Skip to main content

Latest by Luke Larsen

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.
Apple MacBook-review-screen1

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.
chrome 10th birthday 69 2

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.
yahoo mail blocks users install ad blockers browsers part test

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.
macbook pro sticky keys song keyboard

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.
Mark Zuckerberg Tagged

Facebook wants to own your face. Here’s why that’s a privacy disaster

We all love using facial recognition technology in services like FaceID or Windows Hello. But it has a serious dark side too. We spoke with a former White House official who has some legitimate concerns with what companies like Facebook is doing with it -- and how it’s being secured online.
2016 macbook pro touch bar supported apps v2

Don’t like the Touch Bar? Too bad. Apple’s new Macbooks make it almost mandatory

Apple surprised the world by launching the 2018 update of its MacBook Pro. While these new six-core laptops are powerful, we were disappointed to learn that the entry-level models were completely out of luck. Once again, Apple has left budget-minded fans hanging out to dry with this recent update.
logitech post pc tour speaker  g560 gaming speakers

How Logitech continues to thrive in the post-PC world

The PC is in decline, yet a company like Logitech continues to find ways to stay relevant. From its high-end audio to emphasis on gaming, the company is more determined than ever to not go down with the desktop. We took a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art facility in Washington to see just how it's all done.
how to enable new gmail updates sq2

People are reading your email. Here’s how to make them stop

The contents of your email are no private, at least not to third party applications that connect to Gmail. Considering what happened with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, that should worry you. Follow these instructions to see exactly who is reading your email and how to turn them away.
Ben-Q EX3501R monitor

BenQ EX3501R ultrawide monitor review

BenQ is known for shipping excellent displays, and that’s no different with this curved, ultrawide monster of a monitor. The hidden surprise? Its implementation of HDR, 100Hz refresh rate, and even FreeSync support. That’s right -- the EX3501R is a monitor that works as well for games as it does for work.
how mastercard is making real money more like bitcoin insecure 1

Why Mastercard is ripping a page from Bitcoin’s book

Mastercard wants to use the inherent security of blockchain to make money more intuitive and less hackable. Its new blockchain patents seeks to put an end to credit card skimmers. Regardless of what you think about cryptocurrency, the largest financial institutions are transforming real money to be more like it every day.
Intel Chip being removed from a computer panel

Why Intel’s monopoly could soon end (and you should be stoked)

When’s the last time you saw a laptop without an Intel chip in it? The company’s near-monopoly status has made it difficult for new players. When one company completely dominates, innovation is stifled, prices remain high, and the average person ends up losing out. Here's why that could all change soon.
legion 2018 gaming lenovo y530

Lenovo revamps Legion brand with affordable gaming laptops and desktops

Just in time for E3, Lenovo launched an assortment of new gaming PCs, ranging from affordable gaming laptops to conventional desktop towers. This time around, these Legion PCs have left behind the chrome and flash of traditional gaming designs to favor a simpler, more modest aesthetic.
laptop keyboad go extinct asus project precog2

Brace yourself! The age of keyboard-less laptops is upon us

One of the biggest trends at Computex this year was dual-screen laptops -- 2-in-1s that have completely ditched keyboards. With prototypes from Intel and Asus on display, you can expect to see more of these keyboard-less laptops coming in the future.
voice assistants arent ready facebook targeted ads iphone x

Apple’s new privacy features are bad for Facebook, but great for everyone else

At WWDC this year, Apple announced several new privacy and cybersecurity features, specifically in its Safari web browser. Apple didn’t shy away from naming names. It had Facebook right in its crosshairs. Here's how Apple is making a case for its more secure ecosystem, blocking Facebook in the process.
The app store open on a MacBook Pro.

To save the Mac, the App Store needs more than just a redesign

In its newest version of MacOS, Apple announced a complete revamp of the Mac App Store. But if it wants to revive the Mac, it's going to need more than a fresh coat of paint and some slight changes to its API. In order to truly save the Mac, Apple needs to do the thing it's been insisting it'll never do.
qualcomm snapdragon 850

Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 is made for Windows PCs with ‘innovative form factors’

At Computex 2018, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 850, a chipset designed specifically for Windows PCs. Unlike the first generation of Always Connected PCs, these devices will use a chipset designed specifically for the Windows PC experience. In addition, we may see some "innovative" and "aggressive" new designs.
macbook pro 13 inch non touch bar vs 15 2016 keyboard 1200x9999

Can we get an apology? Two big MacBook fails that Apple should fix at WWDC

WWDC is just around the corner, but if you're hoping for a new MacBook Pro, don't hold your breath. Even though it'll probably only be a CPU bump, there are two significant problems with the current MacBook Pro that have been ignored for too long now. Unfortunately, Apple isn't exactly the kind of company that likes to apologize.