Computing

With the iMac Pro potent enough to embarrass the Mac Pro - and Apple's "trash can" computer not likely to see an update until next year - one company has taken the obvious next step and harnessed multiple all-in-ones into a server farm. MacStadium made headlines back in 2013 with its unusual rack-mounted Mac Pro arrays, demonstrating that just because Apple's form-factor is atypical, that doesn't mean it couldn't be chained together for some seriously heavy workloads.

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The HP Chromebox G2 mini desktop announced in January is now available to purchase. HP added the device to its online store today, where it promptly sold out in certain configurations. The device, like most Chromebox models, resembles a set-top box, but packs Google's Chrome OS as an alternative to Chromebook laptops.

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If you're perpetually frustrated that you can't invite your friends for a bagel with the appropriate emoji, salvation is at hand. The release of Unicode 11.0 - which includes not only the circular bread but a lobster, parrot, and numerous other graphics, for a total of 62 new emojis - has been dated, and there's not long to wait.

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It's almost ironic if you think about it. Intel wanted to get into the mobile and wearable market dominated by ARM chip makers like Qualcomm that it rushed head on, only to unceremoniously retreat from those markets after repeated failure. Now it seems that Qualcomm is poised to do the same but coming from the other side. Just days after a rumors surfaced about a Snapdragon 850 or 950 designed for Windows 10 on ARM devices, word arrives of a Snapdragon 1000 for the same. And, to add to the irony, it might be stepping up to Intel's disadvantages as well.

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Acer has announced new AMD-powered gaming PCs ahead of Computex 2018, including the Nitro 50, Helios 500, and Predator Orion 5000. Two of the three are desktop gaming systems, while the Helios 500 is a laptop designed specifically for PC gamers. The company promises that all three models, which will be available starting in August, will meet the needs of modern gamers.

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Mobile chip-maker Arm has unveiled a new set of high-end processor tech, targeting laptops, premium smartphones, and AR/VR devices as it cranks up the pressure on Intel and AMD. Although Arm chips may have traditionally been associated with smartphones, the company is pitching its new line-up at larger hardware as notebook buyers begin to demand always-on connectivity and all-day battery life.

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Microsoft's mobile strategy isn't exactly the most consistent. It has all but officially put Windows 10 Mobile and all its smartphones under a bus but, at the same time, seem to be working on a slightly different angle to mobile computing. Yes, that's Windows 10 on ARM, which is already off to a rough start. Part of the lukewarm reception is due to the first devices' performance, which Microsoft and Qualcomm aim to correct with a new batch of Snapdragon 850 devices, including a Surface Phone from Dell.

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ASUS has sometimes blazed the trail in terms of innovative design, like the now common 2-in-1 detachable form factor or the sadly retired PadFone "phone in a tablet" device line. At other times, it seems to play catch up, like with the Lenovo Yoga-like "Flip" laptops. It seems that ASUS might have something in the works that's a combination of the two. Called the "ScreenPad" this mysterious device or peripheral seems to be designed to provide the same extended control that the new MacBook Touch Bars do, but on a laptop's touchpad instead.

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As far as personal computing, that is, desktops and laptops, goes, Intel has the lion's share of the market. In terms of computer architecture, x86 (and x64) still dominate what most consumers will consider to be the "serious" kind of computers, despite how ARM-based devices, thanks to smartphones, actually win by the numbers. But, as they say, change is coming and this change has a name: ARM. ARM-based PCs have already started rolling out and Macs might soon be next. But is this new breed of computers really worth the hype? They are, but only if the market gives them time to grow a bit.

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Facebook is developing its own chips that can analyze and filter video content in real-time, paving the way for potentially replacing human moderators as streaming on the social network grows exponentially. The site has been criticized in recent years for allowing users to share controversial or offensive content, including footage of people being assaulted or committing suicide.

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Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro may well be in line for an update at WWDC 2018, with stock levels hinting that the Cupertino firm could be running down supplies in advance of a new model. The annual developer event starts on June 4, and there have been ongoing rumors that Tim Cook & Co. will use its keynote to debut fresh hardware.

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One of the best business ultraportable product lines on the market, Lenovo's ThinkPad X Series, was recently updated with a new model: the ThinkPad X280. First introduced during CES 2018, this new model brings the same aesthetic of the ThinkPad X notebooks before it, but with updated hardware and features to match modern needs. As with past models, the X280 isn't cheap, and so it begs the question: is it worth the cost to upgrade?

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