Election data is vulnerable. Microsoft’s open source software aims to fix that
Microsoft has a pair of new technologies that it hopes will make the next elections in the United States and abroad far more secure from outside meddling. They help secure important campaign data and could help create a new-generation of secure voting systems to better validate election results.
Russians don’t like the new internet censorship law, but it’s happening anyway
A new piece of internet legislation in Russia could make it possible for the government to cut off access to international web sites and services. Although the Kremlin claims that it's for defensive purposes only, detractors are concerned it could lead to new levels of censorship in the country.
Microsoft Azure Blockchain signs J.P. Morgan for Ethereum smart contract system
If you've wanted to run blockchain apps through the cloud but were wary of the complexities of integration, Microsoft is here to help. Its new Azure Blockchain Service streamlines ledger creation through the Ethereum Protocol and is already attracting major customers like J.P. Morgan and its Quorum platform.
Grab an AMD RX 580 for just $170 in Best Buy’s flash AMD sale
AMD graphics cards and CPUs have had their prices slashed once again as we near launches of AMD's next-generation products in each range. Best Buy is the latest to cut prices and it sees fantastic GPUs like the RX 580 cut to just $170, while the Ryzen 5 2600 is available for the exact same price.
Intel doubles down on 10nm in 2019, pledges to never have shortages again
Intel CEO Bob Swan has made a solemn pledge that Intel will no longer hold back its potential customers due to stock shortages of its mainstream CPUs. Intel will ramp up 14nm production and continue to improve 10nm yield as it launches the first line of Ice lake mobile products before the end of the year.
Intel’s 10nm desktop dreams may be dead — new road map pushes them beyond 2022
A leaked roadmap for Intel's future CPU generations suggests that the chip giant may not be able to launch a competitive, high-end 10nm desktop CPU until beyond 2022, with only a handful of low-power and mobile 10nm chips set to debut in the next few years at all. The rest will be its now-classic 14nm process.
Leaked memo: If your MacBook keyboard dies, Apple will fix or replace in one day
A leaked internal Memo at Apple has given some hope to MacBook owners with dodgy keyboards. Apple has now decreed that its Genius Bar employees prioritize keyboard repairs and replacements and even mandate that they be completed within one business day. It even shipped extra parts to all stores to help.
Lenovo Legion, IdeaPad gaming laptops sport 9th-gen CPUs and 16-series graphics
Lenovo's new line up of Legion and IdeaPad gaming laptops now come with the option of Intel ninth-generation CPUs, and a choice of Nvidia RTX 2000-series and GTX 1600-series graphics chips for high-powered gaming. Each also uses a new cooling system for quieter operation and greater overall performance.
AMD will launch anniversary edition Radeon VII and 2700X to celebrate 50th year
AMD is set to release two anniversary edition pieces of gaming hardware on April 29. The Radeon VII graphics card and Ryzen 2700X will come in special edition packaging and the GPU will even have a red shroud to celebrate this five decade milestone for the company. But will performance improve?
AMD’s 2020 Ryzen CPUs could have a big boost in power efficiency
AMD's next, next-generation CPUs, the Ryzn 4000 series expected to release in 2020, will be based on an iteration of the upcoming Zen 2 architecture, currently known as Zen 3. That 7nm Plus design will be created using a new lithography process which we're told could lead to solid gains in efficiency and power.
AMD could offer ray tracing with next-gen Navi graphics cards
AMD's next-generation Navi graphics cards may come with support for ray tracing. Sony recently confirmed that its next-generation console would support it and it will be using a Navi GPU. If that turns out to be true, we could see AMD GPUs with ray tracing support go on sale inside the next few months.
Light up your external GPU with Razer’s new Core X Chroma enclosure
Razer has a new version of its external graphics cards enclosure that bridges that gap between the Core V2 and Core X. The new Core X Chroma brings back RGB lighting and USB-A Ethernet ports, with a larger internal footprint for more powerful PSUs and larger GPU coolers for quieter, high-powered gaming.
HP’s new Zbook, EliteBook 800 workstations go 4K with 8th-gen Intel CPUs
HP has a new range of ZBook and EliteBook notebooks with a selection of display options including 1080p touchscreens and 4K IPS panels for greater clarity. There are also configuration options for discrete GPUs, and an overall high build quality for extreme durability in any environment.
Save up to 85 percent in Amazon’s one-day memory and storage sale
Amazon is selling a number of SD cards, SSDs, external hard drives, and USB flash drives at discounted rates. Whether you need to expand your phone's storage or want to increase the drive space on your local network, there's something for everyone and some items are discounted by as much as 85 percent.
AMD may launch its next-gen Navi graphics cards at E3 in June
AMD is rumored to be planning a launch for its next-generation Navi graphics cards at this year's E3 show in June. The new architecture will be the first-mainstream GPUs AMD has released since its RX 500 chips in 2016. Navi will also be a wholly new chip design, rather than a repurposed one.
Ray tracing on GTX GPUs might sound stupid, but there’s a method to the madness
Nvidia has broadened support for ray tracing on its graphics cards to include the GTX 10-series and GTX 16-series. This means that gamers with last-generation GPUs can now get a taste of what ray tracing will look like, but it's probably not worth it. Ray tracing makes many games almost unplayable.
The new Dolby Vision monitors from Asus could be perfect for creative types
Asus has a pair of new monitors aimed at professional creatives. They both support the proprietary Dolby Vision standard, as well as a wide range of other HDR standards. They're 4K, with thin and lightweight frames. Gamers will be disappointed though, as they aren't designed with entertainment in mind.
Acer’s ConceptD laptops and desktops give artists quiet gaming power
Don't be fooled by the discrete RTX graphics inside Acer's new line of ConceptD workstations and mobile workstations. These systems weren't designed for gaming. With powerful processors, top-of-the-line graphics, and color-accurate displays, these PCs were designed for creatives to make the games you play.
Acer’s powerful new Helios 700 gaming laptop transforms to maximize performance
Acer's new Helios 700 could be its most impressive gaming laptop ever made. It's superpowerful, with the latest Intel and Nvidia components, and also has a cooling solution that relies on a transforming keyboard to draw in extra air. It's a unique approach that enables automated overclocking for maximum power.
PC sales slide 5 percent in 2019 and they’re taking Apple with them
Overall PC sales declined nearly five percent in the first three months of this year, according to new research from Gartner, but it wasn't bad news for everyone. While Apple, Acer, and Asus, saw declining sales by up to 13 percent, Lenovo, HP, and Dell all increased their market share by notable margins.
Editing Microsoft Word files in Google Docs finally isn’t a huge pain
Google is expanding the native document support of its collaborative productivity services to include Microsoft Office file types. That means you can save a file in Word, Excel, or Powerpoint and open it in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides without converting first. The feature should go live later this month.
Microsoft finally accepts that nobody safely removes USB devices
The latest v1809 update for Windows 10 brought with it a number of changes, one of which altered the way Windows deals with USB devices. Instead of Better performance mode, it will now make it safer to quickly remove USB drives so you no longer need to trigger it manually via the notifications menu.
Save $100 on the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 with Core M3 CPU
Samsung's Chromebook Plus V2 with an Intel Core M3 CPU has had its price slashed by more than $100. Now below $500, it's cheaper in some cases than the same laptop with a weaker Celeron CPU and half the storage. Grab one now while stocks last and enjoy 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space too.
Dell adds OLED display option to its Alienware M15 gaming laptop
Dell has come through on its promise to add an OLED display option to its gaming laptops, although it's only one so far and it comes a month late. The Alienware M15 now has configurable options for 1080p, 4K, and high-refresh-rate displays, alongside the new OLED option for prospective buyers.
HP Spectre and Envy laptops to launch with AMOLED screens in April
Two next-generation laptops from HP, the Spectre x360 and Envy x360, will both debut in April with the option of an AMOLED display. The screens will offer high brightness, contrast ratios, and strong HDR capabilities. Although there is some concern over burn-in, the new laptops should look very pretty.
AMD graphics cards may get ray tracing support with Navi 20
AMD may add ray tracing support to its high-end graphics cards in 2020 with the introduction of the Navi 20 generation, according to new rumors. The fancy lighting effect will be joined by improvements to the Graphcis Core Next architecture behind the last few generations of AMD's gamer-focused GPUs.
Microsoft Surface Hub 2 will get its own coming-out party on April 17
Microsoft's Surface Hub 2 will be revealed shortly: The software giant is holding a press event in conjunction with Steelcase on April 17 to showcase the future of working collaboratively, leading many to believe that the Surface Hub 2, and perhaps the 2X, will make their first major appearance.
The new Windows 10 File Explorer could look like this in 2020
Microsoft may finally update the File Explorer in Windows 10 to adopt the Fluent Design principles it set out in 2017. Many facets of its flagship operating system have been updated to the new aesthetic since then, but File Explorer remains decidedly white and without transparencies. Perhaps not for much longer.
