and as such it has what we come to think as the “standard complement” of ports. With four USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Micro SD card and a single HDMI port, capable of 1080P 30fps. A 40 pin GPIO suggests compatibility with Raspberry Pi HATs, and a casual glance at the pinout shows that the standard digital I/O, I2C and SPI seem to be mapped correctly. Dual camera (CSI) and a single display connector (DSI) suggest that Beagle V may be compatible with the official Raspberry Pi camera and display. Wireless connectivity is provided via 2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2. A shame that 5 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 are not present, but we can live without it. Power is provided via a USB-C port, and from the datasheet we can see that Beagle V requires 5V at 2A but a 3A supply would be a real benefit.
Starting from $119 for the 4GB model, or $149 for the 8GB, Beagle V is slightly more expensive than a Raspberry Pi 4 but for RISC-V and AI enthusiasts this is a small price to pay for a RISC-V machine of such power. With an anticipated early access release date of March, with larger availability from September 2021, Beagle V looks to be a worthy contender to the Nvidia Jetson for AI and machine learning projects. It may not be a direct competitor to the Raspberry Pi, but it will be interesting to put the two against one another to see both of their pros and cons.
The LG CineBeam HU810P 4K laser projector has hit the shelves in the States for a par-for-course $2999 and should be making its way worldwide shortly, according to usual form.
It’s a DLP projector, powered by LG’s three-colour ‘Dual Laser’ system which uses an XPR pixel shifting technology to create a 4K HDR image, at 2700 lumens, with a light source lifespan of up to 20,000 hours of use.
At the front end is a 1.6x zoom lens which can focus an image of between 40-300in at a minimum distance of 1.1m. The lens shift feature adds a good degree of flexibility to the installation too, offering up to 60 per cent movement on the vertical in either direction and 24 per cent horizontally.
Its relatively high brightness means that you should be able to get a decent picture in rooms with ambient lighting and there is an excellent suite of connectivity for wireless sources, masterminded by the LG webOS 5.0 TV operating system. It brings built-in access to the likes of Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix. Any service you can’t find can be mirrored from an iOS device given that the LG CineBeam HU810P is also Apple AirPlay 2-enabled.
There are also three HDMI 2.1 inputs (including ALLM and eARC) as well as two USB 2.0 sockets and Bluetooth to stream sound to headphones or external speakers.
There’s plenty of picture processing on board too with LG’s Trumotion image smoothing as well as a big focus on contrast tech assisted by the automatic iris on the lens. It can adjust to let more or less light out to match the brightness of your environment and works in tandem with an Adaptive Contrast system which analyses the source material frame-by-frame to work at an optimum black level at all times.
Dynamic Tone Mapping is also there to help with colour as well as contrast. But, if those processing modes aren’t working for you, then there’s always the option to go manual with the aid of LG’s built-in calibration software.
(Image credit: LG)
There has been no official announcement about UK, Europe or Australian pricing but, given that this device was first announced at IFA 2020, it seems destined to be travelling beyond America. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £2500 (AU$4400).
LG has been making very credible inroads into the 4K home projector space in the last few years and we look forward to seeing how this one performs.
MORE:
Best projectors 2020: Full HD, 4K, portable, short throw
How to set up your projector and get the best picture
Apple’s “Find My” interface, which was opened for third-party providers last summer, is now supported for the first time by completely wireless earplugs from an external company: Belkin has announced a corresponding model with its Soundform Freedom.
Belkin part of the Find My network With the introduction of iOS 14 Apple launched its so-called Find-My-System (“Mein Find “) made transparent. The corresponding app, which is part of the operating system, was initially only able to find iPhone, iPad, Mac or AirPods – as well as friends who shared their location. A new API now allows the integration of devices that are not made by Apple itself, which Belkin is the first audio device manufacturer to use.
A bit like the AirPods The Soundform Freedom are typical true wireless in-ear headphones whose style is slightly reminiscent of the AirPods. They are available in black and white, cost 140 Euro and are splash-proof in accordance with protection class IPX5 and are therefore also suitable for rain and jogging. They should run for eight hours at a time, the supplied QI charging case offers additional 20 hours. Ambient noise suppression for phone calls is integrated, but ANC as with the AirPods Pro apparently not.
Crowdsourcing to find According to the manufacturer, the Freedom Soundform can use Apple’s Find-My network, as is already possible with Apple hardware. The system works with a crowdsourcing approach, in which potentially millions of Apple devices can be used, which are exchanged via an encrypted network. In this way, stolen or lost devices without an integrated radio module should be able to be found.
criticism of Apple Strategy There was also criticism of the Find-My opening. The guidelines should be extremely strict. Third-party manufacturers who use the “Find My” app are not allowed to use any other services at the same time – apparently no longer their own. Belkin itself does not, however, because the accessories specialist does not yet offer its own find network. For companies like the tracker manufacturer Tile, which rely on their own infrastructure, this does not apply.
Apple made an additional update for older iPhone models available for download on Tuesday night. Version 12. 5.1 is suitable for devices on which iOS 14 can not be installed. This includes iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus.
Corona warning also on older Apple smartphones Together with iOS 14. 3 for newer devices in December the fresh version 12. 5, which for the first time basically allows the use of the Corona Warning App, as it contains the so-called Exposure Notification Framework, with which encounters via Bluetooth are recorded by the operating system can be. However, the necessary update for the program by RKI, Telekom and SAP, which was initially only announced, is still missing.
Incorrect messages iOS . According to Apple, 5.1 should now contain errors in connection with the exposure Fix Notification Framework. So it should have happened that there were incorrect messages from the logging profile. As mentioned, this may not have happened to German users, as they lack the Corona warning app that is compatible with their older cell phones; in other regions of the world that also use the framework that was created together with Google, but certainly.
Preparation for the app Accordingly, it makes sense to install the update promptly so that a hopefully soon to appear Corona -Warning app for the old devices works properly. “The transfer of the Corona-Warn-App to iOS . 5 is possible, but involves effort. The companies work together with Apple High pressure on the necessary adjustments “, said the developers Telekom and SAP in December.
Update via the device iOS 12. 5.1 is imported as usual directly via the iPhone, to do this you go in the system settings. The update can be found there via the “General” area. The download is compact and quick for an iOS update.
Intel’s CES livestream included plenty of new chips to chew over, including new Rocket Lake and Tiger Lake models, but the company held out one teaser for the end – a quick demo of an Alder Lake-S system. During the keynote, Intel also announced that its 10nm Ice Lake processors, which have experienced a seemingly-unending string of delays, are finally in production.
Intel’s Alder Lake-S demo wasn’t much – the company simply showed the system running an air-cooled processor as it played a video. We can also see two DRAM sticks in the system, which according to the latest information on the chips, should be the first chips to support DDR5.
The system was clearly running the Windows operating system, which is an important step in the development process: Alder Lake-S is the first x86 hybrid architecture, which merges both larger and smaller cores, for the mainstream desktop. That presents both software and operating system challenges that require dedicated support for hybrid architectures.
Intel’s Alder Lake-S architecture features a design reminiscent of ARM’s big.LITTLE, with the larger Golden Cove cores used primarily for high-priority work, while the smaller Atom Gracemont cores execute less-intensive tasks and background workloads.
Aside from mentioning that the chips come with the 10nm SuperFin process, Intel didn’t share any new details about the design. Intel says these chips will come to market in the second half of the year.
(Image credit: Intel / YouTube)
Intel also announced that its 10nm third-gen Xeon Scalable Ice Lake server processors have finally entered production, and that the chips are being ramped for volume production. This announcement comes after a long string of delays; the chips were originally pegged for launch in 2020, signaling problems with Intel’s 10nm process.
Intel CEO Bob Swan commented on Ice Lake server products during a recent roundtable with Tom’s Hardware:
“The last thing I’d say about the execution as we exit the year – we launched the Ice Lake server product, qualified it at the end of the year, and started production of the Third-Gen Xeon Scalable processors. We are ramping [production] in the first quarter.”
Swan’s comments on Ice Lake’s launch probably refer to early shipments to members of the Super Seven (hyperscalers), like Amazon, Google, and Facebook, which traditionally occurs before official launch announcements. Intel recently detailed the Ice Lake architecture during the recent Hot Chips event and will formally announce the lineup in the coming months.
Among the products launched by TCL we find Mini LED panels and roll-up screens , but we also find a more traditional terminal that reaches the mid-range of the market with a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 690.
Among the specifications of the terminal we find, in addition to the aforementioned Snapdragon 690, 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and capacities of 128 and 256 GB of internal storage along with a MicroSD slot that allows us to add a card of up to 256 additional GB , something that we will provide more capacity than virtually any user will need.
Likewise, we find a screen of 6. 67 inches with FullHD + resolution, a battery of 4500 mAh Qualcomm compatible Quick Charge 4.0+ by 18 W, and Android 10 as pre-installed operating system , which TCL announces that will be able to upgrade to Android 11 in the future, so we can rest assured that we can count on the latest version of Android for a long time.
The prices at which the different versions of this terminal will arrive are unknown , so we will probably have to wait for the brand to make an announcement later to clarify this point about its availability. ad, since the dates on which these terminals will reach the market are not known either.
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Jordi Bercial
Avid technology and electronics enthusiast . I mess around with computer components almost since I learned to ride. I started working at Geeknetic after winning a contest on their forum for writing hardware articles. Drift, mechanics and photography lover. Don’t be shy and leave a comment on my articles if you have any questions.
The Series 20 expands with TCL 16 SE, officially announced on the occasion of CES 2021. The company also anticipated the arrival of three other smartphones, including a new model with 5G connectivity
of Nino Grasso published on 11 January 2021 , at 17: 26 in the Telephony channel TCL
To CES 2021 TCL ha removed the veils from a new device of the Series 16, anticipating that two additional models will arrive. The one unveiled at the American fair (in reality this year it is digital due to the ongoing pandemic) is TCL 20 SE, low-end smartphone proposed in Italy at the recommended price of 159, 90 ?? with availability “starting from January”. Among the two additional smartphones to come, one will be with a 5G modem.
The new devices are added to TCL 20 5G , already available in Italy in the colors Streamer Gray and Ocean Blue and is already available in preview in Italy at the recommended retail price of? ? 299.
The Series 20 is equipped with the latest displays made by TCL and the latest technology NXTVISION , which provides real-time improvements in the video and image viewing experience. Features include SDR to HDR conversion, optimized color calibration and advanced eye safety features. The devices of the Series 20 also include a dedicated display engine of new generation, combined with AI software to enable adaptive display and visual enhancement functions.
TCL 20 SELF
The new TCL 20 SELF intends to bring the features of premium smartphones at a more affordable price. Uses a large 6 display, 82 inches with V notch and screen-to-body ratio of 90% with aspect ratio of 20, 5: 9 , all in a slim and elegant device. TCL 20 IF is also equipped with the Smart Floating Window , which allows users to manage multiple activities in one once, surfing the web or replying to messages while – for example – watching videos or images. The function allows you to make the most of the visual space guaranteed by the large display, and is activated by swiping in the right or left corner. Windows can be resized or moved anywhere on the display.
As TCL 20 5G , also TCL 20 SELF adopts the NXTVISION SDR technology -to-HDR, and color, contrast and clarity are all automatically improved in real time. The dual speaker design also enhances the audio experience – no speaker is covered when the device is held in the hand and is compatible with Hi-Res Audio certification. On the technical side we find a Qualcomm platform and battery power from 5000 mAh. TCL 20 IF it is also equipped with reverse charging capability, which allows you to recharge the battery of any device that has run out of charge.
There are four rear cameras on the smartphone, with AI support that allows – among other functions – to delete people and objects from photos with a single tap.
TCL 20 IF will be available from January in Nuit Black and Aurora Green colors at the recommended retail price of ?? 159, 90.
TCL News Series 20 and multiscreen collaboration
In the coming weeks, the TCL Series 20 will expand further with at least three additional models, including another 5G smartphone. The manufacturer will officially launch these models and share further details in the first quarter of 2020.
TCL has also anticipated the multiscreen collaboration feature between smartphones, tablets, televisions and PCs of the brand. Through wireless connections such as Bluetooth, WiFi or NFC, TCL will make it possible to transfer files and multimedia content from one device to another; it will merge the phone screen to the PC and project the smartphone display onto larger screens such as tablets and televisions. Further details will be provided later in the year.
Alcatel brand news
During the presentation event TCL also talked about the Alcatel brand, expanding its product portfolio with Alcatel 3L , Alcatel 1S and Alcatel 1T 7 WIFI .
Alcatel 3L is positioned in an affordable price range and is equipped with a triple rear camera with AI and main module from 48 MP. This is offered along with two additional 2MP modules, macro and depth respectively. The front camera is instead 8MP and supports HDR shooting with Face Tracking function. Your phone can intelligently identify up to 17 different scenes with the rear modules, while the display is a HD + Vast of 6, 52 inches with format of 20: 9. Design side we have a 2.5D curved glass and four different viewing modes: Eye Comfort Mode, Reading Mode, Dark Mode, and Sunlight Mode. Eye Comfort mode minimizes the amount of harmful blue light to protect the eyes during prolonged use; the reading mode guarantees a monochrome display similar to that of the paper; Dark Mode transforms the operating system UI by making it darker; and Sunlight Mode improves the readability of content under strong natural light.
The smartphone uses an octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM and there is a dedicated Google Assistant button. The recommended price in Italy is 149 euro , with availability in the colors Jewelry Black and Jewelry Blue starting from March 2021. Alcatel 1S is positioned instead at a price of 129, 90 ?? in Elegant Black and Twilight Blue colors with availability expected from February 2021. It is equipped with three rear cameras, including the main one from 13 MP with AI, and the remaining 2MP macros and depths. Alcatel 1S is equipped with a HD + Vast display 6, 52 inches 16: 9 with a screen / body of 88, 5%, supports Split mode Screen to display two apps simultaneously and implements an octa-core processor powered by a 4000 mAh battery. The native Smart Manager also helps to optimize the performance and energy efficiency of the device.
Alcatel 1T 7 is a small tablet, designed for families and users of all ages. Supported by Android 11 (Go edition) , it can only connect to Wi-Fi networks and supports applications such as Assistant Go and Google Go. It naturally comes with Kids Mode, which includes an easy-to-use user interface for children and new features dedicated to eye protection and learning. Alcatel 1T 7 will be available in Europe in the colors Mint Green and Obsidian Black in January 2021, with 16 GB of memory starting from ?? 74, 99.
At the top of the range we will find two families of 8K TVs, with OD Zero Mini-LED technology, which eliminated the gap between the LED backlight layer, the Quantum Dot layer and the LCD panel. In this way the TVs can be very thin compared to the Full Array Local Dimming models and on the wide diagonals it is possible to drive more than two thousand backlight zones
by Roberto Colombo published on 11 January 2021 , at 17: 23 in the Audio Video channel TCL 4K 8K HDR Dolby Atmos Dolby Vision
For TCL on 2020 is It was a very positive year for TV sales: if at the beginning of p Covid andemia – 19 the forecasts had been adjusted to a – 10%, the rest of the year has gone in a totally different direction. The new normal, made for much longer at home, has seen TV return to being the center of home entertainment: subscriptions to streaming video services have experienced a very high growth and with it people’s need for a Latest generation TV to enjoy the contents to the fullest.
TCL has practically emptied its warehouses and in hindsight, probably, if it had had more models and more copies, it would have sold those too. The challenge facing the 2021 is quite difficult; on the one hand, keeping up with the last part of the 2020 will be hard, also considering the cycle of life of about 6 years of televisions: who has changed the TV in 2020, certainly will not be new customers in 2021.
TCL in 2021 will expand its product ranges, both on premium and budget products, but always trying to bring to as many customers as possible. The new range will debut in March, but at CES 2021 the Chinese brand took a quick look at those which will be the cornerstones of the offer.
At the top of the range we will find two families of 8K televisions , of course with Mini LED technology, which this year can count on the new generation Mini-LED OD Zero , which eliminated the gap between the backlight LED layer, the Quantum Dot layer and the LCD panel. In this way the TVs can be very thin compared to the Full Array Local Dimming models and on the wide diagonals it is possible to drive more than two thousand backlight zones.
The Mini-LED technology will land in 2021 also on the C series , where hundreds of backlight zones will be piloted, depending on the diagonal of the display. This family will also see more products on the market than last year. In addition, video profiles will also land on the C series IMAX Certified .
The ‘budget’ series, the P family, will instead receive the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos , while premium products will also use the brightness sensor environment to offer Dolby Vision IQ .
On TVs we will find the port HDMI 2.1 , with eARC and ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode) and on premium models support 4K UHD 120 p VRR, with attention therefore also to the interesting market represented by gamers. The new TVs will bring the new version of the Google TV operating system, which takes the place of Android TV.
TCL technicians are also working hard to get ready for launch with the automatic calibration functionality via app CALman’s Autocal : in any case, by the end of the year the premium TVs will be equipped with it via firmware update.
As regards the further technological step, in particular for the printed OLED panels , the build factory has been kicked off 8.5, which will be able to churn out panels up to 2.5 meters. For commercial products, however, it will be necessary to wait a few more years, with the first ones scheduled for 2023 / 2024.
There’s really not much of a resemblance between the webOS software that runs on LG TVs and the Palm smartphones where the operating system had its beginnings many years ago. But LG’s TV interface has grown to be among my favorites for its efficiency at staying out of the way. When you hit the remote’s home button, a shortcuts bar with apps, HDMI inputs, and other destinations slides up at the bottom of the screen but doesn’t completely overtake whatever’s on-screen. Highlight a streaming app, and an additional row slides up to reveal recommended picks and what’s streaming.
Well, so much for that.
LG is giving webOS a major overhaul for its 2021 TVs. Version 6.0 of the software gets rid of the slide-up bar altogether and now has a full home screen that looks akin to what you’d find on, well, any other TV. The colorful webOS “blades” interface is completely gone. At least on the surface, everything looks more bland. It’s just a long list of stuff. You’ve got a hero area at the top with large banners, then “top picks,” followed by apps, home dashboard / your inputs, and a bunch of other categories.
Image: LG
LG says “the new home screen provides faster access to the most frequently used apps and streamlines content discovery with the ability to receive recommendations based on the user’s preferences and viewing history.” You can see a big “sponsored” slot in the top left there, so yes, you can expect some ads and paid placement recommendations on the home screen of your future LG TV. (LG’s latest Magic Remote will also have shortcut buttons for select streaming apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus.)
There will be individual rows for shopping, sports scores, and the ad-sponsored LG Channels — where you can stream free programming — on the home screen. These were all separate areas of webOS before, but now they’re being moved into the spotlight. Unfortunately, LG told me there’s no way to hide rows you don’t have any use for. I really hope that changes.
LG doesn’t usually bring each year’s new version of webOS to past TVs. So if you bought an LG OLED sometime in the last couple years, it’s likely you’ll stay with the previous interface. But I’ve asked LG for confirmation on this since the annual changes aren’t typically this drastic.
Earlier versions of webOS were colorful and less obtrusive.Image: LG
I don’t want to give a thumbs up or down on webOS 6.0 until I’ve seen it first hand, but my early feeling is that it seems like a regression. Maybe it’ll only take a few days with one of the new sets to get a hang of this refreshed layout, and this approach will probably be easier to navigate and more intuitive for non-techies. But I’ll miss the touch of whimsy that webOS on LG TVs had until now.
On the upside, LG says the new remote will have NFC capabilities, so you can tap a smartphone against it to share content to the TV screen. And the list of voice commands for Alexa and Google Assistant has been further expanded in webOS 6.0.
One of the best features of the Oculus Quest 2 is it can be manually linked via USB to your gaming PC to play more demanding VR games you couldn’t otherwise run natively on the headset. That’s great if you want a way to play games like Half-Life: Alyx, but the obvious downside is that you’re now physically tethered to a PC — so much for the wireless freedom that the Quest 2 advertises.
Thankfully, developers have already figured out the seemingly impossible: how to run system-intensive titles on your PC and stream the visual feed to your VR device while syncing all of your movements over Wi-Fi. It gives you the best of both worlds: letting you play the games you want without being attached by a cable to your computer.
Doing this isn’t as simple as installing an app through the Oculus store; there are several steps involved. I’m going to walk you through the steps required to make this happen on your Quest 2 virtual reality headset. The same steps likely work on the first Quest iteration, but I only have the latest model here to test.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Get a link cable
Even though this is a how-to on experiencing VR without wires, you’ll need a wire to get started. Oculus sells an expensive 16-foot cable for around $80, but that’s made for people who really want to use the Quest 2 in wired mode. There are other, less costly alternatives, like Anker’s 10-foot USB-C to USB Type-A 3.0 cable, which costs about $20 and gets the job done.
Many USB cables that come with modern Android phones will likely work, too. And the cable doesn’t have to be long — we’re just doing some simple data transfer here. Unfortunately, the USB-C cable that Oculus includes with each Quest 2 didn’t work for this process when I tried it. It’s simply for charging the headset.
This is the official Oculus Link cable. It costs $80 and is difficult to find in stock. You don’t need this specific model to get through this how-to!
Enable developer settings
If you want to load files onto your Quest 2, you’ll need a developer account. Fortunately, it’s easy to do, but it’s a strange process that’s meant to be used by actual developers.
Go to this page and sign in to your Facebook account in your browser of choice. Just make sure you sign in to the same Facebook account that you signed in to on your Quest 2.
The next part of the process is to name your “organization.” You can name it whatever you’d like. You can find a direct link to this page right here in case you get lost.
With those two steps out of the way, open up your Oculus mobile app (iOS or Android) and sign in with the same Facebook account. Then navigate to the “Settings” pane by clicking it at the bottom-right corner of the app window.
On the next page, click “Oculus Quest 2” right beneath your name, and a few more options will expand from within it. Click “More Settings”
Once you’re there, tap “Developer Mode” and switch it on
Click here to see more options, including “More Settings” that contains the Developer Mode toggle.
Install the Quest 2 driver for your PC
The next couple of steps pave the way for you to sideload software onto the Quest 2 headset, which is a feature usually reserved for developers. If you’re using a Windows PC, you will need to install ADB drivers to let your PC write to the headset; according to the Oculus site, macOS and Linux systems don’t need a driver.
Download the software linked here, hosted by Oculus. (Just check the box saying you agree to the terms of the license — you can read it if you want — and click on “Download.”)
Once it’s downloaded, extract the contents of the folder. Then right click the item called “android_winusb.inf” and select “Install.”
Install this driver to get this process started.
Buy the Virtual Desktop app for Quest
The Virtual Desktop app lets you access your PC through the lens of a VR headset. You can use it for games, like we’ll be doing, but you can also watch movies you have stored on your PC in a variety of different virtual environments. There’s a Quest-specific version of the app that you can purchase here for $20. (Make sure it says that it’s compatible with Quest underneath the purchase button.)
After you purchase it, install it on the headset. We’ll be returning to this app in just a bit, but for now, a few other steps.
Virtual Desktop running on the Quest 2.
Connect the Quest 2 to your PC
Connect your Quest 2 via its side-mounted USB-C port to your PC’s fastest available USB port. If you’ve done everything correctly up to this point, you’ll see a message displayed in the headset asking if you want to allow USB debugging. Allow it to proceed.
Download and install SideQuest on your PC
SideQuest is a free app and storefront for experiences that can be sideloaded onto your headset. For the purposes of this how-to, you’re just going to use it to apply a necessary patch to the Virtual Desktop app that I just suggested you buy and install on your Quest 2 headset.
Head here to find the right installer for your operating system (I used the Windows 10 version for this how-to) and download it
Once it finishes installing, run SideQuest
At this point, your headset should show up as connected in the top-left corner of the SideQuest app on your PC with a green bubble. If it’s not showing as connected, check your headset’s display for a prompt. It may be waiting for you to allow your PC to access and modify the Quest 2’s file system.
The green light indicates that your headset is connected.
Sideload the Virtual Desktop VR patch for Quest 2
Within SideQuest, type “virtual desktop” in the search bar. The result you’re looking for is called “Virtual Desktop VR Patch.” This is the necessary key to fooling your computer into thinking your Quest 2 is a wired headset.
With your Quest 2 connected to your computer, hit the “Install to Headset” button in SideQuest, located just below the search bar in the app. The process should be pretty snappy, lasting just a few seconds.
Install this necessary Virtual Desktop patch to your Quest 2 headset.
Download Virtual Desktop Streamer
There’s yet one more free application to download: Virtual Desktop Streamer. Made by the same folks who made the Virtual Desktop app you purchased on the Quest 2, this app simply streams PC content to your headset via Wi-Fi.
Once this app is downloaded and installed, you’ll need to input your Oculus username in the Streamer window
If you don’t know it off the top of your head, you can find it by opening the Oculus app on mobile, navigating to “Settings,” and then tapping on the area that shows your name and email address. The name that will display next to your avatar is your username.
Having a hard time finding your Oculus username? Tap on your full name in the Settings menu to see this view pictured above.
After that’s entered, hit “Save”
That’s the last step! But remember that it’s crucial to have the Virtual Desktop Streamer app open in order for your headset to communicate with your PC.
Here’s what the Virtual Desktop Streamer app looks like. It’s very simple.
Open Virtual Desktop on your Quest 2
If every step was done correctly, you’ll see your PC pop up in the list of available devices to connect to from within the Virtual Desktop app on your Quest 2.
Once you’ve connected, the Options button (the left Oculus Touch controller’s equivalent of the Oculus button) is mapped to open up the top-level menu for Virtual Desktop, as shown in the image below. From there, clicking “Games” will reveal every game that’s installed on your PC. You can simply boot each one from there, and your PC will handle all of the hard work.
All of the VR-ready games installed on your PC will show up within Virtual Desktop.
If you aren’t happy with the visual fidelity within each game, you’re free to customize some settings that affect latency, refresh rate, and more. Note that you’ll likely get a clearer, more fluid image if your PC is powerful and your internet connection is fast. Given the reliance on your Wi-Fi network, your wireless router plays a large role in delivering a smooth experience, too.
Streaming VR over Wi-Fi certainly isn’t a perfect solution. I have a Wi-Fi 6-ready router and relatively speedy internet (235Mbps down, 19Mbps up), and I still experience the occasional spot of lag and slightly fuzzy image. Though with enough tweaking on the Virtual Desktop app (turning Wi-Fi off on seldom-used tech items never hurts), I think you’ll have a good time.
Asahi Linux starts to take shape, a project led by developer Hector Martin who aims to bring Linux to Macs with Apple M1 processor. The project is collaborative, but complex and therefore very intriguing.
by Manolo De Agostini published 09 January 2021 , at 10: 01 in the Operating Systems channel Apple MacBook iMac Linux
In recent weeks Linus Torvalds had expressed his interest in the new MacBooks with Apple M1 processor (review of the Air), complaining however of the impossibility of being able to run Linux natively. The community was not watching and the developer Hector Martin, also known in the world as “Marcan”, had launched a Patreon to raise funds and please not only the creator of the Linux kernel, but also all fans of the open world. source.
The project is slowly taking shape with the name Asahi Linux (GitHub repository), defined as “an Arch Linux ARM remix designed to include state-of-the-art M1 chip support and practical installation instructions”. “All Arch Linux users should feel at home,” added Martin, explaining that development is open to anyone (and the code can also be used by other projects), so much so that he will be helped in the enterprise by Alyssa Rosenzweig , developer who is already working on Panfrost, a free and open source graphics stack for ARM Mali GPUs used in Android devices.
The entry into the scene of Rosenzweig is very useful, in fact the support of ARM Mali GPUs in Linux has always been complicated by the closed nature of official drivers: the same is true for the GPU integrated into the Apple chip . “This custom GPU from Apple has neither public documentation nor open source drivers. Some speculate that it could descend from PowerVR GPUs, such as those used in older iPhones, while others believe the GPU is completely custom,” said Rosenzweig.
The approach to the object of mystery started by applying the same reverse engineering processes used for Mali GPUs , but there are some hitches to resolve. “Although standard Linux / BSD system calls exist on macOS, they are not used for graphics drivers. Apple’s IOKit framework is used for both kernel and user space drivers, with the critical entry point being IOConnectCallMethod, an analog of ioctl “.
The first of the M1 chip-based Apple products being worked on is the Mac Mini , then we will proceed to support the other models (and future generations, time permitting). “Apple allows unsigned / custom kernels to boot on Apple Silicon Macs without jailbreaking. This is not a hack or omission, but an actual feature that Apple has built into these devices. This means that, unlike iOS devices, Apple does not intend to dictate which operating system you can use on Macs (although they probably won’t help us with development) “, underlines Hector” Marcan “Martin.
The enthusiast also stated that there should be no problems with legal character , as reverse engineering to ensure interoperability is a possibility guaranteed by law in many countries. “As long as no code is taken from macOS in order to create Linux support, the end result is legally distributable and usable by end users, as it would not be a macOS derivative work.”
It’s been a while since the debut of Intel Tiger Lake-U mobile processors. Over the past few weeks, we have had the opportunity to test several cheaper and more expensive ultrabooks, using new Intel chips. Based on Willow Cove architecture and lithography 10 nm SuperFin has a pretty good performance, but to the top AMD Ryzen units 4000 with 8 cores is still a bit missing. This time, however, we present a completely different construction for the premiere. The laptop is also slim and very mobile, but offers noticeably higher performance. I am talking about the Dream Machines G notebook 1650 Ti, which combines Intel Tiger Lake processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics cards 14.
Author: Damian Marusiak
Dream Machines G 1650 Ti at first glance looks like a typical ultrabook. Weight around 1.5 kg, screen size 14 inches. Finally – the low-voltage (?) Intel Core i5 processor – 1135 G7. Another, the most ordinary ultrabook? Not quite, because the equipment, despite its small size, also has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX card 1650 Ti and a noticeably better cooling system compared to typical ultrabooks. I think it is one of the most interesting laptops with a diagonal screen at the moment 14 who wants to combine work and entertainment. Whether the task has been completed, you will find out from the premiere test below. For now, let me just say that the equipment is not perfect, but in some respects it managed to surprise me positively.
Dream Machines G 1650 The Ti is a brand new laptop, with pretty good performance and high mobility. Despite the small housing, inside we find an Intel Core i5 processor – 1135 G7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card 1650 Ti.
The greatest novelty of the Dream Machines G laptop 1650 Ti in the presented version is the use of Intel Tiger Lake processors (11 Intel chipset generation Core). There was a lot of talk about processors long before their final debut (September 2). First of all, they use the redesigned Willow Cove architecture, based on last year’s Sunny Cove. Mainly the cache subsystem has been changed, increasing the number of L1 cache, L2 cache and L3 cache Moreover, the noticeably improved was used 10 nm technological process, named 10 nm SuperFin. The name is associated primarily with the use of new SuperFin transistors, which are to enable work with a higher clock at the same time lower voltages. The tested version of Acer has an Intel Core i5 unit – 1135 G7, equipped with 4 cores and 8 threads. The base clock of the processor is 2.4 GHz with the possibility of increasing in Turbo Boost 2.0 mode to a maximum of 4.2 GHz. Intel Core i5 – 1135 G7 has a default TDP of 28 W. Processor supports no only the Thunderbolt 4 platform, but also the first to introduce PCIe 4.0 to notebooks. Also supports DDR4 3200 MHz, LPDDR4X 4267 MHz and LPDDR5 5400 MHz – the latter will appear in laptops, however, only next year.
The laptop is equipped with the NVIDIA graphics chip belonging to the Turing architecture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX card 1650 Ti was made in an improved, 12 FFN technological process ( FinFET NVIDIA), containing 4.7 billion transistors, and everything is placed on a much smaller (compared to GeForce RTX cards) surface of 200 mm². The much smaller size of the core is associated with the removal of the Tensor and RT cores, so the system, although theoretically allows you to activate Ray Tracing, has completely blocked the ability to run DLSS and DLSS 2.0 / 2.1. The base clock of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX card used 1650 was set at 1350 MHz, while in GPU Boost 4.0 mode it increases to 1485 MHz. The card’s TDP is modest 50 W. Other parameters are as follows – the system is equipped with 4096 MB of Micron GDDR6 VRAM on the bus 128 – bitwise and effective timing of the order 12000 MHz (12 Gbps). This gives a bandwidth of 192 GB / s . The TU graphics chip used 117 has 32 rendering units ( ROP), 64 units texturizing (TMU) and 1024 CUDA cores.
In the past few days, the planned changes to WhatsApp’s terms and conditions have made waves. Facebook intends to interlink its social media platform and the messenger service more closely and intends to link all data with one another in the future. However, all EU citizens should not be forced to do so. According to Niamh Sweeney, Director of Policy at Whatsapp, the upcoming Messenger update on the European market will not make any changes to the exchange of data between WhatsApp and Facebook.
However, this does not mean that Facebook does not receive any data from the messenger service. As can be seen from the WhatsApp FAQ, the telephone number that was verified when WhatsApp was registered and some device information are transmitted. In addition to the device ID, this also includes the operating system version as well as the app version and platform information, country code of the mobile number and much more. Usage information, such as the last usage period for WhatsApp, is also shared with Facebook. The type and frequency is also mentioned in the FAQ mentioned. Thus, a large amount of data from the individual users already flows through the installation of the messenger. If you don’t want this, you only have the option of completely doing without the messenger.
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Everyone who is currently looking for an alternative and does not want to use a data octopus on their own smartphone should take a closer look at the Messenger Signal. The encrypted messenger is operated by the Signal Foundation and can be used with both iOS devices and Android mobile phones. A corresponding desktop version is also available for Windows, macOS and Linux systems. A free download can be found here.
(Pocket-lint) – Phone-makers have been getting creative when it comes to selfie cameras. We’ve had the notch, the punch-hole, the pop-up. Now it’s the turn of the under-display camera, with the ZTE Axon 20 5G the first phone to launch to market with such a design (despite Oppo showing off the technology first).
“ZTE?” we hear you say. Yep, the tech giant has been floating around in the peripheries in recent years, launching some phones – but they’ve rarely been available to easily purchase outside of its native China. The Axon 20 5G, therefore, represents not only a first from a technological point of view thanks to that camera, but a renewed push for the company to appeal to a wider audience.
Design & Display
6.92-inch OLED ‘True Full’ display
1080 x 2460 resolution
Under-display camera
90Hz refresh rate
Dimensions: 172 x 78 x 8mm / Weight: 198g
Glass front & rear, aluminium frame
Finishes: Black, Gold, Blue, Purple
Under-display fingerprint scanner
On the face of it the ZTE Axon 20 5G is one of the more exciting phones to launch in 2020. The very idea of an under-display camera has been talk of the town for some time now, so it wasn’t expected that a lesser-known brand in the West would be the one to lead the charge.
Thing is, the Axon 20 5G isn’t really a flagship phone. It’s got a middling spec overall and a design that, in some respects, doesn’t really benefit the presence of the under-display camera to its fullest extent.
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Take the flat screen’s side bezel, for example. Now, we’re not saying it’s mega-bezel by any means, but when curved-screen devices help to hide the apparent presence of the black border from line of sight it makes the screen look more full.
The Axon 20 5G might well have its selfie camera hidden under the panel, but it’s the entire screen’s bezel that gives the screen a boxed-in and ‘framed’ look – so it has a lower screen-to-body ratio compared to many devices that carry a notch of punch-hole camera. That takes away from the under-screen camera’s potential somewhat.
Nonetheless, in the dark of winter in the UK (where we’re sat reviewing this device) you would initially think there’s no camera present under that screen at all. It’s convincingly hidden away, which is something of a revelation. Closer inspection, however, shows that you can see the lens beneath – if any light catches the screen, for example, so brighter days it may appear less accomplished.
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Furthermore, while images do successfully overlay where the selfie camera lives, they are partially disrupted, almost as if transformed into some 16-bit image of old (scroll through the gallery above to see close-ups). The resolution is lesser in the oblong area surrounding the camera. You’ll need to look fairly closely to care about it, though, but open a full-screen game and you’ll see a criss-cross effect over that small camera area.
Given phone design, however, most apps and user interfaces don’t utilise the top centre section of a screen (or fullest side section, if in landscape orientation). Thus much of the time this camera area will be blacked out anyway and you can more or less forget that it’s even there. Especially as here it’s tricky to see without eyeballing it up really close.
So while there are improvements that can happen in future iterations, as a first attempt the Axon 20 5G’s hidden under-screen camera is convincing, with the highlighted caveats above being part and parcel of such an implementation.
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Otherwise the Axon 20 5G’s design is generally inoffensive. It’s easy to become blasé about phone design when there’s such a normal format these days. A chunky rear camera unit with excessive numbers of lenses? Check. A glass rear that’s almost magnetic to fingerprint smears? Check. No 3.5mm headphone jack, a single base speaker, a smattering of branding including (unnecessarily) the product name? Check, check, check.
From the right angle, however, the Axon 20’s finish has this almost rippling-like way of catching the light, as you can see in our photos. It rarely looks as much like this to the eyes, but it’s a cool effect nonetheless.
Performance
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, 8GB RAM
Android 10 operating system, MiFavor 10.5 re-skin
4,220mAh battery capacity, 30W fast-charge
Liquid Cooling with carbon nanofiber
128GB storage, microSD expansion
5G connectivity
As we said above, the Axon 20 5G isn’t aiming to topple flagships with best-in-class internals. This phone’s approach is to bring new technology to the mid-range, competing with other models that utilise the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 platform.
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In reality, however, this step-down Qualcomm platform is a great success. It caters for 5G as and when you’re in a network area (the Axon 20 has specific controls to disable this if you prefer, for the sake of battery savings). It’s more than capable of handling a plethora of tasks, including gaming to a relatively high level – we’ve had zero problems playing South Park: Phone Destroyer.
Indeed, the use of the 700-series platform is something many phone-makers are opting for, from LG with the Velvet to Vivo with the X51. All of which have proven to put in decent performance with solid battery innings. The ZTE follows a similar suit, capable across the board and long-lasting too. The 4,220mAh battery is capacious enough to easily crunch through a day – we’ve been using about 50 per cent over a 14 hour period, so it’s close to a two-dayer.
That said, ZTE’s MiFavor user interface (UI), which is built over the top of Google’s Android 10 operating system, doesn’t half go excessive when it comes to trying to save battery. The autobrightness is obsessed with seemingly trying to make you think you’ve gone blind, dimming the screen levels excessively in any conditions – we’ve been frequently frustrated with manually adjusting it time and again. The screen also suffers from ‘black crush’ at these lower intensity levels.
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The software isn’t otherwise disruptive like on some competitors’ systems though. MiFavor has swipe controls which are a little finicky, but help to give the screen more real-estate with the absence of Android soft-keys taking up the bottom row. There’s no duplication of app stores like you’d find in a Xiaomi phone, for example, as ZTE is Google Play Store only. There’s no ads that try and promote other apps when you’re downloading an update. There’s generally little fuss at all, with a mostly Android-like experience.
Sign-in benefits from that under-screen selfie camera, too, should you wish to activate face unlock, or there’s an adept under-display fingerprint scanner too. It’s a reasonably fluid experience, one that’s massively let down by the overzealous autobrightness adjustment.
We’ve covered the selfie camera in more detail up top, but no doubt you’ll be wondering just what the quality is like given that it can “see” through a display.
Best smartphones 2021: The top mobile phones available to buy today
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: Portrait modePortrait mode
The answer: not that great. This 32-megapixel optic doesn’t use multi-pixel processing to obtain improved quality, as such there’s quite a lot of grain even in daylight, particularly in shadow areas. The images are far larger than you’ll need too, while colour consistency seems to vary shot-to-shot – with a greener balance sometimes rearing its head.
Pop it into Portrait mode, however, and the camera does scale things down (to 5-megapixels, for whatever reason), adding the over-soft background blur and, well, making everything just look soft and blurry.
So while ZTE is first to getting a selfie camera under a display, its results aren’t a revelation.
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What about the main camera unit to the rear? This is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a trend in 2020 to lump together a bunch of cameras for no real reason: here there’s a 2MP depth sensor that’s not needed; a 2MP macro camera that’s low resolution and can’t autofocus and is hard to use; and an 8MP wide-angle camera that’s of sub-par quality compared to what else is on the market.
It’s the main 64-megapixel sensor that steps in to save things somewhat. Keep your attention on this one and there’s some reasonably good results, because it does use four-in-one pixel processing to output 16MP shots as standard. There’s still some grain and the fidelity isn’t class-leading, but with a steady hand you’ll be able to get shots with enough detail and balance. Even the night mode works well in low-light conditions.
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The ZTE isn’t the only culprit to oversell its cameras, it seems to be the flavour of 2020. Stick with the main rear optic and you’ll be plenty happy, it delivers what’s needed at this price point. The addition of depth, macro and wide-angle cameras add disappointment though. And that selfie camera ought to be more adept rather than high-resolution, because the selfie camera is the premier point of this phone’s existence.
Verdict
The ZTE Axon 20 5G shows that under-screen cameras will be the future. But it also shows that details matter – and the selfie camera here ought to be better quality to show off the premier point of this phone’s very existence. The rear cameras, too, fail to hit the mark overall.
Elsewhere we think the design doesn’t highlight the hidden camera appeal quite enough; a curved screen with almost invisible bezel would push that point to the fore even more than this flat screen and dark bezel surround.
As a day-to-day phone, however, we’ve found ZTE’s software to be humble to Android in its approach, meaning it doesn’t outwardly busy things like some competitors like to do. Its main issue, however, is the overzealous autobrightness which descends into darkness in all conditions unlike any other phone we’ve used this year.
It might be an outlier, as a little-known brand in the West, but the ZTE Axon 20 5G shows its worth, while delivering a long-lasting and ample performance in a fairly affordable package.
Also consider
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Google Pixel 4a 5G
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Google goes big on computational photography, but the results are great – and there aren’t an abundance of unwarranted cameras to be found here. Yes, there’s a punch-hole rather than an under-display camera. And no, the battery life isn’t as good as the ZTE. But as a rounded package – one that’s a bit smaller than the ZTE too – we think it’s one of the best 5G phones in and around this budget.
Motorola is kicking off 2021 with refreshes for its midrange Moto G lineup of phones with new versions of the Moto G Power, Moto G Stylus, and Moto G Play that promise low prices and days of battery life across the board. There’s also a new member of the Motorola One family called the Motorola One 5G Ace, which, at $399, takes the crown as Motorola’s cheapest 5G phone yet.
Once again, Motorola is set on offering an almost dizzying amount of low-priced phones that differ in price by just $30 to $50. The new Moto G Play will cost $169.99; the Moto G Power will offer $199.99 (for a 3GB of RAM / 32GB of storage model) $249.99 (for 4GB / 64GB) configurations; the Moto G Stylus will cost $299.99; and the Motorola One 5G Ace will cost $399.99. It’s a strategy that ensures there’s a phone at nearly every price point you could imagine, although it does make it slightly harder to choose between similar devices at such similar prices.
Motorola is sticking with the same names for its new 2021 lineup — sadly, the days of the numerically differentiated Moto G models appear to have ended for good with 2019’s Moto G7 lineup. But the new phones do offer improvements big and small compared to their 2020 predecessors.
The Moto G Play seems like the toughest sell of the bunch. While the $169 price tag is intriguing, the paltry 720p resolution — stretched across a comparatively huge 6.5-inch panel — raises concerns, as does the year-old Snapdragon 460 processor that’s markedly less powerful than either of the other two new 2021 Moto G phones. That’s especially true given that Qualcomm has already announced the Snapdragon 480, which promises to be twice as fast and adds more premium features like 5G to the mix.
There are some bright spots, too. The 2021 G Play has 3GB of RAM (putting it in a better position performance-wise than last year’s $149 Moto E) and a massive 5,000mAh battery that Motorola says should be good for up to three days on a charge.
The new G Power and G Stylus aren’t as similar as last year’s models. Where the 2020 models offered the same processor, screen, and design, the new models are distinctly different phones. The G Power offers a 5,000mAh battery, a 720p 6.6-inch display, and weaker Snapdragon 662, but the G Stylus makes an argument for its higher price tag with a stylus, a larger and higher-resolution 1080p 6.8-inch panel, and a more powerful Snapdragon 678 processor. (It does go down a notch in battery, only offering a 4,000mAh battery that’s good for up to two days off a charge.)
The larger G Stylus also offers 4GB of RAM by default (unlike the G Power, which has both 3GB and 4GB models) and has more storage (128GB versus the G Power’s choice of either 32GB or 64GB). You also get some camera improvements on the G Stylus — while both phones feature a 48-megapixel main sensor (which shoots quad-pixel 12-megapixel shots), a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, the G Stylus also adds an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a better selfie camera.
Image: Motorola
Lastly, there’s the Motorola One 5G Ace, which (as the name indicates) isn’t quite in the same category as the other phones here. At $399, it’s Motorola’s cheapest 5G phone yet. And the weaker Snapdragon 750G 5G, downgraded cameras, and slower refresh rate display leave the One 5G Ace as more of a lower-priced version of the $499 Motorola One 5G that the company released last year than anything else.
All four new phones will be available unlocked through direct retailers on January 14th, with preorders starting today. Additionally, several of the new phones will also be released through major carriers in the future: the Moto G Play and Motorola One 5G Ace through AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, while the G Power will be sold by just Verizon. The G Stylus, meanwhile, will skip the major US carriers entirely, although Boost Mobile, Cricket, Consumer Cellular, and Republic Wireless will offer it.
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