Technology - Google News |
- One day, Google's Fuchsia OS may become a real thing
- Hands on with Apple's 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro with i7 processor
- Fortnite Challenge Guide: Basketball Hoop Locations (Season 5, Week 2)
| One day, Google's Fuchsia OS may become a real thing Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:44 AM PDT  Every few months, Google’s Project Fuchsia makes the rounds in the tech press. And for good reason, given that this is Google’s first attempt at developing a new open-source kernel and operating system. Of course, there are few secrets about it, given that it’s very much being developed in the open and that, with the right know-how, you could run it on a Pixelbook today. There’s also plenty of documentation about the project. According to the latest report by Bloomberg, about 100 engineers at Google work on Fuchsia. While the project has the blessing of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, it’s unclear what Google really wants Fuchsia to be. I don’t think it’ll replace Android, as some people seem to believe. I don’t think it’s the mythical Chrome OS/Android mashup that’ll bring Google’s two operating systems together. My guess is that we’re talking about an experimental system here that’s mostly meant to play with some ideas for now. In the future, it may become a real product, but to do so, Google will still have to bring a far larger team to bear on the project and invest significant resources into it. It may, however, end up in some of Google’s own hardware — maybe a Google Home variant — at some point, as that’s technology that’s 100 percent in the company’s control. It’s not unusual for companies like Google to work on next-generation operating systems, and what’s maybe most important here is that Fuchsia isn’t built on the Linux kernel that sits at the heart of Android and ChromeOS. Fuchsia’s kernel, dubbed Zircon, takes a microkernel approach that’s very different than the larger monolithic Linux kernels that power Google’s other operating systems. And building a new kernel is a big deal (even though Google’s efforts seem to be based on the work of the “littlekernel” project). For years, Microsoft worked on a project called Singularity, another experimental microkernel-based operating system that eventually went nowhere. The point of these projects, though, isn’t always about building a product that goes to market. It’s often simply about seeing how far you can push a given technology. That work may pay off in other areas or make it into existing projects. You also may get a few patents out of it. It’s something senior engineers love to work on — which today’s Bloomberg story hints at. One unnamed person Bloomberg spoke to said that this is a “senior-engineer retention project.” Chances are, there is quite a bit of truth to this. It would take more than 100 engineers to build a new operating system, after all. But those engineers are at Google and not working on Apple’s and Microsoft’s operating systems. And that’s a win for Google. |
| Hands on with Apple's 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro with i7 processor Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:36 AM PDT Apple's latest MacBook Pro refresh launched a week ago, and we've now spent some time with the base 15-inch model with six-core i7 processor. Read on for our first look and impressions as well as benchmarks for what will be one of the most popular MacBook Pro configurations. DesignFrom the outside, there are no discernible difference between the 2018 MacBook Pros and those from the last few years. It still features a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side and another pair next to a headphone jack on the right-hand side.  Colors still pop on the latest displays. The new unit now supports True Tone, Apple's color temperature-shifting feature that tints the display based on the environment. It uses a pair of ambient light sensors embedded into the display to detect the lighting in the room and then adjusts the display to match. This tech premiered in the iPad Pro a few years back, before coming to the iPhone, and now coming to the Mac. True Tone definitely is easier on the eyes in our fluorescent-lit office. Previously, the display would come off a bit blue. But now, the color matches much better and isn't so strenuous when staring at it all day. Apple has had some of the best built-in laptop speakers in the industry, and the new model improved on that. Apple is clearly putting their audio knowledge to use with a much fuller sound. There are noticeable improvements to both the mid-range, as well as the lows in these new speakers. The trackpad is still as large as ever and sits right below the new third-generation butterfly keyboard. These are the same chiclet-style keys, but have a new butterfly mechanism underneath that is designed to be quieter. Third-gen keyboardWe were very excited to test this new keyboard out, especially to determine any changes that lent themselves to improved reliability, which could be a serious issue for owners of previous models with the butterfly keyboard.  Not long after the first MacBook Pros were arriving at customers doorsteps, iFixit discovered that under each key was a new silicone membrane, that the repair company suggested was really intended to repel any debris that would try to lodge itself underneath. This errant debris is allegedly what caused many failures, so using this film to keep it out —if that is what is actually for —may go a long way towards reliability. That film also contributes to the quieter keys, which were immediately noticeable. Tapping away quickly can still raise some loud clicks, but by-and-large, the new keyboard was a huge difference from before. It still has the same key travel and typing feel as the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro, just with less noise. Hey, SiriAbove the keyboard is the same Touch Bar many have come to love (and many haven't). Touch ID on the right-hand side of the Touch Bar is still powered by one of Apple's custom chips, the T2. This secure chip first debuted in the iMac Pro, with previous generation MacBook pros using the T1.  Apple's T2 is able to take on more system processes and is actually able to enable "Hey, Siri" for the first time on a Mac. Apple introduces this feature right after first booting up the new machines, walking users through the voice enrollment process similar to on iOS. The setup is the same —macOS asks the user to repeat several different commands that also act as a bit of a refresher on what Siri can do on the Mac, like checking the weather and opening specific folders. This worked out pretty well for us, even in a room filled with other Apple devices that support Hey, Siri. Voice recognition seemed spot on and definitely seemed to make it a bit more useful. It will become even more helpful this fall with macOS Mojave. In macOS Mojave, Siri gains new features including new areas of knowledge, the ability to find your various devices, and support for HomeKit. Performance For these tests, we were rocking a six-core Intel CPU inside our 15-inch MacBook Pro. It a Core i7 processor with a base speed of 2.2GHz with boost speeds up to powerful 4.1GHz. Geekbench 4 returned 4,884 for single core and 22,179 for the multi-core. Even though we have the base model 15-inch, it still outpaces the top of the line 2017 model which earned 4,360 and 11,979 for single and multi-core scores respectively. That also is way above the scores we clocked earlier on the base 13-inch pro which earned 4,602 and 16,699 for the single and multi-core tests. Graphics-wise, internally we have integrated Intel UHD 630 graphics. In our Geekbench test, oddly, our late-2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel HD 530 actually continued to clock higher. The two-year-old model earned a 20,908 while the 2018 base model 15-inch earned a 20,179. There isn't much difference, but it is worth noting. In the real world, thermal constraints may be limiting the maximum power that the MacBook Pro could have. We've already started looking into this, and how to solve the problem absent of any patch from Apple, and will get back to you about it. This year Apple also upgraded the ram to DDR4 instead of LPDDR3, which is definitely going to draw a bit more power than years past. To help compensate, the internal batteries are a bit larger across the board. This shouldn't garner any additional usage time though. More to come We here at AppleInsider are just getting started with these new MacBook Pros. Stay tuned for our coverage and benchmarks of the top-of-the-line i9 model. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our benchmarks on the 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pros. Where to buyApple authorized resellers B&H Photo and Adorama are currently accepting orders for the new 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar with no tax collected outside New York and New Jersey (see here for details). For many shoppers, this can equate to $190 to $535 in savings on the 15-inch models with six-core processors compared to buying from Apple directly. These are the exact same systems carried by the Apple Store and include Apple's standard 1-year limited warranty, just with the added benefit of the sales tax incentive for many. Select models are shipping now, while upgraded configurations are expected within one to two weeks. Looking for 2018 13-inch MacBook Pros? Check out our Price Guide for up-to-date prices and availability. 2.2GHz 6-core processor Radeon Pro 555X graphics 15" MacBook Pro (2.2GHz 32GB 256GB Radeon Pro 555X) Space Gray for $2,799.00 | B&H Radeon Pro 560X graphics 15" MacBook Pro (2.2GHz 32GB 256GB Radeon Pro 560X) Space Gray for $2,899.00 | B&H 2.6GHz 6-core processor Radeon Pro 560X graphics 15" MacBook Pro (2.6GHz 32GB 512GB Radeon Pro 560X) Space Gray for $3,199.00 | B&H 2.9GHz 6-core processor Radeon Pro 555X graphics 15" MacBook Pro (2.9GHz 32GB 256GB Radeon Pro 555X) Space Gray for $3,199.00 | B&H Radeon Pro 560X graphics 15" MacBook Pro (2.9GHz 32GB 256GB Radeon Pro 560X) Space Gray for $3,299.00 | B&H |
| Fortnite Challenge Guide: Basketball Hoop Locations (Season 5, Week 2) Posted: 19 Jul 2018 10:02 AM PDT Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale rolls on with a new set of challenges to complete on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and iOS. As usual, Week 2's challenges consist of seven different objectives, which run the gamut from eliminating a certain number of players to searching a specific area of the island, but one of the potentially trickier tasks is to score a basket on five different hoops. To complete this challenge, you will first need to have unlocked the basketball--one of the new toy items introduced in Season 5. The basketball is earned upon reaching tier 11 of the Season 5 Battle Pass. Fortunately, this can be accomplished fairly quickly, so if you own the Battle Pass and have been playing regularly, there's a good chance you already have the basketball. Once unlocked, you use the toy in the same way you would use an emote by assigning it to an emote slot before a match and pressing the corresponding key or button. Provided you know where to look, completing this challenge is simply a matter of finding a basketball hoop, then using the basketball toy to sink a shot. There are at least nine hoops scattered across the island, and the challenge doesn't need to be completed within a single match, so the easiest way to reach your goal would be to land near one of the courts at the start of a game and sink a quick shot before having to deal with other players. You can see the location of each hoop below.   
Be aware that you'll need to score a basket at five different locations to complete this challenge; only the first one you sink at a court will count toward your total, so you won't be able to take a shortcut by throwing the basketball into both hoops on the same court. Once you've scored five baskets, you'll be rewarded with five Battle Stars. The other challenge that may trip you up this week is to search between an oasis, rock archway, and dinosaurs. The remaining tasks are all fairly straightforward, and they include searching chests in Loot Lake, dealing damage to opponents with Assault Rifles, and searching seven Ammo Boxes in a single match. You can see the full list of Week 2 Challenges below. Completing challenges will rank up your Battle Pass, which in turn will unlock new skins, emotes, back blings, contrails, toys, and an assortment of other rewards during Season 5. You can see everything you can earn in our gallery of all the new Fortnite Season 5 Battle Pass rewards. For our complete Fortnite Season 5 coverage, be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this story. Fortnite Season 5, Week 2 ChallengesFree
Battle Pass
Fortnite Season 5 Coverage: |
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