Chuwi is a relatively unknown company in the PC space, but only about a month ago we took a look at the Chuwi LapBook…
Chuwi is a relatively unknown company in the PC space, but only about a month ago we took a look at the Chuwi LapBook 14.1 , and came away very impressed. They are shaking up the low-cost segment of the PC market with some low cost, but well featured devices. The LapBook 14.1, for instance, ships with a 1920×1080 IPS display, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage, all for less than $300 USD. Normally when you see notebooks around these price points, they come with several serious compromises which really detract from the experience, but the LapBook 14.1 made some great trade-offs to offer a good machine for a low price.
Today Chuwi reached out with some news that they are going to be releasing the LapBook 12.3 at the end of April. It features the same CPU as the LapBook 14.1, with an Intel Celeron N3450, which is a quad-core Apollo Lake. Performance is not as good as a Core based laptop, but the experience is reasonable for less demanding tasks. Chuwi is pairing this with 6 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of eMMC flash storage, so the experience should be similar to the LapBook 14.1, but with more RAM so you can multitask a bit more. They are also keeping the 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is probably the same 1×1 card found in the larger LapBook.
Probably the most interesting part of the LapBook 12.3 is that it is shipping with a 2736×1824 3:2 display at 12.3-inches. That gives a density of 267 pixels per inch, and eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that this is the same resolution and size as the display in the Surface Pro 4, so it is likely the same panel that Microsoft is using in their tablet. Chuwi didn’t confirm if it was an IPS display, but it most likely is. It’s similar to their Hi 13 2-in-1 which uses a 3000×2000 13.5-inch display, so they are clearly using Microsoft’s influence to source components which is great to see.
The new LapBook 12.3 measures in at 300 x 223 x 16.7 mm (11.8 x 8.78 x 0.66 inches), and weighs in at 1.45 kg (3.18 lbs), so despite the small and thin design, it’s not as light as a more expensive Ultrabook would be at this size.
Chuwi hasn’t announced pricing yet, but considering the rest of their lineup, it should be very competitive.
Look for the LapBook 12.3 when it launches at the end of April.
Source: Chuwi

© Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11260/chuwi-announces-the-lapbook-123
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MEMS microphones from the startup Vesper will make voice-enabled gadgets far more durable.
The proliferation of portable, voice-enabled gadgets like Amazon’s Tap speaker and Doppler Labs’s smart, wireless earbuds enables us to play music, search the Web, and answer phone calls around the house and on the go using verbal commands. But because these devices are susceptible to damage from dirt and moisture and last only a few hours per battery charge, we don’t use them as much as we might.
Boston startup Vesper has devised a solution: miniature piezoelectric microphones that use a cantilever structure to harvest energy from sound and promise to be more durable and energy-efficient than conventional microphones. Vesper says that once its microphones are incorporated into gadgets, which will happen later this year, we should be able to use our voice-enabled devices outdoors and in inclement weather with less worry, for days on a single charge.
To demonstrate its microphones’ toughness, Vesper plunges them into beer and soda; envelops them in hot steam infused with cooking oil; subjects them to simulated dust storms; and drops them from heights onto hard surfaces (see videos above and below). The microphones, which are about the size of two sesame seeds laid side by side, aren’t indestructible, but they are water-, dust-, and shock-resistant and maintain similar performance after Vesper’s stress tests, whereas conventional microphones experience significant signal loss.
Conventional microphones measure sound using a flexible diaphragm that vibrates in proximity to a rigid backplate. The diaphragm requires a constant charge, and the air gap between it and the backplate leaves the microphone vulnerable to harm from particles and water (though companies guard against this by covering them with mesh and rubber membranes).
Vesper replaces the diaphragm and backplate with a single layer of flexible cantilevers made of aluminum nitride. When a soundwave comes into a Vesper microphone, it bends the cantilevers, sort of like a swimmer jumping on a diving board, and the stress generates electrical signals that can be translated into sounds.
Vesper also harnesses that sound energy to turn its microphones on—and turn them off in the absence of sound. In contrast, sound alone can’t activate conventional microphones if they are powered off. “Conventional microphones have to always have their mikes on and use digital signal processing to detect voices,” says Vesper CTO Bobby Littrell. “That uses a lot more power than our method, which basically tells [a gadget’s voice-interface] system that if there’s no sound it doesn’t need to do any of that computation.”
Vesper’s technology enables battery-powered devices to be used hands-free for long periods of time; in contrast, today’s devices typically must be manually woken up with the push of a button to preserve battery life. The startup recently received funding from Amazon’s Alexa Fund. However, Vesper declined to say whether its microphones would appear in future Amazon electronics.
Researchers and companies started experimenting with piezoelectric MEMS microphones in the 1980s, but had a hard time identifying the right design and materials. Vesper is the first to commercialize the devices.
Experts caution that it’s still a challenge to consistently manufacture the type of piezoelectric material (aluminum-nitride film) that Vesper needs. “Aluminum-nitride transducers have been around for a long time, but it’s difficult to make a stable, low-stress film that’s uniform, high quality, and available for large volumes,” says Mark Sheplak , an engineering professor at the University of Florida who specializes in MEMS microphones. Film quality affects crucial microphone characteristics, such as sensitivity and noise level, he adds.
Others note that conventional microphones are good enough for most consumer gadgets, and cost-conscious device makers are unlikely to spring for Vesper’s more expensive technology. “Consumer electronics is all about cost and pricing,” says Farrokh Ayazi , who heads Georgia Tech’s Center for MEMS and Microsystems Technology . “Vesper has a good opportunity to be selected for newly designed devices, but it will be difficult for them to get into gadgets like smartphones where other microphone brands are well-established.”
Market research firm Yole Développement says Vesper’s technology is a match for smart home and wearable gadgets that need to be sturdy and power-efficient. It estimates the global MEMS microphone market is worth nearly $1 billion. Vesper says its “wake-on sound” microphone will appear in U. S. consumer gadgets before the end of the year.

© Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603978/these-tiny-microphones-will-make-it-okay-to-spill-beer-on-your-amazon-echo/
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