The Google Pixel 6a is affordable and looks great, but you can't buy the damn thing!
The Google Pixel 6a was announced today, and there is both good and bad news regarding it. The good news is, the Android smartphone doesn't cost an arm, nor does it cost a leg. Yes, as is typical with Google's "a" smartphones, the 6a is inexpensive. This is very much appreciated at a time when inflation is causing everything to be so expensive. The bad news we can touch on in a bit...
Despite being fairly affordable at just $450, the Pixel 6a is powered by the famed Google Tensor processor that is also found in both the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The Pixel 6a has some other nice specifications too. For instance, you get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, and that's it -- there's only one configuration to be had. I rather like that strategy, as it makes things less confusing for consumers.
PNY Pro Elite V2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 Type-C Portable SSD is fast and tiny
While solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, they are also great options for external storage. Not only are SSDs much smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much faster too.
Today, PNY launches its latest external solid state drive, and it is both beautiful and fast. Called "Pro Elite V2," this diminutive USB-C SSD uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 interface to achieve speeds up to 1,100 MB/s!
LinkedIn targeted in 52 percent of global phishing attacks
New analysis by AtlasVPN of primary data from Check Point shows business social network LinkedIn was related to over 52 percent of all phishing scams globally in the first quarter of 2022.
This is the first time that a social media network has been seen in campaigns much more often than any tech giant brand name like Apple, Google and Microsoft.
Generation 4 Kubuntu Focus M2 Linux laptop now available with 12th gen Core i7
Can you buy a Windows laptop and replace Microsoft's operating system with a Linux distribution? Sure, but you shouldn't have to. Look, folks, in 2022 you should be supporting the open source community by purchasing computers with Linux pre-installed. Even if it costs you a few bucks more, it will be worth it for the community overall.
Today, the latest Linux laptop is released, and it looks like a beast. You see, the 4th generation Kubuntu Focus M2 Linux laptop is powered by a bleeding-edge 12th gen Intel Core i7 processor. The company claims this chip will increase performance by 20 percent compared to the 3rd generation of the notebook. And yes, it comes with the latest-and-greatest Kubuntu 22.04 LTS pre-loaded.
If tech giants were countries Apple and Microsoft would be among the top 10 richest
In an interesting bit of equivalence, UK-based insolvency specialist Real Business Rescue has compared the market value of the world's richest companies to countries' GDPs to show how big these businesses have become compared to the rest of the world.
As the table below shows, Apple -- which became the first trillion dollar company in 2018 -- would rank eighth in the world, just behind France, while Microsoft is ranked ninth and worth more than Italy.
Microsoft confirms it was hacked as Lapsus$ leaks 37GB of source code
Microsoft has confirmed reports that it was hacked by the Lapsus$ extortion group, also known as DEV-0537. While admitting that the hackers managed to steal source code, the company is simultaneously trying to downplay the incident.
Lapsus$ shared a 37GB archive online containing partial source code for Cortana and Bing, but Microsoft insists that no customer data was compromised. The company says that "our investigation has found a single account had been compromised, granting limited access."
Screenshots leaked by Lapsus$ strongly suggest Microsoft has been hacked
Microsoft is conducting an investigation after data extortion group Lapsus$ claimed to have hacked the company and stolen data.
In a leaked screenshot, the hackers brag about gaining access to an Azure DevOps repository which is home to source code for all manner of Microsoft projects including Bing and Cortana. Having already hacked the likes of Samsung, NVIDIA and Vodafone, the claims made by Lapsus$ are entirely feasible, but for now Microsoft is saying nothing about what -- if anything -- has been stolen.
PNY XLR8 Gaming REV RGB DDR4 RAM features 'aggressive overclocking'
If you are an experienced desktop-computer-builder, you know the brands you choose for components can really matter. For instance, if you opt for an unknown company for your RAM, power supply, or storage, there is a very good chance you will run into problems. This is why I always recommend sticking with reputable brands -- saving a few bucks is never worth it if you end up troubleshooting crashes.
PNY is a company that has been around for quite a while, and its products are typically very reliable. Today, PNY launches new memory under its popular "XLR8" gaming brand. Called "REV RGB," these sticks feature customizable lighting and quality memory modules. PNY promises the RAM is capable of "aggressive overclocking" too.
Online PDF editor and converter Smallpdf buys PDF Tools for $30 million
Smallpdf, the online PDF editing and management toolbox, has announced that it is acquiring document processing technology provider PDF Tools for $30 million.
Both companies are based in Switzerland and have a history of working together -- PDF Tools products have been used by Smallpdf for a number of years -- so the acquisition is not a complete surprise. It sees Smallpdf spreading further into the document management market, boosting its professional offerings thanks in part to the PDF and PDF/A arciving support provided by PDF Tools.
As secondhand mobile phone sales surge, here's how buyers can protect themselves from scams
The second-hand device market has been on a tear over the past few years as a growing number of consumers opt for pre-owned mobile phones over brand new. Posting nearly 10 percent growth in 2020, the market is expected to grow an average of nearly 12 percent more over the next 2 years, reaching $65 billion by 2024.
Amid this steady uptick, it’s no surprise that purveyors of used devices are also growing fast to meet demand. Most notably, one of the largest used device marketplaces, French-based Back Market, just landed a $510 million Series E investment, launching the company to a $5.7 billion valuation. And Back Market is far from the only game in town. Amazon and eBay are also big players in the $17 billion used device market, in addition to mobile carriers and the device makes themselves, like Apple and Samsung.
When is the best time to buy a new smartphone?
The trouble with buying any technology is that whatever you lay down your hard-earned cash for today you can guarantee that something faster, cheaper and with more features is going to be along soon.
But the longer you wait the more you risk being left behind. UK-based reseller Buymobiles is looking to help break this vicious circle by doing some research into when is the best time to take the plunge and get a new handset.
Pssst... Wanna buy a dead BlackBerry?
Online searches for 'Sell BlackBerry' rocketed 1,528 percent today as the company announced it would be ending support for the operating system used on its phones.
Analysis by VpnOverview shows interest in selling Blackberry phones is 16 times the daily average. Searches on Google for 'BlackBerry phones' were also up 590 percent.
6 industries that will be affected by AI in 2022
Artificial intelligence is shaping the future of how people work, live, and play, and its impact will grow in 2022. Just as robotics affected certain industries more than others, artificial intelligence (AI) will be at the forefront of change in a few particular industries going into 2022. Some of these industries may even come as a surprise.
A recurring theme when it comes to the growth of AI is its value for augmenting the skills of humans or filling in their gaps without actually replacing human workers. What many industries are finding is that they still need human employees, but AI can help them work safer, faster, and smarter. These six industries will be at the center of the AI ripple effect in the year ahead.
Best Windows apps this week
Four-hundred-sixty-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft is testing the Windows 10 November 2021 Update, version 21H2, currently. The next feature update will be released to the stable channel soon. Windows 11 users who run the operating system on AMD powered devices can install an optional patch now to fix performance issues of the system.
NETGEAR AXE11000 Orbi Quad-Band Wi-Fi 6E Mesh System (RBKE963) is expensive AF
Regular Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is great, but Wi-Fi 6E is even better -- that's why many consumers wisely skipped Wi-Fi 6 and stuck with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) a bit longer. But wait, what exactly is the difference? Does that letter "E" really matter? Actually, yes, because it indicates the use of a 6GHz band -- a much-less crowded frequency compared to 2.4GHz or 5GHz. This extra bandwidth, lower latency, and reduced congestion is why Wi-Fi 6E is so exciting.
To truly take advantage of this new standard, you will need both a router and clients with the capability. Today, NETGEAR announces the most exciting Wi-Fi 6E system yet. Called "AXE11000 Orbi WiFi Mesh System (RBKE963)," it is a quad-band system consisting of a Wi-Fi 6E router and two 6E satellite access points. It is designed to blanket even excessively large homes with cutting-edge wireless networking. Sadly, it carries a shockingly high price tag -- this mesh system is expensive AF!
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