Acer says the Swift Edge is the ‘world’s lightest’ 16-inch OLED laptop

Acer has unveiled a new lightweight laptop that targets on-the-go professionals in a world where more and more people are choosing to work from home or away from the office. The Swift Edge is a 16-inch OLED laptop with a magnesium-aluminum chassis that’s only 0.51-inch thin and only weighs 2.58 pounds. That’s lighter than the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air that weighs 2.73 pounds or the 16-inch LG Gram that weighs 2.62 pounds. 

Its screen is a 4K OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate, surrounded by a narrow bezel that gives it a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio. The model is powered by AMD Ryzen 6000 and Pro 6000 processors that come with integrated RDNA2 graphics, allowing users to play modern games in 1080p. It also comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory that’s upgradable to 32BG and either 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage. The device’s 54 Wh 3-cell battery can last up to 10.5 hours based on the company’s video playback tests and up to 8.5 hours based on its web browsing test results. 

Other features include an FHD (1,920 x 1,080) webcam and support for Microsoft’s Pluton security processor architecture, which provides additional protection for Windows 11 PCs. In addition, the laptop has a fingerprint reader and a Noble Wedge Lock slot. Acer’s first Swift Edge laptop will be available this month in North America for prices starting at $1,500. In Europe, Middle East and Africa, prices begin at €1,499, while in China prices start at RMB 7,999.

Welcome to the age of the cargo bike

As the need for cleaner, more sustainable transport becomes ever more urgent, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern in conversations on the topic. Someone will point out that bikes are a lot more efficient and environmentally friendly, reduce congestion and …

Engadget Podcast: The Pixel 7 and Google’s new family of devices

This week, Cherlynn, Devindra and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford dive into everything we learned at Google’s Pixel 7 event. Sure, it’s nice to have new phones, but it’s even nicer to see Google developing a cohesive design for all of its new devices. The Pixel Watch actually looks cool! And while we were ready to knock the (way too late) Pixel Tablet, its speaker base seems genuinely useful. Google may have finally figured out how to combine its software and AI smarts with well-designed hardware.

Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

  • Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro first thoughts – 12:04

  • Pixel Watch – 18:00

  • Also announced, Google Nest updates – 37:11

  • Intel Arc A750 and A770 graphics cards review – 42:27

  • Elon Musk announces intent to buy Twitter (again) – 44:56

  • Tesla showed off its robot (sort of) – 46:32

  • Gatorade made a smart water bottle – 47:40 

  • iPhone 14 Plus review – 49:42

  • Pop culture picks – 52:41

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Sam Rutherford
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

Meta warns 1 million Facebook users who installed password-stealing apps

Meta is warning 1 million Facebook users that their account information may have been compromised by third-party apps from Apple or Google’s stores. In a new report, the company’s security researchers say that in the last year they’ve identified more t…

Amazon will no longer publicly test its Scout delivery robots

Amazon’s Scout robot, a small machine that looks like a cooler and can navigate sidewalks, won’t be delivering anybody’s packages anymore. The e-commerce giant has shut down field testing for the experimental machine and is “reorienting” the program. According to Bloomberg, the Scout team has been disbanded and most of its 400 members will be offered new positions within the company. Amazon spokesperson Alisa Carroll told Reuters that the company will not be abandoning the project completely. Only a skeleton crew will remain to consider the use of autonomous robot for deliveries, though, and that could mean that it’s the end for the cooler-like Scout.

Carroll said:

“During our Scout limited field test, we worked to create a unique delivery experience, but learned through feedback that there were aspects of the program that weren’t meeting customers’ needs. As a result, we are ending our field tests and reorienting the program. We are working with employees during this transition, matching them to open roles that best fit their experience and skills.”

Amazon started testing Scout back in 2019 and initially deployed six units to deliver packages north of Amazon’s Seattle home base. The machine can autonomously follow a delivery route, and though it was accompanied by a human employee for the tests, it can stop at a customer’s front door and open its lid to allow them to collect their purchase. After that initial rollout, Amazon expanded its tests to Southern California, Atlanta, Georgia and Franklin, Tennessee.  

While Carroll didn’t say which exact aspects of the program “weren’t meeting customers’ needs,” this is but one of the recent moves Amazon has made that indicates it’s scaling back its experimental projects. Just a few days ago, it also killed the Glow kid-focused video calling device, possibly due to lackluster sales. 

The Morning After: Testing Google’s new Pixel 7 phones and its first smartwatch

Google started teasing its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, the Pixel Watch and even the Pixel Tablet months ago. Finally, we’ve got all the specs (and prices). The Engadget team even got to briefly test everything but the tablet – which is coming out next year.

The Pixel 7 Pro is probably the more exciting of the two phones, thanks to its three-lens camera system on the back. This year that includes an upgraded telephoto camera with the same Quad Bayer PD technology as the main 50-megapixel sensor. It has a 5x optical zoom, and the high-resolution sensors mean you can pull a 10x zoom cropped picture at 12.5-megapixels.

The Pixel Watch – rumored for years – is finally launching next week. It will last up to 24 hours with its always-on display, and it can be fast-charged to 50 percent in only 30 minutes. Can Google make WearOS a compelling smartwatch option? Stay tuned.

It was a long morning of announcements from Google. We’ve pulled together the biggest stories below.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed


Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro hands-on

Slicker design, same great pricing.

It’s the second generation of Google Pixel phones powered by its in-house Tensor chips. Next-gen chips come with a next-gen design, with new aluminum camera bars across both the Pixel 7 ($599) and Pixel 7 Pro ($899). The finishes of the two phones vary slightly, with the Pixel 7 getting a brushed aluminum look while the Pixel 7 Pro has a shiny, polished chassis. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford prefers the matte finish. The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch 90Hz OLED screen, making it a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing Pixel 6. You’ll have to wait a little longer for our full verdict on the new camera array, but we already noticed a smoother zoom experience and more detailed shots.

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Now TikTok is copying Instagram with Photo Mode

Very retro.

We’re all used to seeing Instagram copy TikTok. Now, in a new twist, TikTok is copying Instagram with a new feature called Photo Mode. The update allows TikTok users to share multiple still photos in a post, along with captions of up to 2,200 characters.

The new photo posts, which can also feature music, will appear in users’ For You page alongside videos. Social networks are all converging. If you didn’t notice, in the last six weeks alone Instagram,TikTok and Snapchat have come up with their own take on French upstart BeReal (Instagram’s hasn’t formally launched yet). Twitter introduced a TikTok-style feed for full-screen videos. And YouTube Shorts, itself a TikTok clone, added TikTok-style voice-overs.

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Watch the first trailer for the new CG ‘Super Mario Bros.’ movie

Chris Pratt, Jack Black and Anya Taylor-Joy star in the CG blockbuster.

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Nintendo

Yes, we got our first peek at the incoming Mario movie. The clip shows Bowser (played by Jack Black) terrorizing a penguin kingdom in his quest for an invincibility star. Mario (Chris Pratt) soon makes an abrupt entrance to the Mushroom Kingdom, while his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) appears briefly, too. Super Mario Bros. is expected to premiere April 7th, 2023.

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Google Pixel Watch hands-on

Its first smartwatch.

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Engadget

Finally, it’s here. The Pixel Watch, priced at $349. And Engadget’s Cherlynn Low says it’s “one of the most beautiful smartwatches” she’s ever seen. (Though I’m not sure I agree.) The device is only available in one size, 41mm, but many straps knowingly tread the styles of its Apple rival. On that note, it’s about the same size as the small Apple Watch. The device feels like a polished pebble, thankfully covered in a custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which gives some assurance it’ll survive a fall or scrape. Read on for our early impressions.

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Judge in Twitter v. Elon Musk postpones trial to October 28th

A new trial could be scheduled in November.

The Twitter v. Elon Musk trial is now on hold as the two sides hammer out a deal for Musk to complete his buyout of the social media company. On Thursday, Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, chancellor of Delaware’s Chancery Court, stayed the trial until October 28th, following a motion from Musk’s lawyers to call off the trial. However, if the two sides cannot close by the end of the month, a trial could be back on.

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Apple iPhone 14 Plus review

It’s an iPhone, but bigger.

If you want an iPhone with a big screen and better battery life without forking over a ton of money for a Pro Max model, the new iPhone 14 Plus is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Like the standard model, the iPhone 14 Plus features two rear cameras and an A15 bionic chip, but with a larger 6.7-inch screen. It has the kind of prodigious battery life most handsets can only dream about.

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