Chris Stobing
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Self-proclaimed geek and nerd extraordinaire, Chris Stobing is a writer and blogger from the heart of Silicon Valley. Raised around tech from birth, he's had an interest in PC and mobile hardware for years, and has come to Digital Trends to contribute his extensive knowledge on both. When not blogging about technology, he can be found at the record shop hunting for music, shredding Mt. Hood on his snowboard, or whipping up a dish for friends in the kitchen.
Eero now taking pre-orders for its innovative Wi-Fi router
Eero now taking pre-orders for its innovative Wi-Fi router
The Eero promises to combat dropped Wi-Fi connections, slow streaming, and dangerous malware with a new router designed to blanket your home in wireless.
Updated: New, more affordable NUC systems arrive on Amazon for pre-order
Updated: New, more affordable NUC systems arrive on Amazon for pre-order
Intel has leaked a new spec sheet containing details on their refreshed line of low-power NUCs, featuring the company's Braswell CPU.
Ransomware is the new hot threat everyone is talking about; what do you need to know?
Ransomware is the new hot threat everyone is talking about; what do you need to know?
We're going to break down everything you need to know about the spread of ransomware, and how it affects average users in the threat landscape.
NSA spying powers aren’t dead yet, as the Obama administration seeks to revive bulk collection
NSA spying powers aren’t dead yet, as the Obama administration seeks to revive bulk collection
In a statement from US officials, it has been confirmed that the Obama administration will attempt to revive the NSA's bulk collection for six more months.
HP is dead; long live Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.
HP is dead; long live Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.
As of November 1, HP will be shedding half of its enterprise operations and splitting into two entirely separate companies.
Update: USA Freedom Act passes the Senate, President Obama signs it into law
Update: USA Freedom Act passes the Senate, President Obama signs it into law
In a session held this Tuesday, the United States Senate has voted to pass the USA Freedom Act, which will curtail permissions granted by the PATRIOT Act.
Cybersecurity firm Tiversa accused of blackmailing potential clients
Cybersecurity firm Tiversa accused of blackmailing potential clients
In a move that could be ripped right from the screenplay of Goodfellas, a federal court has heard a case levied against Tiversa security for extortion.
Want to try a game before you buy? Valve’s new return policy doesn’t judge
Want to try a game before you buy? Valve’s new return policy doesn’t judge
Steam has announced that starting immediately, all purchases made in the Steam Store will be refundable as long as you don't play for two hours or more.
The Intel NUC line will dive into Skylake later this year
The Intel NUC line will dive into Skylake later this year
A new slide leaked by the website FanlessTech is said to have specific details on the release schedule for Intel's next line of portable NUC boxes.
Dell’s SupportAssist takes the ‘technical’ out of tech support
Dell’s SupportAssist takes the ‘technical’ out of tech support
Dell has announced that its SupportAssist technical support service, previously only available to the enterprise market, will be coming to consumers PCs.
NSA surveillance operations come to screeching halt as Senate stalls on resolution
NSA surveillance operations come to screeching halt as Senate stalls on resolution
Thanks to the efforts of Senator Rand Paul, the passage of the USA Freedom Act has hit a snag in the Senate as representatives duke it out over details.
Windows 10’s minimum requirements present an olive branch to outdated PCs
Windows 10’s minimum requirements present an olive branch to outdated PCs
In line with dropping the details of the Windows 10 official launch coming on July 29th, today Microsoft has also released the minimum system requirements.
Asus’ newest mini-PCs offer choice between fanless design, 6th-gen Intel processors
Asus’ newest mini-PCs offer choice between fanless design, 6th-gen Intel processors
At Computex in Taiwan this week, Asus has unveiled its new line of mini-PCs which will run versions of both Windows and Chrome OS
Steve Jobs’ prophecy could come true, PC sales slump for the fourth year running
Steve Jobs’ prophecy could come true, PC sales slump for the fourth year running
As PC sales continue to slump for the fourth year in a row, a new report from the IDC claims that the trend won't be slowing down anytime soon.
Acer announces refresh of Z series in anticipation of Computex
Acer announces refresh of Z series in anticipation of Computex
Acer has taken to the Windows Blog to announce the upcoming refresh of its Z line of all-in-one PCs, set to release sometime in Q3 of 2015.
Fanless Zotac Nano shrinks down your PC without sacrificing performance
Fanless Zotac Nano shrinks down your PC without sacrificing performance
The new Zotac Nano PC has peeked its head out a week ahead of its debut at Computex in Taiwan, showcasing its fanless design aesthetic to the world.
Need to talk? Google’s latest AI breakthrough could make your PC understand
Need to talk? Google’s latest AI breakthrough could make your PC understand
According to a talk given by a head researcher on Google's AI team DeepMind, conversational AI may be here sooner than we think.
Sandisk says its next solid state drives will have disk-like pricing
Sandisk says its next solid state drives will have disk-like pricing
SanDisk has announced that its ramping up to debut a new solid-state drive which will be able to keep its costs in line with that of traditional HDDs.
Microsoft announces native Dolby Digital Plus support for Windows 10
Microsoft announces native Dolby Digital Plus support for Windows 10
Dolby has announced that in a new collaboration with Microsoft, the company would begin incorporating its audio technology into the Windows 10 platform.
OfficeNow is Cortana for work, will automatically organize your office life
OfficeNow is Cortana for work, will automatically organize your office life
New images and assets from a Microsoft preview of OfficeNow suggest the program will work off the Cortana platform to help organize your life.
Touchscreen PCs and laptops are all the rage, but are they worth the hype?
Touchscreen PCs and laptops are all the rage, but are they worth the hype?
Touchscreen PCs and laptops are everywhere, but with so many different options and potential applications, how do you know the technology is right for you?
US Secretary of Defense on NSA spying: “We’re not trying to get in anybody’s business”
US Secretary of Defense on NSA spying: “We’re not trying to get in anybody’s business”
This week, Vice news was granted the opportunity to sit down with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to discuss the NSA spying programs two years later.
Xbox One is slated to receive Windows 10 sometime after summer 2015
Xbox One is slated to receive Windows 10 sometime after summer 2015
According to a tweet let slip by the corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios, the Xbox One is expected to get its own beta of Windows 10 sometime this fall.
Watch the Witcher put down some punishment in all his graphical glory
Watch the Witcher put down some punishment in all his graphical glory
The Witcher III on PC has been injecting fear into gamers everywhere in the months leading up to its release, with required specs that could make a dove cry
Fove VR headset hopes to unseat Oculus as king of head-mounted VR sets
Fove VR headset hopes to unseat Oculus as king of head-mounted VR sets
A new VR HMD headset called the Fove has hit officially hit Kickstarter, which claims to support eye-tracking technology unlike anything we've seen so far.
Brian and Kumar go to de-Clutter your inbox by default this June
Brian and Kumar go to de-Clutter your inbox by default this June
According to a new blog post on the Office 365 website, users of the popular Clutter email manager will have the setting turned on by default this June
Nvidia readies for the release of Windows 10 and DirectX 12 with WHQL-certified drivers
Nvidia readies for the release of Windows 10 and DirectX 12 with WHQL-certified drivers
Nvidia has announced that all of its graphics card products from the 600 series and up have achieved an all clear from Microsoft's WHQL certification.
Gaming laptops have come a long way, but desktops still reign supreme
Gaming laptops have come a long way, but desktops still reign supreme
If you've been mulling over whether a gaming laptop or desktop is best, don't fret. We've broken down the pros and cons, and the answer is clear.
Security researcher discovers simple way to access Verizon ISP accounts
Security researcher discovers simple way to access Verizon ISP accounts
A security researcher discovered a critical flaw that put Verizon customers at risk. A hacker could access any account by spoofing a user's IP address.
Dell’s new miniature Inspiron goes after HP’s Stream and Intel’s NUC
Dell’s new miniature Inspiron goes after HP’s Stream and Intel’s NUC
Dell has announced the debut of two of its new micro-PCs, the J1800 the J2900, which feature Intel processors and two gigabytes of RAM.
Security researcher blabs that Google App Engine is vulnerable to attack
Security researcher blabs that Google App Engine is vulnerable to attack
A Polish security researcher claims that a vulnerability has been discovered in App Engine which gives hackers access to Google's servers.
Oculus releases PC hardware requirements, and they’re intimidating
Oculus releases PC hardware requirements, and they’re intimidating
According to a blog released by the development team at Oculus Rift, the upcoming VR headset will require at least a GTX 970 or AMD 290.