Acer announces world's thinnest laptop and the first ever curved-screen notebook

Acer Predator 21 X

Acer

Acer has announced two tech firsts; the first laptop to have a curved-screen and the first laptop to measure less than 1cm thick.

The Predator 21 X is the company’s latest high-end gaming laptop, complete with a curved 21-inch IPS display (2560 x 1080). While this screen is a laptop first, it isn’t an industry first. Acer, HP, LG and Samsung already sell a range of curved monitors and TVs.

As well as the eye-catching screen, the Predator 21 X has 7th generation Intel Core processors. Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs in Scalable Link Interface (SLI) power the graphics and make the laptop virtual reality “ready”.

There’s also eye-tracking, powered by Tobii, to control games without using a controller. Compatible games can use the software and infrared sensor-powered system to aim weapons, navigate menus and move around environments by looking at the relevant parts of the screen.

Three new Predator monitors (Z271T, XB251HQT and XB271HUT) using Tobii eye-tracking technology have also been announced.

The Predator 21 X will be available during the first quarter of 2017. No price has been announced.

Acer Swift 7

Acer

Also unveiled by Acer at IFA 2016 was the world’s first less than 1cm thick laptop. The black and gold Swift 7 measures 9.98mm thick, weighs 1.1kg and has a reported battery life of nine hours. The previous record, for those keeping track, was HP’s Spectre, announced in April, which measured 1cm thick.

The Swift 7 has a 13.3in full HD display, aluminium body, 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB SSD and 8GB of memory. There’s also a dual USB 3.1 and USB-C port and HD webcam.

The slimline laptop will launch in October 2016 with prices starting at €1,299 (£1,107). The more budget-friendly Swift 5 €749 (£638), Swift 3 €499 (£425) and Swift 1 €349 (£297) will also go on sale in October.

When your phone is your doctor, who owns your health records?

Today's smartphones increasingly resemble the handheld medical scanners of a science-fiction future. But as our always-on devices transform medicine, we need to look to the past as well, ensuring that technology companies abide by the 2,000-year-old-dictum that binds doctors: first, do no harm.
 
More than 110 million wearable sensors were sold worldwide in 2015. Fitbits, heart rate monitors and smartphone apps not only count our steps and track our workouts, but also have the potential to produce "digital biomarkers" - indicators of medical conditions or symptoms. These digital traces of our daily activities could one day become warning signals of nascent health issues. Our web browser history could alert psychologists to a pending manic episode. Activity monitor location data may one day help diagnose mobility disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

What we do (or don't do) on our smartphones might facilitate early detection of dementia or cognitive decline. The research emerging shows us real ways in which smartphones and other devices may one day improve our health.

Unlike health information collected and provided to healthcare professionals, the consumer digital data on fitness or health gathered by tech companies enjoys practically no protection. Virtually no policies, laws or procedures protect user privacy or guarantee users access to this information.

This presents two parallel challenges: we need to protect data from those who want to hurt us, and to access data ourselves when we need it. All of these issues have the same principle at stake: people whose bodies generate health data should have power over how it is used.

The risks of discrimination are self-evident. But the rights of consumers to control their own information are perhaps more important. Currently, most of us haven't the foggiest idea what health information could be detected from our data. Will we be able to access such data when we need it?

Samsung's Gear S3 will work with iPhones -- eventually

Yes, the Samsung Gear S3 will work with the iPhone. But the company's still working the kinks out.

Samsung is still studying what the experience between the iPhone and the Gear S2 would look like, and has launched a beta in South Korea to test things out. The company promised to make the Gear S2 compatible with Apple's iOS software in January, but has been mum about it since then.

A Samsung executive confirmed that like the Gear S2, the Gear S3 will also eventually work with the iPhone. Beyond its own tests, the company also needs to submit its app to Apple for approval in its App Store.

Opening up the Gear S2 and S3 would allow Samsung to tap a much wider base of iPhone users. Apple, after all, sold more than 40 million iPhones just in the last quarter. It would also give iPhone users an alternative to the Apple Watch.

Samsung unveiled the Gear S3 at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the IFA trade show in Berlin. The company touted a watch that is bigger, more durable and longer lasting than its predecessor. The larger design, however, might be a turnoff to a segment of consumers -- namely women.

How to Kid-Proof Your iPhone or iPad

When you hand over your iPhone or iPadto your kid (or someone else's), make sure it's safe for both of you. Children should be able to play games and watch videos, but not accidentally wipe out all your emails or land on a site with adult content.

There are a few settings inside iOS that let you lock down your device so that a curious kid (or a naughty friend) can't poke around apps that contain sensitive data. Additionally, there are some settings that block adult content without restricting access to the entire device, which are useful for older kids who might deserve a little more freedom to surf and play.

Lastly, you may want to protect your device physically, as well, with a good case and screen protector. I'll recommend a few options below.

How to Lock iPad or iPhone Content From Kids (Using Guided Access)
My favorite iOS feature for parents is called Guided Access. It's not exactly a one-touch setting, but it's the best one to learn to use because it goes the furthest toward locking down your device before you let a child borrow it. Here's how to use it.

1. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access. It's way down at the bottom. Why it's not under Privacy is beyond me. Remembering that it's an Accessibility feature is the first tricky bit to commit to memory.
2. Turn on Guided Access.
3. Set a passcode or TouchID fingerprint to turn Guided Access on and off. You'll also see an option for Time Limit. I'll talk about that in Step 9. It's not exactly straightforward.
4. Turn on the Accessibility Shortcut. This setting allows you to turn on the restrictions by triple-tapping the Home Button. 
5. Open the app you want to let your kid use.
6. Triple-tap the Home Button.
7. You'll see Guided Access enabled. You'll also see instructions to circle the areas of the screen you want to disable. Circle or draw a rectangle around any on-screen Buttons that might get the kid into trouble. For example, in Instagram, you might disable the icons that let the user search, post photos, and send direct messages. As you draw those circles and rectangles, the areas of the screen that will be restricted are grayed out. Guided Access will remember those areas for the app the next time you use the feature.
8. Now press Options in the bottom left. Here you can disable physical Buttons, such as the Volume and the Sleep/Wake Button. You can also set a time limit.
9. For the time limit, decide how long you want the child to use the device. When the time limit runs out, the device locks. Back in the main settings for Guided Access (Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access), you can enable an audio notification that will alert you about 30 seconds before the phone locks. It will lock on a screen that says Time Expired. Then you'll have to triple-tap the Home Button and enter the passcode or TouchID to get back to the normal phone settings.

How to Prevent Access to Sensitive Online Content
There are more settings you can enable to restrict content on an iPad or iPhone. Here's how to adjust them.

1. Go to Settings > General > Restrictions.
2. Tap Enable Restrictions, and when prompted, create a passcode.
3. The first section lets you disable certain apps and functions, such as Safari, the camera, and the ability to delete apps. Choose any apps and features you want to disable.
4. Scroll down to Allowed Content. Each option, such as Movies and Websites, lets you set kid-friendly restrictions. You can restrict the movies that play to be only G rated, for example, and you can make sure that adult-content websites aren't accessible. You can also disable access to specific URLs, if you know your kids have a penchant for going to particular sites.

5. Farther down the Restrictions page are more options for limiting what can and cannot be changed. You might want to lock down your Reminders, Photos, Bluetooth Sharing, and other features and apps. When you restrict them, a small lock icon appears next to them.
6. Once restrictions are in place, you must enter the passcode to disable them again.

If you need even more control, consider installing some parental control software on your device.

Recommended Cases and Screen Protectors
A good case and screen protector is invaluable not only when you let children handle your mobile devices—but always. It's easy to get caught up looking for a good case and forget about the screen protector. A screen protector goes a long way toward preventing cracks and scratches on your phone, and fixing a broken screen is expensive and a pain in the ass. Don't skimp on the screen protector!

When it comes to cases, PCMag has recommendations for the best iPad Air 2 cases and best iPhone 6s and 6 cases. Here are a few of my personal picks: The Griffin Survivor All-Terrain is an extremely rugged case for iPad Air 2. Gumdrop makes a few cases with colorful kid-friendly looks. For iPhones, we like the Evolutive Rhinoshield Crash Guard, a lightweight option that promises to protect phones from drops up to 20 feet.

AmazonFresh customers: Beware of the $5 Snickers bar

After this story ran on Friday, Amazon appears to have made a handful of fixes to bugs highlighted below. The company declined to comment for this story and didn't respond to a request for comment Monday.

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In mid-June, Dave Jackson bought a Frito-Lay variety pack through AmazonFresh for $10.44. When he returned to the Amazon mobile app soon after, it coaxed him to purchase more of the snacks through its "Buy It Again" feature.

But the very same variety pack under the "Buy It Again" banner didn't cost $10.44. It was $22.94.

The same thing happened after buying Snickers bars for 89 cents apiece on AmazonFresh, Amazon's grocery delivery service. Yet again, Amazon invited him to buy more, but for$4.95 each, more than five times the previous price.

What was happening?

Jackson, a web administrator in San Jose, California, believes he found a handful of bugs on Amazon after it recently combined the listings on its main website and on AmazonFresh. These potential bugs aren't just bothersome -- they could unnecessarily cost Fresh customers a lot more money if they don't pay close attention.

The issue points to just how complicated Amazon.com has become as the Seattle company pushes out new services and features to keep up its massive growth and maintain its position as the world's biggest online retailer. These days, customers need to navigate through products sold by Amazon itself, those from third-party retailers on its marketplace, Prime Pantry listings and now AmazonFresh listings.

The problem also provides another point of criticism regarding Amazon's pricing. The New York Times, for instance, has pointed out Amazon's sometimes misleading list prices and its dynamic pricing software that constantly changes prices.

Amazon declined to comment for this story.

Fresh is Amazon's spin on grocery shopping, providing fresh fruit, ice cream and other foods for home delivery for an annual membership fee of $299. The service is available in a handful of cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Boston and London.

Fresh used to have its own app (which Jackson regularly used), and its listings were separated from Amazon's main website on Fresh.Amazon.com. But earlier this year, Amazon started to remove that separation, shifting all of Fresh's listings to its main website and app and shutting down the Fresh app in the process. The change was completed in all Fresh cities a few weeks ago, according to Amazon.

And that's when Jackson, a longtime Amazon customer who signed up for Fresh three months ago, started noticing problems.

Apparently many Fresh products share the exact same product identification numbers and customer reviews as their counterparts on Amazon.com but have drastically different prices.

So, for now, instead of Amazon telling Jackson to repurchase a product through Fresh, it is instead offering up the same product on Amazon.com, in many cases at a much higher price.

"I totally understand these things happen," Jackson, 42, said in an interview. "I deal with web applications every day, but I'm surprised. It's just really messy. I expect better from Amazon."

Jackson noticed the same problem when looking through his order history. The history showed accurate prices for his Fresh purchases, but if he clicked through to a product page, it would show him the higher-priced Amazon.com listing instead of the Fresh one he bought.

The difference in price can be significant. For instance, Jackson bought a two-liter bottle of Diet Dr Pepper through Fresh for $1.67. But Amazon incorrectly linked him to the same bottle of soda for the inflated price of $12.95, sold by a third-party vendor on Amazon.com.

He wasn't the only one confused by this difference. Customers commenting about the Diet Dr Pepper listings debated among themselves over the price.

"12 dollars? Really?" one customer wrote.

"Geez, it's $1.25 people, calm down..." another responded.

Jackson alerted Amazon's customer service to the issue twice via email and had a chat session online with customer representatives, but without any resolution. He also called customer service three times about the price differences, only to be told that the issue likely involved Amazon continually altering its prices. In this case, it's not.

After his efforts with customer service, Jackson reached out to CNET, providing us with dozens of screenshots showing the price differences and potential bugs related to about a dozen different food items, from Quaker Instant Grits to C&H granulated sugar to Mug root beer. In each instance, the Fresh prices were lower, often by a lot.

Jackson said he wanted to highlight the issue to try to get Amazon to fix the problems, so people already paying $299 a year for Fresh don't accidentally end up overpaying for their food. He said he almost bought the higher-priced items several times, placing them in his shopping cart before catching the price difference.

"Not everyone's going to pay attention to those prices," he said.

Swann advance security system

Swann has sold DIY security kits globally for nearly 30 years and today marks the latest addition to the company's roster -- the $500 Smart Series system.

Packed with four 1080p HD cameras, an outdoor siren, two door/window sensors, a key fob and an 8-channel digital video recorder (DVR) with a 1TB storage drive, it certainly seems like a great value. For a quick comparison, popular standalone 1080p security cameras like Nest Cam cost $200 each. You could only get 2.5 Nest Cams with the same amount of money you'd spend on Swann's complete Smart Series system, so why am I not rushing out to buy one?

The sheer number of accessories makes Smart Series seem tempting, but I'm not sure about its quality.

"Swann is a forward thinking DIY security and smart home technology company that provides innovative yet cost effective solutions for consumers," a Swann spokesperson told me in an email.

Not so fast, Swann. The previous Swann systems we've gotten our hands on feel cheaply made. One Swann system I began testing, SwannOne, was so difficult to get online that I ultimately gave up on it. SwannOne also had limited overlap with the burgeoning smart-home market. That means it didn't play well with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, or any other mainstream connected platforms.

The new Smart Series system seems more connected to the broader automation industry than SwannOne, though. It claims compatibility with devices from brands like Kwikset, Yale, Philips, Nest and Samsung's Smart Things platform. Smart Series also offers a related Android and iPhone app for remote access to the system's basic functions.

Here's an overview of the Smart Series' accessories, features and specs:

·         Four 1080p live streaming night vision cameras

·         One outdoor siren

·         Two door/window sensors

·         One key fob

·         8-channel 1TB DVR

·         Optional 24-7 professional monitoring

·         Android and iPhone app

·         Motion notifications

Swann has some convincing to do to prove that its systems add anything innovative to the security and smart-home space, but I'll reserve final judgment until I get my hands on a Smart Series.

Sony's Xperia X Compact offsets its unbelievably tiny screen with an enormous camera (hands-on)

Sony's Xperia X Compact is a phone of contrasts.

It packs the same 23-megapixel camera as the higher-end Xperia XZ that Sony announced alongside it, but in an itty-bitty body. How tiny? The X Compact's 4.6-inch display looks positively peewee compared with the XZ's 5.2-inch screen. The pro: It's seriously palmable and easy to use one-handed. The con: Its small screen is harder to read. There's less room for your fingertip taps, too.

Another thing you should know: The phone's body is made of glossy plastic instead of the XZ's metal, though I didn't mind. It makes sense for the phone type, but it's important that the price be right. It doesn't have the waterproofing of some more top-tier Sony phones.

Still, the X Compact doesn't feel like a throwaway device. In addition to identical cameras, the two new Xperias have nearly the same battery capacity -- 2,700mAh versus 2,900mAh -- as well as the same USB-C charger port and same 3GB of RAM. That's pretty generous for a small phone that I expect to come in at a budget price -- but we don't have anything official yet. In some senses, Sony's generosity could wind up making the X Compact the better deal.