The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a Windows tablet with a 10.5 inch, 1920 x 1280 display, entry-level specs, and a $400 starting price that makes it one of the most affordable members of the Surface lineup. When Microsoft first launched the Surface Go 3 in 2021, the company also promised that a model with […]
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a Windows tablet with a 10.5 inch, 1920 x 1280 display, entry-level specs, and a $400 starting price that makes it one of the most affordable members of the Surface lineup.
When Microsoft first launched the Surface Go 3 in 2021, the company also promised that a model with 4G LTE was on the way. Now it’s here, with prices starting at about $500.
Microsoft first began offering an LTE option for its most affordable tablet in January… but at the time you couldn’t add cellular data to the most affordable configuration of the tablet.
The Surface Go 3 supports up to an Intel Core i3-10100Y processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of solid state storage, but a version with those top tier specs will set you back $630. Add 4G LTE and the price rises to $730. And that’s been the only option for folks who’ve wanted to buy a 4G model since January.
But now you can also add 4G to an entry-level model featuring an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage as well.
Pentium 6500Y/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC (WiFi-only) for $400
Pentium 6500Y/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC (WiFi + 4G LTE) for $500
Pentium 6500Y/8GB/128GB SSD (WiFi-only) for $550
Core i3-10110U/8GB/128GB SSD (WiFi-only) for $630
Core i3-10110U/8GB/128GB SSD (WiFi + 4G LTE) for $730
While the Surface Go 3 is the least device in Microsoft’s Surface tablet lineup, it’s also the most affordable (while the prices listed above don’t include a keyboard or mouse, that’s true across the board for all of Microsoft’s Surface tablets). The Surface Pro 7+ has list prices starting at $800, while the Surface Pro X starts at $900 and the Surface Pro 8 sells for $1100 and up.
Microsoft often runs sales on some or more of its Surface devices though, and as of March 18, 2022 you can save $50 to $80 on select Surface Go 3 models with 8GB of RAM.
This article was originally published January 4, 2022 and last updated March 18, 2022.
Misinformation about the pandemic and the health measures that are effective against SARS-CoV-2 has been a significant problem in the US. It's led to organized resistance against everything from mask use to vaccines and has undoubtedly ended up killing people.
Plenty of factors have contributed to this surge of misinformation, but social media clearly helps enable its spread. While the companies behind major networks have taken some actions to limit the spread of misinformation, internal documents indicate that a lot more could be done.
Taking more effective action, however, would benefit from more clearly identifying what the problems are. And, to that end, a recent analysis of the network of vaccine misinformation provides information that might be helpful. It finds that most of the worst misinformation sources are probably too small to stand out as being in need of moderation. The analysis also shows that the pandemic has brought mainstream parenting groups noticeably closer to groups devoted to conspiracy theories.
LG is looking to up its game in the face of more OLED rivals.
Enlarge/ An LG TV in a marketing lifestyle image. (credit: LG)
LG's OLED TVs have dominated the conversation among high-end TV enthusiasts for a few years now, but the past couple have finally brought at least some OLED TVs to prices that middle-class households could afford.
And like clockwork each year, LG attends the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce a new lineup of OLEDs that include some improvement or another: cheaper, bigger, smaller, whatever. This year, the big news is that some of LG's TVs are brighter.
LG maintains a few different lines of OLEDs currently: the entry-level A series, the slightly more feature-rich B series, the flagship C series, the high-end G series, and the 8K Z series.
Video conferencing is becoming a regular part of daily life during a global pandemic, and PC makers are starting to take notice and ship laptops with better webcams than the truly awful ones that have been the norm in the past. But the easiest way to upgrade your side of a video call without buying […]
Video conferencing is becoming a regular part of daily life during a global pandemic, and PC makers are starting to take notice and ship laptops with better webcams than the truly awful ones that have been the norm in the past. But the easiest way to upgrade your side of a video call without buying a new computer is to invest in a USB webcam.
While there are plenty of companies making 1080p or higher resolution webcams, the upcoming AnkerWork B600 Video Bar manages to stand out by packing a lot more than a camera into an accessory that sits atop your laptop or desktop display.
First up, the B600 Video Bar has a 2K video camera that can record at 30 frames per section and which includes support for autofocus, automatic image enhancement, and field of view adjustments.
Second, it has a 4-microphone array with support for AI-enhanced noise reduction to help pick up the sound of your voice while suppressing background noise.
Third, there’s an LED light panel above the camera, which shines diffused light to help illuminate your face (or anything else that’s directly in the frame). One of the biggest problems with most video conference calls isn’t so much the camera itself as the poorly lit subject (you), as most cameras will do a better job of capturing well-lit imagery.
You can adjust the brightness of the light by swiping your finger across a touch-based control to the right of the camera to keep from blinding yourself.
Finally, the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar also has built-in stereo 2-watt speakers, which could come in handy if you’re using it with a laptop that or tablet that has lousy speakers.
A federal judge yesterday dismissed the complaint filed against Nirvana by the man who appeared on the band's Nevermind album cover when he was a baby. The plaintiff, Spencer Elden, will have one more chance to file an amended complaint.
Elden's August 2021 lawsuit alleged that the picture of a naked baby in a swimming pool violated criminal child-pornography statutes and sought damages of at least $150,000 from each defendant. Named defendants include Nirvana, Universal Music Group, Warner Records, Courtney Love in her role as executor of frontman Kurt Cobain's estate, band members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, and others.
"[T]he court will grant defendants' Motion and give plaintiff one last opportunity to amend his complaint," said yesterday's ruling by Judge Fernando Olguin in US District Court for the Central District of California. "In preparing the Second Amended Complaint, plaintiff shall carefully evaluate the contentions set forth in defendants' Motion, including defendants' assertions that plaintiff's claims pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2255 and 18 U.S.C. § 1595 are time-barred. The court expects that defendants will agree to any amendment(s) that will cure the alleged defects."
In November 2020, Microsoft unveiled Pluton, a security processor the company designed to thwart some of the most sophisticated types of hack attacks. On Tuesday, AMD said it would integrate the chip into its upcoming Ryzen CPUs for use in Lenovo's ThinkPad Z Series of laptops.
Microsoft already used Pluton to secure Xbox Ones and Azure Sphere microcontrollers against attacks that involve people with physical access opening device cases and performing hardware hacks that bypass security protections. Such hacks are usually carried out by device owners who want to run unauthorized games or programs for cheating.
Now, Pluton is evolving to secure PCs against malicious physical hacks designed to install malware or steal cryptographic keys or other sensitive secrets. While many systems already have trusted platform modules or protections such as Intel’s Software Guard Extensions to secure such data, the secrets remain vulnerable to several types of attacks.
A handful of companies have been producing laptop docks for years, giving customers the ability to use their smartphones like notebook computers. Now one of the companies that helped create this space is moving beyond the laptop dock and introducing two new types of docks. The NexMonitor is a new desktop dock from the makers […]
A handful of companies have been producing laptop docks for years, giving customers the ability to use their smartphones like notebook computers.
Now one of the companies that helped create this space is moving beyond the laptop dock and introducing two new types of docks. The NexMonitor is a new desktop dock from the makers of the NexDock that allows you to connect your phone to a 27 inch display for use like a desktop computer, while the NexPad is a 12 inch dock that turns your smartphone into a tablet. Both are up for pre-order now and expected to begin shipping in July, 2022.
With the NexPad selling for $249 and prices starting at $449 for the NexMonitor, these devices would probably be tough sells if all they did was act as extensions of your phone. Fortunately there are a few other ways to use them.
The NexPad, for example, has a removable kickstand that allows you to use it as a portable monitor for just about any laptop, tablet, or other device. And there’s a magnetic portion on the bottom of the device designed to hold your phone in place, but which can also be used to attach the dock to the back of any laptop with a metal lid, giving you a second screen that can rise above your primary display.
With USB-C and HDMI inputs and touchscreen support, the NexPad can work as a touchscreen monitor. When used with a phone that support Samsung DeX or a similar desktop-style environment, this lets you use your phone like a big-screen tablet (albeit one with a rather unusual design and an enormous bezel). But honestly, it might be better to think of the NexPad as a small portable display that also happens to work as a second screen for smartphones when you need it.
One thing to keep in mind is that the NexPad does not work as a standalone tablet. It doesn’t have its own processor, memory, or operating system and is really just an extension of whatever device is plugged in.
It also doesn’t have a battery, which means it will draw power from a connected device.
The NexMonitor, meanwhile, is a 27 inch desktop monitor that’s available with either a 2560 x 1440 pixel 100Hz display or a 3840 x 2160 pixel 60 Hz display panel. With HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB 3.1 Type-C inputs, you can use it as a display for nearly any modern laptop or desktop computer.
But there’s also a magnetic portion on the right side of the display where you can attach your phone to the monitor and support for wireless charging so you can charge your phone while it’s snapped in place. And, of course, you can run a USB cable from your phone to the monitor to mirror your screen or use DeX or similar software for a desktop computing experience powered by your phone.
This sort of dock can also be very useful if you’re using a Linux-powered phone or tablet like the PinePhone or Purism Librem 5, which are able to run desktop Linux applications as well as mobile-optimized apps.
Unlike the NexPad, which has no speakers (which means your phone’s speakers will have to do all the work), the NexMonitor has stereo 5 watt speakers. And with an SD card reader, Ethernet jack, USB ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack, it can also function as a USB dock or hub for your phone or other connected devices.
Here are some key specs for the new docking stations from Nex:
27 inches
2560 x 1440 @ 100 Hz
or
3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Input ports
2 x USB 3.1 Type-C
1 x mini HDMI 2.0
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x DisplayPort 1.2
Other ports
1 x USB 2.0 Type-C
2 x USB Type-A
1 x USB Type-B
1 x 3.5mm audio
1 x Ethernet
1 x SD card reader
Other features
Removable kickstand
Magnets
Magnetic mount
Wireless charging for smartphones
Audio
N/A
2 x 5W speakers
Dimensions
277 x 250 x 6.3mm
10.9″ x 9.8″ x 0.25″
71 x 51 x 20cm
28″ x 21″ x 7.9″
Weight
736 grams
1.62 pounds
6.3kg
13.9 pounds
Price
$249
$449 (2.5K)
$549 (4K)
Honestly, even after considering all of the things you can do with these docks, they still feel like a bit of a tough sell because it’s 2022 and most folks still aren’t planning to use their smartphones like desktop or tablet computers. But if you’re one of the folks who are looking to do just that, pre-orders are now open.
Note that Nex is asking customers to pay a $100 deposit up front, with the remaining balance to be charged a week or two before the devices ship. But the company promises that deposits are refundable if you change your mind before your order ships.
New GPU architecture replaces previous APUs’ years-old Vega architecture.
Enlarge/ AMD's Lisa Su introduces the Ryzen 6000 APU lineup. (credit: AMD)
AMD made small additions to its dedicated GPU and its processor lineups at its CES press conference this morning, but the biggest announcement was the introduction of new Ryzen 6000-series laptop APUs. These chips use a new Zen 3+ CPU architecture and manufacturing process, but most significantly, their integrated graphics processors trade the years-old Vega architecture for the modern RDNA2 architecture used in Radeon 6000-series graphics cards, the newest Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and the upcoming Steam Deck.
AMD says that the new chips will begin showing up in February 2022, with more laptops released "throughout the year."
The H-, HS-, and HX-series Ryzen chips are all 35 W and 45 W processors destined for gaming laptops and workstations, with higher CPU and GPU clock speeds than the U-series chips. The Ryzen 5 6600U and Ryzen 7 6800U have TDPs of between 15 and 28 W, which can be adjusted by laptop manufacturers based on how much cooling they can provide—the higher the TDP, the longer the CPUs will be able to run at their top speeds. All of the Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7 models include Radeon 680M GPUs with 12 GPU cores, while the Ryzen 5 models use weaker Radeon 660M GPUs with 6 GPU cores.
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE is a gaming laptop with an all-metal chassis that measures less than 0.8 inches thick and which has an understated design making it a notebook that wouldn’t look out of place in the office, unlike many gaming-class computers. After launching a model powered by an 11th-gen Intel Core processor […]
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE is a gaming laptop with an all-metal chassis that measures less than 0.8 inches thick and which has an understated design making it a notebook that wouldn’t look out of place in the office, unlike many gaming-class computers.
After launching a model powered by an 11th-gen Intel Core processor last year, Acer is refreshing the Predator Triton 500 SE with new models supporting up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9 processor and up to NVIDIA GeForce 3080 Ti graphics.
The new Predator Triton 500 SE (PT516-52s) has a 16 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel display with a 240 Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and 500 nits of peak brightness. It supports up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, up to 4TB of PCIe gen 4 storage, and supports WiFi 6E.
The notebook measures 14.1″ x 10.3″ x 0.8″ and weighs about 5.51 pounds, making it a tad heavier than last year’s model. But that’s not an unreasonable weight for a gaming laptop with a 16 inch display and a 100 Wh battery.
Other features include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, Killer E3100G Ethernet (for a 2.5 Gbps wired connection), and support for WiFi 6E.
Aer says the new Predator Triton 500 SE will be available in North America in March for $2300 and up. It will also be available in China and Europe starting in February.
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