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Jan 18, 2019
Ahoy, mateys! For today's Player Ready gaming livestream on PCWorld's Twitch and YouTube channels at 12:00 p.m. Pacific, PCWorld's Adam Patrick Murray and Macworld's Leif Johnson will be sailing the seven seas in the piratey survival MMO Atlas.
Nor is this a humdrum noobie show where you end up watching someone punch trees and rocks for an hour. Leif and guest Joseph Bradford have been playing Atlas since its Early Access launch on December 21, and they already have a ship ready to go for a morning of treasure hunting, sailing, ship battles, and swashbuckling with zombies.
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Jan 18, 2019
This week, the spring release season begins in earnest. "But Hayden, didn't we just finish up the holiday release season?" Yeah, tell me about it. But the Resident Evil 2 remake next Friday kicks off about a month and a half of non-stop games, from Total War: Three Kingdoms to Far Cry: New Dawn to The Division 2 and Anthem and more. So many more—and you'll find a few pertinent trailers below, as the marketing machines proceed apace as well.
Also up this week: EA cancels yet another Star Wars game, Valve recaps its 2018 stats, Forza kills the Floss, IO opens a second studio, Epic updates its refund policy, and Mortal Kombat 11 gets the full reveal treatment.
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Jan 18, 2019
For some, two of the best products Microsoft ever produced are Windows Mobile and Windows 7—and support for both are ending in about a year's time.
Earlier this week, Microsoft reminded customers that official support for Windows 7 ends on January 14, 2020, even posting an official reminder page to encourage customers to hurry up and adopt Windows 10.
Now is also the time for Windows phones to finally accept their fate: Windows 10 Mobile, version 1709, will lose support on December 10, 2019. At that time, Windows 10 Mobile users will no longer be eligible to receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft for free, Microsoft says. In other words, no new patches. Backups, at least, will persist until March 10, 2020. It's even worse if you own a Microsoft Lumia or Lumia XL: June 11, 2019 will be the last date those devices are supported.
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Jan 18, 2019
The Amazon Echo lineup has long been a popular pick for making homes a little smarter, and the Echo Dot Kids Edition brings those same smarts to the littlest members of your household. Today, you can snag the Echo Dot Kids Edition for $40 on Amazon, down from a list price of $70 and the lowest we've seen it.
This compact smart speaker comes with Alexa built in for convenient voice control. Kids can do everything from controlling other connected devices to asking Alexa to answer questions and tell stories hands-free. With one year of included Amazon's FreeTime service included with your purchase, kids will be able to tap into a whole library of family-friendly content.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 18, 2019
NordVPN promises a private and fast path through the public internet, with no logs, unmetered access for 6 simultaneous devices and access to 5,232 servers worldwide. They are currently running a promotion, but you'll have to use this link to find it. Its typical price has been discounted for 3 years of service -- a good deal at just $2.99 per month. See the $2.99/month NordVPN deal here.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 18, 2019
If you need to upgrade from the stiff mouse that came with your PC, Walmart has a killer deal on an entry-level version of Razer's ultra-popular, ultra-comfortable DeathAdder gaming mouse. The Razer DeathAdder Expert is just $25Remove non-product link right now. For comparison, it carries an MSRP of $50 and is available via a third-party seller on Amazon right now for $40.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 18, 2019
Audiophiles still love listening to music on disc, but this high-end SACD player can also stream tunes from any source on your network—including the internet.
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Jan 18, 2019
With just three outlets and a $60 price tag, this one is a tough sell.
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Jan 18, 2019
You might not have heard of iOttie—which sells all sorts of accessories and products, ranging from car and bike mounts to wireless charging pads. I hadn't until receiving a couple of its charging pads. But after putting the iOttie iON Wireless Stand through our tests, I've come away rather impressed.
Let's take a closer look.
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Jan 18, 2019
Few things in technology are guaranteed to bring you actual joy, but Creative's Super X-Fi just might qualify for that list.
In short, the Super X-Fi distills decades of audio work into a tiny, portable dongle no bigger than a USB thumb drive that transforms smartphone, laptop, or PC audio with "holographic audio," according the company.
While that sounds like a lot of superfluous ad copy, we have to admit that after weeks of using the Super X-Fi, the company is on to something. We'd almost believe Creative's claim that it has found the "holy grail" of audio, but we're disinclined to recall the Quest Knights just yet.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
Whenever see a billboard while driving down the highway or see a stylish animation on your favorite website, you have experienced graphic design firsthand. Behind each of these beautiful designs is a graphic designer trying to catch your attention through art. If you're interested in captivating viewers with your stunning visuals, you'll need experience in a handful of programs, and this $39 Certification School is a great place to start.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
Find the best soundbar for music and movies and that's the perfect fit for your budget.
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Jan 17, 2019
Data breaches are becoming increasingly more common, but today's is a doozy: 1,160,253,228 unique passwords and email addresses have been attributed to a breach that's being called "Collection #1."
The collective list of 773 million email addresses from several sources, published to the cloud storage service MEGA, was reported by Troy Hunt, the owner of the HaveIBeenPwned website, which indexes hacked information. The number of email addresses makes it the largest breach ever uploaded to Hunt's site, he said. But there's also 21,222,975 unique passwords released within the breach, stored in plain text for the world to see.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
Boosting your storage is always a good idea, and today, gobbling up a lot of gigabytes doesn't have to be expensive. You can grab the 400GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card for just $83.98 on Amazon, down from a list price of $250 and a crazy low price for such a substantial amount of storage.
This card will bring a whole lot more space to your Android device, PC, or even your Nintendo Switch on the cheap. With transfer speeds up to 100MB/s, you'll be able to move up to 1,200 photos in a minute, and the connected SanDisk Memory Zone app helps you view and move files even easier. This microSD card is designed to help speed up app launch speeds and performance, too.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
If you haven't upgraded to the glorious 4K HDR life yet, now's the perfect time to see what you're missing for cheap. Best Buy is selling a 43-inch 4K HDR Toshiba Smart TV with Amazon's Fire TV built-in for $200Remove non-product link. That price beats Amazon's all-time historical low by $50 and the current Amazon price by $100.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
Quicken is still the king of personal finance software, but the last several years have brought a legion of challengers to its throne. Just glance at our personal finance software guide to see how stiff the competition has gotten. Perhaps that's why Quicken 2019 has introduced a feature that devoted users have long desired: a browser-based companion app that lets them manage their finances from any internet-connected device. This streamlined tool gives Quicken a user-friendly vibe that will likely appeal to people weaned on web services like Mint and Nerd Wallet.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
The thin-and-light Arteck HB030B Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard arms road warriors with a single input for their devices. Supporting the four major commercial operating systems (Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android), this keyboard provides a fairly comfortable typing experience and a little pizzazz with multicolored backlighting.
Note: This review is part of our best wireless keyboard roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.
Design
The compact Arteck keyboard measures 9.7 x 5.9 x 0.24 inches and weighs less than half a pound, making it an ideal travel companion. It's powered by a rechargeable lithium battery and includes a USB charging cable. Arteck claims a single charge will give you up to six months of battery life, provided you only use it for a couple of hours a day with the backlight turned off. That further underscores that this is meant to be an out-of-the-office solution, not your daily driver.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 17, 2019
Data collection on smart TVs reveals an ugly truth about streaming video.
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Jan 17, 2019
Best known for building high-end headphones and mics, Sennheiser is now getting ready to enter the soundbar market. We got a demo during CES.
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Jan 16, 2019
Options abound for checking out all the championship action on whatever screen you choose.
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Jan 16, 2019
Stay on top of the latest tech with PCWorld's Digital Magazine. Available as single copies or as a monthly subscription, it highlights the best content from PCWorld.com—the most important news, the key product reviews, and the most useful features and how-to stories—in a curated Digital Magazine for Android and iOS, as well for the desktop and other tablet readers.
In the January issue
On the cover of the January issue is our hands-on of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx reference laptop, a fresh attempt to be faster. Our lab tests will tell you how Snapdragon stacks up against Intel. We also examine two of the top DNA testing services, explaining their differences and we help determine which one might be better for your situation. Plus, you'll find an exclusive first look at Creative Labs' high-end SoundBlasterX AE-9; you have to hear it to believe it.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
Microsoft's Insider preview builds for 19H1, the next major update for Windows 10, haven't been packed as chock full of new features as in releases past, favoring tweaks and adjustments instead. The Windows Insider Build 18317 released on Wednesday also goes this route, most notably by separating Cortana from the Windows 10 search box.
The new build also includes new ways to import fonts, a tweaked Windows Console for Linux, and a separate process for the Start menu, a behind-the-scenes change that's being made for stability's sake.
The most significant change is the separation of Cortana and the search box, which Microsoft has been testing with a few Insider builds previously. "This will enable each experience to innovate independently to best serve their target audiences and use cases," Microsoft executives wrote in a blog post.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
A good remote can make all the difference with a streaming device, adding control and convenience to the cornucopia of content options available. Now, Amazon's Fire TV lineup is adding much more power to its viewing experience with a slick new remote, and you can grab one today for just $15, a unheard-of 50 percent drop from its list price of $30.
This remote is easy to use but comes with plenty of bells and whistles, including Amazon's Alexa digital assistant built-in for voice control. To take that even further, you can also connect this remote to an Amazon Echo. If you use it to control a Fire TV Stick (note that it won't work with the 1st-gen edition), you'll finally be able to manage volume and power from your remote, with an infrared emitter that allows it to control your TV, A/V receiver, or soundbar.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
Buckle up, on-the-go gamers: We get excited when a laptop with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1060 inside goes on sale for $700, but right now, Newegg is selling the MSI GV62 with a GTX 1060 for just $619Remove non-product link. That's a ridiculously good deal. The bad news is, in true Newegg style, you have to pay $769 upfront and then get a $150 mail-in rebate.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
Imagine, all you've ever known are the dank tunnels of the Moscow subway system. You were raised there, amid the shacks and hovels of a city's survivors, attacked daily by vicious mutant animals, short on food and water, rarely venturing above-ground lest you succumb to radiation—or, more likely, other scavengers.
And then one day you leave, and you find out it didn't have to be that way, that there's life outside Moscow. There are places the nuclear bombs didn't touch, or at least left a lighter impression, where people live on almost like nothing happened.
Such relief, to have made it out alive. Such disappointment, that it didn't happen sooner.
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Jan 16, 2019
From cryptocurrencies to decentralized apps, blockchain technology is powering an Internet revolution. It's a bit surprising, then, that there are so few of us who are truly aware of its capabilities. If you want to get ahead of the curve and understand how blockchain is going to impact the Web, then getting the 2019 Blockchain Developer Mastery Bundle is a must. You can grab it on sale for only $19 today.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
If you're still using a business landline, you're likely not doing much business in 2018. Video conferencing is as commonplace as sending an email, and remote team members are increasing by the minute, making internet-based communication systems essential for any rising company. So if you're finally looking to get your office set up with a state-of-the-art communications system, look no further than RingCentral, an award-winning VoIP (voice over internet provider). RingCentral offers comprehensive, affordable packages for any size organization, and you can set it up in minutes for as low as $19.99 per month.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
Android phones might get a bad rap, but they're actually quite secure. Or at least they can be.
With a little work, your Galaxy, Pixel, or OnePlus phone can be a veritable fortress, virtually impenetrable to hacks, attacks, and bad apps. So whether you're looking for a little extra security or a complete lockdown of your phone, here's everything you need to keep your data from falling into the wrong hands.
Android security: Default protection
Even if you skip the entire set-up process and ignore every safeguard prompt, your Android phone still does plenty to keep your information safe.
Play Protect
IDG
Google has built a malware scanner right into the Play Store called Play Protect. First and foremost, it runs a safety check on apps before you download them, but more importantly, it also checks your phone for any apps that may have gone awry since you downloaded them. If it finds any, it will warn you via a notification and in extreme cases delete them from your device on its own. You can check your Google Play Protect settings and see the apps it scanned in the Updates tab inside the My apps & games section of the Play Store.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
A few months ago we took a look at the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas, a headset I said "gives us hope" for the brand. Not only was it a PC-centric headset from a traditionally console-centric company, it was a marked step up from Turtle Beach's norm—better build quality, better aesthetic, better sound. And it retails for only $100 (or less), if you can believe it.
But entry-level price aside, the Elite Atlas is actually Turtle Beach's top-of-the-line Atlas model. Today we're going to look at the true entry-level, the bargain-priced Atlas One, which costs half the price. Will it manage to impress as much as the Elite Atlas? Or should you scrimp and save for the more expensive model? We donned one to find out.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 16, 2019
JBL's latest wireless headphones can broadcast your music to other Bluetooth headphones, letting you share the fun with friends. And many will find it handy to have Google Assistant available at a touch.
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Jan 15, 2019
Find the best Fitbit for your activity level and habits, without spending more than you need.
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Jan 15, 2019
I had worried that The Elder Scrolls Online had played its best hand too soon when it released Morrowind as its first "chapter" (or expansion) in 2017, but I'd forgotten about the dragons.
The beasts, so loved from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, take flight in ESO's upcoming Elsweyr expansion, and earlier today ESO's creative director Rich Lambert showed audiences on Twitch how dragons would spend the game's next chapter burninating the homeland of the cat-like Khajiit. The new chapter launches for pre-orders buyers on May 20, and here are five good reasons why you'll want to be around in May when the fur and fire starts to fly.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
Intel has officially killed off its "Core " Optane boxed processor bundles for desktop PCs in the wake of Micron's decision to buy out Intel's stake in the 3D XPoint fab once jointly operated by both companies. The Core branding was reserved for systems that shipped with both Core processors as well as Intel's Optane Memory technology, which speeds up the other storage in your PC.
In a product change notification (PDF), Intel said that it would discontinue the boxed Core i7 8700, i5 8400 and i5 8500 by Sept. 30, though that's only if supplies of the chips are still available. The last shipments will take place Dec. 27. Intel cited a "lack of market demand" as the reason for the discontinuation, in a document unearthed by Tom's Hardware.
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Jan 15, 2019
It's true, this is the absolute best episode of The Full Nerd made so far this year. And yes, it's the first one too, but that doesn't make it any less great. In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Adam Patrick Murray talk Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 2060.
Is RTX 2060 worth it, and what's it really capable of? Brad lays it out. The gang then moves on to new belle of the ball: AMD's highly anticipated 3rd-gen Ryzen CPU, and Gordon makes a wild prediction about what it'll have and how much it'll cost.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
We review hi-res audio players from Astell&Kern, Pioneer, Questyle, and more. Find out which shine above the others.
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Jan 15, 2019
A phone doesn't have to be revolutionary to be a good choice, and the LG G7 ThinQ is a perfect example of this. Though the G7 ThinQ didn't shake the industry when it was released, it's proven to be a popular full-featured option in the time since. And today, you can grab one on a killer discount; $399 from WalmartRemove non-product link, down from an original list price of $750.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
The Amazon Fire TV Stick gets volume and power controls on its remote.
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Jan 15, 2019
It's the start of a new era. On Tuesday, Nvidia fulfilled its CES promises by releasing GeForce driver 417.71, which lets GeForce graphics cards tap into the Adaptive Sync capabilities of AMD FreeSync monitors for buttery-smooth, tearing-free gaming. Previously, GeForce GPUs could only synchronize their refresh rates with Nvidia's own G-Sync displays, which tend to cost much more than FreeSync displays. You can snag the driver in the GeForce Experience app or on the GeForce website.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
It's 2019, and by now most of us understand how important it is to surf the Web with a VPN watching our backs. Yet, so many of us refuse to do so, mainly because too many VPN providers deliver their protection at the expense of our browsing speeds. Zoog VPN is one of the few VPN solutions that safeguards your browsing while letting you surf at blazing speeds, and lifetime subscriptions are on sale for only $35 today.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
If you need more storage without breaking the bank, Newegg's got a deal for you. The 500GB Crucial MX500 is $64.23Remove non-product link with the checkout code EMCTUUY22. The code only adds a discount of $8.76, but that still makes it the best price for this drive right now. Newegg may require you to sign-up for its mailing list to use the discount code.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
Choosing a gaming keyboard is a matter of personal taste. To that point, there are a plethora of options, with a dizzying mix of features. One person could be into Cherry Browns and white backlighting. Another might favor Razer Greens and a rippling RGB glow. Gigantic wrist pads, compact shapes, numeric keypads, macro keys, volume controls.... You get the picture
To help you sort through the many options, we've rounded up a large number of planks, putting them through their paces, to come up with our top recommendations. All of these are mechanical keyboards, and for good reason—they're simply more comfortable to use over the long haul. But we're open-minded, so if we encounter an alternative that works well, you may see it appear on this list. We'll keep updating it periodically as we test new keyboards.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 15, 2019
Choosing a VPN is no easy task when there are so many choices available—as our comprehensive roundup of VPN reviews demonstrates. Everywhere you look online, some service is offering to help obfuscate your location and protect your browsing habits from your internet service provider (ISP) and anyone else lurking around the web.
Before you plunk down your cold hard credit card number, however, there are many questions to ask. Can you trust the company? What are the speeds like? Is there a desktop app and is it easy to use? How many country locations are there, and can you still watch Netflix while connected?
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Jan 15, 2019
The HDHomeRun Scribe Duo and Servio can record broadcast TV channels without a separate server device.
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Jan 15, 2019
This entry-level player delivers wireless high-resolution audio in a pocket-sized package for the audiophile on the go, but it's dearth of features might be too bare bones for some.
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Jan 14, 2019
Whether you're looking for an over-the-ear, on-ear, or in-ear model, we'll help you find the perfect pair.
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Jan 14, 2019
Vacuuming is one of the most hated household chores. Here are your best choices for outsourcing it to some automated help.
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Jan 14, 2019
The mouse is a simple tool: point and click. That's it. But if you're a PC gamer, you know that pushing virtual paper around on your desktop isn't the same as fragging bots and shooting zombies. (Not even remotely.)
What's more, picking the right gaming mouse is an intensely personal decision. Every little detail—its overall shape and size, the shape and placement its buttons, its cable (or lack thereof), its weight, its materials—can change how you feel about it. More than any other peripheral, a mouse is the hardest to recommend, because there is no objectively perfect mouse. Everyone's hands are different.
That said, we can guide you on your search. Below are our recommendations for gaming mice, built on years of experience first and foremost as gamers, and second as writers here at PCWorld.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 14, 2019
When Intel tipped a half-dozen new desktop processors during its CES keynote, the company kept quiet about specifics. Now we know: The new chips end with an "F" suffix—and they lack an integrated GPU. So you probably should skip them.
Why? Because right now, they're priced identically to chips that do include the integrated GPU. No, it doesn't mean that Intel's new F-series processors are worthless, especially if you already own a PC with a discrete GPU. It does mean, however, that the discrete GPU will be powered on for every task, consuming more power than your PC normally would. Tom's Hardware, which noted the new pricing, called the processors a manufacturing "relief valve" to help alleviate the shortage of its other 14nm chips, and that's probably an accurate assessment.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 14, 2019
Keeping a bag full of devices all charged up can be a juggling act. A multi-port charger can help with that, and today you can grab Anker's Premium 60W 5-port USB charger for $35 on Amazon, its lowest price ever and a sharp discount from its list price of $50.
This wall charger comes with five ports, including four high-speed USB-A ports with PowerIQ and one USB-C Power Delivery port. An LED indicator light shows when it's plugged in. To keep all your devices safe, this charger comes with features like temperature control and surge protection, while a durable exterior keeps the charger itself safe from drops and scratches.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 14, 2019
One of our favorite keyboards is available at an outstanding price today. Best Buy is selling the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile Rapidfire mechanical keyboard for $90Remove non-product link. This keyboard doesn't go on sale all that often, and most of the time it's priced at its $170 recommended price. If you like Cherry MX Speed switches or are at least willing to give them a try, this is a sale you don't want to miss.
To read this article in full, plea
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Jan 14, 2019
Smartphones are bigger than ever, and they bring plenty of cords, adapters, headphones, and power banks along for the ride. Getting all this gear packed for travel or daily outings can be a headache. So we reviewed and picked out some of the trendiest and most durable pouches, crossbody bags, and waist packs to help.
Moshi Tego Slingpack
Dominik Tomaszewski/IDG
Moshi's Tego Slingpack was the largest bag we reviewed.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 14, 2019
Mechanical keyboard prices keep dropping and dropping. The latest miracle deal? The Cooler Master CK552, a fully RGB-backlit mechanical keyboard retailing for a mere $90—and often on-sale for far less. That's even more affordable than the Cougar Attack X3 RGB, our previous "How is this possible?" recommendation.
But as with anything in life, you (to an extent) get what you pay for. Let's dig into the CK552, both its many strengths and a few noteworthy weaknesses.
Note: This review is part of our best gaming keyboards roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 14, 2019
The storied brand has produce a robot vac that boasts excellent suction and superb navigation skills, but the Electrolux Pure i9 lacks the extra features of comparably priced robot vacuums.
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Jan 14, 2019
TaoTronics TT-BH060 headphones feature noise cancellation and a very comfortable design, as well as supporting Bluetooth 5.0. But the sound leans heavily towards the bottom end of the spectrum and lacks high-end brilliance.
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Jan 11, 2019
Though it's nearly 25 years old, the PDF may be more useful than ever in our increasingly multi-device, cross-platform world. Much of the time you can get by with a free PDF reader to review and comment on these files. But inevitably, particularly in a business setting, you'll need to edit a PDF file and that usually requires upgrading to a premium PDF editor.
Historically, Adobe Acrobat has been the best option, but it has also been the most expensive, often putting it out of reach of individuals and small businesses. That has given rise to a wealth of alternatives with varying features and costs. We looked at six PDF editors to see what they offer and how they stack up against each other.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 11, 2019
They cheered. Bungie split off from Activision this week, taking control of the Destiny franchise with them, and staff reportedly cheered when the announcement was made. If that doesn't tell you everything about the Bungie/Activision relationship circa 2019, I'm not sure what else to add.
But I do have some thoughts. You'll find them below, along with a bevy of other news this week—including a new Metro Exodus story trailer, delays for Tropico 6 and Dead or Alive 6, free Edith Finch and Fallout, Paradox acquiring Prison Architect, and more. It's been a really busy week.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 11, 2019
All Macbook users know the pain of a paltry port situation. Today, you can fix your lacking I/O with a pretty slick deal: Amazon is selling the Vava USB-C Hub 8-in-1 adapter for just $45Remove non-product link, down from a list price of $60 and the lowest price we've seen.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 11, 2019
Every PC can benefit from more storage, and if you need a spacious drive to stash a slew of bulk files, we've got a deal for you. Newegg is selling a WD Blue 4TB 3.5-inch desktop internal hard drive for $85Remove non-product link with the checkout code EMCTUUU24. This hard drive—and most others with this much capacity—usually costs around $100, so you're saving $15.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 11, 2019
Put aside all misconceptions that CES is a smart home show, a home entertainment show, or even a car stereo show. CES is a computer show, and we've got the battle scars to prove it. For the last four days, the PCWorld staff has immersed itself in all the laptops, chips, components, accessories and outright PC monstrosities it could find, and now we're read to name the Best of CES 2019.
IDG
To win a Best of CES award, a product has to show unique promise and technical innovation—but do keep in mind these aren't final reviews. Check back throughout the year as we test this gear, and issue our final review verdicts. For now, just bask in the spectacle...
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 11, 2019
From a smart wall outlet to a new range of smart lights to an amazing roll-up TV—and more!—we name the most impressive connected home and home entertainment gear of CES 2019.
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Jan 11, 2019
The PC's been enjoying a resurgence over the last few years, and judging by what we witnessed at CES, the pedal will remain planted firmly to the metal in 2019. AMD, Intel, and Nvidia all hosted blockbuster keynotes brimming with big announcements. Monitors evolved beyond being simple 27-inch rectangles. Gaming laptops embraced innovation in wildly different ways. And there's a lot of gear coming that's just plain badass.
These are the big CES hardware reveals and trends that PC enthusiasts need to know about. Buckle up, and be sure to hit those links if you want deeper details about any of these topics.
Nvidia
Nvidia kicked CES off with a bang in its Sunday night keynote.
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Jan 10, 2019
Pria is designed to help the elderly age in place, while the Omni mesh Wi-Fi router could be useful for everyone.
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Jan 10, 2019
On Wednesday, AMD chief executive Lisa Su sat down with a small group of reporters following her CES keynote, in which she formally announced the Radeon VII GPU and the third-generation Ryzen CPU. During our roundtable, Su disclosed that there will be more cores to come with the third-generation Ryzen chip as well as the presence of a ray tracing GPU under development within AMD.
But there were even more details and context from the roundtable—and, well, if you're as interested as we are in what's coming down the pike from AMD, you're going to want to read our full transcript of the event here.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 10, 2019
We love to spotlight SSD deals on PCWorld, but we rarely see one this low. So if you've been avoiding taking the plunge, wait no longer: Today, you can grab a Kingston 480GB A400 SSD for just $65 at AmazonRemove non-product link, down from a list price of $80 and the best price since Black Friday's blowout.
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Jan 10, 2019
Samsung has begun sending out invitations to the launch of its first flagship phone of 2019, and anyone hoping for a return to Mobile World Congress will be disappointed: The Galaxy S10 will make its debut in San Francisco, not Barcelona.
Even with a launch thousands of miles away, however, the Galaxy S10 will surely loom large over the annual conference. Samsung is unveiling the phone at an Unpacked event on February 20 at 11 a.m. PT, just five days before MWC is set to begin.
Olixar
The Galaxy S10 will reportedly ship in three sizes.
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Jan 10, 2019
RGB lighting on gaming PCs is about to get a whole lot brighter and a whole lot more efficient thanks to Corsair's new Capellix LED technology, which promises to be 60 percent brighter while using 40 percent less power.
The new LEDs are incredibly tiny and dense compared to typical SMD, or surface mount device, LEDs. That density could one day lead to RGB grids on a case door or front panel with far more granularity than today's LEDs.
Corsair didn't create the LED technology but it did work with a manufacturer to take LED technology that normally would never be applied to a PC and had it adapted to computer applications.
Gordon Mah Ung
On the top are normal SMD RGB LEDs and on the bottom is Corsair's new Capellix.
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Jan 10, 2019
Haptic feedback is the one feature I miss when gaming on PC. I love me a mouse and keyboard, but I find myself reaching for my Xbox One controller sometimes just for the rumble effects. It's not a very sophisticated version of haptic feedback, but it nevertheless adds so much to the weightiness of guns, the rumble of engines, the boom of an explosion—all these small touches you don't notice until they're gone.
Nobody's managed to make haptics work on PC though. Or, at least, nobody's stuck with it long enough to force adoption.
Razer loves a good gimmick though, and in keeping with that spirit Razer might be the company to deliver us from our rumble-less prison. Well, Razer and a gaggle of partners, including Lofelt and Subpac.
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Jan 10, 2019
We found a stunning deal on a killer graphics card, and it won't even force you to mess around with checkout codes or mail-in rebates. The ASRock Phantom Gaming D Radeon RX 570 is only $130Remove non-product link at Newegg until Friday, and you'll get two free games from AMD's Raise the Game bundle with it. RX 570 graphics cards usually cost around $170.
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Jan 10, 2019
As CES comes to a close, two things are certain: We won't be able to afford one of LG's jaw-dropping roll-up OLED TVs and Android is poised for another big year.
While we might not have gotten a look at Samsung's folding phone yet (though we did get our hands on Royale's), there were plenty of low-key announcements in Las Vegas that could have a big impact on the rest of the year. From Google Assistant to Android TV, here are eight CES announcements that might have slipped under your radar.
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Jan 10, 2019
The British high-end audio manufacturer shows off the most convenient way to enjoy your vinyl collection.
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Jan 10, 2019
Android TV is finally getting its due on consumer streaming players.
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Jan 09, 2019
While rival Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took a few potshots at AMD's new Radeon VII GPU, AMD chief executive Lisa Su dropped some bombshells of her own: yes, AMD has its own raytracing GPUs in development, and she hinted strongly that AMD's 3rd-generation Ryzen chips will launch with more than eight cores.
Su sat down with PCWorld and a few other reporters following her CES keynote address on Wednesday, where she formally launched the 3rd-generation Ryzen and the 7nm "Vega" GPU, known now as the Radeon VII.
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Jan 09, 2019
Oh snap. Not known for mincing words, Nvidia's outspoken CEO Jensen Huang described AMD's return to high-end PC gaming graphics as "underwhelming."
"It's underwhelming," Huang said when asked by PCWorld what he thought of AMD's new Radeon VII, which features 16GB of HBM2 memory, 1TB of bandwidth, 60 graphics cores and is built on a new 7nm process. (See our full report on the Radeon VII, as well as AMD's 3rd-gen Ryzen.)
Why ‘underwhelming'?
"The performance is lousy and there's nothing new," Huang said. "[There's] no ray tracing, no AI. It's 7nm with HBM memory that barely keeps up with a 2080. And if we turn on DLSS we'll crush it. And if we turn on ray tracing we'll crush it."
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Jan 09, 2019
If you own a notebook equipped with a USB-C port, you'll want a USB-C hub to enable legacy connectivity with ethernet or an external HDMI monitor. One external monitor. Wait, you want four? Well, Targus has you covered.
At CES 2019, Targus showed off the DOCK520USZ, also known as the USB-C Universal QUAD HD (QVHD) Docking StationRemove non-product link. There's a slew of regular ports, including four USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C port with power, gigabit ethernet, a 3.5mm audio jack, and so on. What's unique about this dock, however, is the four 1080p HDMI outputs, which essentially can be used to create a multi-monitor battlestation as the video shows. Because who doesn't want to plug into four monitors for work and play?
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Jan 09, 2019
AMD used its first keynote address at CES to formally announce its next GPU, the Radeon VII, as well as its 3rd-generation Ryzen processor. Both will ship this year using the 7nm manufacturing process, giving AMD the technological edge over Nvidia and Intel in the war for ever-shrinking chips.
The keynote by AMD chief executive Lisa Su initially paled in terms of new announcements to Intel's own 10nm keynote blitz a day before. But it ended strong, with the smaller, finer 7nm technology the focus of Su's speech. It's already been a busy show for AMD, which already announced new mobile chips and its first foray into Chromebooks earlier in the week.
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Jan 09, 2019
Most gaming notebooks treat good battery life as "nice to have but not essential." But Gigabyte's Aero 15 takes battery life seriously—so seriously that it applies machine learning to compare the user's workload against its own database of applications, and optimizes battery life accordingly.
Specifically, Gigabyte uses Microsoft's Azure AI cloud and its machine learning capabilities to dial CPU and GPU clocks up and down on the fly. Gigabyte is aiming at the very highest end of the market with a power-hungry Core i9 and Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU inside, so battery savings are particularly relevant to this machine.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Gigabyte's Aero 15 is expected to include top-of-the-line hardware, but what's most interesting will be its software controls.
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Jan 09, 2019
When the Epic Games Store was unveiled last month, I said Valve should be scared. "Epic doesn't need to convince players [to leave Steam]," I wrote, "It only needs to convince developers." And that seemed eminently doable, given Epic was offering developers an additional 8 to 18 percent of revenue, depending on sales. "If enough developers decide the grass is greener on Epic's platform, we could see a slow trickle and then an eventual exodus."
Today's the start of that exodus, I think. This morning we got news that Ubisoft will release The Division 2 on the Epic Games Store in March. The press release is pretty standard fare. Preorders open through the Epic Games Store today, random executives are "thrilled," and so on and so forth.
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Jan 09, 2019
Smart homes are the way of the future, but to add a little extra control to your lights and electronics, you don't need to buy all-new smart devices. Smart plugs can replicate the functionality of expensive bulbs and appliances, and today you grab a pair for cheap: Aukey's Wi-Fi Smart Plug two-pack is just $20Remove non-product link today on Amazon with the code AUKEY4AP, down from a $28 MSRP and a couple dollars cheaper than their previous all-time low.
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Jan 09, 2019
When the Epic Games Store was unveiled last month, I said Valve should be scared. "Epic doesn't need to convince players [to leave Steam]," I wrote, "It only needs to convince developers." And that seemed eminently doable, given Epic was offering developers an additional 8 to 18 percent of revenue, depending on sales. "If enough developers decide the grass is greener on Epic's platform, we could see a slow trickle and then an eventual exodus."
Today's the start of that exodus, I think. This morning we got news that Ubisoft will release The Division 2 on the Epic Games Store in March. The press release is pretty standard fare. Preorders open through the Epic Games Store today, random executives are "thrilled," and so on and so forth.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Jan 09, 2019
Nvidia dropped a bombshell on gamers when it announced at CES that it would finally support not just its own proprietary G-Sync monitors but also AMD's FreeSync displays.
The company said it would issue a GeForce GPU driver mid-month that supports monitors running VESA-standard Adaptive Sync displays, to enable variable refresh rates in games. Translation: GeForce graphics card will finally work with FreeSync monitors.
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Jan 09, 2019
When Nvidia announced its first RTX desktop cards at significantly increased prices last year, many assumed RTX laptops would see the same huge spike. Well, you can breathe freely again, because it doesn't look to be that bad after all. Although we have yet to see final pricing for all of the 40 or so new RTX laptops, at least one vendor shared some details.
CyberPower's new 15.6-inch Tracer III 15R with a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8th gen 6-core Core i7, FHD 144Hz panel, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and low-profile mechanical keyboard with per-key lighting is expected to go on sale at the end of the month for about $1,799.
Move on up to the larger 17.3-inch Tracer III 17R with a GeForce RTX 2070, an 8th gen Core i7, FHD 144Hz screen, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and low-profile mechanical keyboard with per key lighting, and you'll have to pony up $1,900.
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Jan 09, 2019
If you're looking to start off the new year with a shiny new 15-inch laptop, we have a great deal for you. Make that two great deals: Walmart is selling an HP Pavilion gaming laptop for $799Remove non-product link, down from its $999 list price and an
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Jan 09, 2019
When it comes to spreadsheet software, Microsoft Excel is the first and last word. A vast majority of organizations use it daily — which is why people who are familiar with Excel often get hired over those who don't. Is your knowledge up to par? Make sure with the Microsoft Excel Master Diploma School, which has discounted the cost for a lifetime subscription to only $39.
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Jan 09, 2019
PC makers at CES have told PCWorld that they haven't warmed to cutting-edge Optane Memory as much as Intel would have liked. But that hasn't stopped Intel from innovating, most recently by combining Optane and flash memory on a single M.2 card.
Eventually, Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage may yet be a boxed product that you can buy—that's under investigation, according to Intel executives at a press conference here at CES on Tuesday night. For now, though, the H10 is being marketed at PC makers, many of which allowed notebooks using the technology to be showed off at the event.
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Jan 09, 2019
For the moment, Royole can boast something that smartphone giant Samsung can't: The smaller consumer electronics company has a foldable Android smartphone, the FlexPai, and Samsung doesn't.
While Samsung reportedly has a folding phone under development, the FlexPai is here. While the FlexPai doesn't quite fold flat—the rolling hinge is more like the Surface Book than anything else—it does get compact enough to fit in a pocket, and unfolds to yield a tablet-sized 7.8-inch screen. The 1920x1440 screen didn't blow me away in terms of resolution, but it's bright and clear enough to satisfy most users.
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Jan 08, 2019
While editing a document or spreadsheet directly from a flash drive is trivial, that's not the case for video, where the interface speed limits performance considerably. WD's SanDisk thinks they've solved the problem with the SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD.
The Extreme Pro uses its internally developed NVMe technology to saturate the USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, with read speeds up to 1 gigabyte per second. That's fast enough for users to edit video directly on the drive itself, without the need for copying the file from the drive to a local hard drive, then back.
SanDisk said that the company will deliver the Extreme Pro in spring 2019, in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacity points. The company hasn't released pricing, however, which is fairly typical for storage companies announcing products before they ship.
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Jan 08, 2019
Google Assistant will soon be able to act as an interpreter, acting as a go-between for natural conversations between initially 27 languages.
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Jan 08, 2019
Lenovo's Smart Tab M10 and P10 are ready to branch out from their humdrum Android tablet lives. Maybe you'll employ them a few hours a day as a tablet. But if you pair them with their included Smart Docks, they become Amazon Alexa-powered smart displays, expanding their usefulness around your home.
The Smart Dock also acts as an auxiliary speaker for its connected tablet, offering better sound than you'd get from the tablet alone. The tablets themselves have front-firing speakers with Dolby Atmos technology, but they can't compete with a fuller-fledged speaker such as the Smart Dock provides.
Lenovo Smart Tab prices, features and specs
Announced at CES and due to ship in January, the M10 and P10 will cost $200 and $250, respectively. The more expensive P10 is actually a little smaller in size compared to the M10, but it offers some better specs: a larger battery, plus a glass back for a classier look.
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Jan 08, 2019
Lenovo has unveiled its newest smart speaker, the 4-inch Smart Clock, with a minuscule form factor and Google Assistant built in.
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Jan 08, 2019
For people who prefer top-of-the line TVs, Lenovo's 4K AMOLED upgrade to its Yoga C730 laptop should encourage you to take notice—this should be one high-quality multimedia 360-degree convertible PC.
Lenovo's Yoga C730 with AMOLED should be one of the new products that attracts passersby to Lenovo's booth at CES 2019 here in Las Vegas. AMOLED displays are known for deeper, inky blacks, where the light output is actually restricted to make dark scenes look, well, dark. Pairing that luscious 15.6-inch display with the C730's integrated JBL speakers and Dolby Atmos audio makes for a laptop with visual as well as audio pop.
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Jan 08, 2019
Lenovo's Yoga laptop series straddles entertainment and work chores more adroitly than the company's premium X1 lineup, and the new Yoga S940 contains a package of new "Smart Assist" technologies that allow users to switch from casual browsing to a business persona in a flash.
The Yoga convertible laptops contain 8th-generation Intel Core processors, as well as an aesthetically pleasing "Contour Glass" display with rounded edges, somewhat like a smartphone. (The Yoga S940 offers a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio, Lenovo says.) And Lenovo's also made the shift to Thunderbolt, with a pair of Thunderbolt 3-enabled ports on the side of the chassis. Dolby Atmos-powered speakers are also included.
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Jan 08, 2019
We've always loved the Dell XPS 13, except for one thing: the low-slung, nosehair-catching camera. So sing hallelujah: With the XPS 13 9380 announced Tuesday morning at CES, the camera's finally at the top where it belongs.
That alone is big news, but there are other welcome improvements with this generation, from display and color choices to thermals. Pricing for the new generation starts at $900. A few models will be available starting Tuesday, while other SKUs will arrive later in January. We'll go over the highlights, including the specs.
The best new features on the XPS 13 9380
The reason the Dell XPS 13 had to place the camera below the display is because of the laptop's superthin InfinityEdge bezels. There simply wasn't room for the camera within the sliver of structure above the screen.
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Jan 08, 2019
With the latest crop of Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition laptops, Dell is bringing some true innovation to its high-end consumer line.
Introduced at CES Tuesday morning, these specially designed versions feature a neat trick to adjust thermal behaviors to the immediate environment. But the biggest news is the hinge, which doubles as magnetic pen storage. It's the cleverest solution to pen integration we've ever seen, arguably worth waiting (if you're a pen nerd) until the Black Editions ship in the June/July timeframe.
Unfortunately we don't know the prices yet, nor much about the specs, but we can use the current Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 Black Editions as points of reference. The current models start around $1,400. The various current models feature Intel Core processors, a generous 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD storage.
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Jan 08, 2019
When Dell made the Alienware Area-51m, it broke one mold and created another. Announced at CES Tuesday morning, this gaming laptop is the first to debut a new overall design for Dell's Alienware gaming line. It also offers no compromises, with desktop-grade hardware and a laundry list of options and upgradable parts. It's a tantalizing balance of power and refinement.
When it ships January 21, several customizable SKUs of the Area-51m will be available. Dell gave us a sample price of $2,549 and said some SKUs would come in under that number.
We took a detailed look at the Area-51m at a pre-briefing. Check out the video above for the deep dive. Below, we'll highlight some of the innovations and specs.
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Jan 08, 2019
Maybe PC audio is still important after all. At CES 2019 on Tuesday, EVGA introduced Nu Audio, its first-ever sound card with claims that it will bring "lifelike gaming" to your ears.
EVGA partnered with UK firm AudioNote on the card, which features a six-layer, gold-plated PCB. Making clean audio depends a lot of getting noise-free power, so EVGA uses AudioNote capacitors and resistors in the card as well as a Texas Instrument power-regulation circuit. There's also German-made WIMA capacitors and AKM 4493 DACS and AKM 5572 ADCs. The card also embeds an XMOS xCORE-200 processor for most of the audio chores on the card.
The card can drive large 600 Ohm cans and also supports up to 384KHz, 32-bit audio files.
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Jan 08, 2019
There's only one thing worse than seeing a red battery indicator on your iPhone: plugging into Apple's 5W charger and watching your phone take hours to fill up. Anker has solved that problem with a fast charger that's barely bigger than the one Apple supplies. And today, Amazon is selling the Anker 15W PowerPort C 1 USB wall charger for just $11.74Remove non-product link when you check the $1 off coupon box in the listing. That's down from a list price of $19 and the best price we've seen for this new charger.
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Jan 08, 2019
Comcast taps CujoAI's IoT cloud protection service to protect any and all connected devices in your home via the new Xfinity xFi Advanced Security, using its Xfinity xFi gateways.
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Jan 08, 2019
HP is kicking 2019 off strong with an updated HP Omen 15. This sleek gaming laptop features a 15-inch 1080p G-Sync TN panel that cranks it all the way up to 240Hz, a ludicrously fast refresh rate that should satisfy even the most diehard twitch shooter enthusiasts. In the configuration we saw, the new Omen 15 came rocking the 2.2GHz, six-core, Intel "Coffee Lake" Core i7-8750H, 16GB of RAM, and (as we later learned) an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics card for ray tracing on the go.
The physical design isn't all that different from the Omen 15 update that shipped in mid-2018, though HP did tweak the current look by putting all the ports on the rear of the machine. That gets your wires out of the way to give your mouse more room to roam.
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Jan 08, 2019
Just stare in awe at this massive BFGD—and no, the "F" doesn't mean what you think it does. HP just became the first manufacturer to embrace Nvidia's wild Big Format Gaming Displays in the form of the HP Omen X Emperium 65.
This is an insane monitor, full stop. It features a 65-inch 4K HDR display with 384 backlighting zones, DCI-P3 color gamut, game-smoothing G-Sync technology, and a blazing-fast 144Hz refresh rate. It also comes with an Nvidia Shield console built-in, and that massive screen sits on top of a 120 watt soundbar that has been specifically tuned to avoid ripping your monitor apart when things get loud. The soundbar can even detect and amplify footsteps and other in-game sounds if someone's trying to creep up on you in Fortnite, Overwatch, or any other game.
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Jan 08, 2019
If you've had your eye on a new graphics card for the new year, today's the day to take the plunge. Newegg is selling the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8G for $633Remove non-product link after applying the checkout code SPVGAJANTEN and a sending in a $15 mail-in rebate. And to sweeten the pot, Nvidia is throwing in a copy of Anthem and Battlefield V, the first game with ray tracing support, for free.
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