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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

We're often asked whether there's a DVR for streaming video services. The answer is complicated. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QIs8Mo

Excel percentage formulas can get you through problems large and small every day—from determining sales tax (and tips) to calculating increases and decreases. We’ll walk through several examples below: turning fractions to percentages; backing sales tax out of totals; percentage of total; percentage increase or decrease; percentage of completion; and percent ranking (percentile). How to turn fractions into percentages Percentages are a portion (or fraction) of 100. The math to determine a percentage is to divide the numerator (the number on top of the fraction) by the denominator (the number on the bottom of the fraction), then multiply the answer by 100. For example, the fraction 6/12 turns into a decimal like this: 6 divided by 12 (which equals 0.5) times 100 equals 50 percent. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/31sSTpg

The best USB-C hub allows you to add connections and ports that your laptop or tablet lacks: an HDMI connection, an SD card slot, or simply more USB ports for storage, mice or keyboards. It's also important to know whether what you're looking for is a true USB-C hub, or a more powerful, pricier Thunderbolt dock. We'll help you choose which to buy. Laptops with USB-C ports are now almost ubiquitous, as the world moves away from slower, inflexible USB-A ports to this faster, more versatile connection standard. Some laptops only have USB-C connections—that means a USB-C hub is essential if you want to connect a wired USB-A mouse or keyboard, or an older wired printer.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/39Msvck

It’s pretty easy to pick between a Ryzen 5000 desktop chip and a 10th-gen or 11th-gen Intel Core: Get the Ryzen, 9 out of 10 times. The answer isn’t quite so clear-cut when you move into the most popular category of laptops: Ultraportables that weigh less than three pounds. Comparing AMD’s top Ryzen 5800U mobile chip to Intel’s top Core i7-1185G7 mobile chip, the choice isn’t simply about which is faster. Instead, to pick the best CPU for your needs, you’ll need to think about how you use your ultraportable laptop, then choose the CPU best suited for your tasks. Because most people don’t know whether their applications use more CPU cores or just need very high boost clocks for single-threaded tasks, we’ll try to help you through your choice by defining usage scenarios and discussing where each CPU is stronger. Few people only do one thing, of course, so look at all the scenarios that fit you and see where they lean.   To read this article in full, please click here ...

Gmail's Confidential Mode can help you protect your sensitive mails. You can use it to set an expiration date for messages and block people from downloading, printing, copy-pasting and even forwarding your mail and its attachments. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3xzwyWB

Existing YouTube TV users will still be able to stream shows on their Roku devices while Roku and Google work on striking a deal. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3xBeM5l

Google is rolling out a new feature that will show an “External” label to email threads that include recipients that do not belong to a user’s Google Workspace organisation. The new feature is added to the existing external recipient warning banner. The rollout of the feature has already begun for Gmail for Web as well as Android, and it will be rolled out to iO... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/33fMSy1

With component prices so terrible right now, computer builder are starting to eye prebuilt PCs as the quickest way to replace an aging system—or scratch that itch for a brand-new gaming rig. We ourselves have even recommended buying a prebuilt PC instead of going DIY as a strategy. But some DIY builders remain skeptical of prebuilts, especially those from big companies like Dell and HP, and for good reason. Not so long ago, prebuilt gaming PCs came equipped with proprietary motherboards and power supplies, making common DIY upgrades difficult. (You couldn’t easily swap in a beefier graphics card, for example.) The parts in those same prebuilts often didn’t perform as well as what you could get off-the-shelf for a DIY build. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3xC2olx

Support for HomeKit and Thread render this water valve smarter than most, but Android users are left high and dry. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2S5iF23

Before you take your streaming TV bundle on vacation, read up on these restrictions. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3vzs7Jp

The Pro 2 is the sequel to 8BitDo’s SN30 Pro+ —a full-sized controller designed with modern features and wrapped in classic gaming aesthetics. At first glance the new controller looks almost exactly like the old one, but it packs some welcome upgrades while keeping the cost at a very reasonable $50. These features make the Pro 2 worthy of the ‘Pro’ name and makes it an easy recommendation for any gamer looking for a powerful and versatile gaming option. Adam Patrick Murray/IDG 8bitDo Pro 2 Specifications Compatibility with Windows 7 and up, Android 4.0 and up, Nintendo Switch, macOS 10.10 and up, and Raspberry Pi 2B, 2B+, 3B, Zero Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity 2 additional back paddle buttons Custom profile switch that can toggle among the 3 profiles on the fly Mode switch toggle (Switch, macOS, D-input, X-input) 1000mAh Li-on rechargeable, replaceable battery that lasts 20 hours on a 4 hour charge over a USB-C connection Enhanced grip 6-axis motion sensor Fully configu...

The new strict policy change brings restrictions to app metadata and new guidelines for Store listing preview assets. For instance, an app cannot use graphic or text to indicate ranking, promote deals, incentivise deals, or for any tactics that can be misleading to users. These changes are set to go into effect in the ‘second half of 2021’. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3xCM7gk

Switching to a solid-state drive is the best upgrade you can make for your PC. These wondrous devices obliterate long boot times, speed up how fast your programs and games load, and generally makes your computer feel fast . But not all solid-state drives are created equal. The best SSDs offer solid performance at affordable prices—or, if price is no object, face-meltingly fast read and write speeds. Many SSDs come in a 2.5-inch form factor and communicate with PCs via the same SATA ports used by traditional hard drives. But out on the bleeding-edge of NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, you’ll find tiny “gumstick” SSDs that fit in M.2 connections on modern motherboards, SSDs that sit on a PCIe adapter and slot into your motherboard like a graphics card or sound card, futuristic 3D Xpoint drives , and more. Picking the perfect SSD isn’t as simple as it used to be. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2UuEZi9

It may be impossible to buy a graphics card right now, but the new Game Ready 466.27 drivers released today just tipped off Nvidia’s next front in the war against cryptocurrency miners. The company accidentally cracked its own anti-mining “hashrate limiter” introduced alongside the GeForce RTX 3060 but it’s coming back for a second round of restrictions, and these ones could be even more extensive. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3eJTiL1

Q: How can anyone recommend the NZXT H1 or any NZXT product in the future, given that the H1 has been proven to catch on fire? A: Clearly, the NZXT H1 enclosure had issues. Back in December, 2020, NZXT temporarily halted sales of its Xbox Series X-like case and issued an advisory that the design of its riser cable could cause a fire—while also reassuring the public that the possibility of such an occurrence was low. Eventually, the company began issuing nylon screws to replace the existing metal ones and rectify the problem, then resumed sales. But that wasn’t the end of the tale. As we reported in early February, NZXT halted sales of the H1 for a second time after Gamers Nexus published two videos explaining how NZXT’s fix could be insufficient in preventing fires . You can read the details in the link above, but in a nutshell, users who bought a used H1 (or a PC with the riser cable from a pre-recall H1) could innocently replace the nylon screw with a metal one, not knowing they...

Will Roku lose YouTube TV? Untangling the latest cord-cutting carriage dispute from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3aNuf8F

Sharp's capable large-room purifier uses a two-prong approach to eliminate pollutants, but it suffers from a complicated, buggy setup. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3xxRdu2

It’s surprisingly easy to fall for an online scam even if you’re hyperaware of all the ways bad actors can trick you. Online scammers are playing a numbers game. If they send out their scams to enough people, they’ll find a few people who posses a magic combination: Folks who are distracted by life and also concerned with their online accounts.   That’s how I almost fell for an online scam. My credit card bill was coming due, but I was busy that month, and paying the bill was just one of many things percolating in the back of my mind. Then I suddenly got an email stating my bank was freezing my account if I didn’t login. “Oh no!” I thought. “I’m late paying my bill.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32Yu8Tj

Google Assistant will better recognise and pronounce unique names while also better understanding the conversation between the users and the virtual assistant. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3t3IVXm

With COVID-19 restrictions lifting, more people are booking trips and hotels online, which is very good for Google’s advertising business. Google’s employees, however, are working from home and not traveling as much on the company dime - and that’s also good for its business. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2QIk0M3

Google has added new travel tools to show COVID-19 related advisories and restrictions to its search engine. Google’s travel page has also got a dedicated Explore tab that shows additional information. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2R9EnBu

Amazon has announced that it is airlifting over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore to donate them to hospitals in India in order to boost their capacity to help COVID-19 patients. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Xiaomi have also offered help. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3tV86wx

Microsoft has announced that’ it’s published the final build of Windows 10 21H1, also known as the Windows 10 May 2021 Update. So what can you expect when it hits your PC? Well, one feature. Okay, maybe two. No one quite expected Microsoft to release a major Windows 10 feature update in the spring of 2021, given the the work Microsoft has been putting into the forthcoming Windows 10X . Still, few could predict just two consumer-facing features, with only one of them something that a typical user might do. The rest is bug fixes. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3vrIfN7

Microsoft said Wednesday that it has finalized the next major version of Windows 10, formally named the Windows 10 May 2021 Update, for release in the near future. The Windows 10 May 2021 Update will also be known as version 21H1. It will probably appear as “21H1” when users launch the  winver command after Microsoft begins pushing the update to client PCs. Microsoft hasn’t given a formal date for when that push will begin. In a blog post announcing the Windows 10 May 2021 Update , senior program manager Brandon LeBlanc said Microsoft is sending the final build, Build 19043.928, to the Release Preview channel of its Windows Insider program. The Release Preview channel is the most conservative of Microsoft’s Insider channels, the place where users can try a final, well-polished build of the next Windows 10 feature release a bit early. Microsoft invited testers to try out the final build by  joining the Windows Insider program  and downloading Windows 10 21H1 ....

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung , Alaina Yee , special guest Keith May of WCCFTech, and Adam Patrick Murray discuss Apple’s M1 iMac and iPad, AMD’s mysterious 4700S chip and whether EVGA’s Elite membership for early access to GPU queues is worth it or not. [ Further reading: The best CPUs for gaming ] As annoying as it is, the tech press can’t help but talk about Apple’s M1, which is now coming to the new iMac and iPad Pro . Adam tries his best to bait Gordon into yelling. He doesn’t take the bait—but does discuss his loathing of Apple fanboys. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32XE5AE

If you use multiple monitors with Windows, you’ve probably encountered this frustrating bug: When your PC resumes from sleep, all your application windows arbitrarily rearrange themselves. Microsoft is finally fixing this. Microsoft calls this Rapid Hot Plug Detect (Rapid HPD), and it tends to affect multi-monitor setups that can use the DisplayPort interface, or that run DisplayPort over another cable, like Thunderbolt. Now, Microsoft says an upcoming Windows update will finally fix the problem. Here’s the scenario that Microsoft says the Windows update fixes: Your PC is connected to an external monitor, with apps scattered across all of the screens. Then, you either put the PC to sleep or your PC falls asleep after it’s been left alone for a while. When you return and your PC resumes from hibernation, Windows moves all of your applications to a single monitor, forcing you to rearrange them manually. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://i...

Digging deep into Windows 10 Image by Dan Masaoka/IDG Windows 10’s constantly evolving nature means fresh features usually arrive twice per year, most recently via the October 2020 Update  (though the Windows 10 21H1 Update   should  be right around the corner). With all the new goodies come a legion of new tweaks and tricks—some of which unlock powerful functionality hidden to everyday users. Others simply let you mold the Windows 10 experience into the shape you see fit. Here are some of the most useful tweaks, tricks, and tips we’ve found over Windows 10’s many iterations. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2OOOWZo

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:/...

Microsoft is choosing a new default font for 2022, and it wants you to help it decide. Microsoft said Wednesday that the company is moving away from Calibri, the default font it adopted in 2007 to replace Times New Roman within Microsoft Office. Calibri went on to be Microsoft's default font everywhere, but the company says it's time to move on. Microsoft has commissioned five new fonts as potential replacements for Calibri.  Don’t worry: Calibri will still be an option in the fonts menu within Office and other apps, as well as the five new fonts, whose names are Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview. Microsoft said it’s asking its users to indicate  which new font they prefer via social media .  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3aO27SN

Samsung unveiled an array of super-slim, super-smart Galaxy laptops this morning, but notebooks weren’t the only hardware the company announced today. Tucked into the footnotes of an infographic on Samsung’s newsroom , you’ll find that the Galaxy Book Odyssey comes equipped with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti Max-Q graphics cards. The only problem? Nvidia hasn’t announced any RTX 3050 or 3050 Ti GPUs yet. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3u3yC73

Antivirus suites with lots of features tend to focus on detecting and managing threats first, and then throw in some “tune-up” utilities as extras. Iowa-based PC Matic (formerly PC Pitstop) takes a different approach. The company’s eponymous software is an optimization tool for your PC foremost, with antivirus being just one part of that larger whole. The focus on optimization is made clear the moment you see PC Matic’s use of dashboard gauges. In the world of PC Matic, your PC is a finely tuned machine primed and ready to deliver the performance you require. Note: This review is part of our  best antivirus roundup . Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them. Not your usual A/V suite IDG PC Matic is very different from other antivirus products. You don’t just scan your PC for threats. Instead, a scan addresses a whole host of issues including disk fragmentation (if applicable), benchmark performance, and yes, malware. The program will then sugges...

The long-percolating feature will let Netflix users skip the scrolling and start watching a video based on their viewing histories. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3gHCpTT

Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 laptops on Wednesday. The four thin-and-light systems are designed with premium features, innovative enhancements, and close ties to the rest of Samsung’s product ecosystem. Announced at the company’s virtual Samsung Unpacked event on April 28, the laptops are available for preorder immediately and will start shipping May 14. Prices will start at $1,000 for the Galaxy Book Pro 13 and $1,100 for the Galaxy Book Pro 15 clamshell notebooks. The convertible models (with 360-degree hinges) will start at $1,200 for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 13, and $1,300 for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 15. Samsung is also offering special discounts through Amazon, Best Buy, and its own online store. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3voxF9I

Web designer Nicolas Kurona said he bought Google.com.ar through a normal and legal process. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3nrPgeh

Yamaha's headphone won't wow you with extraneous features, but its superb sonic signature rings true even with its active noise cancelling enabled. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QEkMth

How some live TV streaming services make a chore out of ad skipping. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3sWLRVW

Working on a PC sometimes go fast and smooth—no fuss, no hassle. You pop in the components, connect all necessary cables, press the power button, and boom, a POST screen. Other times, however, you end up spending hours having to unsnarl an issue. Of the problems you can run into while building, upgrading, or repairing a PC, some common ones are rooted in actual physical issues. Here’s what you need to fix them—and how to avoid these jams in the first place. You can bypass other common building mistakes by reading our in-depth, comprehensive guide on the topic. It covers all the classics, including making sure all your cables are plugged in fully and the switch on the back of your power supply is flipped on. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3sXnozF

When Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted to talk about how Google will aid India in the fight against COVID-19, he probably wasn’t expecting a tech support request. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3xsLiXb

Google owner Alphabet reported record profit for the second consecutive quarter and a $50-billion (Rs. 3,72,780 crores) share buyback but warned a surge in usage and advertising sales during the pandemic may slow as people resume in-person activities. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3xynX6K

AMD executives said they plan to deliver more GPUs during the second half of 2021, in an attempt to alleviate the supply crunch. Discussed during the company's quarterly earnings call, the supply shortage was an indicator of company's strong sales: Revenue nearly doubled from a year ago. AMD chief executive Dr. Lisa Su told analysts Tuesday that the company believes it’s gained market share in the PC space, as the company plans to increase the number of notebooks powered by its Ryzen 5000 Mobile series of processors by about 50 percent during 2021. (Our review of the Ryzen 5800U Mobile processor shows it’s on a par with Intel’s latest 11th-gen Tiger Lake chips.) Revenue from the Radeon 6000 GPU lineup more than doubled from the prior quarter. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tZceMd

There are great laptops available now (as pandemic-fueled sales remain strong ), and you can see our tested favorites below. But if you yearn for the latest and greatest, check out our news and reviews of laptops with AMD’s Ryzen 5000 and Intel’s Tiger Lake CPUs, and Nvidia RTX 30-series mobile GPUs. (Psst: We also have a list of the first laptops available with RTX 30-series .) Here are the latest news and reviews, along with our top picks below.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2HTbRN0

A new emerging cryptocurrency, Chia, could do to the hard drive and SSD market what more traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have done to GPUs: spike prices and make them next-to-impossible to buy. In Asia, the trend has reportedly already begun. Chia isn’t just another knockoff cryptocurrency: it’s led by the founder of BitTorrent, Bram Cohen, who is chief executive of the Chia Project . Chia began allowing Chia “farmers” to begin mining Chia coins in March, and will allow transactions of the coins themselves to begin on May 3. Traditional cryptocurrencies use what’s called “proof of work” to authenticate blockchain transactions, with progressively decreasing rewards as more coins are mined. In reality, this means that cryptocurrency miners have moved to CPUs to GPUs (and even specialized ASICs) to mine crypto as quickly and efficiently as possible. But because specialized ASICs are impossible for consumers to design and manufacture, demand for more available GP...

The Internet is a weird and wonderful place. The latest weirdness comes from the team at MSCHF of the Lil Nas X “Satan” shoe debacle . The Brooklyn-based art collective’s latest effort is a contest to win 100 pounds of cookies. All you have to do is gather the most browser cookies with MSCHF’s special Google Chrome plugin  by Monday, May 3 at 1 PM Eastern time. It sounds like a fun contest but don’t count on winning, as the leaderboard is already filled with shenanigans. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2PsZJJR

So you’ve got a new computer. Awesome! That humble metal box is the key to a wide world of potential. It can help you with everything from juggling your finances to keeping in touch with your family to blowing off some steam on, uh, Steam . But a new PC isn’t like a new car; you can’t just turn a key and put the pedal to the metal. Okay, maybe you can —but you shouldn’t. Performing just a few simple activities when you first fire it up can help it be safer, faster, and better poised for the future. Here’s how to set up a new laptop or desktop computer the right way, step by step. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/35QYI0R

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 is Microsoft’s latest general-purpose laptop, complete with a choice of Intel’s latest 11th-gen Core (Tiger Lake) chips or Microsoft’s second-generation Ryzen Surface Edition processors, which Microsoft co-designed with AMD.  There’s a lot of information to process: What Surface Laptop 4s can you buy? How much does each Surface Laptop 4 cost? How fast is the Surface Laptop 4, compared to the competition? We have all the answers that you’re looking for, below. What is the Surface Laptop 4? Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 is the fourth generation of the Surface Laptop family. Compared to Microsoft's Surface Pro 7+, which is a premium 2-in-1 tablet with detachable keyboard, or the Surface Book, which is a high-performance laptop, the Surface Laptop is more affordable and is designed for mainstream users and students. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32PAgNG

The Latitude 7320 Detachable is Dell’s answer to the excellent Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ tablet, but with Thunderbolt in place of the Surface Connector, and a hidden, optional fingerprint reader to supplement the Windows Hello depth camera. Its integrated pen cubby looks virtually identical to the one on the Surface Pro X. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7+ tablet represented an enormous step up in graphics performance, but we knew there were competitors on the horizon. Dell’s business-oriented tablet is slightly larger at 13 inches and brighter at 500 nits maximum, but slightly lower-resolution compared to the Surface Pro 7+. Dell has also recognized that the work-from-home movement continued, so it’s built in an improved user-facing 5MP camera that contains an integrated image processor.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2R3LFHb

Spotify will let podcasters keep 100 percent of subscriber revenue for a year, but there’s a catch. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3gEyEys

Scoring a new graphics card may feel impossible, but a tweak to EVGA’s free Elite membership may make your quest merely next to impossible instead. The company earned the accolades of PC enthusiasts around the globe by introducing a queue-based system for GPU sales on its website, and now, EVGA will give its Elite members “priority access” to the line. Here are the key bits from yesterday’s announcement : “EVGA is excited to announce ELITE Priority Access, the latest benefit to EVGA ELITE Members. EVGA ELITE Members enjoy numerous benefits allowing them to save money, make money and enjoy exclusive access. With ELITE Priority Access, EVGA ELITE Members will have 24 hour exclusive early access to the queue system on newly-launched EVGA products giving them the ability to reserve their purchasing slot before the general public.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dRInzz

Everyone can see that AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs are enjoying a dynastic run of greatness. In our review of desktop Ryzen 5000 chips , they obliterated Intel’s desktop Core CPUs turning them overnight into good value chips. The same could be said of AMD’s Ryzen 5000 H-class chips in larger gaming laptops, which also outclassed the equivalent Intel CPUs. The last win AMD is trying to notch won’t be so easy. Unlike Intel-based desktops and larger gaming laptops, which are powered by older and slower 14nm chips, the thin-and-light category of sub-three-pound laptops actually feature Intel’s most advanced CPUs: Its 11th-gen Tiger Lake . Built on its 10nm FinFET process using its newest cores and its best integrated graphics, Intel’s Tiger Lake CPUs won’t be the pushovers its 14nm siblings are. But when you’re on a roll like Ryzen 5000, it’s hard to see AMD coming up short. So sit back to see if Ryzen can make it three in a row. To read this article in full, please click here ...

You can operate this doorbell cam with your existing wiring or run it on battery power. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3u21YD2

Amazon has announced that it is airlifting over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore to donate them to hospitals in India in order to boost their capacity to help COVID-19 patients. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Xiaomi have also offered help. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3tV86wx

Microsoft Teams has chased Zoom and other videoconferencing apps for years, taking the best of what they have to offer and integrating it. Now, the opposite is true: Zoom is taking Teams’ “Together Mode” and putting it into Zoom. Zoom’s calling this “Immersive View,” but the principle is the same. Instead of stitching together a number of individual video windows into a video gallery, Immersive View uses AI to extract your face and torso and put them into an artificial background, such as a coffee shop. It’s a way to humanize the experience, but also to see more faces on the screen at one time—up to 25. Zoom isn’t saying how many backgrounds you’ll be to use with Immersive View. Once you turn on the feature, however, you’ll be able to add Zoom participants automatically into the Immersive View virtual background. Zoom says you’ll be able to rearrange participants manually around the background, and even resize individuals. Note that Zoom isn’t saying that you’ll be able to add 25 p...

Intel’s underpowered Atom CPU has finally found some respect—on Mars. The lowly chip had a tough time on Earth, winning the faintest of praise for its pedestrian performance. But its energy-sipping ways were apparently a good fit for a couple of compute modules that NASA built into its $2.7 billion Perseverance rover. Intel said Monday that  there are at least two Atom SoCs embedded inside of Perseverance. The chip is the main processor aboard a COMEX-IE38 computing module developed by Israel-based CompuLab. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dXOSkF

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Feb. 4. It has been updated to reflect the new status of Viva Learning. Microsoft has announced Viva, a new “employee experience platform” that integrates with Microsoft Teams . If your company uses Teams, chances are that you’ll see Viva, along with some of its more familiar features like Topics and Insights, soon. Microsoft already uses Teams as a launchpad for apps like Word and PowerPoint, plus shared resources on OneDrive and SharePoint. Inside Viva are features that Microsoft is calling Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Learning, and Viva Topics. Topics is available today; Insights is available in preview, and Insights in private preview. As of April 26, Microsoft has pushed Viva Learning live into public preview. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3rlKqjd

You may be used to computers and even Android phones shipping stuffed with bloatware, but a new Deezer promotion brings unwanted software installs to a new frontier: earbuds. Gross. Mobee-K’s new USB-C smart earbuds come with Deezer “pre-installed,” the music streaming service announced last week (as spotted by The Verge ), and they unload much more than that when paired with select Samsung Galaxy phones. “When Samsung Galaxy owners sync their Smart Earphones, they will launch a customized Deezer theme for their phone,” the press release states. “The theme includes wallpapers, exclusive playlists, and shortcuts to Deezer, which can be accessed via the phone’s lock screen and home screen menus.” People who then subscribe to Deezer’s Premium or HiFi plans will also receive three months free. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3vmm76Y

Accusing Google of “unfair” and “anticompetitive” behavior, Roku says YouTube TV may soon disappear from its streaming players and devices. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tTs6jp

If you’ve been suffering from gaming instability ever since Windows 10’s monthly update rolled out a couple weeks back, the pain should end soon. The Windows 10 KB5001330 update (along with the KB5000842 update for beta testers) caused stuttering, frame rate drops, and even the dreaded Blue Screen of Death for some PC gamers, which prompted Nvidia support to tell people to roll back the update. Now Microsoft has confirmed the issue, and a fix-that’s-not-really-a-fix is already rolling out. “A small subset of users have reported lower than expected performance in games after installing this update,” Microsoft’s support page for the KB5001330 update now reads, as spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun . “Most users affected by this issue are running games full screen or borderless windowed modes and using two or more monitors.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QBhFSS

It’s been a big few months for Microsoft’s hardware endeavors. Last year, the company unveiled the Surface Book 3 , a unique melding of notebook and tablet that Microsoft calls “the ultimate laptop,” followed by the shockingly potent Surface Laptop 4 in 2021. The long-awaited  Xbox Series X console also launched on November 10 , and it probably puts your PC to shame  (especially since you can’t buy a GPU right now ). But what I want is something that straddles those two worlds and solidifies Microsoft’s position as a driving force in gaming—and yes, that includes PC gaming. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3nkVn3K

Should I buy a Chromebook or a Windows laptop? It’s a common question, whether asked by parents weighing the best computer option for their children or by people who just want an inexpensive computer for themselves. We’ll help you choose the right one. Our latest update includes more answers to questions you might have: such as, how slow (and inexpensive) can a Chromebook be before it stops being usable? Or what new features are being added to Chromebooks to make them more useful, compared to a Windows PC? Read on for the answers, plus our up-to-date buying guide and more. Who should buy a Windows PC? A notebook PC powered by Microsoft Windows offers several advantages. Windows offers the most flexibility to run just about any app, your choice of any browser, and configure antivirus options, utilities, and more. You can tweak and configure your PC as you choose. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2HsqjfR

Google, on Monday, shared a Doodle to say “thank you” to all healthcare workers and members of the scientific community who have faced massive hurdles and raced against time to help us face the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The doodle shows the first letter of the word Google sending out a heart emoji to the last letter, that has been designed to resemble a scientist o... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2Pm4fto

Most everyone has laptops, smartphones, fitness trackers, tablets, or cameras lying around the house, no longer in use. If you don’t need them, you can get cash for that old tech—it just takes a little time. As you’d expect, the more energy you put into the effort, the more cash you’ll reap. Listing the item yourself on an online marketplace yields the highest returns, while using a buyback service lowers the payout in exchange for less work. Here are your options, plus some tips for the best experience when selling your old gear. Sell your old tech to a buyback service The simplest method for selling devices is turning them over to a buyback service like Gazelle , Decluttr , or ItsWorthMore . These websites let you input info about your older gear—make, model, condition—and then give you a valuation. If you like the amount offered, you print a free shipping label provided by the website, pack up the item, and then drop it off in the mail. To read this article in full, please cl...

This vacuum/mop hybrid uses advanced LiDAR to get a better understanding of your room layout and provide collision-free cleaning. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dWo30d

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 has significantly improved where it matters—in performance and in battery life. Even though it’s largely unchanged otherwise compared to the Surface Laptop 3  (and available in the same 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes), that’s not a bad thing given the product line’s tradition of offering a great screen, a great keyboard, and great battery life. Microsoft has hit its mark on all three criteria once again, and the important changes under the hood make all the difference. Our praise comes with a few qualifications. The product line is expensive. The long battery life is attained with a few tricks. We also don’t know how the Ryzen 7 version we’ve tested here compares to its siblings with an Intel CPU inside. Despite these unknowns, we would still easily recommend buying this laptop. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tRv0VO

There’s no need to upgrade from existing myQ systems, but this version maintains its top-shelf position. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QosTub

If you want to make someone else the owner of your Google Doc, you can simply tweak the Settings. Here’s how you can do it. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3tSFkwE

Is your computer’s CPU too hot? If your PC starts spontaneously shutting down, locking up, or acting sluggish during intense tasks, overheating could be the issue. Keeping tabs on your CPU temperatures is crucial when you’re overclocking your PC’s processor , too—you don’t want to accidentally push the performance pedal too far to the metal when you’re supercharging your pricey Core i9-11900K  or AMD Ryzen 5900X , especially given how hard it is to acquire processors these days. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2pAmA9t

Sennheiser expects to fetch top dollar for this sophisticated soundbar, but it fully doesn't deliver the immersive audio experience it promises from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2Y8fPKV

A new week means fresh freebies via the Epic Games Store, and this time around you can snag not one, but two very good (and very different) games: Alien: Isolation and Hand of Fate 2 . Both will remain free until they’re replaced by yet another giveaway next Thursday. Alien: Isolation released all the way back in 2014 but remains one of the most stunningly successful horror games in modern memory. And even if you’re not typically into scary games, every fan of the franchise needs to play it. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3sKEcdg

The Galaxy S21 series embodies Samsung’s approach to smartphone design, which is to cram in more features than the competition. That means your new phone does a lot of cool things, but good luck finding it all. We can get you started, though. Here are 10 things to do with your new Galaxy S21. More stories Samsung Galaxy S21 review: A premium phone that's a great value Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12: This is the $800 phone to buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review: All of Android for somewhat less 8 quirks to know about the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fix the Side Key Ryan Whitwam/IDG Banish Bixby from your side button via Settings. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3njdwPt

YouTube will now allow creators to change their name and profile pictures without affecting their linked Google account. The name and picture change can be accomplished under the Customisation menu in YouTube Studio. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3dKazUS

Q: Why can’t we have an APU for DIY PCs that rival those in the Xbox Series X and the PS5? If bandwidth is the problem, AMD can just put more memory in there, right? A: Unfortunately, an equivalent APU to those in powerful gaming consoles doesn’t make sense for desktop PCs, for a few reasons.  We’ll use the ones in the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 as the example. As designed, their combination CPU/GPU processors utilize GDDR6 memory for handling both system tasks and gaming. And that type of memory is what causes one sticking point: GDDR6 memory is most commonly found in GPUs, and not used in standard PC builds for system memory. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tK7ASd

Move along Android users, nothing to see here. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32DxzyE

If you’ve just about giving up on finding a GPU to build yourself a gaming PC, take heart: We’ve tried Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming for the web, and it’s not half bad. Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming is available this week in a limited beta for both the web as well as the Apple iPhone and iPad. (Xbox cloud access on the latter platforms has been hamstrung by Apple’s Draconian control of its App Store .) In any event, both Windows PCs and Macs now have access to playing Xbox games on Microsoft’s cloud via the web. There are two key ways in which Xbox cloud gaming is superior. First, you don’t actually need a physical Xbox, especially one of the new Xbox Series S or X PCs that are difficult, if not impossible to find. Second, you don’t need to download and install any games, saving you time (and possibly money, if your Internet plan is limited by bandwidth or a data cap ). To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32K812I

Beginners and bargain hunters will warm to this reasonably priced smart filament bulb, but its lack of sleep/wake modes and IFTTT support will annoy savvier users. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3vd8arJ

If there was a commander you could add to your naval video game ship, what better person would it be than the actual Leroy Jenkins? World of Warships said it will add US Navy veteran Leroy Jenkins as a playable character in its free to play game. While gamers may only know the legendary meme and battle cry of “Leeeeeroy Jenkins!” from World of Warcraft, the Leroy Jenkins being added to World of Warships is a sailor who served on Navy destroyer USS Kidd during the Korean War 78 years ago. Jenkins came to the attention of World of Warships officials during a visit to the actual USS Kidd museum in Baton Rouge, where Jenkins was a volunteer for 14 years. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3eDXlZp

It might not get the same attention as Nvidia’s GeForce Now or Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming , but Sony offers a longstanding cloud service of its own, PlayStation Now. The company just announced that PlayStation Now will soon start streaming select games in 1080p resolution. Believe it or not, the news may be a bigger deal for PC gamers than PlayStation owners. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3eDXhJ9

It’s Earth Day, and all the world’s companies want to make sure you know they care about the planet too. So please, buy their stuff? Sure, that’s a little cynical, but Earth Day promotions are often just ploys to sell more products, which seems counterintuitive to the first two of environmentalism’s Three Rs . This year, however, I have to admit I found Logitech’s approach to sustainability marketing intriguing.  Logitech announced new “carbon impact transparency” labeling for all its packaging on Thursday. The new labeling will show a product’s carbon footprint measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions (kg CO2e) over a typical two year period of usage. Logitech sees this number as akin to nutrition labeling on foodstuffs. You can take a look at the number on the side of the package, and then decide whether or not you want to participate in the carbon impact of said product. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3sGGx8Z

Microsoft said Thursday that the company plans to migrate its News and Interests feed to all Windows 10 users, adding a small weather icon to the Windows 10 taskbar that can expand into news and interests. In January, Microsoft unveiled “news and interests” as an addition to Windows 10 Insider Build 21286 . That build was part of the Dev Channel, where new code is tested before it’s deployed (or not) in a future build of Windows. In this case, it will be deployed—you’ll start to see “news and interests” hit your Windows 10 taskbar over the course of the next few weeks. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3vp7rUL

Call of Duty: Warzone just hit 100 million players , and to celebrate, Activision’s fast-paced battle royale game is giving you the gift of faster performance—if you own a swanky GeForce RTX graphics card , that is. Nvidia’s fantastic Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology just landed in both Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare , Nvidia announced , promising a speed boost of up to 70 percent in one of the best free PC games around . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3avKfMp

A new addition to Phantek’s Eclipse lineup of mid-tower cases aims to tempt fans of small PC builds. Announced Thursday, the Eclipse P200A shrinks the company’s airflow-focused cases down to a mini-tower that accommodates ITX and DTX motherboards exclusively, with an equally tiny starting price of just $50. An upgraded model with RGB lighting and tempered glass comes in at a modest $70. Some mini-ITX builders might sit up at that low cost, as the cheapest small cases hover around $100. Not every PC using an ITX board seeks to take up as little space possible, after all—so while small-form-factor enthusiasts may shun the Phanteks Eclipse P200A for being "oversized" at 30L, DIYers itching to create a showy yet diminutive rig will have room to stuff in lots of hardware. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ve2M82

Specialized webcams that support Windows Hello are still, surprisingly, rare. Microsoft’s secure-login system using fingerprint, biometric, and facial recongnition technology is, after all, a unique feature of Windows 10. It makes sense users would want to pair a  desktop PC or older laptop with a Windows Hello-compatible camera in order to get its convenient security benefits. You might think that  Microsoft’s just-announced Modern Webcam would be an option, but, alas, it offers no Windows Hello support! That omission is even weirder given that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10 21H1 release prioritizes external, Windows Hello-enabled webcams over the integrated laptop camera. It seems like Microsoft missed an opportunity that other camera vendors snapped up. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2PcWXbx

Windows 10 has a fantastic set of built-in security tools. In recent years, Windows Defender , the built-in antivirus for Windows 10, has performed as well as (and sometimes even better than) the major third-party suites. Many of Windows 10’s security features are turned on by default, such as Windows Defender’s real-time malware scanning and scheduled quick scans. Still, there are items that are either not enabled by default or have a lot more to offer than you may realize at first glance. Here are five Windows 10 security tools that are well worth knowing about. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tKRZSf

In 2020, Google’s AI division's leadership began to collapse after the contentious exit of prominent Black researcher Timnit Gebru over a paper the company saw as critical of its own artificial intelligence technology. To outsiders, the decision undermined the very ideals the group was trying to uphold. To insiders, this promising ethical AI effort had already been ... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3sFL4bC

Google Meet is getting a refreshed UI along with a new set of features. Users can set photo or video backgrounds from Meet library. Alongside, Meet also gets a data saver mode and an autozoom function. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3epwLCP

Google Pixel 5a 5G is said to come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, which also powers the Google Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G launched last year. Google has already announced that the smartphone will be launched in Japan and the US. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3awClSP

Israel's government chose Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google for a more than $1-billion (roughly Rs. 7,530 crores) project to provide cloud services for the country's public sector and military. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/32BF09B

A panel of US senators questioned officials from Apple and Alphabet's Google about the dominance of their mobile app stores and whether the companies abuse their power at the expense of smaller competitors. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/32IKXBr

Earth Day 2021 Google Doodle is encouraging people to plant more trees through an animated short story. The video shows children planting and caring for trees and passing on the lesson as they grow old. Earth Day is celebrated across the world on April 22 to support causes related to the protection of the environment and our planet. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3sEO7kt

Stay on top of the latest tech with PCWorld’s Digital Magazine. Available as single copies or as a monthly subscription, it highlights the best content from PCWorld.com—the most important news, the key product reviews, and the most useful features and how-to stories—in a curated Digital Magazine for Android and iOS, as well for the desktop and other tablet readers. In the April issue This month we have the Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review: It’s giant leap in graphics performance. Learn about Framework and how it plans to break the curse of upgradeable laptops. See how Google could turn Android into another subscription. Other highlights include: To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/32ysTKf

Anyone who uses a PC should have an external drive. It’s both a useful means of data backup and storage, and a way to transport files from your desktop or laptop to another device. Xbox One X  users, as well, would be wise to invest in an external drive as a way of augmenting the console’s measly 1TB hard drive (the external drive needs to be USB 3.0-compatible and will be formatted when you insert the drive).  Two things are for sure: No one ever said they wanted less storage space, and no one ever said they wanted a slower drive. Our latest top picks for best external performance drive ( SanDisk’s Extreme Pro Portable and Samsung’s T7 ) are blazing-fast, great news if you’re moving around large amounts of data. If backup or connectivity are your priorities, we’ll also walk you through our other top picks, and everything you need to know to buy the best external drive for your needs. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2usNE9o...

In the ongoing feature war of videoconferencing software, Google Meet is shifting focus to, well, you by overhauling its interface as well as offering AI-powered autozoom and low-light features in the coming weeks and months. Google Meet, which became part of Google Workspace in October , sits alongside Google Classroom as one of the more popular solutions for education alongside Zoom and Microsoft Teams. In June 2020, Meet added custom backgrounds , a “raise hand” feature, and a larger gallery view; this past February, it added muting and “end meeting” functions, among others.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3gAuDLc

Apple debuted its latest iPad Pro (2021) on Tuesday, powered by the M1 chip that has propelled Macs to new heights of performance. But how does it shape up against Microsoft’s Surface tablets, among the best Windows tablets you can buy? Based just on the specs—pretty well, as it turns out. For years, Android tablets and the iPad have had to wrestle with the challenge:  But is it a  real computer?  We’d still say that Windows offers flexibility and legacy support that the Mac doesn’t, but you can’t argue with the fact that Apple has made enormous strides in supplying a relatively inexpensive, powerful tablet that can compete with the best that Microsoft has to offer. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3v0uPYm

When I was a kid, I’d absorb hints and cheat codes for the latest Nintendo games through a sort of osmosis. On playgrounds or at friends’ houses, we’d trade these bits of wisdom as if they were arcane secrets—even though most of us had simply picked them up by reading Nintendo Power . Those days are long gone, of course, but if a grown-up version of this phenomenon existed, it might be the way we talk about keyboard shortcuts. Discovering a new way to save time in your work can feel like a superpower, even if it’s a little less thrilling than learning about the Konami Code . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3n5KC5e

Google Chrome browser has received a new update for Windows, Mac, and Linux devices that carries a total of seven security fixes including one for a zero-day vulnerability that was exploited in the wild. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2QOep6I

Google Photos will let users create and sort albums while offline. Users can add images and videos to new and existing albums without an internet connection. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3sJiWVi

The new M1-based iMac represents a significant upgrade for Apple’s popular All-in-One computer. But PC makers sell All-in-Ones too, though, and some of them are good machines. Can any of them measure up to the new iMac? We looked closely at the specs we know about Apple’s new computer, and compared it to the All-in-Ones from major PC makers. Of course specs alone don’t tell the whole story, but on the face of it, the iMac should make its Windows counterparts nervous. Value: The iMac loses It’s a little hard to get a bead on just how much the new iMac 24-inch costs, as it won’t be available to order for a few more days and won’t ship until May. As expected, however, it’s premium Apple pricing.  To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2P6ugNc

Apple debuted its latest iPad Pro (2021) on Tuesday, powered by the M1 chip that has propelled Macs to new heights of performance. But how does it shape up against Microsoft’s Surface tablets, among the best Windows tablets you can buy? Based just on the specs—pretty well, as it turns out. For years, Android tablets and the iPad have had to wrestle with the challenge:  But is it a  real computer?  We’d still say that Windows offers flexibility and legacy support that the Mac doesn’t, but you can’t argue with the fact that Apple has made enormous strides in supplying a relatively inexpensive, powerful tablet that can compete with the best that Microsoft has to offer. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tH0JIY

Market-research firm Omdia says smart displays accounted for 38 percent of worldwide smart speaker sales in the first quarter of 2021, and Apple doesn’t have one. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3eew4fK

Google Search will start considering the “new page experience update” gradually for its ranking systems starting the middle of June 2021, the company announced. Google is also removing the AMP badge icon that was used to indicate AMP content on search results. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3emCOYP

Editor's note: On April 20, the Wall Street Journal reported that Discord had ended talks of potential acquisition by various companies, including Microsoft. Microsoft is reportedly in talks to buy gaming chat service Discord for a price tag that's above $10 billion, according to Bloomberg. Neither Microsoft nor Discord have confirmed the talks, Bloomberg reported . Venturebeat reported earlier that Discord was trying to put the service up for sale, and named the $10 billion figure as a target. Venturebeat had also reported that Discord was hoping to be acquired by a major game platform company, including the possibility of Microsoft. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tLdYId

Breaking news: Apple’s new M1 iPad Pros won’t kill the PC.  Yes, the new M1 iPad Pro family wields all the bells and whistles you’d expect of one of the most famous and popular pieces of technology in human history. In fact, I’m very impressed by the new iPad Pro. I think the new 12.9-inch version might actually be everything the original iPad Pro dreamed it could be. But it still won’t kill the PC. To be fair, Apple didn’t claim that on Tuesday when it showed off the new iPad Pros. But if past is prologue, pundits will be looking for the latest reason to declare the PC dead. In fact, the New York Times did so in 2019, when it declared ”Steve Jobs was right: Smartphones and Tablets killed the P.C.” To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3tCFV5A

Apple’s latest M1 iMacs may include powerful new M1 Arm chips that some in the Windows world may covet. But the company has yet to acknowledge that people like logging in with their face. Where are the Windows Hello depth cameras for the Mac? Apple’s new M1-powered iMacs debuted on Tuesday with biometric identification in the form of a Touch ID fingerprint reader. Touch ID readers have been built into some (but not all !) of the new Magic Keyboards accompanying the new colorful iMacs that Apple announced on Tuesday, and they don’t appear to be sold separately. You’ll need to pay at least $1,499 for the privilege of using your finger to log in, purchase something via Apple Pay, or switch between users. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3ehIl2T

The new Siri remote can be added to the first-gen Apple TV 4K as well as the Apple TV HD, but Apple's prices remain stubbornly high. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3n3CbYh

It doesn’t happen often , but Apple’s vaunted reality distortion field snared me today…almost. Because, wow, that purple iPhone 12 looks good. My heart skipped a beat when Tim Cook introduced the purple iPhone. Even though I’d never buy a Mac, I’ve been a devoted iPhone user for over half a decade now, and purple has always been my favorite color. ( It’s the color of kings , y’all.) The Apple sizzle reel even played with my beloved Sammy Davis Jr. crooning “Candy Man” in the background. This iPhone was made for me my brain whispered, already eyeing its April 30 launch date. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3v6QI8g

Windows 10’s Microsoft Store has always been terrible. It was terrible when it debuted as the “Windows Store” alongside Windows 8. It remained terrible when the name changed to align with Microsoft’s now-defunct physical stores . It’s so terrible that I’ve refused to use it for years, spurned by its crap-tastic mobile-centric curation and disastrous PC game management features. But nearly a decade after its launch, and after several years of almost active neglect, there may— may —be hope on the horizon. “Microsoft is working on a brand-new Store app for Windows 10 that will introduce a modern and fluid user interface, as well as bring changes to the policies that govern what kind of apps can be submitted to the store by developers,” Windows Central reports , citing anonymous sources. (Windows Central has a fantastic record with Microsoft leaks, however.) The publication says the overhauled Microsoft Store will be updated monthly with new features and fixes after arriving this fall, ...

Microsoft’s research team has used science to prove what we already know—too many back-to-back meetings can wear you down—and is promoting an Outlook feature to build in scheduled breaks. Microsoft used EEG sensors to measure the brain waves of several study participants, noting how the beta-wave activity associated with stress increased across four successive 30-minute meetings with no breaks in between. But when Microsoft re-ran the tests with an additional ten-minute buffer period between the meetings, stress levels dropped, and participation increased. Microsoft A stressed-out brain exhibits higher levels of beta waves, indicative of stress. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3dyPtJf

Amazon is selling the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip for $25. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2QKxyXa

Google AR will now showcase Pac-Man, Hello Kitty and more popular Japanese characters through its Google Search. Here is all you need to know. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2Q95nkJ

The fresh features may be arriving a bit later than their usual holiday time frame, but AMD’s massive annual update for Radeon Software is finally here, and it’s a doozy. Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 21.4.1 builds atop new features introduced alongside the recently launched Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card , seriously beefing up the capabilities of AMD’s awesome Link streaming feature, adding more performance metrics for AMD’s Ryzen processors, smoothing out the streaming experience, and more. The refreshed application should provide a significant quality-of-life improvement for Radeon gamers, especially if you’ve gone a long time since updating your drivers. The best graphics cards need killer software to pair with their sublime hardware, after all. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2RTaNAV

You can use these handsome Bluetooth speakers as a stereo pair, or grab the rechargeable right-hand speaker for some on-the-go tunes. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/2P4NqDb

If you’re not sure what you want to back up, where it is on your device, or just want to avoid the pressure of trying to figure it all out— Backblaze is the online backup service you want. It offers unlimited storage, and backs up everything important automatically, plus everything else if you want it to. Given the unlimited storage, it’s inexpensive compared to the competition—check out all our reviews in our online backup roundup . Note: For more about data backup, see our  best free backup software/services and the best Windows backup software  roundups. Features There’s not a whole lot to the Backblaze interface, at least if you don’t want there to be. To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3gjTrqW

This dimmer depends on the presence of at least one Brilliant Control panel inside your home, but the system’s reliance on a Bluetooth mesh network is a weakness. from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3asMNuy

Senior executives with Google and Apple will testify about antitrust concerns related to their app stores along with executives of three companies which rely on those online stores, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel said. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3tzqNG2

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. Wireless charging has not only improved as a technology, but it’s also been adopted by most major phone makers, including Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola, Google, Huawei, as well as Apple. If your phone supports it, it’s time you pair it with a wireless charging stand or pad, so you can experience the benefit. We’ve tested some of the most popular wireless chargers out there for both Android and iPhone, and picked our favorites from 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

If you’ve been unable to secure a graphics card in these trying times, you’re about to gain another gaming alternative. Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service will land on PCs, iPads, and iPhones in limited form on April 20, expanding beyond its initial Android-only offering for phones, tablets, and even Chromebooks . “Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin sending out invites to select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to start testing the Xbox Cloud Gaming limited beta for Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets via web browsers,” Microsoft’s Catherine Gluckstein said in the announcement . “We’re launching xbox.com/play where invitees can play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles through Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari… To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3x83qpe

Monday marks the first day of widespread eligibility across the U.S. for a COVID-19 vaccination, but some people have still struggled to find appointments. While luck does play a part in success, you can increase your chances by tuning into crowdsourced info and using websites that crawl vaccine appointment pages for open time slots. Here are several COVID-19 vaccination resources we’ve used, listed in order of success, along with some general tips. Already got jabbed? We also have some tips for keeping your vaccination card safe . To read this article in full, please click here from PCWorld https://ift.tt/3txv1xX

Google is rolling out a new feature to some users of Chrome 90 that allows them to highlight text on a webpage and create a link to that specific section. The feature was first launched as a browser extension on Chrome called “Link to Text”. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3n0Urld