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Showing posts from May, 2021

Alienware’s X series gaming laptops meld sleek bodies with smarter cooling

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Credit: Alienware Alienware has announced its new X-series gaming laptop line. The X15 and X17 sport 11th Gen Intel CPUs and Nvidia’s new RTX GPU lineup. Both machines will be available in June, with prices starting at $1,999. Dell’s Alienware division is freshening up its gaming laptop offerings this month. Just a few weeks after the m15 R6 , the brand is now launching the X15 and X17 gaming laptops packing new cooling tech, slimmer bodies, and more powerful hardware. While Alienware’s previous laptops aren’t known for being slight, the X series seems to be a concerted effort by the brand to change this perception. The X15 is just 16.3mm thick including the lid, with a maximum weight of 2.36 kg. The X17 also measures a little over 20mm thick with a 3.2 kg curb weight. Both figures may still seem hefty, but Alienware’s done a good job keeping weight down considering the hardware on offer. Alienware X15 Credit: Alienware Let’s start with the Alienware X15. The

Samsung phones to get ray tracing, variable rate shading with next Exynos chip

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Credit: AMD AMD has announced that Samsung will share more details of its Exynos chip with an AMD GPU later this year. The new flagship SoC will feature ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. Back in 2019, Samsung partnered with AMD to bring next-gen GPU architecture to mobile devices. Now, we may finally have a timeframe as to when we’ll see the long-awaited flagship Exynos chipset with an AMD GPU. During her keynote address at the ongoing virtual Computex 2021 conference, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su teased a few additional details about the upcoming Exynos mobile SoC with AMD graphics. “AMD is partnering with Samsung on its next-generation Exynos SoC, which will feature custom AMD RDNA 2 architecture-based graphics IP that brings ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities to flagship mobile devices,” AMD noted its Computex press release . Dr. Su also announced that Samsung would share more details about the new 5G chipset “later this year.” Given the

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds may be particularly expensive

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Credit: Roland Quandt / Twitter The price of Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds may have surfaced at a Slovakian retailer. They’ll reportedly cost €279.90, or about $340. Don’t be surprised if the final price varies. You might not have to wonder much about the price of Sony’s upcoming WF-1000XM4 earbuds . As  Android Police reports,  The Walkman Blog has spotted a Slovakian listing for the new buds that quotes a price of €279.90, or about $340. That price likely includes tax and isn’t guaranteed to reflect the final cost, but it still suggests the WF-1000XM4 will be one of the more expensive sets of true wireless earbuds on the market. Sony originally priced the current-generation XM3 at $230, for example, while Apple’s AirPods Pro officially carry a $249 sticker. Read more:  The best true wireless earbuds Sony might have reasons to hike the price of the WF-1000XM4 beyond its brand name, provided the listing is accurate. They’ll offer the company’s usually strong active no

The most common Garmin problems and how to fix them

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Left to right: Garmin Vivoactive 4, Garmin Venu Smartwatches and fitness trackers face loads of daily abuse. Strapped to our wrists, they brush off bumps and knocks, dirt and splashes. Understandably, they face the occasional problems and issues, but many of these can be rectified. Although Garmin makes some excellent smartwatches and fitness trackers, the company’s products are not immune to these issues, either. Below, we look at some of the common issues Garmin devices face and provide a list of possible fixes. See also : The best Garmin smartwatches | The best Garmin running watches Problem #1: My Garmin has syncing issues Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority Like most wearables, Garmin products sync with Android smartphones over Bluetooth. Often this connection is affected by several factors. As a result, you may not be able to sync your Garmin’s info with your smartphone. If this is something you experience, here are a few ways to remedy the issue. Po

June 2021 security patch rolling out now to Samsung Galaxy S20 series

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Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy S20 update hub. Here you’ll find the latest information on updates to the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra. We’ll detail the current software versions for each device and alert you if there’s a new update rolling out. Samsung usually pushes out updates to the entire series, but this may vary per variant and carrier. Current stable version:  Android 11 When will the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra get Android 12? January 2022 (Estimated) Latest Samsung Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra updates May 31, 2021: Samsung is now rolling out a new update to the Galaxy S20 series. The firmware, numbered G98xxXXS8DUE4 (h/t SamMobile ), is international, but only appearing on select handsets for now. The update includes the June 2021 Android security patch. It does not appear to offer any new features or other bug fixes. To check if the update’s available for your device head to  Settings  >  Software  update an

Best ever price on the Galaxy Buds Pro, and more top headphone deals

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Credit: Adam Molina / Android Authority If you’ve been searching for a new pair of headphones, let us help. Plenty of retailers are offering big discounts on a variety of styles, meaning you can take advantage of some of the best headphone deals across the board right now. See also: Headphone buying guide: A beginner’s guide to all things headphones It can be difficult to know just what you’re looking for, so we’ve done our best to organize some options for you. We’ve put together some headphones and earbuds deals along with wired and wireless options. You can also head on over to our sister site SoundGuys for more in-depth news and reviews. Featured deal: Best ever price on the Galaxy Buds Pro Credit: Amazon The Galaxy Buds Pro just hit their lowest ever price on Amazon. We’ve seen the odd price dip here and there since the ‘buds launched in January, but now they’ve got a meaty 25% discount, letting you pick up a pair for just $149.99 ( $50 off ). These are

Would you buy a 14-inch Samsung tablet?

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Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority A Samsung survey suggests the company is launching a 14.6-inch tablet. This possible Galaxy Tab S8 would include a 120Hz OLED screen, dual front cameras and up to 12GB of RAM. It’s not clear how close this model might be to production. The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus might not be Samsung’s largest slate for long. Android Police spotted a since-deleted tweet showing a South Korean survey that hinted Samsung might launch a 14-inch tablet in the near future. The 14-inch tablet (codenamed “Basquiat 3,” possibly the Galaxy Tab S8) would reportedly center around a 14.6-inch, 120Hz OLED screen that dwarfs the 12.4-inch display of the Tab S7 Plus — this would be even more of a laptop replacement than its predecessor. The extra visual real estate would also include a second, 5MP ultra-wide camera to join the 8MP standard model, and an under-screen fingerprint reader would make sign-ons easy. See also:  The best Android tablets You’d also get the

Walmart’s 1080p Android TV stick might have an absurdly low price

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Credit: Walmart Walmart has listed a 1080p Onn streaming stick that sells for just $24.88. It’s the lowest-priced Android TV device in the US. There’s no indication when the stick will ship. If you thought Walmart’s 4K box was affordable, you’re in for a treat. Android TV Guide and  9to5Google have spotted a listing on Walmart for an Onn FHD Streaming Stick that will sell for just $24.88 — the lowest price yet for an Android TV device in the US. It’s not clear just how Walmart trimmed costs to make its 1080p Android TV device so affordable, although the 1GB of RAM suggests the stick is using decidedly lower-end hardware. It still has the remote you saw with the 4K device, however, so you’ll still have Google Assistant voice control as well as shortcuts to services like Disney Plus , Netflix , and HBO Max . Read more: The best Android TV boxes you can get As with the launch of the 4K streamer, Walmart hasn’t said just when its Android TV stick will ship. It’s simp