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Latest by Luke Larsen

Macbook Air (2018) Review

Apple MacBook Air (2018) review

We’ve waited a long time for an update to the MacBook Air, and Apple finally delivered. With a lot of features ported over from the MacBook Pro, this new laptop is what a lot of Apple fans have always wanted. However, upon deeper inspection, it might not have been worth the wait.
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We tested Nvidia’s RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. Are they a worthy upgrade?

We finally have Nvidia's newest graphics cards, the RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. We put the cards through our standard suite of benchmarks and game tests to see how they performed in a standard play of Battlefield 1, Civilization VI, and Fortnite. Are these the holy grail of GPUs we've all been waiting for?
smishing example on phone

Smishing sounds funny, but it’s a serious threat to your phone’s security

We all know phishing is a huge security problem, but most people still believe it’s a problem limited to email. According to new reports, more and more phishing scams are appearing in text messages. The problem is much worse than you might assume. Here’s how to protect yourself and the personal data attached to your phone.
computing watershed moment coming mac behance feat

The MacBook of 2021 could kiss the keyboard, and Intel, goodbye

Apple announced a new MacBook Air, which brings a fairly basic update to the line. But if you follow the rumors, there's a much bigger sea change happening. Based on patents, rumors, and pure imagination, this is what it'll be like to open a brand new MacBook in the year 2021.
Apple MacBook Air 2018

The best and worst features of the new MacBook Air

Apple has announced a new MacBook Air today, bringing an update that we've been anticipating for many years. Here are three things we really like about what Apple has delivered, and two things we're less excited about, including the high price tag and the lack of information about the processor.
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Here’s how the new MacBook Air could’ve blown us away, but didn’t

Apple announced a new MacBook Air, and while we're happy to see an update to the aging laptop, there are a number of features Apple could have introduced that would have brought us onboard for a new MacBook. Unfortunately, none of these happened.
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 review

Lenovo Yoga Book C930 review

Projects as experimental as the Yoga Book C930 are a rare breed. This keyboard-less, dual-screen laptop takes what was clunky about the original Yoga Book, and streamlines the functionality using an e-ink screen. Our review will help you decide if this is a novel new PC alternative, or just a fad.
Samsung CHG90 Ultrawide Monitor review

Samsung CHG90 ultrawide monitor review

When it comes to gaming monitors, sometimes wide just isn’t wide enough. Samsung has taken that to a new max with its 49-inch gaming monitor, the CHG90. With quantum dot technology, a 144Hz refresh rate, and ungodly amounts of screen real estate, it just might be the most impressive gaming monitor ever made.
Asus Zenbook UX330UA review

Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UA review

It’s never been truer that you don’t need to spend over a thousand bucks to buy a good laptop. The new ZenBook 13 takes what we’ve always loved about its predecessor and makes enough small refinements to keep it ahead of its competitors. Though just $800, it fares better in some areas better than laptops that cost twice as much.
Dell G3 Gaming Laptop Review | Fortnite

Dell G3 Gaming Laptop review

Compromise and budget gaming laptops go hand-in-hand, but with the Dell G3 Gaming Laptop, Dell has figured out how to balance what gamers want with what they can live without. It’s not a perfect gaming laptop, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find performance value.
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Intel Core i9-9900K review and benchmark

Intel has launched the first Core i9 for the average gamer. We ran the i9-9900K through its paces to see how it compares to the previous generation, as well as the best from AMD. Despite some controversies around its release, it might be the best gaming processor ever made.
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Surface Pro 6 review

It’s been updated to its sixth generation, now coming dressed in black and packing a quad-core processor. Those two recognizable features of the Surface Pro 6 are here -- and are great. But don’t be fooled: You’ll have to dig a little deeper to see where Microsoft has made some truly noteworthy improvements.
intel could make billions off meltdown spectre insecure exploits processor

How to watch Intel’s Fall desktop event live from NYC

Intel has a press event planned for October 8, where it will reveal information about the future of its processors. The company has been tight-lipped about what exactly we'll see, but we anticipate the launch of the ninth-generation Core i9-9900k, an impressive new CPU reportedly aimed at gamers.
razer blade 2018 review feat

Razer Blade 15 (2018) review

The new Razer Blade wants to be a true hybrid device -- the kind of laptop that has great gaming performance without being big, bulky, or flashy. Think it's impossible? Think again: Razer may have finally succeeded in that goal without cutting corners on performance, though it won't come cheap.
firefox reality hands on

Firefox Reality wants to bring the ‘whimsical web’ to VR

Mozilla launched a VR-powered web browser today called Firefox Reality. But just what does browsing the web in VR feel like? And more importantly, why would you want to surf the web with a VR headset attached to your face? We went hands-on with this new browser to see how Mozilla imagines the future of VR content.
DisplayHDR

The 49-inch Samsung CHG90 QLED gaming monitor is absolutely massive

If you ever thought the box for your monitor was reidiculously big, think again. Samsung's 49-inch, curved, CH90 Quantum Dot display takes the biscuit. It is stupendously big and the box it comes out of is equally so. Feel sorry for the courier all you want though, as the actual experience of using it is stunning.
adware doctor mac app store

Apple’s unsafe Mac App Store is simply inexcusable

Apple has ignored the Mac for long enough, and there are bigger implications than just lack of new products. Multiple reports have indicated that top apps in the Mac App Store have been stealing sensitive data right. Not only did Apple not properly vet them, it ignored warnings from security researchers for weeks.
tim cook macbook

Is Apple planning an all-Mac keynote later this fall?

Apple's September keynote was all about the iPhone, leaving Mac fans feeling left in the dust. While it wasn't surprising, there's a chance Apple could be leaving the door open for a Mac-focused October keynote that'll make us all feel better. Or maybe we're feeling way too optimistic for our own good.
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Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see

Rumors about a new MacBook or MacBook Air have been swirling for almost a year now. Apple might be holding the announcement for later this year, but there's a chance Apple could give us a peek at the entry-level MacBook at its Gather Round press event. If it makes an appearance, here's what I want it to look like.
Faxploitation printer

Faxploitation: Hackers can use old-school printers to invade your home network

While laptops, computers, and routers are significant security attention, old-school printers and fax machines often go unnoticed. A group of researchers recently showed how they could fax their way into a network and make it out with whatever data they wanted.
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Google completely revamps Chrome to celebrate browser’s 10th birthday

Happy birthday, Google Chrome! Google has launched Chrome 69, the newest version of its popular web browser. The new version includes a pretty large visual overhaul, as well as a number of interesting security and productivity updates. The update goes across mobile and desktop, including both Windows and Mac.
Acer Predator Helios 500 review

Acer Predator Helios 500 review

The Predator Helios 500 is a machine that calls to gamers. With a high refresh rate display, overclockable hardware, and great gaming performance, the Helios 500 holds no punches. If you’re fine lugging around nine pounds of gamer style, this just might be the gaming laptop you’ve been looking for.
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Garbage to gold: How Yahoo unethically sells your spam email

Think you’re safe from Yahoo’s unethical data mining practices because it’s not your primary email account? As it turns out, Yahoo knows you use it for spam -- and it's turning a quick buck on your junk mail anyways. Here’s how Yahoo is staying alive even as its unpopular online services dwindle.
lenovo yoga book c930 keyboard

The best laptops of IFA 2018

We saw a lot of impressive, cutting-edge laptop at IFA 2018. Manufacturers like Dell, Asus, and Lenovo were all present, showing off the latest and greatest. They range from high-end ultrabooks to budget-level value machines, but all bring some new or special to the game. Here are the five best laptops from IFA 2018.
HP Envy X2 qualcomm's LTE PC

Qualcomm’s push against Intel worked, and we’re all reaping the benefits

Intel has launched a slew of processors at IFA 2018, though these feel like more than just another batch of refreshed CPUs. These feel like a reaction. Qualcomm has been pushing its PC agenda of longer batteries and increased connectivity for the past six months, and now it seems as if Intel has been forced to respond.
Acer Swift 5 IFA 2018

The $1,100 Acer Swift is the lightest 15-inch laptop ever made

Acer came to IFA 2018 with a number of new laptops, the most interesting of which is the lightest 15-inch laptop ever made. At just 2.2 pounds, the $1,100 laptop is not only incredibly light, it's also packing the newest Intel processors, thinned-out bezels, and built-in 4G LTE. All that makes for one of the most exciting laptops from IFA 2018.
Vinpok Taptek Keyboard Impressions

The MacBook’s keyboard sucks, so use this mechanical keyboard instead

Not all Mac fans appreciate the low-travel keyboards on their devices. The Taptek keyboard offers an alternative with mechanical switches, fancy lighting, and compact design that looks great sitting next to a MacBook. Is this the ultimate MacBook typing experience?
Alienware Area-51 R5 Review |

Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs are coming to Alienware and Predator gaming desktops

Following the keynote presentation for Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 2000 GPUs, Dell and Acer have both announced support for these graphics cards in refreshed gaming desktops. Predator Orion series systems, as well as Alienware desktops, will soon come with the latest and greatest in graphics, courtesy of Nvidia.
logitech mx vertical mxvertical 01

Logitech’s MX Vertical is an ergonomic mouse that looks as good as it feels

Logitech has announced its first true ergonomic mouse, sporting an interesting tilted design that is supposed to encourage less muscle strain. We spent some time with the MX Vertical to see how comfortable it was and determine whether or not we'd prefer it to a standard mouse.
dell xps 15 2018 review 9570 feat

Dell XPS 15 9570 review

Not everyone needs the power that a laptop like the Dell XPS 15 provides. It comes with a large 15-inch screen, discrete GPU, and six-core processor -- all in a sleek, thin laptop. If you need a computer that can handle the heavy workload you use every day, the XPS 15 just might be the best option you can get.
HP DreamColor Z27X G2 Review

HP DreamColor Z27X G2 Studio Monitor review

What videographers, animators, and photographers need from a monitor is different from the rest of us. We tested the second generation of the HP DreamColor Z27X to see if it lived up to the hype. If you want 4K or ultrawide, you’ll have to look elsewhere, but this monitor is more about precision.
macbook pro t2 coprocessor security issues 2016 touchbar1

The MacBook Pro’s tight security comes with an annoying compromise

Apple has brought its T2 coprocessor to the new MacBook Pros, offering advanced security features such as encrypted storage and secured boot. But as with many aspects of the MacBook Pro, it comes with a compromise that a lot of us feel weary about. Here’s why it feels like Apple is taking one step forward and two steps back.
Woman pulling out credit card in front of laptop.

Pay-n-pray cybersecurity isn’t working. What if we just paid when it works?

Companies and individuals sink loads of money into cybersecurity each year, and yet with each passing month, the situation seems to worsen. We spoke with a former NSA expert about a new approach to cybersecurity that could keep individuals much more aware of how they were being protected.
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The launch of the new MacBook Pro has been a complete disaster

Apple has completely flubbed what could have been a simple, reassuring processor bump to the MacBook Pro. From issues with pricing and CPU throttling to the puzzling keyboard, the MacBook Pro lineup has been left in an even more volatile and controversial state than before the 2018 update.