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Mar 22, 2023
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Until earlier today, a malware copy of the "ChatGPT for Google" extension that stole Facebook session cookies could be found in the Chrome Web Store, allowing hackers to infiltrate accounts and lock users out. Discovered by security firm Guardio Labs and reported by BleepingComputer, the false extension leveraged the Chrome Extension API to sniff out active Facebook cookies and sent the pilfered data to the attacker's server. Hackers then logged into Facebook, changed the account credentials, and converted profiles to that of a false persona named "Lily Collins." These zombie accounts were used to spread malicious advertising and extremist propaganda.
The best windows antivirus
Norton 360 Deluxe
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Mar 22, 2023
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The game's developers describe it as "the next era of Counter-Strike," and it's not hard to see why. Counter-Strike 2‘s gameplay video looks up-to-date and that's saying something, especially for a game that players have valued more for its gameplay than anything else. Counter-Strike 2 will be released as a free upgrade to the current Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
— CS:GO (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023
Counter-Strike 2‘s new features include:
Upgraded and overhauled mapsGame-changing dynamic smoke grenadesTick-rate-independent gameplayRedesigned visual effects and audio
Smoke grenades
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Mar 22, 2023
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And they're definitely happening.
On Tuesday, Microsoft announced Windows 11 Build 22621.1483 for its Windows Insider program. The key new feature? Notifications for Microsoft accounts in the Start menu.
"This update introduces notifications for Microsoft accounts in the Start menu," Microsoft wrote in a blog post. "This is only available to a small audience right now. It will deploy more broadly in the coming months. Some devices might notice different visual treatments as we gather feedback."
Microsoft added this tiny example to its blog post to illustrate it. Open this image in a new tab to zoom in.Microsoft
If this sounds familiar, it should. Last Nov
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Mar 22, 2023
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As you'd expect, there's no shortage of gaming headsets out there. We know you don't want to wade through the many options only to settle on one that doesn't live up to the hype. That's why we've done all the heavy lifting for you by highlighting the best gaming headset models, whether wired or wireless.
We'll keep updating our chart below as we review more products and find even better headsets. To see the criteria we use to test each product and some helpful buying advice be sure to read our post scrip explainer below our list.
Updated 03/20/2023 Check out our latest review of the Logitech G Astro A30 headset. This very attractive headset produces a clear and natural sound and has excellent connectivity and cross-compatibility so you can use it with just about all your devices, which is why we recommend it as the best wireless gaming headset. Scroll down to learn more about it.
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Mar 22, 2023
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As WCCFTech reports, this is the 2023 update of the ROG XG external GPU, which packs an incredible GeForce RTX 4090 (the laptop card) into a portable dock that interfaces with select ROG laptops and tablets. It's the same basic setup that PCWorld reviewed one year ago, now with even more pixel-pushing power. At least one Japanese retailer has the GC33Y version of the XG Mobile ready to ship…for a whopping 399,800 yen. If you haven't checked your exchange rates yet, that's a hair over $3,000 USD. And that's just for the dock — you'll need to buy
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Mar 22, 2023
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The Voyager features an AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS CPU, an AMD Radeon 6800M GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. This machine should be able to zip through most games on the High or Ultra graphics presets. The 16-inch display is the real star of the show, though. It has a resolution of 2560×1600, a refresh rate of 240Hz, a response time of 3ms, and an aspect ratio of 16:10. You can expect vibrant, buttery smooth visuals. The full-sized keyboard also has Cherry MX Ultra-Low Profile mechanical switches, which have a more tactile feel to them.
This is a fantastic deal. You better act now before it's gone.
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Mar 22, 2023
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A few days ago security researchers found that screenshots taken and cropped on Google Pixel phones could be analyzed with specialized recovery tools, making at least some of the cropped portion of the images visible again. This "Acropalypse" caused users to take a good, hard look at other default screenshot tools. As Bleeping Computer reports, several researchers found similar issues with the Windows 11 Snipping Tool and the older Snip & Sketch interface for the same function.
Easy test:
1. Copy an image (to have a backup)
2. Open one with Snipping tool
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Mar 22, 2023
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Price When Reviewed399.99
Best Prices Today: Viofo A139 Pro 3-channel dash cam
Retailer
Price
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Mar 22, 2023
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Everyday monitor deals
Sometimes all you need is a simple monitor for everyday tasks like web surfing, writing email's, and so on. The picks below are great options for both work or personal use. They're also good sizes for a home office.
Acer R240HY, 23.8-inch 1080p display/60Hz refresh rate/16:9 aspect ratio/4ms response time, $109.99 (27%/$40 off at Amazon)Sceptre E248W-1920, 24-inch 1080p display/75Hz refresh rate/5ms response time, $89.97 (38%/$56.47 off at Walmart)
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Mar 22, 2023
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For more laptop options, check out our roundup of the best laptops.
The best laptop deals in 2023
Microsoft Surface Pro X
From: Woot (Amazon's store)
Was: $1,499.99
Now: $589 ($910.99 off)
Microsoft
My jaw dropped to the floor when I first spotted this deal. Microsoft's Surface Pro X tablet, which usually costs $1,499.99 at full price, is on sale for $549 at Woot's Amazon store. Although this tablet weighs a featherlight 1.7 lbs, it's still durable for such a portable device. Under the hood, you'll find a QUalcomm-powered Microsoft SQ 2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. It's powerful enough for browsing the web, writing e-mail's, and so on and so forth. It'
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Mar 22, 2023
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Look in the right places, though, and much of this data collection can be minimized or prevented, and you can even opt out of Amazon's targeted ads entirely. If you're an Amazon customer in any capacity, it's worth taking a minute to sweep through the company's labyrinthine privacy menus and put some limits on its vast data collection apparatus.
Opt out of Amazon's targeted ads
Jared Newman / Foundry
First, visit Amazon's Advertising Preferences page and select "Do not show me interest-based ads provided by Amazon." This will prevent the items you buy on the site from creepily following you around the web.
While here, you can also hit the "Delete ad data" button to remove existing information from Amazon's ad systems.
Limit Alexa data collection
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Mar 22, 2023
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Here comes Intel, a behemoth company in its own right. There's a problem, though. The Arc GPUs such as the A750 and A770 are promising, but full of early teething issues. The hardware seems capable, but the driver software side is playing catchup.
Today we're going to answer whether daily driving an Intel Arc A770 is reasonable in 2023. Is it going to be too buggy to even consider? We'll take it through the basic driver installation, and the quality of that experience. We will then put it to work in some popular games and see if it's up to snuff in real-world use. Questions about performance metrics compared to the competition aside, our goal is to find a smooth, competent experience foremost.
Arc A770 Limited Edition
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Mar 22, 2023
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If you have some international travel planned (or even if you don't), take advantage of this special offer on Rosetta Stone during our Spring Digital Blowout. The Wall Street Journal says Rosetta Stone "may be the next best thing to living in a country" when it comes to learning a new language, which is why it has been trusted for nearly three decades by international organizations like NASA and TripAdvisor.
Between March 22 and April 3, you can get a lifetime subscription for more than half off at just $144.97 (reg. $299) with promo code SPRING20. You'll have access to all 24 languages in the Rosetta Stone ecosystem, with award-winning interactive software and proprietary speech recognition technology to help you learn how to read, write, and speak a new language in your own time.
This deal ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 3, so jump on it now. Grab a lifetime subscription to
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Mar 21, 2023
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What is Bard? Google describes it as a "complementary experience to Google Search," in its blog post Tuesday. Google announced the Bard chatbot in February, noting that it uses a different language model, called LaMDA (or Language Model for Dialogue Applications), which it will use to power the chatbot.
But if you're wondering if Google is taking a mighty swing at chat-powered search? No, not right now. In fact, its blog post seems quite muted, as if it's simply trying to stand at the plate and not strike out.
For one, there's simply the approach: Complementing Google Search sounds rather conservative—since Google already controls roughly 90 percent of the search market, it's clearly not willing to swing for the fences quite yet. Bard looks like the first instances of Bing's AI chat: simple answers, idea generation, that sort of thing. We don't know, for example, how long answers can be, and whether Bard will allow for creative responses like Bing and ChatGPT generate. It will, however, allow you to select from various "drafts" of the response, where you can actually see a sentence or two. Um, cool?
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Mar 21, 2023
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The overwhelming amount of options on the market now means that it can take some time to find the right model for you, so we've highlighted our top picks to make the search easier. Read on to find your match. (To find laptop recommendations that span all price ranges, see our roundup of the best laptops).
Updated 03/16/2023: Check out our review of the MSI Sword 15 A12UE. With a really unique and attractive design, the Sword 15 will definitely turn heads. It also features good budget level performance, but its price is a bit high for the features included. Also, be sure to read our latest review of the Acer Chromebook Spin 513. It offers a sharp screen with plenty of real-estate due to its 3:2 aspect ratio and an excellent battery life.
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Mar 21, 2023
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Microsoft began previewing Image Creator last fall in select markets, and its generative AI art later became the foundation for Microsoft Designer, the excellent design application that also uses AI art to help create templates, flyers, and simple greeting cards. Today, Bing Image Creator will begin integrating with Bing Chat's textual chatbot, but also generate images at its own site, Bing.com/create .
Put another way, that means that you'll be able to ask Bing's chatbot to create your own images from an integrated text prompt within Bing Chat, or else use the dedicated site. There's a third option, too: Use the new Edge Copilot sidebar within Microsoft Edge, which has been used for textual generation via AI. Microsoft now says that you'll see a small image icon within the sidebar—or you will, when it rolls out. Image generation will be integrated within preview versions of Microsoft Edge, the company
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Mar 21, 2023
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How to adjust the laptop brightness on your keyboard
On most laptop keyboards, there are function keys with brightness adjustment icons that look like a sun with a positive or negative symbol next to it.
IDG / Alex Huebner
The positive will make it brighter while the negative will make it dim. The function keys are at the top of the keyboard and labeled F and a number from one to 12. To use them, hold the "Fn" button at the bottom of the keyboard while pressing the desired function.
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Mar 21, 2023
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The massive card is festooned with dual Noctua 120mm fans in that unmistakable brown-on-tan color scheme (which would probably look good in
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Mar 21, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$179.99
Best Prices Today: Razer Naga V2 Pro
Retailer
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Mar 21, 2023
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These aren't fake
Samsung 980 Pro PCIe 4 NVMe SSD (1TB)
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Mar 21, 2023
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The keyboard features 104 floating keys, LED RGB backlights, multimedia keys, and anti-ghosting keys. It's a "mechanical feel" keyboard that mimics the look and feel of a traditional mechanical keyboards while costing much less. This peripheral is also equipped deal with accidental spills thanks to the four drain hole design. According to the reviews on Best Buy, the keyboard and mouse are easy to set up and the customizable RGB lights are a lot of fun.
This is one heck of a value. You better scoop it up sooner rather than later.
Get the Shipadoo gaming keyboard and mouse for $19.99 at Walmart
Keyboards
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Mar 21, 2023
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The off-white is a somewhat muted white overall, but subtle shades of purple, green, and gold shine through depending on the lighting conditions. The design also stands out with a thin chassis (0.63 inches/16 mm for both models) that still manages a full-sized fold-out USB-A port, and an "invisible" haptic trackpad that blends seamlessly into the palm rest. Other notable features include OLED screens standard on all models, a MicroSD card slot, and MIL-STD 810H compliance for added toughness.
LG
The 14-inch model starts at a fairly hefty $1500, though that much dough gets you a 13th-gen Core i7-1360p processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage, and a high-res 2880×1800 screen at 120Hz. (If the screen is touch-enabled,
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Mar 21, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$829.99
A decade has passed since the first high-refresh LCD gaming monitors hit store shelves. The desire for ever-faster refresh rates has only increased in the years since and now, with the Alienware AW2524H, we've hit a new pinnacle: 500Hz, over eight times better than the 60Hz refresh rate that was once a gamer's only option. That's a whole lot of hertz, but Alienware charges a whole lot of money. Is it a worthy investment?
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Mar 21, 2023
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There are hints that Microsoft may add tabs to more built-in Windows apps, but it really ought to take another look at how people use tabs before doing that. Luckily, it needs to look no further than web browsers. Like, for example, the one Microsoft itself makes.
More tabs, more problems
For the entire history of Windows until late 2022, the File Explorer only showed one directory per window. Microsoft toyed with tabbed interface for Explorer in the Windows 10 era, but the feature was not fully realized until an after-the-fact patch for the big Windows 11 2022 Update. Now, you can click the "plus" button or hit Ctrl T to open a new tab in File Explorer. While that part is the same as any modern web browser, that's where the similarities end.
Bizarrely, Microsoft still treats tabbed Explorer windows as separate entities. If you open a new directory in Windows 11, it will open in a new window. Surely you can simply drag one tab over to the
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Mar 21, 2023
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You can use any old keyboard to play PC games, but there's an additional element to consider when you're looking for the best wireless gaming keyboard: latency. The Bluetooth connection on a keyboard like the otherwise excellent Keychron Q1 Pro just isn't up to snuff for the fast-paced world of online shooters and other multiplayer games, so you'll want something with a dedicated RF connection and a USB-based dongle. This is what truly makes a wireless keyboard a gaming keyboard, more so than fancy lighting or programming options.
For more tips about what to look for in a wireless gaming keyboard, scroll to our buying guide below our list of recommendations.
Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro - Best wireless gaming keyboard overall
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Mar 21, 2023
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If you're running a Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS operating system, CrossOver Windows Compatibility App is a major asset. CrossOver is the easiest way to run Microsoft applications on your non-Windows computer without dealing with the clunkiness of a Windows emulator. Rather than an emulator, CrossOver translates Windows commands to your present operating system, allowing you to run Windows software as if it was designed for your native environment. From productivity software to games, it all runs better, and you can set it up in a matter of minutes.
Michelle Delio of Wired writes, "In general, running CrossOver Office was so similar to using Office on a standard Windows system that it was sometimes difficult to remember the PC was actually running Linux."
Enjoy a smooth PC experience even when you're not using a PC. Right now, you can get a one-year subscription to CrossOver Windows Compatibility App for
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Mar 20, 2023
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The company said that it's offering a waitlist to join what it calls "Gen 2" of text-to-video AI, after offering a similar waitlist for its first, simpler text-to-video tools that use a real-world scene as a model.
When AI art emerged last year, it used a text-to-image model. A user would input a text prompt describing the scene, and the tool would attempt to create an image using what it knew of real-world "seeds," artistic styles and so forth. Services like Midjourney perform these tasks on a cloud server, while Stable Diffusion and Stable Horde take advantage of similar AI models running on home PCs.
Text-to-video, however, is the next step. There are various ways of accomplishing this: Pollinations.ai has accumulated a few models which you can try out, one of which simply takes a few related scenes and constructs an animation stringing them together. Another
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Mar 20, 2023
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During the coming months, Microsoft plans to add two changes to Windows. First, it will give developers new API access to the default apps settings. Second, another API change will pop up notifications asking you to add the app to the taskbar.
Here's what it all means. In Windows, the Settings menu has a list of default apps (Apps Default apps). As the name suggests, this controls which app will open a PDF, for example, or an HTML web page. Chances are you never bother adjusting these after you've selected your web browser and so on. But your choice also cuts out any of the competing third-party apps that reside on your machine, such as the multiple free web browsers that are available.
What the change would mean is that the new browser would have access to the Default apps page, implicitly asking you to change your preference to the new browser. (Microsoft calls this a "deep link" URI [Uniform Resource Identifier], simply meaning that a file type is associated with an app.)
Windows 11's Default apps page.Microsoft
It gets worse. Most apps don't really ask you to pin them to the Windows taskbar, letting you decide if you want to add a quick shortcut to the apps down below.
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Mar 20, 2023
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But there's an easy way to prevent this annoyance. Just open the link in an incognito browsing window.
You won't be logged into your account within a private window—it's a blank slate. What you do in the incognito window won't affect your normal browser windows and tabs, either, so when you close the window, it'll be as if you never accessed those sites. (From the perspective of your browser, anyway. Your internet provider can still see what you've visited unless you use a VPN.)
For Chrome, the fastest way to open a link in an incognito window is by right-clicking on the link, then hitting g on your keyboard or selecting "Open link in incognito window." For Edge, Firefox, and Brave, right-click and hit p on your keyboard. If your browser doesn't offer keyboard shortcuts in the right-click context menu, select and click on "Open link in private window."
In Chrome, you can open a link in an incognito by right-clicking the link, then hitting "g" on your keyboard. Or just select "Open link in incognito window."
As for general browsing (e.g., you're not clicking on someone else's link but you're hunting for content on your own), you can use Ctrl Shift N (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and other Ch
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Mar 20, 2023
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As files get larger and you accumulate more of them, you're all but guaranteed to continually need more storage. An external drive is one of the best ways to ensure you have enough storage capacity and to cover yourself in case of an emergency. Here at PCWorld we've tested numerous external drives and curated a list of the best external drives below. We've provided recommendations for everything from blazing-fast performance to budget options to portability and everything in between. Below our recommendations you'll find additional helpful information on what you need to know to choose the best external drive for your needs.
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Mar 20, 2023
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Adding an adult user to Windows 11 on PC
To add more users to Windows 11, click the Windows icon in the task bar and select the settings icon.
IDG / Alex Huebner
In the settings menu, select "Accounts" from the left-hand menu.
IDG / Alex Huebner
In the Accounts settings page, click "Other users" toward the bottom of the menu.
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Mar 20, 2023
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The reason is that, very much like seafood and livestock, the price of the raw materials and manufactured parts that go into your computer's guts is part of a worldwide market that shifts in both the short and long term. And for a variety of reasons, there's a huge abundance of NAND flash storage right now — the kind of storage that goes into SSD drives and flash drives of all sizes. Most of the major manufacturers of this hardware are experiencing a huge drop in demand from both consumers and enterprise customers.
With industrial chip manufacturing unable to nimbly lower its output to match that demand, the result is an overabundance of NAND flash hardware on the market. As Anton Shilov of AnandTech notes, pretty much every storage maker is seeing huge drops in revenue as a result. And that sucks if you're a flash memory manufacturer…but it's a really good time to be in the market for a new storage drive.
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Mar 20, 2023
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And this license doesn't only keep your PC protected. You can activate it on up to three devices, including phones, Macs, and iPads, where Norton's value-adding features—like Dark Web monitoring, VPN access, cloud backup, and password management—come into play. Of course, Norton 360 Deluxe's antivirus chops remain top-notch too.
Our independent review of the security suite summed things up well: "Norton 360 Deluxe is a very good suite with a good price. If you're looking for excellent antivirus protection that won't get in your way, and which offers a good number of features, then this is the suite to buy."
That does doubly so when you're able to pick it up for under $20. Don't miss out!
Norton 360 Deluxe for $19.99 on PCWorld Software Store
Security
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Mar 20, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$189.99
Best Prices Today: Arzopa A1 Gamut
Retailer
Price
$169.99
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Mar 20, 2023
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You also may have already seen the advertisements about Comcast's new 10G Xfinity network blanketing the airwaves and other platforms. And since the Xfinity website doesn't really clarify what "10G" really means, you might assume that the company's home internet service is a faster version of 5G.
That's likely what Comcast's marketing team wants. But don't let them confuse you. "10G" is a reference to 10Gbps, or the maximum speed the Xfinity broadband network is capable of. You're reading that right: It has nothing to do with cellular network terminology (like 5G) whatsoever, and Comcast's service is for home internet, not mobile. It's deeply misleading.
In fact, Xfinity's 10G network is actually slower than 5G. A 5G network is capable of zippier speeds, up to 20Gbps download and 10Gbps upload. Xfinity caps out at 10Gbps down and up.
Comcast's offerings become even more complicated when you consider what's currently available—most customers can only get about 1 Gbps down as the maximum speed, with an absurdly asymmetrical upload speed of 35Mbps (yes, megabits). Faster uploads are slowly rolling out to different locations, but you only get access by opting into the company's $30/month xFi Complete add-on, which includes unlimited data. Oof.
Long story short, take Comcast's boasts about its new network wi
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Mar 20, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$1,399
Best Prices Today: HP Dragonfly Pro
Retailer
Price
$1399.99
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Mar 20, 2023
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And on that note: LastPass. I was a happy user of LastPass for years, and an evangelist of the service for my less technical friends and family. (No, Aunt Laura, you can't just have "password1" as your password for everything.) But if you've been following the news lately, you know that LastPass and its parent company GoTo have been getting an absolute shellacking among users of all levels after a series of high-profile hacks.
LastPass deserves no sympathy
Now, a company getting hacked isn't necessarily its fault, and it doesn't necessarily indicate any kind of deficiency. After all, criminals are criminals, and they'll hack any high-profile target that they can. But in the case of LastPass, the hacks absolutely were its fault — a series of lax security standards and vulnerabilities to targeted phishing attempts were how the malefactors got in.
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Mar 20, 2023
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A #1 Product of the Week and #2 Product of the Month on Product Hunt (with a 5/5-star rating), xTiles is an intuitive project management and collaboration tool that creators and managers alike will love.
This visual workspace gives you a personalized place to layout your ideas with notes, links, and media. You can mix and match pieces of information using tiles to dive deeper into the ideas you're most excited about, and flag them for collaboration and building off into new areas. You can make everything action-oriented with tasks and enjoy a visual form of collaboration.
Lidia Vijga, Co-founder and CEO of DeckLinks writes, "xTiles is my happy place where I can plan and organize all my social media content for the upcoming weeks. I feel like anything is possible when you plan with xTiles."
Find out why xTiles has earned 4.9/5 stars on Capterra and a perfect 5-star rating on G2. For a limited time, you can get a
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Mar 19, 2023
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An update of MSCHF's wildly popular One Million Dollar Puzzle, this puzzle is pretty much exactly what you're thinking. Get your 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, complete it, and scan the resulting QR code, and you'll win money. Seriously, that's all there is to it. Every single puzzle is a winner, and while most will win just $1, you'll have an equal shot at one of two $1 million prizes. And, at the very least, you get the joy of completing the puzzle!
This deal is rated an impressive 4.5/5 stars by verified purchasers. One buyer named Kyle J. wrote that it's a, "Cool, fun product,. Even if you don't win, it's still a neat idea!"
So, how are we making it easier to change your luck? Because between March 17 and March 20, we are offering The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle for a special $17.77 price — more than 20% off the $30 retail price.
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Mar 18, 2023
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The best password managers relieve you of the burden of having to create and memorize unique, complex logins on your own. And they protect your passwords by encrypting your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—only allowing access with a single master password. If you're looking to step up your security game, a password manager is a way to do it. Yes, web browsers are starting to offer password management features, but they're not good enough.
All of our top picks for password mangers support Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS, as well as the major browsers. And all will let you sync your data across multiple devices, though you may have pay extra for that privilege. Once you've found the right password manager for your needs, head over to our guide on mastering your password manager.
Updated 3/7/23: Our recent reviews of Keeper and LogMeOnce find both of these password managers as strong as ever, each having a unique value proposition that sets its apart from our top pick. Read our summ
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Mar 18, 2023
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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, letting you join the world's most advanced online console multiplayer network to play with millions of other gamers worldwide. Plus, you'll get access to more than 100 high-quality games, with new titles added all the time. Not to mention, you'll also get member discounts and deals and access to Xbox Game Studios titles the day they release. You'll even get an EA Play membership for no additional cost, and the capability of playing console games on your mobile devices with the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta.
This deal is naturally rated an average of 5/5 stars by verified purchasers. One buyer named Daniel called it a "great option for anyone looking to reactivate a Game Pass subscription.
Enjoy a better gaming experience. Right now, you can get a one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $
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Mar 17, 2023
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Two-factor authentication (2FA) offers additional protection to your online accounts by requiring a password and a one-time code via text or app. It's the first line of defense in keeping unwanted hackers out of your social media account. The fact that Twitter is stripping away SMS (text) 2FA (unless you pay up) might be annoying, but it doesn't mean you are without recourse
Getting 2FA codes via SMS isn't the most reliable option anyway, as the code could be potentially intercepted by hackers. That's why we recommend opting for an authentication app like Authy or Google Authenticator. If you're not sure how to add these apps to Twitter, don't worry. The team at PCWorld put together an easy step-by-step guide below.
How to add an authentication app to Twitter
Adding an authentication app to Twitter is easier than you'd think. There are quite a few options to choose from. In our roundup of the
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Mar 17, 2023
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In the support notes attached to the Windows 11 2022 Update (in this case, build 22621.1413), Microsoft says that big, multi-gigabyte file transfers may be slower than usual because of a bug that Microsoft is working to fix. Microsoft says that you'll likely experience this issue when downloading files from a network server, "but local file copy might also be affected."
Microsoft is working on a permanent fix, but it isn't here yet.
In December, users complained to Microsoft that they were seeing drastically reduced performance on some NVMe SSD drives, with write speeds dropping by half in some cases. Microsoft later issued a patch to fix the SSD slowdowns, but by then consumers had been frustrated by their slow performance. That patch took about 10 days to issue, and Microsoft published its initial warning of the storage slowdown problem on March 14.
Microsoft insists that Windows devices used by consumers in their home or small offices are not likely to be affected by this issue, though Hot Hardware unearthed a
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Mar 17, 2023
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Well I got news for you: We all got together last night and decided that your days of freeloading are finally over.
By "we," I mean those of us who still keep a serviceable printer up and running. In my case, I'm down to just one active printer from a high of five—a Canon all-in-one inkjet—while my only other printer, a Brother color laser printer sits offline as quiet as Chernobyl reactor 4 due to an unfortunate off-brand toner accident.
I still carefully track the ink on the Canon to make sure each of the individual six—yeah, six, count ‘em—color slots is sufficiently full and there's a spare on hand for when the ink gets low. Sure, it's annoying and expensive, but I like having a printer available to me at any time.
And the thing, is so do you people—it's just that you don't want to pay for it. Sure, you dismiss the need for a printer with a wave of the hand and make snarky comments about printers and the people who buy them. But every few months I get that ding on my phone and a message that reads: "Hey, are you home? Can I print something?"
Like a pass to a concert, a contract you need to sign, or a government form, and then another government form.
"How come you don't have a printer anymore?" I ask. The response: "I don't need one."
And that's where last night's group meeting comes in. I talked to them—everyone who still has a printer—and we have collectively decided to stop enabling your freeloading ways.
No more Phish concert tickets, no more Braniff boarding passes, and no more passport applications will be printed for you at 10 p.m. on a Sunday.
Even wors
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Mar 17, 2023
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Assault on Dragon Keep is the precursor to
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Mar 17, 2023
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If you're absolutely desperate for $5 worth of PC accessory, you might just want to dig around in your couch cushions instead. Microsoft says that its supplies are limited — and sure to run out quickly, as these things often do — and that shipping might take six to eight weeks. And there's no way to simply ask for one: You'll need an email invitation and a verification code, as noted by Beta News.
Perhaps more interesting than the allure of some free hardware is what it indicates for the new Canary channel. "Canary" is developer speak for "the newest features that are likely to break everything," as in "canary in the coal mine." If Microsoft is willing to send out a bunch of freebies to users just to get them to try out the latest builds of Windows 11, it might be evidence that there are some very big features in the works. Big enough that Microsoft is willing to spend considerable money to expand its pool of testers.
It's possible, though certainly not confirmed, that the featur
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Mar 17, 2023
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The 27-inch Predator XB3 has a resolution of 2560×1440, a refresh rate of 165Hz, an aspect ratio of 16.9, and a response time of 1ms. That means you're in for sharp, responsive visuals. It's designed with faster paced games in mind, where the tiniest fraction of a second means winning or losing a match. This monitor also has a 4.5 average user rating at Best Buy across a total of 216 reviews. Folks love it.
The one thing you should be aware of: This is such an absolute steal because it's a certified refurbished unit. But don't let that bit of info deter you, as the monitor comes direct from Acer on Ebay. According to Ebay's refurbished policy, "all items are tested by qualified refurbishers and function as intended," and this display works like an all-new one would. Ebay also includes a two-year warranty, which covers repairs and replacements. In other words, you're getting a like-new Predator XB3 monitor with a multi-year warranty for 44 percent off the usual price.
Yup, this is a fantastic deal. You better swoop in now though. As of this writing, 1,329 units have already been sold and only a limited number are available.
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Mar 17, 2023
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Compared to some of the other bombastic products in Razer's catalog, like a soundbar that will scan for your head position or a headset with interchangeable animal ears, it's surprisingly tame. The Atlas is a 450-by-400 millimeter (17.72 x 15.75 inches) pane of tempered glass, set onto a rubber base that gives it a gunmetal look. It's super-smooth and hard — duh, it's glass! — but a slightly frosted etching pattern means it works great for optical mice. As opposed to regular transparent glass, which, you know, doesn't.
No Chroma lighting,
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Mar 17, 2023
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The important thing is that you make the right compromises. We've compiled a list of the best gaming laptops under $1,000 to help you in that quest. (Note that laptop prices can fluctuate and there might be times when the price of one of our picks hovers over $1,000.) We'll keep adding more budget gaming options as we find them. And in case you're lucky enough to find some extra money under the sofa cushion, we've added a pick for those who can stretch their budget a little bit further.
For more recommendations on gaming laptop, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all prices. Additionally, before you buy, take a look at our roundup of the best laptop deals, updated weekly—it could help you save even more!
Updated 03/15/2023: To include the MSI Sword 15 A12UE as our pick for unique style. Read our summary below for more info. Also, check out our latest review of the MSI Katana GF66. It's a capable, if rather average gaming laptop that can handle most modern titles, but buyers would do best to wait for a sale
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Mar 17, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$69
Best Prices Today: Sony DualSense controller
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$69.00
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Mar 17, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$899.99
Best Prices Today: Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 XT
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Mar 17, 2023
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Microsoft 365 Copilot essentially injects AI into the various Office apps. You'll still interact with them the way you normally would, but Copilot will also live in the toolbar atop those apps, and you'll interact with it in a sidebar. If you've ever hauled a coworker over and told them, "Show me how to do this," you'll understand what Microsoft 365 Copilot can do. Except it will actually, you know, do it.
It's really the next generation of AI chatbots: Not bots that talk to you like Bing Chat, but assistants that take orders.
Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of Modern Work & Business Applications at Microsoft, probably best explained the potential in a blog post Microsoft published Thursday. "Copilot makes you better at what you're good at and lets you quickly master what you've yet to learn," he wrote. "The average person uses only a handful of commands — such as "animate a slide" or "insert a table" — from the thousands available across Microsoft 365. Now, all that rich functionality is unlocked using just natural language. And this is only the beginni
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Mar 17, 2023
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This pocket-sized device is engineered for those who find inspiration everywhere. The ingenious little scanner works on any surface, from painted walls to fabric, and instantly matches the color to more than 100,000 brand name paint colors or sRGB HEX, CMYK, and LAB colors via the Nix Digital app. Wherever you see an interesting color that you like, just place the Nix Mini on it. The sensor blocks out all ambient light and provides its own calibrated light source for an accurate reading, sending the information via Bluetooth to your phone. You can save and organize all of your favorite color palettes, share scans with friends, and more.
Mashable writes, "The Nix Mini Color Sensor could be an awesome tool to feed your innate perfectionism."
Get a head start on your big spring projects. Right now, you can get th
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Mar 16, 2023
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In welcome news for all Firefox users, Mozilla announced this week that Firefox Relay, its version of email masking, will become integrated into its browser. Launched in 2020, Relay has only been accessible so far through a browser add-on. That separation has likely kept masked email and its privacy benefits from becoming more popular, despite Mozilla offering all Relay users up to five email masks for free.
Most people aren't aware they can easily block email tracking and spam via Relay, much less protect themselves in the wake of endless data breaches. With even just one email mask in use, you can shield your true address, making a hacker's attempts to take over that account much harder. And if you have unlimited masks and create a new one for each site and app, malicious actors can't easily take info from data breaches and apply it widely across the web.
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Mar 16, 2023
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The new 12VHPWR connector is a compact power connector that combines the capability of multiple older 6- and 8-pin connectors into one tiny plug. It was originally adopted with the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Founders Edition and is now used in the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition as well as custom versions of the RTX 4090 built by the likes of Asus, MSI, et cetera. The 12VHPWR connector was also used in newer RTX 40-series graphics cards like the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti, though not in AMD's Radeon RX 7000-series GPUs.
GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
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Mar 16, 2023
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The other two models of the Steam Deck — the 256GB and 512GB models, which use faster NVMe storage and upgraded glass on the 512GB version — also get the 10 percent discount. That brings them down to $476.10 and $584.10, respectively. All three models come with a free carrying case. The sale will continue until the end of the Steam Spring Sale on March 23rd, though delivery times might be severely delayed as Valve's stock runs low.
On top of the first-ever hardware discount for the Steam Deck, the regular Steam sale hullaballoo is worth your attention. Hundreds and hundreds of PC games are on sale for up to 90 percent off their regular prices. Here are 10 great deals we saw from the sale, in no particular order:
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Mar 16, 2023
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Best Prices Today: R-Drive Image 7
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Mar 16, 2023
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Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella introduced its vision for the future of work as a "symbiosis" between human and machine. Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 Copilot, with AI embedded in Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and more. Business Chat will serve as an assistant to that. Microsoft also applied AI to its Power Platform, a little-known tool for actually writing code — something Bing and rival ChatGPT have already shown that they can do.
Microsoft previously launched AI as a consumer initiative, revealing the AI-powered Bing chatbot at the beginning of February. While Bing was originally subject to a waitlist, it now appears that the waitlist has disappeared. Microsoft also placed Bing AI conversations under strict limits. After going through some growing pains with reports of weird content and worse, Microsoft migrated Bing Chat to the Microsoft Edge browser sidebar with its Edge Copilot, using Bing as a content-creation tool.
"Today we are at the start of a new era of computing and another step on this journey," Nadella said. "You can say that we've been using AI on autopilot and now moving from autopilot to copilot," he added.
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Mar 16, 2023
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The long-awaited Diablo IV (June 6), Arkane's Redfall (May 2), and The Finals (beta available) will all ship with DLSS 3 out of the gate, while Forza Horizon 5—still the best arcade racer available—will add Frame Generation on March 28. Indie titles Deceive Inc., Gripper, and Smalland: Survive the Wilds will debut with DLSS 2's performance-boosting upscaling available.
DLSS 3 is actually a suite of technologies that builds atop the bones of DLSS 2's fantastic AI-powered image upscaling, which increases gaming performance. To support DLSS 3, a game has to include separate options for DLSS 2; the Frame Generation feature, which inserts an AI-generated frame between every GPU-generated frame to super
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Mar 16, 2023
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The Surface Pro X features Qualcomm-powered Microsoft SQ 2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. You should be able to zip through most day-to-day tasks like surfing the web, responding to e-mail, and so on, though Arm-based processors sometimes hiccup with apps downloaded from somewhere other than Windows 11's Microsoft Store. It's not the most powerful machine we've ever seen, but that's not what it was designed for, and at a whopping $940 off, that's an acceptable trade-off. The 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen also has a resolution of 2880×1920, so visuals should be nice and vibrant. The only drawback is that it doesn't come with a keyboard or pen. The keyboard alone will set you back $98.99, which is a real bummer.
If you don't mind spending extra on the accessories, and can live mostly off the web or apps found in the Microsoft Store, then the Surface Pro X is a really good deal. You won't find a versatile tablet this powerful and well-designed going for under $600 very often.
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Mar 16, 2023
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We've tested several PCIe 4.0 SSDs and the best one to cross our labs thus far is the WD Black SN850X in a field of tough contenders, though it's neck-and-neck with the rival Seagate FireCuda 530. Ultimately, due to its better overall performance, the WD Black SN850X takes our top spot.
Read on to learn more, including what to look for in PCIe 4.0 SSD.
Updated 03/14/2023: To include the Adata Legend 850, our new pick for best budget PCIe 4.0 SSD runner-up. Check out our summary below for more info.
1. WD Black SN850X - Best PCIe 4.0 SSD
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Mar 16, 2023
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"Crimp Contacts inside of the cable plug are recommended to use the 4 Spring design instead of 3 dimple design (as shown in below figure) which will increase the contact area for electrical current flow inside the 12VHPWR connector and reduce the temperature rise of each contact," the updated ATX 3.01 spec reads.
Reading between the lines of it, it's clear one is better, but does that mean existing dimple connectors need to be replaced?
"No," Intel Platform Power Specialist Stephen Eastman told PCWorld. "Using an existing 12VHPWR connector can work well when implemented and installed correctly."
Eastman recommended that people view
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Mar 16, 2023
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To hardcore gamers, gaming headsets have become another tool that helps them get an edge over competitors, hence personalization is a big consideration. Here players look for headsets with the best spatial audio, and software support to fine tune audio settings like EQ and to tailor-make presets for specific games.
Suffice to say, considering all the ins and outs of a particular headset can be a little daunting. To simplify things, our PCWorld reviewers have done the legwork by getting hands-on with each device. While we review everything that comes our way—the good, the bad, and the ugly—only those that have excelled in our testing make it into our list below. The best gaming headsets strike a balance between performance and usability, placing them in a league above the rest.
For a rundown on how we test wireless gaming headsets and for buying advice, read on below our recommendations.
1. Logitech G Astro A30 Wireless - Best gaming headse
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Mar 16, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$5,299
Best Prices Today: MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V
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B&H
$5299
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Mar 16, 2023
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Voicetapp is a simple, AI-powered tool that lets you transcribe any voice or audio to text with up to 99% accuracy in a matter of seconds. Using automatic speech recognition (ASR) powered by Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, Voicetapp can convert more than 170 international languages in recorded audio, and perform real-time transcription for 12 languages.
Whether you want to generate text content for podcasts, subtitles for videos, or you just need help taking notes, Voicetapp makes it easy to simply record and start getting a text breakdown of what was actually said. You can easily share files as MP3, OOG, MP4, or WAV, and start quickly because it's entirely cl
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Mar 15, 2023
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In a blog post, Mojang said that it doesn't have a release date for the full version of the Minecraft Bedrock Edition on ChromeOS, though the company plans to release updates as close to the timing of other platforms as possible. That means that the version for Chromebooks will include the Trails and Tails update, with its ability to ride camels and other features. Technically, what's being released is an "Early Access" edition.
"Early Access," though, means bugs. Mojang isn't promising that the version of the game released for Chromebooks won't have its own unique glitches, though it's trying to work with early adopters to nail them down before the game's actual release.
Like Skyrim, Minecraft has long been a staple on various gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and even a version for mobile devices. However, the game's absence on Chromebooks was a notable gap in its availability. Users will be able to simply visit the Google Play Store and
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Mar 15, 2023
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Our expert reviewers have put these mice through their paces, testing them across a range of scenarios, and over extended periods of time. Below are the results of that effort. While these are the current best wireless gaming mice available, for a no holds barred list, including both wired and wireless models, be sure to check out PCWorld's all-inclusive selection of the best gaming mice.
Updated 3/01/23 to add the Keychron M3 to our list of recommendations. Besides having three connectivity modes (dual wireless and wired) it's exceptionally lightweight, amounting to just 79 grams total. It also sports a formidable 26,000 DPI sensor, which is an excellent performer in pro-grade gaming scenarios. Amazingly too, this mouse costs just $49.
1. G502 Lightspeed - Best overall
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Mar 15, 2023
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Generally, security experts advise turning off the most proactive version of autofill, where your credentials automatically get filled in on saved sites. If a website is compromised, a malicious actor can capture your login info before you visually confirm the page looks normal.
But as security firm Flashpoint.io detailed in a blog post last week, Bitwarden's autofill has a deeper vulnerability than other services. On websites that use iframes—where a page loads HTML elements from a different webpage—login forms hosted on an external website are still filled in with the saved site's user ID and password info. If any of those external HTML elements become compromised (like advertising, a known vector for exploits), the result could be stolen login data.
This permissiveness isn't by accident, but design: In the company's documentation about the issue, which was published in late 2018, Bitwarden states that its goal is to encourage better adaption to a password manager. The company gives the example of
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Mar 15, 2023
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For the sake of reference, the problem driver was 531.18, released on February 28th, which got an initial hotfix in version 531.26 a week later. The latest update is version 531.29, which takes things a step further by fixing two more recently-discovered glitches: stability issues on some laptops with older GTX graphics cards, and stability for Adobe software from the initial February update. (And since Creative Suite programs aren't the most stable tools at the best of times, I'm sure it's much appreciated.)
Anything that even marginally slows down your computer tends to get the attention of PC gamers, but this sort of hiccup in gradual driver improvements isn't unusual. AMD recently had a much bigger if less widespread issue, when drivers for its new RX 7900 series of cards
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Mar 15, 2023
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Laptops with power-efficient Arm processors tend to have stellar battery life and lightweight, fanless builds. They're designed for people who are always on-the-go. The new Dell Inspiron 14 takes much of the same design cues as other Snapdragon-powered laptops. It's thin, fanless, and—based on the specs and price—likely a good budget laptop all around.
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Mar 15, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$2.75 / mo to $5.25 / mo
Best Prices Today: HostGator
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Mar 15, 2023
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Third-gen PCIe drives are a little behind the times, now that 4th-gen drives are ubiquitous and insanely fast (and expensive) 5th-gen drives are just starting to appear on the market. But SK Hynix's P31 Gold series is among the best-reviewed options for its category, with high speed and great reliability thanks to its 128-layer NAND storage setup. This would be a fantastic boot or bulk storage drive in any gaming PC. You can read the full PCWorld review, wherein this SSD wins an Editor's Choice, right here.
The older-spec'd SSD means that in addition to saving money, you can easily use the drive on older PC motherboards and laptops (as long as they can accommodate an 80mm-long M.2 drive). Amazon also has less dramatic discounts on the 1TB ($108) and 500GB (
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Mar 15, 2023
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You'd be right on two of these points. Fortnite is indeed so ubiquitous that it's shown up in everything from Avengers movies to congressional hearings. But if you've been avoiding it for that or any other reason, I'm here as an old and crusty PC gamer to say: give it a chance. You might be surprised at just how good it is, and how worthy of your attention.
Fortnite is a technical beast
First of all, Fortnite is a technical heavyweight that can push your custom-built gaming PC to the limit. Or at least, it can be. That might be a surprise to you — after all, Fortnite is a game so flexible that it runs on phones, and its cartoony graphical style isn't really what comes to mind when you think about hardware-intensive titles.
But keep in mind that Fortnite is developed and published by Epic. Epic, the creator and maintainer of the Unreal engine, which is the go-to tool for just about anyone who wants high-end graphics without coding everything by hand. And Fortnite, as the company's most popular user-facing product, is often the test bed for the latest and greatest in graphical fidelity.
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Mar 15, 2023
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But there's one thing that keeps coming between us, one thing that makes me keep coming back to your Mean Girls rival each and every time I try to switch to your simpler, (mostly) open source OS and your affordable hardware. It's not you, Chromebooks, it's Photoshop.
A string of failed flings
I've been using Google's desktop operating system ever since it launched in one form or another, and I always seem to have at least one Chrome-powered laptop or tablet around to keep fresh on it. And for all that time, I've been desperate to get Photoshop on it in some way, shape, or form. As a tech reporter and reviewer, I need a powerful image editor as part of my daily workflow, either for whipping up a quick header image (like the one you see at the top of this article) or for cleaning a bunch of review photos.
I should point out that it's very specifically Photoshop, and not just, say, a competent image editor, that I crave. I've been using Adobe's visual tools for over twenty years, ever since Desktop Publishing class in high school, and I'm very fast and efficient with Photoshop's suite of editing tools in particular. Anyone who's memorized a complex set of keyboard shortcuts, only to find that they've all moved around in a competing program, knows what I'm talking about.
Web-based wanderings
As for getting it on ChromeOS, this need has manifested in a few ways. The easiest and the one I tend to fall ba
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Mar 15, 2023
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But there's one thing that keeps coming between us, one thing that makes me keep coming back to your Mean Girls rival each and every time I try to switch to your simpler, (mostly) open source OS and your affordable hardware. It's not you, Chromebooks, it's Photoshop.
A string of failed flings
I've been using Google's desktop operating system ever since it launched in one form or another, and I always seem to have at least one Chrome-powered laptop or tablet around to keep fresh on it. And for all that time, I've been desperate to get Photoshop on it in some way, shape, or form. As a tech reporter and reviewer, I need a powerful image editor as part of my daily workflow, either for whipping up a quick header image (like the one you see at the top of this article) or for cleaning a bunch of review photos.
I should point out that it's very specifically Photoshop, and not just, say, a competent image editor, that I crave. I've been using Adobe's visual tools for over twenty years, ever since Desktop Publishing class in high school, and I'm very fast and efficient with Photoshop's suite of editing tools in particular. Anyone who's memorized a complex set of keyboard shortcuts, only to find that they've all moved around in a competing program, knows what I'm talking about.
Web-based wanderings
As for getting it on ChromeOS, this need has manifested in a few ways. The easiest and the one I tend to fall ba
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Mar 15, 2023
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Launched by Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks, CuriosityStream is the leading on-demand destination for documentary shows and films, having earned 4.3/5 stars on the Google Play Store, and 4.7/5 stars on the App Store. One of its original series — Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places — has even won an Emmy.
CuriosityStream gives you unlimited access to thousands of docs from experts like David Attenborough, Michio Kaku, and Brian Greene. Whether you're interested in the natural world, the cosmos, history, or anything in-between, CuriosityStream's engine will help you find new favorites and organize your watch list across all of your dev
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Mar 14, 2023
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OpenAI announced the new GPT-4 upgrade on its blog this morning, and you can already try it out on ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that OpenAI has published to the web. (But only ChatGPT Plus, the paid version.) Microsoft confirmed, too, that its latest version of its Bing Chat tool uses GPT-4 as its underpinnings.
Why does this matter? We've listed several major upgrades that GPT-4 offers, beginning with its biggest: It's not just about words any more.
Now GPT-4 can see the world with visual input
"GPT-4 can accept images as inputs and generate captions, classifications, and analyses," according to OpenAI. Yes, that means what you think it does: ChatGPT and Bing will be able to "see" the world around them, or at least interpret visual results like image search already does.
What does this mean in the real world? Well, it means that GPT-4 will actually see the real world, as it's already doing for an app like
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Mar 14, 2023
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The paper, "Experimental Evidence on the Productivity Effects of Generative Artificial Intelligence" by Shakked Noy and Whitney Zhang of the economics department at MIT, is considered a working paper and has not been peer-reviewed. Still, the conclusions it found about ChatGPT's AI chatbot technology are both fascinating—and troubling, especially when the study factored in how it affects workers.
The two doctoral students split 444 college-educated professionals into two groups, and assigned them to write press releases, email, short reports, and analysis plans—a normal workday for many people. One of the groups was allowed to use a text editor. The other was trained and allowed to use ChatGPT to do the work for them. The output was rated, assigned a value score, and those with the highest score were paid an actual (though nominal) amount of money for their high scores, pushing them to deliver their best work.
The study found that those who used ChatGPT cut the time needed to complete the tasks by almost half (30 minutes to about 17 minutes). The quality of the work also increased,
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Mar 14, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$4.92 per month
Best Prices Today: NordVPN
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NordVPN
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Mar 14, 2023
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"As I've talked about efficiency this year, I've said that part of our work will involve removing jobs — and that will be in service of both building a leaner, more technical company and improving our business performance to enable our long term vision," said Zuckerberg.
Meta's restructuring efforts are likely a direct response to plummeting profits and revenue. The restructuring and elimination of jobs will begin in April, and the recruitment team will be the first to be impacted. The company will start culling positions in the business groups in May. In addition to cancelling smaller projects, the company is also in a hiring freeze across a wide variety of teams. The freeze will lift when the restructuring is complete.
Zuckerberg addressed hybrid work in his memo, too. According to ea
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Mar 14, 2023
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Actually, the ratio came from nature—it's the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter, and it was always there, just waiting to be discovered. But who discovered it? In honor of Pi Day, here's a semi-brief history of how pi came to be known as 3.14(1592653589793238462643383279502884197169…and so on).
Editor's note: This article originally published in 2010. We're rerunning it today in honor of Pi Day, 3/14.
The history lesson
It's hard to pinpoint who, exactly, first became conscious of the constant ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter, though human civilizations seem to have been aware of it as early as 2550 BC.
The Great Pyramid at Giza, which was built between 2550 and 2500 BC, has a perimeter of 1760 cubits and a height of 280 cubits, which gives it a ratio of 1760/280, or approximately 2 times pi. (One cubit is about 18 inches, though it was measured by a person's forearm length and thus varied from one person to another.) Egyptologists believe these proportions were chosen for symbolic reasons, but, of course, we can never be too sure.
The earliest textual evidence of pi dates back to 1900 BC; both the Babylonians and the Egyptians had a rough idea of the value. The Babylonians estimated pi to be about 25/8 (3.125), while the Egyptians estimated it to be
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Mar 14, 2023
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If that sounds like "all the stuff Google makes to rival Microsoft Office," it's not a coincidence. Google is clearly trying to get ahead of its workspace rival, since Microsoft is set to announce new AI features at its Future of Work presentation just two days from now. Google recently showed off Bard, its conversational AI, quickly following Microsoft's integration of ChatGPT with the Bing search engine.
To its credit, the AI features announced today seem remarkably u
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Mar 14, 2023
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By now, you should be somewhat familiar with Bing Chat: the AI chatbot Microsoft launched at the beginning of February is being rolled into Windows 11, even after a number of early experiments that saw Bing devolve into weirdness, or worse. Microsoft then set out to make Bing Chat less crazy by limiting replies.
But set that aside for a moment. Edge Copilot, which is found in the Bing sidebar that's accompanied a few of the latest Edge releases, does include Bing Chat. However, its design emphasizes Bing as a content-creation tool, a theme that we'd expect Microsoft to expand more on at a "Future of Work" AI event on Thursday. In addition to Bing Chat, there is also a "Compose" as well as an "Insights" tab that uses AI to create and learn more about what you're viewing.
Edge 111 is also ushering in a "new tab" feature for enterprise users. Instead of seeing the various new and features powered by Microsoft's Start content service, you'll see a larger, more thorough version of the Microsoft Feed. (The Feed refers to content that Microsoft's other algorithms show you, encompassing everything from relevant documents to
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Mar 14, 2023
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The Aukey features 1080p streaming and recording at 30 frames-per-second and built-in stereo microphones. The fixed focus keep things nice and stable for up to five meters away. You can expect crisp video as well as clear audio. The setup is painless, too. To use the webcam, all you have to do is plug it into your computer's USB port. You don't even have to install any additional drivers or software. According to Aukey, this webcam fits most flat monitors and laptop displays. You can also stand the webcam up on your desk.
This is an awesome deal. If you've been shopping around for an affordable webcam for videoconferencing, this Aukey is the one to pick.
Get the AUkey 1080p webcam for $14.99 at Newegg
Webcams
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Mar 14, 2023
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My colleague Mark Hachman covered everything new in the March 2023 Windows 11 quality update (also called "Moment 2"), then went hands-on with several of the new features. There's a lot of new stuff that simply isn't relevant to me, such as better AI tools on Qualcomm-powered PCs, tweaks to the native Teams chat experience, Facebook widgets, improved tablet behavior, and so on. But there are several nifty just-released features with a broader appeal that I can't wait to try out—and you probably will too. Let's dig in.
AI-powered Bing Chat search box
Microsoft
Microsoft certainly isn't wasting its time bringing the new AI-powered Bing Chat to the masses. The company revealed the ChatGPT-powered
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Mar 14, 2023
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Price When Reviewed229.99
Best Prices Today: Logitech G Astro A30 Wireless
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Mar 14, 2023
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Much of the coverage you'll see around the web focuses on the more wondrous projects—magic mirrors, portable gaming handhelds, intelligent drones, and so forth. And for good reason! Those maker masterpieces show what sort of power the $35 mini-PC is capable of in the hands of someone with a little imagination and a bin full of spare electronics.
But most people, particularly beginners, won't use the Raspberry Pi to whip up crazy creations. There are near-endless practical uses for this bare-bones kit, from media streaming to extending the range of your Wi-Fi network, as the following 10 projects demonstrate. Time to put that $35 computer to real work. Heck, many of these will work just fine even on the $5 Raspberry Pi Zero.
HTPC media
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Mar 14, 2023
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Fortunately, you can save a bundle when you buy refurbished. For instance, although it's a few generations old, you can get a refurbished Microsoft Surface Pro 5 for $80 off now.
This versatile device has a 12.3? PixelSense display and 10-point touch support allowing you to take full advantage of the multi-touch gestures incorporated into Windows 10 Pro. The laptop-tablet combo runs on a 7th-Gen (Kaby Lake) 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5-7300U processor with turbo boost up to 3.5 GHz, with 8GB DDR4 memory, and 256GB of onboard storage, giving you laptop-like power with the flexibility of a tablet.
Get the best of a laptop and a tablet in a single refurbished device. Right now, you can get a refurbished
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Mar 13, 2023
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Brave, of course, is typically known for its privacy-centric browser, which has existed for several years. Recently, it expanded into VPN services, though just for Android and iOS. Today, Brave's Firewall VPN service can now run on top of Windows and MacOS for $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. Each subscription supports up to five devices in total. (If you already subscribe to the mobile service, you can simply add your PC.)
Google recently said that the company would add its VPN by Google One for all Google One subscribers. Brave's offer works a bit differently. For one, Brave isn't supplying its own VPN itself; instead, it's working with Guardian to provide its VPN. Google's VPN also didn't allow you to select from any other regions, thus preventing you from sampling Netflix options in foreign countries; Brave's browser VPN does, though it's not clear how flexible those options are.
Google's connection to its VPN works across the operating system, with what Google calls a "blinded" interface that prevents the network from identifying the
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Mar 13, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$299.99
Best Prices Today: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra
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Razer
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Mar 13, 2023
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Unfortunately, HP's dynamic security isn't new. HP began the practice of banning unauthorized printer ink in 2016 with a firmware update that prevented third-party ink from being used. That hasn't stopped consumers from being outraged that they can't do what they want with printers they purchased, and buy whatever third-party ink cartridges they want to use.
Last week, the topic of HP dynamic security surfaced again when users on Reddit discovered (or re-discovered) the fact that HP uses what is essentially digital-rights-management (DRM) on its printers to identify authentic HP printer ink cartridges and prevent unauthorized cartridges from being used. Ars Technica noted the issue, pointing out that HP is currently facing a class-action lawsuit over the issue as consumers attempt to legally prevent HP from blocking third-party ink.
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Mar 13, 2023
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The truth is you won't lose much performance going for a cheaper option. In fact, you can get a top-performing mouse that—barring the sensor, which is usually more modest than in premium devices—is virtually identical in build quality and styling and with equally quick buttons.
That's not to say all budget gaming mice are alike. Admittedly, at the lower end of the market there tends to be more variation in the build quality, weight, and button configuration than at the top end, so you'll still want to do your homework before you buy.
Or, you could just peruse our list of best budget gaming mice (below). We've already done the research on your behalf by extensively testing a cohort of mice, sorting the wheat from the chaff, so that what's left is the best of the best. We'll keep updating our chart as we review more mice and find even better products.
For the criteria we use to review budget gaming mice and some useful buying advice, read our postscript explainer below. For even more options, see our complete roundup of the best gaming mice, featuring both wired and wireless picks at various prices points.
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Mar 13, 2023
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This is more than just writing down a simple list of items like you could do on Microsoft Word. The Lists app allows you to organize and prioritize for many personal and business tasks including recipe tracking, gift ideas, employee onboarding, work progress tracking, and more. Here's how to access it.
How to track information with Microsoft Lists
To open Microsoft Lists, click the Microsoft 365 icon or search for it on your computer and open it.
IDG / Alex Huebner
Select "Apps" from the left-hand side menu.
IDG / Alex Huebner
Within the apps options, click on "Lists" and a web browser window will pop up with the Microsoft Lists access.
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Mar 13, 2023
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As spotted by Videocardz and others, ASRock's custom versions of the Arc A380 and more potent Arc A770 are both available on steep sale. The ASRock A380 costs just $120 at Newegg, down from $140, while the 8GB ASRock Arc A770 is currently $270, a $50 discount from its usual $320 price.
The savings make Intel's debut consumer GPUs much more appealing, especially the ASRock Phantom Gaming Arc A770. It's substantially faster than the $250 Arc A750 for just $20 more, and much cheaper than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 it beats in DirectX 12, ray tracing
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Mar 13, 2023
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But since Valve has made the Deck so friendly to user modifications, there's a solution. A third-party parts supplier called GuliKit is selling inexpensive hall effect analog sticks for the Steam Deck. The hall effect design replaces parts that physically contact each other with a series of magnets and sensors, making them far more long-lasting and — yes! — immune to the stick drift problem.
If you have a few bucks, the right tools, and a little courage, you can replace the default Steam Deck analog sticks with these upgraded ones. PCWorld contributor Keith May shows us how on our latest YouTube video.
Before you start, you'll need a few basic tools. Get a spudger, a series of guitar picks, or some other means of gently prying the case apart — a pocket knife will d
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Mar 13, 2023
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You'll need to be judicial with your graphics settings—aim for Medium to High presets in most games, and don't even think about ray tracing—but the Dell G15 should handle everything you throw at it, especially in games that support Nvidia's performance-boosting DLSS technology. In addition to the aforementioned GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, the Dell G15 comes with a 12-core Intel Core i5-12500H processor, a 15.6-inch 120Hz 1080p screen, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. You may want to consider picking up an external SSD to boost your overall storage capacity, but even with that factored in this is still significantly cheaper than the vast majority of gaming laptops.
This is a clearance sale, so there's no telling how long the deal will last, and a similar model already sold out lightning fast. Don't miss out. You don't see RTX-powered gaming laptops going for this cheap very often.
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Mar 13, 2023
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Price When Reviewed$1,299.99
Best Prices Today: MSI Sword 15 A12UE
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Price
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Mar 13, 2023
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That's the cool thing about last-generation GPUs. The new AMD cream of the crop has not obsoleted the older gen, not by a long shot. GPUs such as the 6900 XT remain potent, and in many cases, can prove to be excellent price-to-performance warriors. The refreshed AMD 6950 XT added a few percentage points to the mix, too. With AMD putting the 6000-series GPUs on sale, is it enough to draw you away from the breakneck performance of the 7000 series to save a few bucks?
Radeon RX 6900 XT
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Mar 13, 2023
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With a Hushed Private Phone Line, you'll have a second number on the same phone for an added layer of privacy, without committing to a second phone contract. Now through March 31, you can get a lifetime subscription for 83% off. That's your last chance to get this deal!
Hushed gives you 6,000 SMS or 1,000 phone minutes per year while offering phone numbers from hundreds of area codes across the US and Canada. You can manage your communication from a central app to make calls and send texts from your private number without monthly fees, and even customize your voicemail and set up call forward settings.
Find out why Hushed has earned 4.6/5 stars on the App Store. Now is your last chance to get a lifetime subscription to a
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Mar 12, 2023
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We've also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you're considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.
Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it's possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article's next update.
Best desktop computer deals
Currently, we're seeing some great deals on gaming computers from the likes of HP, Skytech, and Alienware.
HP Omen, Ryzen 7/RX 6700 XT/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,199.99 (27% off on BestBuy)
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