Author: batteryforpc

According to recent official reports, Lenovo is working on a new system that will merge Windows and Android systems. According to a Lenovo official, the “Lenovo One” will merge the smartphone-friendly Android with laptop-friendly Windows. Unfortunately, he did not say how the company hopes to achieve this plan. In fact, we do not exactly know what “Lenovo One” refers to but it appears to be a new system for smartphones in the 5G era.

The Weibo post says “PCs large-screen productivity, meet, 5G era smartphones. What kind of world will be #Lenovo One#…Windows and Android will merge into one”

In the recent Lenovo Yoga conference, Lenovo claimed that “Lenovo One” can break restrictions and achieve cross-device connectivity. It can also achieve mobile screen projection, one-button fast transmission and other functions, similar to Apple Airdrop and Huawei Share. However, the company did not say when this system will arrive.

According to the officially released screenshots, Lenovo One supports Bluetooth quick links, and the computer reversely controls the mobile phone to transfer files at a high speed. The screenshot shows the Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G connected to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. As of now, the available information on Lenovo One is still sketchy. We will have to wait and see what the company does in the coming weeks.

As leaked by VideoCardz, it appears that AMD has revamped the packaging for its upcoming Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series (codenamed Castle Peak) processors.

The purported packaging looks like a normal cardboard box that’s decked out with fancy graphics, and the concept is similar to AMD’s packaging for the previous-gen of Ryzen Threadrippers. There’s a huge cutout in the middle where you can see the Ryzen Threadripper logo and a preview of the chip. VideoCardz noted that the packaging is numbered, so this would be a limited edition packaging.

The processor itself seems to come inside a translucent black box that allows you to faintly see the chip that’s housed inside. The box is likely made of plastic, although it would be cool if AMD had used tempered glass as it would certainly add a more premium feel to the product. However, tempered glass would unnecessarily jack up the final price, so we’ll settle on plastic. There’s also a button on the bottom that probably opens the box.

In comparison to the current design for Ryzen Threadripper 2000-series, the new packaging looks more compact. Some might argue that the last-gen’s packaging resembles a lunchbox, but the sheer size does make the processor inside look rather imposing, just as we’d expect from the rumored 64-core 128-thread models. 

Google has added virtual desktops to its Chrome OS, used in Chromebooks, enabling users to create multiple workspaces and switch between them.

The virtual desktop feature is the biggest of several updates. Once the update is installed, a New Desk icon appears in the top right corner of the desktop. You can display virtual desktops full screen or side by side, and drag windows between desktops. These operations can be done with touch, mouse, trackpad or using keyboard shortcuts.

Virtual desktops have been available in Windows 10, macOS and Linux for some time so Google is catching up with these established operating systems.

Another new feature is the ability to right-click a phone number in Chrome and send it to an Android phone. This requires enabling sync between the Chrome browser on both devices.

A printer auto-detect feature means that compatible printers will automatically appear in a printer list without needing setup.

Google’s Chrome OS has moved some distance from its original concept of a browser-based operating system when launched in 2011. The biggest changes were in 2016 when Android app support was added, and in 2018, when Linux application support appeared.

Chrome OS uses container technology to run Android and Linux in order to keep the operating system isolated and protected. With Microsoft taking a similar approach to running Win32 applications in Windows 10X, the gap between traditional PCs and Chromebooks is narrowing. You can even run some Windows applications on a Chromebook via the Wine compatibility layer.

Chromebooks have a small market versus traditional PCs. Chrome OS accounts for around 1.6 per cent of active operating systems, according to Statcounter, up from 1.2 per cent a year ago.

That said, Chromebook sales increased by double digits in the first quarter of 2019, according to Gartner, and the devices are particularly strong in education, where the combination of low price and a locked-down operating system is appealing. In early 2018 Google reported over 60 per cent market share in North America and over 30 per cent in the UK.

Less attractive is that a Chromebook is tightly bound to a Google login, raising concerns about privacy and data collection, and devices lose support automatically after a pre-defined period.

Still, with both Apple and Microsoft also increasingly insistent that you sign into their cloud accounts in order to use macOS or Windows 10, Google’s approach is more absolute but, regrettably, no longer so distinctive. 

The Pavilion Gaming 15 series includes 15.6-inch gaming laptops with midrange graphics chips. The series sits below the HP Omen series. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX GPUs are exclusive to the latter, however. Our test device is powered by a Ryzen 7 3750H APU and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q GPU.

The performance of the hardware matches our expectations: All of the games in our database run smoothly. Usually, Full-HD resolution and medium to high settings can be chosen.

Surprisingly, the battery life is very good. The Pavilion lasts much longer than most office laptops. However, the gaming laptop lacks a Thunderbolt 3 port. HP also only grants users a warranty period of one-year.

More information and measurements can be found in our review of the HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng.

After testing the feature on beta users for a little while, WhatsApp is now rolling out fingerprint unlock to all Android users. It brings biometric security to Android some 8 months after similar options landed on iPhone.

The Fingerprint Lock security feature is available in version 2.19.222 of the Android WhatsApp app, and it gives Android users a security option that is more in line with what is available in the iOS version of the app. iPhone users already have Touch ID and Face ID support, and now WhatsApp says: “today we’re introducing similar authentication, allowing you to unlock the app with your fingerprint, on supported Android phones”.

For now, at least, fingerprints are the only security options available. WhatsApp has not enabled face unlocking for Android users, nor suggested that it will in the future.

Once enabled, the feature prevents other people from accessing WhatsApp and reading your messages. The only way to get into the app is to scan a registered finger. The description of the setting within the app explains: “When enabled, you’ll need to use fingerprint to open WhatsApp. You’ll still be able to answer calls if WhatsApp is locked.”

Touch to unlock

To enable Fingerprint lock, just head to Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock. Turn on Unlock with fingerprint, and confirm your fingerprint.

You can also choose how long WhatsApp should wait before it locks – either immediately, after a minute,or after 30 minutes.