Google is going to debut the Chromebook Plus, a rebranded laptop line, in less than a week. The upcoming ChromeOS update from the corporation is partially responsible for the better performance and more enjoyable user experience that this category offers. During an on-site briefing, our PCMag colleagues received insider information.

Google worked with its four top system OEMs, Acer, Asus, HP, and Lenovo, to design the Chromebook Plus and set minimum hardware specifications for the new range. There are no inferior Chromebook CPUs like MediaTeks, Pentiums, or Celerons here; only AMD and Intel processors match the bill, including Intel’s Core i3 N300, which was launched earlier this year. Every Chromebook Plus model will have a minimum of 128GB of local storage and 8GB of RAM. The devices in this category will all have 1080p IPS or higher displays, replacing Google’s customary 720p cameras.

Every OEM in the new range will have two new laptops to their name. The Intel Core i3 processor that comes standard in Acer’s Chromebook Plus 515 may be upgraded to an i7 or anything in between. Customers have the option of 128GB of default storage up to 512GB, as well as 8GB of default memory or the 16GB upgrade for the 515. Additionally, users will be able to select whether the 15.6-inch screen is touch- or non-touch, although the gadget will still be in clamshell style. The Ryzen 5 7520 C-series processor and a smaller 14-inch touch or non-touch screen will be found in Acer’s Chromebook Plus 514, which is an AMD option for people who are interested.

Another clamshell device, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, competes with Acer’s 515 in terms of processing (i3 to i7), RAM (8GB or 16GB), and storage (128GB to 512GB). Its enormous 5.7-inch trackpad and antibacterial coating are its main selling points. Meanwhile, the 360-degree rotating hinge of Asus’ Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip, which allows for clamshell, tent, and tablet modes, will provide greater physical adaptability. A Ryzen 3 processor will be used for this one.

The Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 15.6-inch screen are all features of HP’s Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch clamshell. Customers have the option to upgrade to a 144Hz refresh rate display. The HP Chromebook Plus x360 14c will include a 360-degree hinge, similar to the Asus CM34 Flip, and a real SSD with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB in addition to 8GB or 16GB of memory.

The Slim 3i Chromebook Plus clamshell and the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 are from Lenovo. Customers purchasing the Flex 5i 2-in-1 have the option of a 256GB or 512GB SSD, 128GB eMMC storage, or a Core i3 or Core i5 U-series processor. Both touch and stylus inputs will be supported on the 16:10 aspect ratio display. In the meanwhile, the Slim 3i will only have an optional touch or non-touch display, an optional Core i3-N305 processor, and 8GB of RAM.

The eight Chromebook Plus models in its introduction range are reasonably priced, with base configurations ranging from $399 to $789, despite the Chromebook Plus line’s obvious superiority over most other Chromebooks. On October 8, Google will launch the Chromebook Plus in the US, then on October 9, in Canada and Europe. The most recent version of ChromeOS, which includes improved video conversations, an editor akin to Photoshop, and Google’s highly configurable “Material You” interface, will come pre-installed on all Chromebook Plus machines.

The 2023 Nobel Prizes have been revealed, and it’s likely that one of them has greatly influenced your life. For their innovation on the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination technology, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman have been granted the 2023 Prize in Physiology or Medicine by the school. Early in the epidemic, their study allowed international health authorities to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations. The two researchers’ study “fundamentally changed” our understanding of mRNA and the immune system, according to the panel.

Usually, vaccinations provide a pathogen in weakened or dead form so that the immune system can absorb it, but occasionally, they only include a small portion of the bacteria or virus. When the immune system recognizes this “antigen,” it can produce antibodies that more successfully combat the actual infection.

Finding and creating a proper form of the organism takes time; as the epidemic was spreading, some medical professionals were concerned that years may pass before the first COVID-19 vaccinations were available. Nevertheless, since the initial publication of Karikó and Weissman’s work in 2005, the field of mRNA vaccinations has been quietly advancing. This made it possible for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to launch the first vaccinations by the end of 2020.

mRNA-based vaccines use the body’s cellular machinery to produce fragments of the pathogen. DNA in the nucleus is the first material your cells use to produce proteins when necessary. After being translated into mRNA, DNA is exported to the region that lies between the outer membrane and the nucleus. The cellular organelles known as ribosomes use this template to read and create strands of amino acids that eventually fold into proteins.

Since viruses and bacteria share the same building blocks, Karikó and Weissman surmised that mRNA might be administered in place of a bacterial or viral component. The benefit of this is a substantially shorter development cycle, as demonstrated by COVID-19. Base-modified mRNA was found by Karikó and Weissman to decrease inflammatory signals and boost mRNA absorption.

The Nobel committee declared that “MRNA vaccines, along with other COVID-19 vaccines, have been administered over 13 billion times.” “Together they have saved millions of lives, prevented severe COVID-19, reduced the overall disease burden, and enabled societies to open up again.”

How to get the mRNA into cells was a significant barrier that had nothing to do with the work that the Nobel committee had recently acknowledged. The majority of external elements are shielded from cells by their membrane. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are essentially tiny fat bubbles capable of carrying mRNA strands, were the key. These particles combine with the lipid bilayer that envelops the cells, releasing their contents so that the mRNA can be processed by the cell.

Although anti-vaccine attitudes are not new, COVID-19During the pandemic, conspiracy theories and denial reached a fever pitch. Some people continue to argue that the vaccine is dangerous even after billions of doses have been given. Members of the Nobel committee expressed optimism on Monday that acknowledging Karikó and Weissman for their contributions could help combat vaccination skepticism.

As it tries to grow its cloud operations quickly enough to keep ahead of Google, Meta, and other rivals, Microsoft is leading the AI arms race. Its abundance of GPUs allows it to achieve that, and its CTO is in a prime position to oversee the infrastructure scale-out. It is therefore his responsibility to determine what hardware Microsoft should utilize going forward, which makes his industry knowledge quite insightful. He recently shared his opinions on the state of the AI market, saying that while Nvidia remains the market leader in hardware, AMD’s aspirations should also not be undervalued.

At the recent Code conference, which was organized by Vox Media, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott shared his thoughts about the company’s future as well as the current standing of Nvidia and AMD in the AI market. He backed down when challenged about the company’s purported plans to create an accelerator for AI applications, saying only that it’s choosing wisely among the options available. According to CNBC, he said, “And the best option that’s been available during the last handful of years has been Nvidia.”

These remarks are not surprising given Microsoft’s close relationship with OpenAI, which powers ChatGPT with Nvidia GPUs. With its latest Copilot technology, the company has integrated ChatGPT directly into Windows 11, and it has also brought some of its functions to the Edge browser and Bing search.

Scott also said a few nice things about AMD, a longtime partner of Microsoft. It uses AMD’s proprietary silicon for its Azure cloud platform and Epyc CPUs for its Xbox game consoles. According to CNBC, Scott stated, “They’re making increasingly compelling GPU offerings that I think are going to become more and more important to the marketplace in the coming years.” His remarks sent AMD’s stock plunging nearly 5%.

Additionally, Scott stated that the availability of Nvidia GPUs is starting to improve. This is significant news because the industry has been struggling for the previous nine months or so to obtain these GPUs on a large scale. Scott claims that although his work as Microsoft’s GPU budget manager has been extremely unpleasant for the previous five years, it is currently becoming “less terrible.” It’s unclear if this has affected the quantity of Nvidia GPUs that are available for purchase, but the CNBC report also notes that ChatGPT traffic has decreased consecutively over the last three months.