If you’re going to give your vehicle a good clean inside and out, it’s generally agreed that microfiber towels are the way to go. They’re gentle yet effective and, as long as you’re washing your microfiber towels properly, they can be used repeatedly. However, not all microfiber towels are fit for all surfaces, as different car materials call for different towel types. When cleaning glass, for instance, you want to use low-pile towels with shorter, more tightly-woven fibers. Unfortunately, what makes these good for glass makes them risky to use on paint.
Low-pile towels have more fibers, which means more points of contact with a surface. This can help remove fingerprints effectively and reduce the likelihood of streaks. However, this strong point can become a weakness when used on paint. More points of contact mean a stronger possibility of grabbing and dragging dirt particles across paint, thus creating scratches. This is an even bigger concern if the car hasn’t been effectively cleaned beforehand and there’s excess dirt on the paint. Thus, plush, high-pile towels are better suited for paint cleaning.
Of course, the matter of pile size is just one element of microfiber cloth selection. Material blend and weave types are key too; much like pile size, glass and paint cleaning don’t call for the same varieties.
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Material blend and weave type are also important
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When looking for microfiber towels, you’ll likely see material ratios indicating the towel’s blend of polyester and polyamide, also known as nylon. Polyester is for scrubbing, while polyamide covers absorption. An 80/20 polyester-polyamide split is typically recommended for cleaning glass, prioritizing the removal of smudges, grime, and dirt while still being able to suck up residual water and cleaning products. However, a 70/30 blend is typically recommended for potentially scratch-prone vehicle paint jobs, as this composition reduces abrasion and increases absorption and softness.
Aside from the cloth’s blend, you should also pay attention to the type of microfiber towel you’re using. The material’s weave will affect the towel’s cleaning attributes, making some towels better for specific surfaces than others. For glass, common popular weave types include pearl, diamond, and waffle, for their blend of cleaning ability and softness. Meanwhile, plush and twist cloths, for example, are more paint-friendly. These offer increased softness, reduced friction, and high absorption.
It’s often said that those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear, but we now live in a world where that attitude has a chance of upending your life. With hackers, identity thieves, rogue nation-states, data-hungry tech companies, and AI agents on the loose, information that would normally be innocuous can become a devastating weapon against you or your loved ones. Moreover, if an attacker steals company data you were responsible for, it could result in massive losses for your employer and the termination of your employment.
You’ve probably heard about some of the usual threats: suspicious emails that could be phishing attempts, pop-ups that claim your device is hacked, and so on. You’ve been told to change your passwords regularly and not to use the same one with multiple accounts. Many corporate workers have had details about these sorts of attacks and security reminders drilled into them through company training.
But cybersecurity is an infinitely deep rabbit hole, and there are many more things you can do to keep your data private and safe as you work. Half of the battle is knowledge. You can’t fight back unless you know what you’re up against. So, from locking down your accounts and devices to practicing good digital hygiene, here are five tips that will leave you better equipped to deal with digital threats, keeping your work private and personal data safe.
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Use passkeys, not passwords, where possible
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Passwords have never been the best way to keep our digital lives secure, but we’ve been stuck with them out of necessity. They force us to choose between convenience and security. Do you use the same password for everything and risk having your entire digital life stolen when a single account is exposed, or do you set unique, complex passwords for each of your accounts and risk losing access when you inevitably forget one? Password managers have stepped in to fill that gap, remembering unique passwords so you don’t have to, but that just makes your password manager an attractive target for hackers.
One of the most basic steps anyone can take to improve their digital privacy and security is to use passkeys instead of passwords. Passkeys store an encrypted “key” on your device. When you sign into an account, you’ll be asked to use the PIN, password, or biometric scan you normally use to unlock the device itself. Instead of remembering a hundred passwords, your computer or phone’s unlock code becomes the only thing you need. This may seem less secure, but because passkeys are tied to your specific device, the website knows you aren’t some hacker on the other side of the world. The service checks your device, and your device confirms that it’s really you.
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You can already use passkeys on many commonly used accounts, including Google, Microsoft, and more. Check in the security sections of each service’s settings to make the switch. You should also pick a passkey manager to store your passkeys. Common options include 1Password, Proton Pass, NordPass, and Google Password Manager.
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Use a password on your phone, not fingerprint or face unlock
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When setting up the lock screen on your smartphone, you will be presented with a few options. All devices offer a password or PIN, while Android phones offer a pattern lock and often a fingerprint sensor or camera-based face unlock, and iPhones offer the three-dimensional Face ID system. However, due to legal and technical factors, the only options security-conscious users should choose are a password, PIN, or pattern. Although you must take care not to reveal your password, it cannot be forcibly extracted from you.
In the United States, police and other law enforcement officers cannot warrantlessly breach your password. That’s because the Supreme Court has ruled that a password is private knowledge protected by the Fourth Amendment, meaning that you cannot be compelled to divulge it against your will. However, the law currently does not prevent a law enforcement officer from physically forcing you to unlock your phone or other devices by forcibly pressing your thumb to the fingerprint reader or putting you in a headlock to hold your face still while Face ID scans you.
Circuit courts have ruled in opposite directions, with a 9th Circuit judge finding in 2024 that forcing a defendant’s thumb to the phone’s fingerprint reader was no different than forcibly taking his fingerprints during booking. In 2025, the D.C. Circuit ruled the opposite, finding that a January 6th insurrectionist’s rights were violated when the FBI forced him to open his phone with biometrics. Until the Supreme Court weighs in, it’s a gray area. Either way, an individual officer may not know or care what the law says. For more information, see our explainer on why you should never give the police your phone without a warrant.
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Be aware of your surroundings when dealing with sensitive information
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Many people worried about their digital privacy and security go to great technical lengths to lock down their devices from prying eyes, but neglect to consider threats in the physical world around them. The weak point in all digital security is the human element, and the most effective hackers are often not typing on a supercomputer from some basement. Instead, they’re using what are called social engineering attacks — in other words, chatting you up in an attempt to make you divulge the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on so they can reset your passwords, or asking you for your number so they can see you type your phone’s password.
Some attacks may not involve any interaction, but did you notice that the security camera in your favorite cafe is pointed right toward your laptop as you type in your banking credentials? What about the man seated next to you, whose wandering eyes may have taken note of the same? Of course, one easy solution for some accounts is to use passkeys in tandem with biometric authentication on your phone, eliminating the need to enter passwords. As we discussed above, biometric security can backfire if you’re ever in a tense situation with law enforcement, so it’s up to individuals to determine whether state or non-state actors are likely to present the larger threat to you.
It’s a bit crude, but a good rule of thumb when you’re unsure whether to handle sensitive information in a particular environment is to ask yourself whether you’d look at “not safe for work” content there. If the answer is no, it’s probably a good idea to wait until you’re in a more private setting.
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Always update your devices to get the latest security patches
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You should almost always install updates on your phone, laptop, PC, and other devices when prompted. Your devices are doing a lot of work on their own to protect you from threats. Major operating systems like Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS include multiple layers of defense that, in most cases, block the most severe threats without any work on your part. However, because of the complexity of our devices and OSes, there are always hidden vulnerabilities waiting to be discovered. In the worst case scenario, which is known as a zero-day exploit, a threat actor discovers them first and deploys them against defenseless users. In the best case, your OS vendor discovers them first and issues a security patch.
When you don’t update your phone or computer, you could lose a lot more than the five minutes it would have taken to install the latest software. Almost every system update to your devices contains at least a few security fixes, and if your OS vendor knows about those vulnerabilities, so do the bad guys. The sooner you update, the safer you’ll be. There are minor exceptions. In January, a series of bad updates wreaked havoc on Windows PCs, breaking important features and even causing boot cycle issues. Microsoft quickly released an out-of-band patch to rectify those issues, at which point responsible users finally updated. If an update is known to cause problems, you should hold off until they’re fixed.
Keep in mind that devices outside your phone and computer may need updates. Your smart TV, game console, smartwatch, wireless earbuds, and many other devices also receive occasional updates that should be applied as soon as possible.
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Be cautious with Wi-Fi connections
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In “The Lord of the Rings,” the corrupted wizard Saruman uses a scrying orb called a palantir to communicate with the villain Sauron. Gandalf, unaware that his old friend has succumbed to evil, warns him against using the orb, saying, “We do not know who else may be watching.” This is a particularly good metaphor for Wi-Fi, a technology nearly everyone relies on day-to-day. One of the things people aren’t taught about Wi-Fi is that it’s a two-way window. If a network is compromised, a threat actor could see everything you do and steal your most private work and personal data.
Evil twin attacks are among the most common Wi-Fi attacks, and happen most often in public areas like coffee shops, airports, and hotels, where lots of people are connected to the Wi-Fi. An attacker makes a network they control with the same name as the real network. Users may not notice that there are two networks named “Coffee Shop Guest” and connect to the fake one. Another common attack is man-in-the-middle, where an attacker positions themselves between two parties who are communicating, such as a payment vendor and a shopping site. And because Wi-Fi sends data through the air, sniffing attacks — where an attacker uses a specialized sniffing tool to intercept data packets — are also common.
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You can prevent some attacks by encrypting your data, most commonly through a VPN. Because a VPN encrypts your network traffic, a network attacker will only see scrambled data if they breach a Wi-Fi network you’re connected to. However, not all VPNs are created equal, and there are plenty of shady-looking services out there. Be sure to choose one of the best VPN services to ensure that your traffic is properly anonymized.
The system in question was modest by desktop standards: an entry-level Intel processor, two sticks of RAM, and a 2.5-inch SATA SSD running Windows 10. The hardware drew its power through a CX430 450-watt supply – until ScuffedBits swapped it for a custom ATX plug purchased online. The adapter allowed… Read Entire Article Source link
Microsoft Azure Local can now run fully disconnected without needing the cloud
European customers are increasingly demanding sovereign options
CISPE welcomes the changes, Civo warns of US CLOUD Act implications
Microsoft has announced three new updates to the company’s sovereign offerings, including improvements across Azure Local, Microsoft 365 Local and Foundry Local.
The additions come as US-EU trade tensions continue, with Europe pushing for more digitally sovereign options.
European customers are increasingly demanding local infrastructure, protection from potential US CLOUD Act data access and reduced dependency on hyperscalers.
Microsoft offers three new sovereign options for the likes of Europe
Though Microsoft’s Local additions don’t respond to the desire to step away from hyperscalers, they do tackle data and infrastructure sovereignty demands while offering already-familiar experiences for existing customers.
In a blog post, Microsoft Specialized Clouds President and CTO Douglas Phillips explained organizations can now use on-prem infrastructure with Azure’s governance and policy controls, all without cloud connectivity, in the form of the new Azure Local.
“Disconnected operations, management, policy and workload execution stay within the customer-operated environments,” he wrote.
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Previously, Azure Local needed periodic cloud connectivity. Staying offline for too long reduced functionality, but with the latest update, it can now run fully disconnected, making it ideal for highly regulated industries including defence and critical national infrastructure.
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CISPE, Europe’s body representing cloud infrastructure companies, welcomed the changes, promising to test Microsoft’s changes against its upcoming Sovereign Cloud Services Framework to see if they pass.
Microsoft doesn’t even stand out in the world of hyperscalers, with Google offering its own Google Cloud Airgapped solution and AWS selling its equivalent, the European Sovereign Cloud.
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“Our approach helps customers to meet strict sovereign requirements in fully disconnected scenarios without compromising simplicity, while retaining flexibility where connectivity is possible,” Phillips concluded.
Bill Gates, pictured here in 2020, apologized to Gates Foundation staff over his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein in an internal town hall on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop)
Bill Gates apologized to Gates Foundation staff on Tuesday for his past interactions with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, acknowledging in an internal town hall that the situation puts the foundation’s reputation at risk, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Gates met with Epstein multiple times from 2011 to 2014, years after the financier had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution, and continued the meetings even after his then-wife Melinda French Gates raised concerns in 2013, according to the WSJ report.
He told staff it was “a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein” and to bring foundation executives into meetings with the sex offender, the newspaper reported.
In the town hall, Gates acknowledged two extramarital affairs (with a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist) that Epstein later discovered through Gates’s former science adviser Boris Nikolic, the WSJ reported. Gates insisted he didn’t participate in or witness any of Epstein’s crimes, telling staff, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”
Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims.
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During the town hall, he acknowledged the broader implications for the foundation.
“It definitely is the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the foundation,” he said, according to the recording reviewed by the newspaper. “And our work is very reputational sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us.”
In a statement to GeekWire, a Gates Foundation spokesperson said the town hall was a regularly scheduled internal event that Gates holds twice a year.
“Bill answered questions submitted by foundation staff on a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein files, the foundation’s work in AI, and the future of global health,” the spokesperson said. “Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.”
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Last week, Gates abruptly cancelled a planned keynote address at India’s AI Impact Summit hours before he was scheduled to speak, with the foundation saying at the time that the decision was made “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.”
In a previous statement, the Gates Foundation said it was “aware of emails recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice” involving communication between Epstein and foundation staff, and that a small number of employees had interacted with Epstein based on his claims that he could “mobilize significant philanthropic resources for global health and development.”
It said no collaboration was pursued and no payments were ever made to Epstein.
Separately on Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Epstein built a network of connections across Microsoft over more than two decades, reaching deeper into the company than any other major tech firm.
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The documents show Epstein receiving updates on Microsoft’s CEO search, offering advice to executives, and gaining access to confidential company business.
Among those named in the NYT report: former CTO Nathan Myhrvold, who vouched for Epstein to Gates; former Windows chief Steven Sinofsky, who shared confidential Microsoft information with Epstein and sought his advice on his exit package; and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a current Microsoft board member who visited Epstein’s island and continued communicating with him through 2018, according to the newspaper.
Microsoft communications chief Frank Shaw told the NYT that the company was “disappointed” by emails between Epstein and former employees “acting in their personal capacities.”
The Seattle Times has separately reported on deeper ties between Myhrvold and Epstein, including emails showing the two met regularly in Seattle and New York from 2010 through 2018, and correspondence that appeared to show Myhrvold visiting Epstein’s private island.
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Myhrvold was also listed as a “friend” in Epstein’s 2003 birthday book and contributed a personal letter to the project, as GeekWire previously reported.
A spokesperson for Myhrvold said previously that he knew Epstein “from TED conferences and as a donor to basic scientific research” and “regrets that he ever met him.”
The Epstein revelations have had significant consequences elsewhere.
Hyatt Hotels executive chairman Tom Pritzker stepped down over his ties to Epstein, Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathy Ruemmler resigned, Norway’s former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with aggravated corruption, and former British ambassador Peter Mandelson was arrested in connection with the disclosures.
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In addition to his role at the foundation, Gates continues to advise Microsoft and serve as chairman of Bellevue-based TerraPower. Hoffman remains on the Microsoft board. Myhrvold is CEO of Intellectual Ventures and vice chairman of the TerraPower board.
For 1 in 7 seniors, even eating can be a challenge due to dysphagia
There’s a quiet, often overlooked challenge facing a growing number of Singaporeans—one that strikes at the very core of everyday life: the ability to eat.
Many of us see food as something we can relish, from its colours and smells to its taste, and we often take it for granted.
Eating doesn’t just happen in hospitals. It happens at hawker centres, coffee shops, and family dinners. Yet most food spaces are built on a silent assumption: everyone can chew and swallow. That assumption works until it doesn’t.
Despite its prevalence, dysphagia has remained a silent problem in Singapore’s food culture until recently.
Early trials to address dysphagia
Hawkers from Alexandra Village Food Centre and ABC Brickworks Food Centre trained by Alexandra Hospital’s speech therapists./ Image Credit: Alexandra Hospital
Singapore has taken steps in recent years to address the problem.
The initiative was just the first part of a broader landscape of awareness and the standardisation of providing dysphagia-friendly options beyond hospitals.
Moreover, since 2023, organisations like St Luke’s Hospital started offering hands‑on workshops to equip healthcare and food preparation staff with the skills to prepare and test texture‑modified meals for individuals with dysphagia.
The Project Futurus’ soft-meal versions of the Singaporean laksa noodles and pandan and coconut layer cakes, and dim sum soft meals were served during the Sensory Restaurant on Wheels programme./ Image Credit: The Project Futurus
In 2024, aligned with national efforts such as EatSafe SG, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) partnered with Hong Kong-based social enterprise Project Futurus to pilot the Sensory Restaurant on Wheels initiative, a sensory-led, immersive dim sum dining experience for over 90 seniors, 120 care sector stakeholders, and 60 volunteers.
Alongside three elderly care operators—Catholic Welfare Services’ St. Joseph’s Home, Methodist Welfare Services Bethany Nursing Home, and Salvation Army Peacehaven Nursing Home—SUSS and Project Futurus also introduced another initiative: the Captain Softmeal™ programme, teaching participants to prepare softmeal versions of familiar local dishes while retaining flavour and appearance.
Using Japanese softmeal enzyme techniques, local meals are safe to swallow and, most importantly, still enjoyable.
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Mainstream adoption
Despite these efforts, there’s no doubt that mainstream eateries have traditionally offered few options for those with dysphagia who would like to dine out, limiting social participation and nutritional intake.
Early this year, Singapore took another step toward changing that.(Left): A curated menu of textured soft-meal dishes, including classic Chinese ones like mini longevity buns, barbecue pork with honey sauce and black sesame glutinous rice dumplings in ginger soup by Imperial Treasure at Great World; (Right): A soft meal kaya toast by 5 Senses Café & Restaurant./ Image Credit: SUSS/ @nOmies.co via Instagram
Building on its previous efforts, SUSS piloted dysphagia-friendly menus in mainstream restaurants such as Imperial Treasure and 5 Senses Café & Restaurant. Seniors enjoyed familiar dishes—Hokkien Mee, stewed beancurd with minced beef, kaya toast—over a two-day pop-up from 12–13 Jan 2026.
Dishes were thoughtfully reimagined as soft meals by chefs to be easier and safer to swallow without compromising taste, presentation, or dining experience. Following IDDSI guidelines, chefs adjusted softness, moisture, and cohesiveness so that food neither crumbles dangerously nor flows too quickly.
The impact goes beyond safety. When one person at the table struggles with swallowing, the social experience changes.
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By modifying textures, the initiative allows seniors to dine out socially, with family and friends, while ensuring they receive adequate nutrition and enjoy their meals. This is a promising alternative to the usual porridge and oatmeal, and it preserves dignity and participation at the table.
This is why he believes that food is “more than nourishment,”— working on this pilot has allowed the 5 Senses team to better understand the needs of diners with swallowing difficulties. “It has shown us that we can tune our preparation and service processes—making dining out a more inclusive experience without altering the essence of it,” he added.
Soft-meal siu mai, chwee kueh, and pandan cake served to a resident at The Salvation Army Peacehaven Nursing Home./ Image Credit: The Salvation Army
The widespread adoption of dysphagia-friendly meals is easier said than done.
It is more than mashed ingredients—under IDDSI guidelines, food must hold its shape without crumbling, remain moist enough to swallow safely, and avoid breaking into unpredictable pieces.
It’s a lot of work for chefs—they would have to adjust cooking times, moisture levels, binding, and plating, all while preserving flavour and visual appeal. In addition, time needs to be spent training staff to understand and handle these new requirements.
Given that restaurants typically operate in a high-pressure environment, introducing new menu categories or specialised preparation can pose practical operational challenges. Hence, whether dysphagia-friendly dining can be maintained broadly outside pilot settings remains to be seen.
As Singapore heads toward 2030, the question is no longer whether dysphagia will affect someone we know, but whether our food culture, chefs, and dining spaces are ready when it does.
Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
News arrived this week of new Panasonic TVs, announced at the company’s Experience Event held on the outskirts of Munich, but new TVs weren’t the main focus as a big change was taking place at the event.
While that doesn’t sound massive, it is rather sizeable. Much like the Sony and TCL partnership that was announced earlier in 2026, it’s another brand with a storied history in the home entertainment market that’s loosened its grip on its home cinema products and asked for help from others.
And I think I’m okay with it. Just about…
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The fall of a giant or a Phoenix from the flames?
It would be worse, really, if Panasonic had announced that it was completely selling off its TV division. The writing was on the wall almost a year ago when there were signs that the TV division was not the profit centre that Panasonic had hoped it’d be.
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The push back into America was initially a sign of confidence that the TV division could be resurgent, but a flag that looked distinctly white was being waved around and suitors seemingly asked to come and have a peek at what Panasonic had to offer.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
That Panasonic still retains an element of control is, I think, a good thing. There are still unknowns about Skyworth. I don’t believe Trusted Reviews has ever reviewed a TV from them, so I couldn’t tell what they’re like.
While I’m familiar with the name, the impression I’ve had about the brand over the years is that it is about budget and quantity, and not necessarily beating others when it comes to quality. It remains to be seen whether it can step up in that regard, and as a result, I’m sceptical. But then that should be a challenge that Skyworth rises to.
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It does offer Panasonic a production scale and possibly a marketing reach that, surprisingly for a company of Panasonic’s size, it could not achieve on its own. It’s not just ‘scale’ and ‘reach’ that Panasonic are after, but unlocking the mysteries of producing TVs at a lower price that its Chinese rivals have figured out.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews) Peter Yu, Chuangwei RGB
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I’m always worried when the word DNA is invoked, as it was a few times during Panasonic’s Plenary session, as it never really reassures.
DNA is the word you don’t want people to bring up, as it inevitably sparks questions about what a company’s DNA is and answers that wildly diverge based on what people think of the brand. What a company’s DNA is known is not necessarily what it was twenty years ago.
If Panasonic knew what its own DNA was, wouldn’t it know how to fix the problem and not seek a transfusion from another source? Does this deal represent the fall of a giant, or are we about to see a resurrection of one? I guess it depends on your perspective and what happens next.
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Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
So while I’m disappointed by the outcome, I’m not necessarily glum. Panasonic has made some cracking TVs – the Z90B is a recent favourite of mine –, but there’s no doubting that the sands of the TV industry have shifted, and it’s been slow to adapt.
For what it’s worth, I think the focus on premium OLED TVs was not the best move, or at least it focused on producing too many in a market segment that’s dominated by LG (and now, also, Samsung).
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I think Sony came to this realisation a few years ago and put the brakes on its OLED output and shifted to Mini LED. Panasonic needed to embrace similar change, and its 2026 TV line-up now features several Mini LED TVs, a jump from the one that was available in 2025.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The benefit, much like Sony, is that Panasonic stays in the TV market. There’s been a fair amount of talk about the Sony/TCL deal and who has ‘control’ in that partnership, but I can’t see Sony relinquishing its hold on the tech that it created, especially as it’s a step up on what TCL has developed.
The same, I think, applies to this Panasonic/Skyworth partnership, though Skyworth isn’t the equal of TCL, and it’s here where the main worry lies. Skyworth is a “top-five global TV brand” and yet I can’t think of much about them beyond budget/value TVs.
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Panasonic’s TVs stand for quality, and any drop in performance will affect the perception of the brand. Having been big names in the 90s, the Japanese TV brands have been usurped by Korea and now China. So while it’s great that the Panasonic name remains in the TV world, but if anything, the tough work of making Panasonic great again is just about to begin.
Matthew Perks has truly outdone himself with his new invention, a highly portable powerhouse surrounded by one of the world’s brightest LEDs. The device, known as the LED supernova, takes 1.5 kilowatts of power and converts it into a dangerously eye-searing 120,000 lumens, all in a compact box weighing only 25 kg and remaining (amazingly) portable.
Perks’ idea begins with a large LED array that can produce light so bright that it’s like staring directly into the face of a rushing car; standard car headlights simply can’t compete. The difficulty is that any standard power system would have destroyed the light source long ago, so Perks had to design and build a completely new cooling / power system from scratch. This beast is made up of six copper radiators, each with three fans, resulting in a hexagonal structure with an astonishing 18 fans tied together with rubber tubing.
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The action revolves around a handcrafted hexagon-shaped metal reservoir. This item is quite adaptable; its external casing serves as a mounting platform for voltage regulator boards, allowing for rapid heat dissipation via thermal pads. The pump draws liquid from a central chamber, and a glass window provides a good view of the flow. Perks has gone above and above to ensure that all of the joints are waterproof, that there is a bleed valve to release any air pockets, and that it does not leak when the pressure is applied.
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The LED is connected to a massive copper water block via soldered pipes and brackets that also function as supports, much like creating a unique suspension system for the light source. The half sphere lens and Fresnel lens function well together, capturing stray photons and directing them into the spotlight as a tight beam. The external potentiometer allows you to change the brightness using a large brass gear, and the other dial (which controls temperature) isn’t far behind.
Power comes from a huge lithium-polymer battery pack capable of producing up to 5.3 kilowatts, similar to those used in high-draw RC applications. There is a built-in management system that monitors everything and prevents negative things from happening, such as shorts, over-discharging, and excessive current. The battery pack is housed in a very handsome polished brass enclosure that not only keeps things secure but also adds some serious beauty, and six different regulator boards split the load in a way that keeps the heat at bay, with each capable of managing a surprisingly high 250 watts.
An Arduino board ensures safety by monitoring coolant flow, temperature, and pump speed. Everything operates great until it reaches its limits, at which point the entire system shuts down, cutting power quickly to save that expensive LED from blowing out in the middle of a run. He was able to put it all together using only simple hand tools such as a jigsaw for cutting brass, a vise to bend it into shape, and some careful soldering to ensure it was securely fastened. There are also 3D printed templates available to assist you mark up sheet material correctly. He even added additional straps made of leather and copper piping with handles to make the 25 kg monster more movable.
The tests show the system functioning as smoothly as a well-oiled machine, full power or not; the coolant only reaches 32 degrees Celsius, the fans spin at a cool 74%, and the LED substrate remains nice and cool at 65 degrees, well below its danger zone. No matter what strain you put on the battery, it will run for 15 minutes without blinking. That leaves plenty of time for longer demonstrations. Let’s just say that the light is very spectacular; it can light a match from 20 feet away simply by emitting photons, eliminating the need for any infrared.
In a press release largely devoid of details as you’d expect given the topic, Apple has announced that the iPhone and iPad are the only consumer-grade devices that comply with NATO classified data safeguard guidance.
IPhone 17 Pro Max in Orange
The certification doesn’t allow the iPhone to either put in-motion or store at-rest any level of classified data. Specifically, the devices, properly managed, are allowed to handle classified information up to the NATO restricted level without requiring special software or settings. Apple says that on the whole, no other consumer mobile device has met this standard. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
When you think wearables from the likes of Google, Motorola and Samsung, you probably think earbuds and maybe watches. But in the age of AI, a whole new world of wearable tech is coming to life, and we could see these companies soon branch out to make AI-powered pins, pendants and other unexpected gadgets too.
This new generation of wearable tech will be made possible by Qualcomm, which on Monday announced the latest version of its wearables chip, the Snapdragon Wear Elite, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This new platform will be used by a range of partners, including Google, Motorola and Samsung to design a constellation of new devices.
Qualcomm’s philosophy toward wearables is very much “build it, and they will come.” It makes the underlying technology that will power devices and will then encourage companies to build on top of it how they see fit.
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When I attended the company’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii last year, Qualcomm Chief Marketing Officer Don McGuire painted me a picture of how he imagines the convergence of AI and wearables playing out.
“AI is going to be ambient in a lot of ways,” he told me. It might not even be called a “device” if it’s something woven into your clothing or worn on your person. “There’s lots of ideas out there floating around,” he said.
At the same event, Dino Bekis, who runs Qualcomm’s wearables business, introduced me to the Looki L1 — a life-logging camera created with the company’s W5 Gen 2 chip. This is the wearables platform Qualcomm introduced last year, which was designed to work with Google’s Wear OS and launched with the Pixel Watch.
Unlike its predecessor, the new Wear Elite chip will work across Google’s Wear OS, Android and Linux, with a neural processing unit that enables on-device AI with low power consumption. This is key for wearable devices, which you don’t necessarily want to charge every day. Qualcomm says the Wear Elite’s advanced power management enables 30% longer battery use, compared to the previous version, with rapid charging bringing devices to 50% in around ten minutes.
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“The Snapdragon Wear Elite platform opens new possibilities, delivering the performance, battery life and connectivity essential for the next generation of Wear OS,” said Bjørn Kilburn, general manager of Wear OS by Google, in a statement.
The first devices powered by the Wear Elite chip should be available in the coming months, with Motorola saying it will use the platform to build more AI wearable devices like AI concept Project Maxwell, which it showed at CES in January, and Samsung saying it will integrate Wear Elite into the next Galaxy Watch. This will make the watch into “an even more holistic wellness companion,” said InKang Song, EVP and head of tech strategy at Samsung.
Samsung and Google might be focused on watches, but Snapdragon Wear Elite points to a future halo of personal wearables, which CNET Editor at Large Scott Stein has explored in more detail. The possibilities stretch beyond what we’ve seen so far as this latest platform is embraced by companies big and small. I’ll be looking for demos making use of the new chip this week at MWC, so stay tuned for more.
The Klipsch Flexus Core 200 ($549) is about as sensible as soundbars get. If you’re wondering what I mean by that, the Core 200 offers up all the essentials; Dolby Atmos processing, up-firing speakers for height effects, and HDMI eARC connectivity in a reasonably compact and powerful package. And by stripping out the things that not everyone needs in a soundbar – specifically, extra HDMI ports and built-in Wi-Fi for streaming music, Klipsch managed to hit an affordable price point with the Flexus Core 200. They don’t call it Core for nothing.
Sandwiched between the 2.1-channel Core 100 ($349) and 5.1.2-channel Core 300 ($1,199) in the Flexus soundbar lineup, the Core 200 walks the line between basic TV sound enhancement and full-on Atmos immersion. It can also be scaled up to a 5.1.2- or even a 5.1.4-channel configuration by adding an optional Klipsch wireless subwoofer and surround speakers. For this review, I paired it with the Flexus SUB 100 subwoofer ($349 each) and Flexus SURR 100 rear speakers ($249/pair). Total system price: $1,175.
What Is It?
The Klipsch Flexus Core 200 is a 3.1.2-channel powered soundbar that decodes Dolby Atmos and legacy Dolby Digital and PCM formats. DTS:X is not supported, an omission some may find disappointing now that support for that format has been added to movies on the Disney+ streaming service.
As I mentioned above, there’s no Wi-Fi onboard for music listening via TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect and other services, though Bluetooth is on-board for basic streaming of music, internet radio and podcasts. Bluetooth is also used by the Klipsch Connect setup app and for wireless hookup between the soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers.
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The 44-inch-wide Flexus Core 200 soundbar is a good fit for 55-inch and larger TVs.
At 44 inches (111.8 cm) wide, 3 inches (7.8cm) high, and 5 inches (12.6cm) deep, the Core 200 mates well visually with 55- or 65-inch TVs, though its somewhat chonky 3-inch height means you may need a TV with an adjustable stand to provide sufficient screen clearance. The soundbar’s attractive cabinet is made of plastic, wood, and metal, and there are black and walnut finish options.
Being a Klipsch soundbar, there’s going to be a horn somewhere, and in this case it’s the center speaker’s 0.75-inch horn-loaded tweeter, which is flanked by two 2.25-inch aluminum cone drivers. The same 2.25-inch drivers are also used for the left and right speakers and up-firing elevation speakers, while a pair of 4-inch paper cone woofers bring the bass. Onboard power for the Onkyo-designed amplifier section is specified at 185 watts (RMS) and frequency response at 43Hz-20kHz.
The Flexus Transport USB transmitter (at right) is included with Klipsch’s Flexus SUB subwoofers and Flexus Surr rear speakers.
Along with the Core 200’s HDMI eARC port, there’s an optical digital input, an RCA output for a hardwired subwoofer connection, a USB-C port (service only) and a USB Type-A port to plug in the wireless dongle that connects the SUB 100 subwoofer and SURR 100 rear speakers.
Controls located on the Core 200’s top surface let you toggle power on and off, switch inputs and adjust the volume level. A large alphanumeric LED display located on the front provides visual feedback when making adjustments using the Klipsch Connect app or the included remote control – a useful and very welcome feature that’s not always provided on soundbars, including ones priced significantly higher than the Core 200.
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Basic touch-sensitive controls are located on the Core 200 soundbar’s top surface.
The Klipsch Flexus SUB 100 I used for my test packs a 10-inch paper cone woofer powered by an 80-watt (RMS) class D amplifier in a sealed enclosure. It comes with the Flexus Transport USB transmitter used for the soundbar’s wireless connection, and it also has an RCA input for a hardwired hookup. At 13.25 inches (33.7cm) wide x 13.3 inches (33.8cm) high x 13.75 inches (35cm) deep, it’s a relatively compact cube and makes for a good visual match with the Core 200 soundbar.
The Klipsch Flexus SURR 100 speakers I used for rear channels are tiny, almost toy-like at 4.25 inches (10.8cm) wide x 6.75 inches (17.1cm) high x 4.25 inches (10.8cm) deep. Each speaker uses a 3-inch paper cone driver powered by 25 watts (RMS) and the package also comes with the Flexus Transport USB transmitter. Klipsch offers a beefier rear speaker option in the Flexus SURR 200 ($499/pair), a model that adds a 2.25-inch up-firing driver to the 3-inch front-facing one to convey Dolby Atmos height effects.
Klipsch Flexus SUB 100 Subwoofer (left) and SURR 100 Wireless Rear Speakers (right)
Setup and Use
I found setting up the Core 200 with Klipsch’s optional subwoofer and rear speakers to be super easy compared to other soundbar-based wireless surround systems I’ve tested. If you’re using just the Core 200, all that’s needed is to run a cable from your TV’s HDMI eARC/ARC port to the soundbar’s HDMI port. Connect it to power and you’re done – even the Klipsch Connect app is optional and not needed for setup.
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If, like me, you’re extending the system with a wireless sub and speakers, you’ll need to insert one of the included USB transmitters into the soundbar’s USB type-A port and then press the Connect button located on the rear panel of both the subwoofer and rear speakers. An audio tone confirms that a wireless connection has been made and an LED indicator light, also located on the back, changes from a pulsing to a solid white.
For my setup, I had the Core 200 placed on a stand beneath a 75-inch TV in my 9 x 12 x 16 (H x W x D) foot viewing room, the SUB 100 in the front right corner, and the Surround 100s on stands to the right and left and slightly behind my sofa.
The Core 200 soundbar’s full-featured remote control.
Klipsch’s remote control provides access to most adjustments for tuning the soundbar for your viewing environment or whatever content you’re listening to or watching. There are buttons to select the Sound (Movie or Music) and Night (volume levelling) modes, and to configure Dialog level (1-3 or Off) plus front height, back left and right, and subwoofer level. All of these adjustments are indicated on the Core 200’s big, beautiful front LED display, and you can also adjust the display’s brightness using the remote.
The Klipsch Connect app features all the same adjustments, but further provides a three-band EQ with multiple presets plus a Custom setting. EQ may get scoffed at by audio purists, but I find it to be highly necessary for soundbars, where you regularly need to make adjustments for the differences in TV and movie soundtracks, as well as for any music you listen to.
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The Core 200’s large alphanumeric LED display provides easy to read visual feedback.
Movie Performance
I started out my evaluation with the Klipsch soundbar alone before adding the subwoofer and rear speakers to the mix. The Core 200 had a nicely balanced presentation overall, with full bass and clear, natural-sounding dialogue. Atmos effects were also pronounced, especially with the soundbar’s height adjustments edged up toward maximum level.
These qualities served F1 well when I streamed it on Apple TV via my Apple TV 4K. In the movie’s opening scene, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) races at Daytona to the strains of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” The roar of the car engines was vivid and clean, and I could easily hear a shifting level of spaciousness to the commentator’s voice as the action cut between interior and exterior shots. John Paul Jones’ bass came across as muscular and deep, with a level of dynamic power that was impressive for a standalone soundbar.
The Klipsch Control app duplicates all the remote control functions and adds EQ adjustments (center).
Watching F1 revealed the Core 200’s ability to cast a tall and wide soundstage, especially when a fireworks display lit up the night sky during the race, but the presentation was mainly locked to the front of the room. This was evident when I watched the scene from the Dune: Part II 4K Blu-ray where Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) hitches a ride on a giant sandworm – as worm and rider plowed through the desert landscape, the spray of sand was cast high and wide, but I didn’t feel overly immersed in the action.
It was the same deal when I watched the scene from the Twisters 4K Blu-ray where the doomed young meteorologists flee a monster tornado only to get sucked up one by one into the deadly funnel. The sound of the storm was powerful and dramatic, but I didn’t feel like I was in the eye of the storm. Dialogue in this complex and chaotic sequence also tended to get obscured, but a few hits of the Dialog button on the remote successfully boosted it to the point where I could hear it.
Movies with SUB & SURR
Watching the same clips with the SUB 100 and SURR 100 speakers added to the mix elevated the Core 200’s game to the point where I’d deem them indispensable. It’s not that Klipsch’s soundbar isn’t effective on its own; for the price, I’d even say it’s an overachiever. But adding those optional extras brought about a surprisingly effective increase in both dynamic range and surround immersion. I was actually caught off guard by it.
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The Klipsch Flexus SURR 100 proved surprisingly potent for compact rear speakers.
Giving F1 another spin, the SUB 100 created a deep foundation of bass that added dimension to engine sounds and emphasis to John Bonham’s kick drum. The little SURR 100 speakers lit up as the cars circled the track, providing a strong sense of being positioned in the driver’s seat.
The Dune: Part II worm rodeo scene also benefited greatly from the speaker additions, with the sand now seeming to spray to the back of the room. Twisters, too, took on a new dimension: the trajectory of wind sounds now seeped from the front to the rear speakers, creating a much more vivid sense of being caught inside the storm.
Music Performance
For music, I decided to leave the full 5.1.2 configuration intact since I was mostly listening to Dolby Atmos music tracks on Apple Music (played via the Apple TV 4K). Also, the Core 200 automatically upconverts stereo tracks in both Music and Movie mode, so everything I listened to ended up being in surround sound format anyway.
With the Core 200 soundbar’s streaming options limited to Bluetooth, you’ll need to rely on an external streamer for lossless music listening.
I’m a fan of Ryan Ulyate’s Atmos mix of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, which manages to subtly expand the stereo original while maintaining a rock-solid presentation of vocals and instruments. Heard on the Flexus Core 200 system, Petty’s voice on “It’s Good to be King” had the same dry, natural quality I’m used to hearing on higher-end setups, The piano maintained its clean, well rounded tone and the Atmos mix spread subtly towards the rear of the room in a way that added warmth to the sound.
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Beck’s “She’s Gone,” also in Atmos, further confirmed my impression of the Core 200’s neutral, and mostly transparent, handling of music. Beck’s vocals sounded natural, with just a slight touch of reverb, and the acoustic guitar and harmonica had a crisp, clean tone. The bass guitar had a similar level of depth and punch as on “Whole Lotta Love” when I watched F1, but it gained a deeper, more authoritative foundation with the addition of the SUB 100 subwoofer.
To see how far I could flex that sub, I next played Deadmau5’s “Imaginary Friend” in stereo via the Apple TV 4K’s TIDAL app. For a compact sub with a 10-inch driver, the SUB 100 did an impressive job pressurizing the room and fleshing out the electronic beats. I could literally feel the bass hit in my chest. Upconverted for surround, the track gained a compelling sense of spaciousness, and the addition of a height dimension via the soundbar’s up-firing speakers gave it a nice wall of sound effect.
The Klipsch Flexus SUB 100 delivered impressive bass power for a compact sealed subwoofer with a 10-inch driver.
Shifting back to Atmos, I dug out my Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (50th Anniversary) Blu-ray, which features a fantastic Dolby Atmos mix by the band’s longtime producer and engineer, James Guthrie. I had been a bit underwhelmed by the Core 200’s Atmos presentation of this disc when I had listened to it without the SUB 100 and SURR 100 speakers, but hearing “Welcome to the Machine” on the full system was a very different experience. The up-front vocals and guitar had a full, monolithic quality, floating well above the physical confines of the soundbar, while the synths stretched out well into the room and around my head. To me, “Welcome to the Machine” is about as good as Atmos music gets, and the Klipsch system did it justice.
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Klipsch Flexus Core 200 Soundbar System with SUB 100 Subwoofer and SURR 100 Wireless Rear Speakers for 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos
The Bottom Line
If I haven’t already made this clear enough, the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 soundbar’s performance takes a big leap forward when augmented by the Flexus SUB 100 subwoofer and Flexus SURR 100 rear speakers. That’s not to knock the Core 200, which performs very well for a 3.1.2-channel soundbar, especially one priced at $549. I’m sure many folks would be more than satisfied with its standalone sound, and also with its ease of setup and use.
Are there crucial features missing from the Core 200? Aside from DTS:X support, it would be nice to have built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, so you could use your phone to cue up music without having to rely on lossy Bluetooth for playback. Wi-Fi is a feature found on the Sonos Beam Gen 2 ($499), which lets you stream lossless music from a wide range of apps, and also brings support for AirPlay 2. In my case it was easy enough to use my Apple TV 4K for lossless and Dolby Atmos music streaming, but not everyone will want to deal with an external streamer.
Even without Wi-Fi for music streaming, the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 is a great value. I was very impressed with its performance for the price, and at $1,175 for the full package with subwoofer and rear speakers, it’s a very affordable way to dive into Dolby Atmos surround sound. I’ve regularly found that companies with a long history making speakers also do a great job with soundbars, and the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 system proves that to still be the case.
Pros:
Dynamic sound with clear dialogue
Powerful bass and good immersion with optional subwoofer and rear speakers added
Full-featured remote control
Dialog boost and EQ adjustments
Simple setup
Large, alphanumeric LED display
Great value
Cons:
No built-in Wi-Fi for music streaming
No DTS:X or DTS support
Standalone Core 200 soundbar has limited immersive effect
