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There is no shortage of diminutive bus-powered portable USB storage drives on the market nowadays -- both SSD and 2.5-inch HDD variants. Unfortunately, these drives typically offer relatively small capacities. Some professionals (and home users) need an external drive with much higher storage possibilities and being portable doesn't always matter. In these cases, a 3.5-inch-based USB drive is preferable, as plugging into a wall outlet for power is not an issue, and more importantly, it is available in higher capacities.

Today, Western Digital unveils a new external desktop drive line that should meet the needs of many. Called "My Book Duo," it actually leverages two 3.5-inch mechanical hard drives in RAID-0 to offer capacities up to 20TB. For example, the top capacity offering is comprised of dual 10TB drives. It connects with the latest-and greatest USB-C connector. Making it even more useful, it even includes an integrated two-port USB-A hub. This makes the My Book Duo storage system particularly ideal for machines without USB-A, such as the newest MacBook Pro. It will not charge a connected laptop, sadly. The external drive also features 256-bit AES hardware encryption and comes with a respectable 3-year warranty.

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Yesterday Google finally revealed Android 8.0, also known as Oreo. Aside from the name, release date and the question of whether individual handsets will be treated to an upgrade, the query on most Android users' lips is "what's new?".

Google says that one of the primary aims with Oreo was to create "fluid experiences," as well as improving speed and efficiency. The company says that it is "smarter, faster, more powerful and sweeter than ever" -- but what does this actually mean in terms of new features?

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Look, we all knew Android 8.0 would probably be called "Oreo," and we now have confirmation. Today, Google releases 8.0 of its Android operating system and officially names it "Oreo" after the sandwich cookie. This is the search-giant's second time partnering with a brand for a dessert name, with the other time being "Kit Kat". Strangely, Google even used the solar eclipse to promote the Oreo name.

Truth be told, it does feel kind of cheap and commercialized to have a corporate product tie-in. After all, if Windows 10 was named "Slim Jim," for example, and Microsoft urged you to snap into its operating system, consumers would be up in arms. When Google does, it, however, people celebrate.

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The UK is continuing to embrace mobile and contactless payments, with the total spend using such services booming in the first half of 2017, new research has revealed.

The latest payment figures from Worldpay, the UK's largest credit and debit card payment processor. It found that the amount of money spent using mobile payments topped £370 million in the first six months of 2017.

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If you look at the iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S8 and compare them to their predecessors, there is no denying that Samsung's flagship has made a bigger leap forward. It is arguably the more interesting smartphone of the two as a result. But, as always, that does not automatically translate into better sales.

The iPhone, for all the minor upgrades it has received over the years, has rarely been dethroned by its rivals, and that was again the case in the second quarter of 2017, when it basically wiped the floor with the Galaxy S8 in terms of sales.

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It is hard not to fall asleep watching promo videos for smartphones. That's why we rarely write about them. Today we make an exception for the new OnePlus 5 camera ad, which, depending on how you look at it, is either really stupid or brilliant -- but memorable nonetheless.

Called Lake Blood, it's the story of a chainsaw massacre. The promo features a teenage girl, a bloodied man and the chainsaw killer that's following him. It's not your typical combination of characters, is it?

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Smartphone cameras have evolved a great deal over the years, reaching the point where many of us can rely on them to snap important moments in our lives. But if there is one area where major improvements can still be made it's in low light.

One way to improve image quality in low light is to use a wider lens aperture, which is what LG has done with its upcoming V30. In fact, the South Korean maker says that it's the widest lens aperture of any smartphone to date. Why does this matter?

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Toshiba has announced that it is moving forward with its plans to build a new memory chip plant without its partner Western Digital.

The company will spend $1.8 billion on the construction of Fab 6 of its new Yokkaichi semiconductor facility that will be located in Western Japan. Toshiba currently owns the land and buildings at the factor though it has divided investments in production equipment with SanDisk since the two companies began their joint venture in 2004.

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There are many great wireless routers on the market nowadays, from companies like Netgear, Linksys, and D-Link. My favorite router of all time is not being made anymore, sadly. Unfortunately, the company that made the aforementioned product is no longer making routers at all. That company's name is Apple. The AirPort Extreme was a great wireless router for many reasons -- it was secure, easy to use, and looked great. Yes, when you are putting a router in, say, your living room, the appearance does matter.

A new router that borrows design cues from Apple's routers caught my eye recently, and I knew I had to try it. Not only does the AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi System sort of look like an AirPort router, but it promised an easy app-based setup. What really sweetens the pot, however, is that the 802.11ac system uses "mesh" technology, allowing several access points to work together. Oh, and let's not forget that this home-based product is made by the much-respected Ubiquiti Networks.

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As we acquire more voice activated smart devices, there's always the risk that they could be eavesdropping on day-to-day conversations.

We've already seen reports of spying TVs, and now MWR InfoSecurity has exposed a vulnerability in Amazon Echo that can turn it into a listening device without affecting its functionality.

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Flagships like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8 all have such great cameras that it can be really hard to definitively say which one is the best option for mobile photographers. Reviews, comparisons and blind tests all point to different winners, but, more often that not, you will usually find an Android smartphone at the top.

Vic Gundotra, who lead Google's mobile efforts for a couple of years, helped create Google+ and is an avid photographer, has a rather different opinion, claiming that Android is actually "a few years behind" the iPhone for mobile photography, and that, if you really care about photography, you should get an iPhone 7 Plus.

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There are many reasons to be a fan of AMD nowadays. For instance, many of the underdog's products offer solid performance at a great price (budget-friendly), plus its fan community is really engaged too. If you need support, not only can you reach out to AMD, but countless friendly fellow owners as well. Heck, AMD Windows drivers have really improved over the years too, making it a treat to upgrade when a new version is released.

AMD doesn't only want to be about the budget-friendly market, however. It is prepared to go after the high-end too. Going against the giant that is Intel won't be easy, but with processors such as the upcoming drool-worthy Threadripper line, AMD is making an impressive effort. Today, the company is also targeting NVIDIA on the GPU front, finally launching its much-anticipated Radeon RX Vega. AMD is hoping to capture the wallets of enthusiast gamers with Vega, and with the low starting price, it may succeed.

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Huawei has revealed more encouraging financial results as the company extends its influence across the technology world.

The Chinese firm disclosed that revenues grew 15 percent in the first half of 2017 to reach $41.83 billion, with operating margins reaching 11 percent.

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Technology companies are some of the biggest players in the business world, yet many still like to see themselves as being 'cool' places to work.

A new study from compensation data specialist PayScale looks at a number of factors across 52 of the world's largest technology companies, comparing compensation, tenure, job satisfaction, and intent to leave, with some surprising results.

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When you want to buy a business-class laptop, there are many brands to consider, such as Dell and HP. Of course, we cannot forget the iconic "ThinkPad" line of portable workstations from Lenovo, which were made famous by IBM. There is one brand in particular that doesn't get enough attention, however -- Toshiba. Actually, its Portégé line is arguably the best such laptops for business, both large and small.

I've been testing one of the company's latest such notebooks, the X30, and I am quite impressed. Since it is a business-grade laptop, it has a pointing nub that many professionals seem to appreciate. Of course, there is a traditional trackpad too.

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