Asus has introduced three new ZenBooks during the IFA 2018 conference in Berlin, and all three are based on eighth-generation Intel Core processors released this week along with discrete graphics provided by Nvidia. The new ZenBooks also sport super-thin profiles measuring up to 0.70 of an inch and infrared cameras for password-free access to Windows 10.
Intel’s new “Whiskey Lake” Core i7-8565U is a four-core chip with a base speed of 1.8GHz, a maximum speed of 4.5GHz, and a power draw of only 15 watts. Meanwhile, the new Core i5-8256U chip packs four cores with a base speed of 1.6GHz, a maximum speed of 3.9GHz, and a power draw of 15 watts. This chip replaces the Core i5-8250U released in August 2017, while the Core i7-8565U replaces the Core i7-8550U chip released in the same time period.
Although all three models include Intel’s integrated UHD Graphics 620 component, the 13.3-inch and 14-inch models ship with a discrete GeForce MX150 graphics chip while the 15.6-inch version packs a gamer-centric GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q chip. These discrete GPUs back a decent 1,920 x 1,080 resolution.
For storage, you’ll find three options: 1TB on a PCI Express 3.0 x4 SSD, and 256GB or 512GB on a PCI Express 3.0 x2 SSD. Memory is only 8GB or 16GB, although the two smaller units rely on LPDDR3 sticks clocked at 2,133MHz, while the 15.6-inch model relies on DDR4 sticks clocked at 2,400MHz.
“ZenBook 13 and 14 are equipped with the exclusive new Asus NumberPad,” the company says. “NumberPad solves the age-old problem of the lack of a dedicated numeric keypad on compact laptops. Tapping the NumberPad icon at the top right corner of the touchpad reveals a full-size LED-illuminated numeric keypad, allowing rapid and intuitive data entry or calculations. ZenBook 15 features a traditional physical numeric keypad.”
Despite their varied sizes, all three include the same connectivity options, including one USB-C port with transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps and a USB-A port with the same 10Gbps maximum speed. According to Asus, the new ZenBooks also meet the MIL-STD-810G standard, meaning they endured tests targeting high humidity, high temperatures, and extreme altitudes.
Finally, the new ZenBooks include infrared cameras supported by Windows Hello in Windows 10 Home and Pro. That means you can log into these two platforms with just a smile (or frown if you haven’t gulped any coffee) without the need for a password.
The full list of hardware specifications is below. A shipping date and price for all three models is unknown.
Speech-to-text apps have flooded the App Store, making it easier than ever to type on our Macs with just our voice. I have previously covered one such app called TypeWhisper. However, there has been a dearth of good text-to-speech models, and most of the good ones are locked behind a subscription.
Ollama, an open-source app that lets you run local AI models on your computer, wants to change that. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and your prompts are never stored or used for training.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).