Friday 31 January 2020

Tamara Ecclestone burglary: Two held at Stansted Airport

Jewellery valued at tens of millions of pounds was stolen from Tamara Ecclestone's London home.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51336268
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Woman who overcame poverty wants to 'inspire girls to dream'

Victoria Azubuike is touring the country with her leadership programme for young women.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51296875
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ET Weekend Deals: Black Friday Pricing on Roomba 675, Up to $100 Off 10.2-Inch iPad, XPS 13 Starting at $849

iRobot’s Roomba 675 is one of the best selling robot vacs on the market. It offers powerful suction and an easy-to-use smartphone interface. Best of all, you can get it now for $199, which matches the excellent price we saw on this vacuum on Black Friday.

iRobot Roomba 675 Wi-Fi Robot Vacuum w/ Alexa Support ($199.00)

The Roomba 675 offers solid performance at a price that won’t break the bank. It utilizes a three-stage cleaning system to thoroughly clean your floors as it navigates your home. It also has a battery that can last up to 90 minutes, after which the robot returns to its charging station automatically. You can get one now from Amazon marked down from $299.99 to $199.00.

Apple iPad 2019 10.2-Inch 128GB ($329.99)

The new 2019 iPad features the company’s A10 processor that first debuted in the iPhone 7 at the end of 2016. Although that makes this tablet’s hardware a few years old, you get get the performance of this former flagship with a large high-def screen and with 128GB of storage space. Right now you can get one from Amazon marked down from $429.00 to $329.99.

Dell XPS 13 9380 Intel Core i5-8265U 13.3-Inch 4K Touchscreen Laptop w/ 8GB LPDDR3 RAM and 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD ($849.99)

This premium, midrange, metal-clad notebook features an Intel Core i5-8265U quad-core processor and a 4K touchscreen display. According to Dell, this system also has excellent battery life and can last for up to 21 hours on a single charge. Right now you can get it from Dell marked down from $1,568.99 to $849.99 with promo code LTXPS133AFF.

Featured Deals

  • iRobot Roomba 675 WiFi Robot Vacuum for $199 at Amazon (list price $299.99)
  • iRobot Roomba 960 WiFi Robot Vacuum for $394 at Amazon (list price $649)
  • iRobot Roomba i7+ 7550 WiFi Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dust Bin for $799 at Amazon (list price $999.99)
  • Dell XPS 13 9380 Intel Core i5-8265U Quad-core 13.3″ 4K Touch Laptop for $849.99 at Dell (use code: LTXPS133AFF – list price $1568.99)
  • Dell XPS 13 9380 Intel Core i7-8565U Quad-core 13.3″ 1080p Laptop for $799.99 at Dell (use code: LTXPS134AFF – list price $1299.99)
  • Alienware m15 Intel Core i7-9750H 6-core 15.6″ 1080p 144Hz Gaming Laptop with GTX 1660Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1149.99 at Dell (list price $1749.99)
  • Apple iPad 10.2″ 128GB WiFi Tablet for $329.99 (32GB for $250) at Amazon (list price $429)
  • Microsoft Surface Book Intel Core i7-6600U 13.5″ 3000×2000 Touch 2-in-1 Win10 Pro Laptop with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (Refurb) for $729.99 at PCMag Shop (list price $1499.99)
  • Roku Premiere 4K HDR Streaming Media Player for $29 at Walmart (list price $39.99)
  • Dell Vostro 3000 Intel Core i5-9400 6-core Win10 Pro Desktop for $529 at Dell (list price $927.14)
  • Dell Precision 3431 SFF Workstation Intel Core i5-9400 6-core Win10 Pro Desktop for $719 at Dell (list price $1159.34)
  • Motile Performance Laptop AMD Ryzen 3 14″ 1080p Laptop for $199 at Walmart (list price $599)
  • EVOO Ultra-thin Laptop Intel Dual-Core 11.6″ 1080p THX Tuned Display Laptop with 1-Year Office 365 for $79 at Walmart (list price $199)
  • Onn ONN20ML270H 27″ 1080p LED Monitor for $79.99 at Walmart (list price $149.99)
  • LG SL10YG 570W 5.1.2ch Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer for $699.99 at PCMag Shop (list price $1299.99)
  • Echo Buds Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds with Bose Active Noise Reduction for $89.99 at Amazon (list price $129.99)
  • Seagate FireCuda Gaming 2TB 2.5″ SATA Solid State Hybrid Drive for $59.99 at Amazon (list price $94.99)
  • Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive for $54.99 at Amazon (list price $69.99)
  • Netgear Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 4-Stream 802.11ax WiFi 6 Router for $99 at Walmart (list price $199)
  • Today Only: Netgear CM500 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem for $44.48 at Amazon (list price $62.99)

Check out more deals from TechBargains.

Apple Devices

More Apple Deals here.

Smart Home Devices

  • iRobot Roomba 675 WiFi Robot Vacuum for $199 at Amazon (list price $299.99)
  • iRobot Roomba 960 WiFi Robot Vacuum for $394 at Amazon (list price $649)
  • iRobot Roomba i7+ 7550 WiFi Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dust Bin for $799 at Amazon (list price $999.99)
  • iRobot Roomba 671 WiFi Robot Vacuum for $197 at Amazon (list price $232.28)
  • iRobot Roomba E5 (5150) WiFi Robot Vacuum for $279 at Amazon (list price $379.99)
  • Blink XT2 Outdoor/Indoor Smart Security Camera 2-Camera Kit for $139.99 (3-Cameras $200) at Amazon (list price $179.99)
  • eufy RoboVac 11S Slim BoostIQ 1300Pa Robot Vacuum for $152.99 at Amazon (Clip 10% Coupon – list price $229.99)
  • Today Only: TP-Link Kasa Spot 1080p Indoor Smart WiFi Security Camera (3-Pack) for $89.99 at Amazon (list price $119.99)
  • Yi Home Camera 3 1080p Wireless Security IP Camera (2-Pack) for $44.69 at Amazon (list price $79.99)
  • Today Only: TP-Link HS200P3 Kasa Smart WiFi Light Switch (3-Pack) for $54.99 at Amazon (list price $84.99)
  • Today Only: TP-Link LB110 Kasa Smart WiFi LED Bulb for $11.99 at Amazon (list price $24.9)
  • August Smart Keypad for $45 at Walmart (list price $79.99)

More Smart Home Deals here.

Laptops

  • Dell XPS 13 9380 Intel Core i5-8265U Quad-core 13.3″ 4K Touch Laptop for $849.99 at Dell (use code: LTXPS133AFF – list price $1568.99)
  • Dell XPS 13 9380 Intel Core i7-8565U Quad-core 13.3″ 1080p Laptop for $799.99 at Dell (use code: LTXPS134AFF – list price $1299.99)
  • Alienware m15 Intel Core i7-9750H 6-core 15.6″ 1080p 144Hz Gaming Laptop with GTX 1660Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1149.99 at Dell (list price $1749.99)
  • Microsoft Surface Book Intel Core i7-6600U 13.5″ 3000×2000 Touch 2-in-1 Win10 Pro Laptop with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (Refurb) for $729.99 at PCMag Shop (list price $1499.99)
  • Motile Performance Laptop AMD Ryzen 3 14″ 1080p Laptop for $199 at Walmart (list price $599)
  • EVOO Ultra-thin Laptop Intel Dual-Core 11.6″ 1080p THX Tuned Display Laptop with 1-Year Office 365 for $79 at Walmart (list price $199)
  • EVOO Tablet Intel Dual-Core 32GB 10.1″ Win10 Tablet with Keyboard, Stylus, 1yr Office 365 for $79.99 at Walmart (list price $249.99)
  • Dell New Inspiron 15 5000 Intel Core i7-1065G7 Quad-core 15.6″ 1080p Laptop with 512GB SSD for $659.99 at Dell (list price $828.99)
  • Dell Latitude 7390 Intel Core i5-8350U Quad-core 13.3″ 1080p Win10 Pro Laptop for $759 at Dell (use code: BIZLT759 – list price $2412.85)
  • Lenovo Ideapad 330s AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Quad-core 15.6″ Laptop for $359 at Walmart (list price $499)
  • Lenovo Ideapad S340 Intel Core i3-8145U Dual-Core 15.6″ Laptop for $329 at Walmart (list price $449)
  • Acer Aspire 5 Intel Core i7-8565U Quad-core 14″ 1080p Laptop with 512GB SSD for $529 at Walmart (list price $625)
  • HP 14 Intel Core i3-1005G1 Dual-Core 14″ Laptop for $269 at Walmart (list price $469)
  • Dell Vostro 15 3590 Intel 10th-Gen Core i7-10510U Quad-core 15.6″ 1080p Win10 Pro Laptop for $659 at Dell (list price $1212.86)
  • Dell Vostro 14 5490 Intel 10th-Gen Core i7-10510U Quad-core 14″ 1080p Win10 Pro Laptop for $779 at Dell (list price $1427.14)
  • Dell Vostro 13 5000 Intel 10th-Gen Core i5-10210U Quad-core 13.3″ 1080p Win10 Pro Laptop for $659 at Dell (list price $1212.86)
  • Dell Inspiron 15 5585 AMD Ryzen 7 3700U 15.6″ 1080p Laptop with Radeon RX Vega 10 for $606.31 at Dell (list price $749.99)
  • Dell Latitude 14 5490 Intel Core i5-8350U Quad-core 14″ Win10 Pro Business Laptop for $659 at Dell (list price $1837.13)
  • Dell New Vostro 15 7000 Intel Core i7-9750H 6-core 15.6″ 1080p Laptop with GTX 1050 for $899 at Dell (list price $1641.42)
  • Dell XPS 15 7590 Intel Core i9-9980HK 8-Core 15.6″ 4K Touch Laptop with 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD for $2296.79 at Dell (list price $2699.99)
  • Acer Predator Helios 300 Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core 15.6″ 144Hz 1080p Gaming Laptop with GTX 1660Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1299 at Amazon (list price $1499.99)
  • Ematic EWT148AB AMD A4-9120 13.3″ 1080p IPS Win10 Laptop for $109 at Walmart (list price $229.99)
  • ASUS ROG Strix Intel i5-9300H 6-Core 15.6″ 1080p 120Hz Gaming Laptop with GTX 1660 Ti, 512GB SSD for $949 at Walmart (list price $1299)
  • ASUS Zenbook 14 Intel Core i7-8565U Quad-core 14″ 1080p Laptop with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $999.99 at Amazon (list price $1199.99)
  • ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Ultra Slim Intel Core i7-8750H 6-core 15.6″ 1080p 144Hz Laptop with RTX 2080, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $2099.99 at Amazon (list price $2399.99)

More Laptop Deals here.

Desktop Computers

  • Dell Vostro 3000 Intel Core i5-9400 6-core Win10 Pro Desktop for $529 at Dell (list price $927.14)
  • Dell Vostro 5000 Intel Core i5-9400 6-core Win10 Pro Desktop for $579 at Dell (list price $998.57)
  • Dell Precision 3431 SFF Workstation Intel Core i5-9400 6-core Win10 Pro Desktop for $719 at Dell (list price $1159.34)
  • HP Pavilion 690 Intel i5-9400F 6-core Gaming Desktop with GTX 1660Ti for $599 at Walmart (list price $899)
  • Dell Optiplex 5055 AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 2400G Quad-Core Win 10 Pro SFF Desktop for $510 at Dell (list price $1041.93)
  • Dell OptiPlex 3070 Micro Intel Core i5-9500T 6-core Ultra Compact PC for $619 at Dell (list price $998.57)

More Desktop PC Deals here.

Monitors

  • Samsung CF39M 32″ 1080p Curved LED Monitor for $149.99 at Walmart (list price $249.99)
  • Dell UltraSharp U2717D 27″ 2560×1440 IPS InfinityEdge Monitor for $269.99 at Dell (list price $599.99)
  • Onn ONN20ML270H 27″ 1080p LED Monitor for $79.99 at Walmart (list price $149.99)
  • Onn ONN20ML320H 32″ 1080p LED Monitor for $89.99 at Walmart (list price $169.99)
  • Dell S3220DGF 32″ 2560×1440 HDR Curved Gaming Monitor for $369.59 at Dell (list price $599.99)
  • AOC G2590FX 25″ 1080p 144Hz G-Sync Frameless Gaming Monitor for $159.99 at Amazon (list price $199.99)

More Monitor Deals here.

TVs & Home Entertainment

More TV Deals here.

Networking

  • Today Only: Netgear CM500 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem for $44.48 at Amazon (list price $62.99)
  • Today Only: Netgear Nighthawk AX12 AX6000 WiFi 6 Router for $360.99 at Amazon (list price $499.99)
  • Netgear Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 4-Stream 802.11ax WiFi 6 Router for $99 at Walmart (list price $199)
  • Netgear Nighthawk R6700 AC1750 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router for $62.56 at Amazon (Clip $10 Coupon – list price $84.99)
  • Netgear Nighthawk R7200 AC2100 Smart WiFi Router for $89.99 at Walmart (list price $179.99)
  • eero Pro Mesh WiFi System (1 eero Pro + 1 eero Beacon) for $239 at Amazon (list price $299)
  • Today Only: Linksys Velop Tri-Band Home Mesh WiFi System (2-Pack) for $187.99 at Amazon (list price $349.99)
  • TP-Link Deco M4 AC1200 Whole Home WiFi Mesh System (3-Pack) for $139.99 at Amazon (list price $179.99)
  • Netgear GS908E 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch for $16.99 at Amazon (list price $19.99)

More Networking Deals here.

PC Components and Accessories

More Storage, Networking, and Components Deals.

Electronics

More Electronics & Tech Deals here.

Tools, Home Improvement, Kitchen Gadgets, and More

  • TurboTax Deluxe 2019 State and Federal + eFile Tax Software (PC Download) for $39.99 at Amazon (list price $59.99)
  • Walabot DIY In-Wall Stud, Pipe, and Wire Imager for Android for $39.18 at Amazon (list price $74.95)
  • STANLEY J5C09 1000 Peak/500 Instant Amp Jump Starter with 120 PSI Compressor for $47.09 at Walmart (list price $89.85)
  • Eccotemp EM 7.0 Gallon Electric Mini Tank Water Heater for $159.99 at Walmart (list price $192.99)

For more great deals go to TechBargains.

 

Note: Terms and conditions apply. See the relevant retail sites for more information. For more great deals, go to our partners at TechBargains.com.

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/deals/305636-et-weekend-deals-black-friday-pricing-on-roomba-675-up-to-100-off-10-2-inch-ipad-xps-13-starting-at-849
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Here Are The Best Laptop And Chromebook Deals Around At Up To $500 Off

It’s a new decade. And we’re going, to be honest with you…that ancient laptop you’re still slinging is lookin’ a little raggedy, my friend. Now that the holidays are over, retailers want to move extra stock on loads of great laptops, Chromebooks and tablets both new and refurbished, so there’s no better time to make a much-needed upgrade at a healthy discount.

We’ve pulled together 14 of the best current deals on laptop, Chromebook and tablet options that should satisfy just about any buyer. Take a look through the field of worthy contenders with significant savings of up to $500 off their retail prices.

Thomson NEO14C-4BK32F 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 32GB SSD Windows 10 Laptop – $199.99 (Originally $249.99)

At less than an inch thick and weighing under 3 pounds, this laptop is the epitome of ultra-thin tech. It’s also sporting an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, Windows 10 and up to 8 hours of battery life.

Samsung Chromebook 11.6″ 16GB (Refurbished) – $99.99 (Originally $599)

Refurbished tech is a great way to get a premium item at a rock bottom price. This Samsung Chromebook with a Samsung Exynos 5 Dual-Core 1.7GHz CPU handles all your web surfing, emails, video chatting and more, all at a fraction of this workhorse’s usual price tag.

Lenovo N21 11″ Chromebook 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 16GB Drive (Refurbished) – $89.99 (Originally $599)

This Chromebook is built for the daily grind. Highly durable with reinforced ports, hinges and corners as well as the ability to boot up in as fast as 3 seconds, this Lenovo boasts a 180-degree rotating camera, so you can capture the full spectrum of still photos and video happening all around you.

Thomson NEO 14 1.1GHz Intel Atom 32GB SSD Windows 10 Laptop – $169 (Originally $199)

The Thomson NEO is one of the lowest-priced laptops on the market, yet it still packs a pretty serious punch for your money. Powered by an Intel ATOM processor with full WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and a Windows 10 OS, this device is perfect for all of your on-the-go computing while using surprisingly little energy.

Dell Chromebook 11 11.6″ 16GB – Grey (Certified Refurbished) – $104.99 (Originally $299)

Built to U.S. Military standards and tested for durability, pressure, temperature, humidity, shock, and vibration, this is truly a Chromebook worthy of service. Thankfully, it’s also got a  2.1 GHz Intel Celeron processor and an Intel HD Graphic coprocessor under the hood to load web pages faster and open multiple tabs without lagging.

Lenovo N22 11.6″ Chromebook 16GB – Black (Certified Refurbished) – $99.99 (Originally $249.99)

This Lenovo Chromebook scores high across the board, including a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3050 processor, enhanced browsing and streaming capabilities, super-fast load times and even an ultra-durable design with a water-resistant keyboard to avoid any unpleasant accidents. And did we mention it’s also under $100?

Acer Touchscreen 11′ Chromebook 16GB (Certified Refurbished) – $249 (Originally $399)

In case you’re skittish about refurbished tech, this one comes with an “A” rating, meaning it’s in near-mint condition and practically good as new. Of course, it’s also got the performance goods as well, with a 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM and a super-fast start-up. At $150 off, it’s a solid deal.

Thomson NEO360X 13 Intel Celeron 32GB Windows 10 Touchscreen Laptop – $229.99 (Originally $269.99)

Elegant, slim and lightweight, the Thomson NEO360X is as versatile as they come. With operating modes as a notebook, desktop, tablet or even a tent mode, it’s customizable to your ergonomic requirements. All that plus a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen, to boot.

Dell Chromebook 11 Intel Celeron 2955U 1.40 GHz 16GB – Black (Refurbished) – $99 (Originally $159)

This Dell model checks a lot of boxes, with its Intel Celeron Dual-Core processor and Chrome OS offering high speed, ample security, and the silky smooth performance users demand. It’s also got portability as a key feature, weighing just 3 pounds.

HERO 9 Intel Atom 1 GB RAM 32 GB SSD Windows 10 2-in-1 Tablet – $99.99 (Originally $159)

The HERO 9 has all the versatility of a PC, but the pick-up-and-go capability of a tablet. Running Windows 10 with Mobile Microsoft Office among its pre-installed apps, this model is ready to hit the ground running and instantly connect to the web via WiFi or Bluetooth.

Thomson NEOX 13 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 32GB SSD Windows 10 Laptop – $199.99 (Originally $249.99)

This multipurpose device is comfortable at work or at home, capable of handling typical office use with ease, but also packed with the online social media access, entertainment and more for your leisure hours. It’s also got an HD-quality 1920 x 1080 IPS screen for top-flight clarity, sharper images and vivid colors.

Dell Chromebook 11 11.6″ 16GB – Grey (Certified Refurbished) – $104.99 (Originally $299)

If you’re searching for the perfect Chromebook for a student, you’d be hard-pressed to beat the 2.1 GHz Intel Celeron processor, Intel HD Graphic coprocessor and 11.6″ anti-glare HD LCD display of the Dell Chromebook 11. You not only save over 60% with this “A” rated model, but you also get best-in-class durability that can withstand the punishment of a typical school day.

Dell Chromebook 11-3120 2.16GHz Intel Celeron 16GB SSD – Black (Refurbished) – $84.99 (Originally $249.99)

Fueled by a 2.16 GHz Intel N2840 processor and 4GB of RAM, this Dell gives you the speed for easy multitasking with a host of different apps. It boots up in less than 10 seconds, loads web pages with the Chrome OS and Chrome browser for better productivity and sports a 10-hour battery life so you’ll never be short on power.

Dell 5190 Touchscreen Chromebook Intel Celeron N3450 32GB (Refurbished) – $199.99

This touchscreen Chromebook is designed to be kid-proof, which means it can handle spills of up to 12 ounces and drops from as high as 30 inches on to steel. In addition to the rugged design, it has a long-lasting 10-hour battery (since kids always forget to power up) and a fast Intel Celeron N3350 processor to handle all the cross-functionality young users need.

Note: Terms and conditions apply. See the relevant retail sites for more information. For more great deals, go to our partners at TechBargains.com.

Now read:



from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/deals/305632-here-are-the-best-laptop-and-chromebook-deals-around-at-up-to-500-off
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Arsenal sign defender Cedric Soares from Southampton on loan

Arsenal sign Portuguese defender Cedric Soares on loan from Southampton until the end of the season.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51326032
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Nvidia GeForce Now Could Undercut Stadia With $5 Subscription

Nvidia has been trying to make its GeForce Now streaming service a viable product for years, but it has yet to get all the kinks worked out. Google leapfrogged Nvidia when it launched Stadia late last year, offering cloud gaming on a limited basis to those who bought the spendy Founder’s Edition bundle. Nvidia may be close to wrapping up its latest GeForce Now beta, and rumors claim it’s targeting a subscription price that’s just half of Stadia’s. 

GeForce Now launched in 2013 as Nvidia Grid, and it remained in beta for a few years on Nvidia Shield devices. Nvidia launched a few years later with a $7.99 monthly fee. That gave you access to a library of older games, but new titles were purchased separately. This wasn’t a success, and Nvidia went back to the drawing board to develop the new GeForce Now. During this beta period, Nvidia has added integrations with Steam and Uplay and made the service compatible with more devices. 

A report from VideoCardz.com (which is reliable for gaming information despite the name) claims that Nvidia is planning on a $4.99 monthly fee for the premium GeForce Now service tier. Free users will have their gaming sessions capped at 1 hour, and they’ll have to wait longer to get a slot on Nvidia’s servers. Paying customers get priority access, longer sessions, and RTXSEEAMAZON_ET_135 See Amazon ET commerce ray-tracing support. However, the $4.99 fee might be a limited time offer for just the first year. 

GeForce Now supports a few hundred games via Steam and Uplay — it used to allow testers to install “unsupported” games from Steam on the GeForce Now servers, but that ability vanished a few months back. Still, hundreds of games dwarfs Google’s Stadia lineup. Google is probably hoping that its custom features will attract developers who will make exclusive games for Stadia, but it’s too early to know if that will happen. 

Google will charge $10 per month for Stadia Pro, which includes 4K streaming and game discounts. Unlike GeForce Now, Stadia requires customers to buy games from the Stadia store. The ability to play many of the Steam games people already own, along with the lower monthly fee, could encourage gamers to use GeForce Now instead. At least, that’s probably what Nvidia hopes. Google’s free Stadia tier could be almost as good as the paid one when it launches, and that could throw Nvidia’s plans into disarray.

Now read:



from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/305622-nvidia-geforce-now-could-undercut-stadia-with-5-subscription
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Matt Smith: Charlton Athletic bring in Manchester City's Wales midfielder on loan

Charlton sign Manchester City's Wales midfielder Matt Smith on a loan until the end of the season.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51334066
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Brentford sign Shandon Baptiste and Tariqe Fosu from Oxford United

Championship club Brentford sign Shandon Baptiste and Tariqe Fosu from Oxford United for undisclosed fees.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51332455
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Royal Mail postman found newborn baby on Hackney doorstep

Police are trying to find the baby's mother and are keen to help her and reunite her with her newborn son.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51324683
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TriEye’s Infrared Camera Helps Autonomous Cars See Through Haze

The Israeli startup TriEye believes it can move cars closer to self-driving with a short-wave infrared, or SWIR, camera as part of the car’s arsenal of sensors. A SWIR camera can see better than traditional optical cameras when there’s rain, fog, dust, or smoke.

TriEye’s breakthrough isn’t the invention of SWIR technology cameras – they exist today – but in reducing the potential cost by “1,000x,” according to the company. TriEye says lower-resolution SWIR cameras can cost $20,000, so that means TriEye believes a camera, or at least its sensor, can be sold for $20. (Our estimate.) That’s in line with the sub-$100 cost of radar and fixed (not rotating) lidar modules. TriEye says it will have working cameras, called Raven, ready to sample this year.

TriEye exploded parts diagram. TriEye uses a CMOS sensor rather than InGaAs.

The company was formed in 2017 by researchers at Hebrew University. Short-wave infrared technologies already have some traction in high-value, often defense-related applications using InGaAs, or indium gallium arsenide. That’s an alloy made from indium arsenide (InAs), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), and gallium phosphide (GaP). But it’s expensive. It’s hard to make a mass-market self-driving or assisted car if the tiny camera in your windshield costs as much as a Corolla.

Close-up of prototype TriEye Raven camera. Note inscription on the coin

SWIR cameras work in the wavelength spectrum of 1.0-1.9um (micrometers) where traditional optical cameras operate at 0.4-0.75um. TriEye says its big advance, the one making short-wave infrared commercially viable, is the adaptation of the SWIR technology to use CMOS – complementary metal-oxide semiconductor – technology that is far cheaper.

The TriEye Raven camera would initially be offered with 1280 x 960 resolution, have a field of view of 17 x 12 degrees or 46 x 34 degrees in a 4:3 aspect ratio, and a frame rate of 30fps. Including the lens, the camera measures 3 x 3 x 2.5 cm, or 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.0 inches.

TriEye will target both autonomous cars and today’s cars with advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, technology: adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist, and blind-spot detection. On cars coming out in the next few years, a TriEye camera would be better able to make out pavement markers to keep the car centered in its lane – a requirement of Level 2 and higher autonomy – as well as make out people and animals in or near the roadway. TriEye says its sensor also improves low-light image sensing.

TriEye says radar and lidar, even working together, have issues detecting and identifying objects on the road in murky visibility conditions, while the TriEye SWIR CMOS can see objects in bad visibility situations. How much and how well will await real-world testing.

TriEye is not alone in seeking new tools for autonomous driving. For establishing a car’s exact location on the roadway, the MIT-spinoff WaveSense proposes using ground-penetrating radar to create an exacting map. The soil and rock types, cavities, and utility pipes create a unique image that can locate the car to within a few inches. WaveSense would require initial mapping (and update mapping); cars would carry the map data and have their own downward-facing radars. WaveSense tech would need to work with other technologies to identify other cars, blocked lanes, and pedestrians and animals.

TriEye has raised more than $22 million in funding, not much by Amazon-Apple-Microsoft standards, but enough to develop prototypes to show automakers and suppliers this year. The big win was a large investment in August 2019 by Porsche Investment, both for the money and for the name of the world’s best-known sports car company. Intel Capital provided initial funding; Grove Ventures and Israeli businessman Marius Nacht also were early investors. Porsche’s investment doesn’t mean the camera would be restricted to Porsches.

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/305200-trieyes-infrared-camera-helps-autonomous-cars-see-through-haze
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Walthamstow attack: Man who kicked friend to death over £30 jailed

David Dalling is jailed for 10 years having been found guilty of manslaughter.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51323073
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8-Core x86 CPU From China Goes Up for Sale

In 2013, VIA Technologies created a joint venture with the Shanghai Municipal Government and created Zhaoxin, a fabless semiconductor company. Zhaoxin (meaning “million-core,” according to Wikipedia) launched a series of chips based on the old VIA Isaiah core. Over the years, the company has evolved the original Isaiah architecture into a higher-performing CPU core, with more cores, higher clocks, and a lower process node. The current CPU family’s code name is Lujiazui and it’s used in the KX-6000 series of products.

Image by WikiChip

To be clear, Zhaoxin is entirely distinct from Thatic, the joint venture that AMD formed a few years ago. The pedigree for Zhaoxin flows back through VIA through the acquisition of companies like Cyrix and Centaur Technology, as well as through VIA’s own legal settlements with Intel. While I’m cutting through a lot of x86 history here, Centaur’s general design philosophy from the VIA acquisition through the present day has been an emphasis on low-power, efficient computing. There was a brief time, around the turn of the millennium, when VIA was building low-power fanless products for passive, silent SFFs (Small Form Factor systems).

THG has more details on the first Zhaoxin parts to turn up for retail sale in China. The KX-U6780A is an 8C/8T CPU clocked at 2.7GHz, with an 8MB L2 cache and a 70W TDP. There is no L3. The CPU appears to have an integrated GPU with DX11.1 support, along with support for standards like AVX and SSE4.2, PCIe 3.0, M.2 slots, and USB 3.1. While the CPU is only offered in BGA format, there’s going to be a supported mITX motherboard, the C1888.

Zhaoxin-CPU-Perf

The Chinese community enthusiasts who benchmarked the board were able to compare it against the previous Zhaoxin product, the KX-C4580. The KX-C4580 is a 4C/4T CPU at 1.83Hz — but it’s clear that there’ve been some substantial additional architectural improvements. If we start from the 228 baseline and assume perfect scaling, we’d expect the U6780A to provide 2x performance based on core count and a 1.47x improvement based on clock. That only takes the R20 score up to ~670, implying the new CPU’s IPC is roughly 1.26x higher in Cinebench on top of the core count and clock gains.

According to CPU-Z’s single-thread rankings, a score of 171 puts this chip in the same ballpark as the Core 2 Duo E7400 (178) or the Core i5-5200U (168). A CB20 score of 845 puts the KX-U6780A in the same range as the Intel Pentium G4600 at 838 (2C/4T, 3.6GHz), or the AMD FX-6300 at 854 (6C/12T, 3.5GHz – 4.1GHz). While it’s obvious that the per-core performance from the Zhaoxin CPU is much lower than the Intel equivalent, the Pentium G4600 does have a 1.33x clock speed advantage.

Anyone looking for a reason to dismiss the KX-U6780A will find reason to do so. Best-case, you’d be buying performance similar to what you could get from Intel or AMD 6-8 years ago. Focusing on that issue, however, misses the rapid rise of China’s manufacturing and semiconductor industry. Zhaoxin has evolved its product line rapidly, moving from Isaiah-derived parts directly based on the old VIA architecture to newer chips that have significantly improved the performance of the underlying CPU. While the new chip may not pack much performance compared with a top-end part from AMD or Intel, the KX-U6780A is still much faster relative to AMD or Intel than previous CPUs the company or country has fielded.

China has set aggressive targets for itself in terms of semiconductor self-sufficiency, and ramping up the performance and production of its home-grown products is part of that. While the company’s current manufacturing capabilities can’t build 7nm hardware, mainland China’s largest foundry, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation) announced volume production of 14nm wafers as of last November. We don’t know anything about yields, so we can’t speculate there, but China is catching up to the United States, Korea, and Taiwan in terms of advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/computing/305594-8-core-x86-cpu-from-china-goes-up-for-sale
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Wembley machete victim left in permanent vegetative state

The judge at the trial of Keiano Gooden-Josephs describes London knife crime as "depressing".

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51324681
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Olivier Giroud: Chelsea forward will not be leaving, says Frank Lampard

Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud is staying at the club despite being heavily linked with a move away, says boss Frank Lampard.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51323083
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Phone Call Recording May Come to Pixel Phones Soon

Google’s Pixel line of smartphones never have the best hardware of any Android phone, but Google makes up for it with software. Previous Pixels have debuted features like Call Screen and Google Assistant. Now, the long-rumored call recording feature may be on the verge of release. Over at XDA, they’ve managed to coax the Google dialer app to activate the unreleased call recording feature, giving us a glimpse at how it’ll work. 

XDA used a beta build of the Google Phone app, and the feature appears to be almost completely done. To start a recording, you’ll just have to tap the new “record” button on the call screen. It captures audio from both sides of the conversation and saves it for later review. 

This all varies greatly from the myriad “call recording” apps you’ll find in the Play Store. Those almost invariably just record from the phone’s microphone, which produces poor results. The apps were even more hamstrung by privacy changes implemented in Android 9. So, it’s up to phone makers to add call recording as a feature, and most don’t. 

An example of the call recording feature as it currently exists, via XDA.

There are legal restrictions on call recording that vary from state to state and country to country. To cover all (or at least most) of its bases, the Google feature will announce to both parties that recording as started. Google will also leverage its voice transcription capabilities to make the recordings into text that can be searched. For privacy reasons, this will probably take place on the device like Google’s Live Transcription feature. 

We don’t know when this feature will roll out. It’s possible Google will save it for the Google I/O conference in a few weeks. We can, however, safely assume that it will be exclusive to Pixel phones for a while at least. Other Pixel exclusives like Call Screen eventually expanded to a handful of non-Google devices from Motorola and Nokia. Call recording will likely be the same. Xiaomi might also have a role here — the call recording code popped up in the Phone app just after the Chinese company announced that it would start pre-installing Google’s Phone app instead of its own custom app.

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/305589-phone-call-recording-may-come-to-pixel-phones-soon
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The F-35 Is Still Broken and the F-35A Can’t Shoot Straight

Credit: US Air Force

Americans don’t agree on much these days, but thankfully there’s one fact coming out of government reports that’s pretty incontrovertible: However awesome the F-35 might be in theory — whatever heights of achievement it might one day achieve — the plane as it exists today is in pretty sorry shape. Bloomberg’s Anthony Capaccio recently got a chance to preview the annual report prepared by Robert Behler, the DoD’s director of operational test and evaluation. While the latest version of the report doesn’t identify any fundamentally new failings, continued operational problems in the existing categories are more than enough to have stymied the effort to bring the aircraft to full readiness.

Behler’s office has identified 13 Category 1 “must fix” issues directly impacting safety and combat capability before the $22B Block 4 phase of the program commences. The problems detailed by Behler are separate from the announcement on January 22, 2020, that the aircraft’s Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) would be scrapped and replaced with a brand-new software project. ALIS was supposed to be a revolutionary parts and logistics management system, but it’s never worked properly (we’ve covered ALIS problems in years past at ET). Now that system will be replaced by a new, cloud-based solution designated ODIN (Operational Data Integrated Network). Like ALIS, ODIN will be created in partnership with Lockheed-Martin.

The big problem of Behler’s most recent report, according to Bloomberg, is that the Air Force version of the F-35 has a major problem with its 25mm cannon. The GAU-22/A cannon used by the Air Force is mounted internally. Structural cracking has been a problem for the F-35 for years, and it continues to be an issue today. The report states that “The effect on F-35 service life and the need for additional inspection requirements are still being determined.”

The externally-mounted versions of the gun used by the Marines and Navy doesn’t have the same problem, but the USAF variant has unacceptably low accuracy when used against ground-based targets. Yes, the F-35A has such poor accuracy, it can’t even hit the ground… accurately. Being made of steel and under the influence of gravity, it’s thoroughly capable of hitting the dirt at any other point. It just might do so a few feet to the left or right of where you thought it would.

No significant portion of the F-35 fleet in service with any branch of the US military was capable of achieving what then-Defense Secretary James Mattis promised to achieve in 2018: Namely, that the aircraft be mission-capable, on average, 80 percent of the time. The report doesn’t give percentages but states that all branches lagged the goal “by a large margin,” with the Air Force scoring best, the Marines ranking “roughly midway,” and the Navy’s performance being described as “particularly poor.” The gun issue is unique to the F-35A, but most of the other issues are cross-branch.

Over the years I’ve written about the F-35, there’s been a lot of back-and-forth about whether it’s the “right” design to fight against America’s enemies in the engagements we will face in the future. The more practical question seems to genuinely be whether this aircraft can ever achieve the expectations that have been placed on it. It’s not the most tortured vehicle to ever move through the Pentagon procurement process — I’m pretty sure that dubious honor still belongs to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle — but the cost of the F-35’s development blows the BFV’s price tag out of the water. At least, it blows the BFV out of the water if you have the good sense to aim with a missile. Nineteen years after Lockheed’s X-35 beat Boeing’s X-32 to win the JSF program, that whole “gun” thing is looking a little sketchy.

F-35 wind testing

The F-35 undergoing wind testing.

Every time I look at the F-35, I wonder how the Air Force’s drone programs are coming along. Even if we eventually fix the plane, how long it will be before its replaced in many roles by drone fighters? I’m not claiming that’s going to happen in the next year or two, but the F-16 first entered service in 1980. Forty years later, it’s one of the most popular (and least expensive) fighter jets to operate in the world. There seems little chance of the F-35 achieving the same recognition.

I don’t expect the drone aircraft of 2022 to be punching holes in the F-35’s raison d’etre, but I’d be downright surprised if it’s still flying sorties in 2050. The plane is already scheduled to spend an extra year in testing trying to iron out these bugs, but the number of software flaws has only fallen slightly in 14 months, from 917 in September 2018, to 873 in November 2019.

At this point, has anyone considered a seance to contact Wilbur and Orville Wright?

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/305600-the-f-35-is-still-broken-and-the-f-35a-cant-shoot-straight
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Scientists Snap Closest-Ever View of the Sun

Image by NASA

Researchers have snapped the best-resolution view of the sun ever, courtesy of the Daniel K. Inouye 4-meter solar telescope. The image, which resolves features as small as 18 miles wide (30km), is an unprecedented glimpse of what the surface of the sun really looks like.

Typical images of the sun look like this, as captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), in geosynchronous orbit above Earth.

NASA-Sun

Image by NASA, via Wikipedia

This sort of image shows us a certain amount of detail, but it’s missing a lot — partly as a consequence of being shot from 93 million miles away. Then again, the SDO is also in orbit, which we know typically allows for much better viewing conditions than any ground-based telescope.

What allows the Inouye Solar Telescope to see in such detail compared with the SDO? Adaptive optics, location, and sheer size. At four meters (technically 4.24), the Inouye is the largest solar telescope on Earth and its location at Hawaii is one of the best-known locations for clear-sky viewing during the day. The situation appears to be analogous to the relationship between Hubble and some of our largest ground-based telescopes. Hubble has a 2.4-meter lens, while the European Extremely Large Telescope currently under construction in Chile will have a 39.3-meter lens upon completion. Hubble isn’t important because it presents us with the largest window on the heavens, but because the specific characteristics of space-based observation give us an additional level of bit-depth in areas other than the additional light-gathering capability from scaling up a lens. The Inouye Solar Telescope is expected to cooperate on observations with the already in-orbit NASA Parker Solar Probe and the joint ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter (currently prepping for launch).

In this case, the 4-meter telescope was able to make out what looks a lot like peanut brittle.

Super-Close-up-Sun

Image by AURA/NASA/NSO

Here’s how NASA/AURA/NSO describe the image:

The cell-like structures – each about the size of Texas – are the signature of violent motions that transport heat from the inside of the sun to its surface. Hot solar material (plasma) rises in the bright centers of “cells,” cools off and then sinks below the surface in dark lanes in a process known as convection. In these dark lanes we can also see the tiny, bright markers of magnetic fields. Never before seen to this clarity, these bright specks are thought to channel energy up into the outer layers of the solar atmosphere called the corona. These bright spots may be at the core of why the solar corona is more than a million degrees!

These images have been lightly processed to remove noise and enhance the shape of the structures; the full data set is still undergoing scientific analysis. Still, seeing the fine-scale structure of the sun is a reminder that it isn’t actually “just” a ball of burning gas. The science of how heat is theorized to move through a star and the large-scale structures we observe has implications for stellar theory. It could tell us something about how our own sun is evolving over its own lifespan, and might even have implications for our attempts to create sustainable fusion power generation on Earth. A better understanding of solar dynamics might also enable us to predict coronal mass ejections in the future — and that could be critically important, given the risk they pose.

I’m downright curious to see what kind of new data we’ll learn once the Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, and the Inouye Solar Telescope are online simultaneously.

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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/305564-scientists-snap-closest-ever-view-of-the-sun
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Crystal Palace v Sheffield United

Preview followed by live coverage of Saturday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51246499
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West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion

Preview followed by live coverage of Saturday's Premier League game between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51246496
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Premiership Rugby Cup: Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins

Team news as Exeter host Harlequins in Sunday's Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final at Sandy Park (13:00 GMT).

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51266239
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Luke Steele: Millwall re-sign Nottingham Forest goalkeeper on loan

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Luke Steele rejoins Millwall on loan for the second half of the season.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51326845
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West Ham try to sign Jarrod Bowen in £20m-plus deal from Hull City

West Ham are trying to conclude a £20m-plus deal to sign forward Jarrod Bowen from Championship club Hull City.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51323082
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Aiden McGeady: Charlton sign Republic of Ireland winger from Sunderland

Charlton Athletic sign Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady from Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season.

from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51323911
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