Ice Lake is here. Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs boast large gains in speed and graphics
With Moore's Law slowing, Intel is focusing on different ways to deliver performance improvements. Although 10th-Gen CPUs debut with a new, smaller 10nm design, performance gains are largely driven by the use of A.I., faster wireless networking, robust Gen 11 Iris Plus Graphics, and efficient ports.
How Intel is using Project Athena to bring future laptop designs to the present
Intel is outlining the requirements for Project Athena. Described as an innovation project to help OEM partners build the most advanced laptops, Project Athena is intended to deliver a consistent computing experience to users with reliable expectations on power, performance, and battery life.
Lenovo and Qualcomm show off Project Limitless, the first Snapdragon 8cx PC
Lenovo is making a big bet on a 5G future for PCs. The company is partnering with Qualcomm for Project Limitless in a bid to deliver an ultra-fast Always Connected PC experience. Details were light on the project, but the device will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx processor and Snapdragon X55 5G modem.
AMD’s long-awaited Ryzen 3 has arrived, and it includes a $499 12-core monster
At Computex, AMD announced additional products that will utilize the same 7nm architecture that it debuted earlier this year at CES with the Radeon VII graphics. The new products include the Ryzen 3 processors, based on AMD's new Zen 2 cores, AMD's new Navi graphics in the Radeon 5000 series, and Rome processor.
Microsoft might finally embrace USB-C on next-gen Surface Pro 7
A patent filing from Microsoft suggests that the company is working on bringing its Surface Pro 7 into the future. An illustration in the patent suggests Microsoft may finally embrace the USB-C port for its tablet, though this feature may come at the expense of the magnetic Surface Connect charging port.
Apple’s updated MacBook Pro may be twice as fast, but can it handle the gains?
Apple updated its MacBook Pro laptops with Intel's latest processors, giving these pro-grade laptops up to a 2x speed improvement. The smaller 13-inch models now come with Intel's eighth-gen processors, while the larger 15-inch laptops top out with an eight-core ninth-Gen Intel CPU and discrete AMD graphics.
Amazon’s one-day sale takes up to 69 percent off wireless accessories
Amazon is hosting a one-day sale that will take off as much as 69 percent on some essential gaming accessories. If you already have a great mobile gaming laptop or a desktop rig, you can add an upgraded keyboard, mouse, or router to boost your gaming performance and save some money through Amazon's sale.
HP slashes $200 off Spectre x360 laptops in Memorial Day deal
Just in time for Memorial Day, HP's premium line of Spectre x360 convertible laptops are now discounted by $200. Both the Spectre x360 13-inch and Spectre x360 15-inch are discounted, and various configurations are available as part of the promotion. The 15-inch version also supports discrete Nvidia graphics.
SanDisk’s $450 microSD card adds 1TB more storage to your Surface Pro
SanDisk's Extreme microSD card slot with 1TB capacity is finally available for purchase. If you own smartphones, laptops or PCs with a microSD or SD card slot like the Microsoft Surface Go, Surface Pro 6, or Samsung Galaxy S10, you can now add more capacity to store your photos, videos, and files.
ZombieLoad is Meltdown resurrected. Here’s how to secure your PC right now
Researchers have discovered four new distinct ways of attacking a computer powered by Intel processors that will leave personal data vulnerable and exposed. Similar to last year's Meltdown and Spectre flaws, the new flaw, dubbed MDS, allows an attacker access to data in the chip's buffer zone.
Take $339 off the newest XPS 13 laptop with Dell’s latest promo
Want to look good in boardrooms and on video conference while saving a cool $339? Now you can, thanks to Dell's discount on the latest XPS 13 model. Dell addressed a big complaint with its beloved Ultrabook, and the top-mounted webcam now makes you look even better on video conference calls.
AMD’s leaked 16-core Ryzen 3000 series could make multitasking a pleasure
AMD is about to throw even more power into its next-generation Ryzen 3000 processor. The silicon is expected to debut with 16 cores and 32 threads, making it a powerful chip for multitasking, gaming, and creative work. It's also been recently revealed that the chip could debut with a maximum speed of 4.2GHz.
Armagadd-on explained: What Firefox learned when expired certificates made havoc
Every mistake is a learning opportunity, and Firefox shows that it is taking this adage to heart in light of the recent armagadd-on incident. Earlier this month, all of Firefox's add-ons stopped functioning as a result of an expired security certificate, and Firefox detailed what happened in a blog post.
Logitech’s wireless G502 Lightspeed is faster than wired gaming mice
Logitech has upgraded its wired G502 Hero with wireless capabilities. The new G502 Lightspeed is a gaming mouse that outperforms wired rivals, delivering accurate tracking and low-latency response. With the optional wireless charging mouse pad, you never have to plug in the G502 Lightpseed to charge it.
Apple’s newest Mac Mini gets a $200 price cut, the first deal we’ve seen
Apple's latest Mac Mini -- the late-2018 model -- is now on sale for up to $200 off its regular retail price. B&H Photo is running a special promo that takes between $50 to $200 off of the Mac Mini, so now is a good time to buy if you've been eyeing Apple's diminutive MacOS-powered desktop.
Intel’s three new Project Athena labs will help pave the way to 5G PCs
Intel announced it is opening Project Athena labs in three cities in June, a move that could pave the way for 5G laptops. The effort could be seen as a response to Qualcomm's emerging Always-On PC initiative. Intel claims that its first advanced Project Athena laptops will debut in the second half of the year.
With Chrome Portals, Google makes websites feel more like web apps
Google is on a mission to make Chrome faster and more powerful, and that journey starts with Portals and Web Packages. Web Packaging allows web pages to load faster, while Portals lets users travel within the same site or across different sites more fluidly, similar to how apps work today.
Quantum goes open source as Microsoft expands Q# programming language
At this year's Build conference, Microsoft announced it will open source the Q# compiler and quantum simulators. This is part of Microsoft's push to get developers to code with its Q# quantum computing language, and the move will likely benefit open source quantum computing projects at research institutions.
How to watch the Microsoft Build 2019 keynote and what to expect
Like in previous years, Microsoft is expected to offer a livestream of this year's Build 2019 keynote. Even if you're not an attendee of the show, which is slated to kick off on Monday, May 6, you'll be able to still follow the latest Microsoft news and keep up with the company's vision for the future of Windows.
Razer celebrates Star Wars Day with Stormtrooper-themed gaming accessories
Razer unveiled a trio of gaming peripherals that are bound to excite Star Wars fans. The gaming company decked out its BlackWidow Lite mechanical keyboard, Atheris Wireless Mouse, and Goliathus Extended Gaming Mouse Mat in the black-and-white tones famously found on Stormtrooper uniforms.
Unreal Engine 4 support for developers coming to Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 in May
Ahead of its annual Build conference this year, Microsoft announced that its HoloLens 2 Development Edition will be priced at $3,500. Developers will get Azure credits and trials for Unity Pro and Unity PiXYZ Plugin. Additionally, Unreal Engine 4 support is arriving at the end of the month.
Dell’s small business deals drop up to 45 percent off XPS and Vostro desktops
Dell's desktop are now discounted by as much as 45% as part of the company's small business promotion. While most of the systems are geared toward the SMB market, with select OptiPlex, Precision, and Vostro systems on sale, the XPS Tower is also discounted, making it a good fit for office or home use.
Intel heats up graphics battle against Nvidia with ray tracing-capable Xe cards
Intel appears poised to takle a page out of Nvidia's RTX playbook. When Intel launches its server-based Xe graphics for data centers, Intel's new graphics chips will support hardware-based ray tracing. The feature is currently targeting creators, such as those working on visual effects and animated films.
Microsoft’s Windows Core OS will reportedly be a no-show at May’s Build event
PC fans expecting to glimpse Microsoft's vision of a hardware and software future for Windows may have to wait a bit longer. It's been reported that Microsoft's Surface Phone, also known as Project Andromeda, and the new Windows Core OS won't be ready in time for the annual Build conference in May.
Leak: Dell XPS 17 and experimental dual-screen device both could launch in 2020
Dell may be bringing new members to its premium XPS product family next year. According to a leaked road map, Dell plans on reviving its now-discontinued XPS 17 with a new Intel processor and discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics. The most exciting addition, however, may be a dual-screen device code-named Maximus.
How Wi-Fi 6 will transform connectivity in your home, at the office, and beyond
Even though Wi-Fi 6 is just emerging, Cisco is already looking to improve on the standard by offering PC users a more secure and seamless way to authenticate and connect to public networks. Through the Open Roaming Consortium, Cisco wants Wi-Fi to be as seamless as roaming on a smartphone.
Dell’s XPS 15 steps up its game with next-gen Intel, Nvidia chips
Dell has refreshed its gaming laptop line to include Intel's latest 9th-Gen mobile processor and Nvidia's GTX 16-Series graphics. Models include the G5 and G7 as well as the Alienware 17m and 15m laptops, but the star of the show is the redesigned XPS 15 Ultrabook which can double as a gaming laptop.
Acer gives Predator, Nitro gaming notebooks CPU and GPU upgrades
Acer announced that some of its recently launched gaming laptops will benefit from some silicon updates. In addition to shipping with Nvidia's GTX 1650 or GTX 1660 Ti graphics, the Predator Helios, Nitro 7, and Nitro 5 laptops will also get a processor boost to Intel's ninth-generation Core i7-9750H CPU.
Microsoft reverses decision and extends lifeline to MS Paint for Windows 10
Users of MS Paint may want to do some celebrating, as Microsoft extended a huge lifeline to the app. For now, Paint will live on as pre-installed software on Windows 10, reversing Microsoft's announcement from two years ago that Paint will be deprecated in favor of the new Paint 3D software.