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Ultrahot Neptune Article

Although exoplanetary astronomy may be a relatively young scientific field, over 4 000 exoplanets are known today. From this vast set of data, scientists have been able to determine that there are general classes which almost every exoplanet falls into, such as Super-Earth, Mini-Neptune, and Hot Jupiter. However, recent observations by NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) have identified a completely new class of exoplanet: the Ultrahot Neptune.

Astronomer James Jenkins reported the discovery of the planet in question, LTT 9779b, at the TESS Science Conference on July 29th. The planet was first identified as a candidate using TESS, and subsequent observations were conducted by HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher). LTT 9779b orbits the star LTT 9779, a sun-like and high metallicity star situated around 260 light years from our solar system. Thanks to these observations, astronomers were able to determine that the planet orbits its host star in a mere 19 hours, which places it extremely close to the star. Further measurements determined that the planet has a radius of 4.6 Earth radii, and a mass of 29.3 Earth masses. This positions it firmly in the Neptune-like category of planets, but it is the first such Neptune-like planet to be discovered so close to its star.

Interestingly, it appears that hardly any planets with Neptune-like mass have orbits of four days or fewer around their star. Rather, the most commonly-found planets this close to their star are Super-Earths, or planets with masses greater than that of Jupiter. These results, plus the proximity of the planet causing it to have a temperature around 2000 kelvins, categorizes LTT 9779b as a planet in the Neptunian desert. This collection of traits has never been observed before, and thus, the Ultrahot Neptune class is born

Studying LTT 9779b will provide crucial insights into the existence of the Neptunian desert, and the evolution of gas planets. Current theories seem to suggest that gas planets often form farther out from their star, then move closer in over time. As the planet migrates nearer to its star, its orbital period decreases, and its temperature greatly increases. Furthermore, the decreasing distance between the planet and the star results in an increase in the concentration of solar wind particles, and the star slowly strips the planet of its atmosphere. Scientists hypothesize that the Neptunian desert exists because Jupiter-like planets migrate extremely close to their stars, stripping off their atmospheres, and leaving behind only a rocky core. This suggests that the newly discovered Ultrahot Neptune is perhaps a transitionary phase from Hot Jupiter to Super-Earth.

The next steps for research are to determine the rate at which LTT 9779b is losing mass due to its star. If the rate at which it loses mass is fast on astronomical time scales, then perhaps this is the reason no other Ultrahot Neptunes have been discovered until now: they simply exist for too short a time.

Read the presentation abstract here: https://tsc.mit.edu/docs/Talk_Abstracts.pdf

“Mice with Human Brain Cells”

     A recent study published in Cell worked on implementing human non-neurological brain cells into mice’s brain. The presence of human brain cells in the mouse’s brain allows scientists to study different neurological diseases and conditions in a whole brain, rather than a laboratory dish. According to Steve Goldman, the study’s lead from Rochester University Medical Centre, these mice still have their own neurons which are responsible for sending and receiving information from various parts of the body. What makes them unique is the presence of human glial cells that are responsible for supporting neurons.

     Rochester University scientists extracted glial cells from the human fetus and injected it into young mice. In fact, each mouse received 300,000 human glials which multiplied to 12 billion after a year, ultimately moving the mouse counterparts to the margins and replacing the native cells. The extracted glial cells were ‘astrocytes’ which are responsible for maintaining the ionic environment within the human brain. As well, they play an important role in the movement of electrical signals from one neuron to the other.

     According to NewScientist, human astrocytes are almost 20 times the size of mouse glials. Therefore, by implementing human glials in mice brain, we can notice a huge difference in the conduction of electrical messages, eventually leading to changes in mice intelligence. Interestingly, Goldman’s team used standard memory and cognition tests to realize that mice with human glials have a much better memory, almost 4 times greater than the control mice.

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Virtual Private Networks

As more and more people use the internet all over the world, many users begin to question the security of their public information. There is a multitude of ways to protect online information such as only visiting trusted websites and making your passwords hard to guess. However, people can still track your internet address and find what you have been doing on the internet. Internet addresses (IP addresses) are given to every device and network that can connect to the internet. They allow for internet sites to know which users are accessing them and where to send information to. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are one way to protect your internet address and privacy.

There are two types of internet protocol addresses (IP address). The first is a private IP address, which is the address that is given by your router at home to its devices such as computers, printers, TVs, and phones. A private address is connected only to your personal router and can only be accessed by your network. Private addresses usually begin with 192.168 and are followed by two more numbers. The other type of IP address is the public IP address. This is used to interact with the internet. An ISP (Internet Service Provider) assigns a public address to every router and can be easily found by typing “What is my IP address” into a Google search engine. Since a public address is needed to do any form of interaction with the internet, people can access and track it. VPNs are one way to protect a public address.

VPNs encrypt data to hide your IP and location. This keeps data secure and private. They do this by creating what is known as a tunnel protocol to transfer data packets and act as a security layer. This is especially important in public hotspots and places where lots of people are using a Wi-Fi network at the same time. Public Wi-Fi networks allow almost anyone to connect, making it vulnerable for anyone to hack. 

VPNs can be used to connect to a private server. Many large corporations use VPNs to allow employees to connect to their work server so that they can access it and do work while on the go or even at home. VPNs can also change your location by connecting to servers in other countries. This allows for users to access blocked sites such as social media or even watch streams that are locked to a specific geographical location. 

Software like VNC and Cisco AnyConnect can allow users to connect to other private networks such as work servers. Public VPNs such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Private Internet Access can be used by almost anyone to protect their personal internet usage. There are many options available for the general public to use to help protect internet data, so that no matter where you are in the world, you can be safe. 

Info sourced from: Techopedia, Linus Media Group

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“A Safe Way to Fix a Heart"

     From UC San Diego, a spin-off company known as Ventrix has accomplished a phase 1 clinical trial to test if a hydrogel - referred to as VentriGel - can safely heal cardiac tissue and thus allow the heart to function normally again in patients who have recently undergone a heart attack.

     Heart attacks can take a large toll on cardiac tissue, leading to scarring. Scarred tissue greatly impairs cardiac function due to damaged cardiac muscle. The idea centered around VentriGel is for it to serve as a scaffold that can bring new cells over to the damaged sites of the heart and essentially fix the cardiac muscle, thereby restoring heart function.

     The production of this hydrogel is relatively straightforward. Cardiac cells are eliminated from pig cardiac connective tissue and the tissue is then freeze-dried, turned into a powder and finally into a liquid. Via an injection, the liquid enters heart muscle where physiological temperature turns the liquid into a porous gel. 

     The clinical trials are FDA approved and they explored the effects of this hydrogel in 15 patients who had heart attacks that specifically left their left ventricular chamber fairly damaged. Before injecting VentriGel a maximum of 18 times, the patients had a walking test and several other cardiac assessments. These assessments were repeated after three and six months and MRIs were conducted three and six months post procedure. 

     After the injection of VentriGel, patients were observed to increase their walking distance and had overall better heart health. Ventrix is hoping to move forward with phase 2 trials in which a more generalized cohort will be used to comprehend the potential hydrogel has on improving the lives of people suffering from heart attacks. 

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“Amphetamine as a Performance-Enhancing Drug”

     In 1837, Romanian chemist  Lazar Edeleanu synthesized Amphetamine, which was later used by the US army to prevent fatigue among soldiers in World War II battlefields. Since then, the usage of amphetamines has broadened greatly. In the 1950s, it first appeared as the performance-enhancing drug used by athletes.

     Amphetamine is part of a group of central nervous system stimulants which increase the effect of neurotransmitters noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin. In the production of these neurotransmitters, chemoreceptors act as monitors. Chemoreceptors detect the presence of amphetamines in blood and send a message to the hypothalamus, the coordinating center. Subsequently, all receiver neurons act as a regulator for the hypothalamus’s message. In a healthy brain, neurotransmitters are released to synapses by an action potential. After creating an electric message in the receiver neuron, neurotransmitters would move back into the sender neuron’s axon through the process of reuptake. Amphetamines disrupt the process of reuptake, causing a more frequent signal production than normal.

     Amphetamine increases noradrenaline’s effect by stimulating receptors in vessels. The resultant vessel constriction enhances the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and heart, which prevents the occurrence of lactic acid fermentation and fatigue. Although this improves performance in competitions, high noradrenaline in the blood causes anxiety, hypertension and heart attack. Inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine and serotonin (increasing their effects) causes euphoria, enthusiasm and self-satisfaction, which are psychologically beneficial for athletes before stressful contests. However, the extreme sense of satisfaction is addictive meaning that after a while, the brain would only function naturally if amphetamine is present. 

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Viability of Glacier Grafting Tested

Increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have led to a dramatic increase in ocean acidification since oceans absorb approximately a quarter of the world’s CO2 emissions. Melting glaciers further add to the problem by disrupting ocean current patterns and increasing salinity. Melting glaciers and icebergs release freshwater initially reducing the salinity of the surrounding sea. This, along with atmospheric changes are contributing factors to oceans’ increasing salinity despite increased glacial melting. Water salinity and shortages are two of the largest environmental constraints that crops have to face in the climate change scenario. To increase their supply of freshwater, the local people of northern Pakistan have been grafting glaciers for over 100 years. The aim is to "grow" ice at high altitudes in the winter to increase meltwater for crop irrigation during the summer. The practice begins in the autumn, where a dozen local men climb to shaded areas above the snow line with 300kg of glacial ice and pots of Indus River water (approx. 120 kg), as well as other ingredients like sawdust, wheat husk, charcoal and salt. These ingredients are placed in a cave or depression and covered with soil. Viability studies on this practice began in 2005 but due to the nature of glacier growth, it is too soon to draw any conclusive evidence on its effectiveness. 

Sharks may hold the Cure for Cancer

From the cinematic Jaws series and the multiple incidents that have taken place in the beaches of Florida, sharks have been known as one of the world’s most dangerous marine creatures. However, though these creatures can be of great harm to humans when provoked in water, they can indirectly be helpful to aid human health. According to BBC News, the director of the Save Our Seas Shark Research Centre and the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Mahmood Shivji, a great white shark has the remarkable ability to repair its own DNA. Notably, according to an article in The Chronicle Herald, 60% of a shark’s genome has repeat gene sequences and about 30% of them are composed of a special type of DNA called “LINEs” which are commonly known as “jumping genes”. These are special genes that can replicate themselves and produce copies that are known to “jump” around and insert themselves into variable genomes. However, scientists have said that further research is still yet to be done for this to happen. According to an article written by Charles Bryant on www.animal.howstuffworks.com, a study from 2005 was done on mice and humans where oral shark cartilage was incorporated in a supplement which caused the side effects of nausea and diarrhea. Therefore, research is still in progress in regards to sharks and their medicinal properties, so it is important to consider that solutions are in exploration and there are more discoveries yet to be made with alternative species. 

Discovery of New Pain Organ

     Karolinska Institutet researchers have found a new pain organ that can help scientists to better understand the process of how pain is experienced and processed by our body. More specifically, this organ is particularly responsive to pain originating from pressure and pricks, otherwise referred to as mechanical pain.

     This organ, termed as the nociceptive glio-neural complex, is a sensory receptor organ that is comprised of a collection of glial cells. This organ rests in between the skin’s outer and inner layers. The glial cells themselves contain protrusions that stem into the outer layer of the skin.

     The functionality of this organ was tested in mice, and it was observed that deactivating the nociceptive glio-neural complex resulted in the mice experiencing less pain from pricks and pressure, suggesting that this organ in fact does play a major role in the processing of mechanical pain. 

     Although this organ is yet to be discovered in humans, it may help scientists to further develop their understanding on how our body interprets pain stimuli. It was previously thought that mechanical pain originated exclusively from nociceptive fibres. However, from this new finding this type of pain may very well start from the glio-neural complex instead. 

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“Science of The Dancing Parrot”

     It was August of 2007 when a parrot named Snowball was left at a rescue centre in Dyer, Indiana. Soon after, the parrot became a YouTube sensation because of its amazing dancing skills, catching the attention of millions, including neuroscientists.The concept of dancing as seen in humans cannot be seen in most species, but parrots are the exception. In fact, parrots and humans are the only species that connect with music by showing a variety of spontaneous movements. These movements might be due to the fact that parrots are vocal learners with auditory-motor connections in their nervous system.

     So far, research has shown the synchrony between the music beat and a parrot’s head and/or feet movement. Researchers wanted to see more of Snowball so they exposed him to new music once in a while such that now, he has 14 diverse dance movements like swinging his head, making half circles, doing headbangs, etc.

     Parrots can acquire these  movements through various ways, such as imitation or copying humans. If dancing by imitation is the case, it is interesting to note that parrots might realize and distinguish the difference in body shapes between themselves and humans and still copy the motor movements of dance.

     As well, dance movements might be a product of the parrots’ creativity. Animals other than humans usually show creativity upon a physical benefit like accessing food or mates. However, Snowball uses dancing to communicate with his human caregivers, without any food or mating opportunity present.

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The Objective Truth About the Microwave

Microwaves are magic. They transform frozen blocks into mouth-watering food. Meals that would otherwise take hours to cook can be nuked to desired temperatures in just minutes. A microwave, magic aside, is a simple device. It’s a box that shoots waves at a frequency of approximately 2.45 gigahertz which translates to a wavelength of approximately 12 cm. The waves at this specific frequency are absorbed by water, fats, and sugars to create heat so plates and bowls are not heated. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the microwave oven. The first countertop microwave was sold in 1967 for $495. Expensive, yes, but it was the latest prototype of a device that once weighed 750 pounds and sold for $5,000 in 1946. By the mid-1980s, microwaves could be found in 25% of U.S. households, quickly rising to a whopping 90% in 1997.

Read the full story at: https://www.newsoftheuniverse.com/2019/08/the-objective-truth-about-microwave.html

“Light Found to Induce Hallucinations in Mouse Brains”

Stanford University’s neuroscientist Karl Deissertoth and his team have observed a breakthrough phenomenon - how light can be used to fire specific neurons and stimulate certain images subsequently in the brains of mice. 

In the experiment, mice were shown visuals of vertical and horizontal lines separately. Furthermore, the scientists trained the mice so that when they were shown the vertical bars at any point, they consequently licked a tube of water. After analyzing records from the brains of the mice and the activity of the neurons, Deissertoth and his team noticed twenty or so neurons whose activity was linked to the image of vertical bars. 

The scientists then shone light on these twenty neurons and observed that the mice would start licking the water tubes, as they were trained to do so, in the absence of any image. This lead Deisseroth and his colleagues to believe that shining light on the specific neurons induced hallucinations of the vertical bars in the mice. When shining light on the neurons that were associated with the horizontal bars however, the mice did not lick the tube. 

This method of manipulating neurons with light is referred to as optogenetics, and scientists are utilizing this technology to understand the connections between the neurons associated with particular images and the areas of the brain that interpret those images. 

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“Physicians of Many Stem Cell Clinics Don’t Have Relevant Training”

Stem cells seem to be a great addition to the packages of products that claim to be effective and organic. So far, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved stem cell based products that are used in treating immune system disorders. However, there are numerous clinics in the US who claim to offer stem cell treatment for disorders such as Alzheimer’s and muscular dystrophy. In fact, a 2016 study recognized more than 500 clinics who were advertising unapproved and unproven stem cell products.

A new study published in JAMA journal analyzed 166 websites associated with different stem cell companies. It was then found that only 81 of such companies have employed physicians with medical training relevant to the claimed stem cell treatment. Surprisingly, there were nine companies who did not list any physicians on their website. Zubin Master, a bioethicist who led the study, warns patients about this matter and encourages patients to check the backgrounds of physicians when looking for stem cell treatments in different clinics.

In the US, the extraction and re-injection of stem cells that have been minimally manipulated do not require the approval of the FDA. This has always been a concern for bioethicists since they believe that stem-cell-based procedures should be classified in the category of drugs and biologics, which are eligible for FDA considerations.

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Starlink: Science Fiction or Something from the Near Future?

Everyone knows that Elon Musk’s projects revolutionize their industries and catalyze humanity’s progress - and his new proposal is not an odd one out. Starlink, the satellite constellation, would be a giant collective of 12,000 satellites orbiting the Earth and providing high-speed internet to even the most remote locations on the planet. As of May 23, 2019 SpaceX has launched 60 satellites for testing purposes on their Falcon 9 rocket. Currently, Starlink is projected to begin officially operating in 2021. However, the question remains: How can the high volume of devices be sent into space and is the task even possible?

  First, let’s take a closer look at the financial considerations of this project. Each satellite weighs around 250 kilograms. Considering $20,000 is the approximate price of sending 1kg on orbit on the Atlas V type rocket, it would cost NASA 60 BILLION dollars just in transportation costs to implement Starlink. Nevertheless, Elon Musk has an answer for this problem. With the SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which uses a reusable booster system, the price of launching 1kg to space drops to $1,700. This then drives the cost to launch all the 12,000 Starlink satellites to 5.1 billion dollars instead.

  At this point, many of you might ask why it’s necessary to have this myriad of satellites hovering over the Earth? The answer becomes clear when taking the developing countries into account. According to Internet World Stats, only 38% of the population in Africa has access to the internet compared to 90% in North America. By introducing the Internet to these individuals, they would then be able to utilize the nearly bottomless pool of educational and academic resources. The poor access to the internet drives the Human Development Index to the low end and creates a loss in human capital. Currently, the price of internet in Africa is roughly $35 per gigabyte. This makes it almost impossible for the general population in these countries to afford the Internet, as the average daily income is only $6. The Starlink project would drive down this price. It would allow villages to purchase a $200 receiver and then individuals would be able to pay a severely reduced fee to obtain access the internet.

  Now the last question remains: But how would Elon Musk benefit from the project? Well, the answer is quite clear; it’s through the revenue generated from Starlink. Musk predicts this project has the potential to bring in $30 billion dollars by 2025. This would provide additional funding for the other SpaceX projects, including the human mission to Mars.

  So is the Starlink project something out of a sci-fi book? The short answer is no. We currently possess the technology to implement a project of such scale for a relatively low price. However the fact that this project works on paper doesn’t mean that it would translate smoothly in the real world. There remain many unknown factors that will only come to light after the start of such a grandiose plan.

Sources:

https://qz.com/africa/1577429/how-much-is-1gb-of-mobile-data-in-africa/

https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-launch-just-beginning.html

https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/15/17016208/spacex-falcon-9-launch-starlink-microsat-2a-2b-paz-watch-live

https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

https://www.techradar.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spacexs-starlink-plans-for-space-internet

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A Look at 8K TVs and Monitors

TVs and monitors have become increasingly popular as more and more people use high resolution screens at work and at home. Most TVs have a resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels. These TVs are known as 4K or UDH (ultra-high-definition). Some computer monitors are 4K, but many are still 1080p or Full HD, which is 1920 by 1080 pixels. But now, some companies have begun selling 8K TVs and monitors, with a resolution of 7680 by 4320 pixels. This means that it is 4 times sharper in image quality compared to UHD. Here are some 8K products available:

Samsung   Samsung was one of the first companies to release an 8K TV and it has made many variants since then. It sports one of the biggest TVs at 98” with more than 33 million pixels. It also utilizes Quantum HDR which allows for colours that feel more vibrant by increasing depth for clarity and making details sharper. The use of 8K Direct Full Array technology assists in this by improving contrast, making colours more precise. Samsung’s website sells 6 variants of the Class Q900 QLED Smart TV ranging from 55” to 98”. The 98” variant is sold at $99,999.99, but at the time of writing, this was on sale for $69,999.99, a 30% discount. The 55” variant has a much more reasonable price at $3499.99. Additional soundbars with Dolby Atmos, subwoofers, rear speakers, and warranty are also available for purchase.

Check out the Class Q900 here

Dell   Dell has been known for its monitors, but it now presents itself with the world’s first 31.5” 8K monitor, the Ultrasharp 32. The Ultrasharp 32 has won several awards including “Best Monitor” and “Best Pixels” at CES 2017. It utilizes Dell PremierColor, which supports all major industry standards of colour such as sRGB, AdobeRGB and Rec. 709, coming out to a total of 1.07 billion colours. This monitor uses two DisplayPort inputs and 3 USB ports and has a refresh rate of 60Hz

Check out the Ultrasharp 32 here

Sony   Sony has showcased their 8K TV but hasn’t released it yet. It was first showcased at CES 2019 and boasted technology that could scale lower-resolution images to 8K. It also used Smart TV coupled with Android TV to offer features such as Google Assistant, Google Play, and Netflix built in. At the time of writing, Sony’s Z9G, part of the Master Series, was not yet priced, but 85” and 98” variants were showcased.

Check out their 8K TV here

Forest Restoration: A Solution to Reducing Global Warming

A recent study conducted at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich shares how forest restoration can possibly be the best solution to slowing down global warming. Tom Crowther from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich and his team analyzed about 80 000 satellite photo measurements of the trees that exist worldwide. They then used data from other geological databases that examined climate conditions to examine which areas of the earth could hold more trees. They then deduced an approximate figure of how many trees the earth could support. The results showed about 0.9 billion hectares of land exist around the world that could be used to build forestry. The growth of trees in these areas can create 205 gigatons of carbon that can be contained and consequently slow down global warming significantly. From increasing the number of trees we plant, we can bring more wildlife to our earth and even provide valuable resources such as medicine and food.

Read the full story at: https://www.newsoftheuniverse.com/2019/07/forest-restoration-solution-to-reducing.html

Researchers Discover the Structure of an Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogens

The researchers from Binghamton University and the University of Colorado recently published a finding of a molecular structure of a protein that is considered as one of the factors that cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The protein, ß-amyloid,  that was investigated was post translational modified, meaning that it was modified after a cell completed its assembly. After being modified ß-amyloid accelerates fibrillation (the process of plaquing), which causes the neuropsychological symptoms of AD. This finding may help discover the origin of the plaque production.

The structural analysis showed the significance of the protein as a pathological factor for AD, as well as the factor that accelerates fibrillation. The researchers were able to identify the structure and properties of the protein as a link in a chain of other polypeptides. However, the question of how the protein is modified still remains unanswered, particularly what form of the initial post translational protein results in the modification that causes the plaquing. It is still unknown if ß-amyloid’s wild-type form, the one that genetically most abundant (present in 99% of individuals),is being modified or if the mutant protein is causing the plaquing.

Source: Hu, Z.-W., Vugmeyster, L., Au, D. F., Ostrovsky, D., Sun, Y., & Qiang, W. (2019). Molecular structure of an N-terminal phosphorylated β-amyloid fibril. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201818530. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818530116

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Highlights of Computex 2019

Computex is one of the world’s largest computer expo, showcasing some of the latest and greatest tech products that companies have to offer. This year, from May 28th to June 1st, some of the world’s tech giants gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, to showcase their new products. Here are some of the highlights from Computex 2019:

AMD

   AMD has had a massive resurgence in the computing world this year, reportedly doubling their competitor, Intel, in sales. In January, News of the Universe covered AMD’s strength in the CPU industry in 2018. As a result, AMD was expected to showcase more products that exceed their previous lineup. They did not disappoint. AMD announced a 7-nanometer (nm) architecture which will power its new generation of CPUs, Ryzen 3rd Generation.

   In addition to its CPUs, AMD has expanded its GPU product lineup, revealing its Radeon RX 5000 series. Those who viewed the keynote presentation by AMD’s president and CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, were able to see a performance benchmark of one of these GPUs, showing it outperforming one of its most powerful competition counterparts, the GTX 2070.

   AMD has been extremely strong this year, especially since their product launch in January at CES. AMD’s (NASDAQ: AMD) stock began at $18.83 USD and rose to a high of $29 during Computex.

Watch the keynote presentation here

Asus

   Asus is well known as a reputable manufacturer, creating some of the world’s most popular laptops and computer hardware. It creates multipurpose devices, such as the powerful ultra-portable laptops which cater to people who are looking to stream movies, finish academic projects, or simply use it casually at home.

At Computex 2019, Asus showcased its new and powerful ZenBook Duo and ZenBook Pro Duo, which are ultra-portable laptops with high-resolution screens that run with the newest and most powerful Intel CPUs and Nvidia GPUs

   The ZenBook Pro Duo also features what Asus calls the ScreenPad Plus. This is a second touchscreen display that goes above the keyboard and allows for multitasking. Both screens have a 4k resolution and include tools such as an app switcher and a navigator. The standard ZenBook is also getting an upgrade with newer hardware and even smaller bezels.

Notable Mentions

   There were a few other notable presentations at Computex. One such example is G.Skill, the popular RAM company, reaching an overclock record for DDR4-5886. For comparison, DDR4-3220 is still considered relatively quick in the computer industry.

This was the largest Computex event to data, with 42495 international buyers and 18251 visitors. With new technological developments being made every day, Computex next year is sure to be an even grander showcase.

Info sourced from: AMD official keynote, Computex Taipei, Tom’s Hardware, and TechRadar

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