Google Pixelbook leaks and ads show smaller bezels, possible detachable keyboard

The leaks keep coming ahead of Google’s October 9th #madebyGoogle event, as multiple internet ads and a new video point to the possibility that a Pixelbook 2 is in the works. We’ve seen a stream of Pixel 3 leaks, but a second-generation Pixelbook has also been rumored since July, according to this tweet from Evan Blass.

The most tangible piece of evidence can be seen in the video above, which was pulled from the Chromium Bug Tracker by Brandon Lall, as reported by Chrome Unboxed. The short clip shows a device with smaller bezels, round keys, and the hamburger icon key on the top right, which is indicative that they are Pixelbook keyboards.

The video also shows Chrome OS with a rounded “shelf,” or task…

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Mercedes-Benz’s new mobility concept is autonomous, electric, modular, and ugly

On Monday, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision Urbanetic, an all-electric, autonomous concept that the German auto giant thinks will redefine mobility. It’s a sign that smartphone makers aren’t the only ones that occasionally flirt with modular designs. Big automakers are increasingly interested in powertrain platforms — the undercarriage of a car or van — that can accommodate a bunch of different vehicle bodies on top.

The Urbanetic isn’t just one type of vehicle; it’s an oversized minivan that’s capable of seating 12 people for ride-hailing trips or used as a cargo van with two different levels for storage and a total volume of 353 cubic feet. Based on its function, the battery-electric “skateboard” chassis can detach and mate with a…

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Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro rumored to switch from Lightning to USB-C

Aside from slimming down its display bezels and adding Face ID, Apple’s next iPad Pro could be making a major I/O change. As noted by 9to5Mac, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the next high-end version of the tablet will switch over to USB Type-C.

Now, it seems pretty hard to believe that Apple would already start moving away from its own Lightning connector in 2018; my first instinct was that this report simply means they’ll be including a Lightning-to-USB-C cable and USB-C charger in the box. Frankly, that’s what I’d still bet on. We’re getting closer to this device’s announcement and this move to USB-C hasn’t been reported previously. But Kuo specifies that it’s the entire I/O that’s changing, and his reputation speaks for…

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Scientists find stable sea levels during last interglacial

The magnitude and trajectory of sea-level change during the Last Interglacial, more specifically Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, is uncertain. To date the consensus view has been that sea-level may have been six to nine meters above present sea level. However, scientists are now questioning if those sea level fluctuations are accurate.

Watch this satellite footage of a rocket launching from the Gobi Desert

Screenshot of satellite footage of the OneSpace OS-X1 suborbital rocket launch

Over the weekend, China’s OneSpace startup launched a rocket from the Gobi Desert, and the entire thing was captured by a satellite orbiting 332 miles above Earth.

OneSpace was testing the solid-fueled booster of its OS-X1 rocket, according to the GB Times. The rocket took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre and eventually reached a suborbital altitude of 21.7 miles. The launch was filmed by China’s Jilin-1 satellite and then posted to Sina Weibo (“China’s Twitter”) and Twitter. (Similarly, last year, a satellite caught sight of a Soyuz launch in…

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