The Morning After: Our sex robot dinner party
And Mercedes' $1,095 car subscription.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
It's Wednesday. We've survived WWDC and Computex for another day, so it's time to celebrate with new laptops, car subscriptions and sex robots.
The trackpad-touchscreen laptop is back, but I'm not sure why
ASUS' ZenBook Pro UX580 laptop has the specs to compete with Apple's MacBook Pro, but will its funky touchpad/touchscreen help put it over the top? Dan Cooper tried it out and explains why he's not convinced (yet).
Computer Love: the truth about sex robots
To get past the hype and FUD surrounding sex robots, there was only one way left for Christopher Trout to fully understand their potential impact on our society: a dinner party. We'll explain.
Windows Collaboration Displays are like DIY Surface Hubs
Microsoft just announced its platform for Surface Hub-like devices called Windows Collaboration Displays. The difference is that while these have a huge whiteboard-replace screen, high-res webcams and integrated microphones, they're built for you to bring your own computer. Sharp and Avocor will launch the first ones later this year, and we're figuring they'll be a bit cheaper than the $9,000 Surface Hub.
AMD's second-generation Threadripper CPU has up to 32 cores
Yesterday, we discussed Intel's 28-core CPU, and today it's time to talk about AMD's 32-core Threadripper CPU that's due in Q3. The new Threadripper will run on AMD's 12nm Zen+ architecture, just like the company's newest Ryzen desktop CPUs. It'll sport all of the features from those products, as well, like higher clock speeds, more efficient performance and improved boost.
Apple's HomePod in stereo: when two become one
Apple has finally released a long-awaited software update for the AirPlay 2 streaming protocol -- which also lets you pair two HomePods in stereo or group together multiple speakers across your house. It's a well-balanced listening experience, similar to using a single HomePod, but with welcome increases in overall volume and bass performance. According to Nathan Ingraham, it doesn't quite match up to a pair of Sonos Play:5 speakers, but it is cheaper, even if Siri is still a bit limited.
Prototype electric plane crash kills two pilots
An electric plane powered by Siemens has crashed in southern Hungary, killing both pilots aboard, according to Siemens and local reports. The cause of the accident isn't known, and there are conflicting reports as to whether the aircraft caught fire before or during the crash. In a statement, Siemens said, "As a precautionary measure, we decided to ground the Magnus eFusion aircraft fleet until we know the cause of this tragic accident."
But wait, there's more...
What you need to know about Apple's war on digital fingerprinting
Nintendo's 'Mario Tennis Aces' combines charm with surprising depth
Mercedes-Benz car subscriptions will start at $1,095 per month
LG's $3,000 4K projector will be available in the US this week
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