If you’ve ever needed remote access to a PC, you’ve probably tried VPN or other apps such as TeamViewer. However, this kind of software only works within the remote computer’s OS, which means that it can’t access the BIOS, reboot, install an operating system or power on the computer. There are several solutions that allow you to remote control a PC independently of its operating system, but using a KVM over IP is one of the most convenient and affordable.
While a store-bought KVM over IP device can cost hundreds of dollars, it’s easy to use a Raspberry Pi to create your own. A developer named Maxim Devaev designed his own system called Pi-KVM, which he is planning to sell as a $130 kit. However, if you have the right parts, you can use the software he’s developed and your Pi, to put it together for far less.
Below, we’ll show you how to build your own Raspberry Pi-powered KVM over IP that can output full HD video, control GPIO ports and USB relays, configure server power using ATX functions and more. You’ll be able to control the whole setup via a web browser from another device over the internet via TailScale VPN or on your local network.
Pi-KVM prototype v3 without case (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What You Need to Build a KVM Over IP with Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi Zero
16 GB or larger microSD Card. (See best microSD cards for Raspberry Pi)
HDMI-to-CSI bridge like this one or or USB HDMI capture dongle. (https://amzn.to/2ZO9tjo
USB female to dual male Type-A splitter like this one.
USB C to Type-A cable
5V, 3 amp power supply with USB Type-A output. You’ll be plugging a type-A cable into it so the official Raspberry Pi power supply won’t do.
Setting Up the SD Card for Raspberry Pi KVM Over IP
The software you need for the Raspberry Pi is all contained on a custom disk image that you must download and burn to a microSD card. Here’s how to do that with Raspberry Pi Imager, but you can also use other burning software such as balenaEtcher.
1. Download the Pi-KVM disk image. The first thing we will need is to download the ready made image from pikvm.org. Note that there are different versions, depending on which Pi you use and whether you use the HDMI-to-CSI bridge or an HDMI-to-USB capture dongle. The image file is in BZ2 format so you’ll need to uncompress it.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
2. Extract the IMG file from the BZ2 file you downloaded. If you have Windows, BZ2 support isn’t built-in, but you can use 7Zip to do it.
3. Launch Raspberry Pi Imager. If you don’t have it installed already, you can download it from the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s website.
4. Select “Choose OS” -> “Use Custom” and locate the Pi-KVM image.Pick your microSD card by clicking Choose SD Card. We will now “Choose SD Card”, make sure it’s the correct one you are choosing.
5. Click Write.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Setting Up the Raspberry Pi for KVM Over IP
Now that we have finished burning the microSD Card, we can move on to installing the HDMI-to-CSI-2 bridge or USB-to-HDMI dongle and prepping the OTG USB-c cable
1. Connect the CSI ribbon cable from the HDMI-to-CSI-2 bridge to the Raspberry Pi’s CSI camera port. Make sure that the blue marking faces the black clamp. If you are using an HDMI-to-USB dongle instead, connect it to a USB port on your Pi. If you are using a Pi Zero, you will need microUSB to USB Type-A hub.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
2. Disable the 5V pin on one of the USB Type-A male connectors from your splitter. The easiest way to do this is to place a small piece of Kapton tape over the right-most pin on the connector. You could also try cutting that leads to that pin, but that’s more complicated.
This will be the connector that attaches to a USB port on the PC you wish to control. If you don’t disable that 5V pin, it will back feed the power from your wall power to the PC, possibly causing damage to its USB port.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Connect the USB C-to-A cable to the Type-A female connector on the splitter. This will provide power to the Pi. Your cables should look like the picture below.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Connect the USB-C cable to the Raspberry Pi 4’s USB-C port.
5. Connect the unmodified Type-A male to your power supply.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. Attach the USB Type-A connector and HDMI to the PC you wish to remote control.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
7. Insert the microSD card we created and power on the Raspberry Pi.
Setting Up the Pi-KVM Software
At this point we are ready to start using the Pi-KVM. On first boot it will take longer then expected due to the initial process for enlarging the microSD card so be patient and it will boot.
1. Locate your Raspberry Pi’s IP address. You can do this looking through your router’s control panel to see what devices are logged on, or by using a little method I like to do called ARP.
To find the Pi’s IP using this method, launch Windows PowerShell, run the command “arp -a” and you’ll see a list of devices on your local network. Anything that begins with b8:27:eb: or dc:a6:32: is a Raspberry Pi.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
2. Navigate to the Pi’s IP address in a browser on your client computer (the one you are using to control the other PC). You will be redirected you to your login page.
3. Log in. The default username is admin and the password is admin also.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Click the KVM icon.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You should now be presented with a screen like the one shown below, providing you with access to the remote PC and a number of other menus. . I have more options then others and you can unlock them by going to the pikvm github for more instructions.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Keep in mind that the more storage you have on your sd card the more ISO images you can store and use for future PC setups.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the proper GPIO hook ups you can also enable the use of ATX controls
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To expand the functionally of the PI-KVM to allow for more display inputs, you can connect it to an HDMI 4 port switch with USB control.
Pi-KVM Prototype V3 without case and KVM 4 port switch (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Updating Pi-KVM to the Latest Version
Pi-KVM is always getting new features so it’s important to keep the software up to date. Fortunately, you don’t need to reflash the microSD card. To update:
1. Click the Terminal icon on Pi-KVM’s main menu. A CLI shell will appear.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
2. Become a super user by typing “su” and then entering “root” as the password.
3. Type “rw” to make the file system read/write.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Enter “pacman -Syu” and “Y” to get updates.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Reminder: set the file system back to ReadOnly with “ro” in the command line when done.
Access Pi-KVM Over the Internet
You can use Tailscale to access Pi-KVM over the internet. This is a convenient and free (for private use) tool for organizing a small VPN network.
1. Create a Tailscale account choosing the Solo Plan will be free for personal use only
2. Click the Terminal icon on Pi-KVM’s main menu.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Become a super user by typing “su” and then entering “root” as the password.
4. Type “rw” to make the file system read/write.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
5. Type “pacman -S tailscale-pikvm” to install tailscale VPN service on PI-KVM.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. Type “reboot” to perform a soft reboot on the Pi-KVM
7. After the reboot has been performed we will need to gain access to the terminal again so follow steps 1-4
8. Type “systemctl enable –now tailscaled” to enable to service
9. Type “tailscale up” to start the initiation process
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
10. Follow the Link to authorize this installation
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
11. Once connected successfully you will see “Success” appear on the terminal.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
12. Navigate to this URLhttps://login.tailscale.com/admin/machines to view the IP address assigned by tailscale VPN.
On the Client Side
This will show you how to install tailscale on the workstation side. Tailscale supports most operating systems including windows, mac, and linux.
1. Download tailscale for your OS from https://tailscale.com/download
2. Navigate to this URLhttps://login.tailscale.com/admin/machines to view the IP address assigned by tailscale VPN.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Navigating to the IP address given by tailscale on your browser. It will connect you to your PI-KVM
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
This is a very affordable way to build a very modern, very fast KVM over IP without the high cost. This software is also provided to you for free. There are more features that I have not covered in this tutorial such as VPN, Sharing network from your PI to PC, VNC and many more and if you wish to learn about it, visit the Pi-KVM github page or join the Discord.
Thunderbolt 4 is just starting to make noise in the consumer space, but, of course, the folks behind the technology are already looking toward the next generation. This week, executives from Intel stopped by The Tom’s Hardware Show to discuss Thunderbolt and what its next form could look like.
While celebrating Thunderbolt’s 10th birthday, Ben Hacker, Intel’s director of I/O strategy in the Client Connectivity Division, explained that the development of Thunderbolt 4’s successor is already in place with sights set on higher speed.
“What I think we’re pretty confident of is for at least another speed bump somewhere, and who knows exactly what that is, but call it roughly a doubling,” Hacker said on The Tom’s Hardware Show.
Thunderbolt 4’s max bandwidth is 40 Gbps, allowing it to support up to two 4K resolution displays at 60 Hz refresh rates or even an 8K one at 60 Hz. Increasing the bandwidth would bring support for even higher resolutions and refresh rates.
Hacker also pointed toward the need for more bandwidth for concurrent workflows, like editing data on a high-resolution screen, and SSDs as drivers for more bandwidth.
“Today our data path bandwidth within Thunderbolt 4 is kind of aligned to like a PCIe Gen 3×4 performance, and for some of our storage applications, you’re seeing storage in that kind of form factor already doubling in speed,” Hacker said.
“There’s already a need for kind of high-performance storage for, maybe, NVMe SSDs or desktop raid arrays that are going to be able to consume more than the 40 gigabits of bandwidth or just under 40 that we can provide today.”
Backward compatibility is also important for the next generation of Thunderbolt. Intel notably shared the Thunderbolt protocol for what is now known as USB4.
“We started first with that connector and cable convergence, and then we have the architectural convergence [with USB4],” Jason Ziller, Intel’s general manager of the Client Connectivity Division, said. “As we move forward, as USB4 evolves, we’ll continue to be converged on those elements of it. But we’ll continue to provide features and capabilities above that or just the optional features in the USB spec that we make required because we know computer users want them.”
The next version of Thunderbolt will presumably be called Thunderbolt 5, but Ziller said they don’t know what the branding moving forward will be yet. Whatever it’s called, Intel expects next-gen Thunderbolt to continue working over USB-C.
“I think we can definitely stay within the electrical kind of communication path and on the same connector so it’s truly a familiar, backward compatible … solution,” Hacker said. “ … At least kind of for the next step, whenever that comes, I think we’re pretty confident that we can keep that on a kind of same mechanical interface, same connector, roughly the same topology.”
Of course, we’re still years away from Thunderbolt 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) striking. In the more immediate future, development is in the works for more Thunderbolt 4 accessories, including docks in different sizes and shapes and docks that don’t require their own power adapter and instead uses a laptop’s USB-C charger.
And for those with the need, Thunderbolt 4 cables up to 50m (164 feet) long should be available around next year.
“We had in [the] previous generation optical cables up to 50m, and so we’re working on delivering that as well now,” Ziller said.
The Tom’s Hardware Show is live every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. You can enjoy this week’s episode via the video above, on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G has not been officially announced yet – that is expected to happen later this month – but a retailer in Saudi Arabia has put the phone on sale already, listing the full specs and everything.
The A52 5G has a 6.5” Super AMOLED display with 1,080 x 2,400 px resolution. We’re not seeing a refresh rate listed but it should be 120Hz (the rumors were right about everything else). The fingerprint reader is built into the display and the whole thing is guarded by Gorilla Glass (we’re not 100% clear on the version).
The Snapdragon 750G is the brains of the operation, as expected. It is hooked up to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage and there’s a microSD slot for up to 1 TB more (the dual card slot has a hybrid design). Only one memory configuration is listed, but that’s something that varies by region.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (in Black)
Anyway, the Galaxy A52 5G has a 64MP main camera that can record 4K videos. Next up is a 12MP camera (presumably ultrawide) and two 5MP modules (macro and depth is our bet). The selfie camera has a 32MP sensor.
The phone’s 4,500 mAh battery is charged over USB-C at 25W. There’s no 3.5 mm headphone jack by the looks of it, but the phone does have NFC.
Note that the OS version is listed as Android 10, but we believe this to be a mistake – the phone ran Android 11 when it went through Geekbench.
The retailer is charging SAR 1,650 for the Galaxy A52 5G, which works out to $440/€365. This matches the rumored prices. There should be a 4G model as well, but that one isn’t showing up yet.
João Silva 1 day ago Featured Tech News, SSD Drives
Crucial has released a new portable SSD for accessing your data on-the-go. With varying storage capacities, the compact Crucial X6 is easy to carry around due to its reduced dimensions, allowing users to conveniently transport their games, multimedia files, and personal data.
The Crucial X6 is available with 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB storage capacities. Featuring transfer speeds of up to 800 MB/s on the 4TB model and up to 540 MB/s on the remaining models, the Crucial X6 uses a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 interface to transfer data up to 5.6x faster than traditional HDDs.
Light and very compact, the Crucial X6 measures about 11x69x64mm (LxWxH) and weighs 40 grams. Protection features include a dustproof design, shock, vibration, and extreme temperature resistance.
Compatible with PC, Mac, PS5, Android devices, this SSD is compatible with most modern devices featuring a USB-C interface. To connect to a device without a USB-C port such as a PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and other devices, a USB-A adapter cable can be used instead, but these are sold separately.
The Crucial X6 portable SSDs are available now, starting at £61.19 for the 512GB variant, £115.19 for the 1TB variant, £220.79 (currently at £164.39) for the 2TB variant, and £428.39 for the 4TB variant. All models are backed by a 3-year warranty.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru says: Are you looking for a new portable storage solution? What do you think of the Crucial X6?
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Marshall, the British company best known for its thunderous guitar amps, has also managed to build a solid reputation for headphones and earbuds over the last several years. Though they’re a little overpriced for what you get, I like the Marshall Monitor II ANC headphones for their style and clever mini-joystick for controlling audio playback. But now Marshall is moving into the true wireless earbuds market — and it’s very late to the party.
The new Mode II earbuds are priced at $179, start shipping March 18th, and aim to make up for Marshall’s tardy arrival with “phenomenal” sound, wireless charging, IPX4 water resistance, and a design that feels right at home next to the company’s other products. As a first stab at true wireless, these earbuds get a lot right for the price. But that price is also probably their biggest downside.
These certainly look the part of Marshall earbuds. The case has the same textured, leather-like finish as the Monitor II headphones with the Marshall logo proudly embossed on the top and a USB-C port on the left side. Open it up and you’ll find the earbuds, three LEDs to indicate charging status for the case and each bud, and a round, gold button inside the case for pairing. Marshall claims the case has enough juice to give the earbuds four full recharges. Since the Mode II can last for up to five hours of straight listening time, that puts you at 25 hours total.
The earbuds have a matte black finish with a very prominent “M” on them; you’re definitely wearing the Marshall brand with these. They’re nicely compact and not as chunky as some competitors like the Jabra Elite 75t. Marshall includes four sizes of silicone ear tips in the box — including an XL option, which is nice to see. Some foam tips would’ve been even nicer.
Marshall’s signature control nub is a little impractical for earbuds, so just like countless others, the Mode II earbuds use tap gestures. The controls aren’t customizable, and unfortunately, you’re left without any way to directly adjust volume:
Left earbud
Tap once for transparency mode or to answer a call Tap twice for voice assistant
Right earbud
Tap once to pause/play or to answer a call Tap twice to skip to next track Tap three times to go back to the last track
It would sometimes take a stronger tap than I expected to register some of these commands, particularly with the right earbud. Those firmer taps pushed the earbud deeper into my ear, which got unpleasant.
I’ve also encountered some odd bugs with the Mode II, like one where the right earbud wouldn’t play any audio until I touched it. There were occasionally some noticeable balance issues with vocals sliding between the left and right earbuds. Those issues both seem to have been mostly resolved with the latest firmware update, but still pop up at times. Marshall tells me another OTA update will be released before the Mode IIs ship to customers to further smoothen out performance.
Bugs aside, these earbuds do sound quite good. I’ve been listening to The Hold Steady’s new album Open Door Policy, and there’s a lot going on in some of those songs. The Mode II earbuds do a good job of keeping everything — guitars, horns, keys, vocals, drums — distinct in the mix. Upper-end frequencies can sound a little boosted on some tracks depending on how they were produced, but it’s nothing piercing. And the Marshall app gives you full EQ control if you’re not happy with the default “Marshall sound” tuning. AAC and SBC codecs are supported.
As always, fit and a good seal are crucial to getting the best sound. And that’s especially true here. Even when I have the XL tips on, these are the sort of earbud that I need to twist into my ear just the right way if I want the most bass and a balanced soundstage. They never feel loose, but something about the fit can be a bit finicky in my experience, whereas I can just plop other earbuds in without giving it much thought.
The Mode II earbuds don’t include any kind of active noise cancellation, but Marshall still added a transparency mode in case you need to more clearly hear what’s happening around you. The best I can say about this feature is that it’s serviceable, but ambient sound comes through far more muffled than the airy, natural transparency modes of other earbuds. Voice call performance is average: people I spoke to could hear me just fine but noted that my voice sounded a bit hollow and trebly — something that was also true when I listened back to voice memo samples.
Rounding out the features, Marshall includes auto-pause when you remove a bud, and they should be suitable for normal workouts thanks to an IPX4 rating. Like the vast majority of true wireless earbuds, these don’t support multipoint for two simultaneous Bluetooth connections. But you can use either one independently.
If the Marshall Mode II buds were priced at $130 or $100, I think I’d come away with a more positive overall take on them. But at $180, they lack any real standout tricks that would make me reach for them over established competitors. The case is sleek, totally pocketable, and includes wireless charging. Sound quality is good, but not to the point where Marshall thrashes competitors in the same price bracket. Plus, you can get a set of true wireless earbuds with proper noise cancellation by spending $30 to $50 more.
Coming into the fold so late, Marshall really needed to turn the knob up to 11. But the Mode II earbuds don’t quite get there, and the style points count for less here than with the company’s wireless headphones, where the cool design is so visible.
Light and snappy, a little too flashy and packing potential, the Marsback M1 is an interesting 75% Bluetooth mechanical keyboard that hit Kickstarter this week (early bird price of $159). It’s an attempt at the best gaming keyboard that experiments freely with a chunky, frosted base, over-the-top RGB and extra peppy switches while pulling in helpful features, like hot-swappable switches, that aren’t as common as we might like.
Marsback sent us a functioning prototype to test out. Ultimately, it’s a bold design that, at first glance, one Tom’s Hardware editor couldn’t decide if he loved or hated.
Marsback M1 Specs
Switches
Marsback MBS-I (tested), MBS-II or MBS-III&
Lighting
Per-key RGB
Onboard Storage
2 profiles
Connectivity
USB Type-C to USB Type-A, rubber
Additional Ports
None
Keycaps
PBT plastic
Construction
Polycarbonate plastic
Software
Marsback Pro
Dimensions (LxWxH)
12.6 x 5.2 x 1.7 inches (321 x 131 x 42.8mm)
Compatibility
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Dos, Linux, Unix
Who Is Marsback?
Let’s get this out of the way. Many are skeptical about buying something off crowdfunders like Kickstarter as there’s a chance it’ll never come to market. The good news is that this isn’t Marsback’s first product. The company, which started in 2018 with 3G consumer gadgets, also made the Zephyr gaming mouse with a built-in fan, which appears to be available outside of Kickstarter on Marsback’s website.
For better or worse, Marsback also acknowledged consumer skepticism about crowdfunding projects on the M1’s Kickstarter page, admitting that due to the keyboard’s large (6,000mAh) battery, some countries won’t allow it to be air shipped, which would result in slower delivery.
The company also pointed to budget concerns, stating that the keyboard’s hand-assembled, homemade mechanical switches are affected by increasing labor costs. It said that “keeping it affordable, yet high quality is never easy. But instead of aiming for making money, we aim for giving you an experience like no other”
A Marsback rep further addressed potential concern, telling us, “We will continue to sell the keyboard after the campaign [ends] on Kickstarter, both on our official website and Amazon store. And the Marsback M1 keyboard is not our first Kickstarter campaign. Before that, we’ve fulfilled the Zephyr gaming mouse.”
More good news comes from Marsback saying the M1 is “already in production,” with the first step being making and testing the switches. It’s expecting to ship the M1 in early July. The company first came up with the M1 in March 2019.
In a statement announcing the M1, Jack Walker, co-inventor of Marsback M1, said, “The Kickstarter campaign will help us manufacture our units and finalize our packaging components so M1 can arrive in homes across the world as soon as possible.”
Design
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With its thick, heavy, white-frosted base, the M1’s keys look like they’re sitting in a block of dull ice. The body was CNC milled out of polycarbonate, because of the material’s translucent look and ”lack of tooling costs,” according to Marsback’s Kickstarter. This is actually the hardest and most time-consuming part of making the M1.
This makes for a block of a keyboard that looks much different than the black plastic bases and dark tops comprising the vast majority of mechanical clackers today, whether RGB is on or not. It also makes for a much heavier keyboard than you’d expect of a wireless keyboard with a 75% layout.
Lurking within the M1’s base are 21 surface-mounted LEDs. When brought to life, they produce a memorable blast of RGB. The frosty, diffused exterior often paints a cotton candy effect on the RBGs. But don’t mistake that for being dim. In fact, I’d advise you not to look directly into these lights for more than a couple seconds unless you’re after a quick headache. You can adjust brightness, but now matter how you slice it — be that with a rainbow effect, solid color breathing or a small patch of lights circling the perimeter — this is powerful, look-at-me RGB.
The downside is the visibility of the individual LEDs, which is so prominent that you can basically count each one. This isn’t an issue from a top-down view, but from the sides it makes the RGB glow look unnatural.
On top of that, in true gaming keyboard fashion, the keys themselves have per-key RGB for the ultimate dizzying array of RGB overload. These 84 LEDs for the keys are also very bright, casting a glow on the RGB base. Thankfully, RGB is controllable with hot keys (as are numerous other functions, such as volume control and a calculator launcher). But I wouldn’t remember them without the handy manual Marsback includes in the box. And there were times when some functions wouldn’t work on my prototype (hopefully this will be addressed with the final keyboards).
I tested the Sakura Pink version of this keyboard, which already looks busy sans RGB, with pink flowers and accents. It was hard to find an RGB effect that enhanced this design rather than overpowered it. And it was hard to tell what was the base’s RGB effect and what came from the keys. The black version and, especially, the white version with its white pudding keycaps seem to blend with the RBG effects better, based on the pictures Marsback has provided.
(Image credit: Marsback)
Sadly, I didn’t quite get the Cherry blossom feel I had hoped for with the M1’s Sakura Pink theme. The spacebar comes close, as do the pink petals sprinkled throughout, (although, I could use more of those). But many of the keyboard’s flowers come off more ‘60s and/or Barbie-themed.
Snappy Homebrewed Switches
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What first stood out to me about the M1 are the linear switches Marsback brewed for them. Despite the linear travel, Marsback promised a pleasantly tactile sensation and delivered.
As the M1’s Kickstarter page states, Marsback designed the switches to provide “better control [over] the keystrokes and bounce sound.” The vendor describes the switches as “light and short on touch” with lubrication applied to each switch’s mandrel and the spring connection for a smooth rebound. You should relube after 10 months though, a Marsback rep told us.
The M1 is available with three different types of Marsback M1 switches:
MBS-I (tested)
MBS-II
MBS-III
Total Travel
4mm ±, 0.6mm
4mm ±, 0.6mm
4mm ±, 0.6mm
Actuation Point
2mm ± 0.6mm
2mm ± 0.6mm
2mm ± 0.6mm
Actuation Force
45g ± 15g
50g ± 15g
55g ± 15g
I’ve only had a couple days with the M1, but typing with the MBS-I switches has felt perky and, as promised, satisfyingly bouncy. At first I did have to snap some switches more firmly into place, but since my test unit is a prototype this can be forgiven. Once the switches were properly installed, I was surprised at how responsive the keys felt. They certainly felt linear, but the quick bounce back did add a pleasant distinct feel to the typing experience while making it seem slightly more enjoyable for long-term typing than using Cherry MX Red linear switches.
The switches also felt very smooth. The lubrication seems effective, but I do wonder if the switches will lose a lot of their magic once this wears off. Combined with the keyboard’s PBT keycaps though, typing felt quick and slightly more stiff with a thinner, less hollow noise than what you get on other keyboards, including the Varmilo MA108M Moonlight keyboard, which has very smooth electrostatic capacitive mechanical switches.
Typing on the M1 felt very stable, with the keycaps showing very little wobble and only if I forced them. The MBS-I switches use 5-pins (compared to the 3 pins many switches, including Cherry MX Reds use), and M1 has a plate on top of its PCB, so this sturdiness isn’t surprising.
It took me some time to adjust to the M1 and avoid typos because the keys felt light and depressed easily. The M1’s Kickstarter goes as far as to say that average typing speed could increase by as much as 5% on the Marsback M1. I didn’t immediately see such results. My average speed was the same and my accuracy was slightly down, but I could see both, especially accuracy, improving over time.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
And, of course, should you dislike Marsback’s switches, they are hot swappable, making it fast and easy to change your keyboard’s mechanical switches without soldering.
Wireless Connectivity
The M1 has a leg up on productivity in its ability to connect to up to three Bluetooth devices and toggle between them using FN and F2, F3 or F4. I didn’t do a lot of back and forth between PCs in my short time with the M1, but when I did switch between PC to PC, I was able to do so quickly and without issues. The M1 uses Bluetooth 5.1 via a Nordic N52810 chip.
You could also use the M1 with its cable. Marsback even took the extra stepin making the M1 connect via USB-C, which is more common and faster than Micro-USB. However, my prototype annoyingly requires you use hot keys to switch to wired mode.
Marsback opts to pack the M1 with a 6000mAh battery that it says should last up to 2 months with the LEDs off and 12 hours with full RGB. Charging time is pegged at 6 hours. Although, my prototype lacks a power button, which complicates things and is another detail I hope is addressed with retail units.
Software
Mrsback’s M1 uses a 32-bit microcontroller and 128KB of SRAM and will be programmable via Marsback’s software, called Marsback Pro.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Marsback Pro will let users make custom macros, set per-key RGB and store up to 2 onboard memory profiles, which you can activate without software by hitting FN and F9 or F10.
Final Thoughts
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
If you’re a believer in crowdfunding and like the way the Marsback M1 looks, it may actually be a good contender in the increasingly flooded mechanical keyboard market.
For one, its feature set is hard to match. Reliable Bluetooth connectivity across three devices isn’t that common in a mechanical keyboard, let alone one with RGB. Add hot-swappable switches into the mix, and it becomes even rarer.
Compared to other Bluetooth gaming keyboards, the M1’s $159 early bird price isn’t horrible either. The Logitech G915 Lightspeed is currently $250, and the tenkeyless version, the Logitech G915 TKL, is on sale for about $200. The Hexgears Venture also started via Kickstarter and is now available for $160, and the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is $230.
At much above that, though, the M1 will probably have a hard time keeping up — especially if it doesn’t improve on build quality flaws with the final product. Some will also yearn for the option to connect via wireless dongle, especially for competitive gaming. Additionally, we can’t predict how long the M1 will be available at the early bird pricing or its final retail price.
But typing on this keyboard was impressive and distinct, largely thanks to Marsback’s bouncy linear switches. There are possibilities here. Particularly if you appreciate the phrase “moar RGB.”
Samsung’s first Neo QLED is a force to be reckoned with, and the greatest threat yet to the dominance of OLED
For
Superbly bright, punchy and sharp
Exhaustive feature set
Lovely design
Against
Artificial boost to dark detail
Reticence with extreme contrast
Still no Dolby Vision
This year looks very much like the year of Mini LED. The technology, which sees the traditional LEDs of a TV backlight miniaturised in order to increase contrast, is a feature of the 2021 line-ups of most major TV brands, including LG and Philips.
For those brands, Mini LED TVs sit below their OLED models, but for Samsung, Mini LED is its flagship technology (assuming you discount its eye-wateringly expensive new Micro LED sets). The company has developed its own Mini LEDs, which it says are even smaller and more efficient than those of its rivals, and combined them with its existing Quantum Dot tech to create a range of premium TVs that it calls Neo QLEDs.
The QE65QN95A is the first Neo QLED we’ve tested. It’s the top 4K model in Samsung’s 2021 range, and it purports to offer a huge upgrade on last year’s equivalent without any increase in price.
This is the model that Samsung is pitching against LG’s incredibly popular C-class OLED, the 2021 version of which (the C1) we have yet to review. When it does appear, the C1 is going to have its work cut out because the Samsung QN95A is the best QLED there’s ever been, and that makes it a serious challenger to even the best OLEDs.
Pricing
The Samsung QE65QN95A is priced at £2999 – exactly the same price its predecessor, the QE65Q95T, launched at, despite this new model representing what appears to be a serious technological upgrade.
The QN95A is exclusive to Europe. US buyers instead get the QN90A, which does without the QN95A’s One Connect box and has just one HDMI 2.1 socket (the QN95A has four). Confusingly, the US QN90A is different to the European QN90A, which is more heavily downgraded. Apparently, Europe will in fact get an as-yet-unannounced model called the QN94A, which will be the same as the US’s QN90A.
If you’ve completely lost track, it’s no surprise. It feels as though Samsung has gone out of its way to make its model structure even less coherent than it was in 2020. Sony, meanwhile, is putting a concerted effort into unifying its model numbers across all regions, and LG has been doing that for years, at least in terms of its OLEDs.
Build
(Image credit: Future)
Besides the benefits in terms of contrast, a Mini LED backlight is much slimmer than one consisting of standard LEDs. Samsung has also worked hard to reduce the distance between the backlight and the Quantum Dot panel, making the whole display section slimmer.
Samsung QE65QN95A tech specs
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Screen type QLED
Backlight Mini LED
Resolution 4K
Operating system Samsung Tizen
HDR formats HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
HDMI x4
USB x3
Optical x1
Of course, a TV also needs to pack in processing hardware and speakers, but Samsung has still managed to reduce the thickness of the QN95A to just 2.6cm, down from the 3.5cm of last year’s Q95T.
That doesn’t make the QN95A as thin as an OLED is at its thinnest point (the LG CX is under 4mm thick here) but its uniform depth measurement means it is much thinner than most OLEDs are at their thickest points (the CX is 4.7cm here) and arguably makes for a more stylish, picture frame-like proposition when wall mounted.
The QN95A also gets the new, redesigned version of Samsung’s One Connect box. The concept is the same – all connections, including power, go into a separate unit that’s connected to the TV via a single cable – but the chunky brick design has been replaced by one reminiscent of a stack of five or six placemats. While this One Connect can be mounted to the rear of the stand of Samsung’s 2021 8K models, it can’t be mounted to the QN95A at all.
Also slightly disappointing is that the cable that runs between the One Connect box and display is significantly thicker and less flexible than that of previous versions. Samsung says the cable has changed in the name of “performance stability and durability”, but we weren’t aware of any issues with the previous design.
While the move to a thicker wire is a bit of a shame, having just one cable running to the display rather than multiple HDMIs and power is still undeniably neater. And, if your set-up means that the One Connect box will be visible in your TV rack, this new version is significantly easier on the eye than its predecessor.
Features
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
The One Connect box also gives the QN95A a more advanced set of connections than other 2021 Samsung models such as the QN90A. It’s all down to the HDMIs: all four of the QN95A’s HDMI sockets are 2.1-spec, while its siblings get just one HDMI 2.1 socket. That probably won’t make a huge difference right now, but anyone planning to buy both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will need more than one HDMI 2.1 socket to take full advantage of both consoles, and there will only be more HDMI 2.1 sources in the future.
Of course, simply having HDMI 2.1 sockets isn’t enough to guarantee support for all of those fancy next-gen HDMI features, but the QN95A offers support for eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), 4K@120Hz (aka High Frame Rate) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). VRR is supported in all three of the formats currently available: standard HDMI VRR, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync (this is the first TV to be FreeSync Premium Pro-certified, in fact).
As is probably already clear, Samsung is even more committed to courting gamers than before, going as far as creating the ‘Game Bar’ – a pop-up menu that gives you quick access to various game-related features and delivers live information on the signal being received, including the VRR format and frame rate. Input lag, meanwhile, has been reduced to under 10ms, which is entirely imperceptible. If you don’t mind sacrificing a little of that speed, you can enable some gaming-specific motion smoothing, although we don’t find that necessary during testing.
Finally, on the gaming front, the HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) setting that was added to Samsung’s 2020 QLEDs via a software update late last year is also present on the QN95A. This is well worth using in conjunction with your console’s HDR calibration settings as it results in a more accurate picture with deeper blacks and more detailed highlights.
Samsung has also long been the market leader when it comes to integrated streaming apps, and the QN95A is just as well-appointed as its predecessors in that regard. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV and Rakuten are all present in 4K and HDR; BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 complete the set of catch-up apps; Now TV and BT Sport are also here; and Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, BBC Sounds and TuneIn mean every major music and radio app is on board, too. In short, there’s no app of significance that’s missing here, and there are loads of niche apps in there too.
There is, though, an HDR format of significance that’s missing – Dolby Vision. While Samsung’s rival HDR10+ has made undeniable in-roads in recent years, Dolby Vision is clearly the more dominant format and it’s very hard indeed to see the power balance shifting. Even if Samsung truly believes HDR10+ is better, it should by now be offering Dolby Vision support as well.
(Image credit: Future)
The operating system is more or less unchanged from last year, which is no bad thing. It’s still the best in the business, slickly getting you to the content you’re after quicker than any rival. One new feature that has the potential to be great is Multi View, which allows you to split the screen in two and watch an HDMI source in one window while you access an app via the other. We could see this could be useful for watching two football games at once, for example, one via your Sky Q box and the other the BT Sport app, but currently the only apps supported in Multi View are YouTube and a wellness app called Calm, rendering it almost useless.
The QN95A’s new remote has a useful new feature, though: on the bottom is a light panel that allows it to be charged via sunlight and even house lights. It works really well – during testing, the remote’s battery level doesn’t drop below about 95 per cent as it constantly tops itself up. That said, the remote does also have a USB-C socket that can be used as a backup charging method.
Under the TV’s skin is a new version of Samsung Quantum Processor, called the Neo Quantum Processor 4K. The big new feature here is referred to as Ultra Precision Light Driving, which involves more precise dimming and a local power distribution feature that sends power to the brightest areas of the picture and away from the darker parts. It also works in conjunction with a sensor integrated into the TV’s frame to adjust brightness and contrast in response to ambient lighting conditions. There’s a new level of ‘deep learning’ applied to contrast enhancement, too.
Of course, the biggest new feature of the QN95A is its Mini LED backlight. Samsung explains that the majority of a typical LED’s size is made up of its protective packaging and light-guiding lens, both of which it has done away with for its so-called ‘New LEDs’. Not only that, but it has also miniaturised the LEDs themselves, to astonishing effect: the new LEDs, packaging and all, are a fortieth the size of their traditional counterparts and look like little more than sparkly grains of sand.
Instead of a lens, this New LED backlight works with a new ‘micro layer’ that guides the light through the quantum dots (which provide the set’s colours). The result is apparently no light leakage or blooming.
Crucially, because the New LEDs are so much smaller, significantly more of them can be packed in, creating more individual dimming zones in the process. While Samsung doesn’t quote official figures for these dimming zones, we understand that the QN95A has just under 800 of them. Last year’s Q95T and Q90T are thought to have had around 120 dimming zones each so, on paper at least, this appears to be a massive upgrade that should have a startling impact on contrast.
Picture
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Kicking off with the 4K Blu-ray of John Wick: Chapter 3, it quickly becomes clear that this is a massive upgrade in real terms, too. Not only does the QN95A go vastly brighter than the OLED competition, in most conditions it combines bright and dark picture elements unlike any commercially available TV before it. As John cuts through the chandelier shop near the start of the film, the warm, piercing light contrasts brilliantly with the rain-soaked streets in the background, with the bulbs and the glass sections of the chandeliers sparkling to a degree that makes the Award-winning Philips 65OLED805 look decidedly dull.
Crucially, this brightness doesn’t come at the expense of black depth, which is close to OLED-quality. If you look closely at a still image, you can see that the top black bar loses a bit of purity as one of the shining bulbs lingers at its edge, but in action, this isn’t noticeable. What’s more, there’s no obvious haloing around bright objects on dark backgrounds, or any other real hint that this is a backlit telly. It’s not totally perfect, but it could be argued that it’s close enough to not matter.
That said, the QN95A is, like its predecessor, a little cautious when confronted by small bright objects in otherwise overwhelmingly black images. During the opening scene of It, Pennywise’s eyes should glow menacingly bright out of the gloom of the basement, but they’re barely noticeable here. As the camera heads through the tunnel towards daylight for the start of the film, it’s clear that the TV is holding back, presumably for fear of introducing blooming, and it makes the image less exciting than it should be.
The same trait is clear in the company logos and intro text at the start of Blade Runner 2049. It could be that Samsung is playing things just a little too safe here, but crucially, these ultra-high contrast images are relatively uncommon, and in isolation, the Samsung’s delivery rarely looks wrong. It’s only in a side-by-side comparison with one of the punchier 2020 OLEDs that this reticence becomes clear.
The only other slight flaw in the QN95A’s delivery is regarding the balance of dark detail and black depth. Not that the TV isn’t capable of both, but we struggle to find the perfect balance. There’s a dedicated Shadow Detail setting that does exactly that but it also somewhat washes out the image. Switching the Contrast Enhancer to High, meanwhile, reveals so much dark detail that it feels as though artificial light is being added to some dark scenes.
We’ve always appreciated Samsung’s bold and straightforward picture settings, but for this TV, a Contrast Enhancer setting between Low and High might have proved perfect. As it is, you have to trade just a bit of dark detail to get inky blacks, or have slightly artificially boosted shadow detail.
Ultimately, though, the QN95A is a stunning performer overall. It’s so dynamic and vibrant that it makes its rivals look flat and boring. Whites, in particular, are incredibly pure and punchy, from John Wick’s shirt to the fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling of the first-floor armoury above the chandelier shop.
(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)
Colours are incredibly lush, too, but also natural and controlled – as long as you tone down the Colour setting just a bit. It’s the perfect foil for the comic book-style exaggeration of John Wick 3, pumping up the pink of the shirts of the call centre staff and bringing the Marrakesh market to life with its varied and vibrant hues.
Switch to 1917 and the vibrancy is tempered by a slightly unexpected degree of naturalism. Some TVs we’ve reviewed have, in their quest for vibrancy, pushed the green fields at the film’s start from verdant to lurid, but the QN95A doesn’t fall into this trap and the film is delivered with both punch and poise.
The same effortless balance is applied in regards to detail and sharpness, too. Where some TVs, including previous Samsung models, can over-sharpen edges and details, giving everything an artificially etched look, the QN95A ensures that everything is crisp and clearly defined without any of that exaggeration. The detail is all there, but it isn’t rammed down your throat, and that’s the way it should be.
In 2020, Samsung took a big step forward in terms of motion processing, and it’s good to see that that balance of smoothness and naturalism continues into 2021. Again, you need to select the right setting: the default Auto setting is forced and unpleasant, but switching to Custom and setting Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction to 10 and 3 respectively keeps motion controlled without adding fizz around fast movement or any of the dreaded soap opera effect.
Switching from 4K to 1080p with the Looper Blu-ray, it becomes clear that this Samsung takes a surprisingly subtle approach to SDR content. While many TVs attempt to give SDR content an HDR sheen, the QN95A opts instead for subtlety. Compared with the Philips OLED805, the Samsung’s image is less dynamic and instantly exciting, but also more nuanced in its shading and a fair bit more detailed. Both approaches have their merits, but Samsung’s feels more authentic.
The same relative characteristics are present as we switch to our trusty Dirty Harry DVD. While the Samsung is once again less punchy in its delivery, it’s subtler and cleaner, too.
Sound
(Image credit: Future)
Considering the QN95A’s sound system is essentially invisible, it packs in a large number of drivers – eight of them, in fact – in a 4.2.2 arrangement that Samsung refers to as OTS+ and is rated to 70W. ‘OTS’ stands for ‘Object Tracking Sound’ and refers to the fact that the system is designed to create a sense of three-dimensionality akin to Dolby Atmos. All of which makes it slightly baffling that the QN95A can’t natively play Dolby Atmos soundtracks, although it can pass them out to a connected speaker system (even a Samsung soundbar).
Regardless of the tech involved (or not), the QN95A puts in a solid audio performance that’s clear, direct and punchy but with good weight and openness. It delivers a strong sense of space and atmosphere while ensuring that dialogue and effects are presented clearly. Detail levels are high by the standards of an integrated sound system, too.
That said, the QN95A’s speakers struggle with the super-deep bass at the start of chapter 2 of Blade Runner 2049, with its woofers flapping uncomfortably. This is far from the only TV to have problems here – LG’s CX OLEDs suffer at least as badly – but it’s a shame all the same. Still, we would always recommend partnering a TV as impressive as this with a dedicated sound system, and this flaw only reinforces that message.
If you are determined to stick with the Samsung’s integrated speakers, Adaptive Volume is best switched off as it tends to sound quite forced and hard, but Adaptive Sound+ is worth using as it adds spaciousness and a slight sense of cinematic envelopment. Amplify is worth trying, too: it sacrifices a bit of low-level dynamic subtlety for bigger overall dynamics and more punch, making it useful for action films. Standard is probably better if you want to use one setting for all content, though.
Verdict
While Mini LED might not quite be the revolution that Samsung is pitching it as, it’s still a substantial upgrade to an already excellent range of TVs. The overall contrast offered is staggering, and the QN95A combines near-OLED black levels with awesomely crisp white highlights and fabulously vibrant colours, all while retaining an effortless sense of naturalism.
Throw in the best, most app-packed operating system in the business, a delightfully slim design and a full set of next-gen HDMI sockets and this is (a lack of Dolby Vision support aside) as complete a package as can be imagined.
It’s early days for 2021 TVs, but Samsung has thrown down the gauntlet in emphatic style and it will be fascinating to see how its rivals respond.
You could now line up five years’ worth of Surface Pro devices next to each other and it would be all but impossible to tell them apart. Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 7 Plus keeps the same familiar design, which is likely just to satisfy corporate customers who want to standardize their hardware for years at a time. That might be good news for business customers, but for the rest of us who want slimmer display bezels and a more modern design like the Surface Pro X, then the wait continues.
It’s no surprise then that Microsoft is limiting sales of the Surface Pro 7 Plus exclusively to businesses and schools. Consumers won’t be able to purchase this from a store, and it’s really for businesses and schools looking to upgrade older machines.
While I’ve bemoaned the current design of the Surface Pro for a couple of years now, there are some changes inside the Surface Pro 7 Plus that will appeal to many. Microsoft now offers built-in LTE on select models, and the SSD is now removable, much like the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X. Intel’s latest processors also promise better performance and battery life. It’s nearly everything you’d want from a Surface tablet in 2021, but I still wish it looked like a Surface Pro X with an Intel chip inside.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus starts at $899.99, which is a $150 premium on the price of the Surface Pro 7. Thankfully, the base model is now the Intel Core i3 version, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Microsoft has dropped the 4GB of RAM option for the Plus model. I’ve been testing a Core i5 model with 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and built-in LTE connectivity, which is a steep $1,649.99 before you add a keyboard or stylus. The cheapest option for LTE is the $1,149.99 model with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Microsoft offers all 11 models in the classic silver option, but oddly the black version isn’t available with built-in LTE. You’ll also need a separate Surface Type Cover, and the business versions are priced at $159.99.
Overall, the hardware on the Surface Pro 7 Plus is almost identical to the Surface Pro 7. There’s the same 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824) touchscreen with its 3:2 aspect ratio, a single USB-C port, and the regular USB-A port. Microsoft still hasn’t made the switch to Thunderbolt 3 or 4 here, so you can’t hook this tablet up to an external GPU or use many of the Thunderbolt drives and docks available.
The real changes to the Surface Pro 7 Plus can be found inside. Microsoft has moved to Intel’s latest 11th Gen processors, and you can pick between Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 variants. I’ve been testing the Core i5 model, and it has remained cool even when using heavy apps like video or video-editing software. Like other Core i5 Pro 7 models, this has no internal fan, so it’s also silent while working.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 has a familiar design.
These latest processors also include Intel’s Iris Xe graphics. While it’s not enough to turn this into a portable gaming laptop, it does help make the Surface Pro 7 Plus feel a lot snappier in a variety of tasks. Combined with improved SSD read and write speeds, lightweight photo and video editing is certainly faster than what I’m used to with the regular Surface Pro 7.
The biggest new hardware addition is built-in LTE, though. It’s the first time the Surface Pro lineup has included this for a few years, but unfortunately there’s no 5G support. Microsoft is using Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon X20 LTE modem inside the Surface Pro 7 Plus. There’s a dedicated SIM slot at the side of the device, which replaces where you’d normally find the microSD slot.
As England has been in a pandemic lockdown for months, I haven’t ventured outside enough to really push the LTE connectivity to its limits, but I didn’t find it impacted battery life too much in my limited tests. LTE connectivity is a great option to have on a device like the Surface Pro, especially for those who normally work remotely, visit clients, or just want something to replace really bad Wi-Fi connectivity.
The other significant hardware change on the Surface Pro 7 Plus is removable SSDs. This is really designed for commercial users to swap out faulty SSDs or to retain corporate data. The SSD is easily accessible from an access door at the rear of the Surface Pro 7 Plus, and a simple SIM tool will open it up. Microsoft’s reseller network has started selling SSD kits, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options, so there’s even the option to upgrade storage space here. It’s encouraging to see Microsoft make this so easy to do, which makes it far quicker for IT admins to get a machine up and running again.
All of these internal hardware changes also mean that Microsoft has managed to squeeze a bigger battery (46.5Wh to 50.4Wh) inside the Surface Pro 7 Plus. The company now promises 15 hours of battery life, compared to the 10.5 hours on the original Surface Pro 7. I haven’t noticed any drastic improvements in battery life during normal usage, though.
I typically got around seven to eight hours of battery life during my testing, which includes a mix of apps ranging from Chrome, Discord, and Netflix to Adobe Photoshop. If all you’re doing is watching videos, then you’ll probably see closer to Microsoft’s 15-hour promise, but realistically this is still just enough to get you through a regular day of work. I’m still hoping that one day a Surface Pro will reliably hit 10 hours, so I never have to worry about traveling without a charger.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 Plus is only available to businesses and schools.
I’m still a big fan of the Surface Pro, despite the lack of design changes. Microsoft is clearly catering to a specific audience here, and the Surface Pro 7 Plus has been built for businesses. I hope that means we’ll soon see a consumer-focused Surface Pro that mixes everything that’s great about the Surface Pro X with the power and performance of Intel’s chips.
Built-in LTE and removable SSDs are great additions to the Surface Pro lineup, but we’ve still been waiting years for basics like Thunderbolt 3 support. And while LTE is a great option to have once again, it’s odd that Microsoft isn’t including more futureproof 5G connectivity. If you’re using an older Surface Pro and looking to upgrade, it might not look like a lot has changed over the years, but these subtle hardware changes do make a small difference.
Microsoft completely redesigned the inside of the Surface Pro this year to include this LTE support and removable SSDs. I’m just hoping a complete redesign on the outside is on the way. It’s still the 2-in-1 to beat, but the Surface Pro could offer so much more.
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Cinematic first-person view or FPV drones have been a growing trend in the drone industry for a few years. Now the world’s biggest consumer drone maker, DJI, is hopping on that wave with its first FPV drone.
The new FPV (yup, it’s just called the FPV) drone is bundled together with DJI’s goggles and a new controller for the price of $1,299. That price is steep if you’re considering this as your starter FPV drone, but it’s quite comparable with the rest of the drones on the market, which are often sold with controllers, goggles, or cameras.
DJI believes this drone will be suitable for FPV professionals and also newcomers, like myself, who have been flying “standard” drones but are now ready to make that step into the FPV world. I’ve dedicated a large part of my last two weeks to see if it’s able to live up to either of those ambitions.
The FPV has a fixed, super wide-angle camera on the front.
FPV design and hardware
If this review is your first introduction to FPV drones, here’s how they are different from a typical drone. For starters, an FPV drone requires special goggles for full flight immersion. (That’s what gives you that “first person” view.) The camera is usually locked in one position and unlike standard camera drones, it doesn’t aim to stay stabilized and leveled with the horizon. And most importantly, every FPV pilot will tell you that FPV drones are way more fun to fly. And they’d be right. The drones are more responsive in the air and they move at hair-raising speeds. They can also be much more challenging to fly.
For DJI’s first foray into the FPV world, the company is betting on simplicity. There’s no need to know how to build your own drone, calibrate motors, get the transmitters right, and so forth. It really is as “plug & play” as it gets. The drone establishes connection with the controller and the goggles automatically, and you’re ready to fly.
The drone is slightly heavier than most FPV drones due to its hefty battery. That battery is also a big selling point for DJI as it enables 20-minute flight times. If you’re used to Mavics, Phantoms, or Parrots, this would be considered short. But compared to FPV drones, this is a significant upgrade from typical flight time, which varies from three minutes for miniature drones to around 10 minutes for larger FPVs. It’s also DJI’s “intelligent battery,” meaning it discharges after a few days when not in use to maximize its life span and avoid swelling.
The FPV shares the same 1/2.3-inch sensor as the $450 Mini 2, which is mostly a good thing. It won’t match the capabilities of DJI’s more advanced photo and video-focused drones, however.The FPV’s camera performs well in daylight but starts showing its downsides in darker environments by muddying details with lots of noise. The FPV can film 4K at 60fps instead of the 24fps on the Mini 2 — perfect for slowing down footage for those thrilling close calls. And if you want it even slower, you can also shoot up to 120fps at 1080p.
The camera is mounted on a one-axis gimbal and it has a super-wide view of 150 degrees compared to the 83 degrees you get on a Mini 2. It’s so wide you can see the ends of your propellers in your footage, which is great for gauging how close you are to certain obstacles while flying, but it’s not great for the overall aesthetic in your final clip. You can easily remove it in post or apply lens correction in the menu in the goggles, which will also get rid of heavily distorted edges. Part of me wishes there were a better camera here, especially at this price, but I get it — it’s DJI’s first FPV drone and if it ends up being successful, it’s safe to assume we’ll see a more diverse lineup in the future.
The FPV kit comes with the drone, goggles, and controller.
But the biggest difference between DJI’s FPV and most other FPVs is the image transmission. DJI’s FPV drone is relying on digital transmission, which it introduced in the summer of 2019. Most starter FPV drones use analog transmission.
The downside of analog transmission is that it doesn’t allow for long distance flying. But the upside is analog transmission has very low latency, which takes precedence over range. Fortunately, DJI is using its OcuSync technology here, and from my experience over the past few weeks, it’s been great. At a few points, I noticed some sort of interference with the image where I’d have to come to a stop and wait a few beats before I’d continue flying, but for the most part it has been smooth sailing.
The goggles themselves were first introduced in 2020 for use with custom FPV drones along with the DJI Air Unit, a camera for digital transmission. There’s a five-directional joystick on top, a back button, and a record button. The displays have 810p resolution and the preview image in the goggles looks very crisp and detailed, which is important when you need to avoid branches in your flight path. The design gives me a very Christopher Nolan Batman-esque vibe from it. I can’t help feeling like an idiot wearing them, but my colleague Dieter said it looks badass, so I’ll trust him on that one.
Lastly, there’s a new controller that is about half the size of other standard FPV controllers. DJI has also developed an optional $199 motion controller, which I didn’t have time to test for this review. I am more comfortable with a standard controller at this point, but the motion controller could be a great option for beginners. There is one very annoying thing about both controllers and it’s that neither charge with USB-C to USB-C cables, just USB-A to USB-C; it’s infuriating.
As mentioned, this whole kit will cost you $1,299. Compared to some other options, you can definitely get away with spending a lot less until you feel more comfortable flying FPV. Emax makes some of the best Tinyhawk beginner FPVs, and its kits start at $99. But if you’re at a level where you already feel comfortable flying, I think this price is comparable to what’s out there.
DJI’s FPV drone isn’t exactly portable, but taking the propellers off might help.
Flying the FPV drone
There are three modes you can fly this drone in: normal, sport, and manual.
Normal is similar to how you’d fly any other drone. It has auto-leveling and will maintain its altitude by itself. The speed is capped at 31 mph and it’s suitable for beginners. Sport mode is a simplified FPV mode and a lot faster than normal mode with speeds up to 60 mph. The drone will still auto-level itself and hold its altitude in the sport mode.
Then there is the manual mode, which allows you to do the fun FPV things, like flips and rolls. It can reach speeds up to 97 mph and it accelerates from 0–60 mph in two seconds. In this mode, you have to take control of your throttle and maintain the drone’s positioning at all times. In the FPV world, this mode is called “Acro” and it really takes hundreds and thousands of hours to get comfortable with it.
I want to stress this again: this was my first time flying an FPV drone. I always had an interest in it, especially when I saw what FPV racers transitioning into the cinematic FPV world can do with these drones. DJI isn’t aiming this drone at racers but for people either comfortable with FPVs or trying to make that step into the FPV world but are discouraged by the DIY aspect of it all. That’s not to say you can’t have fun with other modes. In my two weeks with it, I’ve been making baby steps getting more comfortable with manual mode, but I’m fully aware of how much more time I need to invest practicing first.
Instead of showing you my amateurish skills, I decided to hand this drone to Reza Kurniawan, an actual professional FPV pilot, so be sure to watch the video review above to see what professionals are capable of doing with the DJI FPV.
The FPV has obstacle avoidance sensors at the front, but they only work in normal mode. Once the drone senses an obstacle nearby, it will gradually slow down so you have time to react to it. The sensors are a lot less sensitive than what you might be used to if you’re coming from the Mavic series. And they won’t engage in the other two modes, which leads to how I crashed this drone.
In case you lose control or need to come to a full stop, there is an emergency button on the controller, but I didn’t have time to press it, unfortunately. I went around a tree without knowing what was on the other side and clipped one of the branches which sent the drone into a spiraling free fall. I expected the motors to turn themselves off after impact, as a standard drone’s auto shutoff feature would do, but instead the FPV kept “ramming” itself into the ground. DJI tells me that shouldn’t be the case. Hopefully it’s just an early software bug, but it’s a pretty serious one nonetheless.
If you’re like me and wreck this drone, you can replace the following items yourself: the top housing shell, propellers, the gimbal / camera module, and the arms. I had to replace most things myself, except the gimbal and the arm. All of the replaceable parts can be ordered from DJI directly. The FPV kit comes with an extra top housing and extra propellers, which you should definitely keep around. But if you need even more spares, propellers cost $15 each, while the top runs $15. Each arm costs $19 and the camera module costs $129.
The FPV doesn’t fold down like DJI’s other consumer drones.
Overall, the drone feels extremely responsive. For someone who loves the Mini 2 because of its size and how it feels in the air especially in sport mode, the transition to FPV wasn’t actually that daunting. I’m nowhere near the level I want to be, but my initial anxiousness disappeared rather quickly. Too quickly, actually. Switching to fully manual mode brought that anxiety right back.
Despite all that, I have to admit, I’m completely hooked. Every time I walk around the city or go anywhere now, all I can think about is where I can fly this drone and which little nooks I can try to squeeze it through and so on. But I’m hooked more into the idea of flying any FPV, not specifically this model.
The FPV is too pricey for it to be a starter first-person drone. But DJI included some of its best tech in it, which makes it perform very well. It is such a simple system to use and for a newcomer, it is much more approachable than some of the other options out there. DJI is also introducing a flight simulator built into the app (accessible through the goggles), but it wasn’t available during my testing. I strongly recommend any newcomers to spend more time practicing in simulators. There are many available on Mac, Windows, and Steam.
Then there are the standard issues when it comes to any drone: laws in your country; the area you live in and how much use you’ll get out of it; the need for a few more batteries (each battery is $149), which pushes the total price up. This also isn’t really a portable system: it’s big and bulky and oddly doesn’t come with a carrying case, so you’ll want to buy something like a Pelican case for it.
If you have a familiarity with FPV drones, I think you can’t go wrong with the DJI FPV. Whether you like it or not it will largely depend on your preference — do you like mounting a GoPro instead of the built-in DJI camera, or you just enjoy the DIY aspect of it all and want to customize your quads to your liking? For me, it has been an absolute blast to fly this around and, yes, sometimes it’s been sort of stressful. But for many of you, myself included, it might be worth spending a bit more time in FPV simulators before spending too much on the whole kit. Once I feel ready, DJI FPV will be on the top of my list.
Crucial’s range of midrange, portable USB-C SSDs in the X6 lineup has a couple of new configurations starting today: one for big spenders who need a lot of storage, and another for people on a budget. On top of its 1TB and 2TB models, there’s now a 4TB SSD you can buy for $489.95. It’s priced higher than the current cost for two of its 2TB models ($190 each through Crucial directly), but like most SSDs, it probably won’t take long for it to fall lower than its original asking price. As for the budget-friendly option, you can snag a 500GB model for $69.95.
Back to the 4TB model, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better price on this much storage in a more compact SSD, which could make it a great option for people with large photo or video libraries who don’t want to juggle multiple drives. It could also be a convenient solution for storing all of your PS4 or Xbox One games on for easy access when it’s connected to a PS5 or Xbox Series X / S. It’s listed as being compatible with Windows 10, macOS, Android, and with consoles.
While Crucial has the competition beat on fitting in more storage (and for its claim of surviving drops on carpet of up to 6.5 feet), it isn’t the fastest portable SSD on the market. It claims up to 800MB/s read speeds for the 4TB model, but lesser capacities offer just 540MB/s sequential read speeds. If you want something faster, Crucial’s high-end X8 portable SSDs that are also drop-proof offer sequential read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 1,000MB/s, but for a hearty boost in price. Western Digital’s latest My Passport portable SSD and Samsung’s T7 also provide these speeds, though Samsung has the advantage with the T7’s thinner size.
The dream of a USB-C iPhone may be dead, according to the latest research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The company reportedly has no plans to adopt USB-C on future iPhone devices or integrate a Touch ID sensor into the power button (two technologies that exist on Apple’s iPad hardware, like the 2020 iPad Air).
The report, obtained by AppleInsider, explains the rationale behind Apple’s decision: “We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the MFi business’s profitability, and its waterproof specification is lower than Lightning and MagSafe,” according to Kuo.
Therefore, instead of a USB-C iPhone, Kuo suggests that Apple may jump straight to a long-rumored portless iPhone that relies exclusively on wireless charging — and specifically, Apple’s MagSafe technology — to charge. MagSafe, in particular, would provide a neat solution to both of the concerns Kuo raises: by eliminating ports, MagSafe would be even more waterproof than even Lightning, and Apple still controls the MagSafe standard through its MFi program, ensuring it’ll be able to continue to reap the rewards of licensing fees.
However, Kuo also notes that Apple doesn’t think MagSafe’s ecosystem has reached the point where it can be relied on as the sole charging method for the iPhone. Instead, he predicts that Apple will continue to use its Lightning port “for the foreseeable future.”
Kuo’s report also shoots down another persistent rumor for future iPhones: the idea that Apple might introduce a Touch ID sensor in the power button, similar to the one it offered on last year’s iPad Air refresh. According to Kuo, there’s no timeframe for Apple to add that upgrade either. An earlier report from Bloomberg, however, notes that Apple is testing a Touch ID scanner integrated directly into the display for this year’s iPhone lineup, although whether it actually makes the cut remains to be seen.
The entire report from Kuo contains far more information on Apple’s future iPhone lineup, including a smaller notch and faster refresh rates for this year’s iPhones, rumors of a hole-punch camera in 2022, and a potential eight-inch foldable iPhone that could launch as early as 2023.
Apple’s 2021 iPhones might finally have a smaller notch and, for some models, faster refresh rate displays, according to a new note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He also shared rumored information about other upcoming iPhones, including when we could see a foldable phone from Apple.
Let’s start with the iPhone launching this year, which we’ll call it the iPhone 13. Kuo says the iPhone 13 lineup will consist of the same models as the iPhone 12, meaning that despite reports of poor sales of the iPhone 12 mini, the smaller phone could still get a refresh this year (via MacRumors). The two iPhone 13 Pro models will also have 120Hz refresh rate screens thanks to LTPO display technology, according to Kuo, finally bringing the iPhone on par with many Android flagships’ high refresh rate screens.
The iPhone 13 models will all have a smaller notch, Kuo says, though if you wish that Apple would do away with the notch entirely, you might have something to look forward to in 2022. Kuo reports that at least some of the 2022 iPhone models will move to a hole-punch display, which could be similar to many Android phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup and Google’s Pixel phones (via MacRumors).
However, in addition to a selfie camera, the iPhone’s notch currently contains components used for Apple’s Face ID biometric authentication system, and Kuo didn’t elaborate on if or how this rumored hole-punch display for iPhones could still pack in everything needed for Face ID. And if you’re dreaming of a iPhone with no visible notch or hole punch, Kuo says that Apple may launch a truly all-screen iPhone in the second half of 2023 at the earliest, according to 9to5Mac.
Kuo also says the iPhone 13 devices will still have a Lightning port, will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 modem (which is a step up from the X55 modem included in the iPhone 12), and will have larger battery capacities than the iPhone 12.
There’s also a new iPhone SE in the works that will support 5G and have an improved processor, according to Kuo (via MacRumors). This new SE is expected to have a similar form factor as the current $399 model with a 4.7-inch screen and could launch in the first half of 2022, Kuo says.
Kuo has previously reported that Apple has a larger iPhone SE in the works that uses a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button, which would be similar to the new iPad Air, but it sounds like the 5G-capable iPhone SE may be something different. Kuo said in the new note that “there is no visibility on the current schedule” for Apple to bring power button Touch ID (or, notably, USB-C) to iPhones, according to AppleInsider, leaving the future of this rumored larger iPhone SE uncertain.
Apple is also working on a foldable iPhone with a 7.5- to eight-inch display that could launch in 2023, Kuo says. However, the project seems to be in a very early stage, according to MacRumors’ article about Kuo’s report.
A 2023 launch would be dependent on Apple being able to solve “key technology and mass production issues” this year. He says the product has “not yet officially kicked off,” so it appears to still be in the research stage and previous rumors have indicated Apple could still decide not to proceed with it.
Bloomberg has also reported on Apple’s early plans for a foldable iPhone, saying in January that the company “hasn’t solidified plans to actually launch” the new device.
Apple recently updated macOS to resolve an issue that, according to ZDNet, could result in some USB-C docks bricking specific MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
Apple said that “macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 prevents MacBook Pro (2019 or later) and MacBook Air (2020 or later) models from incurring damage when they are connected to certain third-party, non-compliant powered USB-C hubs and docks.”
Mac owners affected by the bug initially speculated that Apple’s new M1 chip was to blame. The first Macs to feature the chip weren’t released until 2020, however, so the inclusion of the “MacBook Pro (2019 or later)” line suggests that isn’t the case.
But it wouldn’t be surprising if the M1-equipped MacBook Pro was disproportionately affected by this bug compared to its Intel-bearing counterpart simply because it doesn’t offer nearly as much connectivity out of the box.
The most recent Intel-equipped MacBook Pro offers four USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports; the model featuring the M1 chip only has two USB 4 / Thunderbolt 3 ports. Both have headphone jacks, too, and the MacBook Air has the same configuration.
It’s not hard to imagine someone whose laptop only has two ports—one of which has to be used to charge the device—turning to a USB-C dock sooner than someone whose laptop has two more ports. Those cables have to go somewhere, right?
Luckily the specificity of Apple’s release notes suggests that most USB-C docks were safe—only some “third-party, non-compliant powered” accessories were to blame. Docks that were standards-compliant or non-powered shouldn’t have caused issues.
Still, the best way for anyone who owns a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air affected by this bug to stay safe would be to install macOS Big Sur 11.2.2, which is available now.
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is beautiful, bold, and totally functional.
Samsung’s flagship Chromebook is less expensive and better than before
I’ll spare you the suspense: the battery life is good.
It’s not incredible. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is far from the longest-lasting Chromebook I’ve ever tested. But after last year’s Samsung Galaxy Chromebook couldn’t even make it five hours on a charge, my expectations were on the floor. I performed my first battery test on this year’s sequel in an optimistic but nervous state. Finally, several months after the Chromebook 2 was announced, I’m breathing a sigh of relief. To repeat: the battery life is not a disaster, folks. The battery life is fine.
That’s sort of the theme of this machine. There are a couple of standout features, and the rest of it is fine. And I’m very happy with that.
Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook, released almost a year ago, was a high-risk, high-reward play. There were a number of fantastic features, some of which (the OLED screen, the built-in S Pen, the 0.38-inch-thick chassis) were so fancy it was shocking to see them on a Chromebook. But two of its features were significant problems: the $999 price tag (putting the device in competition with the likes of the MacBook Air), and the battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (which isn’t so much a sequel to the Galaxy Chromebook as it is a more affordable alternative) lacks some of the Galaxy Chromebook’s most ambitious features. The stylus, the fingerprint sensor, and the OLED panel have all disappeared. But in their place are all-day battery life and a sub-$700 price tag. In doing so, it makes its case not as a groundbreaking Chromebook of the future, but as a device you might actually want to buy today.
With colors like these, who needs OLED?
From afar, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 looks fairly similar to the Galaxy Chromebook. That’s a compliment — the Galaxy Chromebook’s striking design was one of its biggest selling points. The Chromebook 2 comes in a bold “fiesta red” color, which is a cross between bright red and bright orange. You certainly don’t see Chromebooks of this hue every day, and it’ll turn heads if you’re sitting in public. (You can also buy this in “mercury gray” if you’re boring.)
Pick the thing up, and you’ll start to see where Samsung has cut some corners. It’s thicker and heavier than its predecessor, at 0.55 inches thick and 2.71 pounds, respectively. It’s still plenty light, though it’s a bit hefty to hold as a tablet for long periods. With square edges, it also has a blockier vibe, and the finish feels a bit plasticky and is quite a fingerprint magnet (though the prints are easy to wipe off if you have a cloth on hand).
None of these changes are massive knocks against the Galaxy Chromebook 2, though, especially at this price point. It still looks quite nice, and the aluminum chassis is sturdy. There’s little to no flex in the display or keyboard, and while I saw a bit of screen wobble while typing and using the touchscreen, it wasn’t too distracting. This is where the Chromebook 2 has an advantage over our current top pick, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. That device is bulkier than Samsung’s, quite bland in its design, and has a bit more flex in its keyboard and screen.
The really big chassis downgrade Samsung has made is in the display. The Galaxy Chromebook has a 4K OLED panel that’s absolutely beautiful but, to be honest, not necessary for the majority of people. Instead, the Chromebook 2 is the first Chromebook ever to feature a QLED panel. QLED panels aren’t OLED, despite the name similarity; they’re LED-backlit LCD screens that use Samsung’s quantum-dot technology.
But OLED or not OLED, this is still one of the best displays I’ve ever seen on a Chromebook. It’s gorgeous. Colors were vibrant and accurate, with solid contrast and fine details. This machine is great to watch videos on. It is glossy and kicks back some glare but nothing that was too distracting. The other disappointment is that it’s 16:9 (1920 x 1080 resolution). The Chromebook Spin 713 also has a very nice panel at the roomier 3:2 aspect ratio. But on the whole, the Chromebook 2 looks great. Its speakers sound quite good as well, making for a solid entertainment device all around.
I’ll admit that the keyboard took some getting used to. It’s flatter than some of the best Chromebook keyboards I’ve used, including that of Google’s Pixelbook Go. But it does have a nice key texture with a click that’s satisfying but not too loud. I was enjoying it after a few days into my testing. In terms of ports, you get two USB-C ports (one on each side — bonus points for convenient charging!), a microSD slot, and a headphone jack. The one thing I’d wish for is a USB-A, but I know I’m fighting a losing battle there.
As I noted before, the Chromebook 2 is missing some of the snazzier features you’ll see on more expensive devices (including the Galaxy Chromebook). The most significant is that there’s no biometric authentication on this; it’s password-only, and I do miss the convenience of the fingerprint reader on its predecessor. (If you’re super anti-password, you could, technically, pair the Chromebook to an Android phone and unlock it with that phone’s biometrics.)
Another thing you don’t get is a bundled stylus. The Galaxy Chromebook shipped with a nice pen, which lived in a tiny garage in the chassis. The Chromebook 2 is compatible with USI pens, but you’ll have to store them separately. And there’s no camera on the keyboard deck, something a number of recent Chromebooks have included to allow for easy front-facing photos while in tablet mode.
But while those features are all nice bonuses, they likely won’t impact the average user’s experience too much. And at the $549 to $699 price points, I’m not enraged by their absence.
Pretty chassis with no stylus garage in sight.
You can buy the Galaxy Chromebook 2 with one of two processors: the starting $549.99 configuration includes an Intel Celeron 5205U with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and the $699.99 model (which I received) includes a Core i3-10110U, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
In my first hands-on with this device, I was hesitant about the base configuration. Despite the appealing price, a Celeron with 4GB of RAM is quite an entry-level system, and I generally wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who needs their device to do school or office work. However, I now think there’s one compelling use case for the Celeron model: a Netflix machine. If you don’t plan on using the Galaxy Chromebook 2 as a primary driver but want to take advantage of the QLED screen for entertainment, you can probably get away with the $549 price. (Everyone else should probably spring for the Core i3.)
The Core i3 is a step down from the Core i5, the processor that powered the Galaxy Chromebook. But like an OLED screen, that processor is overkill for many Chrome OS tasks. As I used the Chromebook 2 to send emails, fiddle with spreadsheets, write in Google Docs, stream Spotify, and do other standard work, I didn’t notice any performance issues. I also never felt any heat in the keyboard, the touchpad, or the bottom of the deck. (The Galaxy Chromebook 2 has a fan, which some thin Chromebooks don’t.)
Battery life, as mentioned, is quite acceptable. I averaged 7 hours and 21 minutes of continuous work at 50 percent brightness, sometimes using a mix of Chrome and Android apps and sometimes sticking mostly to Chrome. The Chromebook 2 does take a bit of time to charge, though. It only juiced up to 54 percent in an hour.
Where the system lagged was in tasks that leverage the internal storage. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 has eMMC storage, which is considerably slower than the SSD you’ll find in most laptops. The process of getting a batch of around 100 photos from a camera into Adobe Lightroom just dragged. It took so long that, several times, I considered aborting the mission and hopping over to my MacBook. I ran AndroBench to confirm that the storage was the issue, and the results were… not great. To be clear, eMMC isn’t a huge knock against a Chromebook at this price, but it is a spec I’d stay away from if you’ll need to do anything with photos or other tasks that involve writing files to the drive.
Great for lighter loads, meh for more.
Finally, I think this is my first Chromebook testing period where I haven’t run into any big hiccups with Chrome OS. The operating system itself has been smooth for a while, but I’ve run into all kinds of issues with Android apps (one of the OS’s big selling points) in the past. No major problems here, though: nothing crashed, nothing bricked the device, nothing randomly changed size, nothing disappeared during tablet-mode transitions. That’s a welcome relief.
Your experience with Android apps on the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will vary widely based on the app. I generally used them to keep distractions like Twitter separate from my browser where I was working. Some popular services, such as Podcast Addict and 1Weather, don’t have great browser equivalents, so it’s handy to be able to load those apps through Chrome OS. But on net, I found that the apps I used for stuff every day — Slack, Messenger, Google Docs, Reddit, Twitter, Gmail — were either equivalent to or worse than their browser counterparts. The Android interfaces were generally slower to update and still had some kinks to work out. (You can’t click and drag to highlight in Docs, for example.) Slack also wouldn’t let me clear my status icon and occasionally sent me multiple pings for the same message. And Facebook Messenger occasionally refused to minimize, and also sent me huge dumps of notifications each morning from conversations I’d had on my phone the previous night. If you run into issues with Android apps, you can use the web app versions, which mostly work great.
In comparing the Chromebook 2 to the market, the most prominent competitor that comes to mind is Google’s Pixelbook Go. It offers similar benefits (an attractive design, decent battery life, a portable build) with similar caveats (no biometric authentication, no built-in stylus). But as of this writing, the $649 Pixelbook Go configuration comes with only 64GB of storage and an older Core m3 chip. So while there are reasons certain folks might prefer Google’s device (it has a better keyboard, it’s thinner and lighter), I think the $699 Galaxy Chromebook 2 is the better value among the two. For just $50 more, you get a better processor, more storage and RAM, a brilliant color, a convertible build, and a spectacular screen.
A $549 Chromebook that looks like a thousand bucks.
A more difficult comparison is the convertible Chromebook Spin 713. For $70 less, you can get that system with a Core i5, an NVMe SSD, a better port selection that includes USB-A and HDMI, and a 3:2 screen that’s also excellent. On the whole, Acer’s device still offers better value for the average person. That said, there’s a valid reason some people may want to splurge on the Galaxy: looks. The Spin 713, like a number of Chromebooks that are great on the inside, looks like something that you’d see on a middle school laptop cart. Pared-down as it is, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is still a Samsung device: it asks a premium for hardware that’s beautiful to look at and built to last.
Put the Galaxy Chromebook 2 next to the Galaxy Chromebook, and the former has clearly cut some corners. But it’s cut the right corners. In some ways, it’s the device I’d hoped the Galaxy Chromebook would be: beautiful, bold, and totally functional as well. It’s exchanged a bit of panache for a lot of simplicity. It’s, as I said in my hands-on, “a regular-ass Chromebook.” And I couldn’t be happier with it.
Apple is once again releasing an update to prevent a charging problem from killing MacBooks — this time it’s to fix a problem where 2019 and later MacBook Pros, and 2020 and later MacBook Airs were being damaged when connected to third-party USB-C hubs and docks (via MacRumors).
It’s unclear how widespread the issues are, but a poll on Reddit had 74 out of 221 respondents report that their M1 Air or Pro had failed after using a hub. As with all polls, it’s best to take the results with a grain of salt, but there’s an indication that some people were experiencing issues.
Most of the issues seemed to come from using a third-party dock, and while some of them seem to be from pretty obscure brands, there are a few recognizable ones that are reported to have killed laptops. For its part, Apple calls them “non-compliant powered USB-C hubs and docks” in the new update’s notes.
It’s a large update, but it’s probably best to install it as soon as possible.Screenshot: The Verge
It seems like Apple has been having some issues with power delivery recently. The last update, 11.2.1, was released to fix an issue where some users were unable to re-charge their computers if they drained to 0 percent battery, it issued a recall for other MacBook Pro batteries that wouldn’t charge past one percent, and another recall for “a very small number” of Apple Watches that wouldn’t charge after an update. Hopefully this is the last power bug Apple has to work out.
If you plug your MacBook into a dock or hub of any kind, it’s probably best to download this update as soon as you can, especially if it’s one of those affected models. Oh, and if you see this message, maybe just make sure you’re plugging it in to an official Apple power brick while you do.
This should maybe be done with a first-party power adapter. Screenshot: The Verge
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