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Apr 23, 2018
Think of AMD's new Combat Crates as PC gaming supply crates dropped behind enemy lines during the zombie apocalypse. Yup, finding a graphics card to game with has gotten that bad that AMD has had to resort to bundling up Radeon GPUs with a motherboard and Ryzen CPUs to get hardware into the hands of gamers.
The first bundle spotted on Amazon includes a first-gen Ryzen 5 1600 with cooler, an MSI B350 Tomahawk motherboard and most importantly—an MSI Radeon RX 580 Armor OC card. The entire bundle costs $599.
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Apr 23, 2018
Flash drives keep cramming more and more storage capacity into their pint-sized, portable packages, and right now there are a couple of deals to get you a ton of space for very low prices.
If your devices support USB Type-C, SanDisk's Ultra Dual Drive is the deal for you. The one on offer packs a huge 256GB of capacity for $65, its lowest price ever on Amazon. It comes with two plugin ends; one is a USB Type-C connector and the other is a traditional USB, so you'll be able to transfer files between different types of devices easily at speeds up to 159MB/s. It also gives you access to the SanDisk Memory Zone app, which helps you manage device memory in the cloud. And while we haven't tried this particular flash drive, its 4.1 stars out of 5 with almost 600 Amazon user reviews shows that this is a winner.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
Apple has launched a battery replacement program for some non-Touch Bar model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Here's how to find out if your model is affected and how to get it replaced.
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Apr 23, 2018
In this episode of the Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Adam Patrick Murray talk new AMD hardware, and newly named AMD hardware.
First up: Impressions from our 2nd-gen Ryzen processor review, which hit the streets Thursday. The small tweaks and upgrades add up to a much more well-rounded chip than first-gen Ryzen. And it goes blow-for-blow with Intel's flagship Core i7-8700K too. As we said in our final verdict of the Ryzen 7 2700X, "Higher clock speeds and a massive multi-threading advantage push AMD's CPU performance to new highs. The bundled Wraith Prism cooler and overall polish push it over the top. In the battle of Intel and AMD's flagship processors, the clear winner today is the Ryzen 7 2700X."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
Qi wireless charging is magic. You plop your Qi-compatible phone on a charging pad and wait for the device to power up. It's so much simpler than plugging in a power cord, and today you can get that easy charging for less than $10.
Amazon's selling the RavPower Standard Qi Wireless Charging Pad for $9 as its Deal of the Day. It's been hovering around $15 recently, but this is the charger's all time low.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
TiVo Roamio OTA vs. Tablo vs. Channel Master vs. Plex: None are ideal, but one might work for you.
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Apr 23, 2018
It's safe to say that Android tablets will never be a thing. It's safer to say the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus and the Home Assistant Pack will never replace anyone's Echo home speaker.
It's hard to figure out Lenovo's strategy here. While Apple has carved out a nice niche with the iPad, and Chromebook makers are beginning to experiment with keyboard-less models, Android-based tablets never really caught on with fans of the platform who were content with using their larger-screened phones to get things done.
But Lenovo has nonetheless plugged away with making tablets, most recently with the Tab 4 8 Plus. Breaking down the unwieldly name, this is the fourth-generation of Lenovo's Tab line, with an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 display. Otherwise the specs are decidedly less than plus-sized:
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
CloudBerry Backup is uniquely versatile backup program that covers just about any mixed storage scenario. Have some data on OneDrive that you want to back up to Google Drive? CloudBerry can do that. Want to back up the data from your Documents folder to BackBlaze and your home NAS box? Easy-peasy. From your PC to an external hard drive as well as Google drive? No big deal. CloudBerry's scope is truly dizzying.
Alas, the language, concepts, and sheer number of options can be dizzying for non-IT types, and you'll need to spend at least $120 to acquire disaster recovery features. The good news? There's a free version that takes care of the cloud and local backup basics.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
There is no higher-quality video player available for Windows. It's a bit pricey, but PowerDVD Ultra is also the only software that can play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs on your computer.
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Apr 21, 2018
The first chap I meet in the Summerset Isles is an elf with a Sean Penn face who gripes about how he's missing out on a wine tasting because some local Wood Elves "offed" the vintner, because of course. This, after all, is the closed beta for The Elder Scrolls Online's Summerset expansion ($40 on Amazon), which whisks us off to the ancestral homes of the High Elves, a magical land crammed with haughty wizards, Neuschwanstein-like villas, and flora that likely would have been at home in Eden. Whatever. This dude just wants his wine, and I can appreciate that.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
The Galaxy S9 and S9 might look a lot like the models they replace, but they're not exactly the same. Put them side by side and you'll see just enough of a difference in size and shape that old S8 cases won't fit. So that means you need a new one. Here are our favorites so far:
Best Shell Cases for Galaxy S9 and S9
Even if you're just looking for a simple case that adds a little protection and grippability to your Galaxy S9, you'll still want something with style. These case offer simple, sturdy protection for your S9 but still bring some flair.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Microsoft continued its gradual push toward making the Xbox One more like PCs by announcing it will soon support compatible 120Hz displays for its game console platform.
The new additions will be added within the coming weeks, Microsoft said in a blog post on Friday. Microsoft also added a number of UI improvements, including the ability to group games. They'll all be rolled out first to members of the Xbox Insiders program, then to the general public at a later date.
Friday's announcement complements its March update, when Microsoft announced a number of improvements designed to enhance the Xbox One experience when playing on PC-caliber displays and TVs.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Refinement, not revolution, takes center stage in this redesign.
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Apr 20, 2018
We are well and truly in the grips of the battle royale era at this point, with rumors this week pegging a PUBG-style mode coming to both Call of Duty and Battlefield in the fall. At this point the question's not whether we see a new battle royale game at E3, it's how many we see.
That news, plus a trailer for an IKEA-builder game, a first glimpse of the next Cities: Skylines expansion, Shenmue's long-awaited arrival on PC, a Serious Sam 4 tease, and Amazon's robot-lady acting as your "personal Call of Duty coach."
This is gaming news for April 16 to 20.
Cyberpunk 2015
Humble's habitually giving away games nearly every weekend it seems, and the trend continues this week with Satellite Reign. A blend of real-time tactics game and open-world adventure, it was intended as a successor to Syndicate—the original isometric one from the ‘90s, not the 2012 reboot.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Amazon announced Alexa Blueprints this week, a new skill that lets you create custom responses and commands for your smart speaker. But you need an Echo to try them out. At $50, the Echo Dot is already the cheapest Alexa speaker you can buy, and right now it's even cheaper: Newegg is selling the Echo Dot for $39.99 and they're even throwing in promotional $10 gift card.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
People often turn to boutique PC builders like Maingear, Digital Storm, Falcon Northwest, and Origin PC when they want a badass, over-the-top, liquid-cooled beast of a system, but don't want to worry about cutting tubes and tightening fittings themselves. The newest entrant in the custom desktop landscape practically wrote the book on extreme cooling. EK Water Blocks, the creator of custom liquid-cooling hardware beloved by enthusiasts around the globe, announced on Friday that it's now selling full PCs dubbed EK Fluid Gaming Systems.
The timing's no coincidence. Every EK Fluid Gaming System relies on the potent AMD 2nd-gen Ryzen CPUs released yesterday—either the Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 7 2700X, more specifically. No Intel chips are on offer.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Whether you're an administrator, sales professional, developer, or marketer, you too can become a mover and shaker—especially if you learn your skills from Salesforce. And right now there's a terrific collection of courses on sale—and then some—in the Salesforce Trailblazer Bundle. Until now, if you bought each course separately, you'd pay about $910, but for a limited time, when you purchase all eight courses in the bundle, the price is a mere $29.99. That's 96% off retail.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Ever since I became a phone reviewer, my messages have been a mess. When I switch from an iPhone to an Android one, I need to remember to turn off iMessage on all of my devices lest I miss a blue bubble that sneaks through. And any conversations I was having on my iPhone are effectively over when I switch, since nothing carries over between operating systems.
It's not much better when switching between Android phones. Android Messages doesn't sync or restore your texts between phones, no one uses Allo, and third-party apps can be wonky. I've taken to using Pulse to keep my conversations synced across numerous phones and devices, but I still need to be careful when I switch SIMs since it's not technically designed for multiple handsets. On more than one occasion, I've blown up my conversation history and needed to start over.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Ever since I became a phone reviewer, my messages have been a mess. When I switch from an iPhone to an Android one, I need to remember to turn off iMessage on all of my devices lest I miss a blue bubble that sneaks through. And any conversations I was having on my iPhone are effectively over when I switch, since nothing carries over between operating systems.
It's not much better when switching between Android phones. Android Messages doesn't sync or restore your texts between phones, no one uses Allo, and third-party apps can be wonky. I've taken to using Pulse to keep my conversations synced across numerous phones and devices, but I still need to be careful when I switch SIMs since it's not technically designed for multiple handsets. On more than one occasion, I've blown up my conversation history and needed to start over.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Intel's new 8th-gen mobile gaming processors are here, and you know what that means: A fresh generation of gaming laptops! But that's not all. As we've been preaching on PCWorld's Full Nerd podcast, new hardware means deep discounts on existing stock, and it's a stellar time to buy a 7th-gen laptop at prices previously considered ludicrous.
Case in point: Newegg is selling the Acer Nitro 5 for just $699.99. And Dell's still offering a
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Apr 20, 2018
For AMD's disruptive Ryzen processors, selecting the correct motherboard is both easier and more crucial than ever.
First, the good news: AMD's doing away with the frightful hodgepodge of motherboard platforms to unite around the AM4 socket with Ryzen CPUs, Radeon-bolstered APUs, and all other chips released in the foreseeable future—including the 2nd-gen Ryzen processors. Huzzah! But there are a wide variety of chipsets available for AM4 motherboards, and each unlocks different capabilities in your PC, from USB support to overclocking to how many graphics cards you can install.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
It's short on handholding, but SkylinkNet's SK-250 kit is a good-enough security offering (though not recommended for beginners).
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Apr 20, 2018
The new God of War releases this week, and by all accounts it's fantastic. So fantastic in fact that last week I bought the God of War Saga Collection for PlayStation 3, wanting to play through the original Gods of War again (and III for the first time) before delving into the new one. And all that would've been just a fun little detour for me, given the fact they're PlayStation exclusives and thus not fodder for PCWorld.
Faced with the prospect of hooking up a PS3 though, I suddenly thought "Wait...aren't those games available on PCs via PlayStation Now?"
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
An intoxicating sonic experience from a hi-res audio player that's as heavy as it is expensive.
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Apr 19, 2018
Amazon's Alexa Skills Blueprints let anyone with an Alexa device make household skills.
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Apr 19, 2018
Amazon has released a super-easy tool for anyone to make their own Alexa skill, and you won't find anything like for Siri or Google Assistant.
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Apr 19, 2018
Modern laptops never seem to have quite enough USB ports for all your plug-ins. Hook up a mouse, plug in a flash drive, and suddenly you've got no room for anything else. And as more laptops adopt USB-C ports, some items won't plug in at all. A port hub can fix both problems, and right now you can get an AmazonBasics USB-C to three-port USB hub for $20, the lowest we've seen it and nearly 20 percent off its average price.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
Just over a year ago, AMD flipped the PC industry on its proverbial head with revolutionary Ryzen 7 processors that democratized CPU core counts in a way never seen before.
While the 2nd-gen Ryzen 7 2700X officially unveiled today (don't call it Ryzen 2—that's coming later) doesn't quite shake things up the way the original Ryzen chips did last year, it's a solidly good sequel that, in many ways, is far better than what it replaces. And it puts the squeeze back on Intel's 8th-gen "Coffee Lake" processors, which upped their own core count to counter Ryzen's threat.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
In this special episode of the Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung, Brad Chacos, and Adam Patrick Murray are joined by Jim Anderson, the senior VP of AMD's computing and graphics business, to dig deep into the 2nd-gen Ryzen CPUs that launched today.
This is no mere spec overview though. Anderson explains how upgraded Precision Boost 2 and XFR2 technologies help 2nd-gen Ryzen chips maintain higher clocks for longer, regardless of how many cores are being stressed—a key improvement over the initial iterations. We also dig into AMD's decision to include coolers with X-branded Ryzen CPUs after skipping them the first time around, and the design of the swanky new RGB-enabled Wraith Prism cooler that ships with the flagship Ryzen 7 2700X ($329 on
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Apr 19, 2018
These days, it seems that there are more Bluetooth speakers on the market than songs to play on them, and finding a good one for a good price can be tricky. The Sbode M400 Bluetooth speaker fits the bill—it's normally only $50, looks good, and is packed with high-end features. And today on Amazon, it's even cheaper. With this coupon, you can get 20 percent off the Sbode M400 Bluetooth speaker today while supplies last, bringing it down to just $40, the lowest price we've ever seen.
To read this article in full, please cli
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Apr 19, 2018
We name the top free and paid Mac antivirus products to root out malicious software and prevent infections.
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Apr 18, 2018
The Raspberry Pi is an incredibly flexible little computer. You can use it for a wide range of projects ranging from the pragmatic to the innovative to the nostalgic—the same hardware can power a retro gaming setup as readily as an ad-blocking server. But if you've never handled a circuit board in your life, getting started with a Raspberry Pi may seem intimidating.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
The next great peripherals war is being waged over your ears. After every company on the planet put out a gaming mouse and then a mechanical keyboard, they turned their attention to headsets. So many headsets.
Gaming headset cheat sheet
Our quick-hit recommendations:
Best all-around gaming headset: HyperX Cloud Alpha
Best budget gaming headset:
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Apr 18, 2018
If you're the type of person who detests autoplaying video ads with sound, Google's Chrome browser provides some help. Google Chrome 66 will mute autoplaying video by default, permanently, so even if a video pops up—and Chrome can block some of those, too!—it won't blow you out of your seat. The Chrome 66 release is now live in the stable channel.
As Google explains here, muted videos will always be autoplayed. But autoplayed videos won't always be muted. Google uses what it calls the Media Engagement Threshold to determine if a video should be muted. (Google's page goes into the details, though it's a typically complex Google algorithm.) Put simply, if you've played a video on the site before, with sound, Google may think that you want to hear the audio for another video on that site, too.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
Microsoft has quietly worked to improve the basic OneNote app within Windows 10, and on Wednesday it received an unexpected show of support: The OneNote 2016 app for Office 365 will be put on hold, and the OneNote app already within Windows 10 will replace it within Office 2019.
It's a ringing endorsement for OneNote for Windows 10, whose UI overhaul in 2017 (above) migrated the pages and sections to the left-hand rail. Since then, OneNote for Windows 10 has added some of the top features of the Windows 10 app, including perhaps the best feature of the note-taking tool: audio that's synced to your notes. Microsoft said it plans to keep migrating features from one app to the other, including the ability to insert and search for tags, create page templates, as well as preview other Office files, right within OneNote.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
Microsoft has quietly worked to improve the basic OneNote app within Windows 10, and on Wednesday it received an unexpected show of support: The OneNote app for Office 365 will be put on hold, and the OneNote app already within Windows 10 will replace it within Office 2019.
It's a ringing endorsement for OneNote for Windows 10, whose UI overhaul in 2017 (above) migrated the pages and sections to the left-hand rail. Since then, OneNote for Windows 10 has added some of the top features of the Windows 10 app, including perhaps the best feature of the note-taking tool: audio that's synced to your notes. Microsoft said it plans to keep migrating features from one app to the other, including the ability to insert and search for tags, create page templates, as well as preview other Office files, right within OneNote.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
Your home is only as smart as the hub that orchestrates everything behind the scenes. These DIY tools are the best of the bunch.
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Apr 18, 2018
Whether you're someone who likes your home frigid or toasty, a smart thermostat can help save you money on your bills. If you don't have one yet, you're in luck-the Nest Thermostat E is on sale for $109.99 on Woot today or while supplies last, a whopping 35 percent off the list price and the lowest price we've seen.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
Amazon has announced a partnership with Best Buy to sell the next-generation of Fire TVs due to launch this summer.
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Apr 18, 2018
I'm agonizing over a translation. What I'd thought was a simple piece of driftwood washed up on the riverbank is now a test, of sorts. The wood is old, worn down, but still there are remnants of symbols, letters in a language I've only seen twice before—and it's my job to discern the intent. Where did this wood come from? Why did someone painstakingly carve letters into it?
A few clues guide me. My character thinks the wood probably came from a ship's mast, for one. And two, a series of symbols resembles some other symbols I took to mean "strength" a few minutes back. That's it.
Grasping at straws, I mutter something about "Wind" and plug that in as the translation. It doesn't seem like a perfect fit, but...well, sometimes in Heaven's Vault you just have to go with your gut.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 currently holds the crown as PCWorld's best budget gaming laptop. Most gaming laptops start around $1,000, but Dell's laptop earned its four stars by offering a Core i5 CPU with a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for only $900. That's a great price on its own, but Dell's currently running a deal on a model that's faster and cheaper.
Dell is selling the Inspiron 15 7000 for $850, but instead of the GTX 1050 Ti our review model included, you get a faster 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. Plus, the company's added a 128GB SSD boot drive in addition to the usual 1TB hard drive. That's a heck of an upgrade for $850. The bad news is stocks are limited. Dell warns that your purchase isn't guaranteed at this price until your order is completed.
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Apr 18, 2018
It's simultaneously a great and terrible time to go deal hunting for a new processor—especially for Ryzen fans. AMD's 2nd-gen Ryzen chips hit the streets on April 19, with faster clock speeds and lower prices than the original versions. To get ready, prices of the original Ryzen and Threadripper chips have dropped to enticing lows after previously receiving a permanent price slashing in January.
Here's a look at some of the best Ryzen prices you can find right now. Few chips are hitting Black Friday prices, but deal hunters should keep an eye on the prices at retailers like Amazon, Microcenter, and Newegg over the next few weeks.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
The best gear money can buyImage by Gordon Mah Ung/IDG
One of the PC's greatest strengths is its extreme flexibility. There's a vast selection of hardware out there, of all different shapes and sizes and makes and models—so much so that even if your budget's not a concern, buyer's paralysis very well could be.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
What's in a name, anyway? No seriously, SteelSeries really wants to put that old adage to the test. Back in 2013 I tried out the SteelSeries H Wireless—a premium $300 headset with swappable batteries, a bulky but eminently useful base station, and decent audio (for the time). Then the H Wireless was quietly rebranded as the SteelSeries Siberia 800. Then SteelSeries released the Siberia 840, the same headset but with added Bluetooth support.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
With massive device support and a simple interface, it's hard to beat SmartThings to anchor your smart home.
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Apr 18, 2018
We like the color-tunable bulb best, but all three are good values.
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Apr 17, 2018
In an age where protecting yourself from ransomware, data dumping, and hacking is so critical, a lot rides on the strength and reliability of your passwords. As a result, we've seen more and more password managers popping up, some more effective than others.
RoboForm is one of the most powerful and secure options available and is currently on offer for just $29 (formally $99.75), or a 70% discount. Not only does RoboForm generate, organize, and audit passwords across multiple platforms, it makes accessing your secure sites easy, with one-click logins, web form population, and more.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Pour one out for Olaf. No, not the charming snowman from Disney's Frozen, the mascot for Opera's free VPN app. Opera has announced that the warmhearted Viking will be retiring at the end of April, taking the free VPN app for iOS and Android with him.
When Opera VPN's mobile app launched in 2016, it brought a refreshingly free, unlimited VPN browser to mobile phones and tablets. Mimicking many of the features found in its desktop browser, the app let you select between a number of countries and included a built-in ad blocker. Shortly after its launch, the company launched a paid Opera VPN Gold service on iOS that boosted the speed, doubled the regions, and added dedicated customer support for $30 a year.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
A little more than a month ago, HardOCP's Kyle Bennett reported that an initiative called the GeForce Partner Program offered graphics card makers (such as Asus and MSI) various incentives to restrict the use of their top gaming brands to Nvidia hardware. While Nvidia hasn't commented beyond a blog post light on details, a new lineup of graphics cards by Asus and commentary from AMD suggests HardOCP's report might be true.
Asus officially revealed the Radeon-exclusive "Arez" graphics card lineup on Tuesday after weeks of leaks and whispers. They all look awfully similar to the Radeon graphics cards that Asus has offered since the RX 500 and RX Vega series launched, but with one key detail missing: While some of the models still sport Strix coolers, none of the Arez lineup carries the "Republic of Gamers" brand that Asus has spent years building. (Previously released Radeon cards still carry the ROG brand, however.)
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
A little more than a month ago, HardOCP's Kyle Bennett reported that an initiative called the GeForce Partner Program offered graphics card makers (such as Asus and MSI) various incentives to restrict the use of their top gaming brands to Nvidia hardware. While Nvidia hasn't commented beyond a blog post light on details, a new lineup of graphics cards by Asus and commentary from AMD suggests HardOCP's report might be true.
Asus officially revealed the Radeon-exclusive "Arez" graphics card lineup on Tuesday after weeks of leaks and whispers. They all look awfully similar to the Radeon graphics cards that Asus has offered since the RX 500 and RX Vega series launched, but with one key detail missing: While some of the models still sport Strix coolers, none of the Arez lineup carries the "Republic of Gamers" brand that Asus has spent years building. (Previously released Radeon cards still carry the ROG brand, however.)
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Nice S.p.A buys a majority stake in the smart home security startup, but Abode System's founders retain a 25-percent ownership position.
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Apr 17, 2018
If you're unsure about becoming a cord-cutter, a streaming dongle can be a great way to test the waters without diving in. Google's Chromecast is a fantastic entry-level solution, using an Android or iOS device, PC, or Chromebook as the remote, and allowing you to cast content right from the same device. With a $35 MSRP, it's already in impulse buy territory, but right now, you can get a black Chromecast for just $25 at Target, good for a savings of nearly 30 percent.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Google's do-it-yourself AIY kits released last year are already a great way to learn the ins and outs of designing a smart home speaker powered by Google Assistant, but they always came with a caveat: You needed to bring your own Raspberry Pi to the party. But with an update available today, Google is giving you everything you need right in the box.
Once again available in two flavors, Voice and Vision, Google's new kits are a one-stop solution for building the next-generation of AI devices, and include a Raspberry Pi Zero WH, micro USB connection cable, and pre-provisioned SD card. Each kit also comes with the appropriate hardware you'll need to get your smart device up and running:
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Google's do-it-yourself AIY kits released last year are already a great way to learn the ins and outs of designing a smart home speaker powered by Google Assistant, but they always came with a caveat: You needed to bring your own Raspberry Pi to the party. But with an update available today, Google is giving you everything you need right in the box.
Once again available in two flavors, Voice and Vision, Google's new kits are a one-stop solution for building the next-generation of AI devices, and include a Raspberry Pi Zero WH, micro USB connection cable, and pre-provisioned SD card. Each kit also comes with the appropriate hardware you'll need to get your smart device up and running:
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Virtual reality is still something of a curiosity despite the best efforts of Google and Android phone makers to push it to the mainstream (not to mention PC-centric companies like Microsoft, Valve, and Oculus). VR's sky-high entry costs are one of the major barriers to entry—but not today. The Google Store is selling the latest version of the Daydream View VR headset for just $50 through April 28. That's $50 off the usual price
The latest version of the Daydream View debuted in October. It offers high-performance lenses that are supposed to offer better visual quality and a wider field of view than the original. The original's FOV was 90 degrees. You'll need a Daydream-compatible phone like the Pixel 2 or a recent Samsung Galaxy S model to power the device.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Microsoft will take advantage of a feature Intel is enabling within the integrated graphics chips of its Core microprocessors, allowing a PC to be scanned for threats without monopolizing the CPU.
Normally, your system's CPU scans the PC's memory for malware and other threats, taking up 20 percent or so of the PC's computing resources. Intel has now developed a feature called Accelerated Memory Scanning, part of what it calls Intel Threat Detection Technology, to use the GPU instead. That will drop CPU consumption to about 2 percent, Intel Platforms Security general manager Rick Echevarria (above) said in an evening briefing at the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Monday.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
Your laptop's built-in speakers aren't doing any favors for the gigs and gigs of music and movies on your hard drive. Even the best ones can leave your audio sounding thin and lifeless. External PC speakers—along with a good set of headphones—are a must for getting the best fidelity from your media files.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
This pricey smart plug offers ground effects and solid energy-monitoring features.
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Apr 17, 2018
Android P is still in super-duper developer-only beta mode, but you only need to look at an iPhone X to see what your Pixel phone will look like once the new models land later this summer.
Okay, I kid, but there's no denying that Google has taken at least some inspiration from Apple's thousand-dollar flagship phone. First there's the support for "cutout" displays, better known as The Notch. One of Android P's premier features will be proper support for cameras that jut into the screen, so apps, videos, and status bars can display properly.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 17, 2018
For the price, this 12-hour box sounds very good. It has the punch that many speakers in its class lack, as well as a surprising amount of thump.
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Apr 17, 2018
For the price, this 12-hour box sounds very good. It has the punch that many speakers in its class lack, as well as a surprising amount of thump.
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