Panasonic's Toughbooks may be extra-rugged and modular, but they haven't exactly defined portability. That's about to change, however slightly. The brand has introduced a new Toughbook 40 that weighs over a pound less than its predecessor despite a larger 14-inch display. It's still not svelte at 7.4lbs and 2.1in thick. Still, that's no mean feat given the military-grade outdoor resistance as well as modularity that includes four expansion slots (for extra ports, drives and readers) as well a replaceable battery, keyboard, RAM and storage.
You won't find cutting-edge performance, but you'll still get an 11th-gen Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 2TB of SSD storage, ports that include Thunderbolt 4 and your choice of 5G and LTE modems. The field-friendly design is reflected in the specs, too. The 1080p screen can ramp up to 1,200 nits for use in bright sunlight, and a second battery can stretch the runtime to 36 hours.
The Toughbook 40 will be available in late spring with a $4,899 starting price. That's more expensive than even some other Toughbooks, but Panasonic isn't aiming this machine at everyday users who would buy an XPS 13 or MacBook Pro — it's meant for on-site staff, first responders and military personnel who may need to work in very unforgiving conditions.
If you're keeping an eye out for discounted gaming and streaming accessories, you may want to check out Amazon's deal of the day for Logitech devices. The brand's headsets, mice and streaming gadgets, such as cameras and microphones, are currently on sale for up 52 percent off — and there's less than 20 hours left as of this writing. You can get the Logitech G535 Lightspeed wireless headset for $80, which is $50 less its usual price of $130. The device comes with a USB connector and is compatible with PC, the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. It will stay connected up to 12 meters away from the source and can last for up to 33 hours on a single charge.
If you're looking for an even cheaper headset, Logitech's G435 Wireless over-ear headset is also currently on sale for $50, or $30 less its retail price. The Bluetooth device is compatible with PCs and smartphones, as well as PlayStation and Nintendo Switch gaming devices. It supports Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic to deliver surround sound, and it can last for up 18 hours on a single charge.
In case ordinary wireless mice are too slow and aren't able to keep up with your games, you can pick up the Logitech G Pro wireless gaming mouse from the sale, as well. It typically costs $130, but it's currently on sale for $90. The device boasts pro-grade performance that Logitech says "overcomes the traditional limitations of wireless latency" and has a report rate connection of one millisecond.
Logitech's G920 Driving Force racing wheel and floor pedals are also currently on sale, in case you take your racing games seriously. At $70 off, you can grab a set for $230 instead of $300. It has dual-motor force feedback designed to simulate the real feel of your car and tires, and it's compatible with the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Mac.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
After announcing a refresh of pretty much all its Envy and Spectre notebooks, HP has revealed that it's also updating its mid-range Pavilion line with new components and features. The HP Pavilion Plus 14-inch laptop can be configured with up to 12th gen Intel Core H-series processors and with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 4G discrete graphics.
You can also choose to get it with an OLED display with up to 2.8K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio instead of a standard LCD, which is a first for the Pavilion line. If you do choose to use it for gaming or for other resource-intensive tasks, the laptop's two fans and two heat pipes will help keep things cool.
HP has also refreshed the Pavilion x360 14-inch laptop so that you can get it with up to 12th gen Intel Core U-series processors. The convertible, which can rotate 360 degrees so you can use it as a tablet, can also be equipped with an optional Intel 5G solution 5000 component for built-in mobile data connection. It's HP's first consumer laptop with a physical shutter door for its camera, so you no longer have to tape it up if you're concerned about privacy and security.
Speaking of cameras, both laptops come with a 5-megapixel camera that has HP Presence technology, including AI Noise Removal. They both also come with dual Bang & Olufsen speakers. The Pavilion Plus 14-inch laptop will be available starting on May 25th at HP's website and retailers with a starting price of $799 in space blue, warm gold, mineral silver, tranquil pink and natural silver. Meanwhile, the new Pavilion x360 will be available this summer with prices starting at $599 in space blue, pale rose gold and natural silver.
Whether you’re planning for the back-to-school season, or you just need a refreshed work machine, a new laptop is an expensive purchase that warrants some thought. Despite a global chip supply shortage, companies are still making a ton of new laptops, and there’s still plenty of choice.
Most laptops with top-of-the-line specs can cost you around $1,800 to $2,000 these days. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a good system for under $1,000 — a grand is the base price for a lot of premium ultraportables in the 13-inch category. Then again, if you do most of your work in a browser (lots of online research, emails and Google Drive), then a Chromebook might be a cheaper alternative.
Logitech’s MX Master mice are well regarded for both gaming and office-based pointing and clicking. Its keyboards, however, never commanded the same level of respect. With the new MX Mechanical, though, your next keyboard might be a Logitech one. Sam Rutherford walks us through what it can offer. The MX Mechanical is available today, starting at $170.
Following a pilot last fall that saw AT&T test Google’s Immersive Stream for Games technology to allow its customers to stream Batman: Arkham Knight, the carrier is back with a new game. Starting today, AT&T mobile postpaid subscribers can play Control: Ultimate Edition on their phones, tablets and computers on the company’s Play Now website at no extra charge.
A privacy group called it 'excessive, intrusive and creepy worker surveillance.'
Amazon in the UK will use cameras to record footage from inside vans and out to the road. The cameras detect road violations or poor driver practices and give an audio alert, while collecting data Amazon can use later to evaluate drivers.
The cameras don't monitor the drivers in real-time and won't capture sound but can supposedly upload footage to a dedicated safety team in certain circumstances. They track illegal road behavior, like failure to stop or speeding, and actions like hard braking or seatbelt violations.
'Words with Friends' and 'FarmVille' now belong to Take-Two.
We’ve already touched on EA’s search for a suitor, but elsewhere Take-Two’s billion-dollar purchase of Zynga is now officially wrapped up. Zynga has joined the likes of Rockstar Games and 2K under Take-Two's umbrella. As a result of the deal, Take-Two now has a bigger stable of well-known mobile and casual gaming franchises, including Words with Friends and Farmville.
ASUS has unveiled what it calls the "world's first" 500Hz G-Sync gaming display, the 1080p ROG Swift 500Hz. Designed for competitive gaming, it uses an "E-TN" (eSports TN) panel and incorporates NVIDIA's G-Sync eSports to maximize motion it clarity. It also uses NVIDIA's Reflex Analyzer technology that delivers real-time stats to help you reduce end-to-end latency if you're using a Reflex-optimized mouse and NVIDIA GPU.
The key highlight is the 500Hz refresh rate that draws eight times faster than typical 60Hz displays, ASUS notes. The company is also promising 60 percent better response times than standard TN panels, thanks to the new eSports TN tech. It also uses something ASUS calls an enhanced Vibrance mode that's built right into the monitor's firmware. It's supposed to let more light through the LCD crystals, boosting color vibrancy and "allowing you to pick out details and highlights that might give away an enemy's position," it said.
500Hz G-Sync eSports displays are specifically tuned for competitive games like CS:GO, Valorant, Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege. NVIDIA also announced four new Reflex-supported games: Icarus, My Time at Sandrock, Soda Crisis and Warstride Challenges.
NVIDIA also released a video (below) showing the benefits of higher refresh rates including animation smoothness for easier target tracking, minimal ghosting and improved system latency. It "benefits every game and gamer, not just competitive games and eSports games," NVIDIA wrote in its own press release.
Canon has launched its first EOS R APS-C crop sensor cameras, the 32-megapixel EOS R7 and 24-megapixel EOS R10. The new models bring Canon's APS-C and full-frame RF series in alignment, so you can finally use lenses interchangeably, much as you can with its EF and EF-S DSLR cameras. More importantly, they carry impressive specs like 15 fps mechanical shutter shooting speeds, 4K video at up to 60fps and Canon's impressive Dual Pixel autofocus. Both are reasonably priced, as well.
Canon EOS R7
Canon
The R7 is the higher-end option and has an all-new body with some design features we've not seen on any camera before. Rather than the typical two dials on top and one on back, it has just two. The second dial sits on back but at the top, wrapping around the focus point joystick. It looks like it could work, but Canon has had mixed success when messing with its camera layouts — the touch bar on the EOS R was not a popular feature, for instance.
It has a decent sized grip and weighs in at 612 grams (21.6 ounces), quite a bit more than Sony's 503 gram A6600. Vloggers get a fully articulating 3-inch 1.62 million dot display and a 2.36-million dot OLED EVF, which is sub-par compared to the 3.69 million dot EVF on Fujifilm's rival X-T4. The R7 offers 5-axis in-body stabilization rated up to 7 stops, the best in its category. Other key features include dual UHS-II card slots and both microphone and headphone ports. It uses the same LP-E6NH batteries as the R6 and R5, with Canon promising an excellent 660 shots per charge with the EVF enabled.
Canon
The R7 has a 32-megapixel sensor that's neither stacked nor backside illuminated. However, it is new and not the same as found on other Canon APS-C cameras like the M6 Mark II. Much like that model, it allows for some seriously fast shooting, with 30 fps in electronic shutter mode and a superb 15 fps in mechanical shutter mode — all with continuous autofocus and auto-exposure enabled. You can capture compressed RAW photos for about six seconds (100 shots) before the buffer fills in mechanical shutter mode, or 65 shots at 30 fps in electronic mode.
Autofocus is powered by Canon's excellent Dual Pixel system for both photos and videos. Canon says it inherited the system from its flagship R3, including the new subject-, eye- and face-tracking features (it doesn't have the eye-tracking Eye AF option, though). That means you should see AF performance on par with what Sony offers and superior to Nikon and Fujifilm's systems.
As for video, you can shoot 4K at up to 30p using the full 7K sensor area, which should allow for extremely sharp video, though recording time is limited to 30 minutes due to thermal limits. It can also handle sub-sampled (line-skipped) 4K at 60 fps, or do the same with a considerable 1.81x crop, with no overheating time issues. It can shoot 1080p at up to 120 fps.
You can shoot HDR PQ video if you want to create HDR content, or capture 10-bit footage in the C-Log 3 profile for extra editing and color correction flexibility. That feature, combined with the flip-out display, in-body stabilization and 4K modes, makes the R7 is one of the most capable APS-C cameras out there for video or vlogging.
Canon EOS R10
Canon
The EOS R10 dials the feature set back a bit from the R7, but it's still a very capable mirrorless camera. The biggest difference is in the resolution, with the R10 offering 24 megapixels rather than 32. It also lacks in-body stabilization, so you'll need to rely on stabilized lenses for that. And while it has a flip-out display like the R7, the resolution is lower at 1.04 million dots (the 2.36 million dot OLED EVF is the same).
As with the R7, it can shoot continuous bursts at up to 15 fps with the mechanical shutter, or 23 fps in silent electronic mode. However, the buffer will fill quicker, allowing for only about 30 shots in mechanical mode or about 26 shots in silent mode.
Canon
The body design is different, with a more typical two-dial layout on top. It's considerably smaller than the R7, weighing just 426 grams (15 ounces). The grip is slightly smaller, and there's less space for your hand between the grip and lens.
On the video side, you're not giving up too much. It can also shoot oversampled 4K video at 30fps using the full sensor width, or 4K 60p video with a 1.56x crop. It can capture 10-bit video in HDR PQ mode, but doesn't offer any log settings. It comes with a microphone port, but no headphone jack.
Pricing, lenses, availability
Canon
By using the superior RF mount, the new cameras make Canon's lineup less confusing and should help it better compete against APS-C models from Nikon and Sony. However, it begs the question of what Canon plans to do with its current EF-M APS-C mirrorless cameras. Given the more versatile and future-proof EOS R system, it's hard to imagine that Canon will keep both around.
Canon launched its first RF-S lenses along with the new cameras, optimized for the smaller APS-C sensor sizes. They're pretty basic kit-style lenses that won't exactly set the camera world on fire, but you can use RF full-frame lenses as well. The two models are the $300 RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM and $480 RF-S18-150mm IS STM, with a 35mm field of view of 29-72mm and 29-240mm, respectively. Both can be used on full-frame EOS R models, albeit with a 1.5x crop.
The EOS R10 will cost $980 for the body only, or $1,100 with the RF-S18-45mm lens and $1,380 with the RF-S18-150mm lens. The R7, meanwhile, will sell for $1,500 for the body only, or $1,900 with the S18-150mm lens. Both cameras and the lenses will arrive in "late 2022."
Starlink has launched a new product meant specifically for RV dwellers and those who can't wait to get connected to the satellite internet service. While applying for a regular Starlink dish and service will put customers in a waitlist until 2023, Starlink for RVs is immediately available and will ship out to buyers right now. The downside? Network resources are always de-prioritized for it, and the service costs $135, which is $25 more than a regular Starlink connection.
In other words, the RV option costs just as much as a regular Starlink connection with the Portability feature introduced back in March that allows customers to use the service while they're away from home. A regular connection requires one to have a home service first, though, and that may not be possible for some people. Another difference is that the product for RVs gives customers the ability to pause and un-pause service, so they can control when their billing starts and ends.
Since the network is de-prioritized for the RV service, though, users' connection might be slow and intermittent in congested areas and during peak hours. "Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of the service are not guaranteed," the company wrote in its Help page, clearly making sure interested customers understand that it's prioritizing at-home users. One important thing to note for those looking into the RV option is that they can't use Starlink while in motion at this time. SpaceX chief Elon Musk also added on Twitter that the dish is too big for cars, though that didn't stop at least one user from bolting it onto their vehicle's hood.
Starlink for RVs can be used anywhere Starlink provides service and is ideal for camping and other activities in rural or remote locations where internet access has been unreliable or completely unavailable → https://t.co/tWDPs3JDWKpic.twitter.com/qQrno7nyFs
Teardown of 3S, 6A Lithium Ion Battery Management and Protection Module (BMS) with Schematics, Parts List and Working
In this article, we will be learning about the features and working of a 3S 6A lithium Battery Management System or BMS along with checking out the components and the circuitry of this module. Furthermore, we have done complete reverse engineering of the module by removing all the components from the PCB and measuring all the PCB traces with the multimeter. For testing the BMS and the circuit, we have built a battery pack and we will charge and discharge the battery pack with it.
Street View for Google Maps launched 15 years ago this week, and Google is taking advantage of the anniversary to drop some updates, including a major update to the Street View mapping hardware. The one most people can immediately enjoy, though, is the ability to “go back in time” on Street View using Google Maps for Android or iOS. This feature has been available on the web for a while now, but it’s being added to the Maps app for the first time. Accessing this historical data is pretty straightforward: just get into Street View and tap anywhere on the image to pull up details about the location. After that, you’ll find a “see more dates” option that pulls in all other Street View captures for the location.
Obviously, this will only work for locations where Google has a lot of historical Street View data, so what you’ll be able to find will vary widely by location. Google says that how often it scans areas for Street View depends on factors like how frequently the area changes, how popular it is and how difficult it is to get to. Street View first launched in San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami and Denver, so those places will have the oldest historical data for the curious.
For those interested in the hardware Google uses to get Street View data, the company is announcing a big update to its camera system. Google says that the new camera (pictured above) has all the resolution and processing capabilities that are in the full Street View car, but it’s a 15-pound device that is “roughly the size of a house cat.” The company hopes this will make it easier to get data from under-mapped areas of the world; one example of such a place Google gave was the Amazon jungle.
A camera system this small, relatively speaking, will be a lot easier for Google to deploy in more areas — it can be shipped anywhere and mounted to any type of vehicle. As long as it has a roof rack, Google says it’ll be good to go. Google says that historically, it had to create totally new camera systems to fit whatever area they wanted to capture, but the new camera is modular and customizable.
It’ll serve as the “base” system that can be added to should the circumstances require it. For example, Google notes that the new camera doesn’t have the lidar scanners typically found on Street View cars that operate in cities, but they can be added on when they’re needed. Google says that the new camera system is being tested now and expects it’ll fully roll out in 2023.
Finally, Google is adding four new collections of Street View imagery from some pretty noteworthy locales. The Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan, The Duomo in Milan, Les Invalides in Paris and the Sydney Ferries in Australia (the last one is coming later this year). The Duomo in particular shows off the inside of the largest cathedral in Italy as well as the exterior, while there's a virtual tour available of Les Invalides in Paris. To check these new sites out, visit Google's blog for direct links.
Logitech’s MX Master mice are simply unmatched when it comes to premium productivity (despite what my colleague James says). However, while I like the Craft and MX Keys, the company’s keyboards don’t enjoy quite the same level of dominance. But after testing out the new MX Mechanical, it’s clear Logitech finally has a high-end option to match its mice.
The big upgrade is that, instead of using switches with rubber domes, Logitech's latest offerings feature mechanical switches just like you’d get on its gaming keyboards. In fact, Logitech says they’re actually the same exact switches, with some small tweaks for things like noise and lighting to better suit the home office market. And again just like its gaming keyboards, you now get the option of three different switches: clicky, linear and tactile quiet.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The impact of this is immediately apparent – even for someone like me who doesn’t think rubber dome switches are an affront to civilized society. Instead of slightly spongy keypresses, the MX Mechanical offers crisp actuation with generous travel and zero side-to-side wobble. The keys feature a 19mm pitch to support a more comfortable typing position, and notably unlike the MX Keys, there are fold-out tabs in back in case you need some extra elevation. The main downside is that while the MX Mechanical has low-profile keycaps, the added height of its new switches means it can’t match the sleekness of Logitech’s rubber-domed alternatives.
Over the course of a week, I used all the various models, though I ended up settling on the MX Mechanical Mini with linear switches. (I typically prefer keyboards that use Cherry MX Reds, or the nearest equivalent.) Logitech also dampened the noise of the switches compared to most mechanical keyboards, so you get a softer audible “clack” instead of the muffled “pat” of rubber dome boards. Fans of Cherry MX Blues should opt for Logitech's clicky switches, which have that classic high-pitched tick.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Logitech opted for a 75 percent layout on the Mini, which ditches the number pad, but retains full-size arrow keys along with a handy row of productivity keys on the right for stuff like Page Up, Page Down and Delete. While some 60-percent keyboards feel a little too spartan, the MX Mechanical Mini strikes a great balance between compactness and functionality.
In the process of bringing some of its gamer sensibilities to the productivity world, Logitech also cut out stuff like RGB lighting in favor of a pure white glow. That said, you do get six different lighting effects like breathing, wave and reaction, which adds a bit of pizzaz without becoming distracting. And while some people might hate it, I kind of like that Logitech included the dedicated emoji key it introduced on the MX Keys Mini.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The rest of the MX Mechanical’s features match what you’d expect from one of Logitech’s flagship peripherals. You can use the keyboard wired, or wireless via Bluetooth or the company’s Bolt receiver. (Though, sadly, there’s still no USB-C model.) And thanks to the Options app, it’s super simple to change shortcuts, set specific hotkeys for individual programs, or sync the keyboard with up to three different computers simultaneously. The keyboard even boasts great battery life, lasting up to 10 months on a charge if you leave its backlight off, or 15 days with it on.
Here's how the height of the new MX Mechanical compares to the MX Keys, which features rubber dome switches.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Finally, for those looking to pair Logitech’s latest keyboard with a new mouse, there’s also the revamped MX Master 3S. It features almost exactly the same design and specs as the previous model, except that now it’s available in white and it has a new 8,000 DPI sensor (up from 4,000 on the original MX Master 3). The company says the increased DPI is designed to make it easier to move your cursor quickly across one or more large high res screens, which it does. However, if you already own a regular MX Master 3, that upgrade isn’t really worth buying a whole new mouse. Logitech has also seriously dampened the sound of the left and right mouse buttons – it’s not quite silent, but it is really quiet. Honestly, if anyone gets mad about the MX Master 3S making too much noise, there’s probably something else bothering them.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The MX Mechanical is really just a great mix of gamer specs and a high-end minimalist design that can meet all your productivity needs – whether you’re editing videos or toiling away in spreadsheets. Meanwhile, the new $99 MX Master 3S is a more muffled and even better looking version of what is essentially the best non-gaming mouse on the market. Right now, I can’t think of a better duo when it comes to first-class office peripherals. I just wish the MX Mechanical was also available in white to match the Master 3S’s refreshed paint job, though I’m willing to bet Logitech will address that at some time in the not too distant future.
The MX Mechanical, MX MEchanical Mini and MX Master 3S are all available today starting at $170, $150, and 99, respectively.
