Former student uses USB Killer device to fry $58,000 worth of college’s PCs
A former student of the College of Saint Rose was charged with destroying more than $58,000 of computer equipment with a USB Killer device. The former student, an Indian national on a student visa in the U.S., entered a guilty plea and sentencing is scheduled for August.
Google Chrome will get a Reader Mode for distraction-free desktop browsing
Soon, Chrome users will be able to consume the content they want off of a webpage without distractions. Google is finally beginning to test a new feature called Reader Mode, which distills and displays only the relevant content of a webpage, on its experimental Chrome Canary desktop build.
Mueller report releases on CD, forces Congress to find PCs with disc drives
The Mueller report was released on CD on Thursday, April 18, and members of Congress had to locate PCs with working disc drives to access the 400-page report. Shortly thereafter, the same redacted report was released to the public on the special counsel’s website.
Report says 20% of all 2018 web traffic came from bad bots
This year’s Bad Bot Report was published by Distil Networks this week and there were surprising findings of the current state of bots, including the fact that bad bots were responsible for 20% of all 2018 web traffic. The report also included a list of unexpected sources of bad bots.
Microsoft reveals details of Surface Hub 2S, coming in June at $9,000
Microsoft's Surface Hub 2 isn't far from release but what will it actually be like? The first iteration, the Surface Hub 2S, will be a major upgrade in terms of software and hardware. But its sequel, the 2X, could be even more so, with the ability to connect several displays together for even more space.
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.
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.
Microsoft accelerates carbon reduction plans in new sustainability push
Though Microsoft has made significant progress toward its sustainability goals, it wants to accelerate the rate of becoming a zero-emission, zero-waste company. Microsoft announced that it is doubling a self-imposed internal carbon tax to incentivize business divisions in making sustainable choices.
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.
Microsoft says hackers were able to view Outlook.com emails
Microsoft's Outlook.com email platform saw a massive breach that caused confidential data to be accessed by hackers for months due to leaked customer support login information. Now, it appears the problem might have been much worse than initially thought, and worse than Microsoft admitted.
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.
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.
Hackers broke into Outlook.com using worker’s credentials, Microsoft says
Microsoft's web-based email services, including Outlook.com accounts and MSN and Hotmail addresses, were the target of a security beach. Using a customer support agent's credentials, hackers were possibly able to access email addresses and subject lines, but fortunately not their content.
New Oculus Touch controllers may have secret messages hidden inside them
Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell revealed that new Oculus Touch controllers will be released to customers with secret messages accidentally hidden inside them. While this has no effect on the performance of the input devices, Mitchell apologized for the mistake and vowed that it will not happen again.
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.
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.
Apple may take Face ID to the next level, scan retinas for increased security
Apple might take Face ID to the next level in an upcoming device update as new patent filings with the European Patent Office show the company exploring retina scanning. Face ID is already extremely secure, but retina scanning might bring an additional layer of enhanced security to the platform.
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.
Microsoft’s rumored Always Connected Surface Pro could emerge as a 5G PC
Microsoft is reportedly working on making bringing the Always Connected PC experience to a future version of its Surface Pro line. The Surface-maker is said to have working prototypes of its Surface Pro running on Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon processor, rather than Intel's x86 architecture.
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 refreshes Chromebooks and Windows laptops with business, gaming appeal
Acer's refreshed lineup of Chromebook and Windows laptops are designed with gamers and business users in mind. Acer's TravelMate P6 and two new Chromebook models feature MIL-STD 810G ratings for durability, long battery life, and biometric security, while the Nitro gaming notebooks come with dedicated GPUs.
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.
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.
Apple to break apart iTunes in MacOS, introduce music, podcasts, and TV apps
With the next release of MacOS, Apple is rumored to finally distribute iTunes' multitude of tasks and features across separate apps including music, podcasts, and TV. The new applications will likely be similar to their iOS counterparts, being based on the company's Marzipan technology.
The future of MacBook displays? Mini-LED, says a new report
Apple's next iMacs and MacBooks could be a bit different. The company could ditch LCD retina screens in favor of much more vibrant mini LED panels. which offer wider-color gamuts, higher contrast ratios, as well as high-dynamic ranges. That's all according to a research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Microsoft calls out U.S. government for bad mapping of broadband data access
The FCC currently holds that only 25 million Americans don't have access to broadband internet, but Microsoft is challenging the number. Microsoft is claiming that more than half of the U.S. population -- or 162.8 million people -- do not use the internet at the broadband speed of 25MBps.
Intel’s Optane is fusing with SSDs to supercharge your laptop storage
Intel on Wednesday, April 10, is announcing the Optane H10 Memory with SSD. When paired inside new gaming laptops and desktops from HP, Dell, and Asus, the new storage drive promises to launch your games up to 60 percent faster and open large media files up to 90 percent faster.
Google confirms new Pixelbook laptop and tablets are indeed coming soon
Back in mid-March of 2019, reports had indicated Google would be canceling future laptops and tablets as part of cuts to its hardware team. Though Google never officially commented on the matter, a new report now indicates that Google's hardware division will, in fact, release new Pixelbook laptops and tablets soon.
Lenovo Tax Refund sale knocks down prices on ThinkPad, Yoga laptops
If you've been thinking of buying a new Lenovo laptop recently, this week is your chance to save big. Lenovo is currently running a tax refund sale, and it is cutting the prices down on ThinkPad laptops, Yoga 2-in-1s, and more -- but only through the end of Wednesday, April 17.
Don’t expect to see Apple’s new 16-inch MacBook Pro until 2021
The new rumored 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro might not be released this year after all. Instead, it seems as though the new laptop will not arrive at the hands of Apple fans until as late as 2021, according to a fresh note from the well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Leaked MSI laptop with GTX 1650 and Core i7 makes for a killer gaming combo
MSI may have an exciting new gaming laptop waiting in the wings with an intriguing combination of a high-powered, new-generation CPU from Intel, and a mobile version of Nvidia's still-unannounced GTX 1650 GPU. Leaked performance numbers suggest it could offer fantastic gaming power.