In Google’s Chrome web browser 88. 0. 4324. 96 the developers have closed 36 security holes. Most of the vulnerabilities are classified as ” high “.
A gap (CVE – 2021 – 21117) is considered to be “critical”. It affects the Cryptohome component. The warning message hardly contains any further details about this and the other vulnerabilities. Based on the classifications, however, it can be assumed that attackers can execute malicious code in many cases after successful attacks.
The current Chrome version is for Linux, macOS and Windows appeared. The update takes place automatically under Windows, for example. You can check which editions are installed under Help / About Google Chrome. If a new one is available, you can start the installation from there, if you haven’t already done so.
And bye! In addition, Google has now completely removed Flash Player from Chrome. Adobe has stopped the end of support 2020. Flash has made countless headlines in the past due to critical security vulnerabilities.
(Pocket-lint) – The Microsoft Surface Laptop has, through all three of its release iterations, proven to be our favourite premium Windows laptop time and again – winning the Pocket-lint Awards in its category in both 2019 and 2020.
So when Microsoft decided to bring out a more affordable version, called the Surface Laptop Go, it did make us wonder what would have to give to cut the price without cutting into a premier experience. So here’s how it all stacks up.
Design & Display
12.4-inch PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio, 1536 x 1024 resolution
Dimensions: 278 x 206 x 15.7mm / Weight: 1.1kgs
1x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Proprietary Surface Connect port for power
Finishes: Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue
Windows 10 S
Upon pulling the Surface Laptop Go from its box it looks a far cry from its budget status, aping many of the premium design traits that you’ll find in the Surface Laptop proper. The use of cool-to-touch metal on the lid and frame being standout, while the finish options – there’s three, this one in the photos is Ice Blue – look great.
Pocket-lint
The Go is small and lightweight, yet it’s got a fairly large screen on account of the 3:2 aspect ratio – making the 12.4-inch panel more like an A4 sheet of paper than the more elongated screens that are so typical in laptops.
The screen is plenty bright, too, while its resolution – at 1536 by 1024 – is pretty sharp considering it’s less than Full HD in overall pixel count. That’s not a big problem, it just means you’ll find sharper panels elsewhere in the market. It’s befitting of its budget status, really, which is the whole point of the Go model.
Pocket-lint
Ports aren’t especially plentiful: there’s a USB-C and a full-size USB-A port, but other than the 3.5mm headphones jack that’s your lot. Thankfully power is handled by Microsoft’s Surface Connect rather than using up the USB-C port, although we would prefer this proprietary format to be dropped in favour of more ports in the design.
When plugged in we found the Go’s first issue though: it’s noisy. The fan kicks in due to the device heating up when recharging, which is delivered in an irksome whistling fashion. It doesn’t even need to be under load for this to happen, you could have no applications open whatsoever and it’ll whistle away.
Pocket-lint
Another major point to mention is the use of Windows 10 S. This version of Windows utilises the Microsoft Store to obtain and download apps – so you’re shielded from EXE file-types and can’t download and install such a variety of apps.
However, to switch out from S to ‘normal’ Windows 10 is easy enough: you can do it for free and we suspect most will do this straight away. We certainly did. That then means the Go has no limitations in what you can obtain and run on it, whether that’s a different browser such as Chrome, or a full-fat app such as Photoshop (albeit running at Intel Core i5 levels).
Keyboard & Trackpad
Fingerprint reader power button*
Full-size keyboard, no backlight
Large precision trackpad
Although the Go’s keyboard looks fairly squashed into its space, it’s actually a full-size one – and that makes for a decent typing experience.
Pocket-lint
Well, it does when it’s light. Unfortunately the Go’s keyboard lacks a backlight, with only the Caps Lock key having a corner LED for any kind of illumination. It’s pretty rare that a keyboard isn’t backlit these days. But that’s another area where cost-cutting has happened, ultimately, to help keep the Go a little more budget.
The trackpad is a reasonably large scale, too, with a smooth topped finish that’s responsive to touch. It is plastic rather than glass, which gives it a slightly more ‘tacky’ feel to the fingers, but it works well enough. Some competitors are releasing laptops with even larger over-size trackpads, but there’s not much unused space in the Surface Laptop Go’s real-estate anyway, so we think it’s a sound solution as is.
Pocket-lint
Also of note is the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button, which makes for super-quick Windows 10 sign-in. *Caveat time though: this feature is absent from the entry-level model, so if you’re looking to the Laptop Go for its appealing price point then note that not all models offer the same by feature set.
The best Chromebook 2021: Our pick of the top Chrome OS laptops for school, college and more
Performance & Battery
10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor (1035G1), Intel UHD Graphics
As we detailed previously, the Surface Laptop Go ships with Windows 10 S, but you can switch this to Windows 10 instead without incurring a cost. It’s a good job, then, that there’s a proper processor under the hood, capable enough of handling tasks that may typically fall outside of the Windows 10 S remit. Want Photoshop? You got it.
Pocket-lint
Whichever Surface Laptop Go you pick – and there are three levels – it’s the same processor, an Intel Core i5 (1035G1). It’s the storage and RAM that differ rather dramatically though: the entry-level model has 64GB and 4GB respectively, which is rather limited; the two other models up the RAM to 8GB; while the only other difference from mid- to top-level is 128GB versus 256GB storage.
If you opt for the top-end model, however, the price is significantly higher – by almost 40 per cent over the base model, and closing in on the four-figures mark. That’s rather a lot to pay for doubling the RAM and delivering a usable storage amount. The middle spec model is probably the best balanced of the lot, remaining at an attractive price point with just about enough storage on board.
Pocket-lint
In terms of battery life the Surface Laptop Go quotes an up-to-13-hour life per charge, but that’s over-reaching compared to its real-world figure. We were able to stream a Full HD YouTube video (well, the source was Full HD, the screen downscales that given the resolution available) for just under seven hours before it was game-over time. That’s reasonable enough innings, on par with the Surface Laptop 3, and long enough to cater for a varied day of work/study/mucking about on the internet.
Verdict
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a compelling affordable laptop. It pulls on much of the design and quality of Microsoft’s established Surface range, without cutting features to the bone.
There are some quirks – such as a noisy fan, a limited numbers of ports, and limited storage in the entry-level model – but given the balance of features and performance we think Microsoft has got a success on its hands here. The mid-priced model is the one to go for.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
squirrel_widget_3759498
It’s got more ports, better battery life, and is well designed – albeit not quite as refined as the Microsoft product. If the mid-spec Surface Laptop Go seems appealing then consider comparing it to this Yoga before making that final decision.
Apple macOS 11 Big Sur: All the key new Mac features explored
A new Qualcomm chip for Windows systems on ARM, Snapdragon SC model 8280, confirms the general interest of the sector towards solutions that are based on ARM architecture to better balance power and consumption
by Paolo Corsini published 20 January 2021 , at 10: 21 in the Processors channel Apple MacBook Qualcomm Snapdragon Windows Intel AMD
One of the future directions in the world of mobile devices and personal computer is that of the progressive adoption of processors and SOC based on ARM architecture , such as alternative to that x 86 adopted by Intel and AMD processors. ARM is certainly not new as it is the architecture adopted by mobile devices such as tablets, smartwatches and smartphones by virtue of the balance between performance and low consumption that allows to obtain.
On the other hand, the sector is pushed to the adoption of ARM architectures also in systems that until now have seen the proliferation of processors with architecture x 86, in search of an ever-increasing energy efficiency . Quacomm started this transition with its Snapdragon family SoCs designed for Windows on Arm notebook systems, with the model Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 as the last representative to appear on the market.
Apple has for some months put on the market the first Mac notebooks based on ARM architecture, equipped of chip M1 developed internally by the company. The behavior of these systems has surprised, thanks to the balance between speed performance and consumption, confirming how the ARM architecture can represent a valid alternative to that x 86 also in areas typically falling within the competence of the latter.
Hence the general interest of the sector and the rumors of a new specific SoC for Windows on ARM notebook systems that Qualcomm would be developing. Referred to by the name of Snapdragon SC 8280, this SoC would have dimensions greater than that of Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 thus integrating a greater number of transistors and therefore in theory higher processing power. The rumors reported by the WinFuture website speak of two different configurations, the first combined with 8GB of LPDDR5 memory and the second with well 32 GB of LPDDR4X memory; the second would represent a doubling compared to the maximum allocation up to now combined with the Apple M1 chip contained in the new MacBooks.
It is Snapdragon SC 8280 may borrow part of its architectural features from the Snapdragon SoC 888 , proposal for top-of-the-range smartphones built with 5-nanometer production technology and announced by Qualcomm in December 2020. The integration of the 5G modem is also conceivable for this new SoC intended for notebooks, so as to offer connectivity in any condition of use while simplifying the overall structure of the products.
these are only rumors which confirm the general interest of the industry towards alternative solutions to those x 86 . For the latter, Intel and AMD are certainly not watching, continuing to develop versions in their CPU ranges capable of operating at very low consumption levels (under 7 Watts of TDP), therefore compatible with passive cooling systems and capable of to offer high operating autonomy with battery. In this direction we must highlight the Intel Lakefield proposals, based on architecture x 86 with two different types of core one with high performance and the other with lower consumption.
Shortly, during 2021, we will see at the debut the new versions of Apple M1 SoC equipped with a greater number of cores and intended for use in MacBook Pro systems higher-end: this will be a new step in Apple’s gradual abandonment of architecture x 86 for your Mac notebook and desktop systems. Without forgetting that in the past AMD has expressed its interest in developing processors with ARM architecture dedicated to datacenters , initiative which was however suspended giving internal priority to Ryzen solutions. It is not certain that AMD can also explore this strategy for its CPUs of the future, relegating x 86 to higher-end models and offering its customers a processor with ARM architecture for the most critical areas in terms of consumption and dimensions.
Minecraft Dungeons’ dedicated launcher on PC is being retired in favor of a new “Unified Launcher” that lets you launch Dungeons and Minecraft: Java Edition from the same place,reducing the number of places where you can play Minecraft on PC by one (via Windows Central).
Minecraft Dungeons is the hack-and-slash loot collecting cousin of Minecraftthat, until this change, had its own launcher unless it was purchased from the Microsoft Store. As of January 18th, the non-Microsoft Store version of Dungeons on PC can only be launched from the new Unified Launcher (which itself is an update to the Java launcher). Mojang says the change shouldn’t affect save files and that either a Microsoft account (soon to be required to play on PC) or a Mojang account can be used to log in to the launcher.
An account screen from the new unified Minecraft launcher.Image: Mojang
Here are the remaining ways and places you can play Minecraft on PC after the changes:
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition (sometimes just called Minecraft or Minecraft: Bedrock Edition) is managed through the Microsoft Store.
Minecraft: Java Edition is managed through the Unified Launcher, but you can also play without updating, for now.
Minecraft: Education Edition (the specialty version of the game for schools) is managed through its own launcher.
Minecraft Dungeons (a Minecraft spin-off) is either managed in the Unified Launcher or the Microsoft Store if you’re using Xbox Game Pass for PC or you bought it from there.
Consolidating where you launch two Minecraft games doesn’t do much to help confusion over the many different types of Minecraft, but for any person who enjoyed playing both Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft: Java Edition, it’s now a little bit more convenient.
You can find out more information about the change and how to download the new launcher on Mojang’s Minecraft Help Center.
Half of the reason to buy a Mac is to get native support for macOS, but that doesn’t mean Mac owners don’t also suffer from the grass-is-greener syndrome. While Apple’s operating system is known for being casual friendly and is also the OS system people who grew up on its products might be more familiar with, PC users are always quick to point out that the extra steps it adds to actions like installing programs can slow down more serious work. It’s currently possible to
emulate Windows for ARM
on Apple’s latest M1 Macs, but what if you want to take your power user cred a step further and use Linux on your new M1 Mac?
According to ARM-based Linux virtualization startup Correlium, now you can – but there’s a bit of a catch.
More to show that it’s possible than anything else, Correlium first posted hints of an M1 version of Linux to its Twitter account on January 15th.
We had some spare time today so we ported Linux to the M1. Releasing tomorrow #fridayfun pic.twitter.com/dCrXApyKefJanuary 16, 2021
Correlium CTO Chris Wade then made the beta build the group was using publicly available the following day but warned that it was for “advanced users only” as it didn’t have USB support at the time.
Now, the group has pushed a new release that adds AIC, UUART, and SMP support, with Wade promising that the group’s next goal is to add “DART, USB, and maybe PCIE (if time persists).”
This adds AIC, UART & SMP. We will push DART, USB and maybe PCIE (if time permits) next. It also looks like tomorrow you will also be able to boot Linux on the M1 with Pongo. Big thanks to the whole @CorelliumHQ team and to @never_released and @qwertyoruiopz for their assistance. https://t.co/tKscy0LUWeJanuary 19, 2021
What does all that mean? Well, now you can technically load Linux on an M1 Mac, though certain connection standards won’t be supported, and you also won’t be able to take advantage of the M1’s graphics. So while this is more versatile than the January 15th release, it’s still a long way from being as useful as Linux is on older, Intel-based Macs (which still isn’t saying much).
That’s to be expected from such a new chip, as even Windows running on M1 currently does so through emulation (though Apple is open to native support). Still, this marks a major step forward for the Linux on M1 and even Linux on ARM scene, particularly when it comes to Wade’s promise of PongoOS support.
So how will you boot third-party operating systems on arm64 Macs?You might have seen that pongoOS has been getting a ton of work in the recent past, and even more is coming. This work will allow us to support pongoOS as a second-stage bootloader for Apple Silicon-based Macs.November 13, 2020
PongoOS is essentially a pre-boot execution environment built with Apple Silicon in mind, with the intention of loading third-party operating systems on chips like M1. It’s been expected to pave the way for Linux on Apple Silicon since late last year, so it’s exciting to see that coming true, even if it’s still primitive.
As for why this is something you’d want to do, we find it best to refer to Linux creator Linus Torvalds.
“I’ve been waiting for an ARM laptop that can run Linux for a long time,” he wrote last November on the
Real World technologies
forum. “The new Air would be almost perfect, except for the OS.”
Despite not always having the absolute best hardware, Macs are still built to run consistently and feel premium. That’s valuable for a lot of users, including power users, especially those who grew up with the Mac.
“I have fairly fond memories of the 11″ Macbook Air (I think 4,1) that I used about a decade ago,” Torvalds explained. “But [I] moved away from because it took Apple too long to fix the screen – and by the time they did, I’d moved on to better laptops, and Apple had moved on to make Linux less convenient.”
Here’s hoping that, as developers get more familiar with them, Apple’s ARM-based laptops don’t follow the same path.
One of the biggest trends coming out of this year’s CES wasn’t something people will necessarily notice at first glance unless they look closely. After enduring years of cramped, “widescreen” laptop displays, it looks like we’re finally starting to say goodbye to the 16:9 aspect ratio.
Here’s the new Dell Latitude 9420.Image: Dell
An aspect ratio is the ratio of a display’s width to a display’s height (in that order). For example, a screen with a resolution of 500 x 500 would have an aspect ratio of 1:1. Think of it like simplifying a fraction: a 1080p screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, which divides down to 16:9.
The aspect ratios you’ll typically see on laptops are 16:9, 3:2, 16:10 (which, for whatever reason, is called 16:10 rather than 8:5), and (occasionally) 4:3. 16:9 is the most common option and also the one with the lowest amount of vertical space relative to its horizontal space.
If you have a modern Windows laptop, there’s a good chance your screen is 16:9. If you have a gaming laptop, its panel is almost certainly 16:9. (It’s unusual to find high refresh-rate panels with other proportions.) There are some notable exceptions: Microsoft’s Surface products have been 3:2 for quite some time, while Dell’s last few XPS 13 models and Apple’s MacBooks are already 16:10. But traditionally, Windows laptops like these have been few and far between.
16:9 screens are cramped — at least compared to other options. I usually can’t comfortably work in multiple windows side by side without zooming out or doing a ton of vertical scrolling, and when I’m multitasking in Chrome, the tabs get tiny very quickly. If you’re used to using a 16:9 screen and you try a 16:10 or 3:2 display of the same size, you probably won’t want to go back. You just have a lot more room, and it’s a much more efficient use of screen space.
But this CES showed that 16:10 and 3:2 displays are inching closer to the mainstream. These are some of the biggest laptops announced at the show that are offering non-16:9 display options:
HP Elite Folio (1920 x 1280, 3:2)
Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 (2560 x 1600, 16:10)
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 (2560 x 1600, 16:10)
Lenovo Legion 7 and Legion 5 Pro (2560 x 1600, 16:10)
LG Gram 17 and Gram 16 (2650 x 1600, 16:10)
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro (2560 x 1600, 16:10)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga (2256 x 1504, 3:2)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 and X1 Yoga Gen 6 (up to 3840 x 2400, 16:10)
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable (1920 x 1280, 3:2)
Asus ROG Flow X13 (up to 3840 x 2400, 16:10)
That doesn’t mean there are no 16:9 displays left — plenty of laptops still use it, and probably will for the foreseeable future. And some of these devices, like the LG Grams, were 16:10 already.
But it’s significant that a large number of the flagships we’ll be seeing in the first half of 2021 will be either 16:10 or 3:2. In fact, when you include MSI’s 16:10 Summit E13 Flip and Razer’s 16:10 Razer Book 13 (both of which were announced prior to CES), I can’t think of a mainstream consumer laptop company that isn’t now selling a non-16:9 flagship-level machine. It’s clear that companies across the board are moving toward laptops with taller aspect ratios, and I fully expect to see more of them in the years to come.
Here’s the X1 Detachable (currently attached).Image: Lenovo
Again, this may seem like a boring change. But it will make a big difference in the lives of this year’s laptop buyers, particularly people shopping for a work-from-home device. I switched from a 16:9 laptop to a 3:2 Surface Book 2 back in 2017, and it was one of the best purchasing decisions I’ve ever made. If you’re using a 16:9 screen now and are looking to upgrade this year, I encourage you to give one of these new devices a shot. You won’t want to go back.
New Macs with Apple chips can now get a native version of VLC Media Player: The open source project is stored in a separate ARM 64 Version 3.0. 12. 1 available for download for macOS – parallel to the new version 3.0. 12 for Intel Macs.
The video player is likely to appear as a universal app in the future. A higher version number was chosen to enable an “automatic upgrade path”, write the developers. Owners of an ARM Mac who have already used the Intel version of the VLC Media Player with the help of the Rosetta 2 translation layer can upgrade to version 3.0. 12 and should then be offered the native version 3.0. 12. 1 for download.
Improvements for macOS 11 Big Sur In addition to native support for Macs with Apple chips – so far the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini with Apple’s M1 – the new VLC version also brings visual adjustments to the user interface for macOS 11 Big Sur, as the release notes explain. In addition, problems with the user interface in the bookmark window have been fixed. A distorted audio playback after starting playback should be a thing of the past under macOS.
With VLC, a popular universal video and audio player is now available in native form on M1 Macs. Other tools such as Plex still have to use Rosetta 2. Apple’s QuickTime Player is also adapted, but supports only a comparatively few video formats.
New features for all operating systems VLC 3.0. 12 promises improved support for the streaming format Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), the streaming protocol, on all supported operating systems RIST and Bluray tracks, emphasize the developers. Problems with video filters and Direct3D 11 in Windows have also been eliminated and the winding in WMV files has been improved.
This week PC users subscribed to Xbox Game Pass will be able to redeem Control at no additional cost. Microsoft announces it, confirming the imminent debut of the Remedy title in the Windows catalog 10: that’s when you can install it.
by Pasquale Fusco published 19 January 2021 , at 16: 21 in the Videogames channel Xbox Microsoft
Last December Microsoft announced big news for its acclaimed Xbox Game Pass . The gaming on demand service inaugurates the 2021 expanding the offer reserved for its users, introducing new games for console, PC and Android catalogs.
Among the new entries we also find Control , acclaimed action developed by Remedy Entertainment , which will soon be redeemable by Game Pass users on Windows 10.
Control lands on Xbox Game Pass PC on 21 January 2021
The debut of Control on Xbox Game Pass for PC is planned for next time Thursday, 21 January . This is confirmed by Microsoft itself through a fun teaser released on Twitter a few hours ago: “Things you can control in Control: furniture, debris, enemies , severity “.
Things you can control in Control: see below
Things you can ?? t control: your hype until it ?? s available in 4 days. pic.twitter.com/SfPGGqx 18 u
?? Xbox Game Pass For PC (@XboxGamePassPC) January 17, 2021
This is how the latest game of is described ) Remedy (Max Payne, Alan Wake): “After a secret agency in New York is invaded by an otherworldly threat, you become the Director struggling to regain control. This third-person action / adventure will challenge you to master a combination of supernatural abilities that will keep you on a tightrope “.
We remind you that, at the time of writing, the subscription to Xbox Game Pass for PC is offered at 9. 99 euro per month, with the possibility of purchasing the first month for 1 euro .
For the richest plan Ultimate we find a ‘similar offer: users can get the first three months for 1 euro and will pay 12. 99 euro for the following months. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes the subscription Live Gold – with related offers – and that EA Play , which adds an additional collection of Electronic Arts-branded games to the on-demand catalog.
Most importantly, with Ultimate it is possible to play via the cloud with your Android device . As announced by Microsoft, this feature will also be available on PC and iOS devices: a Beta version will be released during the spring 2021.
Microsoft wants to be the next technology company to get involved in the self-driving car business. The Windows giant is participating in a two billion dollar financing round of the robotaxi company Cruise of the auto company General Motors, as the company announced on Tuesday.
Cruise was given a total of 30 Billion dollars. The company has been testing its vehicles in San Francisco for years and has already presented the prototype of an autonomous taxi without space for a driver. Among other things, Microsoft wants to bring services from its cloud platform Azure to the partnership – which Cruise will mainly use in the future. In addition to the parent company GM, the Japanese car manufacturer Honda is also participating in the financing round.
Straggler Microsoft The other big tech companies are already very active in this area: The Google sister company Waymo applies As a leading developer of Robotaxi technology, Apple is also working on systems for autonomous driving and its own car, Amazon bought the robot car developer Zoox and placed it in its device division. Cruise got approval last year to put cars on the streets of San Francisco without a security driver behind the wheel. Waymo and Zoox had also previously been given permission to drive on public roads without people behind the wheel. Cruise originally announced the start of a Robotaxi offer for 2019, but then postponed the date indefinitely.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has converted the graphical user interface (UI) of the porting assistant for .NET into open source. The tool itself was already open source, but not its UI: From now on, your source code is also available under the Apache 2.0 license. .NET developers can now view, change and edit the source code of the tool and its UI.
The porting tool is intended for .NET developers to use the Support migration of your applications to .NET Core. It scans applications created with the .NET Framework and advises developers on necessary adjustments for .NET Core. .NET Core is the open source variant of .NET, which was previously restricted to Windows and which also runs on Linux.
Foundation stone from React components The AWS development team announces in the blog post that the release of AWS UI is the foundation stone for the construction of a new open source design system. Alongside the opening of the source code for the Porting Assistant, AWS has published a collection of React components that are used in the AWS graphical user interface (AWS UI).
The UI is based on the JavaScript framework React (originally initiated by Facebook) and the cross-platform project Electron, which is used to create applications with JavaScript, HTML and CSS. The cross-platform ability to exchange libraries between web and desktop should have made the difference.
Cross-platform design According to AWS, the wizard for the graphic user interface of .NET is created with React and the Electron framework. Individual components such as the Porting Assistant for the .NET data storage and analysis engine with information on the compatibility of packages are already open source accessible. Regarding the future development of the more comprehensive “new open source design system”, the AWS team is still keeping a low profile apart from the current blog announcement, apparently the project is still in its early stages.
Further information is in on the AWS blog announcement. The source code can be found in the GitHub repository, and documentation is available for the porting tool.
The NEC Lavie range, owned by Lenovo now, has been on the market for a few years with very small, convertible laptops. His latest creation, the Lavie Mini, combines an 8-inch laptop convertible into a tablet with a game console compatible with integrated controllers.
The 8-inch screen has a good resolution of 1. 920 x 1. 90 pixels in 16: 01 together with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This touch screen is attached to a small QWERTY keyboard by means of hinges that allow the rotation of 360 degrees to become a tablet.
The NEC Lavie Mini integrates an 11th generation Intel Core i7 “Tiger Lake” with Iris Xe graphics
Inside it hides an Intel Core Tiger Lake processor from 11 3rd generation with integrated Iris Xe graphics from the Core i7 range, graphics that manages the screen and HDMI output. You also have USB-C and USB-A, in addition to 16 GB of LPDDR4 memory and 360 GB of integrated SSD. Also offers WiFi 6 and infrared camera for use with Windows Hello on Windows 10 , operating system that integrates as standard.
The battery that powers the Lenovo Lavie Mini is 26 WH and the total weight of the equipment is only 579 grams. The equipment is compatible with controllers similar to those of the Nintendo Switch, as well as other accessories such as docks.
At the moment we do not know its availability and price.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
Bald man and master assassin agent 47 is a real Methuselah of the video game scene. For around 20 years, corpses pave its way through the High society of gangsters and agents. Since 2016 there is agent 47 in reboot mode: With “Hitman 3” the World of Assassination trilogy is now completed, the was only partially convincing in its predecessors.
Finale Grande Welcome to the killer circus! Agent 47 is facing a crisis of meaning, he finally wants to find out who he really is. His last two adventures were piecemeal and put him on the trail of a Deep State conspiracy group called Providence, who are pulling the strings behind the scenes. With a couple of companions, the noble killer sets off on the supposedly last journey into his heart of darkness.
Hitman 3 in 100 seconds
For the finale, players shouldn’t expect a milestone in interactive storytelling. Developer IO Interactive digs deep into agent and killer clichés to bring the story to a close. At least something happened this time – with the predecessors you often had the feeling that the empty story snippets were just an excuse for the complex killer missions.
Unfortunately, IO Interactive missed it, theirs to give the legendary killing machine something like a conscience in order to explain or justify its cynical and unscrupulous actions. This turns the game, which is demanding in itself, into a morally questionable pleasure.
One death is not enough The missions are tough. Hacking a server in the skyscraper in Dubai, solving a tricky murder case as a detective in a British country seat, before sitting the hostess on the electric chair or assassinating your way through a whole train to the finale – “Hitman” has rarely been more varied than here. Whether Agent 47 simply shoots through the levels or secretly is up to the players. There are countless possibilities – from reckless strangling to sometimes bizarre methods of killing that spread a touch of black humor.
As always, agent 47 back on his disguise skills and trust his patience. If he kills an opponent, he can change his clothes and thereby unlock paths that were previously closed by the attentive guards. Other possibilities arise through simple listening: Sometimes our killer also learns information from staff, which unlock so-called story missions. Agent 47 must then perform tasks in a certain order, to grab his victim. For example, he must first disguise himself as a test subject, take part in an experiment and then do the target object.
Repeat offenders Players who only focus on the direct route to the target are in less than 10 hours with the seven missions. However, the game concept is designed to keep repeating missions in order to achieve a higher high score. In addition to the story mode, the players can also create their own killer assignments for other players in the mission mode or, in the “sniper assassin” mode, kill the enemies from a distance in a kind of “carrot” baller.
“Hitman 3” played (5 pictures) “Hitman 3” shows an agent 47 in top form: clever, but also quite unscrupulous, the noble killer assassins his way through spectacular locations.
(Image: heise online) It takes countless hours of play until the players have unlocked all the different killing methods, weapons and locations. There is one major shortcoming with this concept: only those who are online can unlock everything. At least players of “Hitman 2” can take over their won objects in the game. “Hitman 3” can also be played in VR on the Playstation.
Interim conclusion A lot of agent clichés, demanding levels and an absurd online compulsion – “Hitman 3” continues where the two immediate predecessors left off. In comparison, the finale of the World of Assassination trilogy finally offers more variety and an exciting story. In contrast, the graphic seems to have stopped in the year 2016 – a few nice lighting effects don’t deceive you beyond the fact that animations and details cannot keep up with current PC and console standards. The fans won’t care about the complex level design and the diverse game options – their killer chess also works well in the third part.
“Hitman 3” will be released on 20. January for Windows, PS4 / 5, Xbox One / Series and costs approx. 60 Euro. USK from 18. For our test, we played through the Windows version.
(Pocket-lint) – Agent 47 is back once again – for the third and final instalment in the Hitman trilogy – where this time his mission is to seek out and destroy the partners of Providence.
Hitman 3 takes the tried and tested format of the previous two Hitman games – Hitman was super, Hitman 2 was next-level impressive – and promises to build upon it with new puzzles, an interesting persistent shortcut system, a full-blown virtual reality mode (on PlayStation VR anyway) and much more besides.
So, is the third Hitman instalment an advance on the stealth game formula or just more of the same that you know and love? We’ve been busy committing various accidental deaths in order to find out…
The entire trilogy in one package
Like the previous games, Hitman 3 consists of a campaign, contracts missions, side missions, and the sniper challenge mode. What makes things different this time, though, is if you buy the Deluxe Edition – or if you already own the previous games – then you get access to Hitman and Hitman 2 inside Hitman 3. Though this is a bit trickier on PC due to the Epic Store exclusivity.
This is interesting, not only because it keeps everything in one place, but because you can carry your progress over from Hitman 2 into Hitman 3. This includes unlocks, XP rank, suits and equipment.
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Also things you unlock in the new game can then be used to replay previous levels from the other games in the series to make things even more interesting. This already hints at one of the main appeals of Hitman – the replayability of the sandbox design.
Sprawling sandboxes
Hitman 3 once again features six different missions in the main campaign. These missions take place in variety of impressive locales from around the world. One moment you’re exploring the grounds of a large rustic mansion in England, next your in the busy night-time streets of Chongqing, China, or in a make-shift nightclub in Berlin.
Six locations might not sound like much, but in each of those you’re primed to take out one or two targets as well as look for story missions or side quests. We found it took us around nine hours to complete the main campaign, but we’d barely scratched the surface of all the content at that point.
For each location, Hitman 3 offers up a number of choices for not only how you get to the target, but how you finish them off.
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From our play time with the game it felt like there’s a lot more options for elimination of the victim than ever before – and that’s saying a lot as there’s always been loads of them.
So whether you’re poisoning someone, garrotting them, spiking their drink and then drowning them in a toilet, or simply using a trusty silenced weapon to despatch them, there are plenty of options open to you.
1/19IO Interactive / Square Enix
This is Hitman’s signature sandbox style – and it’s always a pleasure to get stuck into. Following targets and tracking their moves, working out when to strike and whether or not you can get away with making it just look like an accident for that coveted Silent Assassin rating is a thrill. But one that requires patience and planning.
Mischievous opportunities
A perfect example of how it works was demonstrated by our various sessions with the mission “Death in the family”. Here, Agent 47 has been sent to the grand and imposing manor in the murky English countryside.
The goal here is – as it always is – to assassinate a target. But the plot thickens when you discover a private detective has been hired and is in attendance on the day of your arrival. A murder mystery follows, for a crime you didn’t commit, but one you can investigate if you manage to don the clothes of said detective.
On our first playthrough of that mission, we broke into the grounds, shimmied up a drainpipe and through a window while the detective was being ushered through the front door.
The initial plan was to take the clothes by whatever means and have a poke about the grounds for clues. But when the target walked into the room and stood by a window wistfully staring off into the distance, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. That led to the perfect hit – so as long as we completed the mission and exited without being seen we’d get the Silent Assassin award – meaning the ultimate prize.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
On the next playthroughs we discovered plenty more opportunities to take the target out. Some of them you’ll even see briefly mentioned on the challenges screen before you start a mission, then you just need to work out how to pull them off.
Needless to say: our target came to an unfortunate end in various ways (but we’ve signed a document stating we can’t tell you about them – so dig in people, go discover the various sadistic ways, and have fun yourselves).
The fun of this mission is actually found in the detail – as you unveil clues to unravel the murder mystery, while also finding key intel on completing your own mission at the same time. It’s this sort of experience the developers want players to have: the thrill of finding new ways to complete your mission and opening up extra mission stories in the process.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
As you wander around the map, sneaking from place to place, trying to remain unseen, you’ll come across varies non-playable characters (NPCs) chatting with each other. Sometimes ear wigging on their conversation can lead to new possibilities and avenues to explore.
Challenge accepted
One way the sandbox system has been tweaked and improved for this third instalment is with shortcuts that can be unlocked for future playthroughs. As you go through the locations you’ll find locked doors or blocked ladders that if you open will then allow you to start in a new place next time you play, which opens up new possibilities.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
As standard a camera is now included in your inventory that can be used to reveal clues, scan for intel, or to hack doors or windows and security equipment. This opens up yet more possibilities and adds an extra dash of interest too.
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Complete challenges and you’re also given new equipment to take in with you that can help. The addition of a lock-pick, security bypasser or a poison syringe as a basic tool can make a world of difference – or just give you new ways to carry out the mission and make new discoveries.
Those challenges also add a lot of replayability to each mission. As it’s not just about assassinating a particular person and then leaving, you also get awards for all sorts of things. Donning different disguises, killing your targets in different ways, destroying security cameras, completing the mission without changing out of your suit, and much more besides.
There are more difficult challenges to make things trickier too, like ones involving taking out two targets at the same time with a single bullet or explosion or with weapons you don’t enter the game with. There’s plenty of variety here and it’s up to you to find it.
1/19IO Interactive / Square Enix
Ultimate satisfaction is delivered when you pull off the more complex moves too. There’s one challenge, for example, which involves getting an NPC to murder the target, without even saying a word to them. Watching events like that unfold can be a lot of fun.
There are also various different puzzles to solve to keep things interesting. Not just how to get through certain doors or past guards but also opening a locked safe, clearing out some pesky birds that are holding back story-based events, and destroying files hidden in a secure room.
In short: there’s plenty to keep you busy in the campaign. There’s also a number of other modes to keep you hunting; escalations, contracts mode, sniper assassin, and ghost mode.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
Contracts has always been one of the most interesting modes, letting players replay locations but choosing new targets, how they’re eliminated, and then setting that as a challenge for others to play.
Visually pleasing – with more to come
We took to playing Hitman 3 on PC with a decent gaming machine and plenty of power to max out the settings. As such we were greeted with a number of gorgeous scenes, with superb lighting and a wonderful atmospheric vibe.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
The game’s developer, IO Interactive, has done a stellar job of crafting another great-looking game in the Hitman series. That said, we did think it felt a little underwhelming in places compared to the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, which is insanely beautiful with the addition of ray tracing settings. The developers say that ray tracing and other improvements will be coming to Hitman 3 later in 2021 – but are not available at launch.
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The bonus is Hitman 3 runs really well on current hardware and we were seeing around 150fps with everything turned up to max. After playing on Xbox Series X too, we’re confident the experience will be great no matter the platform you’re using (unlike Cyberpunk). But it does feel a bit like Hitman 2 in terms of some world environments and in-game characters. Other sections like in the nightclub or out in the pouring rain in China while surrounded by neon lights look magnificent though.
Our playtime was also almost entirely bug free, with the exception of frustrating crash to desktop problems if you dared to Alt+Tab out of the game for any reason. Something that could easily be patched out.
IO Interactive / Square Enix
One small gripe we did have is some of the NPCs in the game can feel a bit soulless. You’ll walk around the map and see people talking or going about their business and they’re believable in such settings – but larger crowds can sometimes seem less convincing (or maybe it’s just that we can’t remember the last time we saw crowds in the real world).
Verdict
Hitman 3 is a great addition and finishing point for the trilogy. If you enjoyed the previous two games, then you can expect more of the same here, plus some additional tweaks to keep things interesting. But if you’re new to the series then we’d recommend buying the digital edition and maximising the number of levels you can play.
If the idea of only six main missions doesn’t appeal and you’re not the sort of person who likes to replay games then you might find Hitman 3 a bit pricey for a single playthrough. In our opinion, however, the way each level is crafted with different potential playstyles and avenues to explore makes it feel fresh each time and makes for a much more entertaining game.
Overall, Hitman 3 is once again a sensational sandbox of sneaky stealth action. If you like stealth games there’s none better.
After a security hole recently endangered the entire NTFS file system in Windows, a bug is now causing further trouble. The effects of this are not quite as dramatic, but data can also be lost here. Said bug was also discovered by security researcher Jonas Lykkegard, who also tracked down the mentioned vulnerability in the file system. By simply entering the path “ \. globalroot device condrv kernelconnect “for example in the address bar of a browser, the entire system crashes and only shows a blue screen. If you believe Bleeping Computer’s statements, the bug can be applied to Windows – 10 – versions 1709 up to 20 Use H2.
Even if a system crash should not mean the end of the world for most computers, you should, as always, be careful which link you click on or which file you run.
There is an official statement from Microsoft not yet. The company only announced that it would currently review the situation and, if necessary, publish a corresponding update.
The bug does not occur in Windows 7. If you follow the path shown here, you will only get the feedback that you have accessed an invalid path entry. So it shouldn’t take too long before Microsoft will publish a corresponding update and also for Windows 10 classifies the said path as invalid.
To date, it is not known whether Jonas Lykkegard has discovered other vulnerabilities or security gaps. However, Microsoft seems to have largely ignored the security researcher so far. However, with the increased media presence of Lykkegard, this is likely to change. However, the case shows that Microsoft does not adequately check the contributions submitted by research.
João Silva 56 mins ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Asus is doing a massive update to its GPU Tweak app with the launch of the open beta of GPU Tweak III. Similar to MSI Afterbuner and EVGA PrecisionX, GPU Tweak III software allows users to monitor, tweak, and overclock their GPUs.
To the users coming from GPU Tweak II, the first major change to jump out will most likely be the interface redesign. Users will be able to choose from 3 different presets – Default Mode, OC Mode, and Silent Mode – but they will be also allowed to change the GPU settings themselves, including the power target, GPU voltage, GPU boost clock, memory clock, fans speed, GPU temperature target, and frame rate target. Similar to Afterburner, it now features OC scanner to automatically overclock the GPU beyond the OC Mode.
Built-on the users’ feedback, GPU Tweak III also features an integrated GPU-Z with a ROG theme, an OSD with multiple performance metrics displayed using Asus ROG font, and automatic profiles based on the games and applications running on the PC where it’s installed.
The extensive list of patch notes for GPU Tweak III version 1.2.1.1 can be found below:
Interface Changes:
The new Home Screen combines the elements of the GPU Tweak II Simple and Advanced modes. The one-click Default, OC, Silent, and User Mode presets of Simple Mode appear on the top, and the overclocking sliders of Advanced Mode are at the bottom.
A new Dashboard of several meters is between the presets and sliders. In GPU Tweak II, three meters appeared on the Simple Mode to show GPU frequency, memory frequency, and GPU temperature. GPU Tweak III includes several new meters, such as GPU Power, GPU Voltage, and meters for each controllable fan setting. A slider button allows users to either show all of them, or to hide them. These meters can be disabled and rearranged through a settings menu on the top-right of the Dashboard.
Both the main screen and the Monitor are scalable by dragging the sides or corners of the interface, so users can reshape it to fit their desktop space. When closed and reopened, the interface returns to the center of the main screen, but any size changes remain intact.
The main colors of the interface can be adjusted through the Settings > Interface screen. The color of the Monitor display can also be adjusted through the Settings > Monitor screen, and each graphics card in the system can be assigned a different color. A background wallpaper may also be added, but that function is still a work-in-progress.
Most elements of the UI appear as separate panels. Separate panels appear for the main/Home screen, the Monitor, Settings, OC Scanner, and GPU-Z. Each of these can be moved and closed independently.
The logo at the top-left changes based on the graphics card used. If the graphics card is from an ROG, TUF Gaming, or ASUS line, the respective logo will be shown. If the graphics card is non-ASUS, the GPU Tweak III logo will be shown. A future update will allow users to change that logo if desired.
Profile Changes:
Tuning and OSD profiles can be linked to games or applications and GPU Tweak III will automatically swap to those profiles when that program is opened. This feature can be accessed by clicking the “Connect” button in the User Mode dropdown. GPU Tweak III will attempt to find all installed games or apps on the computer, but if one is not detected, the .exe can be manually located with a Browse button.
The preset Default, OC, and Silent Modes are treated as profiles and can be connected to games and apps.
Fan settings are now saved as part of tuning profiles, so different fan curves and overclocking settings can be saved in the preset Default, OC, and Silent Modes.
Multiple OSD profiles can be saved, each with different settings tailored for particular games or apps. The Default OSD profile is initially set to the Classic Style as designed for GPU Tweak II, but can be changed to the GPU Tweak III style if preferred.
Settings for multiple graphics cards are saved into a combined profile that maintains all changes made.
Profiles can be exported and imported, so that they can be moved to other systems or preserved through a Windows reinstall. Imported tuning profiles must match one or more graphics cards that are currently installed in the PC, or the import will be unsuccessful.
On-Screen Display (OSD) Changes:
A completely new On-Screen Display (OSD) style has been added. The GPU Tweak III Style allows users to rearrange the information items, resize and realign columns in the display, and make them bold.
Text size and color can now be adjusted in both the GPU Tweak III Style and Classic Style.
Effects can be added to the OSD text and background. Text can now drop shadows behind it or have a slight glow. The background can be filled in by a panel with adjustable color or opacity to make it pop out against UI elements with minimal impact to in-game visibility.
A “Preview” button has been added to the OSD screen that allows users to see the OSD without opening another program. An option in the “Screen” subsection allows users to upload their own image to the Preview. This can be used to set a game screenshot into the UI and adjust the OSD around the UI elements.
Monitor Changes:
The Monitor now includes two views. The Line View is similar to the previous GPU Tweak II display, but the graphs can be widened for detailed examination by stretching the Monitor window. The Column View compresses the graphs into squares, and the number of graphs shown in each row adjusts to the width of the Monitor screen.
Monitor file size, log frequency, and session length can all be adjusted in the settings screen.
Monitoring graph snapshots can be saved and viewed later through use of the Export and Import Logs functions. This may be useful for comparing performance to a previous tuning session. Note that this function is still a work-in-progress and will be visually enhanced in the future.
When linked, the Monitor and main screen “Close” and “Minimize” buttons act on both parts, and any interactions with their icons in the tray affect both parts.
Other Changes:
Fan controls now include two new settings: fan speed update period, and temperature hysteresis. These can also be applied to external fans.
Additional settings allow users to adjust temperature scale (°C and °F), as well as time scale (12 hour and 24 hour).
“Gaming Mode” has been renamed to “Default Mode”. The functionality is the same.
Screenshots can now be taken in JPG format in addition to PNG format which was supported in GPU Tweak II. Users can choose their preferred format in Settings > Monitor.
Removed Functions
Some functions that existed in GPU Tweak II have been removed in GPU Tweak III, and they are listed here, along with our reason for removing them.
Always 3D Clock: Modern GPU APIs no longer allow external control of this function, so the feature is no longer supported.
Gaming Booster: The three sub-functions in Gaming Booster each had their own reasons for being phased out. Visual Effects were removed because modern games manipulate visual effects in-game to improve graphical performance, rather than at a system level. System Services were removed because Windows 10 updates have made service management far more efficient than before. Disabling services already has a chance of causing instability, and the performance uplift is usually small. System Memory Defragmentation was removed because solid-state drives have risen in popularity and it is not recommended to defrag SSDs.
Lock toggles next to tuning sliders: Misclicks on these locks led to user confusion over inability to adjust sliders.
Link between Power Target and GPU Temp Target: This was removed because the layout of the UI changed to distance these two items.
Live Update: This function is being reworked and will be included in a later version.
Monitor Startup Options: The Monitor and main screen have been reworked to behave as if they are one unit in most situations. Current settings affect both parts together.
User Interface Tooltips: These are being rewritten for the new functionality and a full set will be released in a later version.
Known Issues:
The Nvidia GeForce Experience overlay and the GPU Tweak III OSD conflict with each other and can prevent games from running when both are enabled. It is recommended to only run either the GeForce Experience overlay or the GPU Tweak III OSD.
The CPU Usage field in the OSD may show incorrect values.
When multiple programs are in the same place, the layering of different GPU Tweak III windows (main screen, Monitor, Settings, and OC Scanner) may be inconsistent, so some elements may fall behind other programs while others are in front.
Frame Rate Limit requires any running games or programs to be restarted before taking effect. Currently this function only extends to 255 FPS.
OSD fonts in GPU Tweak III style only allow for Calibri and Calibri Bold adjustment. Full font adjustment will be added in a later release.
GPU-Z clock values do not update in real time. To update the clock values, close and reopen GPU-Z.
Mouse step size controls have not been implemented yet.
Not all hotkeys are completely implemented at the moment. Notably, the Timer is visible but not working.
Screenshots will always be saved to the default folder, not personally selected folders.
The Default display wallpaper is just a blank black background.
Wallpaper transparency has not been implemented yet.
Fahrenheit temperature settings only affect the Monitor, not the other parts of the interface.
Some interactions with the OSD may cause an error to appear referring to “mFinitialize Fail”. This error does not affect operation.
Programs that have multiple different .exe files with the same names may not swap settings correctly and may use the wrong profiles. For now, set all related .exe files to the same settings for a smooth experience.
Game and application file names are not sorted properly in the Profile Connect window.
You can download and learn more about Asus GPU Tweak III HERE.
KitGuru says: Have you ever used a previous iteration of Asus GPU Tweak? What do you think of the changes made for GPU Tweak III?
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