Alexa for PC invades your notebook, signs a truce with Cortana
It's only recently that digital assistants have been invading enemy territory, with Cortana firing the initial salvos with clients for iOS and Android. Now, Alexa for PC is arriving on Windows 10 notebooks, and we tested her on the first to ship with Alexa pre-installed, the Acer Spin 5 2-in-1.
You can use Chrome OS on a tablet, but it’s not an iPad competitor yet
Chrome OS is finally arriving on pure tablet devices, just as Google is rolling out more tablet-oriented features. We took a look at the first Chrome OS tablet to hit the market, the education-focused Acer Chromebook Tab 10, to see just how Google's lightweight OS performs without a keyboard and mouse.
Chrome OS keeps improving, but it still doesn’t work for me
Chrome OS continues to improve, with Android app support, better tablet functionality, and a continuous stream of improvements that makes it increasingly capable. But whether or not it works for you comes down to how you use your PCs -- and for me, Chrome OS is too limited to fill my every need.
Acer Spin 5 vs. Lenovo Yoga 730
The midrange convertible 2-in-1 market is chock full of excellent options, and at less than $1,000 they're quite a bit more affordable than their premium counterparts. Acer's Spin 5 and Lenovo's Yoga 730 are two very close competitors, and we pitted them head to head to see which is worth the money.
Microsoft will replace your Surface Pro 4 if it was affected by ‘Flickergate’
So many users are suffering from flickering displays on their Surface Pro 4 machines that they've banded together and created a website highlighting the issue. Microsoft has announced that it will be offering replacement Surface Pro 4s to anyone whose device is affected by screen flickering.
Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 13
Microsoft's Surface Book 2 13 is the fast 2-in-1 in its class, hosting a powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 for competent entry-level gaming and great creativity performance. Acer has attempted to accomplish the same in a detachable tablet, raising the question: Did it manage to unseat the master?
Laptop kickstands don’t need to be fancy, they just need to work
Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most when designing a computer. The tablet kickstand is a prime example -- get it right and it can make for a great experience, but get it wrong and the entire tablet suffers. Acer's Switch 7 shows how over-engineering can hamper the experience.
Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Pro
The Acer Switch 7 Black Edition is a hefty detachable tablet 2-in-1 with a large display and a trick up its sleeve -- a discrete GPU that promises decent entry-level gaming to go with the usual tablet productivity chips. But is that enough to make it a better tablet than Microsoft's Surface Pro?
Google Chrome 66 arrives to stall those noisy autoplay videos
With Chrome 66, Google finally begins blocking many autoplay videos, at least those with sound and on some sites. There are some rules that apply to how Chrome will block those annoying videos, and the ability to mute entire sites remains. Chrome 66 also trials a new Spectre mitigation.
Google makes it even easier to get into A.I. with Raspberry Pi bundles
Getting involved with artificial intelligence for voice and vision doesn't require a massive investment in server farms and expensive audiovisual equipment. Instead, Google offers kits that include everything you need, and it now throws in the required Raspberry Pi single-board computer.
Your Mac will now start warning you about your 32-bit apps
Starting today, April 12, whenever you fire up your Mac, you will start getting a notification whenever you fire up a 32-bit application. Eventually, you won't be able to run software that's not 64-bit, and so this warning is essentially a heads up to give you time to start planning for the transition.
Verizon agrees, ransomware is the most popular form of malware
According to Verizon's 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, ransomware has emerged as one of the most common forms of malware among organizations. The reason: cybercriminals are mostly influenced by a desire to make money and ransomware is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to attack.
Lenovo Yoga 910 vs HP Spectre X360: So alike, and yet just different enough
The Windows 10 notebook ecosystem has generated some excellent machines as a result of Intels Ultrabook and Microsofts Surface initiatives. Whether its traditional clamshell notebooks or 2-in-1 convertibles, there are numerous choices when it comes to thin and light machines with excellent performance and battery life. More: How Ultrabooks challenged the MacBook Air and won […]
Why spend more? This $600 laptop might be all you need
Acer's Aspire E 15 is a great combination of fast components, great battery life, and a decent display for not a lot of money. Is it all the notebook you really need?
