Thursday, July 1, 2021

Sony might be bringing more PS5 games over to PC with its latest acquisition

Sony has just announced an acquisition of Nixxes Software, a game developer mostly known for making excellent PC ports of other studios' games, and it could be a sign that more PS5 games will eventually make their way over as PC games. 

Herman Hulst, the head of PlayStation Studios, announced the news through Twitter. While we don't know what kind of games PlayStation will have Nixxes working on, it's not the first time Sony and Nixxes have crossed paths, notably helping get Killzone: Shadowfall out the door in time for the PS4 launch. 

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But more than a Killzone launch title, Nixxes is way better known on PC, where it's helped some pretty high-profile games launch. Most notably is the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy. No matter how you feel about those games, the PC versions are still used to test hardware to this day, thanks to the extremely solid ports – especially Rise of the Tomb Raider. 

We have heard in recent times that Sony is going to try to have more of its games move over to PC. And we even heard Herman Hulst talk back in May about how Sony is still early in its plans for the platform, and, more importantly that "Releasing games on PC will not come ever at the expense of building an exciting lineup of great console games". 

Bringing Nixxes in house will let Sony have its main studios never really have to worry about porting their games over to PC, as it has an extremely experienced developer that specializes in doing just that. 

This is all speculation, of course, and it's early days, but Sony bought Nixxes Studios for a reason, and fleshing out its PC offerings would be a pretty great reason. 

Sony needs some help with its PC ports

So we've recently heard of a few PS4 games getting ported over to PC, with Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn being the heavyweights. Both of these games were ported through in-house studios and while Days Gone has generally been, well, fine, Horizon Zero Dawn was an absolute mess when it first came out. 

When we were benchmarking it for our own performance analysis piece, we kept running into crashes, inconsistent performance and needed to reinstall shaders every time you changed resolution. The game is a lot better now, but it was in a rough spot when it first launched. 

If Sony is able to offload the development of PC games to a dedicated developer, its core studios can instead focus on delivering the next big PS5 exclusive, and we'll get a better PC port – it's a win-win. 

Plus, with re-releases of its older games, Sony typically goes with outside companies anyway. Sony accidentally leaked its purchase of Bluepoint a couple days ago, but when it was an independent company, the gaming giant used the developer to create stunning ports of Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. 

We don't know what Sony's plans are regarding Nixxes, and it could just use the studio to support other studios on new PS5 games. But if Sony is serious about putting out stellar PC versions of its best games – looking at you Bloodborne and The Last of Us – it'd be silly not to put Nixxes on those projects. 



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DIY builder makes 'breathing' RTX 3080 PC and it's the coolest build we've ever seen

A DIY builder on YouTube has constructed what he bills as the world's first "breathing" PC, and it is honestly one of the most innovative and beautiful PC builds we have ever seen. 

YouTuber DIY Perks turned his attention towards high-end gaming PCs to see if he could construct a build running seriously powerful gaming hardware without needing to rely on noisy fans for cooling. Using acrylic bellows, vents, and a water loop to cool one of the best graphics cards and the best gaming CPU on the market, the RTX 3080 and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, he reproduced an innovation designed by Nature itself.

Using magnets and reinforced acrylic panels that quietly glide back and forth, DIY Perks was able to create a lung-like bellows system that successfully pulled in cooler, ambient air while forcing out the heat produced by the PC hardware, all without a single fan. It's a masterclass in engineering design and is absolutely worth watching in its entirety.

How well does this cooling work with powerful, high-end components?

It's no secret that high-end hardware like the RTX 3080 and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X generate a lot of heat, so using powerful – and noisy – fans seem like an absolute necessity if you want to get high-performance gaming. 

DIY Perks' build shows that that might not strictly be true, however. It should be noted that the CPU and GPU temperatures he recorded were impressive for a fanless build – 60 and 62 degrees Celsius, respectively. The real question is whether they can maintain those temperatures when cranking up Cyberpunk 2077 to ultra settings with ray tracing turned on.

The benchmark tool DIY Perks used is certainly valid, but as PCGamesN points out, he didn't run any in-game benchmarks, or run any of the more intensive tests like those we use to test GPUs, such as 3DMark's Time Spy or Port Royal, so it's hard to gauge the builds true potential against more traditional, fan-heavy builds.

Still, the build is admittedly the first prototype of the design that DIY Perks has produced, so there is absolutely room for him to improve on the design. We hope that he does and that inspires others to explore this as a cooling mechanism for future builds.



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Dying Light 2’s latest trailer is definite nightmare fuel

Move over Resident Evil Village, there’s a new survival horror game in town and – after catching Dying Light 2’s second gameplay trailer – we can safely say it’s downright frightening.

The trailer, which made its debut in the middle of TechLand’s Dying 2 Know YouTube livestream, showed off a new hospital environment that was packed to the brim with turned civilians. 

According to the game’s director, these nests are nearly impossible to fight through, but they can be navigated carefully if you’re stealthy enough.

Of course, as things always do in these sorts of situations, things go awry and before long the casual stroll through a creepy decrepit hospital turns into a heart-pumping nightmare roller-coaster as we have to watch the game’s protagonist, Aiden Caldwell, escape from the hospital before he’s either eviscerated by zombies or turned into one by the virus. 

Besides the awfully uninviting environment, the trailer is also a showcase for a few of the new zombie sub-types you’ll encounter along the way – including the Revenant, a brand-new infected species that’s smarter than the regular infected.

A real showcase of what the PS5 and Xbox Series X can do 

While livestreams are rarely a good indicator of what a final game will look like, the latest trailer does show us what the PS5 and Xbox Series X can really do.

Namely, that’s the ability to include a number of high-resolution enemies on screen at once in an ultra detailed environment. That’s easier to do when the setting is somewhere inside as then the game’s engine only renders a small area at a time, but Dying Light 2’s environments seem both complex and incredibly detailed. 

Watching the trailer you can see some interesting options presented to the player – when exactly to use the flashlight that could attract the infected and when to take chances by stumbling around in the dark by crawling underneath tables. 

We'll be excited to see if we can complete some of the game's missions in multiple ways like, say, Far Cry or a Bethesda title might allow, but so far the game's white-knuckle parkour gameplay and frenetic combat look pretty darn enticing.

Dying Light 2 will be available on December 7, 2021 for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

  • Still looking for a PS5? Check out out constantly updated PS5 restock page


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Micron says DRAM, NAND shortages will persist for another year

While reporting the fiscal results for its third quarter, computer memory and data storage manufacturer Micron revealed that it believes DRAM and NAND shortages will continue through next year.

At the same time in a separate press release, the company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Texas Instruments to sell of one of its manufacturing plants in Lehi, Utah where it previously made 3D Xpoint chips through a partnership with Intel.

The sale of the plant is valued at $1.5bn by Micron and in total, the company will receive $900m in cash from Texas Instruments and approximately $600m in value from select tools and other assets.

Shortages vs demand

Back in March of this year, Micron warned of an industry-wide “severe undersupply” for DRAM chips and so far demand for these chips has risen by 20 percent this year. When it came to NAND chips, the company warned demand was rising in the “low-to-mid-30% rage” though there was still some excess supply.

During a recent presentation, Micron updated its previous position stating that “industry bit demand growth” is expected be slightly higher than 20 percent as there is still unmet demand for DRAM.  However, the company expects the current DRAM shortages to continue into next year and this is true for NAND chips as well which are also growing at the same rate.

Despite these shortages, Micron was still able to bring in $7.42bn in revenue during the third quarter of this year. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra provided further insight on the company's Q3 fiscal results in a press release, saying:

“Micron set multiple market and product revenue records in our third quarter and achieved the largest sequential earnings improvement in our history. Our industry-leading 1α DRAM and 176-layer NAND now represent a meaningful portion of our production, and Micron is in the best position ever to capitalize on the long-term demand trends across the data center, intelligent edge and user devices.”

Via ZDNet



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Microsoft reportedly takes some mystery out of Windows 11 updates

Windows 11 updates will now give you an estimated installation time before you initiate the install, letting users know beforehand whether their PCs will be out of commission for an extended length of time.

As reported by gHacks, the new Windows 11 update feature gives you an estimated time for an update to be applied in both the Windows Update tool as well as when choosing to manually shutdown or restart Windows 11.

A Windows 11 Update Panel Showing The Estimated Time To Download And Install An Update

(Image credit: gHacks)

The ETA does not appear to be consistent though, as our friends over at Windows Central did not see an ETA when they had a Windows 11 update to install. We don't currently have an update that we need to install, but we will update this story once we can confirm the feature for ourselves.

Windows 11 update time estimates will definitely improve PC security 

Microsoft has done a good job with ensuring that Windows 10 security patches and updates are regularly and quickly applied, which improves security and system stability for many users – though it isn't always a painless process. 

There's no getting around the fact that sometimes these updates are an inconvenience if they end up taking much longer than the user expected – sometimes as long as an hour for major updates – and if you don't have a fast internet connection, these updates can take a long time to download.

This can lead to users putting off important updates that might only take a couple of minutes because they might overestimate how long their work or other activities might be disrupted. Critically, vital security updates are usually smaller, very precise fixes that don't take long to either download or apply and are essential to keeping Windows PCs secure.

These are exactly the kind of updates that you don't want to put off while also being the least disruptive and quickest to apply, but which are sometimes put off out of the mistaken belief that they will be too much of an inconvenience right now. By letting users know that these updates will only take a few minutes, more users are going to apply them more promptly, which will definitely help keep their PCs secure from zero-day exploits and other emerging security threats.



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4th of July mattress sale 2021: the best mattress sales happening right now

The 4th of July mattress sale event is fully underway with fantastic sales from all your favorite brands like Nectar, Purple, Tempur-Pedic, and more. We've combed through all the offers to bring you the best 4th of July mattress sales that are happening right now.

Mattresses are one of the most popular categories discounted during 4th of July sales, thanks to brands rolling over their Memorial Day promotions which match their best-ever Black Friday offers. Retailers offer sitewide sales on their best-selling mattresses and throw in free accessories with your purchase. Luckily for you, most companies launched their official 4th of July mattress sales weeks ago, and we've included the best of the bunch just below.

Some highlighted offers include a $400 discount on Nectar's Memory Foam mattress plus $399 in free sleep accessories, 20% off sitewide at Tuft & Needle, and a 30% discount from Tempur-Pedic on its best-selling Tempur-Cloud mattress.

Below you'll find more of the best 4th of July mattress sales, followed by the stand-out deals. Make sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating it with all the best offers leading up to the holiday weekend event.

The best 4th of July mattress sales

Nectar Memory Foam mattress: from $798 $499 + $399 of free gifts at Nectar
Editor's choice - The Nectar Memory Foam is a popular medium-firm mattress, with a new cooling cover that aims to stop you overheating at night. Our sister site Tom's Guide recommends it as the best mattress you can buy, and we found it extremely comfortable and supportive when we slept on it. This discount isn't new for July the 4th, but it is phenomenal value, with $400 off, plus $399-worth of free sleep accessories. Throw in the 365-night risk-free trial and forever warranty, and this deal is tough to beat.

Saatva Classic mattress: from $849 at Saatva - get $200 off when you spend $975
Best luxury mattress - When it comes to premium mattresses, top brand Saatva is a market leader. The award-winning Saatva Classic is the company's most affordable luxury mattress, made from eco-friendly foams and a cushioning Euro pillow top, with a durable dual steel coil support system underneath. It aced Tom's Guide's tests, and comes in three different firmness levels and two heights - plus you get white glove delivery as standard too. With $200 off when you spend over $975, it's now extremely competitively priced. 

Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress: from $999 $649 + free pillows and sheet set
Best budget cooling mattress - Save 35% off the Cocoon by Sealy Chill Hybrid mattress, plus you'll receive two free premium pillows and a sheet set - a total saving of up to $799. The 12-inch Chill Hybrid is a medium-firm memory foam mattress with advanced cooling properties thanks to the cooling cover that absorbs and dissipates heat. A Twin starts at $649.99, and you'll enjoy free shipping that conveniently ships in a box to your doorstep.

Lucid Memory Foam mattress: from $279.99 $234.47 at Amazon
Best budget mattress - The Lucid Memory Foam Mattress is one of Amazon's top-rated mattresses and an "Amazon's Choice" recommended buy. It's a 12-inch option with a medium-firm feel. There are different discounts on different sizes: the smallest twin size at $234.47 is currently almost the lowest we've seen it ($222); the queen discount, meanwhile, is just ok. We often see this discount. Still, it makes a reasonably priced mattress a little more reasonable.

Tempur-Essential Mattress: from $1,659 now $1,161
Save up to $995 - Tempur-Pedic's 4th of July sale has an impressive 30% discount on the Tempur-Essential Mattress. The Essentials Mattress is a special edition medium-soft mattress with three layers of high-performance foam which provides adaptive pressure relief and personalized comfort, while a breathable cover wicks moisture away.

Tuft & Needle Original Mattress: from $450 $405 at T&N
Save up to $150 -  Save up to 20% off sitewide at Tuft & Needle's official 4th of July sales event. That means the company's popular budget foam Original mattress is now on sale for just $405 (was $450) for a twin, while a queen now costs $625.50, down from $695 - a fantastic price for a quality mattress.

The DreamCloud: from $799 $699 + $399 of free gifts at DreamCloud
Best value hybrid mattress -  DreamCloud's 4th of July sale has a $200 discount on the luxury hybrid DreamCloud (it's medium-firm), and includes a free mattress protector (worth $99), a sheet set (worth $150), and a cooling pillow (worth $75) added to your order for free. It also comes with a year-long risk-free trial.

Purple Mattress: from $599 $574 at Purple
Save up to $300 - Purple has just launched its 4th of July sale and the retailer is offering up to $100 on the flagship Purple mattress — and you can bump the discount up to $300 by adding a sleep bundle (pillows, sheets, and a mattress protector) to your order. The mattress uses an innovative, responsive gel grid and dual layers of foam to deliver support and flex and has a 10-year warranty.
 

Serta iComfort Mattress: from $999 $799 at Serta
Save up to $1000 - Score some of the biggest discounts we've seen all year at the Serta 4th of July mattress sale event. You'll find all iComfort mattresses up to $400 off with prices starting at $799 for a twin ($200 off) and the queen iComfort on sale for $949 ($150 off). Plus, Serta is offering a Visa Prepaid Card of up to $150 when you purchase the company's affordable Perfect Sleeper mattress.

Casper Original Mattress: from $595 $506 at Casper
Save up to $194 - Casper just launched its 4th of July sale which gets you 15% off all mattresses including the best-selling Casper Original. Built to suit all types of sleepers, the Casper Original features three layers and an eco-friendly, removable cover that's machine washable. After the discount, you can get the Casper Original Mattress (twin) for $506 (was $595) or the Casper Original Mattress (queen) for $931 (was $1,095). 

Leesa Original Mattress: from $799 $699 + 2 free pillows at Leesa
Save up to $259 - The Leesa 4th of July sale is happening right now, and the retailer is offering $200 off the Leesa Original mattress, plus you'll receive two free pillows with your order. The Leesa Original has a breathable top layer with pressure-relieving memory foam underneath and comes with a 100-night trial. A twin-size is on sale for just $699 (was $799), and the queen is now down to $949 from $1099. 

Avocado Latex Mattress: from $1,499 $1,399 at Avocado
Save $100 - Go natural with Avocado's 4th of July sale, which includes a $100 discount on its green and vegan hybrid mattresses when you use code SLEEPFREE at checkout. Rated 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, Avocado's latex mattress is 100% organic certified, non-toxic, and biodegradable, too, and is best for black and stomach sleepers.

Allswell Luxe Mattress: from $445 $356 at Allswell
Save up to $169 - Allswell is celebrating the 4th of July with 15% off mattresses when you apply code JULY4TH at checkout - a fantastic deal from an already affordable mattress brand. The company's Luxe Hybrid is a mid-range hybrid mattress that features individually wrapped coils that help minimize motion transfer.

If you're interested in more bargains you can see our roundup of the best 4th of July sales from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot, and more.



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Best wireless adaptors in 2021: PCIe and USB dongles for boosting Wi-Fi

The best wireless adaptors remain incredibly useful even in 2021, as they can allow pretty much any device to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

While most modern devices have Wi-Fi built in, there are many that don't such as PCs and set top boxes. Even though an increasing number of PCs now have Wi-Fi connectivity built into their motherboards, you may find that the connection isn't great, and an external USB wireless adaptor can help improve your wireless connection.

The best wireless adaptors make it easy to add Wi-Fi functionality, either via a USB dongle, or by slotting into the PCI slot of a PC's motherboard.

As for the best laptops, while they will have Wi-Fi connectivity, you may still want to invest in a wireless adaptor. For example, it's an affordable way to add newer Wi-Fi technology, such as Wi-Fi 6, without any costly upgrades - all you need to do is plug in an adapter. Using a USB extension cable can also help you fine tune the wireless reception for even better performance.

So, read on for our pick of the best USB and PCI wireless adaptors. You should also consider one of the best USB-C docks if you have multiple devices.

Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi USB Adapter

(Image credit: Netgear)

1. Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi USB Adapter

The best wireless adaptor money can buy

Standard: AC1900 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 4.7 x 1.8 x 0.9 in (120 x 45 x 22 mm) | Weight: 2.3oz (66.5g)

Fantastic connectivity
Includes a desktop cradle
Rather large
Pricey

Netgear is a trusted brand when it comes to networking kit, and its Nighthawk range has an enviable reputation for offering brilliant performance, so it's little surprise to find the AC1900 Wi-Fi sitting at the top of our best wireless adaptors list.

It adds blazing-fast WI-Fi to any device you plug it into, and the magnetic desktop cradle means it's an ideal adaptor for desktop PCs as well. It plugs into a free USB port, so it's easy to install, though its large size means you may worry about it sticking out of your laptop and accidentally getting snapped off.  

ASUS PCE-AC88 Wireless PCI-E Network Interface Card

(Image credit: Asus)

2. Asus PCE-AC88

The best PCI wireless network adaptor

Standard: AC3100 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 103.3 x 68.9 x 21mm | Weight: 125g

Brilliant performance
Remote antenna
Can be tricky to install
Extension cable is a bit short

If you've got a PC and want to add a Wi-Fi adaptor to your motherboard, then the Asus PCE-AC88 is the best PCI wireless adaptor money can buy right now. Its powerful antennae can pick up wireless signals with ease, and you can use the included extension cable to better position the antennae for even better reception.

The attractive design of this PCI card includes a custom heatsink to keep it running cool when in use, as well. This does make it a little bit more tricky to install than other adaptors, and the extension cable could do with being a bit longer, but overall this is a fantastic PCI wireless adaptor.

Trendnet TEW-809UB

(Image credit: Trendnet)

3. Trendnet TEW-809UB

A fantastic wireless adaptor for USB

Standard: AC1900 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 85 x 75 x 20mm | Weight: 48g

Fast speeds
Great range
Design won't be for everyone
Bulky

Don't be put off by the spider-like design of the Trendnet TEW-809UB - this is one of the most powerful wireless adaptors money can buy right now. Sure, it's big and bulky, but it comes with four large antennae that can be positioned to maximise the range this adaptor can achieve.

Add support for Beamforming, and you've got a formidable USB wireless adaptor that can allow your device to access your Wi-FI network from previously unreachable locations.

(Image credit: TP-Link)

The best Wi-Fi 6 wireless adaptor

Standard: Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 95.2 x 120.8 x 21.5 mm | Weight: 481g

Supports Wi-Fi 6
Includes mount
No macOS driver

If you have a new Wi-Fi 6 router, then you'll want to make sure your device is able to make use of the improved speeds and coverage the new technology offers, which is why the TP-Link Archer TX3000E is on this page. This is one of the few wireless routers that offers Wi-Fi 6 support, and plugging it into your PC's PCI slot will allow it to benefit from next-generation wireless speeds.

Again, it comes with external antennae for improving reception, and it's small enough to be easily installed in desktop PCs - even ones with very compact cases.

(Image credit: Asus)

5. Asus USB-AC68

A great compact USB adaptor

Standard: AC1900 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 115 x 30 x 17 mm | Weight: 44g

Easy install
Positionable antennae
Not the best 2.4GHz performance

This handy USB wireless adaptor supports USB 3.0, and features Asus AiRadar Beamforming, and MU-MIMO via its easily-positioned antennae. While it's not the fastest wireless adaptor on this list, it is affordable and easily portable, meaning that it's a great choice for someone who does a lot of travelling.

For added value, the Asus USB-AC68 also includes a desktop cradle for use in the home or office, making it a good choice for a desktop PC as well.

Linksys WUSB6300

(Image credit: Linksys)

6. Linksys WUSB6300

Small and compact

Standard: AC1200 802.11ac | Frequencies: 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Dimensions: 41 x 18 x 12 mm | Weight: 5.9g

Very small
Decent features
Not the best 2.4GHz performance

The Linksys WUSB6300 is a micro wireless adaptor, and it's easily the smallest one on this list. That makes it brilliantly portable, and ideal for people who like to travel. However, just because it's small, it doesn't mean it lacks features.

It supports AC1200 speeds and is dual-band. There's also MU-MIMO and Beamforming tech packed into its small body. Best of all, the asking price is almost as small as the device itself, making this a great budget choice that doesn't compromise on performance.



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The best 4th of July TV sales 2021: 4K TV deals from Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon

The 4th of July TV sales event is officially underway with fantastic deals you can snag right now from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. We've sorted through all the offers to bring you the very best 4th of July TV sales in one handy guide.

The 4th of July sales event is a great opportunity to snag an already cheap TV at a record-low price, thanks to summer clearance sales on last year's sets. Our 4th of July TV sales guide includes everything from a budget 32-inch HD TV to a massive 70-inch 4K set, from brands like Sony and Samsung, and at a range of prices – so whatever your viewing needs, you’ll find your perfect TV.

We've listed the best 4th of July TV sales from your favorite retailers below, followed by the top deals, which are categorized by size to help narrow down your decision. We've also hand-picked our standout 4th of July TV deal, and today's bargain is this 70-inch 4K TV that's on sale for just $528.

We'll be updating this page with all the latest offers leading up to the holiday event, and if you're looking for other Independence Day offers, you can see our 4th of July sales guide, which includes bargains on appliances, mattresses, laptops, and more.

4th of July TV deal of the day

Onn. 70-inch Class 4K UHD Roku Smart TV: $528 at Walmart
 Walmart's 4th of July TV sales event has this budget 70-inch set from Onn. on sale for just $528. That's an incredible price for a big-screen 4K TV that includes the Roku OS, allowing you to seamlessly stream your favorite movies and TV shows from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and more.

The best 4th of July TV sales

4th of July TV sales: 32-49 inches

Insignia 32-inch Smart HD Fire TV: $199.99 $149.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 - Best Buy has this Insignia 32-inch HD TV on sale for just $149.99, plus you'll get a free 3rd generation Echo Dot with your purchase for a total savings of $89.99 - a fantastic 4th of July TV deal. The smart TV comes with the Fire OS and works with Amazon Alexa for hands-free control.

TCL 32-inch HD LED Roku Smart TV: $249.99 $199.99 at Walmart
Save $50 - If you're working with a small space, Walmart has this TCL 32-inch HD TV on sale for just $199.99. That's the best price we've seen for the HD TV, which includes the Roku experience for seamless streaming from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more.

Toshiba 43-inch 4K UHD Smart Fire TV: $369.99 $319.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 - If you're looking for a small set with 4K resolution, Best Buy has this Toshiba 43-inch TV on sale for $319.99. Considering you're getting 4K Ultra HD resolution, the Fire TV experience, and a free Echo Dot with your purchase, that's a great value.

Samsung The Frame 43-inch 4K TV: $999.99 $897.99 at Amazon
Save $102: The premium 2021 Samsung Frame 4K TV has a rare $100 discount at Amazon. While we saw a $200 discount during Prime Day, that was the first time the luxury display had been discounted, so you're still getting an excellent deal with today's sale.

4th of July TV sales: 50-59 inches

Insignia 55-inch 4K UHD Smart Fire TV: $429.99 $399.99 at Amazon
Save $30 - You don't need to spend big to bag yourself a fully-featured 4K smart TV - here's a great option from Amazon. This Insignia has Fire TV built right in, so you don't have to buy extra Sticks or dongles to enjoy all your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video. It's also fully HDR compatible and will work great with any other Amazon Alexa-supported device.

TCL 55-inch 6-Series 4K UHD QLED Roku TV: $699.99 $648 at Walmart
Save $51 - If you're looking for a mid-size TV with a premium viewing experience, then this TCL 6-Series is a great option, and it's currently on sale for $648 at Walmart's 4th of July TV sale. While this isn't the lowest price we've seen, it's still a decent discount for the 55-inch QLED TV, which delivers a stunning picture with brilliant colors and deep contrasts and comes with the Roku experience and a handy voice remote.

Sony 55-inch X80J Series 4K UHD Smart TV: $949,99 $749.99 at Best Buy
Save $200 - Best Buy has this Sony 55-inch 4K TV on sale for a record-low price of $749.99. The smart TV delivers a cinema-like picture experience thanks to Sony’s powerful X1 4K HDR processor and works with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for smart home compatibility and hands-free control.

LG C1 OLED (55-inch): $1,799 $1,496 at Amazon
Save $300 - The LG C1 OLED is the latest 2021 C-Series OLED TV from LG. It's in the top three TVs of the entire year, only beaten out by an 8K TV that's quadruple the price and LG's more expensive G1 OLED. That said, if you're after the best price-to-performance ratio, the C1 OLED comes with our highest recommendation – especially now that it's on sale for a record-low price.

4th of July TV sales: 60-75 inches

Onn. 70-inch Class 4K UHD Roku Smart TV: $528 at Walmart
 Walmart's 4th of July TV sales event has this budget 70-inch set from Onn. on sale for just $528. That's an incredible price for a big-screen 4K TV that includes the Roku OS, allowing you to seamlessly stream your favorite movies and TV shows from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and more.

Hisense 65-inch H65 Series Smart HD TV: $599.99 $529.99 at Best Buy
Save $70 - This Hisense might be on the cheaper end of things, but that doesn't mean it's not packed to the brim with great features, and with a $70 discount, you're also getting a fantastic price. With Google Assistant and a voice remote, you're off to a great start, and you're also getting Motion Rate 120 and DTS Sound Studio.

Samsung 70-inch 6 Series 4K UHD Smart TV: $749.99 $699.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 - One of our favorite 4th of July TV deals, you can get this brilliant Samsung 70-inch 4K TV on sale for $699.99 at Best Buy. The 70-inch set delivers a stunning picture with brilliant colors and sharp contrast thanks to the powerful 4K crystal processor.

You can see more offers with our guide to the best cheap TV deals and sales that are happening right now.

You can also shop for more bargains with our roundup of the Walmart 4th of July sale and snag a discount at the 4th of July mattress sale event.



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Yes, you really can run Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi

Microsoft caused outrage when it announced the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. But as it turns out, the new operating system runs on Raspberry Pi.

A Windows 11 preview build is now available to download for members of the Windows Insider early-access program. However, the Windows 10 successor sports a demanding list of hardware requirements that has left many eager users in the lurch.

Surprisingly though, multiple testers have posted videos and tutorials showing that the Windows 11 preview can run on the puny little Raspberry Pi 4.

Officially, Microsoft’s only operating system for the Pi is Windows 10 IoT Core, which isn’t a full-fledged desktop operating system, designed instead to power low-cost appliances.

But that hasn’t stopped intrepid tinkerers from getting the full Windows desktop experience on the RPi.

Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi

Tom’s Hardware has a detailed tutorial on getting Windows 11 (or indeed even Windows 10) to boot on the Pi. 

In broad strokes, the process involves fetching an image of the Arm64-bit version of Windows 11 and writing it to a microSD card or SSD drive with the help of the Windows on Raspberry Pi (WoR) utility.

Even more surprisingly, Tom’s Hardware and others report that Windows 11 performs adequately well across all the usual desktop tasks, including browsing the web with Edge.

While we don’t expect Microsoft to officially support the full fledged Windows 11 release on RPi, the experiments should bring a smile to the face of people with hardware that doesn’t meet the official minimum requirements for Windows 11.

If you still can’t get Windows 11 on your desktop, take comfort knowing that you can always run it on the cheap little RPi.



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Best Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) of 2021

The best UPS (uninterruptible power supply) devices on this page are important purchases for any business - or home user - who needs electronic devices such as PCs and servers that have constant power connections 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If there's a power cut, even a very brief one, then the results can be catastrophic, as servers could become unreachable, and data could even be corrupted if a computer shuts down suddenly.

That's where the best UPS come in, as if there's a power cut, they will seamlessly switch to battery power, and your devices will remain on and running until the main power is restored, or you can safely shut down the device.

These days many of us are working from home, so buying the best UPS your budget can stretch to is even more important. You may find that you're plugging in a lot more power-hungry devices into your home power supply, and this could lead to power cuts or power surges. Your home likely won't have the power backup solutions that your office does, so buying a UPS for your home could be a very wise investment.

The UPS devices we include in this guide cover a wide range of use cases, from small UPS devices for homes that can keep a router and PC running, to large and powerful UPS devices for enterprise uses. Because of this, we have listed these best UPS devices in no particular order.

Best UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) at a glance:

  1. APC Back-UPS ES-BE700G
  2. CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD
  3. Eaton 9SX 5000i RT3U
  4. Vertiv Liebert PSI 1500VA
  5. APC BE600M1 Back-UPS 600VA

APC Back-UPS ES-BE700G

1. APC Back-UPS ES-BE700G

A simple UPS for voltage fluctuations

Input voltage: 230V | Output capacity: 405 (watts) | Outlets: 8 | Battery runtime: 13 mins (half load), 4 mins (full load) | Recharge time: 16 hours

Easy to use
LED status
Lacks features
Long charge time

If you're after a cheaper, and more simple, UPS device, then the APC Back-UPS ES - BE700G is a great choice. We wouldn't recommend it for large businesses with lots of mission-critical computers and servers, but it offers plenty of power for homes and small businesses to keep their devices going when the power fails. If you're looking for something more feature-rich, however, you may want to consider a different UPS.

CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD

2. CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD

The best UPS for small and medium sized businesses

Input voltage: 230 Vac | Output capacity: 900 (watts) | Outlets: 6 | Battery runtime: 10 mins (half load), 3 mins (full load) | Recharge time: 8 hours

LCD panel
USB ports included
Bulky
Expensive

The CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD is an excellent UPS for home and small business use. It comes with a decent amount of ports, as well as USB, for plugging in your devices. RJ11/RJ45 ports keep your phone, fax and modem lines protected from power surges, and it comes with a number of energy-saving features to prevent it from wasting energy when in use. It also comes with a clear LCD display that gives you information about the UPS.

3. Eaton 9SX 5000i RT3U

A flexible UPS for businesses

Input voltage: 21A | Output capacity: 230Vac | Battery runtime: 3.5 mins (full load) | Recharge time: 1.5 hours

Power efficiency features
Provides lots of power for numerous devices
Very expensive
Not suitable for home use

If you have a large office with several devices, then the Eaton Eaton 9SX 5000i RT3U is an excellent device. Not only does this rack-mounted UPS keep your important devices running when there's an issue with your power, but it also provides some excellent power efficiency features that can cut energy usage (and associated bills) with up to 95% efficiency in online double conversion mode and 98% in high-efficiency mode. You can buy optional extended battery modules for increased run time, and the LCD user interface makes it easy to manage. Definitely a UPS to consider if you have the budget.

Vertiv Liebert PSI 1500VA

4. Vertiv Liebert PSI 1500VA

A powerful UPS for business use

Input voltage: 300V | Output capacity: 1350 (watts) | Outlets: 8 | Battery runtime: 9 mins (half load), 3 mins (full load) | Recharge time: 5 hours

Plenty of power of office use
Decent recharge time
Overkill for home use

If you have a busy office with a number of essential devices that will need an uninterrupted power supply, then the Vertiv Liebert PSI 1500VA is definitely worth considering. Its three batteries will keep power-hungry devices running when the power goes down, and it can be installed into a server rack, making it convenient as well. It comes in a number of configurations, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs, but if you're looking for a UPS for home use, then the APC BE600M1 Back-UPS 600VA above is a better choice.

APC BE600M1 Back-UPS 600VA

5. APC BE600M1 Back-UPS 600VA

A great UPS for home use

Input voltage: 120V | Output capacity: 330 (watts) | Outlets: 7 (plus one USB port) | Battery runtime: 10 mins (half load), 3.2 mins (full load) | Recharge time: 10 hours

Plenty of power for home devices
Small form factor
Not a huge amount of ports
Not powerful enough for big businesses

This is another great UPS from APC, and with the BE600M1, the company has created a UPS device that is ideal for home use. That's thanks to its small and unobtrusive design, and if offers enough power for smaller devices, such as home NAS drives, routers and games consoles. With careful management, you can keep the power flowing to a router or monitor for enough time to overcome most power cuts. For office use, with lots of power-sapping devices that need to be powered at once, then you'll want to look elsewhere on this best UPS list, but for home users on a budget, this is a great choice.



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Twitter now lets you secure your account using just a security key

Keeping your Twitter account secure is about to get a whole lot easier as the social network has announced that users now have the option to use a security key as their only form of two-factor authentication (2FA).

While any form of 2FA can help further secure your online accounts, physical security keys are the most effective way to do so. This is because security keys offer built-in protections to ensure that even if they are used on a phishing site, the information stored on them can't be used to access your accounts.

At the same time, security keys also transfer the burden of protecting against phishing attempts from a human to a hardware device. They can even differentiate between legitimate sites and malicious ones while blocking phishing attempts that SMS verification codes would be unable to.

Committed to security

Twitter has been a vocal proponent of using some form of 2FA to secure one's online accounts for some time now. For instance, back in 2018 the social network added the option to use security keys as one of several 2FA options though this initial support only worked on the company's website and not its mobile app while requiring accounts to also have another form of 2FA enabled.

The following year Twitter upgraded its security key support to use the latest WebAuthn standard and enabled the ability to use 2FA without requiring a phone number. This was an important upgrade as it allowed users to protect their accounts from SIM-swapping attacks.

Last year the company added security key support on both iOS and Android in addition to on the web and this year it added the ability to register multiple security keys to a Twitter account so that users could have backups in case of emergencies.

Now though, Twitter users will be able to use security keys as their sole 2FA method without requiring a backup method.



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