Turn your Surface Pro into a cheap Surface Studio with Kensington’s dock
Want a Surface Studio but don’t want to pay the premium price? Kensington can make your dream come true through a new docking station built for the cheaper Surface Pro. It essentially holds Microsoft’s detachable in an all-in-one-PC-style configuration while expanding the device’s connectivity.
AMD’s Ryzen desktop CPUs for 2019 may double the core count
Although we’re still waiting for AMD to release new low-end second-generation Ryzen processors, AMD appears to be betting big on 2019. If current rumors are correct, Ryzen 3000 Series mainstream desktop processors arriving next year will sport up to 16 cores based on its Zen 2 design.
Microsoft promises to show off new Xbox bundles during Gamescom
Microsoft is heading to Gamescom next month to showcase all-new Xbox bundles and accessories. The company isn’t revealing any details prior to the show, but merely states that gamers should expect “a few surprises." The big reveal will take place during a special broadcast of Inside Xbox.
Dell’s refresh of the XPS 13 2-in-1 series dips its toes into Intel’s Amber Lake
Intel said its eighth-generation “Amber Lake” Y-series processors would arrive later this year. One month later, the Chilean arm of Dell leaked an upcoming 13-inch XPS 2-in-1 device sporting five processor options, two of which are Amber Lake CPUs: the Core i5-8200Y and the Core i7-8500Y.
Microsoft patent paves way for a touch- and smudge-free tablet future
While touchscreens are great for navigating on smartphones and tablets, your greasy fingers leave annoying prints on the surface, blurring the view. Microsoft aims to change that by implementing a design that relies on touch-free input. This design appears in a granted patent published on July 10.
Google Chrome now consumes more memory due to a new Spectre fix
Version 67 of Google’s Chrome browser for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS now includes a new security feature called Site Isolation. This new component protects web surfers against Spectre-based attacks on the internet but for a price: 10 to 13 percent more system memory consumption.
Bring magic to your desktop with a $699 external GPU for MacBook Pros, iMacs
Blackmagic Design teamed up with Apple to create an external graphics card enclosure with a built-in AMD Radeon Pro 580. Called the Blackmagic eGPU, it connects to Mac devices via a Thunderbolt 3 port (40GBps). It’s available now through Apple’s online shop and its brick-and-mortar stores.
AT&T to sell the Magic Leap One Creator Edition AR headset in U.S. this summer
AT&T said it signed a deal to be the exclusive wireless distributor of Magic Leap’s products in the United States. First up to bat will be the Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset that will be sold in select stores in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this summer.
AMD’s second-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs could rip into stores in August
AMD’s next-generation Ryzen Threadripper desktop processors for enthusiasts will supposedly launch in August. We already knew they were on the way given AMD introduced the Threadripper 2000 family during Computex, but now unnamed sources close to AMD are providing an actual launch date.
AMD’s next batch of Ryzen desktop CPUs may focus on better power efficiency
Although AMD introduced its second-generation Ryzen desktop processors in April, a recent leak shows another batch is on the way that will focus on better power efficiency. One of the processors in question is the Ryzen 7 2700E, which appeared in the 3DMark database with a 45-watt power draw.
Think you’re an Apple fan? This collection of prototypes has you beat
If you thought you were Apple’s biggest fan, Hap Plain likely has you beat. He owns more than 250 prototypes manufactured by the company spanning PowerBooks, iBooks, iPhones, iPods and “pretty much everything in-between.” It may be the largest private collection of Apple prototypes in the world.
Watch artist rendition of a pixelated, dancing Donald Glover made on a 1987 Mac
A video on Instagram showcases an animation of Donald Glover performing his dance pulled from the This is America music video (aka Childish Gambino). What makes this animation unique is that its creator used Apple’s old Macintosh SE all-in-one PC along with the MacPaint and MacroMind Director.
The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
There’s no doubt Apple plans to update its MacBook Pros with eighth-generation Intel CPUs, but now a new benchmark gives us a better view at the specific chips we’ll see in the upcoming devices. In the case of the next 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, one variant will rely on Intel's Core i7-8559U chip.
Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series may get people ready for the next generation of VR
Unnamed sources claim that Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce GTX 1180 add-in graphics card for desktops will likely include a proprietary connector for virtual reality headsets to support 120Hz refresh rates over a single cable. This port will likely be based on the current HDMI 2.1 specification.
Philips claims ‘world’s first’ with a new 4K HDR desktop display
The 43-inch Philips Momentum 436M6 Quantum Dot monitor revealed in April is now up for grabs on Amazon for a mere $999. At the time of its reveal, parent company Envision Peripherals deemed it as the world’s first DisplayHDR 1000 panel, residing at the top of VESA's new HDR certification system.
Facebook takes on YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer with a game broadcast channel
Facebook is experimenting with a new gaming video "destination" that combines onto one page all the live and pre-recorded gaming videos posted on the social website. Labeled as FB.GG despite the portal's longer real-world address, Facebook splits its one-stop video showcase into five sections.
Microsoft wants artificial intelligence to catch cheaters on Xbox Live
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Microsoft that describes a method of cheat detection for games on a platform level using machine learning. The idea is to bring cheat detection outside the game given platforms can't detect cheats within the game itself.
Razer crams lasers into its new ‘Huntsman’ keyboards for blazing-fast speed
Razer introduced a new line of mechanical keyboards called Huntsman. The first two models out the gate is the "premium" $199 Razer Huntsman Elite version and the cheaper, "performance-focused" $149 Razer Huntsman model. Both rely on new mechanical switches that use an infrared light beam.
Exactis left the records of 340M people, businesses wide open for anyone to grab
Marketing and data aggregation firm Exactis kept a database of around 340 million individual records on a publicly accessible server. The data dump measured around two terabytes (2TB) and contained the personal information of around 230 million adults in the U.S. along with 110 million businesses.
These fake Android apps steal your money when you aren’t looking
The McAfee Mobile Research team discovered a new campaign where at least 15 apps on Google Play were "re-packaged" to secretly sign up for premium paid services in the background and charge directly to your mobile carrier. The list includes Qrcode Scanner, Cut Ringtones 2018, and Despacito Ringtone.
Microsoft pulls its ‘Sets’ feature in the latest Windows Insider build
The latest preview build for Windows Insiders is out and with it sees the removal of Sets. Originally slated to be a part of the next major feature update, Sets intended to group your favorite apps together for a more productive workflow. But Microsoft decided to remove Sets based on feedback.
Intel may debut a Core i9 desktop CPU for the general market in 2018
Intel is gearing up to release high-end desktop processors for the mainstream market. These chips will essentially be part of Intel's fourth wave of eighth-generation processors released during the third quarter of 2018. At the forefront will be an eight-core chip listed as the Core i9-9900K.
AOL’s instant messenger rises from the ashes, but your buddies didn’t survive
America Online's instant messenger, AIM, now rises from the ashes as AIM Phoenix. It's not an official service but is instead run by Wildman Productions. AIM Phoenix essentially uses discontinued software to send messages through a private server and doesn't actually connect to America Online.
Cooler Master’s new $79 mechanical keyboard lights up your desk like Christmas
Cooler Master launched a new mechanical keyboard packing more features per dollar than the competition's more expensive products. It's a highly attractive, visually sturdy mechanical keyboard sporting a minimalistic, curved brushed aluminum design and raised, floating keys. It sells for $79.
The ‘world’s tiniest computer’ is smaller than a grain of rice. Much smaller.
Not to be outdone by IBM's "world smallest computer" revealed in March, a team at the University of Michigan is calling IBM's bluff with an even smaller computer that's "dwarfed by a grain of rice," measuring just 0.33mm on each side. Still, the Michigan team is now questioning the "computer" term.