Amazon’s Deal of the Day takes up to $700 off Dell’s refurbished XPS 13, XPS 15
If you're looking to score some savings off of some of the most popular Windows laptops on the market and don't mind buying a certified refurbished unit, Dell's XPS 13 and XPS 15 are discounted by as much as $700 on Amazon. In Amazon's Deal of the Day, Dell's refurbished Chromebooks are also discounted.
Laptops with Nvidia’s RTX graphics are rumored to arrive at CES 2019
If you want the ray tracing capabilities for gaming that's supported on Nvidia's desktop RTX cards in a mobile form factor, you should keep your eyes out in January. It's now rumored that Nvidia may use CES to launch a new mobile-centric RTX card and laptops with mobile RTX graphics could ship in February.
Google denies claim that it’s tracking internet users when incognito mode is on
After rival privacy-focused search engine reported that Google is following users on the internet to deliver personlized search results -- even when incognito mode is enabled -- Google released a statement denying those claims. Google claimed that DuckDuckGo's study was flawed, and that it's not tracking users.
A second Wells Fargo glitch results in the foreclosure of more homes
Wells Fargo bank is under fire again after revealing that a computer glitch resulted in the mistaken foreclosure of an additional 545 homes. This is the second computer-related error after Wells Fargo revealed in August the first error resulted in 400 homes being foreclosed in a federal assistance program.
Apple’s refurbished 15-inch MacBook Pro gets a $450 price cut on Amazon
As part of its Woot deals, Amazon is now selling refurbished models of Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro with a discount. The discounted models start at $1,549, depending on the configuration, and are backed by a one-year Woot warranty. Amazon's discount applies only to the mid-2017 MacBook Pro, and not this year's models.
415,000 routers worldwide reportedly infected with cryptojacking malware
A cryptojacking malware that was initially discovered affecting more than 200,000 routers in Brazil now has grown to infect more than 415,000 routers worldwide. The malware's goal is to steal resources from computers to mine cryptocurrency in a scheme known as cryptojacking. Fortunately there is a fix.
AMD plans ray tracing cards, looks to compete with Nvidia’s premium GPUs in 2019
AMD may soon have an answer to Nvidia's high-end GeForce RTX series. CEO Lisa Su hinted that AMD will have a premium graphics option to take on its rival, suggesting the reason AMD had left Nvidia unchallenged so far in the space is because it was waiting for the ecosystem to fully support ray tracing.
Skype’s real-time A.I. captions and subtitles aim for better collaboration
Microsoft enabled a feature that brings real-time translation and transcription to your Skype video calls. Launched to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the closed-captioning feature aims to use A.I. to break down communication barriers to foster better collaboration.
Intel promises new experiences for its upcoming discrete GPUs in 2020
Intel confirmed that it is on track to launch new discrete graphics cards in 2020, which will have a different architecture from the now cancelled Larrabee prototype. Though Intel did not reveal much about the upcoming GPU, the company stated that it is focusing on delivering new consumer experiences with the cards.
Microsoft leans on A.I. to bring real-time closed-captioning to PowerPoint
Microsoft is relying on artificial intelligence technology to deliver real-time closed-captioning of PowerPoint presentations. The latest move will make PowerPoint more accessible to people with disabilities or those who speak foreign languages, as A.I. will deliver translation or transcription of the presentation.
Nvidia researchers use artificial intelligence to upgrade your game’s graphics
Artificial intelligence can be used to improve an existing game's graphics by adding more texture, lighting, and details to existing scenes. By using machine learning to study existing videos, researchers discovered that they could use A.I. to render realistic scenes in real-time, allowing old games to be remastered.
Apple quietly delays Blackmagic eGPU Pro ship date to December
Without any explanation, Apple has updated its web store to reflect a new December ship date for the Blackmagic eGPU Pro. Originally slated to be released in November, the Pro edition of the Mac-focused eGPU brings the performance of AMD's Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics cards to Thunderbolt 3-equipped Macs.
Microsoft’s customizable PC could arrive in 2020 with new Surface Monitor
If you ever dreamed of being able to update the important internal components of your all-in-one desktop, Microsoft may make those dreams a reality by 2020. In his book, Brad Sams claims that Microsoft's Surface Studio monitor could launch in 2020 with a modular twist and that Project Andromeda may go "big."
Scammers’ latest phishing attacks are using that little green padlock to fool you
Hackers are now building fake sites with secure HTTPS connections in the hope of fooling users into believing that their phishing website is in fact legitimate. Because these fraudulent sites rely on a secure connection, hackers are able to bypass the security warnings on most browsers.
Google confirms virtual desktop support will eventually arrive on Chromebooks
Google is looking at ways to make Chrome OS a better alternative to Apple's MacOS and Microsoft's Windows 10 platforms, and one way to do that is by introducing a virtual desktop. Though Google has confirmed that Chromebooks will be getting the virtual desktop feature in the future, a timeline was not given.
Sennheiser’s flawed headphone software is a Trojan horse hackers could exploit
Sennheiser may have its own version of Lenovo's Superfish bug on its hands. Though you may not expect headphones to be a cybersecurity risk, Sennheiser's flawed HeadSetup utility could expose your PC to hackers due to weak cryptographic keys that could easily be decrypted by a malicious hacker.
Tab Groups could be a dream for multitaskers working in browser tabs
Multi-taskers who open multiple tabs inside a browser know how easy it is to get lost inside Chrome. Google may be working on a solution that's not dissimilar to MacOS Mojave's desktop Stacks, to help you keep your Chrome experience organized. The answer could arrive in Tab Groups if Google launches this feature.
Amazon breach exposes an unknown number of email addresses
Ahead of the busy Black Friday shopping event, Amazon suffered a data breach. The online retailer blamed a technical error for exposing your email address, though it stressed that your password was not affected and a fix has been implemented. Still, Amazon has not disclosed any details about this incident.
Service restored after glitch locks out Microsoft Office 365 business users
Microsoft has applied a hotfix to restore account access to its business customers on Azure and Office 365. The account lockouts reported in the early morning hours of Monday, November 19, were caused by a glitch that caused Microsoft's multifactor authentication system to go down globally.
Crypto hangover could take blame for Nvidia’s potential GeForce RTX 2060 delay
One possible reason why Nvidia has not announced a shipping date for its GeForce RTX 2060 GPU could be due to the cryptocurrency mining bubble burst. The company blamed oversupply of existing GTX 1060 cards from what it calls the crypto hangover, and it will likely need to clear out existing cards.
Apple discontinues AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule as it exits Wi-Fi router business
Apple is making a full exit out of the Wi-Fi router business, as it has officially stopped selling its remaining AirPort models. Apple had previously stopped selling the AirPort Express, and now its website and retail stores no longer offer the AirPort Extreme or AirPort Time Capsule routers.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mail client goes freemium with the introduction of ads
Microsoft's Windows 10 Mail app is about to get a new feature: Ads. Microsoft quietly acknowledged that banner ads will begin to show up inside the Windows Mail app, regardless of which email service you use. The company claimed that ad revenues will be used to support product development in the future.
Latest SMS breach could allow hackers access to your online accounts
More than 26 million SMS messages may have been exposed as a result of a security breach. The breach stems from a telecommunication firm not securing its online database, giving potential hackers easy access to text messages, some of which contained two-factor authentication codes and password reset links.
Apple MacBook Air (2018) vs. Apple MacBook
Apple just refreshed the MacBook Air, giving it more power in a thinner, lighter body. The redesigned MacBook's footprint places it within a spitting distance of Apple's ultraportable MacBook line, and now both are priced just $100 apart. Which model should you get? We'll help you compare.
Microsoft’s Always-Connected PCs gets more powerful with 64-bit app support
Microsoft announced another major milestone for its Windows on ARM project. Now, with the launch of Visual Studio 15.9, developers can start creating 64-bit apps that will run on Always-Connected PCs. These devices run Windows 10 on Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM-based processors, rather than Intel or AMD silicon.
Razer’s BlackWidow Lite is a mechanical keyboard designed for work and play
Razer's new BlackWidow Lite is a gaming keyboard that doesn't scream that it's purpose-built for gaming. With Razer's mechanical key technology, white backlight, and understated aesthetics, the BlackWidow Lite will look great -- and function beautifully -- on your desk at work or in your man cave.
Microsoft takes up to $330 off of Surface PC bundles in Black Friday promo
While we've seen some sizable discounts on the Surface Pro 6 for Black Friday at retailers like Costco and Best Buy, Microsoft is also offering some nice savings on its own hardware. In addition to the Surface Pro 6, shoppers can also find discounts on the Surface Go and Surface Laptop 2 at Microsoft.
Your new PC may have shipped with an unsupported version of Windows 10
Microsoft's recalled Windows 10 October 2018 Update may have caused some of its PC partners to ship tablets and laptops with an unsupported version of Windows 10. This issue largely affects the new crop of ARM-based Always-Connected PC devices, though it may have caused launch delays for some AMD and Intel systems.
Google focuses on making ecommerce safer with the launch of Chrome 71
Google is on a mission to make online commerce safer. With the launch of Chrome 71 in December, Google will alert you if you visit a website where the billing terms aren't clear. Hopefully, this means that web surfers won't be duped into a subscription fee when they thought they were making a one-time payment.
Hacker infects 100K routers in latest botnet attack aimed at sending email spam
Researchers discovered a new botnet that targets your router in order to send out email spam. Approximately 100,000 routers worldwide are now infected, with a large distribution of affected devices in India, China, and the United States. The hacker is using a complex script to carry out his attack.
The MacBook Air’s battery is easier to replace, but you can’t do it at home
The 2018 MacBook Air's battery is still secured by glue, but this time around, Apple is providing tools to make it easier for authorized service technicians to replace the battery without having to replace the laptop's entire top cover. Unfortunately, users still won't be able to replace depleted batteries at home.
PortSmash attack exploits Intel’s Hyper-Threading architecture to steal your data
Security researchers demonstrated a proof of concept attack known as PortSmash that affects all processors that use simultaneous multi-thread technology. On Intel's chips, this is known as Hyper-Threading, and allows malicious code running alongside legitimate processes on the same CPU to eavesdrop.
Google’s updated Recaptcha deters bots without imposing verification tasks
With Recaptcha v3, Google's verification tool gets smarter by allowing website owners to weed out spam traffic without even requiring visitors to prove they're actual humans. The new tool gets rid of verification requirements -- like interactive puzzles -- and sheds the friction of logging into sites.
Lenovo Legion C730 Cube review
Though the Legion C730 Cube may look like a cooler with its carry handle, and it does a good job keeping its “six pack” -- in the form of Intel’s hexa-core Core i7 CPU – cool, Lenovo designed this desktop for you to take to your next LAN party. With AMD or Nvidia graphics options, the C730 is also a VR-ready system.