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When you're working from home for the first time, you quickly realize that it requires more thought than plunking your laptop on the coffee table.  Nailing down the tech is a large part of it. But we realize, too, that there’s a “softer” side: what hours you keep, how to stay in contact with coworkers and friends, and even what to wear. PCWorld's editors are ready with all the tech tips we’ve learned from years of working from home ourselves. Define your workspace First things first: As we’re learning, there’s no “normal” with the coronavirus. But that also applies to where you live. “Home workers” now include apartment dwellers, Millennials who share a house, Midwesterners with basements, suburbanites in McMansions, and more. You’ll have to figure out what works for you, within your own unique environment. Still, some rules apply to just about everyone. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2ILiOjg

Apple now has its own weather service. And Android users will have to find a new weather app. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ay59IN

Even heads of state need some help with Zoom. A screenshot of a Zoom meeting shared publicly by the UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, included its Zoom Meeting ID. Don’t do that! Here’s why. With more and more people using the convenient Zoom videoconferencing app to communicate while working from home, “Zoombombing” is becoming a thing. “Zoom bombing” is as bad as it would be in real life: When an uninvited guest suddenly shows up in your Zoom meeting and starts acting up, swearing, or sharing inappropriate pictures, everyone loses.  Boris Johnson / Twitter Zoom in far enough, and you can clearly see the Zoom meeting ID in the upper left-hand corner of this Zoom meeting UK prime minister Boris Johnson shared on Twitter. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UTHjR9

The gaming laptop landscape is about to change, because both AMD and Intel are coming out with new performance chips for mobile this year. While the first Ryzen 4000 laptop is a gaming laptop—the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 —it's too early to tell whether the new CPU will have any effect on gaming performance.  Not everyone needs to wait for Ryzen 4000 and Comet Lake H CPUs , though. Budget-minded and entry-level to intermediate gamers already have a lot of great choices—and they may see discounts as the new CPUs come online. Check out our top picks immediately below, and keep reading to catch up on the latest news and reviews.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2HTbRN0

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung , Brad Chacos , Alaina Yee and Adam Patrick Murray  dive into AMD’s game-changing Ryzen 4000 CPU for laptops . AMD has never beaten Intel in laptops—until now. The crew gets into just how fast, and how awesome the Ryzen 9 4900HS inside of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2X4kZah

Available for months in other territories, the family-friendly Spotify Kids music app is making its stateside debut. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JuUB0Y

Testing your internet connection’s performance is even more important with millions of extra workers working from home. You don’t need any extra software—a web browser will do. But there are also a few things you can do to make sure you are getting the most accurate reading of your internet connection. Here’s what to do! Get ready Essentially, what we're trying to do is compare the amount of bandwidth that's coming into your home with what your ISP is promising you. First make sure that you know what your Internet plan is, and what your ISP promises is the minimum connection speed. Consult your bill or your ISP's Web site for that. Let's turn to the PC. For best results, you'll want to use a wired connection if at all possible; that way, you don’t have to worry about interference and performance fluctuations that can occur while you’re on Wi-Fi. If you have any other wired devices on your home network, plug your test computer directly into the modem so those do...

Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3XL are officially history, at least in the US. Google has officially discontinued the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3XL smartphones, the company's flagship phones from 2018. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2Jpu9Gf

Fitbit has launched the Charge 4 with built-in GPS, new activity zones, and the same $150 price tag. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UyGNJs

Monday, November 25, 2019 was a momentous day. On it, AMD’s benchmark-shattering, floor-wiping, mic-dropping 32-core Threadripper 3970X reviews launched alongside Intel’s most potent consumer chip, the 18-core Core i9-10980XE . The wild performance difference between the two respective champions drove home a truth that’s been slowly building and is suddenly here: For the first time since Intel’s Core architecture ended the Athlon 64’s dominance nearly 15 long years ago, after an AMD Bulldozer era seemingly endless with disappointment, AMD’s Ryzen processors are firmly in control on the desktop. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2R00BTJ

The YubiKey Bio is a security product seemingly made for the growing number of people working from home  during the coronavirus threat, but the security issues facing remote workers are hardly new. Even if they’ve figured out everything else—bought a second monitor, rearranged some furniture, or upgraded their router—security remains an oft-forgotten, but vital detail. The transition from working in an office to working at home creates a juicy opportunity for attackers intent on stealing your personal information. “With a rapid shift toward remote workforces, the attack vector grows larger and we’re already seeing an increase in targeted phishing attacks,” said Guido Appenzeller, chief product officer of Yubico. “Not to mention, operating remotely is new territory for many companies, involving steep learning curves and confusion. This is the perfect scenario for an attacker to thrive in and opens opportunities for social engineering and phishing attacks.” That’s why Yu...

The Blue Indoor Camera is a DIY home-security cam from ADT that will alert you should it hear a CO2 or smoke alarm going off. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3bHQUkW

Quarantine, day six. I’m standing in Paris, in one of my favorite spots. It’s a fountain in the Tuileries, near the Louvre. There are green metal chairs scattered around, inviting people to sit and relax for a few moments, or for an afternoon. Wind mixes with birdsong as I stand and take it all in. It feels as if I’m the last person on Earth, standing here alone in an empty park—but at least I’m outside. Quarantine, day seven. I’m in a different city, vaguely Soviet in appearance. Again, there is nobody else around—or nobody living, anyway. City 17 is quiet, but for the headcrabs. I holster my pistol and admire the crumbling remains of the North Star Hotel, imagine it in happier times. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ay66AT

This garage door controller is difficult to install, and suffers significant problems, including frequent disconnects. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2ynVnuD

Even if you use your garage only as an oversized storage locker, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without a smart controller for your existing garage door opener. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/36D9S9j

Office 365 is dead. Long live Microsoft 365, the renamed version of Microsoft’s productivity suite that now includes an expanded version of Microsoft Teams designed expressly for consumers. On April 21, current Office 365 subscriptions for consumers will shift over to become Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Microsoft said, available at the current price of $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for a shared group of up to 6 people. (Personal subscriptions are $6.99 per user per month, or $69.99 per year.) Those subscriptions will still include features like a gigabyte of OneDrive cloud storage, access to Microsoft’s Office apps, and more. What’s new, though, is a version—some might call it an expansion—of Microsoft Teams that’s been retooled for consumers, with group chat, file sharing, and more—all features available on the enterprise version of Teams, but overhauled in a friendlier interface. Microsoft also announced a new Microsoft Family Safety app designed to help parents keep track o...

Microsoft said Monday that it’s adding new security and usability features to Microsoft Edge, complementing the company’s rebranding of its Office 365 suite for consumers into Microsoft 365. Microsoft plans to add three key improvements over the coming months: an automated password checker that will try to determine whether your password has been leaked to the web, an arrangement of vertical tabs, as well as taking the Collections arrangement and merging it with the mobile apps.  While Collections is unique to Edge, the other capabilities have been offered by other browsers. Google, for example, will alert you if it detects that any of your passwords stored in its browser vault have been published to the web as part of a site hack, and will encourage you to change them. Edge—what used to be called the “new Edge,” and now is just Microsoft Edge—will do the same.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JsioPm

Office 365 is dead. Long live Microsoft 365, the renamed version of Microsoft’s productivity suite that now includes a version of Microsoft Teams for consumers. On April 21, current Office 365 subscriptions for consumers will shift over to become Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Microsoft said, available at the current price of $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for a shared group of up to 6 people. (Personal subscriptions are $6.99 per user per month, or $69.99 per year.) Those subscriptions will still include features like a gigabyte of OneDrive cloud storage, access to Microsoft’s Office apps, and more. What’s new, though, is a version—some might call it an expansion—of Microsoft Teams that’s been retooled for consumers, with group chat, file sharing, and more—all features available on the enterprise version of Teams, but overhauled in a friendlier interface. Microsoft also announced a new Microsoft Family Safety app designed to help parents keep track of their kids in the real worl...

Only a second ago, there was a wall here. Now there is the suggestion of a wall—which is to say, nothing . Bricks lay scattered across the street and as the dust settles a shadow appears in the hole where the wall used to be. I am already running. Running back to safety, to the room where (for some reason) the Nemesis can’t find me. Running as fast as I possibly can and knowing it’s still not fast enough. Bracing for the fist in the back of my skull, or the tentacle to grab my leg and trip me up. It’s that nightmare where you run and run from something but can’t quite get away—except it’s no nightmare, and I am running through the streets of Raccoon City screaming. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QWAygl

We’ve tested the new ROG Zephyrus G14, which debuts with AMD’s stellar Ryzen 9 4900HS CPU, and we can safely say: Just give Asus your money. This laptop packs a stupid amount of performance into a stupidly small and stupidly light frame. To give you an idea of just how impressive this 3.5-pound, Ryzen 4000-based laptop is, you’re talking about a weight class that typically gives you lower-power CPUs and GPUs. Yet the G14 can hang in CPU performance with laptops that weight 10 pounds.  Obviously the star of the show is the Ryzen 9 4900HS CPU, which we review in detail separately. But the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 as a whole package is nearly as impressive, so keep reading to find out more. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39skXLJ

AMD’s Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs, introduced at CES , finally break the curse that had the company losing to Intel in laptops over and over again. This time, AMD promises it’s optimized Ryzen 4000 for mobile computing . And our first performance benchmarks prove it out. Maybe you’ve already read our main review of the first Ryzen 4000 CPU we’re testing, the Ryzen 9 4900HS  (the ‘H’ means its intended for power users, and the ‘S’ means it’s for “slim”-profile laptops). While that story contains a core suite of benchmarks, this story compiles all the tests we ran. We’ll add more benchmarks as we test more of the first generation—AMD expects about 100 laptops with Ryzen 4000 parts to ship this year. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2vZh6It

When AMD introduced its Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs at CES , the company made bold claims of game-changing performance. Coming off of years of underwhelming laptop chips, AMD promised it had optimized Ryzen 4000 for mobile computing . Now we’ve tested those claims in AMD’s Ryzen 9 4900HS chip, an 8-core, 7nm chip with Radeon Vega cores. We’re stunned at the CPU’s impressive tour de force that defeats just about every Intel 8th- and 9th-gen laptop CPU we’ve ever seen. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QWkzil

After announcing SD as the default video quality, YouTube now seems to have limited the video quality on its mobile application to a maximum of 480p. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2ULjvPk

A great-sounding, compact, vibration-free solution for vinyl lovers. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3aygqc0

Awair's latest indoor air-quality monitor has an updated design, but still makes it easy to track indoor pollutants. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dB26Bs

Whether you suffer from allergies or asthma or just want to optimize your indoor environment, these devices will give you insight into the air you're breathing. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FtxGlH

Google has reportedly sent out an email to its employees asking them to postpone their April Fools' Day jokes this year. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/39uGfbJ

Google on Friday pledged $800 million worth of support in response to the coronavirus pandemic for health organisations, researchers and businesses impacted by the crisis. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2yiMIK1

As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, your Apple, Android, and Fitbit smartwatch can help you monitor potential symptoms. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WPlRzm

Due to the coronavirus and social distancing, traditional video watch parties are off the table right now—but you can still safely view movies and TV shows with loved ones. Thanks to the efforts of a few great developers, you can stream movies and TV shows together in perfect sync by installing a simple browser extension on your laptop or desktop computer.  Of the options out there, TwoSeven stands out as my favorite in the bunch. This add-on is the most versatile, with support for Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Vimeo, other web-based streaming sites (like Crunchyroll), and even files stored locally on a computer. You can use it in both Firefox and Chrome, and the interface even has built-in audio and video chat for sharing reactions in real time. It feels as close as you can get to having an in-person gathering. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39psTgX

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung , Brad Chacos , and Adam Patrick Murray dive into the latest gaming news with special guest (and PCWorld gaming guru) Hayden Dingman . We kick things off with a discussion about Nvidia’s DLSS 2.0 technology , which finally looks poised to deliver on the lofty promises made when the GeForce RTX 20-series launched. Better image quality and faster speeds? Yes please. Next, we talk about Hayden’s Half-Life: Alyx review , and why it’s so hard to create a game that really, truly feels immersive. Finally, Gordon gives us the skinny on an alleged Intel Rocket Lake-S leak . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QRRsfR

How to cut the cord: All the devices, services, and knowledge you need to ditch cable and save money. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UmIHfR

If all the grim coronavirus bulletins are taking a toll on your sanity, consider taking a break from news headlines on your Echo Show and Google Nest smart displays. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QQIDD5

Just ask, and Alexa will quiz you to determine whether it’s likely you’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QRskWB

Google Pixel Buds 2 that were launched in October last year and are due to go on sale have now appeared on the US FCC site. There are two separate listings suggesting the debut of the new wireless earbuds. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2wIR50d

Google Duo now supports up to 12-people group calling without having to update the app. Initially, it only supported four people, a number that was then increased to eight. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2UE4Ntf

These films are aimed at the younger set, but adults will enjoy them just as much—and that goes double when you all enjoy them together. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JfKpJR

Compared with a smartphone's built-in DAC/amp, the sound of this gem is a revelation. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JhFE2l

Find yourself suddenly needing to be more productive? Good news! Windows 10 comes loaded with all sorts of tools designed to help you Get Things Done, along with deeper tweaks that can optimize the operating system for productivity even more. Now for the bad news: All those excellent productivity-boosting Windows tools and tweaks aren’t immediately obvious, with many of the most useful settings buried deep inside a maze of options menus. We can help. Taking five or ten minutes to tinker with Windows 10 can supercharge your setup, regardless of whether you’re trying to keep at work while stuck at home or setting up something more permanent. Let’s dig in. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39gstt6

I hopped on the Android bandwagon early: I sold my iPhone 3G in 2009, bought an HTC Hero, and never looked back. I’ve been using Android every day since then, writing about Google’s platform as a tech journalist. Nonetheless, I’ve tried to keep pace with iPhone developments, and recently set aside a week of my life to get reacquainted with Apple’s smartphone. I put all my Android phones in a drawer and settled into life with the iPhone 11 Pro. Admittedly, the iPhone does some things extremely well, even for a long-time Android user like myself. However, there are also plenty of things I hate with a fiery passion. Where the iPhone wins Apple’s Taptic Engine : Haptics are an underappreciated but important aspect of interacting with a smartphone, and Apple understands this. The “Taptic Engine” is essentially a giant vibration motor bolted right to the iPhone’s frame, and it’s fantastic. The haptic feedback is tight and powerful, surpassing all Android phones on the market. It can alm...

We compare the streaming platforms most popular with cord-cutters: Fire TV and Roku. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QMHe0i

Emma , The Invisible Man , Birds of Prey , and more will be available to rent or buy from streaming services way ahead of schedule. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JfUR3X

Watch CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, AMC, FX, and more for free, no credit card or subscription required. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JjL64W

The Novel Coronavirus pandemic can wipe out more than $44 billion in global ad revenue for the tech giants Facebook and Google in 2020 as digital advertising runs dry, a new report has predicted. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2ybw6Uj

WiZ’s smart BR30 floodlight is easy to set up, boasts more than a dozen dynamic color lighting modes, and it can even turn “dumb” light switches into smart ones. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39h8Ocp

Home Wi-Fi problems were easy to ignore when it was just the occasional pause of a Netflix stream, or uploading a GIF took a few seconds longer than it should. But if you’re working at home—and your kids are learning at home—during this corona virus pandemic, you need your router to operate at peak performance. Before you start shopping for a new router, there are lots of things you can do to improve the performance of your current hardware. Tip : If speed is the issue, use an app such as Ookla’s Speedtest to see if performance improves between each troubleshooting step. Be aware, however, that this tool measures the speed of your connection to the internet, not the maximum speed your router is capable of achieving while transferring data over your local network. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WJUmXH

Google could be bringing a free to watch ad-based library of movies and TV shows in its Google Play Movies app in the near future, multiple reports have suggested. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/33NGcGG

Microsoft has published a new Xbox extension for Microsoft Edge that blurs the lines between working from home and sneaking a peek into your favorite game streams. And hey, who says your web browser can’t have a little fun? The new Xbox New Tab extension for the new Microsoft Edge alters Edge’s layout schemes from its mix of inspirational and informational new-tab screens to add a fourth option: scenes and art from popular Xbox games, as well as quick links to popular game streams. (Oddly, all of the featured streams that were displayed linked to Twitch, but there’s also a dedicated shortcut to Microsoft’s own Mixer service.) To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Jh4e3u

While you won’t be getting a new version of Chrome or Chrome OS for a while due to the coronavirus outbreak, Google has announced upcoming  changes to its Terms of Service, effective March 31 , that “make it easier for you to understand what we can expect from each other.” It’s the first time since October, 2017 that Google has updated the terms of service, and because you probably don’t want to read through the whole thing, we’ve summarized the important changes for you. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2vSNWL4

As convenience goes, wireless charging can’t be beat. You simply drop your phone onto the charger and walk away. Gone is the headache of managing cables that inevitably break or get lost. Until recently, the main drawback to wireless chargers has been slow adoption and slow charging. This style of charging is still not ubiquitous, but you can now find Samsung, LG, Sony, and Moto phones that support it on the Android side, and Apple has adopted it for its iPhone lineup as well. And the technology itself is finally reaching a point where its speed is easier to live with, too. Now that it’s a good time to go out and grab a stand or pad, we’ve tested some of the most popular models out there for both Android and iPhone, and discovered our favorites among the bunch. Read on for our findings, and check back periodically for our latest updates. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2yIDtQa

Both the iOS and Android versions of the YouTube Music app now display song lyrics, although real-time lyrics aren't supported yet. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WIJucT

ATSC 3.0 (or Next Gen TV) is coming to replace today's over-the-air broadcasts, but it's still very early days. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WHuw6M

As a long-time freelancer and work-from-homer, I’ve owned a lot of routers in my quest for the speediest and most pervasive possible Wi-Fi. I had the original Apple Airport, followed by the AirPort Extreme , the Linksys WRT3200ACM , and most recently, the Netgear Orbi RBK50 . Update 3/25: Newegg is selling the Orbi WiFi 6 router for $550 today Remove non-product link , taking $150 off the MSRP with code 3FNMDS36. This version is slightly better than the model I own and wrote about here, with 1.2Gbps of bandwidth on the 2.5Ghz network versus 900Mbps on the Costco model I bought. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UzM02r

If you’ve been itching to try out the Galaxy S20’s best features but don’t want to drop a ton of money on a new phone right now, you’ll soon have your chance. As part of a global update rolling out this month , Galaxy S10 and Note 10 users will gain a variety of software enhancements that were previously exclusive to the S20. The most interesting is Single Take, a new shooting mode that takes some of the guesswork out of shooting. Instead of waiting for the right moment and tapping the shutter, Single Take captures more than a dozen photos and videos at once and automatically chooses the best shots. All you need to do is record video of a scene for up to 10 seconds and the AI will do all the work. Your mileage will most certainly vary, but when it works, it’s a delightful feature not unlike one you’d find on your Pixel or iPhone. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QJYdAm

No graphics card? No problem. Image by Cuphead PC gaming is often synonymous with performance. Tech specs, frame rates, resolutions, settings menus—we dedicate thousands and thousands of words to these topics, spend hours obsessing over the details. But for every person running Crysis there’s another fending off an upgrade and squeezing the last ounces of power out of their older or low-end desktop PC, or someone valiantly trying to game on a hand-me-down non-gaming laptop. This list is for you folks. Below, you’ll find a list of games that any PC can play. Or at least any from the last decade. Probably. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QIb3yU

India’s biggest video streaming platforms in Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others are now either defaulting or locking to standard-definition (SD) video resolution on mobile networks in India, with more people at home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3ajiRz8

Google Podcasts app might be coming to iOS devices soon with the recent redesign that Google released for its Android version. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2JjCLxP

The Fiora Ultimate Wireless Desk Charger looks sleek, and frankly, pretty darn cool. It’s a small square slab of glass that has a premium quality to it. The bottom and edges of the pad are made of aluminum. The power port is found on the back edge of the pad, while the front edge features an indicator light that’s green whenever the pad has power, and blue when it’s wirelessly charging a device. Note: This review is part of our roundup of wireless charging pads . Go there for details on competing products and our testing methods for both Android phones and iPhones. Looks are only part of the story, however. I put the Desk Charger through our standardized testing process, and the results were surprising. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dr49YJ

I've encountered a few drawbacks in the year since I cut the cable TV cord. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3aj5HCe

A high price tag and a rough-around-the-edges app keep Securam’s first consumer lock from being a runaway success. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UBh8yw

Keys are yesterday’s tech, your smart home needs a smart door lock. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2YDNspc

Microsoft said Tuesday that it is making several educational activities normally reserved for its Minecraft: Education Edition available to the “Bedrock” editions found on the PC, Xbox, and other platforms—all for free. It’s a recognition that kids may be stuck at home for weeks waiting out the coronavirus, stuck in an odd limbo between vacation and “learning from home.” To help, Microsoft has taken a number of lessons from its Minecraft: Education Edition and made them free to download until June 30, all as part of a new “Education” category. (Normally, Minecraft: EE content is specific to the classroom, with specific activities for students.) Not only are there ways for kids to explore the inner workings of the human eye, or take a tour of the International Space Station, but the company has also thrown in 10 worlds from its creator community for free. Creators Everbloom, Jigarbov, Lifeboat, Razzleberries, and others have added worlds themed around re...

By default, YouTube will begin lowering the quality of its streams around the world to standard definition, reflecting the reality that the more people stream, the greater the toll that video places on internet infrastructure. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll be cut off from HD streams. YouTube told Bloomberg that while the SD option will be on by default, you can still manually dial up a stream’s resolution by adjusting settings. Just click on the Settings gear at the lower right-hand corner of the video, choose the Quality button, and select the resolution you want to stream. The default resolution change will begin rolling out on Tuesday and will be in effect for the next 30 days, YouTube said. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UAGTPk

Wyze is breaking into the world of fitness tech with a new $25 band and $20 activity tracker. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2J9I6rt

The new iPad Pro brings a speedier chip, better microphones, and a new camera array, but early reviewers find little actual reason to upgrade if you already have one. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2vLQ0EB

Google Play Protection was unable to detect Tekya malware lurking in 56 apps, Check Point research has claimed. The app also cloned several apps with the malware installed in it. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2Ug546F

Worth the price of admission Image by Respawn There was a time when “free-to-play” was a dirty term in the games industry. There are  still  terrible, exploitative free-to-play games on the market—more every day, in fact. But occasionally— occasionally —we get something...miraculous. We get a free-to-play game that doesn’t try to con players out of money or make the design intentionally boring in order to make those purchasable unlocks more exciting. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2wy8Sar

Google and South Korean tech major LG are likely to skip the top tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 platform this year for their smartphones as the cost of the chipset is too high. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3agkIV7

As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, your Apple, Android, and Fitbit smartwatch can help you monitor potential symptoms. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3aeI5OV

If you’re stuck at home and stressing out about the coronavirus crisis, these soothing Spotify playlists can help lower your blood pressure. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UgHx5H

Should you buy a new laptop right now? That’s a particularly tricky question this spring—not because of the coronavirus, but because both AMD and Intel are coming out with new mobile CPUs within the next few months. AMD’s Ryzen 4000 CPUs  promise to do for laptops what its first Ryzen CPUs did for desktops: finally give Intel processors a real fight. Meanwhile, Intel’s  10th-gen Comet Lake H laptop CPU is expected to arrive before AMD’s Ryzen 4000, perhaps to get a leg up on a tough competitor.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dsR7tC

Amazon is unfortunately pushing back the Amazon Prime shipping dates of many items, a consequence of its new priority on “essential” household goods. If you haven’t already stocked your home office, this means the tech you may need for your new work-from-home setup may be delayed by a month or more, at least via Amazon. There are alternatives, though, including good old brick-and-mortar stores.  Some Amazon tech products are delayed for weeks Dig deep enough into the tech bins on Amazon’s site, and you’ll see listings like this dual-HDMI USB-C hub Remove non-product link , a perfect addition for a dual-display work-from-home setup. The hub, listed as in stock and Fulfilled by Amazon, will ship to Prime members in about a month, on Tuesday, April 21. That appears to be the case for many tech products across the site. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39eyC98

You can use Alexa on your Amazon Echo to make calls without a mobile number or landline? Here's how. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2lO8Q8H

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 from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2VSMkbh

It’s hard to know how to review a game like Half-Life: Alyx . So much is expected of it. For Half-Life fans it’s the culmination of a decade-plus wait, not quite the sequel people want but at least a sign of life from a series long-dormant. Fans of virtual reality likewise pinned their hopes on Alyx to reinvigorate flagging interest in the platform and prove its worth. Can you divorce a game from its context? And if not, then how can you possibly review a game like Alyx ? Could it ever be enough? Playing through Alyx this past week, I found myself vacillating between the two by the hour—and sometimes by the minute. Having finished, I think Half-Life fans will be pretty damn excited. I’m less sold on Alyx as VR’s savior, though. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Ucc3gX

Amazon has removed the Prime paywall for dozens of popular family-friendly shows. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dpYlP6

The new Profile Picker for Amazon Prime Video supports up to six profiles, although it's not available in all territories yet. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WC2OID

While Zoom publishes a straightforward document on how to use dual monitors with the Zoom desktop client , in our experience, the process can be more complex. Because some apps may not work the way you want them to on default, you’ll likely need to make a few further changes. We’ll describe below the issues we encountered and the workarounds we found. We have reached out to Zoom for comment, but have not heard back as of this posting.  For starters, this is the default view you get from using Microsoft’s PowerPoint 365 on a dual-screen setup where you get duplicate screens. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ag5Xll

Google is bringing the highly-demanded queues and auto downloading features with the Google Podcasts update. The update has started rolling out for some users, while a complete rollout is expected in the coming few weeks. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2Uw1ZOY

Nvidia announced DLSS 2.0 on Monday, taking its revolutionary Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology to the next level.  Ray tracing may get all the headlines (and the DirectX 12 Ultimate integration ), but it’s only part of the appeal for GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards. DLSS taps  the dedicated tensor cores inside the cutting-edge GPUs , using their machine learning chops to boost frames rates and increase the resolution you’re able to play at—a key complement to ray tracing, as the lighting technology severely taxes performance when it’s active. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2J5FpaD

Marshall's Tufton Bluetooth speaker certainly invokes the brand name, as well as delivering decent sound with a lot of thump, but the price is a bit steep and there's a caveat concerning stereo. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2JakNxK

The LG Gram 14-inch laptop we tested may not be the fastest we’ve seen, but with its Intel Core i7 Comet Lake CPU, it offers solid mainstream performance in a durable 2-in-1 design. It also boasts a bright full-HD display with impressive viewing angles. The Gram really comes into its own in the battery life department, making it a great choice for productivity-minded professionals who don’t want to be tied down by an AC adapter. You'll see us compare it to two other convertibles we've reviewed recently—the budget-friendly Lenovo Yoga C740 (currently $790 on Lenovo.com ) and the similarly priced Lenovo Yoga C940 14 (currently $1,430 from Microsoft.com ). Both those competitors earned high ratings from us (as does the LG Gram) and are well worth considering, but the Gram beats them both on battery life.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39ced4z

These cans put you in the sonic picture with three-dimensional clarity, but you might not like wearing them for long stretches (though a fix may be in the works). from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WIxXdg

Emma , The Invisible Man , Birds of Prey , and more will be available to rent or buy from streaming services way ahead of schedule. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2J1XfLH

Try these options when you want to mirror iPhone or iPad content on a bigger screen. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WwTSEh

Google said on Saturday it launched a United States-focused website with information about coronavirus guidance and testing, as the country works on slowing the spread of the highly contagious virus. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/395riMV

Google has announced to completely cancel its flagship "I/O 2020" conference, saying the digital-only event has also been put off. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/33y4SD0

YouTube has unveiled a fresh effort to stem the spread of coronavirus misinformation with a "news shelf" on its homepage promoting "authoritative content." from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2wqm5SE

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung , Brad Chacos , and Adam Patrick Murray talk DirectX 12 Ultimate and PlayStation 5 spec reveal. We kick things off with Microsoft's big news on DirectX 12 Ultimate , which promises to marry Xbox Series X to PC gaming. If you want to know whether you have a DirectX 12 Ultimate card or not, watch this episode, above. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2U8bgOg

We all know webcam zombies—people who may look normal walking down the street, but who, when they sit in front of a webcam for a videoconference, look ghastly. This issue is coming up more frequently as more people work from home or work remotely, and haven't thought about how they look onscreen. The problem could be the lighting. It could be their sloppy clothing choices. It could be the junk piled in the background that you’d just as soon not see. In any case, they look like someone you’d rather avoid than engage in a web chat. I didn’t know I was one, until a colleague sent me a screenshot of how I looked online (see above). Yeah, pretty horrifying. I knew I couldn’t keep that look and also keep my clients. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UsJXgB

Apple's new MacBook Air is making its way into the wild and the first impressions are in. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QA2UMW

Due to the coronavirus and social distancing, traditional video watch parties are off the table right now—but you can still safely view movies and TV shows with loved ones. Thanks to the efforts of a few great developers, you can stream movies and TV shows together in perfect sync by installing a simple browser extension on your laptop or desktop computer.  Of the options out there, TwoSeven stands out as my favorite in the bunch. This add-on is the most versatile, with support for Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Vimeo, other web-based streaming sites (like Crunchyroll), and even files stored locally on a computer. You can use it in both Firefox and Chrome, and the interface even has built-in audio and video chat for sharing reactions in real time. It feels as close as you can get to having an in-person gathering. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2U7E1dV

Microsoft has announced DirectX 12 Ultimate, a new version of the graphics technology underpinning both Windows and the upcoming Xbox Series X. Unveiled on Thursday, it’s one of many announcements originally scheduled for GDC 2020 that are carrying on despite the show’s cancellation. Nvidia shared details of what to expect before Microsoft’s official presentation, and it’s easy to see why: Even though Microsoft’s next-gen console is powered by AMD , DirectX 12 Ultimate enshrines several innovative technologies first introduced by GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards as a new industry standard—one that now spans both PCs and consoles, earning it the “Ultimate” name. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2xWJTxV

Creating a custom, AI-driven background in the Zoom videoconferencing app is a great way to hide background clutter while working from home. But with a couple of extra steps, you can go crazy with custom video backgrounds and have some fun, too! Normally, a webcam shows just what it sees: you, your kitchen table, maybe an unkempt desk in the background. But Zoom, like Microsoft Teams, can use custom backgrounds that completely obscure all that background clutter. After enabling that background, the only thing the camera will see is your face, like this: Mark Hachman / IDG Zoom's AI-generated backgrounds are pretty seamless with a good PC. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2WzgkN5

Google is honouring Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis who first realised the medical importance of washing hands. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2woBbbk

A new Google Hangouts Meet update from Google improves the learning experience and gives more authority to teachers and HODs who are taking classes or heading meetings via Google’s Hangouts. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2wgTv6i

Never. Stop. Moving.  Stillness is death, and the only way forward is through—through the thousands of demons trying to stop you, for you are the Slayer, and it is your job to Slay. And so you dash into the fray wielding your shotgun like a hammer of the gods, doling out judgment to the wicked and the nonbelievers. Dash.  Boom . Dash.  Boom . The shots are deafening, and your eyes begin to burn from forgetting to blink. Your palms sweat. You leap up, rip a Cacodemon’s eye out. You land, and cut an Imp in half with a chainsaw. You spin and shoot the turret off an Arachnotron, then force its spiked foot into its own face. All the forces of Hell fall before you, for you are Wrath, and you are Eternal. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3a4ZDwU

Great home entertainment doesn’t need to be expensive. You can watch these picks that our resident film critic recommends for free. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3a6T4Kn

As a long-time freelancer and work-from-homer, I’ve owned a lot of routers in my quest for the speediest and most pervasive possible Wi-Fi. I had the original Apple Airport, followed by the AirPort Extreme , the Linksys WRT3200ACM , and most recently, the Netgear Orbi RBK50 . Each time I replaced my router, the speeds and coverage boost was measurable but relatively muted. The jump from 801.11n (Wi-Fi 4) to 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) was noticeable, but not monumental. And upgrading to a mesh router was easy, but it didn’t deliver a huge leap in coverage over the bridged Airport routers I was using previously (I had configured one Airport as a router, and a second as a range extender). When I wanted a speed boost, I paid for a higher-speed tier from my ISP. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/392Cv0J

Teamfight Tactics, the popular League of Legends auto battler from Riot Games, has finally arrived on the mobile platform with cross-play support in tow. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3bdrYBw

The Camera Go app will be available in 28 countries at launch, and it will arrive first on the Nokia 1.3 phone. More Android Go devices are slated to get the new camera app eventually. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3deAIsF

Microsoft has announced DirectX 12 Ultimate, a new version of the graphics technology underpinning both Windows and the upcoming Xbox Series X. Unveiled on Thursday, it’s one of many announcements originally scheduled for GDC 2020 that are carrying on despite the show’s cancellation. Nvidia shared details of what to expect before Microsoft’s official presentation, and it’s easy to see why: Even though Microsoft’s next-gen console is powered by AMD , DirectX 12 Ultimate enshrines several innovative technologies first introduced by GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards as a new industry standard. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2wk3aJ2

As companies and countries around the world battle to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has announced on Twitter that his company will be helping in a big way. Even though there has been “incredible demand” for Razer products, Tan said, the company has converted some of its factory lines to make masks instead of mice and keyboards. Tan says the company plans to manufacture and donate up to a million masks “to the health authorities of different countries globally” beginning with its home base of Singapore. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ddpLaZ

The second developer preview of Android 11 hints at the arrival of Fast Share, Google’s own take on Apple’s AirDrop feature for file transfer. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2x72yGQ

”Mute your phone!” If you’ve ever been on a conference call, you know how annoying background noise can be. Microsoft said Thursday that Microsoft Teams will do something about it, part of a raft of new features the company will roll out over the course of the year.  Of immediate importance to Teams users are four new features: real-time noise suppression, a “raise hand” feature, offline and low-bandwidth support features, and the ability to “pop out” a chat into a separate window. Microsoft said the chat feature is coming “soon.” “As you know we’re using Teams each day, and it’s how I stay connected,” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, in a prerecorded conversation shared with reporters. “It’s so easy to...stay focused on the documents you’re collaborating on, conduct these calls and meetings. I’ve been living pretty much the last couple of weeks on Teams and chat.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2xS76RU

With most employees now working from home, Google has paused the upcoming releases of Chrome and Chrome Operating System (OS) and decided to keep the existing and essential software up and running globally. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/33va6ze

The iPad Pro brings a mess of new features that users have been dying for, but there are still some that it leaves off. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3bf4Oe5

Mouse reviews are extremely subjective. I’d argue that they’re the most subjective hardware reviews we do at PCWorld, and that makes them some of the toughest. Sure, I can tell you if anything is obviously busted, rattle off some facts about the sensor and the number of buttons. But that doesn’t really tell you much. It’s the shape that matters, the feel of the mouse in your hand. You don’t really know how a mouse performs until you give it a spin—and unfortunately the rise of the internet has made that difficult. Where do you go to try a mouse before buying? Enter Zowie with an ingenious idea: It brings the mice to you. Note: This review is part of our  roundup   of best g aming mice . Go there for details on competing products and how we tested them. A mouse for all seasons It’s not a new idea, obviously. The internet is rife with these sorts of schemes, be it for clothing, jewelry, glasses, skincare products, and so on. The move from retail stores to a shippin...

"Watch together" apps: How to watch Netflix, YouTube, and more with faraway friends. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33v5vwV

Want to improve the overall camera performance on your Redmi Note 9 Pro? Follow this guide to know how you can install the latest Google Camera apk and make the most out of your phone’s camera. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3dcmXuQ

Google has announced new ways to further protect its Advanced Protection Program. It will limit third party installs and automatically turn on Play Protect. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/396TChP

From Chrome extension Netflix Party to virtual environments in Plex VR, here’s how you can watch Netflix, YouTube, Facebook and more together with friends as you practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2xTQpFP

GOG.com wants to help you keep your sanity while everyone’s sheltering in place, so the DRM-free platform’s handing out a whole lot of oldies-but-goodies for free—27 of them (Fun fact: GOG.com started out as Good Old Games). These should scratch your nostalgia itch, and the vast majority should run on the integrated graphics of even the most modest modern laptops. “Even if the sun is shining and the flowers have already started to bloom where you live, health and safety are on everybody’s mind right now,” the new ‘ Stay at home and play some games ’ landing page says. “Closing the shades and playing video games can be one of the good ways to relax and pass the time when you stay at home. We’re here to help you choose your next great adventure with this selection of free games from our catalog and a massive Spring Sale running until March 30th.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3b5lg0e

Intel said Wednesday that it has completed “Pohoiki Springs,” the name for its network of 768 of its Loihi neuromorphic “brain chips.” The company will use Pohoiki Springs for machine learning applications, including a possible look at how the coronavirus spreads. The launch of Pohoiki Springs comes a bit later than expected . Intel’s roadmap that it established last July called for it to be delivered to researchers by the end of the year. Mike Davies, director of Intel’s Neuromorphic Computing Lab, described Pohoiki Springs as having the computational intelligence of about a mole rat, with the equivalent of 100 million neurons inside of it.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3a4SWLe

While the growing coronavirus crisis forces the cancellation of one concert after another, musicians have taken to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to bring their fans together. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Uhrymz

Sony pulled back the curtain on key technical details about the forthcoming PlayStation 5 in a streamed presentation  on Wednesday. Add to that an early access deep dive by Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry  launched simultaneously, and well, it’s all mighty interesting. Like Microsoft’s Xbox Series X , Sony’s next-gen console is powered by a custom AMD chip with Ryzen CPU cores and next-gen Radeon “RDNA2” graphics cores. The PlayStation 5 also taps into yet another cutting-edge AMD technology being introduced in Ryzen 4000 laptops to provide more oomph intelligently, where it’s needed most. There’s nothing quite like it in desktop PCs or Microsoft’s console. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33xs9Vt

Chances are you’re trapped inside right now. I am, here in San Francisco, and while nothing can truly dispel the anxiety that stems from the current global situation, video games can certainly help mitigate the boredom. Luckily, you’re about to get a lot of free video games—or at least a lot of demos—thanks to the Steam Game Festival: Spring Edition. It’s the second Steam Game Festival, following on from the one last December . Geoff Keighley helped organize that first iteration as a promotion for his annual Game Awards showcase, calling it a “a first-of-its-kind digital consumer event that brings the magic of hands-on gameplay demos to fans around the world.” People could download and trial about a dozen games, including SkateBird , System Shock , Eastward , Spiritfarer , and more. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2xPfkdu

The new iPad Pro may look a lot like its predecessor, but it brings a ton of changes to Apple's tablet. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UhiMoL