Asus bowed the ZenBook 14 ($1,199) and 15 ($1,399) Windows laptops with ScreenPad 2.0, an interactive 5.65-inch secondary screen said to boost productivity. The secondary screen, with a smartphone-like interface positioned in the touchpad location on traditional laptops, is designed to make it easier to multitask among applications, said the company. Features include an eighth-generation Intel i7 quad-core CPU, Nvidia GEForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics processor, 16 GB RAM, PCIe solid-state drives and Wi-Fi 5, it said. The secondary screen’s utilities include a Quick Key for one-tap automation of keyboard sequences, handwriting for natural text input and number key for rapid data entry, said the company. Third-party developers can use the Asus application programming interface to optimize their software and user experiences for ScreenPad, it said. The hardware was updated to be more energy efficient than its predecessor, allowing 2.5 times longer battery life when ScreenPad is in use, Asus said.

Apple recalled 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops due to reports of overheating that could lead to a fire hazard, said the company Thursday. Consumers should stop using the recalled computers and contact Apple to see if their laptop is part of the recall and to schedule a free repair, Apple said. It has received 26 reports of the laptop’s battery overheating, including five of “minor burns,” one report of smoke inhalation and 17 reports of minor damage to nearby personal property, it said. The recalled models have a 15.4-inch display, 2.2-2.5 GHz processors, 256 GB-1 TB solid-state storage, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and one HDMI port. Only MacBook Pro 15-inch models with certain serial numbers are included in the recall; customers can contact Apple at 800-275-2273 or visit support at www.apple.com to check numbers, it said. About 432,000 units are affected, including 26,000 in Canada. The affected models were sold at Apple stores and electronics stores nationwide and online at apple.com September 2015-February 2017 for about $2,000.

Asus is shipping the ZenBook S13, a 13.9-inch laptop with a screen-to-body ratio of 97 percent, it said Monday. Features include a GeForce MX150 graphics processor, eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 512 GB PCIe solid-state drive, it said; ports include a USB 3.1 Type-A, two Type-C and a MicroSD card reader. Suggested retail prices are $1,399 for the 8 GB version, sold online at Asus.com, Amazon, Newegg and Walmart, and $1,499 for the 16 GB version, available at Micro Center, it said.

The Toshiba name is disappearing from PCs this quarter, although the sub-brands Portege, Tecra and DynaEdge will live on, said parent company Dynabook Americas, which Sharp bought last summer. Dynabook Americas is the new name of Toshiba America Client Solutions. The Dynabook brand, well established in Japan, launched the TFT color display, integrated optical drive, wireless docking, quad-core HD processor and 4K laptop display, said the company Tuesday. “Although our name is changing, we are still the company that in 1985 introduced the world’s first laptop and pioneered the adoption of more than 30 World’s First Technologies, including design, battery, display and wireless breakthroughs, which have shaped the modern laptop,” said Takayuki Tono, senior vice president, Dynabook Americas. The company will continue to deliver mobility products, expand its IoT and smart glasses portfolio and support Toshiba products, it said.

The House on Thursday unanimously approved a bill establishing a National Quantum Coordination Office within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The National Quantum Initiative Act (HR-6227) and its companion introduced in the Senate (S-3143) would direct the office to oversee interagency coordination on quantum computing and be a central point of contact with private sector stakeholders (see 1808010047). “With competition from abroad, America must increase and accelerate efforts to secure leadership in the quantum sector for our national security and economic prosperity,” House Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said.

Dolby and Lenovo announced the first laptop to include Dolby Vision and a Dolby Atmos speaker system. The Lenovo Yoga C930 packs customized speakers by Dolby based on a rotating sound bar and hinge design intended to optimize the audio experience via headphones or speakers, said the companies. Other new Lenovo products featuring Dolby technologies are the ThinkPad X1 Extreme with Dolby Vision and Atmos, the Yoga S730 with Dolby Vision and the Dolby Atmos speaker system and a Yoga Book C930 with Dolby Atmos, they said.

Unit shipments globally of personal computing devices, including “traditional” PCs, tablets and workstations, are expected to decline 3.9 percent this year, though the market is expected to grow 3.6 percent in dollar volume, reported IDC Thursday. The unit declines are expected to persist through 2022, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of negative 1.5 percent, said IDC. "Although average time spent on a PC has declined substantially in the past few years, the need for better designs and greater performance has continued to grow," it said. "The market for gaming PCs provides a much needed uplift in the short term and beyond that we still anticipate the need for performance-oriented machines that cater to designers, AR/VR related tasks, and even to creators that are part of the YouTube generation."

Logitech added a new design to its peripheral line Monday, introducing an ergonomic mouse said to reduce forearm strain and wrist pressure. The $99 Logitech MX Vertical has a 57-degree vertical angle said to be optimized for an ergonomic posture without compromising productivity. The mouse’s natural handshake position reduces muscular activity by up to 10 percent compared with a standard mouse and is designed to fit different hand shapes and sizes, Logitech said. The rechargeable battery lasts up to four months on a full charge, and a one-minute charge powers three hours of use, it said. Logitech began taking preorders Monday; shipping is slated for mid-September.

Asus announced what it calls the first 17.3-inch laptop (measured diagonally) to fit into a 15.7-inch chassis due to slim display bezels. The Strix Scar II, in Asus' Republic of Gamers line, has an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics processor, 32 GB RAM, 4K Ultra HD display, G-Sync outputs, Aura Sync RGB customizable lighting, desktop-style keyboard and cooling system, it said. Performance ratings include a 144 Hz refresh rate and 3 millisecond response time, it said. Pricing of the gaming laptop, with a Kevlar and camouflage design, will be announced at shipping, slated for next month, said the company.