Panasonic unveils its new semi-rugged, modular TOUGHBOOK 55 with Tiger Lake processors

Today, Panasonic is introducing its refreshed TOUGHBOOK 55 laptop. If you’re unfamiliar with the TOUGHBOOK 55, it’s a semi-rugged, modular Windows 10 laptop that really seems to do it all.

If you’re already familiar with it, then you’re probably wondering what’s new. For one thing, it comes with Intel’s 11th-generation CPUs, and that’s actually a first for Panasonic TOUGHBOOK laptops. For a while now, it’s been using 10th-gen ‘Comet Lake’ processors. Tiger Lake brings big performance gains with it, and that comes in the integrated graphics department as well, with Iris Xe. It also comes with support for faster memory, so the RAM, which starts at 16GB, is now 3200MHz.

Also new is that the USB Type-C port now uses Thunderbolt 4. That means that it supports 40Gbps data transfer speeds, and it can handle things like an external GPU or dual 4K monitors. Also, the USB Type-A port is now USB 3.2 Gen 2 for 10Gbps speeds.

Basically, the TOUGHBOOK 55 is a 14-inch Windows laptop that has modular expansion. You can plug in additional storage, or even add on some extra GPU power. Once again, it has 4G LTE support, and this model is the first semi-rugged PC to support dual SIM, with one of them being eSIM. It’s also the first to support Band 48 Private LTE.

The product is IP53 rated and MIL-STD-810H certified, so it’s tough. It has a 1,000-nit touchscreen, meant to handle all conditions. The lowest the brightness gets is two nits, which is what you’d need for night vision. Indeed, with the display at two nits, you wouldn’t even be able to tell it’s on, but that’s the point.

“For the last 25 years we have listened to the evolving needs of our customers and have prioritized the development of solutions that deliver on the needs of mission critical mobile workers,” said Magnus McDermid, Sr. Vice-President, Mobility Business Unit, Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. “With the latest TOUGHBOOK 55, we’ve evolved in lockstep as our customers’ needs change,
providing increased modularity, reliability and flexibility to vertical workers operating in unpredictable environments.”

The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 is available for purchase now through the sales channels. You can check out the company’s website for more information.

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Join XDA and HONOR for the launch of the Magic3 Series!

HONOR is holding its first global launch event in over two years, and this one is particularly special because not only is this HONOR’s return to the global stage as an independent company, the launch is also for the HONOR Magic3 Series!

Those who follow smartphones should be aware that the Magic series does not follow a traditional annual release cycle — the last Magic device was released in 2018 — because HONOR wants to ensure each new Magic bring meaningful innovations, and the HONOR Magic3 Series is set to do just that.

We at XDA are excited to partner with HONOR to celebrate this event with a live stream watch party. Our team – including Editor in chief Mishaal, Senior Editor Ben and Video Host TK – will watch the HONOR Magic3 Series launch event in real-time and provide commentary and insights. Best of all, there will be giveaways for HONOR fans who watch with us.

Although the launch is still days away, HONOR has over the past few weeks teased some exciting details about the HONOR Magic3 Series: it will be one of the first phones in the world to run on the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC, and it will also introduce never-before-seen capabilities in the area of cinematic videography. There’s a lot more information that won’t be revealed until the launch event, so tune in to see what HONOR has in store and win some giveaway prizes!

This post is sponsored by HONOR. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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Google Chrome gains full Material You dynamic theme support, but it requires a flag

It’s no secrete that Google is working on adding Material You flare to many of its first-party apps ahead of the Android 12 public release. Chrome was among the first apps to gain dynamic color support, and over time we have seen more UI elements of Chrome taking on Material You colors. Now, the latest Chrome Canary is bringing full support for Material You’s dynamic theming.

Google recently updated the dynamic color flag on Chrome for Android with full support for dynamic colors. As spotted by Android Police, this new flag is live in the latest version of Chrome Canary, allowing users to apply a fresh coat of Material You across Chrome’s UI.

To try it out, you’ll need to enable two flags. Paste the following URLs into Chrome’s address bar:

• chrome:flags#theme-refactor-android
• chrome:flags#dynamic-color-android

Set the first flag to “Enabled” and the second to “Enabled (full)” and then restart the browser. If you don’t see any changes, you might have to restart the browser once again.

As you can see in the screenshots attached below, many portions of Chrome, including the homepage, tab grid view, the address bar, will take on colors from your wallpaper once you enable these flags.

Android Police notes that the feature is still a work in progress as some elements, such as the context menu, don’t yet match the color of your wallpaper.

Google is also readying a Material You redesign for Messages, Google Contacts, and Gboard. Besides Google apps, we have seen several third-party apps adding support for Material You colors, including Tasker, Sleep as Android, and Swirlwalls. Once Google publishes documentation on Material You, this list will likely grow even further.

If you have a Pixel phone running the latest Android 12 beta, you can try out Chrome’s new Material You look by installing the latest Canary release from the link below.

Chrome Canary (Unstable) (Free, Google Play) →

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Screenshots courtesy: Android Police

Featured image background: Zheano Blog

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Google One’s VPN is now available in some European and more North American countries

Google One is a subscription-based cloud service from Google, offering a wide selection of storage plans ranging from 100GB all the way up to 30TB. On some plans, Google also throws in freebies like 10% cashback for Google Store purchases, Pro sessions with Google experts, and Gold status on Google Play points. Last year, Google added yet another perk to the higher-tier plans: access to a virtual private network or VPN. Up until now, the Google One VPN was only available to subscribers in the US. But it’s finally seeing a wider expansion as the service goes live in North America and five European countries.

Google has updated its support page (via 9to5Google) for Google One to reflect that the VPN by Google One is now available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain, and the UK bringing the total count to eight countries. If you reside in one of these markets, you can now take advantage of the complimentary VPN service from Google One. Note that you must be subscribed to the 2TB or higher plan to avail of this perk. To access the VPN, open the Google One app on your Android device, tap on the “Benefits” tab on the top, and from there, turn on the VPN toggle.

The VPN service offered by Google is mainly intended at making your browsing safer and private by routing your traffic over an encrypted tunnel. It won’t be much help for circumventing geographical restrictions as there’s no option to switch to different countries or servers. Google also notes that you won’t be able to use the VPN service when traveling to an unsupported country.

Since its debut, VPN by Google One has picked up multiple improvements. In June, a new VPN whitelist functionality was added to the service, allowing users to bypass certain apps from the VPN. More recently, Google One added a new “Snooze” button that lets users pause the VPN for a short period.

Google One (Free⁺, Google Play) →

 

 

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Samsung details its new 5nm chip that will power the Galaxy Watch 4 series

Wear OS-powered smartwatches have historically remained quite underwhelming in terms of battery life and performance. But there’s been a renewed push to turn the situation around with Google and Samsung teaming up to redesign the Wear OS platform and Qualcomm vowing to develop new chips designed for wearables from the ground up. The upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 series will serve as the perfect opportunity to assess whether these efforts have really paid off. Not only the Galaxy Watch 4 will be the first smartwatch to run the unified Wear OS platform, but it’ll also feature the most cutting-edge wearable chip we have seen on a Wear OS smartwatch. But Samsung isn’t waiting for its Galaxy Unpacked event to tell us all about its new wearable chip. Ahead of the mega launch event on Wednesday, Samsung has detailed the Exynos W920.

The Exynos W920 is Samsung’s newest wearable chip, and it will be powering both models of the Galaxy Watch 4 — or at least that’s what all leaks and evidence are suggesting. The Exynos W920 is built on a 5nm (nanometer) extreme ultra-violate (EUV) process, and that alone is quite impressive and should bring massive efficiency improvements. It employs two ARM Cortex-A55 cores and ARM Mali-G68 GPU. Samsung claims up to 20% improved CPU performance and ten times better graphics performance than the Exynos W9110, which came out three years ago. For context, Qualcomm’s flagship wearable chip, Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus, is built on a 12nm process and features four Cortex-A53 cores. Although the Exynos W920 has fewer CPU cores, the faster Cortex-A55 cores and efficient 5nm process mean it should easily blow the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ out of the water as far as performance and battery life are concerned.

In addition, the chipset has a dedicated co-processor in the Cortex-M55 which kicks in when using the Always On Display (AOD) mode, further reducing the power draw. The chipset can power displays with up to qHD (960 x 540) resolution.

The Exynos W920 comes in Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging (FO-PLP), which Samsung says is the smallest package available in the market for wearables. The new packaging technology incorporates the Exynos W920, power management IC (PMIC), RAM module (LPDDR4), and storage chip (eMMC) in the same package using System-in-Package-embedded Package on Package (SiP-ePoP) configuration.

On the connectivity front, the Exynos W920 comes equipped with an integrated 4G LTE Cat.4 modem and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) L1 support for navigation and tracking. The Exynos W920 supports the new version of Wear OS developed by Google and Samsung.

Samsung says its new wearable chip will debut on “the upcoming Galaxy Watch model” (read Galaxy Watch 4 series). However, it’s unclear whether the Exynos W920 will be made available to other smartwatch makers.

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Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac comes with Windows 11 support, new M1 features, and more

Today, Corel announced Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac, the latest version of its virtualization software. The platform has gained recognition since last year when Apple started transitioning its Macs over to ARM processors, as it means that you can no longer use Boot Camp to run Windows natively on a Mac. Indeed, your only solution is to use virtualization software like Parallels.

“Our breakthrough of seamlessly running Windows 10 applications on Apple M1-based Mac computers was just the start of Parallels Desktop for Mac’s new chapter in offering enhanced user experiences running virtual machines on Mac devices,” said Nick Dobrovolskiy, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Support at Parallels. “Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac continues to deliver performance and stability improvements as well as innovative, easy-to-use features on Intel and Apple M1 Mac, offering users the most advanced Windows-on-Mac experience ever. In collaboration with Apple, we’re thrilled to have created the world’s first prototype of a macOS Monterey virtual machine running on a Mac with Apple M1 chip.”

A key new feature is support for both Windows 11 and macOS 12 Monterey. That means that you can easily create a virtual machine of either of those, and it’s officially supported. Official support is key here, since it probably worked before, even if it was buggier.

That’s not all though, because Parallels Desktop 17 is better and faster. Corel says that the product is 38% faster to resume when running Windows, Linux, and macOS, and OpenGL is up to six times faster. When running Windows, 2D graphics are up to 25% faster.

And then there are improvements that are specific to the kind of silicon that’s in your Mac. Windows 10 is 33% faster to start on an Apple Silicon Mac, and disk performance is up to 20% faster. DirectX 11 performance is an incredible 28% faster, meaning that you can actually play some Windows-only games on your Mac. That’s a big deal, because now, Windows can run 64-bit apps in emulation. Add the emulation to the Apple M1’s power and the DirectX improvement, and you can have a bit more fun with your MacBook. For Macs with Intel processors, Corel said that network connections are up to 60% faster.

There’s also a new display driver that’s going to improve gaming on Windows, on top of the DirectX improvements. You should get better frame rates in 2D games like Foregone and Smelter.

There’s still more. Coherence Mode is improved. This is a feature that lets you run Windows apps in windows alongside Mac apps. That’s right; you never have to actually see Windows to use Windows apps. That’s pretty representative of what Parallels is about, since it provides integrations with the OS. On top of that, you can now seamlessly drag and drop content between Windows and macOS.

Pricing for Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac is $49.99 to upgrade from a perpetual license and $99.99 for a new perpetual license. A new subscription is $79.99 per year. Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition is $49.99 per year to upgrade from an existing edition and $99.99 per year for a new subscription. Finally, Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition is $99.99 per year.

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop 17 now comes with Windows 11 and macOS 12 support, along with big performance improvements

See at Parallels

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The best cases for the MacBook Air: SupCase, MOSISO, and more!

Since Apple refreshed the MacBook Air with the Apple M1 processor, it’s become an incredibly capable device. This laptop has the same processor as the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and even an iMac. That would have been somewhat crazy to think a few years ago. Combined with its relatively low price compared to other Macs, this makes it quite possibly the best Mac to buy today. While MacBooks have traditionally been popular among students, this one should be even more so. But starting at $999 (officially), it’s still quite an investment, and you probably want to protect it. To help you with that, we’ve dug up some of the best cases you can get for your MacBook Air.

As the MacBook Air is such a popular laptop, there are actually a lot of choices for cases here. With most other laptops, it’s rare we get to include a case that actually attaches to your laptop, but we have a few options here. Nonetheless, we’ve also included a few sleeves and carrying cases if that’s what you’re looking for. Keep in mind that, especially for cases that attach to your laptop, you have to make sure you have the matching model. Most of the cases on this list are designed for the 2020 MacBook Air with M1 processors.

Incase Textured Hardshell in Woolenex

Classy textured case

This Incase hardshell case can protect your MacBook Air, but it also looks really stylish. It's covered in a woven pattern that adds a sense of class, though it's a bit pricey. It comes in a few different colors, too.

Buy at Amazon

SUPCASE Unicorn beetle Case for MacBook Air

Rugged protection

If you need extra protection for your laptop, this rugged case from SUPCASE can take quite a beating. It offers all-round protection, but still looks nice. It's not compatible with MacBook Air models with the Apple M1, though.

Buy at Amazon

Promoted

MOSISO Hard Shell, Keyboard Cover and Screen Protector

Tons of colors

The MacBook Air only comes in three color options so you may want to add your own splash of color withone of these cases. It comes in dozens of color options, but there's also a transparent one.

Buy at Amazon

CiSoo hard shell case for MacBook Air

A touch of personality

If flat colors aren't your style, this CiSoo case comes in a variety of patterns that definitely stand out. There are even matching keyboard covers to complete the look.

Buy at Amazon

Kuzy MacBook Air 13-inch Case

Get a grip

We all know someone with slippery hands (and sometimes it's ourselves). These Kuzy cases has a nice soft touch that gives you a better grip while carrying the MacBook Air. And yes, there are a few colors to choose from if you're not a fan of black.

Buy at Amazon

Comfyable Laptop Sleeve

Sleek and stylish sleeve

This faux leather sleeve is a sleek and simple way to protect your MacBook Air while carrying it around and without adding bulk. It's made with faux leather on the outside and soft felt on the inside, and comes in a few different colors.

Buy at Amazon

Londo Genuine Leather Sleeve

Stylish genuine leather

For lovers of genuine leather, this Londo sleeve might be more to your taste. In addition to the leather edges and flap, the center is adorned with a few different patterns that add a touch of personality.

Buy at Amazon

Inateck Laptop Sleeve Case

Elegant carrying case

This classic Inateck laptop sleeve comes with a carrying handle for easier transportation. It has an elegant and subdued design that looks good without being too flashy. Plus, it gives you some space to store accessories.

Buy at Amazon

Kinmac 360° Protective Laptop Case

Super soft

This Kinmac case offers a lot of padding around your MacBook Air for extra soft protection, plus a hard shell to protect from harder drops. And it comes in many different styles for every taste, too.

Buy at Amazon

That should give you a few great options for cases to protect your MacBook Air from drops and other dings. Taste is very personal, but there’s a bit of variety here to suit everyone. Personally, I’d probably end up getting one of the carrying cases — most likely the one from Kinmac – since it makes carrying the MacBook Air around easier. On the other hand, if you need hardcore protection at all times, the SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle case is an interesting rugged option that complements the MacBook Air’s design well. Unfortunately, that one won’t work properly if you have a MacBook Air with the Apple M1 processor.

If you’ve chosen your case but haven’t bought the MacBook Air yet, you can do it using the link below. If you’re still considering other options, we have a roundup of the best laptops you can buy today that you may want to check out.

MacBook Air (Apple M1)

The latest MacBook Air comes with the Apple M1 chipset, making it incredibly powerful but also very power-efficient. Plus, it has a high-quality display and premium design.

Buy at Amazon

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