Weekly Tech Recap - № 182 - Yoga Book, Predator Thronos, Aibo, safer lithium-ion batteries and Magic Leap One deconstructed

New Lenovo Yoga Book

Yoga Book C930. © Lenovo.

Lenovo has unveiled its second-generation Yoga Book, following up on the first version in August of 2016. The concept is original: the Yoga Book opens like a book, with a touchscreen on the left-hand side (LCD IPS, 10.8 inches, 2560 x 1600) and, on the right-hand side, a touch-sensitive electronic paper display (E-Ink, 10.8 inches, 1920 x 1080). On this surface, you can jot down notes or draw with the Wacom Active Pen. Flip the machine and raise the screen to turn the electronic paper surface into an electronic keyboard with haptic visual and audio feedback: you now have a tiny portable computer that runs Windows 10. The Yoga Book is essentially a hybrid between a tablet and a portable PC. Fun feature: knock on the cover twice and it opens. Battery life is up to 8 hours. The Yoga Book C930 will ship in October for US$1,000 (or rather, US$999.99…), i.e. twice the price of the first generation.

⇨ The Verge, “Lenovo’s new Yoga Book replaces the keyboard with an E-Ink screen.”

Predator Thronos

Predator Thronos. © Lenovo.

At the IFA show in Berlin, Acer unveiled an impressive gaming armchair called Predator Thronos. It looks like a cockpit equipped with a seat that reclines to 140°, and three 27-inch screens providing a panoramic view that wraps around the player for a fully immersive sensation. A control panel allows the player to adjust the angle of the chair, which is entirely motorized, to raise the arm that supports the displays to ease player ingress and egress, and to move the shelf that holds the keyboard and mouse. However, this “gaming throne” does have two problems: first, it’s heavy (220kg) and bulky – you’ll need a large house – and second, it’s probably expensive (the price hasn’t been announced). It is set to launch at the end of the year. Start saving your pennies!

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “A closer look at Acer’s Predator Thronos, the God of gaming chairs.”

⇨ Engadget, “Acer’s Predator Thronos is a cockpit masquerading as gaming chair.”

Aibo available in the U.S.

Aibo ERS-1000. © Sony.

Last November, we celebrated the resurrection of Sony’s dog robot, Aibo, which was killed a dozen years ago. But the new Aibo ERS-1000 was unfortunately only available in Japan at the time. Now, there’s a new development: after selling 20,000 units in Japan, Sony has announced that it will now be selling these puppies in the U.S. At an event at their American headquarters in New York, Sony said that the limited edition will be available to preorder as early as next month, with deliveries slated for the Holidays. The US$2,900 price tag may seem expensive, but it includes accessories like dog toys, as well as other advantages: no need to walk the dog, or buy chow. The new Aibo uses deep learning algorithms to learn its environment; with time and experience, it develops its own personality, which is shaped by its owner. Each puppy’s evolving personality is stored on Sony’s cloud, making it transferable from one unit to another, in case of an unfortunate incident or accident. That’s a bargain for doggy immortality!

⇨ IEEE Spectrum, “Sony’s Aibo robot dog is coming to America.”

Safer lithium-ion batteries

Apple iPhone 7 battery. © iStock.

Lithium-ion batteries have made headlines for the wrong reason: as a fire hazard. Lithium-ion batteries store much more energy than previous chemistries could manage, making them crucial to the future success of phones, drones, electric cars, etc. The hope is to develop batteries with at least the same excellent energy/mass ratio as lithium-ion batteries, less the danger associated with this particular chemistry.

Lithium-ion batteries are made up of one or more cells, each of which has two electrodes covered by an extremely thin polymer film, called a separator, which prevents their coming into direct contact. Permeating the porous separator is the electrolyte, a material—today generally a liquid—that allows lithium ions to move back and forth during charging and discharging. The slightest damage to the ultrathin separator can put the electrodes into direct contact and create an internal short circuit, which can generate enough heat to make the cell catch fire. The heat of the fire may then overheat adjacent cells, resulting in a chain reaction that can easily cause the whole battery pack to explode. Over repeated cycles of charging and discharging, the integrity of the separator can be jeopardized by dendrite build-up on the electrodes. Dendrites are needle-like metal structures that form when the battery is overcharged. Researchers are working on alternative solutions, including modifying the electrolyte, to avoid or at least control the problem. It would seem that adding lithium polysulfide and lithium nitrate to the mixture stops the formation of dendrites, opening the door to the development of truly safe batteries.

⇨ IEEE Spectrum, “Less fire, more power: the secret to safer lithium-ion batteries.”

Magic Leap One deconstructed

Magic Leap One teardown. © iFixit.

The notorious Web site iFixit reverse-engineered the Magic Leap One, the new AR headset from Magic Leap. Their report makes excellent, amusing reading for electronics and harware nerds. iFixit concludes that Magic Leap did everything they could to get a product out the door as soon as possible, regardless of final cost (which is US$2,290).

⇨ The Verge, “iFixit’s Magic Leap teardown features super precise engineering and tiny projectors.”

⇨ iFixit, “Magic Leap One Teardown.”