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| PC World - 6 Sep (PC World)Berlin’s annual IFA electronics show isn’t typically a hotspot of PC news, since it follows hot on the heels of the computer-centric Computex in June. Instead, it’s usually more of a mobile and smart home event. But not this year!
Intel used IFA to launch its hotly anticipated “Lunar Lake” Core Series Ultra 2 processors, packing a radical new architecture and seriously improved graphics chops. Not to be outgunned, Qualcomm revealed new 8-core variants of its Snapdragon X PC chips, aiming to bring multi-day battery life to sub-$900 laptops.
The result? A flood of laptop announcements at IFA 2024. With so many notebook reveals crammed into such a short time span, however, the deluge felt a bit same-y at times – but not with the delightfully unorthodox systems below, which lean on surprisingly nifty gimmicks to stand out from the crowd.
Without further ado, let’s get weird.
Read more: The best laptops we’ve tested
Cooler Master’s $7,000 Shark X PC
Cooler Master
Cooler Master
Cooler Master
It’s a mini-ITX PC that looks like a cybernetic shark. Coooooool. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
Cooler Master’s Shark X PC comes with decent internal components, though nothing you couldn’t cobble together yourself in a normal case for around $1,500. But it’s the case that makes this beast of a PC so special. From our coverage:
“But you aren’t here for the actual parts, are you? You want to know about that robo-shark enclosure (well, sort-of enclosure… many of the parts are exposed to open air). It’s designed by Thai artist and PC modder Inony, with a frame that poses the “shark” in a leaping stature about three feet high. Note the MasterLiquid 120 Atmos AIO cooler, with cables that look like teeth coming off of the motherboard.”
It’s over the top and I want one – though for $7,000, you’d think they’d be able to throw in a friggin’ laser beam on its friggin’ head.
Lenovo AutoTwist concept laptop
Lenovo got funky and started doing the twist at IFA, with a new AutoTwist concept laptop that uses AI something something to unfold itself and then automatically twist around to face you as you wander around. Again: coooool.
The Lenovo AutoTwist AI proof of concept in action at #IFA2024 pic.twitter.com/tGQnnynzk8— Chris Martin | ABV (@mrcjmartin) September 5, 2024
But that’s not all! From our not-so-hands-on time with the laptop:
“It’s also voice-activated. You can use the command “Hi Twist” followed by “open lid,” “laptop mode,” and “tablet mode,” and the display will move to the correct position without you lifting a finger. Furthermore, it will also close automatically if you leave the laptop unattended, so someone doesn’t steal that amazing idea you just jotted down in a coffee shop while you pop to the bathroom.”
I can see this idea gaining some serious traction in high-end ThinkPads and ThinkBooks used by execs wandering around conference tables. I’m not so sure this would be a compelling feature for more mainstream uses but hey – it’s rad.
Acer Project DualPlay
Mark Hachman/Foundry
Mark Hachman/Foundry
Mark Hachman/Foundry
Acer’s Project DualPlay lets you have your PC gaming cake and eat it too. This unorthodox concept gaming laptop lets you play with mouse and keyboard, just as you’d expect. But when you need to get your Elden Ring on, pressing a release button pops out the touchpad – which, as it turns out, is embedded inside of a fully functional gaming controller.
Acer says that the wireless touchpad is held in place with an “electromagnetic lock,” and when it’s released the laptop’s speakers also pop out from the sides.
Like Lenovo’s AutoTwist, DualPlay unfortunately remains a mere concept for now, but I could see this being a hit with mobile gamers if the concept ever makes it to the big leagues – especially if Acer nails the controller feel.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Edition
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops rock, and they’ve rocked for years. The new Aura Edition appears to keep the streak alive, blending the latest Intel hardware with an impossibly thin and light design (and that iconic little red tracking nub).
Like magic… Smart Share on the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition at #IFA2024 Compatible with Android and iPhone pic.twitter.com/buw9a7u1iU— Chris Martin | ABV (@mrcjmartin) September 5, 2024
But it’s the cool new “Smart Share” feature (ostensibly powered by AI, because of course it is) that captured our attention. From our hands-on coverage:
“Lenovo’s real party trick here is Smart Share, where you can physically tap your phone on the side of the lid and, like magic, a window pops up with your gallery to transfer your pictures between the two devices.
Rather than something like NFC to trigger the connection, Lenovo says it uses ‘sensor fusion’ with elements like listening for the resonance of the tap as well as the accelerometer in the phone. It then uses a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for the connection. When it works (I was looking at a pre-production sample) it’s almost instantaneous, and importantly works with both Android and iPhone.”
Just look at Chris Martin’s video tweet of this in action above. Simply boop your phone against your laptop and boop, your files now automagically appear on your laptop! It’s a delightful feature that I hope makes it into more notebooks in the future, though it’s an exclusive Lenovo feature in Intel’s Unison app for now.
MSI’s chonky chatty desktop
MSI
MSI
MSI
The MSI MEG Vision X AI is a powerful desktop PC that’s truly thicc – and that sports a huge built-in front panel screen for its dedicated AI-powered chatbot. Here’s our description of it:
“Screens hard-mounted to desktop cases aren’t a new idea, but MSI is pitching this one as a dedicated “Human Machine Interface,” which sounds like marketing speak for that giant spike that goes into the back of Neo’s head in The Matrix. MSI’s version is decidedly less spikey, of course, and it’s really just a dedicated view for the proprietary “MSI AI Engine,” which includes a chatbot that runs locally on the desktop.
MSI’s promotional materials don’t elaborate on what exactly you’ll chat with your desktop PC about, but it can “search documents within your local folders, analyze, summarize, and respond to you based on the data in your files.” That front-mounted display can also do more old-fashioned gaming desktop things, like showing info about system performance and temperature, giving you quick access to RGB color settings, etc.”
Why not simply display that information on your existing monitor? Doesn’t that make more sense? Yes indeed – but then you’d lose the ability for your PC to serve as hulking, party trick-infused centerpiece in your home. And as a wise man once said, anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Further reading: 8 gorgeous laptops dripping with ultimate luxury Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | BBCWorld - 6 Sep (BBCWorld)All you need to know about all the sports that feature at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Read...Newslink ©2024 to BBCWorld | |
| | | Sydney Morning Herald - 6 Sep (Sydney Morning Herald)Australia`s Lauren Parker speaks to Nine after winning two gold medals across two different sports. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Sydney Morning Herald | |
| | | RadioNZ - 6 Sep (RadioNZ)Uganda`s minister of state for sports said Kenyan authorities were investigating the killing, which has shone a light on violence experienced by women in the East African nation. Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | |
| | | Sydney Morning Herald - 6 Sep (Sydney Morning Herald)Lauren Parker has become the first Australian Paralympian to win gold in two different sports at the same Games since 1976. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Sydney Morning Herald | |
| | | Stuff.co.nz - 5 Sep (Stuff.co.nz)Members of the public have about a month before nominations close for the prestigious Sport Taranaki sports awards. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Stuff.co.nz | |
| | | PC World - 5 Sep (PC World)If you’ve been waiting for the best possible deal on an ultrawide OLED gaming monitor, you’ve found it. Woot has a 34-inch MSI ultrawide OLED monitor on sale for just $500 for the next three days (or until stock runs out, and trust me, it’s going to run out).
The only downside to this incredible sale is that this is a “factory reconditioned” (read: refurbished) monitor, so it only comes with a 180-day warranty instead of the usual year-long one.
The MSI MAG 341CQP sports a semi-standard 3440×1440 resolution, which is basically the same as a 27-inch 1440p panel except widened out to a 21:9 ratio. (All the better to spot campers in your peripheral vision.) And with its gentle 1800R curve, impressive 175Hz refresh rate, and lightning-fast 0.03ms response time, it’s purpose-built for gamers from the ground up.
The monitor has a surprising amount of extras, too, including USB-C video with 15-watt Power Delivery (enough for a tablet but probably not a laptop), DVI, HDMI, and two USB-A ports with a software KVM switch. The software also includes various features to avoid OLED burn-in, like auto-detection of taskbars and logos so it can adjust around them. It’s possible to update the monitor’s firmware through the USB port and it also supports VESA mounting for monitor arms.
That 6-month warranty is cause for pause, but this is the cheapest price we’ve ever seen for an OLED monitor of any size, and it’s a solid $200 off the best price for a 34-inch we’ve seen up until now.
And while Woot offers free shipping to Amazon Prime subscribers since it’s a subsidiary, it’s only $5 for everyone else! Get an order in quickly if you’re ready to buy because this one’s going fast.
Get an ultrawide OLED gaming monitor for just $500Buy now at Woot Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 4 Sep (PC World)At IFA in Germany, every laptop maker is strutting their stuff on the conference floor. It’s hard for any one of them to stand out, since most are just refreshed designs with a few internal upgrades.
But a couple of Asus’s latest models caught my eye, mostly because they’re packing solid hardware based on Qualcomm’s Arm platforms at competitive prices.
Asus ProArt PZ13
The ProArt PZ13 looks like Asus trying on the Microsoft Surface form factor — the tablet version, not the various other models.
But this one is marrying some of the best traits of mobile and laptop hardware together. For example, though it’s running on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, it sports a 13.3-inch OLED display with 2880×1800 resolution, something you’d expect to see on a premium laptop.
Asus
Asus
Asus
The flip-out keyboard and kickstand make this thing flexible in small spaces and great for video, but there’s enough power in the guts (up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage) to get some serious work done. I even like the swanky little Levi’s-style tab on the side of the removable kickstand. Asus doesn’t include a stylus, but you do get the keyboard in the box (something Microsoft still charges extra for).
Asus
Asus
Asus
The Asus ProArt PZ13 is a Copilot+ Windows 11 PC with a few Asus extras thrown in, but I’m more interested in the IP52 water and dust resistance and the 1.87 pound (0.85kg) weight, which should let you treat this more like a media-focused tablet when situations call for it. I also dig the full-sized SD card slot — that makes this thing ideal for a photographer who needs a lightweight editing machine on the go.
It’ll start at $1,100 when it launches later this year, which is pretty good if you’re putting it up against a top-tier iPad or Samsung tablet.
Related: The best 2-in-1 convertible tablet laptops
Asus Vivobook S 15
If the ProArt PZ13 is Asus’ take on the Surface Pro, then the Vivobook S 15 is their version of the Surface Laptop.
Though this one’s running on the same Snapdragon X Plus platform, it’s much more of a conventional laptop in form factor, with a 15.6-inch OLED screen and a nearly full-sized keyboard. That screen is particularly noteworthy with its 2800×1620 (3K) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and scrumptious OLED panel (at least on one version of the laptop).
Asus
Asus
Asus
That relatively big screen offers a few extras, such as four USB ports (two USB-C, two USB-A), full-sized HDMI port, and a microSD card reader. You also get a little more freedom with expansion — the RAM (16GB by default) isn’t upgradeable, but there’s a user-accessible M.2 2280 slot for storage. The 70 watt-hour battery is also larger than average at this size, and on this Qualcomm platform it should last for over a day of solid work.
Asus
Asus
Asus
All that and the base model is only $900, which isn’t bad all things considered. Asus doesn’t break down the various upgrade tiers, but its promotional material says that the $1,200 version includes 1TB of storage, plus that 120Hz OLED screen and 16GB of storage. The base model might be cut down on all these points.
Further reading: The best laptops at every budget Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | Stuff.co.nz - 4 Sep (Stuff.co.nz)The bar is the rugby league club’s first foray into hospitality. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Stuff.co.nz | |
| | | Stuff.co.nz - 4 Sep (Stuff.co.nz)The boss of Taranaki Racing insists the club was doing everything it could to help progress the $50 million Tuparikino Active Community Hub despite concerns being raised by council about the impact its unsigned lease could have on the project. Read...Newslink ©2024 to Stuff.co.nz | |
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