Windows on a Chromebook is a dead dream, but something better could replace it
It seems that Google has scrapped its plans to let Chrome OS users dual boot Windows on a Chromebook. Recent code updates posted in Chromium Gerrit indicate that Google has canceled Project Campfire, ending its plans to let Chromebooks dual boot Windows and Chrome OS. But Google has a plan, and Campfire never fit into it.
Hackers collect payment and password info from more than 4,600 sites
Recent supply-chain attacks affecting an open-source web form project and an analytics service allowed hackers to collect the payment and password info from more than 4,600 websites. Both attacks involved the spread of malicious code that collected payment and password data from these websites.
Cooler Master’s slick gaming keyboard can pair up to 3 Bluetooth devices
Cooler Master’s latest low-profile, gaming keyboard was released this week and though it might be a little pricey at $120, early reviews indicate that it might be worth the price. With an exceptional battery life and enough memory to pair up to three devices, the SK621 might be worth considering.
All Chromebooks launched in 2019 will be Linux-ready out of the box
Google revealed at this year’s Google I/O that all of the Chromebooks launched in 2019 will have the ability to run Linux “right out of the box.” This covers all 2019 Chromebooks, including Intel and ARM-based ones. There are also other planned, developer-friendly Chromebook improvements.
Get an Apple Magic Trackpad 2 with Force Touch for your Mac and save $30
Apple’s successor to its original Magic Trackpad now comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, Force Touch, and a larger surface area. And you can save $30 and grab one for yourself for only $99 with Amazon’s latest deal. It’s a particularly good deal if you’re looking for a mouse replacement.
Chrome OS 74 combines Google Assistant with device and web searching
Google latest Chrome OS build has combined three different kinds of search into one search utility. Google Assistant, device, and web searching were all brought together in Chrome OS 74, which was released this week. Google’s newest Chrome OS build also sports a few other features as well.
Oculus Rift S gets a release date, pre-orders are now available
The Oculus Rift S made its debut at the 2019 Game Developers Conference. Oculus's newest VR headset is expected to replace the original Oculus Rift as the company's flagship product. The new headset features a few new improvements and its design is the result of a partnership with Lenovo.
USB drive issue blocks some PCs from receiving Windows 10 May 2019 update
Microsoft blocked some PCs from receiving the May 2019 Windows 10 update due to a USB drive error. The error can cause PCs with USB drives or SD cards attached to have incorrectly assigned letters to their internal and external drives. A future servicing update is expected to resolve the error.
Amazon drops deals on Razer, Netgear, and Western Digital PC accessories
Amazon is offering a wide variety of deep discounts on PC accessories from Razer, Netgear, and Western Digital for one day only. We’ve highlighted a few of their best discounts. You can grab routers, gaming mice, and external SSD hard drives at some of their lowest prices with Amazon’s deals.
Check out this video of a functional PC that’s encased in pasta
A YouTuber built a new chassis for an old Asus Transformer tablet out of uncooked pasta, hot glue, and the Asus tablet’s hardware, to create a PC that resembled lasagna. Check out his video of his pasta PC transformation and to see if the PC still works with its new pasta-based chassis.
MacOS update may include external display support for iPads
Apple’s upcoming MacOS may include a native external display support feature. This feature is expected to roll out with MacOS 10.15 and may support the use of iPads as an external display. If true, the new feature may be available this fall when the new MacOS is likely to be released.
Federal jury convicts malware creators of hijacking 400,000 computers
A federal jury has convicted two men from Romania of using malware to commit a laundry list of cyber crimes which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars and the hijacking of 400,000 computers. The men were convicted for a total of 21 criminal charges related to their long-running scheme.
Internet Explorer zero-day exploit makes files vulnerable to hacks on Windows PCs
There’s a Internet Explorer zero-day exploit capable of letting hackers steal your Windows PC’s files. A security researcher has published evidence of the zero-day exploit online and claims that Microsoft was aware of the vulnerability but opted not to patch it when notified by the researcher.
House votes to restore net neutrality rules, but effort faces long odds
The restoration of net neutrality gained a slim chance of moving forward when the Save the Internet Act received House approval this week. The net neutrality bill is an effort to restore protections established by the Obama administration’s Open Internet Order of 2015. It faces major hurdles in the Senate.
Get this 5K retina display iMac with a 1TB Fusion Drive from B&H for $300 off
You can now get a 2017 5K Retina Display iMac for less than $2,000. B&H is selling a $300 discount on Apple’s two year old all-in-one desktop computer. This deal gets you a 2017 iMac with a 27-inch display and 1TB of storage. B&H is also offering an SSD version of the same iMac at a $200 discount.
Microsoft’s Chromium Edge browser killer feature? 4K Netflix streaming
Microsoft’s upcoming Chromium-based Edge browser may support 4K Netflix streaming. A Reddit user recently spotted a flag for a DRM necessary for 4K streaming within the preview version of the browser. If the feature is kept, Edge may be the only Chromium browser with 4K streaming support.
The U.S. government plans to drop $500M on a ridiculously powerful supercomputer
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced plans to build a $500 million exascale supercomputer by 2021. The supercomputer is expected to be built by Intel at the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago. The new supercomputer should help further research efforts in fields like public health.
Nvidia’s smart paintbrush tool turns simple doodles into works of art
Nvidia has announced the development of GauGAN, a smart drawing app that helps artists create photorealistic images from simple doodles and sketches. GauGAN uses deep learning and generative adversarial networks (GANs) to fill in realistic details and create original and vivid works of art.
New fire and burn reports spur expansion of HP’s laptop battery recall
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the expansion of an existing recall involving certain HP laptop batteries. It's the result of more recent reports of fire and burn hazards related to these batteries. The expanded recall now includes about 78,500 affected units.
Share encrypted files via Mozilla’s Firefox Send, a free file-sharing service
Mozilla has released a new and free encrypted file-transfer service called Firefox Send. The new file-sharing service offers a number of security features such as expiring file links and a preset, limited number of downloads. Firefox Send is also expected to let users send large files.
Many pioneers in computing were women of color. Here are 5 you should recognize
Women of color have been at the forefront of a number of groundbreaking computing endeavors. The history of computing is filled with the stories of their innovative contributions. In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we highlight the achievements of five of these extraordinary women.