Weekly Tech Recap - № 276 - Intel NUC M15, Android Messages+E2EE, GeForce Now on iOS, Roli keyboard and Chrome 87

Intel NUC M15

NUC M15. © Intel.

Intel has launched a laptop under its NUC program (Next Unit of Computing). This means that you won’t be able to buy it directly from Intel, nor will it be stamped with the Intel logo. Instead, the NUC laptops will be sold to boutique shops that will equip it with various storage configurations and brand it themselves. As its codename implies, the NUC 15 comes with a 15-inch, 1080p IPS display, available with or without touch. It’s loaded with Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 quad-core processor, 8 or 16GB of RAM, and the GPU is the integrated Iris Xe. Storage options will depend on the reseller. The 73 watt-hour battery should be good for some 16 hours. Fun fact: it has an LED blue light bar in the front that lights up when you work with the Alexa app. Intel says its goal with this computer is to provide a premium-level laptop to smaller companies so that they can compete with the Dells and HPs of the world without having to invest in the level of R&D that those companies have. The company also says that it plans to bring more NUC laptops to market in the future, but that it doesn’t expect to have a full-range product stack like Dell or HP. These laptops should hit the market sometime next year, with prices ranging between USD1,000 and 1,500, depending on configuration.

Vision 15, a NUC M15 with touch screen. © Schenker.

⇨ The Verge, Dan Seifert, “Intel’s new laptop is designed to help small companies take on HP and Dell.”

E2EE for Android Messages

© iStock.

Google has begun rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Rich Communication Service (RCS), the text-messaging standard the industry giant is pushing as an alternative to SMS. E2EE guarantees the complete privacy of messages, even against the powerful National Security Agency. It uses strong cryptography to encrypt messages with a key that’s unique to each user. Because the key is in sole possession of each user, end-to-end encryption prevents everyone else—including the app maker, ISP or carrier, and three-letter agencies—from reading a message. Messaging apps that currently provide E2EE include Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage, to name just three. The beta test phase is starting this month, while rollout will continue into next year.

⇨ Ars Technica, Dan Goodin, “Google is testing end-to-end encryption in Android Messages.”

Nvidia GeForce Now on iOS

© Nvidia.

GeForce Now, Nvidia’s cloud-based gaming service, is now available as a Web app in beta form, which means that it can work with iOS without going through the despotic App Store. The service’s more than 5 million registered users can fire up GeForce Now in mobile Safari on an iPhone or iPad and start playing… Fortnite, the Epic Games game ejected from the App Store! However, they’ll have to arm themselves with patience, since Epic and Nvidia are currently working on a few issues with the touch interface. Microsoft, for its part, plans on launching an iOS version of xCloud next year, while Google has just announced it will be testing an iOS version of the Stadia platform in the next few weeks.

⇨ The Verge, Nick Statt, “Nvidia is bringing Fortnite back to iOS with new cloud gaming web app.”

Learn to play with Roli

Lumi. © Roli.

Lumi is a tiny electronic keyboard with just two octaves and keys that light up to help you learn to play the piano in a fun way. It connects through Bluetooth to a tablet or phone that displays, Guitar Hero-style, the keys you should be pressing, and for how long. The touch-sensitive keys also light up in rainbow colours to act as a musical guide. Lumi comes with an internal battery so you can use it on the go. Should you need more octaves, just connect several keyboards end-to-end, using the magnetic connectors. While the teaching power of this method is debatable, one thing is for sure: Lumi makes playing fun, and quickly takes you past “Chopsticks”. Developed by Roli, the startup best known for its Seaboard keyboards and Blocks beatmaking accessories, the Lumi is going for USD300.

⇨ The Verge, James Vincent, “Roli Lumi review: a portable keyboard that lights the way for first-time musicians.”

Faster Chrome

© iStock/Google.

Google has announced major performance enhancements to the company’s Chrome browser. The first has to do with tabs. Chrome now will prioritize your active tab over the others in the background, “reducing CPU usage by up to 5x and extending battery life by up to 1.25 hours (based on our internal benchmarks).” The browser now launches a noticeable 25 percent faster, and Google claims that it loads pages up to 7 percent faster using less power and RAM than before. As for new features, Google is also adding tab search, which is a godsend for those of us who like to keep an unreasonable number of tabs open at any given time. The update to Chrome 87 is rolling out beginning today.

⇨ The Verge, Chris Welch, “Google’s latest Chrome update delivers ‘largest performance gain in years’.”