Must Have Products

Google is rolling out a new editor for Google Photos that will have machine learning-powered automatic one-tap suggestions, granular controls, and a cleaner interface. The updated app will be available for Android devices. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2SdWt2z

Google has introduced a new ‘Hold for Me’ feature on Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G phones enabling users to use their time productively, while waiting on call for a customer support representative. Called ‘Hold for Me’, this feature does the waiting for the user and notifies them when a representative finally comes on the call. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GeEdnp

Pixel 4a will be launched in India on October 17 and will go on sale via Flipkart, Google has announced on Twitter. The phone was originally unveiled in early August as a successor to the Pixel 3a that debuted in May last year. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2HIkDjL

The Pixel 5 arrived Wednesday at Google's Launch Night In event, actually a few weeks earlier than expected in a year when the pandemic is delaying smartphone launches left and right. But the September launch isn’t the only thing that’s different. With the Pixel 5, Google is redefining what it means to be a flagship phone. This latest iteration isn't the most premium and definitely not the most expensive. But it is the most Google-y, and perhaps that's exactly what Google intended.  A flagship that's not premium The Pixel 5 goes against the 'flagship phone' trend in some fundamental ways. It's cheaper than the Pixel 4. It's even missing some of the next-gen features that made the Pixel 4 interesting. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33fp79S

An update to the original Google Home, the Nest Audio speaker comes with a list of acoustic upgrades for a better music listening experience, apart from a slimmer profile. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3n8dOrS

Chromecast with Google TV has been launched and brings a bunch of changes and improvements over the previous generation Chromecast. The new generation Chromecast is more akin to Amazon Fire TV or Roku as it brings an Android TV interface and not just the ability to cast media on your TV. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GlqNWo

Chromecast with Google TV also promises smart home integration with Nest cameras and doorbells. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3n4A467

Google Pixel 5 has been launched as the tech giant’s 2020 flagship phone. The new Pixel phone comes alongside the Pixel 4a 5G that is a 5G version of the Pixel 4a. Both the new smartphones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC and include Titan M security chip. The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G both come with dual rear cameras as well as an 8-megapixel selfie came... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2G4BRaQ

We put popular Bluetooth wireless and true wireless earbud models through their paces to find the best in the bunch. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3iOPOIn

At long last, Microsoft is ready to address the most significant shortcoming of Windows on ARM devices: the inability to run the common 64-bit code for X86 chips. In a blog post on Wednesday, Microsoft said that 64-bit support was due in November, though only as part of its Insider beta program. When completed, it will allow Windows on ARM PCs to run every application that an X86 PC with an Intel or AMD chip inside it can run. “We are excited about the momentum we are seeing from app partners embracing Windows 10 on ARM, taking advantage of the power and performance benefits of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors,” Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, wrote in the  post . “We heard your feedback and are making Microsoft Edge faster while using less battery, and announced that we will soon release a  native Microsoft Teams client optimized for Windows 10 on ARM . We will also expand support for running x64 apps, with x64 emulation starting to roll out to the Windows I...

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung , Brad Chacos , and Adam Patrick Murray  are joined by special guest Brian Stroh of BPS Customs , an excellent YouTube channel devoted to PC reviews and abundant build videos chock full of practical insights. Brian joins the gang in discussing crashing woes with Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards, AMD Zen 3 rumors, and plenty of Q&A. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3kZb2TX

The new Apple Watch SE is a solid smartwatch at a good price, but its main purpose is to make the Series 6 look even more attractive. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ju8sW1

What a month. After the uneven ebb of product announcements through spring and summer, companies let loose in September. It’s a lot to take in, so we’ve pared down the highlights to the best of the bunch. We’ve also included a few products that launched this month—you’ll want to act fast since shortages are a real thing these days. The last 30 days saw a torrent of announcements, leaks that turned into official reveals, products launching without prior notice—and even announcements of upcoming announcements. (Yes, that happened.) The biggest news of course was Nvidia’s new RTX 30-series graphics cards, followed closely by AMD’s reveal of its upcoming Zen 3 and Radeon 6000-series...announcements? launches?...in October.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3l1g6ax

China is preparing to launch an antitrust probe into Alphabet Inc's Google, looking into allegations it has leveraged the dominance of its Android mobile operating system to stifle competition, two people familiar with the matter said. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33dVOo4

AirVPN in brief: P2P allowed:  Yes Business location:  Italy Number of servers:  240 Number of country locations:  21 Cost:  $58 (billed annually) VPN protocol:  OpenVPN Data encryption:  AES-256 Control channel:  TLS-DHE-RSA-WITH-AES-256-GCM-SHA384 In the past few years, we’ve covered most of the well-known VPN services, with the exception of AirVPN. A popular choice among privacy advocates, AirVPN was founded by “a very small group of activists, hacktivists, hackers in 2010.” While it doesn’t quite rise to the level of privacy and anonymity we’ve seen from other services, AirVPN is a very good service. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/36pAAG5

With real-world range of more 300 feet indoors and 1,000-plus feet out, this LoRa-based hub works in situations where better-known technologies won’t. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/34adQa9

“ Why are gaming phones still a thing? ” That’s what my colleague Michael Simon pondered after the recent releases of the Asus ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, and it’s a fair question to ask. When the Razer Phone created the “gaming phone” market in 2017, it rolled out with unique features rarely—if ever—seen in smartphones: a high refresh rate screen, binned processors, copper vapor chambers, and in-your-face “gamer” aesthetics. But in the years since, many of those “gaming” features have trickled down to mainstream phones like the Samsung Galaxy and various OnePlus models . Again: Why are gaming phones still a thing? To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ijIC5o

Microsoft's Bing, PrivacyWall and Info.com were among the search engines that won a quarterly auction by Alphabet's Google to show up as search options on new Android devices in 31 European countries. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GjdiGS

Google Messages may soon categorise your SMS messages into various categories. According to various screenshots shared on Twitter, the Google Messages app may soon get categories like Personal, Transactional, OTP (one-time password), among others to segregate the types of texts that a user receives. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GpeQPj

Google is extending its unlimited time (up to 24 hours) video calls policy on Google Meet till March 31, 2021. Google had earlier set September 30 as the deadline for free users to conduct video calls on the app for longer than 60 minutes but is now extending the policy until March next year. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3cGUeya

Google Chromecast with Google TV is expected to be launched today alongside the new Pixel devices, but some retailers in the US are already selling the device before launch. As a result, the new software and features have been shown off extensively. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3nbATKD

Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4a 5G phones are all set to launch today. The tech giant is hosting a virtual event titled ‘Launch Night In’ and a new smart speaker and Chromecast are teased to be introduced as well. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3ifUC87

Google said Tuesday that it would extend the period during which customers could make unlimited calls using Google Meet until March 31, 2021, ending speculation that it would end the free period on September 30. While that might be good news for those who use Meet casually to keep in touch with friends and family, one feature seems to have disappeared: the ability to record and archive Meet calls to Google Drive, which Google had offered for free as part of its original offer. Unlimited Google Meet calls will still be available to anyone with a Gmail account, regardless of whether they belong to a G Suite plan. “As we look ahead to a holiday season with less travel and important milestones like family reunions, PTA meetings and weddings hosted over video, we want to continue helping those who rely on Meet to stay in touch over the coming months,” Google said in a blog post . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2S78cA0

Over the weekend, forums around the Internet exploded with news of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 crashing in games for some users, followed by (very informed) speculation by Igor Wallossek at Igor’s Lab that part of the issue could by caused by the capacitors used on various custom boards. Read our explainer on the GeForce RTX 3080 crashing issues if you want to know more. On Monday morning, Nvidia released new GeForce Game Ready drivers that appear to fix the stability issues. We were able to test the drivers on a on a troublesome RTX 3080 graphics card in PCWorld’s possession. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33b6tjq

Up to seven people can join a Disney+ GroupWatch session at a time, but everyone in the group must be a Disney+ subscriber. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ie8LCT

Alphabet's Google is set to win EU antitrust approval for its $2.1 billion acquisition of fitness tracker maker Fitbit with its latest concessions to address EU antitrust concerns, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3nbJcWK

Google is set to launch the next generation of Pixel phones at its Launch Night In event at 2pm ET on Wednesday . Google has already teased that two phones will be releasing: the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G, which is a 5G-equipped version of the 4a that launched earlier this year. But while the Pixel 5 is supposed to be a surprise, we already know a lot about it. Keep reading to find out about the new display, design, camera and more. Pixel 5: Design and display Each new Pixel phone has previously introduced a new design language for Google’s handsets. Recent renders shared by Evan Blass have suggested, however, that the Pixel 5 is going to take its inspiration from the Pixel 4a, with a hole-punch camera, slimmer bezels, and a square camera array. Not that we’re complaining—the Pixel 4a is one of the nicest handsets designs Google has ever shipped . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/346Yi7c

Yes, that is a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano in your laptop bag. You probably just didn't realize it because the laptop weighs barely two pounds.  The ThinkPad X1 Nano is officially the lightest ThinkPad ever built. Lenovo said it managed to squeeze the weight out of the Nano by using a combination of carbon fiber and magnesium-aluminum in the die-cast chassis. "New technology and materials" in the keyboard and cooler also shave off some ounces. The ThinkPad X1 Nano will be available before the end of the year with prices starting at $1,399. Lightweight typically means less performance, but Lenovo taps Intel's new 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPU to power the ThinkPad X1 Nano. The company didn't say which specific chip, but it is a Core i7 with Iris Xe. That tells us the laptop's maximum of 16GB of LPDDR4X is configured for dual-channel, as you can't get get an Iris Xe badge without the higher-performance memory configuration. To read this article in full, please c...

The first foldable PC, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Remove non-product link , goes on preorder Tuesday, the company announced, and is due to ship by the end of the year. The price: $2,499. Perhaps not too much to ask for the right to be among the first—and the ThinkPad X1 Fold is really a long list of firsts. We’ll highlight just some of them here, and list the specs at the end. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3cFV26p

ThinkBook may be Lenovo’s lower-cost option for small and medium-sized businesses, but the line is nevertheless keeping right in step with the times by offering the latest Intel Tiger Lake and AMD Ryzen 4000 CPUs. Announced Tuesday, all models are due to ship over October and November, with prices ranging from $549 to $939. For this story we're focusing on the ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i, which offers a unique and handy new feature. Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i: The earbud drawer Buy Lenovo’s ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i and you’ll probably never lose your Bluetooth headset again. Lenovo has cleverly created an optional drawer in the 15-inch laptop that lets you store and charge wireless earbuds. Not any earbuds—just Lenovo’s own, which you have to buy—but it’s still a nifty idea.   To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/36hUl1V

Google Meet is rolling out noise cancellation feature for its Android and iOS apps. The feature automatically filters out background noise from your device’s audio input, while still letting your voice through. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3n0gVSG

Android 12 will make it easier to use third-party app stores, Google has announced through a blog post. The Android maker has also updated its payments policy to emphasise on the requirements for enabling in-app purchases. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33gHewp

Google on Monday sought to rebut criticism that it selectively enforces its 30 percent Play Store tax, demanding that the over 3 percent apps selling digital items without complying follow the rules within a year. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3jcQabj

Editor's Note: As of 9:00 PM, Microsoft says that the service outage has been resolved. "Any users still experiencing impact should be mitigated shortly.," the company said in a tweet . The original story follows.  If you’ve been unable to connect to Microsoft’s services, you’re not alone. Microsoft is suffering through an outage that has taken down Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and others. If you  are connected, don’t be tempted to disconnect just to see what’s going on, Microsoft warns. Microsoft’s Office.com  portal health site  shows that Outlook.com still remains down, though other consumer services remain unaffected. The Microsoft 365 service page , showing the status of Microsoft’s business services, notes that Microsoft Teams may also be affected, along with its related services.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/342kbo4

If you’ve been unable to connect to Microsoft’s services, you’re not alone. Microsoft is suffering through an outage that has taken down Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and others. If you  are connected, don’t be tempted to disconnect just to see what’s going on, Microsoft warns. Microsoft’s Office.com  portal health site  shows that Outlook.com still remains down, though other consumer services remain unaffected. The Microsoft 365 service page , showing the status of Microsoft’s business services, notes that Microsoft Teams may also be affected, along with its related services.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33bUq5G

Over the weekend, forums around the Internet exploded with news of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 crashing in games for some users, followed by (very informed) speculation by Igor Wallossek at Igor’s Lab that part of the issue could by caused by the capacitors used on various custom boards. Read our explainer on the GeForce RTX 3080 crashing issues if you want to know more. On Monday morning, Nvidia released new GeForce Game Ready drivers that appear to fix the stability issues. We were able to test the drivers on a on a troublesome RTX 3080 graphics card in PCWorld's possession. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3kNmeDg

TiVo vs. Tablo vs. Channel Master vs. Plex: None are ideal, but one might work for you. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2GKVRh9

Prime Day, Amazon’s summer shopping event, will return for a sixth year, starting on Oct 13 . The sales last two days—and deals have already begun . If 2020 is anything like last year, we’ll see deals on over a million products on Amazon sites around the world. Interested? Deal hunters should be able to track all the action via the company’s Prime Day landing page Remove non-product link . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2LsTRfd

Nvidia’s long-awaited GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards are finally here, and these Ampere GPU-powered beasts are staggeringly potent. Unfortunately, some buyers lucky enough to score one of these hotly desired graphics cards have encountered stability issues that result in some games crashing to the desktop, and deeper analysis has led to speculation that the hardware some vendors used for their custom cards could be to blame. Should you be worried about the RTX 3080 crashing? Are some graphics cards more unstable than others? It’s complicated, but here’s what you need to know about the GeForce RTX 3080 crashing issues. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ifojWF

The UPS protects sensitive electronics from power surges and produces a pure sine wave while operating on battery power in the event of a blackout. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/33cb4C9

Ludwig Göransson is also responsible for the music in the films ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Tenet.’ from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3kTtJsf

The Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 will get Intel’s hot new 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPU . Announced Monday, Dell said both models will go on sale September 30. The XPS 13 9310 will start at $999, and the XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 will start at $1,249. The Dell XPS 13 9310 looks the same on the outside, and that’s a good thing. It features a taller 16:10 aspect ratio. Its 13.4-inch screen comes in three flavors: Ultra 4K+ with touch, 1920x1200 with touch or 1920x1200 without. All three are rated at 500 nits’ brightness and feature blue-reducing Eyesafe technology, Dolby Vision and 178-degree wide-angle viewing. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/339drpa

The Lenovo Flex 5G is the first laptop capable of tapping into 5G networks—Verizon’s, in this case—and unleashing cellular download speeds that will leave your Wi-Fi router in the dust. Even better, the Flex 5G’s battery will last you all day, and then some. The Flex’s crazy battery life comes at a price, though. This 14-inch, 2-in-1 laptop ( $1,400 at Verizon ) tips the scales at nearly three pounds, while its Snapdragon 8cx 5G CPU chugs during some everyday computing tasks. We were less than impressed with the Flex 5G’s shallow keyboard. Finally, you’ll need to consider Verizon’s still-sketchy 5G coverage area (in just 36 cities so far), as well as the slew of competing 5G laptops that are poised to go on the market. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/36bRWWz

After two years of waiting, Nvidia’s ferocious GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards are here, starting with the highest-end options. Now that the dust has settled, enthusiasts may be wondering: Should I buy the $700 GeForce RTX 3080 , or the $1,500 GeForce RTX 3090 ? We’ve reviewed several models of each, and after hours of hands-on testing, we have the answers you need. Bottom line? It depends on what you’re planning to use them for. Here are our quick-hit recommendations. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3iamk6a

Some of us just never got over our love of pens and pencils, and Samsung’s latest Note 20 phones are here to scratch that itch. They cost a pretty penny ($1,300 for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra), but now you can do even more useful things with the S Pen stylus, assuming you can sort out the myriad features Samsung bundles with the phones. Here are eight awesome features of Samsung’s new S Pen to get you started. Air Actions Air Actions, one of Samsung’s signature S Pen features, is back on the Note 20 with even more functionality. You can use the S Pen button to launch the camera (long-press) and snap photos (short-press). It also supports more apps including, Samsung AR Doodle, Samsung Gallery, Snapchat, and Spotify. The gestures vary by app, so make sure to check the details under Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > Air actions . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/30cFLoG

Google's video chat platform Google Meet has announced that after September 30, free versions of Meet will be limited to meetings no longer than 60 minutes. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3czbEgi

Google plans to push harder for developers to give the company a cut of in-app purchases through its Play app store, according to people with knowledge of the move. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3mShMoD

Alphabet's Google will block election ads on its platform after the US election on November 3, a company spokeswoman said on Friday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3kPqAKa

Alphabet on Friday announced moves to address sexual misconduct at Google and its other operating divisions, putting in place changes worked out to settle a lawsuit filed by shareholders. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3cvPL1n

Roku Streaming Stick vs. Amazon Fire Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Apple TV, and more. Which streaming device is best for cord cutters? Our buying guide will help you pick the right accessories for your TV. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2OspOn7

Two long years after the GeForce RTX 20-series kicked off real-time ray tracing and uncompromising 4K performance in earnest, Nvidia finally took the wraps off its hotly anticipated successors. The first GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs are damned impressive , culminating in the ferocious GeForce RTX 3090 with 24GB of cutting-edge GDDR6X memory and enough power to game on an 8K display (sometimes). But glancing over the launch lineup, one things sticks out: Why is there no GeForce RTX 3080 Ti? The RTX 2080 Ti was the heavy hitter in the 20-series lineup, after all. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FRVfYx

Thailand launched legal action on Thursday against tech giants Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content, in its first such move against major internet firms. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/330993i

Google has removed images from its Street View that allowed users to virtually walk on Australia's Uluru, a sacred Aboriginal site closed to tourists since last year, the company said Friday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3cvZvbO

The new Fitbit Sense is packed with sensors and loaded with features, but its great power comes at the expense of simplicity. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2S0kNoF

No graphics card spits out gaming frame rates as fast as Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090, and its massive 24GB of GDDR6X memory makes it an insanely good value for creators—yes, even at its staggering $1,500 baseline price. We already covered all that in our exhaustive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition review. But pushing this much performance takes a lot of power, and a lot of power needs heavy-duty cooling. Can beefy custom coolers tame the RTX 3090 more effectively than Nvidia’s own card? That’s what we’re examining with this review of the $1,589 MSI RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/307D7kh

Nvidia’s Ampere-powered $1,499 GeForce RTX 3090 is the ultimate price-is-no-object graphics card. It chews up games and spits out frames for breakfast, as we covered in depth in our comprehensive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition review . You need a pixel-packed monitor to get the most out of it, though—like a 3440x1440 ultrawide display. Here’s the thing though: Most gamers shouldn’t buy the GeForce RTX 3090. Even at full 4K, it’s only 10 to 15 percent faster than the $700 GeForce RTX 3080 , which costs less than half as much. The gains are even less at 1440p resolution, where your CPU and other parts of Nvidia’s GPU architecture become the performance bottleneck, rather than raw shading power. Sometimes, the GeForce RTX 3090 isn’t tangibly faster than the RTX 3080 at 1440p despite its steep price premium. This card is better suited for creative professionals who can utilize its massive 24GB memory buffer. The fearsome gaming performance is more of a nice extra for some off-...

This on/off plug ties in well with C by GE in-wall switches, bulbs, and other smart lighting products. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3i04LWs

Google on Friday said Google Pay does not share customer transaction data with any third party outside the payments flow. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/366lSDG

Google is updating its free mapping service this week with colour-coding that maps out areas infected with COVID-19 cases, the search giant said in a blog post Thursday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33VGoUF

The US Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit against Alphabet's Google as soon as next week, kicking off a long legal slog over whether the online search and advertising company uses its outsized market power unfairly. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GcR8FS

Spotify and the makers of Fortnite and Tinder are taking on Apple and Google as part of a newly formed coalition calling for “fair treatment” in the way the tech giants run their app stores. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2GaYOsd

This is Eero’s first all-new product since Amazon acquired the router manufacturer in early 2019. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FXqxgt

Seagate will charge $220 for an external Storage Expansion Card for the Xbox Series X and Series S, a necessary add-on if your Series X-optimized games exceed the capacity of the console's internal SSD. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3jdphE8

The 10-inch screen rotates around its base so it always faces you. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3087A1k

Amazon launches its Luna cloud gaming service in early access for $5.99 per month and $49.99 for a dedicated Luna Controller that Amazon says will connect directly to its cloud servers. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Hr3tqJ

The new Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Dot Kids Edition are here, and they’re much more well rounded—literally. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FOAaOE

Amazon is expanding its line of Ring security cameras to cover your car and hallways. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3hX3dfT

Q: Not too long ago, you’d buy a used Intel Xeon processor to get more than four cores in a CPU without going broke. Is that still a worthwhile route to take? That trick isn’t dead, but most PC builders will find AMD and Intel’s consumer CPUs the simpler way to buy affordable processors with more than six cores. When AMD released Ryzen, it upended the market by lowering the cost per core. Four years ago, you had to pay big bucks for a 10-core processor—$1,723 MSRP for Intel’s high-end Core i7-6950X, which also required an expensive high-end motherboard. But starting in 2017, AMD began a steady release of CPUs with more and more cores without raising prices. This year, Intel released the 10-core Core i9-10900K at an MSRP of $488, and it’s compatible with motherboards aimed at mainstream consumers. Competition has done wonders. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/36aYMLU

Nvidia says its monstrous $1,500 GeForce RTX 3090 delivers “the ultimate gaming experience.” That’s very true. You can even game at 8K—not 4K, 8K —with some titles on this so-called “ BFGPU .” You probably shouldn’t buy it if all you do is game, though. Unless you’re a deep-pocketed enthusiast who doesn’t mind spending lavishly for the absolute best performance possible, the staggeringly powerful $700 GeForce RTX 3080  offers much better bang-for-buck for pure gamers. Nvidia actually calls the RTX 3080 its flagship gaming GPU, even though the RTX 3090 offers more raw horsepower. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3cuI4Z2

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090 delivers exhilarating graphics prowess--the fastest possible gaming frame rates at extreme resolutions, and outstanding performance in professional applications. But it’s not for everyone. At $1,500 , it’s either a hard pass or a no-brainer, depending on how you plan to use it. You can read every nitty-gritty detail in our comprehensive review of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition . But if you don’t feel like sifting through thousands of words of technical and testing details, here are the five key things you need to know. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32Zf3C0

Rocket League, the multiplayer soccer game played with rocket-powered cars, took the world by storm over the last few years, complete with proper esports leagues and world championships. This week, it took yet another step toward total supremacy by going free to play on the Epic Games Store. Better yet, Epic will even give you a $10 coupon for its store if you claim Rocket League —though you can’t download it from Steam anymore. First, the game news. The core Rocket League experience will remain the same now that it’s free to play, Psyonix says, though the developer intends to touch up the main menus “to make exploring the game easier.” Psyonix also plans to refine and improve game modes like Tournaments and Challenges, as well as introduce cross-platform progression so you can start shooting goals with the same account no matter what hardware you’re playing on at any given time. Yay! To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Hulh4n

Google India Digital Services, which operates the Google Pay app, has told the Delhi High Court that it is allowed to share customers transaction data with third parties with the prior permission of NPCI and payment service providing (PSP) banks. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3mQSYx2

US President Donald Trump met with nine Republican state attorneys general on Wednesday to discuss the fate of a legal immunity for internet companies after the Justice Department unveiled a legislative proposal aimed at reforming the same law. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/301tBPC

Google Pixel 4a 5G specifications have surfaced online just days ahead of a virtual event taking place on September 30 where the new smartphone is likely to debut. The new Google phone, which will be a 5G variant of the earlier launched Pixel 4a, is said to come with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC that is rumoured for the upcoming Pixel 5. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3mQjPcy

European Union (EU) antitrust regulators have extended their investigation into Google's fitness tracker maker Fitbit to December 23, the European Commission said on Wednesday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3cuABtk

Skype Meet Now was Microsoft's reaction to Zoom just as the pandemic was taking hold: a quick invitation to a video call, no app needed. Now Microsoft is making Skype Meet Now even simpler, by adding it to Windows 10's taskbar.  Well, sort of. Meet Now is the flagship feature of Windows 10 Insider build 20221, part of the Dev Channel of Microsoft's Insider builds. This means it's part of Microsoft's code base that may never see the light of day, or may emerge in a future build. In any event. Microsoft is rolling the new feature to just a subset of the Dev Channel for now, paring down its audience further. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2RVmJ1w

The $700 GeForce RTX 3080, Nvidia’s staggeringly powerful flagship gaming card , sold out in seconds when it launched last week, dragging retail sites offline under the strain of the demand. Would-be customers screamed so loudly that in a rare move, Nvidia apologized and promised to beef up anti-bot security on its own site for Founders Edition cards. Well, history could very well repeat itself when the $1,499 GeForce RTX 3090 launches on Thursday, Nvidia warns. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3hXc5Sv

Google Assistant’s ability to slowly brighten or dim your smart lights used to be restricted to Philips Hue bulbs, but not anymore. Also: There’s a new workday routine to try. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/35YOej6

Ever since Apple hit on a formula for success with the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, Samsung has been trying to replicate that formula: selling premium-grade smartphones with lower points of entry. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition , which goes on sale on October 2 and is available for preorder beginning today, is the latest attempt to try. Samsung is stylizing its new phone as the FE, and it’s hard not to see the visual similarity with the iPhone SE. Even with “fan” out of the name, however, I’m still not 100 percent sure what sort of fan this phone is built for. Fans of Samsung’s phones will obviously want the latest and greatest phone the company sells—and likely already own it—and fans of bargains already have several handsets to choose from in the A51 and A71 . Even fans of 5G have plenty of options. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32TGDAf

"The Rewatchers" will be among the first podcasts to get Spotity’s new polling feature. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FXW8hI

PC builders can expect a flood of components to hit store shelves in the final stretch of 2020—and not just the graphics cards and processors that have absorbed most of the attention. This initial wave of fall releases includes a new series of mid-tower cases from Corsair, which launched on September 15 with three models. As you’ll see in the video above, the 4000D, 4000D Airflow, and iCue 4000X share the same chassis, with each distinguishing itself via a different front panel. On the lower end, the $80 4000D and 4000D Airflow feature steel panels, one solid and the other with stylized cutouts for airflow. The swankier $120 4000X boasts a thicker tempered glass panel, and also includes an additional fan along with a fan controller. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3iYVnn7

Integrated graphics, long the butt of jokes among PC gamers—that technology so worthless that it comes free with your laptop—is finally due some respect. Integrated graphics that didn’t stink started with Ryzen 3000, and continued with Intel’s 10th-gen Ice Lake and again with Ryzen 4000. Intel, however, took it up another notch when it introduced its 11th gen “Tiger Lake” CPUs with Iris Xe graphics. And yes, it can run Crysis . Not the remastered version, but the one from 2007. Here’s the proof (see blue bars below): To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3iVc2YV

The Samsung 980 Pro is here to take back the crown—and then some. While its predecessor, the 970 Pro, won and eventually lost its SSD performance title to hotter competition, this latest generation buries them all. Of course, to witness the greatness, you’ll need a computer with the PCIe 4.0 device interface , which currently means late-generation AMD Ryzen . With PCIe 3.0, the 980 Pro is still excellent, but merely on a par with the top competition. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FZsVD1

This video doorbell offers some advanced image-detection features, including facial recognition, but it needs better sensitivity control. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32WPdyu

Google is discontinuing paid Chrome extensions; developers looking to monetize their extensions can no longer do so via Chrome Web Store payments. Google had temporarily suspended paid extensions earlier this year, and now announced that it would be making this change permanent. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33Q8DEl

Android 11 has debuted on Android TV just a couple of weeks after the latest Android version arrived for smartphones. The new release brings key Android 11 features that were originally provided to mobile users along with some updates tailored specifically for smart TVs. It carries enhanced memory management to deliver a smoother experience on Android TV-based models. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2RRS8SE

The weatherized two-button gadget doesn’t need wiring or batteries; it harvests its own energy. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2G2JRbE

US President Donald Trump will meet on Wednesday with state attorneys general about removing a liability shield protecting social media companies while the Justice Department holds a call with state officials to discuss the investigation into Alphabet's Google from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33VI5kY

Google Pixel 5 is expected to be launched at the tech giant’s hardware event later this month. The price and full specifications of the upcoming 5G phone have reportedly been tipped, hinting at an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, an OLED hole-punch display, and reverse wireless charging. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/363FR5N

Microsoft’s Cortana-powered consumer speakers are dead. Long live...Cortana powered Teams speakers? During a Microsoft Ignite keynote by Jared Spataro, the vice president of Microsoft 365, Microsoft showed off a demonstration room powered by some of its latest hardware, including the 85-inch Surface Hub 2S , plus companion devices like Teams Rooms , which are third-party bundles of cameras and small displays for facilitating meetings.   To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/301NaHj

Intel’s new 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPUs will be the “best processor for Chromebooks,” the company said in a blog posted Monday. Compared to a Chromebook with a 10th-gen CPU, a Chromebook with an 11th-gen Core chip will load webpages 28 percent faster, offer 2.7X faster graphics in gaming, import and edit Adobe Lighroom photos 23 percent faster, and cut import and export of videos by 54 percent. The claims were put forth by Intel technology evangelist Marcus Yam, who cited several popular benchmarks including WebXPRT, Speedometer 2.0, and 3Dmark Slingshot. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3mCLqho

Microsoft said Tuesday that the delayed 85-inch version of its new Surface Hub 2S is now available for pre-order, running either the Windows 10 Team OS or a more traditional option to use Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise. Microsoft launched the 50-inch version of the Surface Hub 2 last year for $9,000, and said then that the 85-inch version would be available in early 2020. That timetable may have been put on hold by the pandemic, or by Microsoft’s shifting attitudes toward a conference-room display in a world where conference rooms are still largely virtual affairs. Microsoft said Tuesday at its Microsoft Ignite conference that the 85-inch Surface Hub 2S would cost $21,999. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FXaaQD

Microsoft is upgrading users to the new Microsoft Edge browser as part of the Windows 10 October 2020 Update feature update . One of the areas it will improve is how the new Edge browser handles PDFs. The other upgrade is aimed at Linux fans eager for the Edge experience. Microsoft said that a preview of Edge for Linux will be available in October, downloadable either from Microsoft’s Insider website or the package manager. Otherwise, Microsoft will announce at its Microsoft Ignite conference on Tuesday that users will be able to add notes to PDF files within the new Microsoft Edge, bringing the browser back a bit closer to the capabilities of the current Edge browser. The new Edge will also include support for a table of contents, allowing users to navigate back and forth within a PDF file. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2ZY7IAB

Two intriguing functions in Microsoft Outlook, Play My Emails and the Daily Briefing, are scheduled to receive updates that add new Cortana-powered AI to functions that go far beyond just email. Microsoft’s AI assistant, Cortana, has moved from being an integral part of Windows to more of an assistive technology. Outlook has been the main beneficiary, however, new Cortana-powered intelligence is coming to Teams, and to the Cortana app within Windows 10 as well. One of the problems with Microsoft’s parade of new features is simply keeping track of the timeline. The Daily Briefing functionality debuted in preview mode a year ago, but at the Microsoft Ignite conference it’s now becoming officially available for Microsoft 365 users with Exchange Online mailboxes. Play My Emails is already out for iOS and Android for U.S. subscribers, but it’s rolling out in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India during the coming months. To read this article in full, please click here ...

Razer said Tuesday that the company has launched wireless versions of its latest BlackWidow gaming keyboard, DeathAdder mouse, and BlackShark gaming headset, all connected by its HyperSpeed Wireless technology that offers up to 195 microseconds of latency. Specifically, Razer launched the $180 Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, the $130 DeathAdder V2 Pro and the $230 BlackWidow V3 Pro, all of which will be available from Razer and authorized resellers starting Tuesday. Essentially, they’re all wireless versions of the existing BlackShark V2, the DeathAdder V2, and the BlackWidow V3, with some improvements under the hood. The key to the upgrades is Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless technology , which has already been implemented inside Razer’s Baskilisk Ultimate and Viper Ultimate wireless mice lineups, and has now been extended to the other two peripherals, plus the DeathAdder. HyperSpeed uses adaptive frequency hopping to avoid interference, and it also tries to minimize the time-to-click delays ...

Microsoft Teams is, for now, doing double duty as a business-conferencing solution  and as a tool for education . So while some of Teams’ previously announced enhancements for education may have missed the back-to-school window, new Together mode scenes, layouts, and breakout rooms are arriving soon for workplaces and classrooms. Microsoft is hosting its virtual Microsoft Ignite conference this week, having successfully shown the world with its Build conference earlier this year that virtual conferences, properly managed, can even supersede physical ones. One of the key technologies here is Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft is adding features to in record time. As one observer noted, the pandemic is offering both kids and adults a crash course in the same collaborative tools.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2G4hmub

AMD has adapted its Ryzen microprocessor to address the growing Chromebook segment, with a new C-series lineup for mid-level and premium models. In total, AMD is offering five new processors in its Athlon and Ryzen families, though they’re simply rebadged versions of existing chips. Robert Hallock, AMD’s director of technical marketing, said that the company was using the “C” designations to make it easier for consumers to spot a Ryzen-powered Chromebook while poring through lists of available options. According to IDC, AMD’s share of Chromebooks is surprisingly large: 21 percent of all Chromebooks, all of them based around the older A-series processors that AMD launched for Chromebooks in 2019 . AMD hopes to ramp up its presence. In July, IDC reported that the United States’ PC market, including PCs and Chromebooks, jumped 11.2 percent as work-from-home employees and students snapped up devices. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2HmK...

The Sense may be Fitbit's most advanced smartwatch, but it's also trying way too hard to beat the Apple Watch. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32X6J5L

The HP Pavilion 15 may be just in time to scratch the public's itch for budget Ryzen 4000 laptops, which are so far selling out as fast as vendors can make them. Announced Tuesday and set to go on sale in October, Pavilion 15 prices will start at $600 on Amazon, Costco, and other retailers. The Pavilion 15 features a 15.6-inch FHD touch panel, up to 16GB of memory, Wi-Fi 6 and Ryzen CPUs from 6 cores to 8 cores. The laptops weigh just under 4 pounds.  The top-end Pavilion 15 with Ryzen will feature 8 cores without SMT, also known as AMD's version of Hyper-Threading. That may sound like a turn-off, but Ryzen's performance is fairly spectacular, and it runs impressively cool.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3clAFLB

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has asked local suppliers to ramp up production capacity in India so they can make as many as 200 million smartphones over the next two years, according to people familiar with the matter, a potentially enormous boost for the country’s technology ambitions and a warning shot to rivals such as Xiaomi. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33IqiO0

Even better, numerous C by GE products—smart bulbs, switches, and plugs—can work together, no matter what your wiring looks like. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/35WmT0R

Google Forms is a free and versatile form maker that lets you easily create surveys, quizzes, questionnaires etc. In this guide, we tell you how to create a form using Google Forms. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3cmxKmc

Antivirus software is nearly as crucial as a PC’s operating system. Even if you’re well aware of potential threats and practice extreme caution, some threats just can’t be prevented without the extra help of an AV program—or a full antivirus suite.  You could, for example, visit a website that unintentionally displays malicious ads. Or accidentally click on a phishing email (it happens!). Or get stung by a zero-day threat, where an undisclosed bug in Windows, your browser, or an installed program gives hackers entry to your system. We’re not suggesting that PC security software is fool-proof. Antivirus software often can’t do much to stop zero-day exploits, for example. But it can detect when the undisclosed vulnerability is used to install other nasty bits, like ransomware, on your machine. Anyone who actively uses email, clicks on links, and downloads programs will benefit from an antivirus suite. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https:/...

But do motion sensing, light sensing, and dimmer features justify the hefty price tag? from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3kwVFBW

Practical Pi projects Image by Raspberry Pi The Raspberry Pi single-board computer and all its variants have captured the imaginations of DIY enthusiasts and budding hobbyists alike. And now that the price of the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 has been slashed to $35 and an 8GB model with as much RAM as a Mac Mini is here, interest in building with the board is sure to spike. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2LFCWXH

Microsoft said Monday that it has released a new Xbox app for Android phones and tablets, allowing gamers to stream games from their home Xbox console for free, and setting up a tiered model for cloud-gaming services. The company has released the updated Xbox app (beta) into the Play Store, complete with a new unified notification inbox and voice and text chat. But underneath it all is Microsoft’s interpretation of what services should be free for you to use, and what you’ll have to pay for. Microsoft’s free Xbox app for Android is separate from its Xbox Game Pass app, and streaming appears to be the reason why. Microsoft’s new free, beta Xbox app unlocks Console Streaming for all users, all for free. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3iRHDKP

Microsoft’s Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2) update will usher the new Microsoft Edge browser onto millions of PCs, while upgrading the venerable Alt + Tab shortcut with a needed new function. But Microsoft’s designers have turned the once-colorful Start menu into watery gruel with a less-than-impressive visual update. All in all, the Windows 10 October 2020 Update is another in a line of anemic fall feature updates. And that’s okay!  We expected this . For the past two to three years, Microsoft’s major feature updates have coalesced within the “spring” releases, leaving mainly minor patches and quality updates for the fall release. (See the Windows 10 November 2019 Update .) This year is no different, though the small list of changes do allow for some interesting tweaks to your Windows 10 PC. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2FOc4TZ

A peaceful settlement between the sparring companies led to the arrival of NBCU’s Peacock app on Roku early Monday. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3hNpa0z

PlayStation fanboys like to say the Xbox doesn’t have enough exclusive games. Well, now the Xbox will have games. Early Monday, Microsoft announced that it is acquiring the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, the publisher behind iconic gaming franchises like Doom, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Quake, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, Prey, and more, for $7.5 billion. That’s a heck of a birthday present for the Xbox Series X, the next-gen console that lands on November 10 . Preorders for the Xbox Series X open tomorrow. It’ll probably put your PC to shame . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3mFjsSh

Logitech launched the Logitech MX Anywhere 3 mouse, which has customisable side buttons to control camera and mic settings during video calls. The mouse is priced at $79.99 (roughly Rs. 5,900) and is available in three colours. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33NiESx

Don’t call it Bitdefender 2021, but the popular Windows antivirus suite has added several new features over the past year. The company is now going with a rolling release plan, where new features are released as they’re ready. This is becoming quite common as many services prefer the approach of continually updating apps instead of a single yearly release. Note: This review is part of our  best antivirus roundup . Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them. Bitdefender Total Security’s main changes, the company told us, is that it has improved its vulnerability scanning, and in our opinion the overall look of the scan results are easier to read. At a glance you can see issues with operating system updates, the strength of Windows account passwords, the security of the browser and other applications, network issues, and more. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3cmqvKL

This self-amplified multi-room music streamer delivers high-res audio experiences that Sonos won’t, but Bluesound’s user experience isn’t nearly as polished. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3mN7Vk3

Gmail may get a new logo soon, as per a report. The new in-the-works logo features an ‘M,’ but doesn’t explicitly have the traditional envelope to accompany it. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3mCglKN

Paytm was briefly removed last week from Google Play Store for violating the platform’s content rules. While it was restored within a few hours, Paytm published a blog post saying that Google delisted the app as it was offering cashbacks. To this, the tech giant released a statement saying, “offering cashbacks and vouchers alone do not constitute a violation.” from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3hVZWxq

President Trump has signed off on a deal that will put TikTok’s U.S. operations under control of Oracle, Walmart, and other U.S. investors, apparently in exchange for a $5 billion fund that Oracle and Walmart would set up to fund the education of young Americans. The Wall Street Journal reported that both Walmart and Oracle would share approximately a 20 percent stake in the new company, which would be headquartered in the United States. In total, U.S. investors would own 53 percent, Chinese investors would own a 36 percent stake, with European investors taking up about 11 percent, the paper said. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3cjfbPx

Chromecast with Google TV, a streaming dongle for TVs, has long rumoured to be in the works. This dongle is reportedly codenamed Sabrina and believed to be launching on September 30. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2FL6nWx

Cyberpunk 2077 looks like a truly next-gen game from everything we’ve seen, but you won’t need a futuristic rig to run it. CD Projekt Red unveiled the system requirements for the hotly anticipated game on Friday, and they’re surprisingly forgiving. You’ll need more powerful gear to unlock the real eye candy, though. On the processor front, your needs are minimal: an ancient Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310 CPU. That's likely because  Cyberpunk 2077  is also landing on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which rock ancient, atrocious AMD Jaguar cores. You’ll need only a 3GB GeForce GTX 780 or Radeon RX 470 graphics card, too, so this should run on most modern gaming PCs, even modest ones. The 8GB RAM and 70GB storage requirements are probably more onerous than the CPU and GPU demands. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ks1tNa

Buying a processor for a gaming rig isn’t as hard as it used to be. Now that Ryzen 3000-series and Intel’s 10th-gen Core CPUs come with more performance and cores than ever before, it’s hard to buy a stinker these days—especially because most games favor graphics firepower over CPU oomph. All that said, there are specific chips that stand out from the horde as the best gaming CPUs due to their price, performance, or nifty extras. Best CPU for gaming cheat sheet Our quick-hit recommendations: To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2PBT7Gx