Ryan Whitwam
Recent posts
Apple was slow to get into the smart speaker market, but it did so in a traditional Apple fashion in 2018 with the release of the HomePod. This $350 speaker never sold very well, and the company canned it in 2021, leaving just the HomePod Mini in its smart speaker lineup. Last month, it unexpectedly announced a return...
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You're going to see a lot of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in 2023. This chip will be at the heart of most flagship Android devices, delivering the latest wireless connectivity and the highest performance short of Apple's custom silicon. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside the just-announced Galaxy S23 family is something...
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Sure, your phone plays music, but does it play music well? Those with audiophile leanings might want to take note of Sony's latest portable music players, the Walkman NW-ZX707 (above) and NW-A306. The product naming is pretty nebulous, and the feature sets are maybe a bit esoteric. They have FTCAP3 high-polymer...
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The US Department of Justice and eight state attorneys general have filed an antitrust case against Google. If you're thinking this has happened before, you'd be right. However, this time the DOJ is going after Google's crown jewel: the ad tech business. According to the complaint, filed in federal court in Virginia...
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The key to any malware campaign is getting malicious code onto a target device, and often, attackers will use a legitimate app store as a vector. Samsung's Android smartphones ship with the Google Play Store, which has hosted its fair share of malware over the years, as well as the less popular Galaxy App Store...
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The latest NVIDIA GPUs require a new 12VHPWR power cable. That means new challenges for anyone obsessed with cable management. As it stands today, 8-pin to 12VHPWR adapters are bulky and the first wave of cards that require them are enormous. But CableMod is coming to the rescue. The company plans to release a 12VHPWR...
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Apple is rolling out the hits today. Fans of the company's compact desktops have a new Mac Mini over which to salivate, and the portable crowd can "ooh" and "ah" at the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro units. Inside, you'll find a new generation of Apple's custom silicon in the form of the M2 Pro and M2 Max (above)...
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You've probably seen numerous reports of US states moving to restrict the sale of internal combustion engines and encourage the shift to electric vehicles. It's become so common you might have misread the above headline, but it's no typo—lawmakers in Wyoming are actually considering a measure that would phase out EVs...
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We're all awaiting the Galaxy S23 reveal at Unpacked in a few weeks, but the S23 won't be Samsung's first phone release of 2023. That honor belongs to the budget-oriented Galaxy A14 5G, which goes on sale today for a mere $200. It offers a few meaningful upgrades over last year's A13, and it gets a whopping four years...
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OneDrive is Microsoft's answer to the Dropboxes and Google Drives of the world, and it's about to get cheaper. Microsoft has announced a new "Basic" tier of the service, which will cost $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year. It replaces a 100GB plan that offered just storage, but this one will have a few useful add-ons...
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Microsoft has been getting cozy with Android ever since the company ditched its own mobile OS plans. Not only does Microsoft make a line of Android phones, but it has also Android built into Windows itself. Now, the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) is getting a big update to the latest version of the OS, Android...
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The Raspberry Pi is by far the most well-known single-board computer kit thanks in part to its vast array of accessories. The first official add-on was the original camera module, launched in 2013. The foundation has released a few more cameras over the years, but it has been seven years since a new one has arrived...
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Google has been testing a major redesign for Android Auto over the past few months, and it's being finalized today. The new interface makes better use of space on your car's display, and you'll have better control over media playback. Google Assistant also takes center stage to provide contextual suggestions during...
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Google is kicking off 2023 with a new software update for the Pixel phones, something it does almost every month. However, this update isn't just the usual collection of bug fixes and patches. Pixel owners will also get long-awaited support for spatial audio, but this feature is limited to the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro...
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It has been more than two years since Apple unceremoniously booted Fortnite from the App Store, but Epic's time in the wilderness may be coming to an end. Epic CEO Tim Sweeny posted a teaser that suggests the popular game could be coming back to Apple's platform in 2023, but probably not on the App Store.
Epic...
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After a lengthy legislative process, New York has become the first US state to enact a law protecting a consumer's right to repair their own devices. Well, mostly. The law included some exemptions as passed by the state assembly, and governor Kathy Hochul has made additional alterations in an approval message. While...
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In 2021, The Intercept reported that the Taliban had seized biometric devices left behind by the US military in Afghanistan, giving them identifiable information on those who worked with American forces. A group of researchers in Germany called the Chaos Computer Club, led by Matthias Marx, wondered if it was really...
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Juggling a bunch of windows can be a pain, even with the UX enhancements in Windows 11. Microsoft is helping to reduce the clutter with the recently released tabbed file explorer, and now it appears another core app is getting tabs. According to a now-deleted Tweet, Microsoft is on the verge of releasing a version of...
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Finalmouse is known for building boutique gaming mice, and it's about to add mechanical keyboards to its product lineup. The company's first mechanical keyboard will be the Centerpiece, a flashy input device with a full-color display under the keycaps. The board will have its own CPU and GPU, allowing it to run...
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Stop me if you've heard this one: Microsoft released a Windows update recently, and it's causing the dreaded blue screen of death (BSOD) on some systems. Yes, it's a story almost as old as Windows itself, but Microsoft says it's investigating the issue currently plaguing Windows 10 systems after this month's Patch...
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Apple has a reputation for refined hardware, but it surely missed the mark with the butterfly keyboard. Initially offered in 2015, Apple's ultra-slim keyboard design proved to be an ongoing headache for buyers who needed frequent repairs just to type on their Apple laptops. A class action is winding its way through...
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TikTok from Chinese megafirm ByteDance has turned short-form video into a social media phenomenon, making Twitter look pretty dumb for canning Vine a few years back. The skyrocketing popularity of TikTok has some security experts and political leaders concerned. As a Chinese company, the Chinese government has access...
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