Intel details Thunderbolt 4: Required DMA protection, longer cables, and more

The branding for Thunderbolt 4. [credit: Intel ] Intel has outlined what to expect from the new Thunderbolt 4 standard, which is expected to start appearing in consumer devices later this year. While it won't offer an increase over the...

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The new Snapdragon 865 Plus packs Wi-Fi 6E, 10% higher clocks

Enlarge (credit: Qualcomm) Qualcomm is announcing its midcycle chip upgrade today: the Snapdragon 865 Plus. Like always, these "Plus" chips are higher-clocked versions of the major designs that were released earlier in the year, but new for the 865 Plus specifically is Wi-Fi 6E compatibility. First, the speed increases: Qualcomm is promising a 10-percent...

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AMD’s Ryzen 3000XT CPU refresh is here—benchmarks inside

Enlarge (credit: Jim Salter) Specs at a glance: Ryzen 3000XT CPUs, as tested OS Windows 10 Professional CPU Ryzen 9 3900XT (12c/24t)—$499 at Amazon Ryzen 7 3800XT (8c/16t)—$399 at Amazon Ryzen 5 3600XT (6c/12t)—$249 at Amazon RAM 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4 3200—$200 at Amazon GPU MSI GeForce 2060 RTX Super—$450 at Amazon HDD...

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New Chrome experiment promises up to 28% more battery life

The latest experimental addition to the Chrome browser promises to save a ton of power usage. As spotted by TheWindowsClub, a new flag in the Canary version of Chrome called "Throttle Javascript timers in background" will cut down on the processing that normally happens in background tabs, and it could add two hours to a laptop's runtime. Javascript...

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Amazon Prime Video will finally offer one of Netflix’s most basic features

Enlarge / Amazon Prime Video on an iPad Pro. (credit: Amazon) At long last, Amazon Prime Video is catching up to competitors like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ with a key feature: user profiles. The feature is rolling out in the mobile and set-top box versions of the Prime Video app starting today. The feature allows multiple people sharing an Amazon...

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OnePlus’ sub-$500 smartphone launches July 21

OnePlus' event invitation. [credit: OnePlus ] OnePlus appears to have picked a date for the launch of its midrange smartphone: July 21. Invites for the event were posted early to Amazon India (a major launch country for the device) and...

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Can’t afford to fly to space? Settle for smelling like it

Enlarge / "Listen—do you smell something?" (credit: QAI Publishing) If you ask a US Navy submariner the most visceral part of the underwater and underway experience, you'll get the same answer almost every time—it's the smell. "Eau de Boat," as we sailors called it, is a unique combination of diesel fuel, machine oil, laundry hamper, and flatulence....

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Apple throws in another Mac Pro GPU configuration: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X

The Mac Pro. [credit: Samuel Axon ] Apple has added a new GPU configuration option for its Mac Pro desktop tower: AMD's Radeon Pro 5500X. It's a mid-range pick amid the other configurations available on this machine. The W5500X adds $200...

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RIP to the Google Pixel 3a, which is officially discontinued

The Pixel 3A XL. [credit: Ron Amadeo ] Google is no longer selling cheap phones. At least, that's the temporary situation the company is in now, thanks to the (probably planned) discontinuation of the Pixel 3a and the (definitely unplanned)...

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The ~$100 tablet shootout—Amazon Fire 8 HD Plus vs. Walmart Onn 8 Tablet Pro

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (left) versus the Walmart Onn 8 Tablet Pro. Both cheap tablets with very long names. [credit: Ron Amadeo ] Amazon versus Walmart! Two of the world's biggest retailers compete in endless ways, but they're currently...

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