Piltch Point (Video)

With any new version of Windows comes an updated UI. Windows 11 has introduced some of the biggest UI changes since Windows 95 (with Windows 8 set aside since Windows 10 undid almost all of that paradigm). Avram has been living inside of the latest Windows 11 build and has some of the most important changes, as well as ways to restore previous Windows UIs (for now).With change comes discomfort for many, and Windows 11 has a lot of big changes. The biggest and most obvious is the Start Button and Start Menu. First, let's talk about the position: the Taskbar, and therefore the Start Button, is centered by default. This is a major change, as Start has been in the lower-left corner since Windows 95. One of the biggest complaints with this positioning is that the Start Button moves around based on how many apps are open. If Microsoft had decided to place the Start Button in the middle of the taskbar and apps stretched out left AND right from that position, it might have had a different reaction, but that is not the case. Instead, it is left-justified in a centered world, meaning it doesn't have its own place. The good news is that you can easily change this back to left justification in the Taskbar settings.The Start Menu itself is the next major change. By default, it is bigger than the Start Menu in previous Windows versions (except Windows 8, which was full screen). But, while there is more space on the new menu, there is less information available. Only 18 apps appear pinned on the screen, followed by recent and recommended content. To get the full app list, you must click a button in the top-right corner, and then you get the alphabetized list. In Windows 10, you can have the full list appear on the left with your pinned Tiles on the right. This gives a lot more access without clicks. Now, the majority of the Start Menu is hidden behind a click.Adding to that, Search has changed, as well. In Windows 10, you can hit the Windows key on your keyboard and start typing to search your computer and the web. Now, Search and Start are different screens, and switching between them requires another click. When you click in the search bar at the top of Start, you are switched out of Start and into the new Search experience. The Search panel is larger than Start, and positioned differently, so the transition is a bit jarring. You can access the menu directly by using Windows+S, but that will, of course, require more keys and changes to behavior that has been taught for the last number of versions of Windows.There are ways to get a classic Start Menu back, as well as a classic or custom Start Button, using some tools available online. You can also get the full Windows 10 taskbar back using a Registry key change, though many aspects no longer work, such as Search and Task View. These hacks could always be undermined, as Microsoft keeps taking things away with updates.

Recently, Tom's Hardware has begun covering 3D printers. As such, Avram has been doing a deep dive into the world of 3D printers and what it takes to use them effectively. What he has learned is that they are not exactly straightforward, but also not exactly complicated. There are choices that need to be made, processes that need to be followed, and you'll be able to accurately predict the end result.First and foremost, you need to choose your printer. There are tons of companies that are in the 3D printer space these days, and there is a whole spectrum of printers available. There are a number of conditions to take into consideration: size, print surface, materials, method, and price. Size and print surface are often tied together - a smaller printer will likely be able to print smaller items, so you'll need to decide what it is you're going for.Next is deciding the type of printing you want to do. There are several ways of printing, including extrusions (usually through spools of plastic) and resin (using a liquid and lasers). Extrusions printers are the ones most people are familiar with, and offer the less expensive entrance into the experience. They are similar to a standard ink jet printer. Resin is more expensive to get started, but offers a more detailed print, as well as a lower cost to operate over the long run. This would be more like a standard laser printer.All of these choices lead to possibly the most important aspect: price. Larger printers, more detailed tools, and better print technology will lead to higher prices. But, for those who are just getting started, beginning with a less expensive device might be the right way to go.Now that you've got your printer and all of your supplies, it's time to put the printer to use. There are several places where you can download existing models for items, but the most popular is Thingiverse from MakerBot. On this site, you can find everything from a wall hanging of Homer Simpson's face to a chassis for a remote controlled car. Starting here gives you the ability to test out your printer and get comfortable with the concept.Once you're comfortable with your hardware, you can start customizing. There are software products designed specifically for 3D modeling. They range from free to incredibly expensive, offering a wide range of features and precision. Unless your printer comes with a license for a paid version, it's best to try out one of the free ones in order to get used to it. If you're like Avram, though, the free products will not provide the precision that you need.Tom's Hardware now has a lot of detailed information about 3D printers, including a number of reviews of printers. Use this information to help you make a smart, informed decision about which one is right for you and your needs. Then, make sure to share with us the items you make with your printer!

This week, Avram Piltch talks about the newly announced Windows 11 (Sun Valley), the new features, and the confusion around the release.

If you use a computer, you've experienced some sort of a crash. Even Apple, despite its marketing, experiences hardware failures, software conflicts, or driver issues. But, there's a very famous and painful type of computer failure that nearly everyone is familiar with: the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). This is the screen that Windows shows when something has gone tragically wrong. To recover from one of these failures can be a challenge, but Tom's Hardware has got a lot of information to help you get back up and running.One of the best ways to recover from a BSOD is to keep the stop code or the QR code on the error screen. This can give you a lot of information about what happened because the screen can be caused by a lot of different issues. The debugging process is different for CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, versus IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (or the various other errors). You can then head to Microsoft's page for some next steps. But, Windows is set by default to reboot after a failure, so you're up against a clock. If you lose the details, it's okay - there's another way.Windows creates a memory dump during a crash, and you can use the minidump file to debug your issue. There is software available to read and interpret the file to give you insight into what happened so you can undo it. But, even with all of the information, you might need the trial and error method.Safe Mode is a great tool for trial and error. It prevents a bunch of possibly problematic aspects of Windows from loading. From here, you can turn things on one at a time to determine if a new driver, Windows Update, or piece of software has caused the issue.

If you follow the cryptocurrency world, you've likely encountered Chia - the new currency that works differently from all the others. Normally, coins are mined through a process called "proof of work." This requires a lot of computing power, which in turn requires a lot of electrical power. The reward is a coin in the corresponding currency, whether it be Bitcoin, Etherium, Doge, or others. But Chia doesn't use proof of work, and instead uses a Proof of Time and Space algorithm.This altered process doesn't rely heavily on processing power, but instead on storage. Tom's Hardware has a rundown on what is needed, but the concept is modeled on farming. You have a hard drive, which is untamed land. You create a plot on that land in order to farm. You plant your seeds and wait for your number to be chosen in order to reap the rewards.The biggest issue with farming Chia is that blocks come to you on a random lottery system. So, you could be waiting for a very long time before one of your plots matures, or you could hit two in a row. There is absolutely no telling or predicting how or when you might receive anything for your time. In other systems, there is a bit of the unknown involved, in that you are never guaranteed a block to mine. But, blocks are readily available, and the amount of work for one is enough to distribute between multiple systems. Plus, most crypto systems start to assign blocks to known entities - essentially individuals or pools that are guaranteed to complete a block. Chia is working to add pooling in order to offer wider distribution of rewards, but unlike with Bitcoin, it's not quite the same compromise being made to join a pool.

Tom's Hardware was founded 25 years ago and made a major impact on the internet. In the years since the first article was published, a lot of things have changed in the computer industry, while other things have remained mostly unchanged. As part of the anniversary, Avram decided to look back on the industry, rather than the site, and show how the industry has progressed.For example, let's look at the core of the computer: the processor. In 1996, the bleeding edge, top-of-the-line processor was the Pentium P54CS, which ran at 200 megahertz. In today's world, processors in the megahertz range are for microcontrollers, not for computers. Instead, the Ryzen 9 5950x, today's top processor, runs at 3.5 gigahertz with a max boost of 4.9 gigahertz. But, in addition, there are 16 CPU cores, compared to the single-core of the old Pentium.Another area where there has been significant change is in monitors. In fact, the fact that we use a screen at all is the only real similarity between 2021 and 1996. The Sony Multiscan 20se II was the top monitor in 1996 and was a whopping 21" of 1600x1200 glory. This CRT monitor weighed 66 pounds and was almost as deep as it was wide. Today, the LG 27GN950 offers 4K gaming with a 1 millisecond response time at 144 hertz. All of this in a 27" screen that is incredibly thin.But, not everything has changed completely. The mouse continues to exist, and exist very similarly. The Microsoft IntelliMouse premiered in 1996, bringing with it the design we are all comfortable with today, including the scroll wheel. But, this model of the mouse still used a ball. Today, the mouse looks similar, but has a lot of new buttons and has ditched the ball for an array of optical sensors.Of course, a lot of other technology has changed, including storage (hard drives and removable storage), phones, memory, and more. Avram discusses some of it and will publish a full article at Tom's Hardware.

In January, Avram introduced us to the new Alienware m15 and m17 R4. This gaming laptop is considered to be the best performing laptop for gaming on the market today. But, like almost all gaming laptops, the biggest issue is the keyboard. Gamers tend to prefer a mechanical keyboard, but that has generally not been available on a portable rig. Thanks to a new set of switches from CherryMX, however, the m15 and m17 now have that option.The new switches, known as CherryMX Ultra Low Profile switches. These all-new keyboard switches are designed specifically to create a mechanical keyboard that is still thin. This is because normal mechanical switches are taller than a normal laptop, and when you add the keycaps, they're even taller. For most people, that is an unacceptable situation, and so we have our new design.A traditional CherryMX switch is 18.5 mm, the newer low profile switches are 11.9 mm, but the newest ultra low profile switches are just 3.5 mm tall. And, because of the design of the switch, the keycaps stretch across the top, as opposed to sitting on top of a post, meaning that all together they are just barely thicker than a traditional laptop keyboard. That is perfect for the m15 and m17 R4, because they are already super thin.This new design switch maintains the ever important clicky feel while also slimming down. The design, according to the company, is based on the "Gullwing" doors from the Delorean car. When you press down on the middle of the key, a swing pulls two edges up, which the company says was directly inspired by the iconic doors from Back to the Future. No matter the inspiration, it is a welcomed addition to the laptop.You can get both the m15 and m17 laptops right now for an additional $176.40.

As the global chip shortage continues to affect product availability, finding certain technology products is getting more difficult. Whether you are looking for a new Radeon RX 6900 XT videocard or an Xbox Series X, you're up against limited inventory, high consumer demand, and scalpers. All of these conditions are adding to the overall challenge of acquiring one of these products. Obviously, if it is possible to skip one of these items in the near term, that is going to be your best choice. However, there are some processes and solutions if you need one of these items.One company that is trying to provide a solution to the problem is Newegg. Their Product Shuffle feature creates a lottery system when a new shipment of inventory has been received. So, if you are looking for that NVIDIA RTX 3090 and Newegg receives a shipment, you can sign up to be considered for purchase. Once the time window closes, the company randomly draws the number of names for which they have inventory and send an email. You then have a limited amount of time to make your purchase before the inventory is unlocked once again. It's not ideal, but it does mean that you're not fighting the mob.Another option is to sign up for an inventory alert system like HotStock. On these platforms, you can log your interest in a particular product, for example a PlayStation 5. You can also enter a maximum price you are willing to pay (which you should absolutely do), to limit the results. Then, when the system encounters the product available on one of its partner sites for a price within your range, you can get an email or a push notification (if you download the mobile app). One of the limitations of these systems, however, is that you cannot enter a product category. So, for videcards, you'll need to enter alerts for every manufacturer of a model, as opposed to just saying you want a Radeon RX 6800.No matter how you solve the inventory issues for yourself, we wish you luck in finding the items you need.

This month marks the 1 year anniversary of "15 days to slow the spread" and it has brought with it a number of new challenges. For many people, it was the first experience of working from home instead of going into an office. That change in paradigm created a need to rethink our homes, as well as the tools that we use to get through our workday.The most important recommendation has been to carve out space in your home that is your work area. This helps to prevent the feeling of never leaving work and always being at home. It can be confusing emotionally to not have a separation between these aspects of your life. It doesn't need to be a whole room, but some space is good.Of course, there are items that can improve your work, as well. A great keyboard for your computer can improve your typing and reduce strain on your wrist. Avram uses the Hexgears Impulse and Scott uses the Razer Cynosa V2 with the Razer Tartarus keyboard extension. A good mouse is also important, and Avram uses a Logitech M510 wireless mouse and Scott uses a Razer DeathAdder wired mouse.A good webcam is another useful component. This is because the webcam that is built in to your laptop is statistically garbage. At this point, nearly no manufacturer includes a decent webcam, so getting an external one can make you look far more together on a meeting. Avram uses the Logitech C920 and Scott uses the bigger sibling Logitech C930.Other enhancements include multiple monitors, wrist rests for your keyboard and mouse, and a decent office or gaming chair. Everyone's experiences differ, though, and we are very interested in what our viewers and listeners have used to improve their experiences. Feel free to contact us and let us know what tools have made your work from home experience better.

In April 2012, Avram's son was born. This got him thinking about what technology and related industries we were using at the moment that his son would never use, or would never be a part of his normal life. Obviously, with Avram's job, there was always the possibility that these things would be around, but not because it's normal. As his birthday approaches, as does the 25th anniversary of Tom's Hardware, Avram looks back on the reality of his predictions.Some of the predictions were pretty spot on. For example, Avram predicted no reliance on wired internet connections. Very few devices in their home use a wired internet connection. Thanks to advances like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, wireless speed and stability have gotten to the point where they are nearly on par with Ethernet. There are places for a wired connection, such as our studios, but for standard home use, Ethernet is mostly a thing of the past.The same goes for point-and-shoot cameras. Today, most people's phones have cameras that are nearly as good if not better than these handheld cameras. In fact, phone cameras are quickly replacing even DSLRs for many uses, such as in Avram's daily life at Tom's Hardware. Of course, for content creators, particularly video, standalone cameras will continue to be an important part, but for consumers, phones are the way forward.Unfortunately, Avram missed the mark on slow-booting computers. He had predicted that computers would get to the point of instant-on, like we usually see with the general usage of phones and tablets. In reality, it seems to have gone the other way, with phones and tablets taking longer to boot than they did previously.He also missed the mark on windowed operating systems, but for the better. He was worried that moves like Windows 8 signaled the end of windows as know them, but Windows 10 showed that Microsoft had pushed too hard and lost the plot.

This week marks the 9th anniversary of the launch of the first Raspberry Pi computer. In the following years, this tiny computer has had a huge impact on the computing industry. That could explain why the company has sold over 38 million units. As one might expect, demand increases every year, with 2020 being the biggest year on record. The company sold 9 million units during the last year, accounting for nearly a quarter of ann units ever sold.The new Pico had a large impact on those numbers, with nearly 1 million of the new Arduino-like boards being ordered already. In fact, it could quickly become the best-selling unit, stealing the crown from the current king - the Raspberry Pi 3B. With 12.2 million units in the wild, it will take some time to get close. During the life of the 3B, the organization really hit its stride, attracting additional attention from publications, and an ever-growing maker community. Plus, the 3B had a long life, making it easy to be the top model.That long-life availability is another big part of the brand's charm. The organization tries not to end of life older models. This is because there are thousands of products out in the world that might depend on the shape, features, or other aspects of an older model. If one breaks, they want the manufacturer to be able to swap it out without concern over compatibility.But, all of this was not originally intended to be. Originally, the plan was to produce and make available only 1,000 units in total in a bid to increase applications for the computer science department at Cambridge University. Of course, a tiny $35, fully functional computer drew a lot of attention, and the organization as we know it today was born.To learn more about the Raspberry Pi and find some creative uses for them, you can find a ton of resources at Tom's Hardware.

Lenovo has recently released what it calls "ThinkPad's lightest laptop ever" - the ThinkPad X1 Nano. This new laptop comes in at just under 2 pounds (1.99 pounds). This model falls into the company's productivity category, featuring an 11th Gen Intel vPro processor, with a variety of speeds by model. They range from a Cor i5-1130G7 on the base model up through a Core i7-1180G7 on the top model.As the name would suggest, the laptop itself is fairly small. It features a 13" screen, which is a perfect size for most people in the productivity world. The small screen and form factor makes it an ideal laptop for traveling (once that becomes a normal part of our lives again) as well as getting up from your home desk and traveling to your couch. The screen's resolution is a little odd: 2160 x 1350, which makes for an aspect ratio of 16:10. The screen is also extremely bright. It is marketed at 400 nits, with a real-world value actually higher than marketed: 430 nits.As you would expect from a ThinkPad, it has the high-quality keyboard, which is something the brand is known for. It also features the eraser head mouse, for those who appreciate it, as well as a traditional trackpad for those who do not. The eraser head is a long-standing tradition on Lenovo laptops, as it remains popular in business applications.The body features a soft touch surface, on both the outside and inside of the case. This finish is becoming increasingly common on more premium laptops, as it makes for a more comfortable experience. It is most felt when actually using the laptop, as the combination of a curved from corner and the soft touch material prevent cuts and creases on your wrists and overall fatigue. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is available now from Lenovo.

A few years ago, there was a lot of interest in mining cryptocurrencies using consumer hardware. This created a run on videocards, because GPUs work better than CPUs for mining. Over the past few years, however, that interest has waned because consumer hardware is no longer the best way to do it. Instead, professional miners use ASIC miners, which are devices designed specifically for mining. However, in the past few weeks, a renewed focus has been placed on videocard mining, especially for Ethereum, which has seen a major price increase. But, which cards work best? Avram's got some new suggestions.Jarred Walton over at Tom's Hardware benchmarked and calculated ROI on a number of major videocards - some old and some new. The conventional wisdom might suggest that the newest videocards would be your best bet for mining, but that would be incorrect because of the unbelievable cost of videocards right now. Current videocards, and even some of the older cards, have gone through the roof because of scalpers and miners, all looking for hardware.A GeForce RTX 3090 is able to produce $12.26 per day, but their current retail price is so high that it takes 194 days to break even. Instead, take a look at some of the older cards, like the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB. You can pick one up on eBay for about $275, compared to the almost $2400 for the 3090. Even though the card only produces $2.82 per days, it takes only 96 days to break even on the cost of the card.Of course, once the cards pay for themselves, the 3090 will be the best card going forward. However, the returns are still very low on videocard mining. Don't make a purchase of a card specifically for mining. Instead, check out an ASIC if you want to get into mining on a serious level.

Alienware has long been known as one of the best brands for gaming computers, and the newest version of the Alienware M17, the R4. In the gaming laptop space, there have been two directions manufacturers have gone - make them very portable at the expense of speed, or very fast at the expense of portability. The M17 R4 definitely goes with the latter, because this beast is HEAVY. Coming in at 5.51 pounds, this is a massive laptop. However, it makes up for this with performance.Sporting a 10th Generation Core i7 or Core i9, system performance is quick. But, when you add an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or RTX 3080, gaming performance becomes impressive, too. In fact, even Avram was impressed by the performance, getting 60 FPS on Cyberpunk 2077 on fairly crushing settings. This game is known for bringing desktops to their knees, but the laptop was able to handle it well.In addition to the performance, the laptop also comes with other things gamers enjoy. In particular, it features an RGB keyboard. In the video, you can see the zones animate across the keyboard. In addition to controlling this behavior, you also have control over the other LED features on the laptop, like the exhaust port on the back. This exhaust port is designed to look sci-fi, but it also functions as system exhaust. But, you also get a number of your ports across the back, like HDMI and Thunderbolt 3.There are a number of configurations available, including drive size (ranging from 256GB to 4TB), RAM (16GB or 32GB), and processor (Core i7 or Core i9). The Core i9 configurations offer only the RTX 3080, while the Core i7 could come with the RTX 3070 or RTX 3080. The Core i7 offers white or black bodies, while the Core i9 currently only offers white.

Raspberry Pi has long been the gold standard in learning platforms for programming, particularly when it comes to interacting with hardware. Robotics classes have used them, Internet of Things classes have used them, and a lot more. But, the platform has always been a lot more expensive than that of Arduino, because it is a fully functioning platform on which you can program itself. But, the organization is taking a different approach to the newest entry - the Raspberry Pi Pico.Unlike other boards from the organization, the Pico is a true microcontroller. It does not have a user-accessible operating system or a user interface, like its siblings. In fact, it is far closer to the Arduino than it is to the other Raspberry Pi models. The board starts at only $4, rather than the $35 of a full Pi. It even takes on the Arduino approach, creating an ecosystem of compatible boards from various manufacturers (including Arduino). The board created by the foundation is a core design board, with additional concepts coming from others. This has been one of the biggest wins for the Arduino platform, as you can get a wide variety of unique designs and feature sets.The ecosystem approach will also bring a large collection of add-on components that can be used across manufacturers and models. A lot of this will be focused on the core uses for a microcontroller - hardware control. I suspect that motor encoders, LED strips, and more, will be in a first wave of aftermarket add-ons.As always, Tom's Hardware has a ton of additional information on the new platform, including a review, a setup guide, pin solder setup, and a lot more.The initial production run of the Raspberry Pi Pico seems to have already been exhausted. Sites that had inventory on Friday were sold out by air time. New inventory should hopefully be available from the foundation, as well as the new models coming from partners.

2020 is (thankfully) almost over, and that means that it is time to look back at the year and find the things that had a positive impact on the tech industry. While there has been no end of negativity, from product scalpers to toxic streaming, there have been some extremely bright spots.The best CPU of the year is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. While the entire 5000 series of processors have been great, the 5600X sets itself out. It's just the right combination of cores and power at an attractive price point. Most importantly, its performance beats Intel's more expensive processors at common tasks, including gaming at 2K resolution. On the GPU side of things is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. While there were a lot of new video cards that came to market, the RTX 3080 represented a massive single generation performance improvement. The processor also released at a price that couldn't be beaten, as was evidenced by the immediate sellout of inventory.No good video card is worth anything if it isn't paired with a monitor that can support it. The Asus ROG Swift PG259QN is the gaming monitor to take advantage of those powerful cards. It offers 360 Hz refresh rate, allowing for major FPS for professional and aspiring gamers. Even if your system isn't capable of that kind of framerate, you'll still benefit from the best motion resolution Tom's Hardware's team has ever seen. But, if resolution is more important than framerate, the Asus ROG Swift PG43UQ offers the best 4K gaming performance on a giant screen. For storage, the Samsung 980 Pro is your best bet - if you're running a modern AMD system. This chip can reach 7 GBps read/write in a small M.2 package.For the entire list of Best of 2020, head on over to Tom's Hardware.

One of the most anticipated games of 2020, Cyberpunk 2077, has finally hit the street after several release delays. However, despite these delays, the game has launched with some high profile bugs. One of these bugs can force the game to crawl even if you have some of the most powerful system processors available.But, what hardware do you need to play the game well? Jarred Walton at Tom's Hardware wrote a piece showing how the game played on a large variety of GPUs. The Frames Per Second (FPS) ranged significantly at 1280x720 Low, with the GTX 1050 Medium coming in as low as 13 FPS and the GTX 1650 Super maxing out at 105.1 FPS. At 1920x1080, the GTX 1050 performed at the bottom with 8.2 FPS, and the RX 6800 XT maxed out at 110.8 FPS. Obviously, those numbers drop as the resolution increases.But, even if you have everything you should need, you might fail to get the correct performance. This is if you are using a modern AMD processor because the rendering engine is set up to prevent older AMD processors from overloading. It searches for AMD Bulldozer processors and, if it is not one of those, it disables usage of half of the processor. The problem is that Bulldozer is an architecture that predates the 3 generations of Ryzen. So, if you do have a Ryzen or Threadripper processor, this bug affects you. There is a "fix" but apply it at your own risk.In addition, the company has apologized for not showing enough information about the Cyberpunk 2077 running on current generation hardware. Gamers have been disappointed with the performance on the hardware it is currently available for (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support will come later). As such, Sony and Microsoft are offering refunds in their stores, and retail has been asked to accept refunds.

Over the past few months, the tech world has fallen victim to a problem that sneaker collectors have been dealing with for years - automated scalpers. There are services available that, for a fee, will scour the internet looking for the product of your choice and will purchase them for you. Some people may use this to acquire the product for themselves, most use it to turn around and sell a high demand product for a massive gain.We have seen this process play out with video cards, gaming consoles, and more this year. It has accounted for some of the inventory issues with these products, as they are purchased by these bots and then relisted on eBay and Amazon. But, the process has drawn ire from tech companies and consumers alike. As such, things have been put in place to try to fight the problem.Consumers have been creating fake listings on eBay looking to confuse these bots. They list photos of the products right at or slightly below the MSRP of the product and tell people not to big on the listing. The theory is that bots will encounter the listing at a price that could have a good return on investment and bids or uses But It Now. For those that Tom's Hardware has interviewed, they have said they return the money if the user asks. Otherwise, the person gets a photo of the product, we assume.A more realistic option that requires a little more guts is bidding on the scalper's listings with massive prices. This drives the price way up, but of course, the bid isn't legit. So, in the end, the scalper's time has been wasted and the product is still in their possession. It does require the guts to make and abandon the bids, which is of course not for everyone.

Artificial intelligence is a big part of the software world today. Whether it's the iPhone using it to determine the most optimal way to charge the device to preserve the longevity of the battery, or an automated vehicle looking for pedestrians and other obstacles in the road, it seems that the technology is being used everywhere. As a software developer, particularly someone getting started, it can seem like a big and scary technology to get into, but Adafruit is trying to make it a little easier with the Adafruit BrainCraft HAT.As with other add-ons for the Raspberry Pi, this HAT is able to sit on top of a Raspberry Pi and add new capabilities. It is best used with the Raspberry Pi 4, and Adafruit recommends the 2GB model, though Avram is demoing with the 1GB model. In the case of the BrainCraft, the capabilities are not exactly what you might expect. It doesn't add the ability to do machine learning and AI processing, but it does add the sensors and outputs that will make the process easier for developers.The HAT has got a pair of microphones, which allows for noise cancelation, and the mic array can be used for voice and sound inputs. That input can be processed for voice commands, like with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or for recognizing certain noises in an environment. It also has a screen that can be used as a viewfinder for computer vision recognition. Using TensorFlow Lite and existing models, you can easily recognize everyday objects, or a new model can be trained to recognize specialized items.To use some of these features, you will need some additional hardware. For computer vision and image recognition, you will need an additional Raspberry Pi camera. If you want to be able to hear output, either from an assistant, the image recognition, or other output, you'll also need a speaker.

During Apple's "One More Thing" Event this past week, Apple talked a lot about its new M1 processors and the first Macs to be released using them. The company went into detail about the specs of the processor, but they left more questions unanswered than they actually addressed. One of the things mentioned and completely glossed over was Thunderbolt 3. Many people were curious about what the difference is between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 and their companion USB 3 and USB 4, including some in the media.Thunderbolt 4 is less of a new specification and more of an updated certification. The underlying technology has not changed, and almost all USB 3 and USB 4, as well as Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4, devices are interchangeable. The major difference in all of these names is USB 4's ability to turn all upward flowing channels into downward flowing channels. This allows for great video support on monitors but does require the disabling of other capabilities. This is to support DisplayPort 2.0, which requires double the bandwidth available to USB 4's upper version. In fact, USB 4 will not be marketed as such in documentation and packaging. Instead, it will be labeled by speed - USB 20Gbps and USB 40Gbps. To support DisplayPort 2.0 at 8K, you'll need to have the 40Gbps version.Another positive for USB 4 will be the addition of power delivery, which will not be available on all USB 4 ports. However, the wattage has not increased, so you're still stuck with a proprietary charger for gaming laptops. For all of the changes and differences between USB 3 and USB 4, as well as Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 34, check out the guide on Tom's Hardware.

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. That is if you are hoping to build a high-performance gaming PC. Some of the best PC components have either just been released or will release in the very near future. However, it is nearly impossible to get them.AMD announced its new line of hardware. The company claims that the new line of video cards will compete directly with their NVIDIA equivalents, with the Radeon RX 6800 being comparable to the RTX 3070, the Radeon RX 6800 XT being comparable to the RTX 3080, and the Radeon RX 6900 XT being comparable with the RTX 3090. But, of course, in grand AMD tradition, the prices are far below those of NVIDIA. Tom's Hardware has not had the opportunity to test these cards out, though, so the comparisons are currently based on AMD's info.The company also officially took the wraps off of its next-generation Ryzen chips: AMD Ryzen 5000 series, based on the new Zen 3 architecture. The prices will range from $299 for the Ryzen 5 model (no more Ryzen 3) to $799 for the Ryzen 9 model. AMD is touting higher clock speeds, more instructions per clock, 7nm architecture (closer together, more transistors per inch). Most interesting is the synergy between the new Radeon GPU and the new Ryzen CPU. This will provide fast access to one another's memory and will give a 13% speed bump over Intel chip or previous AMD chip. Again, this is based on the company's claims, not independent verification.But you cannot get the NVIDIA cards, and we fear the same thing will be the case with the AMD models. Within minutes of becoming available, they're gone - sold to scalpers. An $800 card is then sold for $1500 on eBay. The issues have even made the 2080 way overpriced because of the lack of 3080 inventory issues. Because of this, it is possibly the worst time to build a high-end PC because of these inventory issues. AMD is trying to take steps to avoid scalpers and bots, but legitimate demand could possibly produce the same results.

Kids are often interested in the newest and most exciting things, and these days that is advanced electronics. In past years, electronic learning kits were available from places like RadioShack, and they offered all of the parts, pieces, and instructions to build something, such as a radio. These days, those kits are old news, with more advanced and more universal kits being available. One upcoming kit that is truly unique is the CrowPi2, a Raspberry Pi-based laptop.This computer is different from standard kids' laptops for a couple of reasons. First, it runs on a Raspberry Pi, meaning it is designed for building things. That is emphasized by the laptop's design. The keyboard is easily removable, revealing a whole host of integrated sensors and displays. These are all obviously Raspberry Pi components, which range from an ultrasonic range finder and RFID reader to a 7 segment display and RGB LED screen. All of these are physically integrated together, allowing for projects that use one or more of these components.Because it is an integrated system, it means that the laptop has its own software which allows for courses and projects in one place. These projects are presented in both Scratch and Python, meaning that the system teaches real-world skills. Other kits use their own languages and proprietary systems, but with the CrowPi2, kids can learn both concepts and transferrable language skills. This means that once they outgrow the integrated system and want to build custom electronics, they have enough experience to get started on their own.There are several configurations that will be available when the product launches soon. Tom's Hardware reviewed the top model and gave it an Editor's Choice rating. You can pre-order the device now on the company's website with delivery scheduled as soon as this month (October 2020).

Earlier in the year, NVIDIA released the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit, a $399 developer board aimed at artificial intelligence development. While the device offered 8GB of RAM, it does run nearly $400. The recently announced Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit is here to try to fill a middle ground in both price and specs. The new nano computer, which is also intended for artificial intelligence development, has scaled down specs, including only 2 GB of RAM. It falls below the standard NVIDIA Jetson Nano which comes with 4GB of RAM but is obviously more powerful and more focused than a Raspberry Pi.Now, what is this device for? It is entirely designed for hands-on, real-world learning, experimenting, and developing in the artificial intelligence world. Like its two bigger siblings, the Jetson Nano 2GB is designed to accommodate a number of NVIDIA's in-house AI code, such as pre-trained AI models from NVIDIA NGC. It also works along with the NVIDIA JetBot AI robot platform. This makes the developer board incredibly attractive for small artificial intelligence projects.One of the best enhancements that this new board has over its siblings is a USB-C power port. Previous models, including the larger Nano and the Xavier NX, use a proprietary plug, meaning that it is harder to power in a mobile scenario. With USB-C power, you can use it on a mobile robot, or in a portable environment with just a standard battery pack.The NVIDIA Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit is not available yet, but is listed on Amazon with the ability to be notified when it is available.

While many of us have been staying home, technology vendors have still been hard at work bringing new products to market. While the most noteworthy have been Microsoft and Sony with their next-generation consoles, we have also seen a ton of new high profile PC components, with more to come.The NVIDIA GTX 3900 and GTX 3800 videocards have already cemented themselves as the new must-have components for gamers, despite the challenge of getting one. The pre-orders were plagued with bots, and we have seen the product selling on sites like eBay for far above their market value. NVIDIA says that the problem isn't in supply, but in demand. But, as we have noted before, some of that demand has been inflated because of scalpers, creating a three point scenario.NVIDIA might want to focus on the issue, because AMD is rumored to be on the verge of announcing their next generation of videocards, believed to be called the Radeon RX 6900, RX 6800, and RX 6700. While we have no official information yet, these new cards will need to at least try to compete with the current GTX cards, or they will have little chance of success. But, if they can compete with NVIDIA, and the company has enough stock, they could do some damage to NVIDIA's bottom line - and possibly image.Videocards aren't all that AMD has up its sleeves, with new desktop processors in the Zen 3 family on the horizon. An event is expected where the company will show off its 5000 series processors, looking to continue the brand's massive growth. Intel is also expected to announce plans for the 12th Generation Rocket Lake processors in the near future.The big takeaway here is that, if you are looking for bleeding edge technology, right now is a wait and see timespan, as everything is in flux. We will see over the next few weeks if inventory opens up from NVIDIA, and new hardware is announced from AMD and Intel.

Prime Day, which is Amazon's annual celebration of itself, is a great opportunity to find some big deals at retailers across the internet. While the event itself is Amazon-branded and only applies to Prime subscribers, other retailers take advantage of the attention to sales and run their own promotions. While the event usually takes place in the Summer, Amazon delayed it this year because of the increase in demand for its service due to the lockdown.Now we have the date, October 13-14, 2020, and we can begin to prepare for the sales. The most important part of Prime Day is not getting tricked by the false urgency. Just because something is on sale does not mean it is a good deal. For Amazon, using The Camelizer is the best way to compare the current price against the last few months. This will prevent you from spending more than you should just because it's a special couple of days. You also want to go in knowing what you want and not panic buy things because of the price.Some of the best deals will be on Amazon's in-house brands. You'll see big price decreases on Amazon Basics, Amazon Fire, Ring, Echo, and more. If you're in the market for one of these product categories, waiting for 2 weeks will be your best bet. In fact, that will be the case for most tech products.In addition to Amazon products, we will see sales on TVs, monitors, SD cards, SSDs, and more. Often times, Amazon is flooded with lower quality, no-name brands, and many of those will all be on sale during the event. But, when purchasing electronics, especially important parts like storage and screens, it's best to stick to known brands. You can use Tom's Hardware to check out reviews on products you find, and even use their product guides to see the best sales during the event.

It's no secret that we are becoming a society of content creators. From services like Twitch and Facebook Gaming to YouTube and Facebook, there are a ton of ways that people can create content that others can enjoy. And, in the last few years, live video has become the creation method of choice. But, when doing live video, there are a lot of challenges that can occur. Add to that our current environment of constant video meetings, you've got a lot of people looking for some help, and NVIDIA has it with NVIDIA Broadcast.We've all seen videos of people walking in on meetings or heard children shouting in the background. But there's also the smaller things, like the sound of water running in a turtle tank or simply the sound of someone typing on a loud keyboard while they should be muted. These are exactly the problems that the NVIDIA Broadcast software is designed to tackle.With this software on a computer equipped with an RTX video card, users can fix issues with their own audio to prevent the outside world from having to deal with their scenarios. But, even better, these same users can filter audio coming in, so when that person is eating soup on a video call, with no care in the world, you aren't forced to endure the slurping sound on your end. You may not be able to fix it for everyone, but at least you're protected.The real magic, however, is in the video capabilities. NVIDIA Broadcast is able to take your video feed, make adjustments, and then feed it back as a new video source on your computer. So, in the case of a meeting, it shows up as another webcam after you blur your background, replace it with an image, or mute it out entirely. This is also useful for Twitch streamers, as you can import this removed background feed into Livestream Studio, Tricaster, OBS, and more, and overlay your camera feed over gameplay.NVIDIA Broadcast is available now for free to RTX owners.

One of the side effects of the pandemic and more than one shutdown in China has been an increase in prices for PC components. Some have gone through the roof (like power supplies), while others are nearly impossible to acquire (such as webcams). But, pricing and availability issues do not make it so that people don't need to upgrade an existing PC or build a new one. Because of that, Avram built the best $800 PC for Tom's Hardware.This PC has some surprising power, with a 6 core, 12 thread processor in the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, which cost $185 at the time of build. It has a Gigabyte GTX 1660 Super Gaming OC, which ran $239 at the time. And, it has 16GB of Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 3200, coming in at $58. These components are what made it possible for games to run at a decent framerate (averaging 56 FPS) and even allowed for Twitch streaming from the PC of a game on the PC, with only about a 10% reduction in framerate.However, some corners were required to be cut in order to make this happen. For example, the Thermaltake TR2 600 is not the best power supply on the market, but it is reliable with a low cost at $54. Also, the Antec Dapper Dark Phantom DP310 is not a terribly exciting case, though it does come equipped with a small amount of RGB LED capability across the top, and only runs $59. The build also does not include a Windows license, as most builders will reuse the license from the PC they are replacing.The price of components is always changing, especially right now. However, using a service like PC Part Picker will help to ensure you get the best available price on the components in your list in the moment - hopefully keeping it to the same $794 range.

If you spend any time on streaming sites like Twitch or YouTube, or on game chats on PlayStation or Xbox Live, you know that the communities can be incredibly toxic. Between children screaming racial slurs and adults making sexist remarks, it can be dangerous to the mental health of content creators and gamers. This week, in an op-ed written by Natasha "Zombaekillz" Zinda, she discussed the problems that she faces as a black woman in the gaming community.Even if everything were happy and cheery, being a streamer is a taxing experience. Not only do you have to be in show mode for the camera, working hard to make the stream entertaining for your viewers, but you also have to play a game. For most streamers, being at least decent at playing the game is a must for the success of the channel. Combining that with the entertainment aspect of the stream makes it a challenge. Then, most great streamers interact directly with their audience, adding another layer of complexity.But, for many streamers, there is an added and highly unwanted aspect: abuse. This can come in many forms, but the most common are negative comments about race and gender. For Zombaekillz, she can come under fire from both. And the stress of dealing with that can be too much.The problem is that the streaming services and gaming platforms continue to promise to clean up the problem. Yet, there appears to be little to no action to do so. While Microsoft and Sony have done some work in responding to the issue, going so far as to permanently ban gaming hardware, Twitch and YouTube have a different experience. Twitch promises to protect its content creators, yet complaints to the service have yielded no results for most streamers. But, together, there are ways we can fight this issue.

It's long been accepted that Intel integrated graphics were the worst possible situation when buying a laptop. In some cases, it seemed like it could barely keep up with the tasks of Windows, let alone any programs on top of it. For sure, no one has ever associated Intel graphics with gaming, but that might be changing with Intel's new family of video cards called Intel Xe.The family has a number of models, but when it comes to consumers there are two you will likely encounter. The first is the replacement for the older integrated graphics, which is dubbed Intel Xe LP. This low-powered graphics system will be part of the Gen12 architecture, also known as Tiger Lake. The new system will have up to twice the performance of the previous hardware, meaning that it might actually be able to keep up with higher demand.On the desktop side of things is the Intel Xe HPG, a graphics card designed for all users - even gamers. Though it might take some work to convince gamers to give Intel a try, the company is confident in its abilities to break into this lucrative and growing market. Gamers will have to wait until 2021 to get their hands on these new products, however.Not to be outdone, however, details about Nvidia's next generation of hardware leaked this week. Care of Micron, which makes some of the memory for the company, posted about its work on the upcoming RTX 3090. The memory that was leaked to be included could offer up to 21 Gbps, which is incredible speed. With the other improvements to the architecture, we could see a card up to twice the speed of the current RTX 2080ti. This would be a massive card, but could run as high as $2000. That would be quite an investment.

Ever since the beginning of the international lockdown, several products have become difficult or impossible to find. One of the most high-profile products that are in short supply is webcams. The most sought after webcams are the Logitech c920 and the Razer Kiyo. Because they are the top-rated webcams, they were the first to disappear. Other manufacturers have made webcams in the past, but a whole new crop of companies have entered the fray in this hour of need.Some of the companies make a high-quality product. Among these rising-star manufacturers is Ausdom. Better known for low-cost headphones, the company's webcams are quickly making their way onto best webcam lists. The top model is the Ausdom AF640, with the Ausdom AW615 right behind. But Ausdom is not the only company to creep onto the list, there is also the strangely named Papalook. While the Papalook PA452 may look sci-fi, it still does a great job for streams and conference calls.Papalook is far from the strangest named webcam available, however. Amazon is filled with small brands with some bizarre names, and that tradition has carried over to the webcam industry. Sometimes the letters themselves look funny, while others are pronounced oddly. For example, Aoozi sounds more like a weapon than a webcam. However, its price could make it attractive at only $40, plus a 5% coupon. User reviews also look good on the platform, but we have no official knowledge. There's also DEPSTECH, which seems to have been created with a random letter generator. With a sale price of $30 and great user reviews, it might also be an option.Your best bets will always be the top-rated products if you can get them, but at least we have a wide array of options in the current webcam drought.

Right now, a lot of tech-based industries are seeing massive shake-ups, but none are quite as prominent as what is happening within the processor and circuitry industry. The most visible has been the rise of AMD. While some of this market share increase has been because of quality design from AMD itself, another cause has been the slip of Intel in its competition. The two companies have spent decades on par with one another, but lately, Intel has been falling behind.Last week, the company announced major delays to its 7nm chip timeline. As a result, they will continue to fall behind AMD, which is working on its timeline to swap to 5nm from the current 7nm architecture, which is already aging. In response, Intel saw a leadership change, likely in an attempt to gain back some traction on Wall Street, which is no longer looking at Intel favorably.On the other hand, is Nvidia - a company known for its videocards, but has been branching out in recent years. As video processors tend to be excellent for AI processing, Nvidia has gone heavy into AI-based hardware. In May, Avram showed off the Jetson Xavier NX hardware, which provides a lot of interesting possibilities. Now, Nvidia is looking at another market: system processors. While they have long made the Tegra processors, based on ARM, now they are looking to be in charge.This will come care of a purchase of the ARM-managing corporation. This would be a big shift for the industry, as everyone from Qualcomm to Apple would be licensing the ARM processor design from Nvidia. This purchase, which is likely the only way forward for ARM, is going to face fierce opposition by regulators, especially in the EU. The deal wouldn't be as far along as it is without having considered this, but it could still be a problem in the process.

The world may have some new rules this year, but it doesn't change the fact that school is going to be starting soon. This might involve being in person or, more likely, distance learning, especially in the first few weeks or months. That means that your needs may be different for the 2020 school year from years past. So, what are the best options to improve learning in 2020?As always, anything that improves the speed of your computer is going to be a benefit. Taking the opportunity to add extra RAM to your system will allow for better group videos (like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoom). You'll likely see fewer freezes and hiccups, though it won't eliminate network issues. Also, adding an SSD as your system drive will make starting up your computer and launching applications quicker.Another way to enhance your experience is through peripherals. The most direct upgrade is with your monitor. An extra screen will allow you to do more. With a single screen, you're limited to the group chat or your productivity software. With two screens, you can have your teacher on one and Word or PowerPoint on another. It also makes displaying your screen during a presentation easier, as you're not switching between apps while sharing your screen.Enhancing the group chat experience can also be accomplished through peripherals. An upgraded webcam will make you look more together. The webcam built into most laptops is poor, and an external webcam is easy to add. While many webcams are unavailable, Tom's Hardware currently recommends the AUSDOM AF640, which can be found for around $90. Another great place to upgrade is your headset - something that will make your experience and your class's experience better.Of course, a full system might also be an important upgrade. There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing a new system, including what you'll use it for outside of class. Check out Tom's Hardware's recommendations depending on your needs.

For years, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been one of the best-rated laptops by Tom's Hardware and Laptop Magazine. This is because of the first-class keyboard, high-quality screen, and a price that makes it all worth considering. The newest version of the laptop, the 8th Generation, is out and it maintains the best parts of its predecessors.While this is the 8th generation of the laptop, it doesn't use an 8th generation processor. Instead, it uses an Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake processor. The laptop has also upgraded its Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi 6, allowing for super-fast wireless connectivity when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 router or access point. The keyboard has also added a pair of VoIP function keys. Otherwise, the laptop is essentially identical to the previous 7th Generation model.While the changes are small in quantity, they are large in importance, especially for a productivity laptop in our work at home environment. Faster connectivity and VoIP keys make our nearly daily Microsoft Teams calls clearer and easier to manage, while a newer and faster processor means that multitasking (likely on multiple screens) won't bog down the system. Plus, the newer processor makes for better battery life, which will be important once we're allowed to leave the house again.The most exciting part of the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is its build quality. During his demonstration, Avram comfortably held the laptop by the corner and spun it around without any fear for the computer. That's an important aspect of a laptop, as many of us hold them by the corner without realizing it, and it can cause damage to the computer. But, this one doesn't make any noises or creaks and doesn't feel like it is going to bend.Tom's Hardware was impressed enough with the laptop that they gave it an Editor's Choice award. Check out the full review at Tom's Hardware.

One of the most interesting new technologies we experienced at CES this year was in the form of GaN chargers. That is because, not only is the technology fascinating, it makes for some incredibly practical products. Using this technology, for example, manufacturers can produce laptop chargers that are less than a quarter of the size of a traditional power brick. The new chargers are so small, in fact, that we can't even call them a brick anymore. Some of them are as small as a 2-outlet phone charger. For those who travel a lot, or really for anyone who brings a laptop with them, these chargers will make the experience better.However, it is not just portable chargers where the technology could shine in the future. We've all seen power products, whether it be wall outlets, surge protectors, or even power towers, that include USB charging ports. These are only powerful enough to be able to charge small devices like phones and tablets if you're lucky. They simply cannot produce enough power to charge something bigger, like a laptop. However, with this now miniaturized charging technology, we could potentially see the chargers built into these types of power products. Imagine checking into a hotel room and, on the desk, there is a USB-C outlet ready to power your laptop. Beautiful.As these new chargers are released, Avram has been putting them to the test with his handy new load tester, Using this device, he can see exactly how much power the chargers are able to produce. If the company says it's a 65-watt charger, are you actually getting that amount of power, or does it fall short? Or, more interestingly, does it over-deliver? It's always exciting to get more than you thought you were paying for. The round-up for GaN chargers will be available soon on Tom's Hardware.

It has been a year since the Raspberry Pi foundation released the Raspberry Pi 4. In that time, the upgraded hardware configurations have allowed the platform to expand into even more project and computing environments. But, with increased ideas comes increased resource demand. To respond to that new demand, a new configuration was released that has 8GB of RAM. Previously, the largest configuration available was 4GB of RAM.This new hardware will give makers and engineers more memory capabilities, allowing for larger implementations. However, it is important to note just how difficult it is to fill 4GB on a Raspberry Pi 4. Running the official operating system, Avram opened dozens of browser tabs, some of which were playing 4K videos. He also had the photo editor Gimp open. With all of that happening, he was only able to fill 4.6GB of RAM, and that is unusual usage.There will be uses where the increased RAM will be a big benefit. If you wanted to use the device for a large amount of on-device AI processing, especially of image and video content, you would need the addition RAM to keep the streamed image and video data available. You could also use the device as a media server, and if any encoding is needed, the added resources will help.With the increase of RAM comes another substantial change: the operating system. For years, the official Raspberry Pi operating system has been Raspbian. However, that OS is developed and maintained by an outside organization and only supports 32-bit processing. To fully take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM, you need to be running a 64-bit OS. As such, Raspbian cannot be the answer for the new device. A 64-bit OS has been developed and released, but it means that it is not a Raspbian build. To respect the intellectual property and naming rights of the other organization, the official builds offered by the Raspberry Pi Foundation will officially be called Raspberry Pi OS going forward. This will be the case for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Intel has released its newest processor, the Comet Lake-S Core i9-10900K. This new processor is intended to help fight off the rising threat of AMD's Ryzen processors. AMD has seen a huge rise, especially in the realm of high core count. The new Intel processor attempts to match this move, by including ten cores and, out of box clocks in at 4.9 GHz.Obviously, with specs like that, the processor is not intended for an average consumer. The 10900K is aimed at enthusiasts, power users, and gamers. While it doesn't match AMD's Ryzen 9 3950X in terms of threaded performance, it does make it for it in overall performance as well as price. The Ryzen 3950X is currently retailing for $709, while the Intel 10900K is retailing for $529.Intel's newest processor does have some downsides, however. First and foremost, it still uses 14-nanometer architecture, which is generations behind where AMD is on its 7-nanometer architecture. This means that to produce the same result, the power consumption is lower. This is a standard rule of processors - smaller transistors use less power. This processor does not buck that trend at all, being the most power-hungry processor that Tom's Hardware has seen in recent times.With more power consumption comes more heat generation. That means that it takes more work to keep the processor cool. If you're going to build a quiet PC, either for streaming or just to maintain your own sanity, this processor will provide a bigger challenge. Intel rates the processor for 250W at peak performance, and the review even measured peaks as high as 325W at out-of-the-box settings. That is a massive increase over the previous generation, caused almost entirely because of the continued use of the 14-nanometer architecture design decision.For the full review, head over to Tom's Hardware.

NVIDIA has added a new developer kit to its hardware lineup, called the Jetson Xavier NX. This new board is designed to allow developers to integrate artificial intelligence skills into a hardware project without the need for internet access or custom-designed hardware. Built in to the kit is a couple of common demoes, such as human detection, skeleton mapping, and attention tracking.In addition to the included models, the Jetson Xavier NX is able to be trained for any AI workload. Perhaps you're building a scanner for an airport that verifies official identification versus forged documents. Or, maybe you're letting passengers know that their driver's license doesn't conform to the new REAL ID system, which will be required in 2021. You can train your system on-board or through an external AI training system and import the model into the device.The most exciting aspect of this product is the ability to do all this AI training and processing live on the device without internet access. Because connectivity is never guaranteed, and speed and access can vary based on time of day, relying on internet access can be a limiting factor for AI. If you're building hardware for a factoring or manufacturing facility that may be deployed in a developing country, being able to use AI while off the grid can be the difference between market success and a bricked platform.Once you have developed your application and are ready for system deployment, you can get just the Jetson Xavier NX deployment board and integrate it into your own custom hardware. This reduces the size and cost of the device, plus gives you greater flexibility in your deployment scheme. The developer board is available now for $399 and the deployment module will be available soon.

Whether you're a regular maker or you're looking for new things to try while in lockdown, the Raspberry Pi is a great platform to expiriment with. This board is made for both prototyping as well as learning, and this week, Tom's Hardware has some great advanced projects as well as simple projects.In the more advanced project category, there are truly a ton of interesting and unique projects. Some are more conceptual while others are designed to improve your daily life. Take, for example, Raspbian XP - a version of the Raspbian operating system designed to look like Windows XP. If you miss the bizarre blue taskbar and green Start button, then this project is for you. However, it's not going to change your day. However, if you're looking to get into shape, HIIT Pi: The Raspberry Pi Personal Trainer might be a legitimate project for you. This uses computer vision to make sure you are doing the moves correctly, like how a personal trainer would in a gym.If you're looking for a simpler project, perhaps one you can do with your kids, then the second category is intended for you. These projects take advantage of a diverse add-on board, known as the Sense HAT. This board has sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, magnetic forces, orientation, acceleration. In addition, it has an 8x8 LED pixel matrix which can be used for pictures, words, and more. Learning to use the sensors is easy and can be done using the Scratch 3 block-based programming environment.Tom's Hardware will help walk you through setting up the device, adding the HAT, and working with the sensors. Like any new technology, making the screen say "Hello, World!" is the place to start, and it's where they start. Once you've got that working, you can move on to learning about the joystick and the temperature sensor. Then, you get to learn the accelerometer. With that knowledge, you should be able to master the device and create your own projects.

When you think of the greast rivalries of the world, you might think of Holyfield and Tyson, or Axl Rose and Vince Neil. But, in the world of technology, there might not be any more interesting rivalry than AMD and Intel. For decades, these two companies have produced the vast majority of processors. For desktops and laptops, these two companies have owned the market. In the server market, Intel has long been the standard. For mobile phones, AMD was once the standard.While the world is on pause, Tom's Hardware dedicated testing resources to putting the rivalry to the test in today's marketplace. They compared the current offerings from both brands across ten metrics, from price and value to heat and performance. On the total metric count, it was a clear win for AMD.This win comes care of the difference between the companies' philosophies. AMD has always worked to be the low cost provider. They accomplish this by pushing their hardware to a higher threshold than Intel does. While this helped them in several categories, it did lose them in the overclocking capacity. Because they natively push their processors harder, it means that there is less head room at the top of the processor for users to push it farther.The biggest win for AMD was in its value. For the same price, you can get an AMD processor with more cores and similar or higher clock speed. In fact, looking at the comparable product families, AMD's processors tend to run about 20% less per device than an Intel processor.Now, it is important to note that, just because AMD won seven out of ten categories, does not mean that AMD is the right solution for everyone. When purchasing a pre-built machine, don't go out of your way to over customize your configuration. When building your own machine, consider what your intentions are and what your needs are going to be.

Since the beginning of the lockdowns, certain products have been in short supply. The most publicized have been toilet paper and hand sanitizer. However, there have been tech products that have been depleted as well - particularly webcams. But, since webcams themselves are difficult to acquire, people have looked for alternatives that can get you up and running for your next conference call.During the last episode, Avram asked for input into using the Raspberry Pi as a webcam. This is because the parts to do so are relatively inexpensive and also easily acquired. A Raspberry Pi Zero can be purchased for under $30 and a camera module starts at $10. Pairing these two components together, you can create a type of IP camera, which can be imported onto your computer as a webcam using open-source software.Avram went through the process of building one of these We-Fi enabled webcams and wrote about the process. While the process isn't especially difficult, it does produce variable results. As an IP camera, there are going to be latency issues generated by the connection between the board and the computer. Running over Wi-Fi is going to slow the feed, possibly creating lag.There will also be performance variations based on the camera module that you purchase. The $10 module that Avram ran his initial tests with produced a decent result - 720p with a fairly stable connection. But, there are also camera modules that support upwards of 4k video. Clearly, a feed that detailed could overrun the connection between the devices, but is a good starting point for a better HD signal. Turning down the resolution from 4k could lead to better video quality in 1080p or 720p.If you're not in the mood for a project of this scale, you can also use a phone or DSLR as a webcam.

These days, we definitely live in interesting times. Much of the world is completely shut down in an attempt to keep COVID-19 under control. Some people have lost their jobs, some have been furloughed, while others have shifted to working from home. No matter the scenario, many people still need to purchase things, including electronics. For some of us, it's about reworking our offices to allow us to more easily work from home. For others, it's about enhancing their downtime. For all of us, picking the right retailer is important.All of the online and brick and mortar retailers have changed their policies in the wake of the shutdown. Some companies are no longer shipping regular products, some are not shipping at all, while others are working hard to fulfill orders. Before you try to make a purchase online, make sure that you know the current policies of the store.For example, Amazon has changed its shipping policies, moving its priority to essential products. So, if you are trying to buy something that is more of a luxury item, it could take a while to receive. For example, Avram purchased over a dozen different Raspberry Pi cases and has only received one so far. For other maker components, a popular store is Adafruit. The company has converted all of its manufacturing to personal protective equipment (PPE), so it is unlikely that you will receive a product in the near future.On the other hand, stores like Newegg and B&H Photo have committed to trying to keep business running as usual. That means that if you are looking for a computer, audio video, or photography component, these should be your go-to retailers right now. The key is to check with the company's shipping policies, and verify that you are buying directly from the store and not through a third party.

While interest in desktop PCs has waned in recent years, those who are still interested in desktops often build them themselves. That gives the ability to not only have the PC you want, but also to use it as an art piece. There are PC builders who go all out and customize their cases, turning them into spaceships or even scenes from videogames. However, that is not in the cards for everyone. One thing that can help customize and PC build, however, is RGB LEDs.For most, some slight customizations here and there are the way to go. However, when Avram and his team get involved, they go all out. Instead of just picking the best of the best components, the team decided to build a PC with as much lighting as they could possibly fit into a Mini ITX case. They call this build the RGBaby.This build is based around the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, which obviously does not have lighting on it, but that's pretty much where it ends. Event the processor cooler, the Corsair H100i features lighting on the processor and two lighted fans on the top. The video card is a ZOTAC RTX 2080 AMP Extreme, which features LED strips across the front. The system RAM is HyperX Fury RGB adding a companion stripe to the lights on the video card. All of this is mounted to an ASUS ROG Strix B450-I motherboard, which features RGB LEDs across the edge.The RGBaby is a companion to the previous build, the RGBeast. This build, which took place at the beginning of 2019, was similar, but larger. Because of the bigger case, they were able to accommodate a lot more components that needed to be skipped this time because of the smaller form factor.To see the entire RGBaby build, check out the article on Tom's Hardware.

The Dell XPS 13 has long been considered to be one of the greatest lightweight laptops on the market. The company regularly updates the computer with new features and hardware options. This year's upgrade, which just went live from Dell, has made a number of high profile changes, all for the better.A number of the changes are around the screen. The first and most welcomed change is the removal of the "nose cam." This highly unwanted feature was a move of the webcam built into the computer's screen bezel. Because the screen bezel had gotten so small, in what Dell calls the InfinityEdge, the company decided that the best course of action was to move the camera lens to the bottom of the screen. This meant that, when using the camera, it was often aimed up the user's nose instead of pointed at their face. This led to some unique and interesting conference calls. As of this model, the nose cam is gone, and the lens has been moved back to its rightful place.The camera isn't the only part of the screen to be upgraded. The actual panel itself has seen some changes. The most notable is the aspect ratio has changed from the standard 16:9 to 16:10 (or 8:5). This gives more vertical screen real estate, meaning more content on the screen. Any time you can get more content on the screen without making it harder to read it is always a benefit.The processor on the computer has also been upgraded, moving to the newest 10nm Intel processors. While this does likely indicate better battery performance, it does not necessarily mean any performance increases. Tom's Hardware's tests have proven little to no performance changes from one architecture to another. However, using the newest hardware does mean that it will likely have better battery life. We will know soon when the Tom's Hardware product review is published this week.

The Folding@Home program is a distributed computing platform that is dedicated to finding cures for some of humanity's biggest health problems. The program was started to run predictive algorithms on the folding of proteins. When proteins fold incorrectly, it can cause serious and longterm medical issues. However, over the years, the program has taken on additional issues, including computational drug design and other types of molecular dynamics. Currently, the program has added the COVID-19 coronavirus to the list of problems it is working to solve.The way the program works is by taking parts of a workload and sending them to various computers around the world that are part of the program. The computer uses the unused computing power of idle machines to help run the predictive algorithms. Once the results are computed, they are sent back to the central server for analysis. This allows the program to accomplish far more than it could ever do alone.As part of the program, Folding@Home allows users to group together and form teams. Those teams can compete against one another to see whose computers are accomplishing more for the program. Obviously, this is an unnecessary aspect of the program, but it makes it a lot more fun to participate. You can challenge your friends, or two friendly brands can see who can make the biggest difference.Two of the brands from within Future plc have decided to compete against one another to see which brand can complete more work units. Tom's Hardware and AnandTech will announce the rules of their game, but you can help Avram win. Simply download the Folding@Home program to your computer and signup for team number 40051. By doing this, you can help Avram beat his colleague and help to find cures for diseases at the same time.

This week, Avram Piltch has some suggestions on how to improve your life if you have to work from home. While most people don't work out of their homes, that could be about to change. Over the past week or so, many companies have started suggesting that employees work from home because of fear over the COVID-19 coronavirus. But working at home is not as easy and straight forward as it might seem.It is incredibly easy to get distracted while you work at home. Between family, friends, pets, and chores, it can be incredibly easy to get distracted and not be productive. But, if you do just a couple of simple things, you can avoid the temptations that will inevitably surround you. First, make a space just for work. This might not be simple, but it is important. You will also want to make sure it feels like work - keep it the way you would your desk. If you have space that is dedicated to your work time, it will feel more like work time.An easy way to make your space feel more work-like is with productivity tools. Grab an extra monitor, a mouse and keyboard, and possibly a docking station. These items will improve your at-home experience significantly and make it so that you can continue to be productive. Most of these items can be acquired for under $100.You also need to set boundaries with the people around you. Most people don't understand the idea of working from home and believe that it just means that you are home. Let the people in your life know that, during working hours, you are no more available for non-work activities than you ever were before. Allowing someone to violate that rule is a slippery slope and will get worse with time, so solve it early on.If you have any additional suggestions, we'd love to hear them!

This week, Avram Piltch talks about some of the best and most unknown aspects of the Raspberry Pi computer. The Raspberry Pi entered the market 8 years ago, but with a different purpose than most might think. It was originally intended for Cambridge University, with a planned production of about 1000 units. Today, the brand has sold 31 million units - far more than the organization ever expected to produce.In those 8 years, there have been at least 18 models made available, with at least one specially produced model. In those models, the RAM has gone from 256MB on the original 1B to an optional 4GB on the 4B. The processing power has also increased significantly, from a single-core 700MHz processor on the original to the quad-core 1.5GHz processor on the current model.Somehow, even with all of the processing power enhancements over the years, the Raspberry Pi has technically gotten less expensive. The selling price has remained $35, but when you compare the value of the dollar in 2012 versus 2020, the original model would have sold for almost $40 in today's dollars. That means that we have gotten years worth of hardware enhancements for less relative dollars than the original.While the Raspberry Pi can be found in tons of applications, from web servers to robotics, there is one truly unique location for one of the computers: space. There are two "Astro Pis," which are specially modified Raspberry Pi B+ models (first generation). The computers had to be modified to deal with the oddities of space and to survive onboard the International Space Station. The European Space Agency runs contests to allow school children to have their code run on these computers.There's a lot more to know about the Raspberry Pi, which can be found in Avram's article at Tom's Hardware.

This week, Avram Piltch discusses whether or not it is worth upgrading your video card. Sure, your existing computer might have the ability to take the newest and most exciting video card, but is it worth the upgrade cost?Tom's Hardware recently released a video card lookup to help you determine what video cards are compatible with your system. However, the most important question to ask yourself when considering a video card upgrade is, "What are your goals with the upgrade?" For example, if your goal is to play games in 4K, you video card might not be your limiting factor.If your system is a few years old, your system processor might not be able to keep up with the requirements of 4K gaming. It's also possible that your motherboard might not support the latest and greatest cards. Or, your power supply might not have the 8-pin or 8+6-pin setup for the really powerful cards. These other limitations could possibly mean a bigger upgrade might be required to accomplish anything noticeable.This is not to say that a video card upgrade is not a viable project. With a more modern setup, upgrading your video card could have a profound effect on your system's performance. This is especially true if you're going from an on-board card to a full graphics card. You might be upgrading from an older card that you kept from a previous system to something more modern.However, it is important to remember that, in most system upgrades, the only part that is easily retained is the case. To get a lot out of your upgrade, it will usually require replacing the processor, motherboard, and RAM, on top of the video card. Plus, if it's a big upgrade, you'll possibly need a new power supply and, for speed, you might even consider an upgraded SSD.

This week, Avram Piltch discusses a new feature in Microsoft Excel: XLOOKUP. Now, we don't usually show off things like Microsoft Office functions, but this one is truly special. The predecessor to XLOOKUP, which is VLOOKUP, is the third most used function in Excel, and XLOOKUP expands on its capabilities by removing a number of limitations.Both functions allow you to combine data from different sheets or files by joining on common data. For example, if you have one document with employee IDs and names, and another with employee IDs and addresses and phone numbers, these functions will allow you to join on the common data item, the employee IDs, and show the combined data. However, there are some significant differences between the old and new methods.The most important change is in how you match data. With VLOOKUP, you could only do exact matches between sheets. With XLOOKUP, however, there are several ways of joining data. You can do the exact match, but you can also have it choose values above and below the closest match, or, most importantly, use wildcards. For example, if you want to return the first employee whose last name starts with S, you can search for "S*" rather than using an entire cell value.Equally important is the amount of data that can be returned. With the older VLOOKUP, you could only return a single column worth of data per query. This means that if you wanted to return first name, last name, and address from one sheet, you would have to do three separate lookups. That means processing power and additional scripting to return everything you want. With the new XLOOKUP, however, you can return multiple columns in a single query. So, one lookup could return the first, last, and address.In addition to all of this, the function call is actually shorter for XLOOKUP, making it easier to use. If you're about to learn about joining data in Excel, XLOOKUP is definitely the way to go.

This week, Avram Piltch discusses the long-awaited launch of Nvidia's cloud gaming service GeForce Now.

This week, Avram Piltch talks about the Intel NUC and the future direction of the product line. In the past, the company has released a limited array of models and configuration options to correspond with its processor upgrades. While the line has never been incredibly popular, it has been consistently stable.This year, the company announced a change of direction, but one that is also familiar. The next generation of NUC will no longer be just an Intel-branded product. Instead, it will become a product standard, powered by the Intel NUC Compute Element - a self-contained computing card. These cards will plug into a daughterboard for power and provide the essentials of the computer. The manufacturers, including Razer and Adata, will provide both fully built and bare-bones models that customers can customize.These systems can be upgraded, unlike previous models. They support discrete graphics cards for the first time. There are also upgradable RAM and SSD. The biggest upgradable component, though, is the Compute Element itself. When you need more power, you can simply replace the Compute Element and the system is upgraded.If this idea sounds familiar, it's because it is. The concept is very similar to Intel's Compute Card, right down to the name. The Compute Card was designed to power embedded devices, such as smart TVs. The idea was that, rather than replacing the television, you could simply replace the Card. This would, theoretically, avoid the situation where Hulu and Netflix recently stopped supporting older smart TVs.Like the Computer Card, the NUC Compute Element sounds like it is a solution looking for a problem. The price is higher than a regular PC while being only slightly smaller and being powered by laptop hardware. The video cards may be desktop quality, but the processors are not. Intel is going to have trouble finding an audience for this product.

This week, Avram Piltch discusses some of the most influential technology of the past decade. While some products produce a short-term change to an industry, others have long-lasting effects. In the past decade, there have been several massive moves that will likely never be reverted.One of the most influential products of the decade was the AMD Ryzen 1800X processor. The product stood head and shoulders above what Intel was producing and, in grand AMD fashion, was far less expensive than what Intel was offering. The processor offered 8 cores and 16 threads, as opposed to the common 4 core processor being offered by Intel. It also ushered in the architecture that made it possible for AMD to produce the first 7nm chips, something that Intel still has not accomplished.Another influential product in the 2010s, especially for Avram, has been the Raspberry Pi. This single-board computer has changed the way we think about computing. It also changed the way we think about what a computer can be, and what it is capable of doing. For so long, a computer was thought to be a larger, more powerful system that could do anything. With the Raspberry Pi, we can now think about a computer as a single-purpose device, whether that be to power a robot or a security camera. It also helped evolve the craft community into the maker movement.For Scott, however, one of the most influential technologies of the decade has been virtualization. Without it, there would be no Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud. There would be no Project xCloud or Google Stadia. More importantly, there would be no blossoming startup community. The ability to create virtual networks in Azure and the like and scale them up and down at will, without having to purchase hardware, lease physical space to store them, provide power and internet, etc. And, none of it is a capital expense. Awesome.