Black Friday 2020 laptop computer deals: Save big on Intel MacBook Air, Gateway, Lenovo ThinkPad and more!

This year has had more people working from home than ever before and so laptops are back in demand. Do you need a new ones? Well thankfully, Black Friday sales got you covered! You'll find a whole host of discounted laptops from Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg and Walmart, encompassing top brands like HP, Lenovo, Apple, Microsoft and more. We've gathered the best Black Friday laptops deals that are available now -- and those we know are coming soon. Be sure to check back; we'll keep this story updated as current sales expire and new deals emerge.

MacBook Air (2020, Intel Core i3): $850

Important to note: This is not a sale on the new M1 MacBook Air, which showed impressive results in our first round of tests. This is the Intel-based Air that was introduced back in March. That means it won't be as fast, and the battery won't last as long. But it will ably run the last Big Sur operating system, and it can be yours for $100 less than the newest model.  

Gateway 14.1-inch FHD Ultra Slim Notebook: $449

If you're of a certain age, then you may recall the Gateway name and its computers that shipped in black-and-white cow-print boxes. Gateway has returned as a line of low-cost laptops and tablets at Walmart. You won't find any of the models on store shelves in their iconic cow packaging; the new Gateway laptops are available online only. This 14-inch Gateway laptop features a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU and 16GB of RAM. You get a 256GB solid-state drive for storage. The storage capacity is average for the price, but the amount of memory is double what is usually on offer. And you get a full HD (1,920x1,080-pixel) display, which is better than the 1,366x768-pixel panels found on other budget laptops. There's also a fingerprint read for easy, secure logins. Three of the four color options are in stock and on sale -- black, blue and rose gold.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7: $1,300

There isn't much that separates the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen series from preceding Gen 7 models. It features a CPU that's now two generations old, but this ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 configuration is deeply discounted with code THINKNOV10. It offers an eighth-gen Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The 14-inch display features a full HD (1,920x1,080-pixel) resolution and is rated for 300 nits of brightness. It's rare to find a ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 model priced this low. Read our Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 review. 

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3: $790

Microsoft's MacBook clone is thin and light with a fantastic touchpad-and-keyboard combo and offers a notable power boost over 2018's Surface Laptop 2. At 2,496x1,664 pixels, the 13.5-inch touchscreen gives you a resolution above the usual Full HD. This Surface Laptop 3 model features a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris Plus graphics and a 128GB SSD. The biggest downside CNET found was a comparably short battery life, but that's less of an issue when you aren't taking it out of your home. Read our Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review.

HP Spectre x360 13t: $950 (Update: Expired)

The 13-inch Spectre x360 is one of CNET's favorite two-in-one convertibles for its premium styling, light weight and long battery life. The entry-level configuration of this customizable laptop features a 10th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris Plus graphics and a 256GB solid-state drive. With a full HD (1,920x1,080-pixel) resolution, the 14-inch touchscreen can rotate 360 degrees into tablet mode. The $200 discount also applies if you add upgrades, and I'd suggest spending $70 to upgrade to a 512GB SSD with 32GB of fast Optane memory, which brings the total to $1,070. Read our HP Spectre x360 13 review.

Lenovo ThinkPad X390 (Update: Expired)

It's not quite as thin and light as the flagship X1 Carbon, and its display is a smidge smaller, but the 13-inch ThinkPad X390 is a rugged laptop built for business. This configuration features the component lineup as the ThinkPad T490 above: eighth-gen Core i5, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The 13.3-inch display features a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and 300 nits of brightness. You can get it for $900 with code THINKYAY.

The Three Best Indie PS5 Games

Gamers, it is time to prepare yourselves for new PS5 games that will be released soon, according to Tech Radar. These new games will be released on PS5, but they first need official confirmation from Sony. It is part of the Indie Initiative program, which is trying to support the indie genre and bring excitement and initiative to players.

Shuhei Yoshida, the head of PlayStation, has recently stated in a PlayStation blog that the aforementioned indie titles will not just be launched on PS5, but also on PS Now monthly, starting with Hello Neighbor.

Yoshida has said that he is pleased to announce this new initiative. Now that there are PlayStation Indies, the team hopes to bring the spotlight onto the best indie games out there, from the ones that get published on PlayStation, and turn the attention to the entire indie gaming community, from a holistic point of view. Their goal is to make PlayStation the best place to find, play and develop the best indie games.

PlayStation’s move is similar to a similar initiative taken by the team while the PS4 was being launched. The idea behind the initiative is to provide players a breath of fresh after playing mainstream games. Below is a list of a few of these games:

Haven

Emeric Thoa, the creative director of the game, said that it will feel like a gentle breeze. It is meant to promote relaxed gameplays and the simplicity of the story, instead of fast-paced action, without being boring.

Recompile

Recompile really strikes a chord during the coronavirus pandemic. It is a new game for PlayStation that enables you to play as a sentient virus. It is set in The Mainframe, an alter-virtual-world, and it encourages players to make difficult choices.

Worms Rumble

For fans of the classic Worms, Worms Rumble is something to look forward to. It is going to be an action-packed revival of the game.

The PlayStation Store Discounts Many Popular PS4 Games to Just $5

Who said that life during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic necessarily has to be boring? Numerous gaming services are trying to make our social distancing a lot more fun, and they’re doing a pretty good job until now. Furthermore, the PlayStation store comes to motivate us even more to purchase our favorite gaming titles, offering huge discounts.

PlayStation 5 will be released in December, and we can expect that the console will be selling like warm bread. Although it will be far superior to the previous PlayStation 4, surely the older console is still worth using. And the ones maintaining the PlayStation Store are fully aware of this aspect, as they now offer a whole list of games for just $5 apiece or even less. Here’s the full roster:

•     Dragon Age: Inquisition Deluxe Edition
•     Contra Anniversary Collection
•     Little Nightmares
•     Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
•     Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: Game of the Year Edition
•     Ruiner
•     The Wolf Among Us
•     Nex Machina
•     Sundered
•     Star Wars Battlefront: Ultimate Edition
•     Rayman Legends
•     The Technomancer
•     Don’t Starve: Console Edition
•     Mother Russia Bleeds
•     Broforce
•     Batman: The Telltale Series: The Complete Season
•     This War of Mine
•     Payday 2
•     Just Cause 3
•     Life is Strange: Complete Season
•     Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Perhaps the most resounding name from the list is Just Cause 3. Being a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix for PC and the usual consoles (Xbox One and PS4), Just Cause 3 is one of the most beloved action-adventure games available out there. As for the plot, the official Steam description says it all:

"The Mediterranean republic of Medici is suffering under the brutal control of General Di Ravello, a dictator with an insatiable appetite for power. Enter Rico Rodriguez, a man on a mission to destroy the General’s hold on power by any means necessary. With over 400 square miles of complete freedom from sky to seabed and a huge arsenal of weaponry, gadgets and vehicles, prepare to unleash chaos in the most creative and explosive ways you can imagine."

Let us know about your favorite game from the list of discounted titles!

Rockstar Prepares a Brand New Open-World Virtual Reality Game

We all should consider ourselves very lucky to be living in an era when Virtual Reality doesn’t represent something Sci-Fi anymore for several years. The technology is used in plenty of games, and more and more companies are trying to figure out how to adapt it for their titles.

Rockstar is one of those companies, and we all know it very well due to mostly the insanely-popular GTA series. But the company has also been in charge of other important open-world games like L.A. Noire, Bully, and more. But now, they want to take one step further and bring a new open-world game adapted for Virtual Reality.

Sydney-based Video Games Deluxe, the offshoot studio responsible for L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, is suggesting that an all-new AAA open-world VR game will by released by Rockstar. Within a LinkedIn post, VGD is looking for a Game Designer, Senior Animator, and a Gameplay Programmer. Here’s what the description says:

"Having finished the critically well received L.A.Noire: The V.R. Case Files we are now gearing up for a new project, a AAA open world title in VR for Rockstar. 2020 marks our 7th year of working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to taking on this ground breaking project."

"We have a number of job openings in our Sydney studio including Senior Programmers, Engine Programmer, Designer and Animator. If you are interested in one of these positions or would like two speak to someone who works here about VGD please get in touch."

There you have it, crystal clear. While we don’t know its moniker yet, time will surely clear all doubts. Hopefully, no serious hindrances will get in the way of the launch. Is anybody willing to bet on GTA 6 going VR mode? Or maybe an enhanced version of GTA 5? Let us know in a comment about what you think!

Upcoming Update for Google Chrome Will Extend The Battery Life for Laptops

We have to be fair and admit that a laptop isn’t always the most comfortable option. Desktop computers are more durable, especially for the fact that you are free to change more damaged parts than you can do for laptops.

A laptop’s battery life can also be a significant hindrance for many, and Google thought about fixing the issue in an ingenious way. There’s no secret to anyone that the good old Chrome browser is burning out battery life for laptops at a high pace, especially if you keep multiple tabs open.

The new update known as Chrome 86 will land in October, and it will significantly save some battery life for laptops. More precisely, an experimental feature from Chrome 86 is expected to reduce energy usage by exploiting tabs that run in the background. The strategy works by putting to sleep unnecessary JavaScript timers and trackers.

If you think that it sounds too good to be true, you must take into account that Google saved two hours of battery during a test with one blank foreground tab and 36 background tabs. And two hours of battery life for a laptop surely means something! However, the results while playing a YouTube video weren’t as satisfying, but the testing phase still managed to save about half an hour of battery life.

Google Chrome offers a whole set of useful features that made it the most popular browser in the world. With over 1 billion users, Chrome offers options like instant translation for entire webpages, the ability to arrange your bookmarks into folders and subfolders right above your screen, and much more. In order to visit your favorite webpages, there’s worth knowing that the access is faster than on most browsers available out there. Furthermore, if you access some specific type of content that you don’t wish your parents or spouse to know, there’s always the option of Incognito Browsing. By this method, there will be no trace of the visited webpages within your browsing history.

TikTok is shut down in some countries

TikTok is a very popular app among youngsters. This app allows users to post 15 second short videos online. Many people are sharing all sorts of videos from lip-syncing, comedy to talent videos. The video-sharing social networking service is even more popular than Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

However, back in 2018, October 26, a rumor about TikTok surfaced the internet, and it spread like wildfire. The rumor was about the app shutting down. But, TikTok’s official Twitter completely denied the rumors. Stange rumor since TikTok is one of the top apps. According to App Annie’s report, the video-sharing app is among the decade’s top most-downloaded apps. And that includes Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype, and more.

The strange rumor came back earlier this year. According to some users, TikTok is shutting down in 2020; again. Let’s find out where all the rumors started and see how it got us to the present.

It looks like the app poses a cybersecurity threat—the reason why the US Army banned TikTok from the government-issued mobile phones. The issues were discovered by the US intelligence officials back in December 2019, who then later came to this conclusion. However, this applies to government phones only.

This is how the rumor that the app is shutting down came to life again. However, no official confirmation followed up back then, and neither a response against those words. But, the app is still one of the top ones.

India banned the video-sharing app as well. However, TikTok is not the only app the country banned. 58 apps are no longer available in India, and that includes many other major Chinese titles. The latest rumors have it that the US is the next to ban TikTok. Australia could be banning TikTok, too, according to some reports. However, Bytedance denied the news.

This Overhauled Version of Google’s Play Store Might Delight Your Eyes

Although looks cannot represent a priority when it comes to the tech world, we have to admit that it has its role in keeping the user glued to its device for a longer time. The Google Play Store has a simple and friendly interface, not to mention the wonderful diversity of the content it offers – apps, games, e-books, and so on.

But there’s always room for more when it comes to tech, and Google employees know it very well. Therefore, they soon overhauled the design of the Play Store, and the outcome looks even more friendly than before.

Although not all Android users received the update for the official marketplaces of the mobile operating system, Google’s overhaul already started rolling out for a part of its customers. The redesigned “Categories” section has the purpose of making the Store easier and more comfortable to use. The newly overhauled section is joined by a refit of the Family and Kids section with larger sections and icons. This is also supposed to allow a smoother and more efficient experience while using the Play Store.

Of course, adjectives like ‘beautiful’ or ‘cool’ cannot necessarily be objective, but you have to admit that the new icons are larger and more detailed than the previous ones. This automatically grants a better and more efficient view, and we can only hope that it will be the beginning of a larger overhaul.

Since patience may be the noblest of all virtues, you should go ahead and take advantage of it. Sooner or later, the update for Google Play Store will become available for you as well if you’re using an Android device. However, our realistic bet is that the redesigned Play Store will roll out more widely in just several weeks.

Apple Acquires Voysis To Improve Capabilities Of Siri

APPLE ACQUIRES VOYSIS – As time progressed, so did technology and the rise of virtual assistants.

With just a simple voice command, you could make calls, search for items, or buy products from the internet. This is where Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant thrived. However, Apple seemed to have lagged behind its competitors in terms of Siri’s natural language comprehension. But, with the new acquisition of Voysis, Apple might make up some ground. Voysis is an artificial intelligence (AI) startup which focuses on creating a platform to provide business with improved AI services. As such, the startup stated they didn’t want to compete with the likes of Google and Amazon, rather, provide services to other businesses.Based on an article from 9to5Mac, Voysis taps into Wavenets. This is an AI-based method for producing human-like computer speech. Furthermore, the technology was first introduced by Google’s DeepMind in 2016.

The astonishing part of Voysis’ history is that they managed to fit the entirety of the system into 25 megabytes after the AI was trained. This made the software much easier to run on mobile devices even without an internet connection. Meanwhile, with the release of Apple’s new iPhone 9 this April, along with their plans to get into the car service industry, an upgrade to Siri would be a welcome sight.

Apple's iPhone 12 might be 'months' late

Apple is preparing for the possibility of launching its next iPhone, likely dubbed the iPhone 12, much later than anticipated.

According to a report by Nikkei, citing sources familiar with the matter, the company has internally discussed delaying the launch by "months."

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has strained Apple's supply chain, but Apple is considering the delay for other reasons, too. One of Nikkei's sources said that Apple's not keen to risk a potential "tame reception" of what would be the company's first 5G iPhone.

Many Apple employees currently work from home due to shelter-in-place orders, which also may affect Apple's plans. Nikkei's sources say Apple might reconsider the iPhone 12 launch timing once those orders are lifted, with the final decision coming around May.

The discussions are in an early stage, sources say, and it's still possible that the phone launches in the fall. But it's also possible that the launch is delayed into next year.

Apple typically launches new iPhones in September, which boosts sales in the holiday quarter, and the company surely won't change the iPhone's launch date lightly. As Nikkei notes, this would hurt not only Apple's revenue, but also millions of jobs in Apple's supply chain. But the worsening coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented situation, and suddenly the impossible seems possible. Apple declined Nikkei's request to comment. It's worth noting that Apple just recently launched a slew of new products, including the new iPad Pro and MacBook Air, without an event of any kind (Apple does a few of these event-less product launches every year). On the other hand, the company was widely rumored to be launching an affordable iPhone towards the end of March, and that event is now almost certainly off the table. Finally, the company's WWDC conference has been turned into a digital-only event.

COVID-19 – the disease caused by coronavirus – has so far killed more than 18,500 and infected more than 416,000 people. The outbreak has been worsening in the U.S. in recent weeks, with more than 65,200 confirmed cases and 928 deaths.

Apple buys Dark Sky, leaving Android users out in the rain

The forecast is dreary for Dark Sky on Android. The popular weather app announced Tuesday that it had been acquired by Apple, making it the latest company to come under the umbrella of the tech giant.

"Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy," Dark Sky's blog post reads. "There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone."

While this is just another sunny day in the world of Silicon Valley mergers and acquisitions, it's sad news for Dark Sky Android users. The blog post informs iOS users that there "will be no changes to Dark Sky for iOS at this time." But for Dark Sky on Android, the sun has set.

"The app will no longer be available for download," the post reads. "Service to existing users and subscribers will continue until July 1, 2020, at which point the app will be shut down. Subscribers who are still active at that time will receive a refund."

Dark Sky is a beloved weather app because of its clean interface and detailed weather information (especially in comparison to Apple's Weather app). Moving to Apple's walled garden has prompted a downpour of sadness on social media.

Dark Sky will also be transitioning to shutting off its API by 2021, meaning the services and websites that pull in Dark Sky data may face a torrent of technical issues.

Apple's Weather app could get a lot smarter. But for Android users, it's dark skies ahead.

Fitbit unveils the Charge 4, its first fitness tracker with built-in GPS

If you're in the market for a new fitness tracker, especially since gyms have shutdown due to the coronavirus, Fitbit's new Charge 4 might be of interest.

Its design isn't revolutionary compared to its predecessor, the Charge 3. In fact, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you placed both of them right next to each other. It has a touchscreen display, inductive button for navigation (rather than a traditional button, this one dips into the side of the tracker and vibrates when triggered), and a sleek swim-proof case.

But the major improvements are under the hood.


For starters, Fitbit has finally added built-in GPS to its fitness trackers — a feature that was previously reserved for its pricier, more feature-packed smartwatches. Another new addition is its Spotify integration, which lets you control music right from the device.


Fitbit also added Active Zone Minutes, an entirely new metric which tracks your effort throughout each workout based on your heart rate zones.


For those of you concerned with battery life, the Charge 4 still boasts a week's worth of juice. But of course, that's all dependent on how much you use it.


Currently on pre-order for US$149.95, the new addition to the Charge lineup officially goes on sale starting April 13. Unlike its predecessors which require tethering to a phone's GPS in order to log metrics, the Charge 4 relies on built-in GPS. Effectively, it means the tracker is likely to log your distance a lot more accurately.

No more tethering to your phone, sort of 

After using GPS to track a workout, you can sync the Charge 4 to your Fitbit app to view a heat map. This provides you with a visual of how intense your workout was based on your heart rate zones (i.e., fat burn, cardio and peak) along your route. That way, you can identify where to improve performance based on different terrain.


Unfortunately, the tracker doesn't come with on-board music storage. So, if music is essential to your outdoor runs or bike rides, then you'll still have to take your phone with you. That said, the device does come equipped with Spotify music controls. Using the Charge 4, you can skip or shuffle songs, select music from recent playlists, and "like" songs right from the display. But, again, that's only as long as your phone is nearby and tethered.


I know what you're thinking: All of this sounds like it drains the battery fast. But the Charge 4 lives up to Fitbit's reputation for lasting battery life with a rating of up to seven days on a single charge. With GPS always-on (for instances where you're going on a hike or a long run), however, you'll only get about five hours.

A new way to measure your workouts

To help get your blood pumpin' a little more during exercise, Fitbit has introduced a new feature called Active Zone Minutes.

Essentially, it uses your heart rate zones to track your effort during energizing workouts like HIIT (high-intensity interval training) or even Zumba. You'll earn credit for each minute of moderate activity that you're in the fat burn zone and double the credit for activities where you're in the cardio and peak zones.

Each time you switch zones, the Charge 4 will alert you in real time so that you can decide whether you want to push yourself harder or slow it down a bit. After each workout, you'll be able to see a summary of your Active Zone Minutes along with how many you need to reach your specific goals per week.

Of course, since everyone's threshold for entering these zones varies, your heart rate zones are determined based on your age and resting heart rate. As your resting heart rate changes, your target zones will automatically adjust to help you better understand how your body is responding to your workouts.

By default, the daily goal on the Charge 4 is set to 22 moderate minutes or 11 vigorous minutes per day. But you can customize the metrics if you'd like to push yourself a bit harder or even a little less.

Fitbit's recommendations are specifically based on guidelines from the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association, which both advise getting 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.

It's a similar concept to Google Fit, which uses "Move Minutes" and "Heart Points" to track activity. While Move Minutes are earned for steps, Heart Points are awarded whenever you participate in strenuous activity.

Fitbit says Active Zone Minutes will first roll out to the Charge 4 before eventually reaching all of its smartwatches.

Additional features

Like the Charge 3, the Charge 4 features an SpO2 sensor to measure your oxygen levels throughout the night. This helps to identify patterns in your breathing that may indicate disorders like sleep apnea.

You can also track your sleep stages such as light, deep, and REM sleep. Each morning, these metrics will be used to provide you with a Sleep Score to see how well you slept throughout the night.

Other sleep specific features include Smart Wake, which uses machine learning to wake you at the most optimal time of your sleep cycle, and Sleep Mode to silence notifications and dim the display at night.

Additionally, the Charge 4 comes with smartphone notifications. So, any alerts you receive on your phone, you'll also receive on the tracker.

It also has Fitbit Pay, so you can pay directly with the tracker wherever the contactless form of payment is accepted.

As for its companion app, Fitbit has added seven new programs to the Premium version including beginner bodyweight, intro to HIIT, mindful eating, intro to gym cardio, and more. You'll also soon be able to stream video workouts to help achieve those Active Zones.

While Fitbit Premium normally costs US$9.99 per month (or US$79.99 per year), the company is currently offering users a 90-day free trial.

You know, to help get us through these days of self-isolation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Price and availability

As mentioned before, Fitbit's Charge 4 will set you back US$149.95. In terms of color options, it comes in black, rosewood, and storm blue/black.

There's also a Special Edition model, which costs US$169.95 and comes with a granite reflective case, black woven band, and a classic black band.

You can pre-order the Charge 4 now on Fitbit's site, Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy. Both versions will be available in stores starting April 13, but of course, that all depends on which stores, due to social distancing efforts, will actually be open by that time.

Moto G Power, with massive battery for only US$249, is available for preorder

Motorola made two affordable phones available for pre-order today: The Moto G Power and the Moto G Stylus.

Both are fairly classic entry-level devices with 6.4-inch LCD displays, 4GB of RAM, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset.

The main difference between the two is that the Power focuses on battery life, as it has a massive, 5,000mAh battery. The Stylus only has a 4,000mAh battery, but it does come with a Stylus, and more memory: 128 vs. 64GB (both phones' memory can be expanded via microSD cards).

The Moto G Stylus also has a more powerful camera system, with a triple, 48/16/2-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel, hole-punch selfie camera. The Moto G Power has a triple, 16/8/2-megapixel camera on the back, and a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front. I especially like the fact that both phones have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is something that most flagships these days don't have, even those who come at US$1,000+ prices. Finally, both the Moto G Power and the Moto G Stylus run Android 10.

Those specs are pretty decent for the price, which is US$249.99 for the G Power and US$299.99 for the G Stylus. The G Power comes in Smoke Black, while the G Stylus only comes in Mystic Indigo. The phones will become available on April 16 at a variety of retailers and carriers, such as Best Buy, Amazon, Verizon, Metro by T-Mobile, and Google Fi.

Doctors might have found the most weirdest way to kill cancer cells. It involves sending it to space.

Cancer might be the biggest flaw in the design of human beings. It has claimed countless lives and doctors are still in a battle to rid the human body of these life-threatening cells. While surgery and chemotherapy might stop or slow down these cells, it's persistent and might pop up one day when we least expect it. Years of research have proved fruitless and this time, doctors are trying a new method to get rid of these cells... by sending them into space. According to ABC News, when cancer cells were exposed to microgravity, it died off without any external treatments. Because of this, doctors from the University of Technology Sydney want to send samples into space. They believe that microgravity affects its ability to communicate with each other and their surroundings. Lead doctor behind the project Joshua Chou said to ABC, "When we’re in space, what happens to the body is that your cells start to feel this condition which we call mechanical unloading. "It means that there’s a lack of force because there’s no gravity.

This actually affects how the cells move, how they function and also dictate their survivability.” The doctors have put aside US$200,000 to send live samples to the International Space Station (ISS) next year. In hopes that their theory is correct. The cells will be placed into a container the size of a tissue box and will be sent to space from the ISS. Chou added, "In my head, this is not supposed to be a cure, a golden bullet to cure cancer, but it can work in parallel to existing therapies, drug treatments, and so forth, to help increase the efficiency of the current treatment." Other researches are trying another method to kill these cells. Director of nanomedical center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Vladimir Zharov is working on a laser that can accurately target and kill cancer cells. It works by shooting the laser light at your skin, which will then be absorbed by melanin in our blood. It will heat up and the water around the melanin cells will evaporate. This produces a bubble that expands and collapses. Effectively killing cancer cells in our blood. This process does not harm other cells as they are not targeted by the laser. It might not be feasible to send a human into space as the cost might be too high for the average Joe to afford. But with the use of a microgravity chamber, we could be one step closer to curing cancer, if this experiment works.

Apple’s next iPhone event will take place on September 10th

Apple has sent out invitations for its annual iPhone event on September 10th, where the company is widely expected to announce the iPhone 11. The event will take place at the company’s Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. Although Apple’s invitation doesn’t explicitly say what the company plans to announce at the event, the rumors suggest we’ll see three new iPhone models, and these will act as successors to the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. Two of these phones are expected to feature Apple’s first triple-camera system on the rear of the device, and the successor to the XS could also have a slightly bigger 6.1-inch display (up from 5.8 inches on the current model). Another rumor suggests that these iPhones could support bidirectional wireless charging, allowing them to charge AirPods when used with their new wireless charging case.

Upgrades to battery life and Face ID biometric security, as well as the use of new shatter-resistance technology have also been suggested. Apple rarely keeps its launch events focused on just a single category of products, however. Last year, it announced the Apple Watch Series 4 as well as a software update for the HomePod, alongside its new iPhones. However, as it currently stands, the main products that Apple is rumored to be planning for the end of this year — an all-new 16-inch MacBook Pro, an update its existing non-Touch Bar 13-inch model, and a new iPad and iPad Pro — are the kinds of devices that it doesn’t normally announce alongside its phones. We’ll be surprised if Apple didn’t have some news to share about the range of services it’s currently in the process of launching, though, and there’s a chance we could see new titanium and ceramic cases for the Apple Watch. Naturally, The Verge will be in attendance to bring you the latest news and announcements from California. Be sure to check back for our live blog and details on how you can watch the event yourself.

Microsoft unveils new tablet experience for Windows 10

Microsoft is planning to redesign the tablet experience for Windows 10. The software giant has started testing a new design for 2-in-1 convertible PCs that will keep the user interface more similar to the existing desktop design. Currently, Windows 10 throws you into a more tablet-optimized UI that removes task bar icons and puts the Start menu full-screen when a device automatically switches into “tablet mode.” Microsoft is now walking back some of those changes, while keeping some touch-optimized elements for 2-in-1 PCs. In the new tablet experience, the desktop will remain in full view, with the task bar icons visible and increased spacing between them. If enabled, the search box will collapse into an icon, and the touch keyboard will appear when you tap on a text field. File Explorer will also switch to a touch-optimized layout. We’ll have to try these design tweaks fully to see how many other changes have been made.

Microsoft is testing this with Windows Insiders and has marked the design as beta, suggesting it will change and be shaped by feedback. Still, it’s hard not to see this as Microsoft walking back from a dedicated tablet experience in Windows 10. These new changes will trigger automatically when you remove a keyboard from a device like a Surface Pro, and Microsoft has confirmed that a dedicated “tablet mode” will remain but you’ll have to enable it manually. Microsoft already dropped a large amount of its Windows 8 tablet features that worked well on hybrid devices, and this tweak bring us back to the days of minimal Windows 7 touch improvements. These changes are only being made for 2-in-1 devices, so dedicated Windows 10 tablets will continue to have the full tablet experience that exists in the operating system. Microsoft is looking for feedback either way, and Windows tablet fans will definitely be ready to jump in and test these changes. Alongside the tablet experience changes, Microsoft is now testing a cloud download option to reset and restore Windows 10 PCs. It’s similar to what has existed in macOS for years and for some Surface devices, and it will allow Windows users to quickly reinstall the OS without needing it to be installed on the local disk or having a recovery USB drive.

Plex wants to become a one-stop destination in the streaming wars

The world is about to be oversaturated with subscription streaming services, and Plex wants to be the platform that helps people keep track of everything. The company’s platform has developed a reputation for being a one-stop piracy shop, and now it’s working on offering users the ability to buy video subscription services in the first half of 2020, according to Variety. The move will also see Plex launch an ad-supported streaming service of its own using content from other networks and studios, and it will give people the ability to buy VOD titles. Plex isn’t trying to replace Netflix, nor will it likely carry Netflix Originals, according to CEO Keith Valory. Partnering with companies like Warner Bros., however, that will start to make part of its movie catalog available through Plex, is an entry point. Executives think that Plex’s streaming service will carry “75-85 percent of the content you care about,” according to Valory. It’s unclear just how much of Warner Bros.’ catalog will be available via Plex. The company isn’t trying to fight in the streaming wars, though. Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney, and, yes, WarnerMedia are all preparing to launch their own streaming services in the coming months to compete with Netflix and Amazon. Most companies have ordered a number of original series from high-profile creators or have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on securing the streaming rights to mega-hits like Friends and The Office. Plex is essentially looking to collect all of the streaming services and put them in one place, while also offering small bites of each service’s offerings.

“You shouldn’t have to go to a lot of different apps to get the content to care about,” said Valory told Variety. Plex offers an interesting option to some of the aforementioned streaming competitors. The company has 20 million registered accounts. Teasing people who use Plex with a taste of what WarnerMedia’s HBO Max has is one way to possibly build its own subscriber base. Being able to purchase a subscription through Plex instead of having to leave the app entirely also streamlines the process. It’s unclear how many companies are willing to work with Plex on the service. Netflix is unlikely to, as Variety points out. Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Disney may not want to either. Valory didn’t tell Variety whether other networks and studios were in talks with Plex, but executives at the company said they are considering adding bundle packages for streaming services next year. Plex currently offers a bundle with Tidal’s $20 streaming package for its premium subscribers. The goal is to add other services, like HBO Max, once those platforms launch. Trying to wrangle multiple streaming services and offer them individually to users is an ambitious but ultimately difficult goal. Apple TV currently offers people a collection of individual channels they can subscribe to, but major players aren’t on that list. Hulu, Netflix, and Disney apps aren’t available, and it’s unclear whether Plex executives can convince them to join its platform when Apple can’t — especially considering Apple has a substantially larger customer base. Plex may be able to offer a number of shows, movies, and some streaming services, but whether they’re subscription services people want is the big question. Not to mention that many people might see Plex as a place to watch pirated content, with friends eagerly sharing their servers through group chats. But executives argue that’s not what the majority of its users do. The company has also talked about this with major Hollywood studios. Those conversations might help bring in companies like Disney that could be worried about being associated with an app is notorious for illegal sharing.

New Google Pixel Will Talk To 911 In Emergency

Synthetic intelligence can predict a number one explanation for a preventable affected person hurt as much as two days earlier than it happens. Google’s DeepMind, in partnership with the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs, developed know-how that might give medical doctors a 48-hour head begin in treating acute kidney damage (AKI). The situation (beforehand referred to as acute renal failure) causes a build-up of waste within the blood, making it laborious for the kidneys to stability fluid; the result’s usually a sudden failure or injury that happens over a couple of hours or a couple of days. Affecting as much as one in 5 hospitalized sufferers within the U.S. and U.K., AKI is notoriously tough to identify, and deterioration can occur shortly.

Machine studying to the rescue! Utilizing anonymized well-being data from the V.A. community, DeepMind’s A.I. appropriately predicted 9 out of 10 sufferers whose situation deteriorated so severely they required dialysis. “This might present a window sooner or later for earlier preventative remedy and keep away from the necessity for extra invasive procedures like kidney dialysis,” examine co-authors Dominic King and Mustafa Suleyman wrote in a weblog put up.

The group hopes the mannequin will at some point be used to determine different main causes of illness and deterioration, together with life-threatening an infection sepsis. Their analysis was revealed this week within the journal Nature.


DeepMind desires to make use of A.I. to offer medical doctors a 48-hour head begin on life-threatening sickness (through DeepMind) “That is our group’s greatest healthcare analysis breakthrough thus far, demonstrating the power to not solely spot deterioration extra successfully, however really predict it earlier than it occurs,” Suleyman and King mentioned.

The know-how, nonetheless, gained assist anybody without the suitable instruments in alerting specialists. “Higher know-how is desperately wanted so that essential info could be delivered to the suitable specialist on the proper time,” DeepMind mentioned.

Enter Streams, a cellular medical assistant for clinicians, which has been in use on the Royal Free London NHS Basis Belief since early 2017. The app permits specialists to overview pressing instances in 15 minutes or much less—a course of that may in any other case take several hours—and helps scale back the variety of AKI instances missed on the hospital.

“Getting the suitable details about the suitable affected person on the proper time is a big drawback for healthcare programs throughout the globe,” based on King and Suleyman. “These outcomes comprise the constructing blocks for our long-term imaginative and prescient of preventative healthcare, serving to medical doctors to intervene in a proactive, fairly than reactive, method,” they added. Analysis, led by David Feinberg, will proceed as a part of Google Well being.