Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 sports an upscale design and a built-in stylus

As one of the leading makers of Chromebooks, this spring Acer is refreshing its lineup with two new offerings in the Chromebook Spin 714 and the Chromebook Tab 510.

Starting at $750 (or $1,100 for the enterprise model), the Chromebook Spin 714 is the more premium of the two, featuring up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and a 14-inch 2560 x 1600 display. And as an added bonus, the Gorilla Glass used on its display includes an antimicrobial coating designed to resist stains and bacteria. At the same time, the screen’s 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a little extra vertical screen space for productivity. 

The Chromebook Spin 714 also sports a Gorilla Glass screen with an anti-microbial coating and MIL-STD 810H durability.
Acer

Meanwhile, because the Spin 714 is part of Intel’s Evo platform, the laptop includes good connectivity thanks to support for Wi-Fi 6E, an HDMI jack and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. As for battery life, Acer is claiming up to 10 hours on a single charge, with fast charging that can add four hours of additional runtime after being plugged in for 30 minutes. And for people who want a quick and easy way to login to their laptop, there’s also an optional fingerprint reader. 

But the feature that sets the Spin 714 apart from a lot of other Chromebooks is its stylus, which features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and has a built-in garage for easy storage. And despite having a flexible 360-degree hinge, the laptop has MIL-STD 810H durability designed to guard against drops and splashes. 

Alternatively, for people looking for a more affordable convertible Chromebook, there’s the $400 Chromebook Tab 510. Instead of sporting a 360-degree hinge, the Tab 510 features a detachable 2-in-1 design powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip. That said, for those wanting to use the Tab 510 as a laptop-like hybrid, just remember its Keyboard Folio Case is an optional accessory. 

The Chromebook 510 features a portable 10.1-inch screen along with a built-in stylus and MIL-STD 810H durability. However, its detachable keyboard is an optional accessory.
Acer

Sporting a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 screen, the Tab 510 is a lot more portable than the Spin 714, and it gets slightly better battery life too, with Acer promising 11 hours on a single charge. And in addition to its front-facing 5-MP webcam, there’s 8-MP camera in back. However, even with its lower price, the tablet also supports MIL-STD 810H durability, along with bumpers on each corner and a reinforced chassis for even more rugged credibility. And similar to the Spin 714, the Tab 510 also comes with a built-in stylus.

In North America, the Chromebook Tab 510 is slated to go on sale sometime in July starting at $400, with the Chromebook Spin 714 arriving slightly later in August starting at $750. 

Android Auto is getting a major UI update

After all the big hardware and software announcements during the I/O 2022 keynote presentation, today Google is sharing some updates for cars with Android Auto and vehicles with infotainment systems based on Android Automotive. 

Detailed as part of Google’s “What’s New with Android for Cars” session, the most important upcoming change is a refreshed UI for Android Auto focused on making it easier to navigate, control media and communicate with others while driving. To accommodate the larger displays in new cars, the company is making split screen view standard across all devices so that you can see directions, music and texts all at the same time. That means you’ll be able to quickly pause a song or see a new message without having to navigate through a bunch of menus and settings. 

To better support the wide varieyty of screen sizes in new vehicles, Google is adding mor
Google

On top of that, Google is also improving support for adaptive layouts that can more easily adjust to the growing variety of displays in new cars. So regardless of if you have a sweeping extra-wide display on your dash or a tall portrait-orientated screen, the Android Auto UI can still show all your pertinent info. Meanwhile, to improve hands-free controls, the Google Assistant is better contextual suggestions for things like returning missed calls, texting arrival times and more. 

At I/O 2022, Google announced that Android Auto is getting support for more streaming video apps with the addition of Tubi TV and Epix Now.
Google

Finally, for owners of cars with systems based on Android Automotive (such as new vehicles from Ford, Volvo and others), Google is expanding your in-car entertainment options with wider support for video streaming apps. Earlier this year at CES, Google announced the ability to stream clips from YouTube, and now the Tubi TV and Epix Now apps will be added soon. Just remember, you can only watch videos while the car is parked, so don’t try to stream and drive. And in the future, the company says it also has plans to let passengers stream content from their phones to their vehicle’s built-in display, though there isn’t a concrete timeline for when that will be available yet. 

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here!

Google teases the Pixel 7 with next-gen Tensor chip at I/O 2022

Ahead of its release sometime later this year, Google just provided an early preview of the Pixel 7 at its I/O 2022 keynote. While the company didn’t reveal much in the way of detailed specs or components, Google did show off the Pixel 7’s design which is retaining the prominent camera bar that debuted on the Pixel 6. For 2022, one improvement for the Pixel 7 is a new frame made from recycled aluminum, which now extends seamlessly across the camera bar.

As before, the standard Pixel 7 will feature two rear cameras, while the more premium Pixel 7 Pro will get a triple camera array. Meanwhile, on the inside, the phone will pack a second-gen Tensor chip designed to enhance a range of features including speech recognition, photos, videos and security. And to top it all off, the handset will debut alongside Android 13, which is slated for release sometime later this autumn.

While the Pixel 7 features a similar design to last year's phone, it's getting a new chassis made from recycled aluminum along with a refreshed camera system.
Google

Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on pricing or an official launch date, so stay tuned for more info as we get closer to the fall.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here!

Google’s Scene Exploration adds reviews and product details to searches in Lens

At its I/O 2022 keynote today, Google provided a number of updates regarding search including a powerful new feature called scene exploration. One new addition is support for Google Lens inside the default Google Search bar, which makes it easier to point your camera at an object and look it up on the web. However, to support more natural search across a range of inputs, the company is looking to enhance multisearch by making it easier to find info about local businesses with the new Near Me feature. 

That said, the big upcoming addition might actually be Scene Exploration, which uses your phone’s camera to condense info from places like cluttered store shelves and then surface it in a more digestible way. On stage, Google demoed this by showing a picture of chocolate bars in a store, before using Scene Exploration to call out additional info like the presence of nuts, user ratings and more. And in the future Scene exploration will even call out details like products that are minority-owned or come from sustainable farming methods. 

As part of its ongoing efforts to promote racial equity, Google is adding new skin tone filters to serarch.
Google

Additionally, as part of Google’s ongoing efforts to promote racial equity, the company is updating image search so that users can filter results based on specific skin tones. This should make it easier to find the right shade of makeup or an outfit that works best for you. And, later this month, Google will also add new real tone filters in Google photos, with Google also making Professor Monk’s skin tone scale available for open source collaboration. 

Meanwhile, in order to provide more context about the web pages you visit, Google is adding a new tab in the Google App that includes a description of the site sourced from both the author and other comments from across the net. 

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here!

Lenovo Legion 7 hands-on: New i9 chips, with bigger batteries to match

Now that the latest components from AMD, Intel and Nvidia are available, Lenovo is updating its 16-inch flagship gaming laptop with more lights, better performance and bigger batteries. And after getting a chance to go hands-on with the new Legion 7, I really appreciate that Lenovo made two slightly different versions to suit people’s needs.

First up is the standard Legion 7, which is more of a desktop replacement-style gaming notebook designed to house the most powerful CPUs and GPUs you can put in a laptop right now. It’s available in either Intel/NVIDIA (starting at $2,449) or all-AMD configurations (starting at $2,059), with Lenovo supporting up to a 12th-gen Intel i9 chip and RTX 3080 Ti or Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6850M XT.

The standard Legion 7 (right) is thicker and heavier than the Legion 7 Slim (left), but it supports more powerful components and has a plethora of RGB lighting.
While both systems have very similar designs, the Legion 7 Slim (left) weighs about a pound less but lacks support for some of the standard model’s top-end components and most of its RGB lighting.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now those are some beefy specs, but the most important upgrade might be the addition of a new 99.9 WHr battery. That’s the biggest power pack you can put in a laptop while still being able to carry it on a plane. On top of that, while Lenovo’s included power adapter is a bulky 300-watt affair, the Legion 7 also supports USB-C power delivery. That means if you want to travel light, you can pack a smaller USB-PD adapter (up to 135 watts). However, it’s important to remember that if you do so, the laptop won’t charge as fast or get full performance when plugged into the wall.

That said, the most eye-catching part of the system is without a doubt all the RGB lighting scattered across its chassis. You get a light-up logo on its lid, a backlit keyboard with optional per-key adjustability, a big light bar in front and a ton of LEDs in its vents. Now I don’t know if anyone keeps track of stats like this, but the Legion 7 may have the most RGB lighting of any gaming notebook.

As its name implies, the Legion 7 Slim is slightly thinner than the standard model.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

While it wasn’t ready in time for my hands-on session, Lenovo says it’s also planning to release its new Spectrum app that’s designed to give users more control over lighting effects, including the ability to sync things with whatever music or videos they’re playing.

I’m not sure I love the system’s brushed metal edges, but I have to give some props to Lenovo for including three USB-C ports on the laptop’s left and right sides. This makes it easy to plug in things like thumb drives, while in back, there’s additional connectivity for stuff you don’t need to fiddle with as often such as power, Ethernet, HDMI and more. And alongside a new 1080p webcam (up from 720p), you also get a dedicated electronic shutter slider on the right for increased privacy.

On top of RGB lighting on its lid and keyboard, the Legion 7 also features color LEDs in its vents.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In general, the Legion 7’s build quality felt good too. There wasn’t very little flex on its lid or deck, and while touchpads are often an afterthought on gaming laptops, this one is both large and responsive. Unfortunately, there weren’t any games installed, so I wasn’t able to get a sense of its thermals or fan noise. But I do like the laptop’s updated power button, which now has a built-in fingerprint reader.

That said, while I respect a big, high-spec gaming laptop (and anyone who wants to carry one around), weighing in at 5.5 pounds, the Legion 7 isn’t a great pick for frequent travelers. But that’s where the Legion 7 Slim comes in. That’s because while you still get a 16-inch display, support for a 99.9 Whr battery and a very similar design, Lenovo increased the Slim’s portability by reducing its max specs a touch, deleting a lot of RGB lighting and trimming down the size of its chassis. The result is a thinner and lighter 4.5-pound laptop with a smaller hinge that’s easier to toss in a bag.

The Legion 7 also has a RGB light bar that runs across the front edge of the system.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Aside from its size, the biggest difference between the standard Legion 7 and the Legion 7 Slim is that the latter tops out with either an NVIDIA RTX 3070 or an AMD RX 6800S GPU. And unlike its bigger sibling, the Slim’s refresh rate peaks at 165Hz instead of 240Hz. The upside is that with the Intel/NVIDIA version of the Slim starting at $1,589 for a Core i5 chip with an RTX 3050 Ti or just $1,519 for the AMD Advantage model featuring a Ryzen 5 6600H and RX6600S GPU, Lenovo’s slightly smaller system is a lot more affordable.

So regardless of what type of gamer you are, Lenovo is looking to give you a few more choices among 16-inch gaming notebooks. And while I’m curious to see how those huge batteries fare in real life (especially when paired with a power-hungry 12th-gen Intel CPU), I really like what I’ve seen so far.

The Intel/NVIDIA versions of the Legion 7 and Legion 7 Slim will go on sale first sometime later this month, with the AMD Advantage models arriving slightly later in June.

Engineer’s USB-C AirPods give a glimpse at a Lightning-free paradise

Ken Pillonel has created some fascinating devices with the world’s first iPhone with a USB-C port and the first Android phone with a Lightning connector. But now Pillonel is applying his expertise to a slightly different category of device with the world’s first USB-C AirPods.

In a new video, Pillonel describes his latest device as a way to combat the frustration of needing multiple types of cables to charge Apple devices. And after taking a pair of stock AirPods, he was able to successfully switch out Apple’s proprietary Lighting Connector for a USB-C port, allowing him to charge the case and earbuds with the same plug you’d use for an iPad Pro or MacBook.

When asked about the inspiration for his latest gadget hack, Pillonel told Engadget that his reasoning was pretty simple. He said “What Apple products do I use every day, and which ones are still stuck with a Lightning port?” However, switching out the jack on an Apple device isn’t easy, with Pillonel saying it was actually more difficult to create a working AirPods case with USB-C than it was to add a Lightning connector to an Android phone. He said “It was harder because I set high standards for how the finished product needed to look.”

Another challenge was figuring out a way for others to replicate his success on their own devices, with Pillonel planning on making the entire project open source in the near future. “I made it so that [the port] is a brand-new replacement part for the AirPods. You just unplug the old Lightning connector, and you plug in the new USB-C circuit,” he said.

From the front, Ken Pillonel's custom USB-C Airpods look identical to unmodded versions.
Front the front, you can’t even tell Pillonel’s USB-C AirPods have been modded.
Ken Pillonel

But in the end, it seems the troubles were worth the effort, with Pillonel saying “It is so satisfying to be able to use only one cable and one charger for all my Apple devices. It really is how it should be.” And in a way, that’s sort of the dream: Having one cable that can recharge or send data to any device, regardless of what kind of gadget it is or who made it.

This issue is something the tech industry and governments across the world have been grappling with for a while. However, thanks to a proposal last year from the EU, it seems Europe may be getting closer to making the dream a reality. And his own way, Pillonel is trying to show the benefits of what having a truly universal port might look like in the real world, saying “I believe that the iPhone will be the turning point in the switch to USB-C. If the next iPhone makes the switch, then we can expect all the other accessories to gradually lose the Lightning connector.”

However, one question that remains for Pillonel is, after successfully adding working USB-C ports to the few remaining Apple devices still reliant on a Lightning connector, what’s next on the docket? He noted that because all iPads (aside from the standard 10.2-inch model) have already made the switch to USB-C, it’s not really worth his time to tackle one of Apple’s tablets. He said “I might do a few other USB-C projects, but there is definitely a long list of other modifications I want to attempt!”

In the meantime, for those looking for more info on how to add USB-C to their own AirPods, stay tuned to Pillonel’s YouTube channel for a longer, more in-depth video coming soon.

AMD is refreshing its RX 6000 desktop GPUs with higher clocks

With the price of graphics cards starting to normalize, AMD has decided to refresh its desktop GPU lineup with the new Radeon RX 6950 XT, RX 6750 XT and RX 6650 XT.

While all three new graphics cards have similar specs as their predecessors (including the same amount of GDDR6 vRAM and number of compute units), AMD has tweaked their game clocks and memory speeds to deliver a small bump in performance. The result is that when combined with new drivers in the latest version of AMD Software (which is also coming out today), the company says its new GPUs should provide between 5 and 13 percent higher framerates compared to previous models. Furthermore, when paired with a late-model Ryzen CPU, AMD claims its new Radeon cards can use Smart Access Memory to boost performance by up to 14 percent in games such as Forza 5 Horizon.

With suggested pricing of $1,099 and $549, the RX 6950 XT and RX 6750 XT are intended to be direct replacements for the outgoing RX 6900 XT and RX 6700 XT. That said, while the two new cards will be available direct from AMD, customers may see higher prices from third-party retailers as the supply of GPUs continues to fluctuate. Meanwhile, the $399 RX 6650 XT will only be available from AMD’s board partners (e.g. Gigabyte, MSI, XFX, etc.) and will exist alongside other entry-level Radeon GPUs like the RX 6600 XT.

The RX 6950 XT is designed for 4K gaming and is expected to compete with NVIDIA’s RTX 3090, It features a total board power of 335 watts, 16GB of vRAM, 80 compute units and a game clock of 2,100 MHz. Meanwhile, the RX 6750 XT is intended to support 1440p gaming while going up against the RTX 3070, with specs including a TBP of 250 watts, 12GB of vRAM, 40 compute units and a game clock of 2,495 MHz. And for entry-level or budget-conscious folk, the RX 6650 XT is targeted at 1080p gaming and looks to take on the RTX 3060 with TBP of 180 watts, 8GB of vRAM, 32 compute units and a game clock of 2,410 MHz.

Finally, rounding out AMD’s latest updates is expanded support for AMD Privacy View across a wide range of systems and a new UI slider that gives more control over image sharpness when using AMD Super Resolution 1.1. And while it won’t be available until sometime later this summer, the company is also announcing that Deathloop will be the first game to support FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 via a public beta patch slated to go live on May 12th.

The new RX 6000 series cards should be available today from both AMD and AMD’s board partners.

Razer Blade 15 review: A real treat if you’ve got the cash

Luxury probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think about gaming laptops, especially with some looking, shall we say extra, with flashy light bars and dot matrix displays embedded in their lids. But with its excellent performance, superb build quality, understated design and a very luxurious price, the Razer Blade 15 really feels like it’s crossed the line into portable gaming opulence.

Design

Now it’s true the 2022 Blade 15 looks almost identical to previous models, which has some folks feeling like it’s in need of a facelift. But even after all these years, I still love the Blade 15’s clean lines and sturdy aluminum chassis. That said, I do wish Razer would add full RGB support to the backlit logo on the lid. I know neon green is sort of Razer’s thing, but on a premium machine like this, it just seems weird you can’t set it to whatever color you want.

The Razer logo on the Blade 15's lid lights up, but you only get one color option: neon green.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Inside, the Blade has a large glass trackpad that’s one of the best you can get on a Windows laptop. New for 2022 are larger keycaps along with Razer’s signature per-key Chroma lighting. Another subtle design tweak is that instead of having a distinct cut-out for the laptop’s up-firing speakers, this year Razer used lasers to etch the grille directly into the deck which improves rigidity while maintaining that minimalist aesthetic. There’s also a new 1080p webcam for 2022, which is a welcome upgrade from the 720p cams on older systems. And finally you get a plethora of connectivity, including two USB-C ports (including one with Thunderbolt 4), three USB-A ports, HDMI, headphone jack, and even a full-size SD card reader.

Display

The 2022 Blade 15 is available with a range of display options, including both LCD and OLED with up to 360Hz refresh rates.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

On our $3,700 review unit, there’s a 15.6-inch 240Hz QHD display, which offers a great balance of size and resolution. I just wish it was a tiny bit brighter. Razer says all of the Blade’s LCD displays are supposed to pump out around 300 nits of brightness. But using a lightmeter, I measured closer to 275 nits. That’s fine for most situations, though if you’re in a sunny room, colors may appear slightly washed out. Alternatively, Razer offers 144Hz and 360Hz panels on other models. And just this week, Razer announced a new 240Hz OLED option, so there’s a wealth of displays to choose from.

Performance and gaming

Moving onto performance, Razer offers the latest 12th-gen Intel H-series CPUs and Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs. The downside is that these components don’t come cheap, with the 2022 Blade 15 starting at $2,500 for an i7-12800H, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 Ti, before topping out at a wallet-quivering $4,000 for a fully-loaded model with an i9 chip, 32GB of RAM and a 3080 Ti.

New for 2022 on the Blade 15 is a 1080p webcam, up from 720p on previous models.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now, I should point out that configs top out at just 1TB of storage. But for those who want even more room, the Blade 15 features two M.2 slots, only one of which is populated out of the box. So if you’re willing to remove the laptop’s bottom panel and SSD cover, tossing in another drive should be pretty straightforward. Just remember to use single-sided modules, because double-sided M.2 sticks won’t fit.

You get what you pay for, though, because the Blade 15 can game with the best of them. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the highest graphics settings at 1920 x 1080, our Core i7, RTX 3080 Ti unit hit 124 fps, which is just a touch lower than the $1,800 Asus Flow Z13, and that’s with its optional $1,400 mobile graphics dock. (That’s a grand total of $3,200 for those keeping count.) Results were similar in other titles too, with the Blade 15 hitting 86 fps in Metro Exodus on high settings, and 81 fps in Forza Horizon 5 on Ultra.

Battery Life

Because of its beefy components, Razer uses a proprietary power jack for the Blade 15 charging brick.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Really, the Blade 15’s biggest weakness (aside from its price) is battery life. On our local video rundown test, it lasted just 5 hours and 42 minutes. That’s similar to what we got from the Asus Flow Z13 (5:38), which if you’ll recall is a PC gaming tablet. But compared to more traditional rivals, the Blade 15 lasted than three hours less than the Alienware x14 (7:57) and four hours shorter than the Asus Zephyrus G14’s (9:45). And in the real world, it’s not much better. The Blade 15 struggled to make it through two games of Teamfight Tactics back-to-back, which entailed about an hour and 15 minutes of relatively light-duty gaming. I should also note that when you’re running off the battery, the Blade’s performance takes a hit too, with framerates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider dropping down to around 45 fps.

Laptop Battery life
Razer Blade 15 (2022) 5:42
Asus Flow Z13 5:38
Alienware x14 7:57
Asus Zephyrus G14 9:45

The other annoyance is Razer’s charging brick. While the proprietary connector is forgivable given its 230-watt power adapter, its right-angle design means if you plug it in wrong, you’re going to block at one or possibly two of the laptop’s USB-A ports. Honestly, high-wattage power delivery over USB-C can’t come soon enough.

Wrap-up

As you'd expect from Razer, the latest Blade 15's keyboard supports per-key RGB lighting.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

While the Blade 15 isn’t quite as sleek or portable as the latest breed of 14-inch gaming machines, there’s something to be said for having a big, luxury alternative. Sure, it’s really expensive, and its 15.6-inch screen and 4.4-pound body mean you might not be able to throw it in your typical messenger bag. But it’s got top-notch components, a strong frame that exhibits basically zero flex, and impressive performance in a slick and (comparatively) subdued design. Well, aside from that big glowing logo.

In a way, the Blade 15 is a fantastic take on a modern desktop replacement, especially for people like me who don’t want to lug around a giant 17-inch rig. Unlike the ROG Flow Z13, you don’t need to worry about a separate graphics dock to get peak framerates. And thanks to a wealth of ports, you can leave all of your dongles and adapters at home. So while the Blade 15 doesn’t make sense for anyone on a budget, if you’ve got the funds, this thing is a real treat.