The best Python projects: programming games, creating GUI, scraping websites Read web pages, recognize texts, process Google Fit data Programming space shooters, creating graphical user interfaces and visualizing data The Python programming language is becoming more and more popular: Beginning 2020 Python landed at number 2 of the most popular programming languages in the list of the analysis company RedMonk. The analysts examined the discussions on Stack Overflow and the programming languages used for projects on Github.
Developers can usually learn Python quickly, the language is almost universally available. Countless tutorials on the net show what Python can do. If you get stuck, you will usually find dozens of discussions about special problems online. Python inherently has extensive commands and can be expanded with many libraries.
We have dug in the heise + fund and selected the best Python projects. They are as diverse as the programming language itself. You can, for example, build a small 2D space shooter, read information from any website, evaluate data via the Google Fit API, build small graphical user interfaces for your script and much more. Have fun programming!
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief start FREE month Start the FREE month now Heise + already subscribed?
Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise +
Beginning Scope of delivery Preparation Racing practice Multiplayer Battery life Limitations Price Conclusion Comments by Philipp // 17. 10. 2020 15: 36 Clock
Nintendo is daring an exciting experiment with the AR-based Mario Kart for the Switch. TechStage tests the remote-controlled karts with live image transmission in practice.
The Nintendo Switch (test report) was able to convince in the tests both in the standard version and in the Switch Lite (test report). When looking at the sometimes strange accessories for the Switch (advice) it becomes clear that Nintendo is trying new and unusual things with the Switch. The mixture of software and real racetrack is not entirely new, Anki Overdrive (test report) takes a similar approach, but the implementation with live images and AR is new.
Scope of delivery & design The packaging for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is about as big as that the console. The game is currently available in two versions: once with a red kart and Mario as the driver, once with a green speedster and Luigi as the handlebars. Inside each package there are two packages. One is well padded and contains the controllable kart and the corresponding USB-C charging cable. In the other there are four cardboard gates and two signposts that can be set up. Otherwise a quick guide is included.
The software is not included on a storage medium and must first be removed from the Nintendo E- Shop can be downloaded – at a price of around 100 Euro that is at least questionable.
The two karts available are from Mario or controlled by Luigi. The small racing car in the classic Mario Kart design is scarce 20 cm long, 11 cm wide and 10 cm high. At first glance, it could also be a very pretty decorative item. The technology is only discovered at second glance. There is a small camera in the roll bar above Mario or Luigi’s head and a button and a small sliding door can be seen on the right side of the kart. Behind it is the USB-C port for charging the permanently integrated battery.
The karts are extremely chic, very well processed and leave behind after the first two days a sufficiently robust impression. The vehicles put away one or the other frontal crash against table or chair legs without any problems and without leaving any permanent marks. However, they are only suitable for indoor use. This works surprisingly well even with moderate lighting.
Preparation After unpacking the download and installation of Mario Kart Live follow : Home Circuit. The next step is to charge the kart and set up the first racetrack. To do this, the four cardboard gates are first opened and set up in the desired, completely freely configurable, route design. You only have to pay attention to the correct sequence of numbers. The gates can be weighed down with books, for example, to prevent them from being moved in the event of a crash. The design of the route is surprisingly a lot of fun! The youngsters in particular show creative commitment in setting up track barriers, obstacles and the grandstand.
Mario on the Race track in the nursery. After the batteries have been charged, the first practical test begins. Pairing the Nintendo Switch and the home circuit speedster works without any problems thanks to the QR code. To do this, the code shown in the game is simply scanned with the kart’s camera. The live image from the Mario Kart can then be seen on the display. Instead of the real vehicle, however, we see an animated kart with Mario (or Luigi) waving. Now a short driving tutorial and a photo for the virtual race card follow To race, the software first has to get to know the racetrack it has built itself. To do this, we place the kart in front of gate number one and press the X button. Now the desired route is driven through the gates. When you get back to the first gate, the game saves the course you have just completed.
Racing practice Our first impression of the karts: They are slow. That’s also true – at least when you compare them to classic RC cars. Thanks to the AR overlays in the display, the whole thing is gaining momentum. Not only that opponents are displayed – virtual lane boundaries, turbo stripes, bananas lying around, whirling turtle shells or sandstorms also ensure a lot of action during the race. It can quickly become too much on short, confusing and delivered routes. With all the action on the switch monitor, there is hardly anything to be seen of the actual course.
The virtual objects, such as the cloud, can of course only be seen on the switch. The hectic rush of the driver is very amusing for the spectators with regard to the kart driving comfortably around the corners. Even at the wheel you quickly forget reality and concentrate fully on the fast-paced racing. A real Mario Kart feeling sets in very quickly when you are stopped by a banana or blown to the side by a sand vortex. When colliding with real objects, such as the table leg, the racing driver loses virtual coins and slows down a bit.
Anyone who clears the enemy out of the way with the cannonball extra quickly notices that the software intervenes and steers properly. The so-called smart control can at least partially be deactivated under the options. Switching off completely does not seem to work – the kart still brakes slightly before sharp bends.
The display of the virtual racing elements works pleasantly well. Only the displayed route boundaries seem to have a certain life of their own. Otherwise, the combination of the virtual Mario world and reality works very well. The two directional signs are recognized by the camera from a distance of several meters and replaced by brightly lit arrows on the display. The four gates are also pretty, for example with castle battlements, decorated and animated. The typical Mario Kart sound reinforces the racing feeling even more.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (18 Pictures) So come the game.
After the first successful race laps, there are rewards in the form of different character designs or new horn sounds. The routes can also be gradually made more challenging with more different modifications (sandstorms, icicles, etc.).
After the first few laps, your fingers itchy and the track is being rebuilt several times. The design is largely individual, but we found out a few things during the first attempts. The racing courses shouldn’t be too small and winding, because without long straights and enough space to run out, the race can quickly become confusing. A simple oval and a simple circular course become boring after a short time. As is often the case: the mix has to be right.
Multiplayer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit can be used alone or locally with up to four other players. The prerequisite for this are four consoles plus four karts – quite expensive. There is no online mode.
So far we have not been able to test the multiplayer modes due to a missing second console. We will promptly submit a field report via an update.
Battery life and range Nintendo gives a battery life of 90 minutes when using the fast 150 – ccm class. In practice, with a few breaks in the race and modifications to the track design, we were able to gamble for over two and a half hours without any problems. Full charging via USB-C takes a good three and a half hours. The range is 4.5 to 5 meters. That sounds very little, but it is sufficient for indoor use.
The camera does a decent job even in poor lighting. Restrictions and technical requirements Playing on the TV is easily possible with the docking station and the switch – but only with the standard version. TV mode does not work with the Switch Lite. The switch’s share function has been blocked for the game by the manufacturer.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit supports a maximum of four goals at the same time – we hope that as further expansion stages are possible in the future. All four gates are always required for a functioning race track. Only the enclosed goals can be used for playing. Each gate has special markings that tell the camera where the kart is currently on the race track and then trigger certain actions in the game.
Price The game is currently available in two versions. But we can well imagine that other characters besides Mario and Luigi will also be offered in the future.
Conclusion The experiment of a Mario Kart game for living rooms or children’s rooms has definitely been successful. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a successful mix of remote-controlled car and video game and is really fun in single-player mode. In the next few weeks we will test whether the multiplayer modes can keep up. If you have enough space and enough budget available, Home Circuit is an extraordinary and completely new racing game in
Four new ones Apple introduced iPhones. We show you which accessories are best for iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max is suitable. It starts from 5 euros.
Apple has on 13. October 2020 presented its new iPhones. A long-awaited mini model is also included. In terms of price, the smartphones are between 512 and 1120 Euro – typical for Apple are not bargains.
If you want to get an iPhone as cheaply as possible, you will find in our contribution: This is how quickly the new models become cheaper corresponding options. In this post we show which accessories are best for the four new models.
Overview: iPhone – 12 – Models The iPhone 12 Mini is the cheapest and smallest model. It comes with a 5.4-inch display – that’s small, but still bigger than the current iPhone SE 2020. The iPhone 12 has a 6.1 inch display. When it comes to memory, however, there are no differences: 64 to 256 GByte memory should be offered by the models, plus 4 GByte RAM. 5G is also included in the cheapest devices, a third camera lens is not – it is only available from the iPhone 12 Per. The prices for the two models are 876 and 876 Euros in the smallest memory configuration; black, white, red, blue and green are available as colors.
The iPhone 12 Per will also have a 6.1 inch display on the iPhone 12 Per Max the screen has even grown to 6.7 inches. The memory equipment is also growing: Pro and Pro Max have 6 GB of RAM and 128 to 512 GByte internal memory, which of course, as always, cannot be expanded. In addition, both Pro models master 5G and have triple cameras with up to 64 Megapixels. Both models have the LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor similar to a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, which is used for artificial bokeh and distance measurement, among other things. The prices of the smallest memory versions are 1120 and 1218 Euro, the colors are gold, Silver, graphite and blue available. In contrast to iPhone 12 Mini and 12 is the frame at 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max made of stainless steel and not aluminum.
Sizes of the iPhone – 12 – models from left: iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone XS Max (reference), iPhone 12 / 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini covers iPhones are finally getting Magsafe chargers, i.e. charging cables that stick to the end device via magnets. The new iPhone models have Magsafe for wireless charging on the back of the smartphones. IPhone cases have to be optimized accordingly. The Apple cases are compatible with Magsafe.
You can choose from covers in colored silicone or transparent as well as leather cases for credit cards for all models that are stapled to the back of the smartphone. In terms of price, the covers are between 44 and 55 Euro. The silicone case and Magsafe wallet can be combined with one another. There is no leather cover from Apple.
Who is not round 50 Euro to protect his 876 – wants to spend the euro telephone, of course, finds cheaper alternatives. Cases and covers from the Far East that are made very cheaply cost between 5 and 9 euros. Of course, they also prevent damage in the event of falls and protect against scratches on the back, but experience has shown that they only last a limited time – after a few months it is usually over.
The compromise between as cheap and good as possible is offered by third-party brands. For example, we looked at Pitaka and Spigen cases. Pitaka (as always) only offers its cases in one design; black-gray carbon look. But the cases are very thin and support wireless charging with Magsafe. In terms of price they are around 50 Euro.
Spigen requests between 16 and 20 Euro. In terms of optics and design, the manufacturer offers a lot: Cases with reinforced edges, with transparent silicone or with an integrated stand are part of the fixed portfolio. The Spigen cases can also last a smartphone lifetime – two to three years.
Display protection Ceramic Shield is Apple’s new display glass, which is four times better than the glass of the iPhone 11 should protect. But what does that mean? The Ceramic Shield is roughly comparable to the current Gorilla Glass Victus, which is used in Samsung smartphones. That protects well against scratches, but if the iPhone 11 but falls on curb pavement, there will also be unsightly cracks in the glass. A repair by Apple is available for around 200 to 350 euros. That’s quite expensive. Replacing it yourself with spare parts from iFixit & Co. is not much cheaper as our article on Display, Battery & Co .: iPhone repair shows.
So it is worth using the additional screen protector. We generally recommend armored glass here. Compared to plastic sheeting, this not only protects against scratches, but also against cracks if you fall. The glasses are priced between 7 and 20 Euro. We recommend paying attention to models that come with a template when buying. This simplifies the installation many times over – one example is the two-pack from Spigen for iPhone 12 and 12 Pro for good 14 Euro.
Charging stations With Magsafe charging cables and stations, Apple is providing a wide range of new accessories. The original Magsafe cable costs around 30 Euro (message on heise online). Apple’s own charging station or counterparts from Apple-related manufacturers such as Belkin will probably 100 cost euros and more.
Apple also creates a problem for customers with Magsafe: Because during Magsafe loaders up to 15 watts to supply the iPhone with juice, only 7.5 watts are possible with the Qi standard (link to apple.de). This means that the charging process takes significantly longer. Accordingly, we can offer the products from our post: The best Qi chargers 1218 also only conditionally for the iPhone – 12 – Recommend models; they just load more slowly. The powerful charging stations already start here 16 Euro. At Apple you pay well twice and only get a Magsafe cable.
Power banks If you don’t have a power outlet nearby, you need a power bank to run it iPhone to charge. As with the charging stations, the following also applies here: Qi power banks are only partially suitable for the four iPhone 12. In terms of price, it goes here for 4000 mAh but at least at 12 Euros going on as we do in the article: Qi power banks from 10 show euros.
If you are looking for a power bank with additional functions, you will find in our article: Power banks with solar cells some good products. Here we tried the Xlayer Powerbank Plus Solar with 20000 mAh. That should run for d five to six charging cycles are sufficient. The integrated solar cell also provides a little more juice – a full charge with the power of the sun is not possible in a few hours.
Headphones The Apple Airpods Pro and Airpods 2nd generation lead our price comparison of the most popular true wireless headphones. Meanwhile, the models also cost significantly less: Airpods Pro are at 195 instead of formerly 279 Euro and Airpods 2nd generation at 125 instead of 140 Euro at the beginning 2020.
If you want to enjoy good music much cheaper, you should check out our article: These headphones are the best in their class. Our test winner in terms of sound is Beoplay E8 from B&O (test report) for just under 90 Euro. In addition to the rich sound, the design and feel impress us.
iPhone with contract Who is not good 1000 want to pay euros at once for an iPhone, the smartphone can also be purchased with a contract. All major providers have been offering since
The MSI Optix MAG273R delivers more contrast than most IPS panels and video processing that’s without fault. HDR is lacking, but budget-minded gamers should check it out.
For
Excellent contrast
Saturated color
Low input lag
Good value
Against
HDR looks like SDR
Light gamma
Features and Specifications
In any kind of gaming competition, monitor speed is always an important factor. Resolution, pixel density and contrast all affect the image quality, but professional players need high frame rates and instant control response in their best gaming monitor.
If you want to keep gameplay above 100 frames per second (fps), a monitor with 1080p resolution is the easiest way to make it happen. Moving fewer pixels means less processing power is required. For shoppers, this approach keeps hardware costs down (no need for the top cards on our GPU benchmarks hierarchy) and still provides an excellent gaming experience.
An attractive choice for gamers on a budget, the MSI Optix MAG273R is a 1080p, 27-inch IPS monitor that provides a 144 Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync, extended color and HDR for $250-$260 (as of this writing). It’s aimed at eSports enthusiasts but works equally well in all kinds of fast-moving action games.
24.3 x 16.6-21.8 x 8.1 inches (617 x 422-554 x 206mm)
Panel Thickness
2.6 inches (65mm)
Bezel Width
Top/sides: 0.4 inch (9mm); Bottom: 0.5 inch (12mm)
Weight
13.5 pounds (6.1kg)
Width
3 years
The Optix MAG273R starts with an IPS panel equipped with a flicker-free backlight capable of a claimed 250 nits of max brightness and wide color gamut, namely sRGB+. MSI takes a unique approach to extended color in this case. Most wide gamut screens simply follow the DCI-P3 spec and under-saturate the green primary by 10% or so. The MAG273R, on the other hand, follows sRGB for most of the saturation range and pumps up only the brightest hues. The net effect is a little more natural looking. We’ll explain further on page three.
AMD FreeSync is the native Adaptive-Sync for fighting screen tearing, but we were able to run Nvidia G-Sync on our test sample, even though it’s not certified by Nvidia (you can learn how i our How to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor tutorial). FreeSync runs from 30 to 144 Hz and supports Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) to ensure that you won’t see tearing at any speed.
Also included is low motion blur in the form of a backlight strobe. It also eliminates both HDR and Adaptive-Sync when engaged.
MSI’s MAG273R is billed as HDR-ready and we confirmed HDR10 support in our tests. But in terms of Adaptive-Sync, HDR only works alongside FreeSync, not the unofficial G-Sync support we uncovered.
There aren’t a ton of bells and whistles here but ultimately, performance is the key to success. At around $300, the MAG237R looks like a decent value for budget systems. Let’s take a look.
Assembly and Accessories of MSI MAG273R
Once you secure a Phillips-head screwdriver, assembling the MSI MAG273R is a simple matter. The base attaches to the upright with a captive bolt, and the panel hooks on and is secured with two screws.
Additional hardware is included for the 100mm VESA mount if you want to use your own bracket. Included cables are HDMI and USB, along with a small external power supply.
Product 360 for MSI MAG273R
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: MSI)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: MSI)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: MSI)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: MSI)
The MSI MAG273R has a flush-mounted bezel that’s 9mm wide. It’s only visible when there’s an image on-screen. A wider strip runs across the bottom with the MSI logo in the center. The screen is free of grain or artifacts and prevents reflection of all but the brightest room lights. The stand is a quality piece with a 5.2-inch height adjustment and -5/20 degrees of tilt. There is no swivel or portrait mode. Movements are firm and free of play.
The power toggle is a tiny key underneath the right side, and other controls are all under the management of a single joystick which is on the back. Also in the back is an attractive shield-shaped graphic showing a dragon against a red background.
Across the top, above the upright is an LED lighting feature. You can toggle it in the on-screen display (OSD) or use MSI’s Gaming OSD desktop app. The RGB can be coordinated with MSI’s Mystic Light products for a system-wide light show.
The MSI MAG273R’s input panel offers two HDMI 2.0 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.2a (for gaming comparisons, see our HDMI vs DisplayPort article). You can run FreeSync at 144 Hz over either interface, but the unofficial G-Sync support requires DisplayPort. Both input types also support HDR but only with FreeSync. A 3.5mm audio port provides sound for headphones or powered speakers. There are no speakers built in. You also get three USB 2.0 (one upstream and two down) for peripheral hookup.
OSD Features of MSI MAG273R
Pressing the joystick brings up the MAG273R’s OSD, which fills a large portion of the screen. At the top of each menu is information on resolution, refresh rate, HDR and FreeSync status and active input.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Gaming menu offers five picture modes aimed at different game types. User is the default and best mode, as it allows for image adjustments. Night Vision raises the black level to make shadow detail more visible. Response time is a three-level overdrive. We ran it on its maximum without visible ghosting.
Anti-Motion Blur is a backlight strobe that takes out overdrive and Adaptive-Sync. It also reduces brightness by 50%. We noticed visible phasing when using it, so we recommend leaving it off. Refresh Rate is an FPS counter you can place in any corner of the screen. Alarm Clock is a countdown timer, and Screen Assistance offers an array of aiming points. You get five different reticle shapes in either red or white, and you can place it anywhere on the screen using the joystick.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Professional sub-menu repeats the backlight strobe option and adds dynamic contrast (HDCR) and four more picture modes. The last one, HDR, attempts to simulate the effect of HDR with SDR content. We weren’t fans of it, but users should try it for themselves before deciding. Image Enhancement adds ringing around high-contrast objects. We suggest leaving it off.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Image menu has the MAG273R’s calibration controls. You get three color temp presets, plus a set of RGB sliders. We were able to achieve excellent grayscale tracking with them. We wish there were extra gamma presets because we found the default luminance curve to be a little light; measuring closer to 1.9 rather than 2.2.
MSI Optix MAG273R Calibration Settings
We stuck with the MAG273R’s User mode for our calibration and testing. After selecting the User color temp, we tweaked the RGB sliders to achieve a very accurate white point. There are no color gamut options, so DCI-P3 is the gamut used for all content, SDR and HDR.
Below are our recommended settings for the MSI Optix MAG273R.
Picture Mode
User
Brightness 200 nits
49
Brightness 120 nits
20
Brightness 100 nits
14
Brightness 80 nits
8 (minimum 56 nits)
Contrast
70
Color Temp User
Red 92, Green 100, Blue 93
Applying an HDR10 signal automatically switches the monitor into HDR mode, where all image controls are locked out.
Gaming and Hands-on
The first thing we noticed when starting up Windows on the MSI MAG273R is its excellent contrast. Though contrast on this IPS panel isn’t quite in the same league as a VA monitor, the MSI has a little more dynamic range than most IPS panels, and the difference was visible in a side-by-side comparison. The MAG273R also makes very good use of its wide color gamut to enhance SDR content without going too far into over-saturation. This quality makes it easy to forget you’re looking at an FHD screen. Though pixel density is just 81 pixels per inch (ppi), it fools the eye into thinking resolution is higher.
Detail in tiny fonts and icons is solid, but you can see the occasional jagged line. If you spend most of your time editing documents and spreadsheets, a 27-inch 1440p or 4K resolution monitor, like those on our Best 4K Gaming Monitors list, is a better tool.
But when viewing graphics, photos or videos; we became less aware of the MAG273R’s lesser resolution. Moving images rendered cleanly with the overdrive set to its maximum speed. There was no ghosting, and motion blur was minimal at 60 Hz and even less at 144 Hz.
Moving into the jungles and caves of Tomb Raider, we were again struck by the MAG273R’s contrast. Though our tests show only about 15% more dynamic range, it looked like a lot more to the naked eye. MSI engineered the color tracking to make excellent use of the wide gamut, and it showed in this SDR-encoded game. Detail popped nicely with sharp rendering of textures and surfaces. Specular highlights shined brightly while dark scenes came close to true black with easily seen shadow detail.
For video processing, we stuck with FreeSync and max overdrive, since we saw no benefit to the MAG273R’s backlight strobe option. The backlight strobe dimmed the picture too much, and the loss of Adaptive-Sync was easily noticeable. With either FreeSync or (unofficial) G-Sync active though, we had no issues. Control response was instantaneous with no stutter, tearing or ghosting. The MAG273R has a top-of-the-line overdrive implementation. Motion resolution was always high regardless of how fast the action was.
Frame rates in all cases stayed maxed at 144 fps when paired with a system using either a Radeon RX 5700 XT or GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card. Many systems with less processing power than ours will be able to run the MAG273R at 144 Hz, thanks to its FHD panel. Speed is this monitor’s forte for sure.
HDR gaming is pretty much a non-starter here. There is no visual benefit to running in HDR mode because contrast was no higher than it is in SDR mode. HDR worked fine with FreeSync, but we turned on G-Sync, despite lacking Nvidia certification, HDR didn’t work. HDR is best reserved for movie watching; it isn’t of any use while gaming.
This week’s US Food and Drug Administration approval of an Ebola drug is a big milestone in drug development — one that’s closely tied to our current efforts to fight COVID-19.
Before COVID-19 started sweeping across the world, Ebola was one of the most high-profile viral diseases on the planet. “Everyone was ready to speed up and contribute and do things with Ebola that they don’t routinely do because Ebola is such a dire situation,” virologist Daniel Bausch told The Verge’s Justine Calma last August. “There are a lot of bad diseases in the world, but there’s not many that provoke the same sort of response and kind of an all-hands-on-deck approach to things.”
More than a year later, and the Ebola experiments have finally paid off in more ways than one. The drug is an antibody treatment called Inmazeb developed by Regeneron, and dramatically helped increase survival rates in Ebola patients during an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In addition to having a drug capable of treating Ebola, the trials also provided a blueprint for responding to future ‘all-hands-on-deck’ viral outbreaks. Researchers at the time piloted ways to responsibly conduct clinical trials in the middle of deadly outbreaks. Now, some of the same techniques that were piloted during the Ebola epidemic are being used to design clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments today.
The trial for the Ebola drugs focused on four possible treatments. Two of them, remdesivir and ZMapp, didn’t dramatically reduce death rates in Ebola patients — at least not compared to their competitors. The other two had vastly better outcomes increasing survival rates among some patients to between 89 and 94 percent. They both used lab-grown antibodies known as monoclonal antibodies to help cure people infected with the virus. One of the successful drugs, REGN-EB3, later became Inmazeb.
At the time, it was a new way of doing things. During the deadly outbreak of Ebola in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, clinical trials moved too slowly, and researchers weren’t able to get enough data to draw conclusions about potential treatments. The scientists knew that Ebola would come back, and wanted to find a way to quickly test treatments during future outbreaks of the disease. The World Health Organization and many other international partners took the lessons from the West African outbreak and came up with a framework that could be used to ethically conduct clinical trials during future outbreaks.
The researchers put the plan into action when an outbreak started in the DRC in 2018. They faced particularly challenging circumstances, including distrust of government and health officials, unstable power supplies, and regional violence. But it still worked. “This trial showed that it is possible to conduct scientifically rigorous and ethically sound research during an outbreak, even in a conflict zone,” the researchers wrote in a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019.
The success of the 2018 Ebola trial, and others like it, are part of what helped COVID-19 research get going so quickly after the virus started spreading. Back in February, researchers had already started testing treatments, modeling their efforts off the Ebola trials in 2018. “What we learned from Ebola is definitely something that is helping us to be even better during this outbreak.” Andre Kalil, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center told The Verge’s Nicole Wetsman in February.
There’s still a long way to go. We’re starting to see early signs of what drugs might work to treat COVID-19 under certain circumstances, and which might not. (Remdesivir got emergency approval by the FDA in May but it is now on thin ice again). But even at remarkably fast speeds, it still took two years for the Ebola treatment to go from clinical trials to full FDA approval. It probably won’t take quite as long to see emergency approval of other COVID-19 treatments, but full approval may still be a distant speck on the horizon — even with all hands on deck.
Here’s what else happened this week.
Research
The Great Barrington Declaration’s “herd immunity” strategy is a nightmare This pandemic is set to go on for a long time. Many people would like to move on, and some have proposed some pretty unethical ways to do it. At Vox, Brian Resnick breaks down why a proposed ‘herd immunity’ strategy is a nightmare — and looks a lot like giving up. (Brian Resnick/Vox)
A rare Covid-19 complication was reported in children. Now, it’s showing up in adults. A strange inflammatory syndrome appeared in some children with COVID-19 earlier this year. The condition is now showing up in a few adults, but it still seems rare. (Erika Edwards/NBC)
‘Nobody has very clear answers for them’: Doctors search for treatments for covid-19 long-haulers Researchers and doctors are still trying to figure out how to care for COVID-19 patients with symptoms that just won’t go away. (Lenny Bernstein/Washington Post)
Development
NIH paused Eli Lilly Covid-19 antibody trial because of safety concerns An antibody treatment trial was paused this week amid safety concerns. Stat reports that the NIH paused the trial because one of the two groups — either the placebo or the treatment — was doing better than the other. (Damian Garde and Matthew Herper/Stat)
Johnson & Johnson pauses COVID-19 vaccine trial due to unexplained illness Another trial, this one for a vaccine, was halted this week. An unexplained illness in a participant caused the trial to pause. It’s the second COVID-19 vaccine trial to be put on hold. Two vaccine trials, run by Pfizer and Moderna are still underway in the US. (Nicole Wetsman/The Verge)
Pfizer Says It Won’t Seek Vaccine Authorization Before Mid-November For a while, Pfizer promised that it would have results from its vaccine trials by mid to late October. Now, they’re saying that while they might have some data by the end of the month, they’re not going to seek FDA authorization before November at the earliest. (Katie Thomas and Noah Wieland/NYT)
Remdesivir Fails to Prevent Covid-19 Deaths in Hug
Audio media has been an important part of our lives ever since the first news reporters crackled their way into homes in 1920. For a while, it was assumed that visual media and then the internet would be the death of audio-only entertainment, but it turned out that this obit was premature.
Podcasting has brought new popularity to audio. From book readings to investigative reporting to political opinion to interviews to theatrical productions, podcasts offer a wide range of entertainment and information.
And what’s even better: podcasting is a creative form available to anyone who has a computer, a microphone, and an internet connection. We spoke to Andrew Marino, audio engineer and producer at The Verge, to find out what he recommends for those who want to try this out as well.
What follows are Andrew’s thoughts about podcasting and the tools he prefers to use.
What you need
There have been a lot of different ways people have developed podcasts, since a lot of them start out at different levels. At its heart, it’s an independent DIY media platform, although more recently it has been co-opted by larger media companies coming from radio backgrounds.
What you need to start with is a microphone and an audio interface (a way to record your audio directly into your computer). Once your podcast is recorded, you’ll then need a digital audio workstation (DAW), which is the software you’ll use to edit, mix, and export your podcast. You should also have some knowledge of microphone tech, recording, editing, and mixing to make your show sound its best.
Microphone
Electro-Voice RE20Photo: Electro-Voice
You mostly want a microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. This means it’s a directional microphone that focuses on picking up what’s directly in front of it (your voice) and attempts to reject everything else (the rest of the sound of the world).
The digital-to-analog converter (DAC) built into USB mics is typically not as good as a standalone audio interface, so as a professional, I tend to stay away from USB mics when I can. It also limits you to one input, whereas a more professional microphone is not attached to a DAC, allowing you to plug it into any microphone input, from a USB interface to a sound board at a live venue.
I have an Electro-Voice RE20; there’s also the RE27. It’s a typical dynamic microphone — it pretty much carried over from radio to podcasting. It’s best for voice recording. I went to school for music, so we used it a lot for recording a drum set, but if you go into any radio studio, you’ll see either an RE27 or a Shure SM7B. A lot of podcasters use the SM7B, but it requires a preamplifier (like this one) for optimal signal level. The RE20 and RE27 don’t necessarily need that.
When I’m out in the field, I’ll use a shotgun microphone: a long condenser that can pick up sources from farther away. A lot of people use a large condenser mic for narration or vocals in songs and music, but it should only be used in a controlled environment like a studio.
Audio interface
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2Photo: Focusrite
We’ve been giving our podcasters at Vox Media who record outside of our studios a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface. It’s pretty affordable and durable, with a metal casing. This USB interface offers two microphone inputs as well as outputs for monitors; you can plug any analog mic into it. There are tons that do that, but the Focusrite has a good price for the quality.
Editing
Adobe Audition
The next step after recording your podcast is the editing phase. Even the most minimal podcast requires some editing to take out unnecessary space, add music, balance levels, and fix any other mishaps in the recording process. To do this, most people use software called digital application workspaces or DAWs.
There are many DAWs you can use to edit your podcast; in fact, you may have used a DAW to record your podcast. I still sometimes use a free, open-source software called Audacity to do quick audio edits, and it’s very popular among DIY podcasters.
Audacity was the first software that I used when I got into editing because it’s free and it’s very flexible. It has many built-in effects and controls that you can use just by downloading it, such as change pitch, compression, equalization (EQ), and multitrack editing. It’s not as flexible as other software, but you can still edit a whole podcast with it.
But while some DAWs are free, the ones you pay for tend to offer more detailed editing tools and better-sounding effects. I am able to work faster, more efficiently, and am more flexible when I’m using a more professional DAW like Avid Pro Tools or Adobe Audition.
I use Avid Pro Tools for recording, but for editing, I mostly use Adobe Audition. In my experience using both DAWs, the workflow is faster for importing and mixing clips, and editing is significantly more efficient. Pro Tools is based more on an analog system for music and preferred among a majority of my colleagues, but for long-form podcasting, I’m going to use Audition.
I would also recommend using some audio software plug-ins to help with the mixing process. A big part of podcast mixing is adjusting and controlling the levels of everyone’s microphones. The company Waves offers some affordable bundles and individual plug-ins for dynamic compression, equalization, reverb, pretty much any sort of modulation you want.
Something I’ve been using a lot this year is iZotope’s RX 7 audio repair software (they’re up to version RX 8 now). Since everyone — including the hosts on our shows — are recording at home, it’s sometimes hard to control the audio environment remotely. I do a lot of “de-noising” to take out air conditioning noise, street noise, etc. I also use “de-plosive” (watch your “P”s) and “de-clipping” (watch your levels), which have brought the quality of the recordings up to our standards.
Distribution
FeederPhoto: Reinvented Software
For the most part, podcasts can be distributed through the magical world of an RSS feed. It’s an older tech in internet terms, but one of the few mediums that still really takes advantage of the open web, which is why I love it. When a listener uses a podcast app, that app usually grabs the feed from your RSS, which contains audio files from your show as well as other data like your title, album art, description, etc.
For my personal podcast, I set up an Amazon S3 server and edit the feed through an RSS editor called Feeder, which is pretty bare-bones. I chose this simply because it was the cheapest option. You’re paying for server space, so if you’re starting a podcast and you don’t have a lot of listeners, you’re paying almost nothing to host the podcast. However, you have to be a little technical savvy and it’s not automatically secure. Podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple recommend your hosting server support SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which allows you to generate an HTTPS RSS feed.
If you want something more user-friendly, there are other services that operate servers for podcast RSS feeds and let you simply upload your audio and relevant information; your podcasts will be published to the various podcast platforms. They also offer services like analytics and monetization. Some popular hosting services include PodBean, Spreaker, Anchor, and Libsyn.
Final advice
Don’t be overwhelmed or intimidated by the rest of the industry. Podcasting is still in its infancy and was meant for the people. Anyone can make a show and that’s wonderful! Make your show about what you want to make it about and don’t worry about trying to sound like other shows. It’s a wonderfully creative medium and you should take advantage of it.
Identifying metadata can flow undetected at any Internet connection. DNS encryption helps and can be switched on with Fritzboxes.
(Image: Andreas Martini)
Fritzbox: How to protect your privacy while surfing Encrypt internet diary Two DoT profiles Consider things Short server test Conclusion Article in c’t 22/2020 read With FritzOS 7. 20 has found a little noticed function on current Fritzboxes: the encrypted query of domain names, DNS-over-TLS (DoT for short). That sounds like one of the many special functions for network freaks, but DoT is important for every user: When used correctly, it protects against a method of mass surveillance that secret services and some providers use, for example.
The basis is metadata that accrues incidentally with every Internet access; if you get your hands on it, you can read the surfing behavior of the user like open diaries. Some providers sell this to advertisers as surf profiles.
The context in a nutshell: Almost all Internet programs, for example web browsers, mail clients, games or messengers, address their servers using machine-readable IP addresses. But people prefer domain names that are easier to remember, such as ct.de. DNS servers (resolvers) do the conversion from names to IP addresses. Communication with the resolvers takes place largely in plain text and can therefore be easily logged. A man-in-the-middle can even manipulate the resolver’s DNS responses and lure his victim to malware-prepared servers using fake DNS entries.
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t Read photography directly in the browser register once – on all devices read – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9 , 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start the FREE month now heise + already subscribed ?
Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + Fritzbox: How to protect your privacy while surfing Encrypt internet diary Two DoT profiles Consider things Short server test Conclusion Article in c’t 22/2020 read
(Pocket-lint) – When we first plugged in the Sony XB43 it winked and flashed its lights at us. Hold up, isn’t this a speaker? Yes, but Sony’s Extra Bass range goes a step further in providing a disco-tastic array to go along with your tunes. Herein, we suspect, is the moment when many people stop reading and click that little ‘x’ to the top corner of the page.
If you’re still here, however, then we’ve got to say that – once you’ve figured out it’s possible to turn off the flashing multi-coloured lights (we’re boring, we know) – there’s a lot of good about the XB43. It’s got big and bold sound, is relatively portable, dust- and weather-sealed, and if you can get it for the right price it’ll give the competition more than a run for its money.
If you’re keen on the whole lighting setup then there’s a series of them in the XB43: two edge strips wrap around towards the passive radiator openings at either end of the speaker, illuminating in multi colours; while four main white lights behind the fabric mesh are positioned over the two woofers and two tweeters. There are various light modes, which you’ll either see as a bit of fun or, well, entirely baffling.
1/5Pocket-lint
The lights obviously eat into battery life, though, so with them switched on Sony quotes a maximum of 14 hours battery life. We’re firmly in the camp of keeping them off, which will provide up to an additional 10 hours of battery life – giving a full 24 hours of listening. That’s a lot of life per charge.
USB-C recharging – the port is hidden behind the panel to the rear – makes it easy to plug in for top-ups. There’s also a full-size USB port if you want to plug your phone in to draw from the speaker’s battery, and a 3.5mm socket if you’d rather use a wired connection instead of Bluetooth.
The ports aren’t exposed to assure the speaker’s IP67 rating, meaning it’s fully dust sealed and water resistant – as in properly submersible down to a metre’s depth for up to half an hour, should it slip into your party pool by accident.
Pocket-lint
Party really is the theme here, with Sony’s Party Connect meaning you can connect up to 100 speakers in tandem. Well, you can *if they’re all up to date – so if you have an older XB product then don’t bank on it being able to pair, which is a bit of a potential sting.
Our review unit is finished in black, but there’s a blue model available too if you want some extra eye-catching goodness to go along with the light show.
Sound
2x passive radiators, 2x woofers, 2x tweeters
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz
‘Live Sound’ 3D surround processing
Codec support: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC
A lot of speaker makers tout having a 360-degree or similar sound output as being the be-all of portable speaker design. Sony doesn’t actually go down this route, so the XB43 is relatively more directional in its sound delivery. It’s not as though you can hear nothing from obtuse angles, but for best quality you’ll need to be face-on.
Pocket-lint
When you are face-on to the XB43, however, it knocks out a big, bold sound. Never one to go shy on the party speaker sell, that’s for sure, it’ll pound out pop hits with gusto, those twin passive radiators vibrating all the while to ensure its Extra Bass name is affirmed.
Best Bluetooth speakers 2020: Top portable speakers to buy today
Sony claims bass down to 20Hz, which is so sub-bass that you wouldn’t really be able to hear it anyway. We’ve tested it and, while it does output at 20Hz, you’ll get more thwap from the 45-60Hz range – which is no surprise as a bass guitar won’t output sub 40Hz at its lowest note anyway. Short point being: there is bass in abundance.
The arrangement of two speakers adding ammunition to the passive radiators, paired with two tweeters, isn’t a hyper complex setup and, therefore, there can be the slightest of disconnect to the listening experience – it’s just not quite as fully cohesive as you can find elsewhere. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s wall of sound stuff – and that’s perfectly satisfying – it’s just not especially deft in its delivery.
Pocket-lint
There is also a ‘Live’ button on the speaker which adds sound processing to give a pseudo 3D surround. This can add more dynamism, as if it’s lifting the track and helping to segregate the elements, but sometimes the speaker’s ability to discerningly handle high-end audio can actually highlight lower-end content – some of our Spotify streams have made it highlight distorted artefacts to some degree, as the tweeters can be a little sharp.
If you have a higher quality source then Sony’s LDAC codec is on board, meaning it can handle 24-bit/96kHz streams over Bluetooth – which is really high quality (if you can get it).
Verdict
The Sony Extra Bass XB43 is a fun and unashamedly party speaker. If its built-in lights put you off initially then know that you can switch them off – and in doing so you’ll extend the battery life, which lasts for up to a very respectable 24 hours.
With lights either on or off, however, the XB43 busts out the audio with real intent, ensuring it delivers on that party promise through and through – helped along even more by being fully portable and fully weather-resistant too.
An app designed in Bremen simplifies the application process for child and parental allowance. However, numerous laws had to be changed for success.
(Image: Henning Rathjen)
E-Government: Why software alone is not enough Win-win-win situation Six legislative changes for an app Senseless typing For now only for employees Article in c’t 22 / 2020 read When a child is born, the parents have better things to do than For mulare to be filled out. But it has to be: the birth has to be registered, parental allowance has to be applied for, as well as child benefit, possibly also the child allowance. The application for parental allowance alone (in Lower Saxony) comprises nine pages. Various documents must be attached, including a birth certificate, the most recent twelve pay slips and a certificate from the health insurance company.
But if everything goes well, this paperwork will soon be over. In future, parents in Germany should be able to apply for parental allowance and child allowance within five minutes using a web application. Without complicated forms, without proof. Bremen wants to put it online this year under the title “ELFE – Simple Benefits for Families”. The remaining federal states are to follow.
It would be a small miracle. In the current e-government ranking of the EU Commission, Germany ranks 22 from 29 – behind countries like Cyprus and Slovenia. After all, in the Federal Republic of Germany 2020 you usually go to the Office or send a letter. And even the few online applications that exist, for example for tax returns, don’t really make life any easier: Users save paper and postage, but not a lot of time because the same forms have to be filled out online as offline.
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t Read photography directly in the browser register once – on all devices read – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9 , 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start the FREE month now heise + already subscribed ?
Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + E-Government: Why software alone is not enough Win-win-win situation Six legislative changes for an app Senseless typing For now only for employees Article in c’t 22 / 2020 read
You can get the Prusa Mini for 200 Euro directly in the online shop of the manufacturer Prusa Research. While with the larger FDM printers from the same company you can decide whether to buy a finished device or a kit (and via 200 saves euros), the Mini is always delivered as a middle thing. In other words: You have to assemble a couple of preassembled assemblies, screwing in a total of four (!) Screws and plugging in a few cables The first calibration up to the first 3D print took a good one and a half hours because the assembly requires a little patience in some places, for example when the ribbon cable of the display is fumbled through a narrow slot or with a long threaded screw behind a protruding part of the housing free sliding slot nut must be aimed.
Thanks to molded stops, there is no guesswork with regard to the intended position, there is not much you can do wrong. The German building instructions are included and leave no questions unanswered, even if the pictures are a bit small due to the A5 format. If you prefer to watch videos, you can also have Joe Prusa show you the structure personally on YouTube – it doesn’t take a quarter of an hour.
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start your FREE month now heise + already subscribed?
Register and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise +
(Pocket-lint) – There are plenty of trendy brands in the world of headphones – these days it’s Bose, Sony and Beats. But there are other widely respected brands too, such as Shure, which sure knows how to do sound.
The Shure Aonic 50 was launched alongside the Aonic true wireless earbuds, promising stunning audio quality, durable build and performance. Shure might not be a classically mass-market brand name, but among musicians and performers it’s often the first name on the lips of many.
Indeed, the Aonic 50 offers among the best sound you’ll find in headphones at this price point. Here’s why it’s a name to not overlook.
Design and build
Physical button controls
Well padded headband and earcups
3.5mm input and USB-C for wired connection
There’s nothing entirely special about the way the Shure Aonic 50 looks, or the materials it uses, but at the same time that’s what we love about the design and build. It’s all about practicality and everyday usability.
Pocket-lint
The earcups, as an example, are generously padded with a thick ring of foam inside a super soft outer layer of synthetic leather. That’s true of the headband arch too, which can be worn for hours on end without creating any soft/sensitive spots on the top of the scalp.
Despite its practicality, there’s something quite individual about the shape and design of the forks/arms that attach the cans to the headband. While not especially standout, it’s enough of a unique shape to make these distinguishable from the likes of Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and Beats.
Externally, there’s liberal use of plastic on each can. It feels sturdy and like it could take a knock or two, and the 90-degree rotation keeps them flat for storage. This rotation motion feels smooth and strong, it’s not loose at all – which helps with the Aonic 50’s overall feeling of sturdiness.
Best Bluetooth headphones 2020: Top on-ear or over-ear wireless headphones
Usually, when headphones are equipped with a clicky ratchet-like mechanism for adjusting the length of the headband, we complain. But in the case of Shure, some thought has gone into the way it looks and feels. The arms are metal, but while you get that click when you slide it up and down, it doesn’t feel rattly or cheap.
Pocket-lint
What’s really useful is that there are marker lines printed all the way up each arm so if you require there to be five lines to be showing for it to be adjusted to your head size, you know to adjust it to the exact same length each time you unfold them. What’s more, you can guarantee the left extension matches the right to make them symmetrical.
All the buttons and controls that you need live on the right can, around its bottom edge. There’s the usual cluster of three controls containing play/pause, volume up and volume down buttons. It’s easy to distinguish them thanks to a protruding little knob on the play button. To skip tracks you can either quickly double-press to skip forwards or triple press to skip back. There’s a Type-C port for charging too, plus on the left can you’ll find the 3.5mm input for audio.
Overall performance and battery
Bluetooth 5 (10 metre range)
Qualcomm aptX & aptX HD
20 hours playback
As far as wireless performance goes, the Shure Aonic 50 is as solid a pair of headphones as we’ve ever used. Regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone with Qualcomm’s aptX HD technology equipped for lag-free Hi-Res Audio, you’ll be well served by the Aonic.
Pocket-lint
Bluetooth 5 wireless with up to 10 metres of range also ensures you don’t even need to be in the same room as your music source. So if you’re listening to music in your home office, you can pop to the kitchen to make a coffee without having to take your phone with you. Just leave it on your desk, it’ll be fine.
To call the 20 hours battery life disappointing would be unfair. Quite frankly, for most people, being able to listen to four hours of music a day for a five-day workweek is more than enough, especially if you’re only using the headphones during a commute. Even if you’re on a long-haul flight across multiple timezones, these cans should more than get you through.
That said, there are longer-lasting headphones out there, for those who need a lot of battery between charges. You’ll likely get a few more hours with the Beats Studio 3 Wireless or the Master & Dynamic MW65. Bose’s excellent Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones are about on par.
Sound and noise-cancelling
Adjustable active noise-cancelling (ANC)
Environment mode for hearing ambient noise
While there’s so much to enjoy about the Aonic 50, it’s the sound quality that’ll keep you using them time after time. Paired with a phone, straight out of the box, the audio is well balanced. Bass isn’t on the heavy side, but you get enough of it to feel it, while there’s a lot of clarity and detail in the top-end.
Pocket-lint
As with any good pair of headphones, a test of how good they are is how well you can discern background subtleties in various tracks. With Shure, you get that in abundance. Some tracks might have a barely perceptible guitar plucking as part of the backing track that would often be hidden by the lead vocals, drums, bass and lead instruments. But with Shure’s Aonic 50, you can hear them as clear as a bell, without losing the feeling of the song.
For those who want to adjust the sound, there’s an app downloadable from the Play Store or iPhone’s App Store that lets you choose from a number of preset EQs, while also allowing you to create your own custom one.
This app also lets you see ANC and ambient sound levels. Although you can’t control these using the app, you have to use the physical switcher on the cans themselves. That switch lets you move between three modes: you can have max noise cancelling, normal noise-cancelling, or let in the environmental ambient noise from around you more clearly.
Pocket-lint
In max mode the noise-cancelling is strong. It does a good job of cutting out those consistent low drones of chatter and will reduce the rumbling of train/plane engines and motorway noise, without completely blocking everything out. Despite that, in max mode you will find it changes the sound of the music, making it a little too flat and harsh, so it’s worth keeping it in ‘normal mode’ for best audio enjoyment and with a decent level of external noise suppression.
Verdict
Sometimes a pair of headphones comes around that doesn’t necessarily scream at you about its latest market-leading technological advancements or snazzy minimalist design – and yet somehow still works its way into your heart.
That’s how we feel about the Shure Aonic 50. These over-ears are comfortable to wear for long periods, feel like they can take a knock or two, and sound superb. What more do you need?
Shure’s noise-cancelling cans might be expensive, but thanks to reliable day-in-day-out performance we think it’s one of the best-sounding pairs of headphones in this price bracket. Shure sure knows sound.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Sennheiser PXC 550ii
squirrel_widget_172143
Sennheiser, like Shure, has bucket loads of experience in the world of music and audio equipment, and like Shure it focuses on practicality and sound quality. These over-ears sound great, but where they appeal a bit more is that the design if far more portable and foldable, plus they’re cheaper too.
Read our review
Pocket-lint
Sony WH-1000XM4
squirrel_widget_328997
Sony’s been knocking out stellar noise-cancelling headphones for a few years now, offering a stunning combination of high-end features and capabilities. The build quality isn’t quite as strong, but the noise-cancelling is superb.
Shop systems are the be-all and end-all in online trading. Your selection is decisive for the chances of a sale. We give tips on what to look out for.
(Image: Thorsten Hübner)
Shop systems for prospective online retailers in comparison What to watch out for? Software-as-a-Service: Small, ready, off the shelf Shop solutions with a more individual approach Shop software: Open and Closed Source Conclusion and test table Article in c’t 22 / 2020 read E-commerce is booming – and it’s not most recently because of the corona crisis, in which parts of the floor trading had to close their doors. Already 2000 the German online retailers proudly 72, 6 billion euros. And especially in view of the special economic situation during the corona-related restrictions, online trading scored points: 36, 7 billion euros – and thus 9.2 percent more than in the same period of the previous year – gave German customers in the first two quarters 2020 out. In particular, everyday goods such as groceries, pet supplies, medication or drugstore products are now bought much more often on the Internet than before the pandemic.
And something else has changed: more and more local retailers are also discovering from floor trading to online trading as an additional pillar – be it as a virtual shop window, as an additional, globally accessible channel or for the sale of certain goods that would previously have been disrespectfully called slackers.
Similar to you When retailers have to find the right business premises in the city center, choosing the right shop system determines your chances of selling online – regardless of whether you are a small or medium-sized retailer. Over the years, numerous variants have become established, each with their own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. We are presenting a selection to help you orientate yourself.
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t Read photography directly in the browser register once – on all devices read – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9 , 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Now start the FREE month heise + already subscribed?
Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + Shop systems for prospective online retailers in comparison What to watch out for? Software-as-a-Service: Small, ready, off the shelf Shop solutions with a more individual approach Shop software: Open and Closed Source Conclusion and test table Article in c’t 22 / 2020 read
A small, prominent research group from the USA does not want an approved vaccine against Covid – 19 waiting. Can that go well?
Preston Estep (left) trusts his DIY vaccine
(Image: Alex Hoekstra)
Preston Estep was all alone in a rented laboratory somewhere in Boston. No big company, no board meetings, no billions from the “Operation Warp Speed”, the Covid – 19 – US Government Vaccine Funding Program. No animal test data. No ethics approval. All he had were ingredients for a vaccine. And a willing volunteer: himself. Estep mixed the ingredients and sprayed them into his nose.
Almost 200 Covid – 19 – Vaccines in development and about 30 are in various stages of clinical trials on humans. But the “citizen science” vaccine initiative around Estep does not want to wait until one of these vaccines is formally approved. Other researchers, technologists and science enthusiasts gathered around the founders Preston Estep, Don Wang, Alex Hoekstra and Ranjan Ahuja, many of whom are associated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They all voluntarily test the do-it-yourself vaccination against the coronavirus.
Among them is the rock star of genetics, Harvard researcher George Church. He sprayed two doses of Estep vaccine in his nose one week apart in early July. The ingredients were in the mailbox, he had to mix them himself. Church says he hasn’t left his house for five months and he thinks his former protégé’s vaccine is safe: “I think the risk of Covid is greater when you are consider how many ways you can get the virus and how diverse the consequences are, “he says.
Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests , Advice & background: independent, critically sound c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, thereafter monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start your FREE month now heise + already subscribed?
Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise +
Corsair K introduction and technical specifications 71 RGB PRO
It has been 9 years since the launch of the Corsair Vengeance K 71 and today is the day that the company presents its successor, the new Corsair K 71 RGB Pro, a keyboard that integrates the latest switches Cherry mechanicals, the Cherry Viola, on a brushed aluminum housing and comes equipped with an attractive independent key-to-key RGB lighting system.
In this review of the Corsair K 71 RGB PRO we will discover what this model offers us and how its Cherry switches behave Viola in tasks of all kinds, from office automation to games.
Technical characteristics of the Corsair K 71 RGB PRO
Brushed anodized aluminum top cover.
RGB lighting independent of 18, 8 million colors
Cherry VIOLA switches.
Actuation distance: 2 mm.
Total travel: 4 mm.
Strength:
First 2 mm: 50 cN.
From 2 to 4mm: 78 cN.
Low profile ABS keys.
Two levels of incline.
N-Key Rollover and Anti-Ghosting.
Win key lock.
iCUE configuration and customization software.
FN key for brightness, color, multimedia, etc. functions
USB-A 3.0 cable of 1, 88 meters.
Sampling rate of 1124 Hz.
Weight of 0, 92 kg
Measures of 466 x 466 x 45 mm
Design and RGB lighting
Corsair has opted for a simplistic layout on this keyboard, the K 71 RGB PRO is based on a plastic structure on which an anodized aluminum sheet is placed and brushed in black. The edges of said plate are conveniently polished and there is no sharp edge that could be a problem.
The inclination can be adjusted in two levels thanks to two lower tabs.
The keyboard has a Spanish ISO QWERTY layout with the Ñ and full numeric keyboard, even so, its dimensions are quite contained, since they occupy little more than the structure of the keyboard itself, making it quite compact.
This is also helped by the lack of dedicated multimedia keys , since there is no additional key to the standard layout itself, something we can miss on more than one occasion. However, the K 60 RGB PRO does have multimedia functions integrated into the keys themselves, to access them it is necessary to press the FN key, which, unlike many keyboards, is on the right side instead of on the left.
By pressing this key it is possible to control the brightness of the lighting, configurable in nothing more and nothing less than 12 different levels, in addition to off, we can also increase or decrease the volume, multimedia functions stop / play, backward or forward, and by pressing the keys FN + 1-2-3-4 … etc, it is possible to directly apply different lighting effects without the need for the software.
RGB lighting at key ecla is one of the most striking features of the K 71 RGB PRO, not because it is a novel feature, which it is not, but because the Cherry Viola switches, which are semi-transparent and diffuse the light , Together with low-profile keycaps, they make the lighting much more striking by not being limited to a projection on the black aluminum.
Not that means that the keyboard is low profile, in fact, although there is a version with switches of that low profile, the K 71 Standard RGB PRO we reviewed has full-size switches, which gives it a rather curious look, beyond the lighting. It should be noted that does not include any hand rests or wrist rests as standard, a detail that should not be passed on a keyboard that costs 137 euros.
It also does not have a USB hub and the only existing connector is the one that comes out of the USB-A 3.0 cable to the PC
The lighting is independent for each key and can be configured between different modes and predetermined colors from the keyboard itself, or directly and in a much more customizable way, from the popular iCUE software.
Cherry Viola mechanisms
The Corsair K 71 RGB Pro integrates the new Cherry Viola switches, some models that do not belong to the high MX range, but are part of a new line that, as Cherry herself commented when announcing these switches, is aimed at mechanical keyboards with more affordable prices that could is tar below the 60 euros to give the finishing touch to membrane keyboards.
It seems that this is not true in the K 71 RGB Pro , now that its price, despite having these cheap and simplified switches, goes towards the 130, 100 euros. Anyway, let’s review what these Cherry Viola offer.
The most striking to external level is that, unlike conventional Cherry MX and most compatible switches, we have a structure that extends the interior cross with square edges that move in with all the mechanism to give it more stability. This structure is completely translucent and is integrated into the body of the switch, which is semi-transparent and blurs the interior RGB lighting.
At the level of mechanism, Cherry has simplified its internal workings by requiring fewer parts. For example, the Cherry MX mechanisms can have up to 7 pieces, while the Cherry Viola only uses 4, by dispensing with the upper housing and integrating it with the pulsation mechanism itself and simplifying the contact method, without the need to solder. .
The MX vertical contact system has been modified by a small V-shaped piece of metal that closes the circuit when descending from a certain depth. In this way it is a much simpler and cheaper mechanism to produce, but keeping some of the typical properties of MX switches.
Regarding its behavior, the Cherry MX Viola offers the following specifications
Cherry VIOLA switches.
Actuation distance: 2 mm.
Total travel: 4 mm.
Strength:
First 2 mm: 50 cN.
From 2 to 4mm: 78 cN.
It would be an alternative to Cherry MX Red, but with a fairly significant change in its behavior as we can see in this table:
CHERRY
VIOLA
MX RED
Total Travel
4 mm
4 mm
Actuation distance
2 mm
2 mm
Force 0 to 2 mm
45 cN
50 cN
Force from 2 to 4 mm
78 cN
45 cN
Both switches are linear, without intermediate clicks, they share a total travel 4 mm pulse, and send the pulse signal when traveling 2 mm.
The operating force is 50 cN, however, in the CHERRY Viola, once the 2 mm is exceeded, the force necessary to continue pressing up to 4 mm increases considerably until the 75 cN.
All these changes mean that, although its operation is far above a membrane keyboard, although it is not exactly as homogeneous as a Chery MX Red. At first it takes some getting used to to the increase in force necessary for its pulsation once we pass the actuation point, once we get used to it we can regulate the force in the fingers to avoid reaching the bottom and have a smoother experience.
As for noise, they are not as loud as a Cherry MX Red or Blue, although the mechanism, possibly the spring, when the key is released leaves a rather strange metallic vibration in the air: