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The latest news and reviews of PCs, laptops, chips and accessories.
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Native Instruments' $50 retro synth plug-in is currently free
The '80s had no shortage of massive-sounding synthesizers, but many of them have either gone out to pasture or are prohibitively expensive on the secondhand market. Software companies often try to digitally recreate those synths as affordable plug-ins, though, and to keep musicians busy while they're locked inside, Native Instruments has made its Analog Dreams software -- which usually costs $50 -- free to download. That means anyone with a USB keyboard or controller can work on their Duran Duran covers or an isolation-induced synth pop opus.
Educators can temporarily give Creative Cloud access to distance learners
Students who are stuck at home due to coronavirus concerns don't have as many resources as a school could provide. For example, schools that teach graphics and video skills often have educational licenses for Adobe's Creative Cloud, which are assigned to individual computers, rather than students. In other words, students can't simply open up Photoshop from their own devices. To help educators and learners during school closures, Adobe is allowing IT admins to grant temporary at-home access to its suite of Creative Cloud apps, from now until May 31st.
'World of Warcraft' keeps players indoors with a 100 percent XP bonus
If the world of Azeroth has been the place you've turned to find some time away from all the news about the coronavirus pandemic, Blizzard has something that should make your stay more productive. From now until April 20th, your World of Warcraft character will receive a bonus called "Winds of Wisdom," which will increase the amount of experience they gain by 100 percent. The buff is available to Battle for Azeroth, Legion and Starter Edition players -- alas, no love for those of us grinding it out in World of Warcraft Classic.
Windows 10 UI updates have been spotted in a Microsoft promo video
Windows 10 now has one billion active monthly users -- likely thanks in part to the deprecation of Windows 7 in January. To celebrate the milestone, Microsoft's chief product officer, Panos Panay, shared an Instagram video recounting the various iterations of Windows' UI. The look of Windows 10 could keep evolving, it seems, as some eagle-eyed viewers spotted new types of windows, interfaces, and menus.
Spotify will end support for third-party DJ apps on July 1st
DJing is no longer about two turntables and a fader -- laptops and tablets are essential tools of the trade. Apps like djay help performers beat-match, remix songs and trigger samples, and have the added convenience of cloud-based library integration. However, Spotify -- one of the most popular streaming services -- is pulling support for all third-party DJ apps. It's not clear why the company is longer allowing access to its immense library of music, but Engadget has reached out to hopefully learn more.
Apple MacBook Air (2020) first look: Buy it for the keyboard
Hello from the new MacBook Air. Allow me to answer your first question up front: Yes, the new keyboard is excellent. There's only one problem with it: I've already greased the keys with residue from the peanut butter sandwich I was eating. Work-from-home life, y'all!
Facebook finally lets desktop users opt-in to dark mode
Facebook is finally letting desktop users opt-in to dark mode. Facebook told TechCrunch that "starting today, the majority of people on Facebook will have access to the new desktop design." This includes dark mode, which can be toggled on and off via the Settings drop down menu.
NASCAR is replacing canceled races with esports featuring pro drivers
Sports leagues and broadcasters are scrambling to fill the void now that many live competitions are cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for NASCAR and Fox Sports that means venturing into relatively uncharted territory. They've announced an inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series that will replace canceled NASCAR races with "simulation-style" esports competitions. These will involve top-tier competitors, too -- you can expect Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin among other racers and luminaries from various NASCAR series.
Microsoft's DirectX 12 Ultimate brings ray tracing effects to more games
More efforts are underway to bring ray traced visuals to more of your games. Microsoft has introduced a DirectX 12 Ultimate framework that makes ray tracing and other visual effects both more efficient and more flexible. A new inline ray tracing technique gives more control over the lighting effects that make more sense for certain games, GPU shaders can invoke ray tracing without talking to the CPU and streaming engines can more efficiently load ray tracing shaders as you roam around. Your games won't demand as much from your system as they did before.
Serif discounts Affinity creative apps during the COVID-19 pandemic
Life as a digital creative might be a little easier if you're working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Serif is trotting out a number of deals for its Affinity apps to help out artists and photographers (and, of course, encourage them to buy software). Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher are now free to try for 90 days. There's no requirement to buy, but you'll get a 50 percent discount for both computer and iPad versions of the apps if you'd prefer to purchase them. Both deals end on April 20th.
GameStop will sell 'Doom Eternal' a day early as a 'safety precaution'
Right now, companies are doing their best to navigate an unprecedented global crisis, seeking ways to remain profitable while contributing to the social good. Discord, for example, has relaxed its user limits on streaming. Uber Eats, meanwhile, has waived delivery fees for independent restaurants. Now GameStop has made its efforts known: it will be selling Doom Eternal a day early in a bid to reduce crowding at its stores.
The Morning After: PS5 specs plus MacBook Air and iPad Pro updates
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. After a lull, new hardware announcements are creeping back in. Sony followed up on Microsoft's Xbox Series X spec reveal with its own numbers-heavy rundown for the PS5. With GDC canceled it came off as a pretty dry spectacle -- I'm not sure why the company teased the stream yesterday. For those looking to scrutinize teraflops and other vital statistics, though, it was everything they'd need. Hours earlier, Apple revealed a new iPad Pro with a 3D-sensing camera and a companion keyboard accessory that adds a trackpad, too. It also had a new MacBook Air with its own much-improved keyboard, while keeping it just under the $1,000 mark. Note there were no splashy press events or gatherings, however. It's a time of digital briefings on teleconference software, where most won't get to touch a device -- at least not immediately. It makes for drier meetings, but that's the new reality for the time being. -- Mat
Ray tracing comes to more games thanks to new software tools
You haven't seen much ray tracing in games due in part to the limited frameworks for it. Outside of Microsoft's DirectX, creators have usually had to lean on proprietary approaches. Soon, though, it might be relatively ubiquitous. The Khronos Group has released "provisional" ray tracing extensions for Vulkan, the open graphics standard effectively replacing OpenGL on multiple platforms. You should see sophisticated reflections, fewer light artifacts and otherwise more natural-looking lighting in titles that support the technology.
Logitech's latest iPad keyboard cases add trackpads to non-Pro tablets
If you turned pale at the thought of paying close to $1,000 to get the new iPad Pro and its trackpad-equipped keyboard cover, don't worry -- there will be a much more affordable alternative. Logitech has introduced a $150 Combo Touch keyboard case for the 2019 iPad, 2019 iPad Air and 2017 iPad Pro that includes a trackpad to take advantage of iPadOS 13.4's imminent mouse support. They all attach using Apple's Smart Connector and offer many perks similar to Apple's Magic Keyboard, including backlit keys and trackpad gestures.
Apple's new Air could be the MacBook for everyone
It's been about a year and a half since Apple redesigned the aging MacBook Air. In a lot of ways, that model was a big step forward over its predecessor, with an upgraded display chief among the improvements. But it also came with its fair share of compromises, including a tempermental "butterfly" keyboard and an asking price that put it a little too close to the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro. But with today's update, Apple seems to have addressed just about every issue with its flagship consumer laptop -- including the price. After a few years where Apple made multiple mis-steps with both hardware and pricing, it's encouraging to see the company make more customer-friendly decisions.
'Half-Life: Alyx' is proof Valve answers to no one
Valve is like an eccentric billionaire uncle who isn't allowed to babysit any kids in the family. He lives alone in a mountaintop mansion stocked with exotic animals, vintage pinball machines, water slides and homemade potato guns, and strange sounds flow into the valley below at all hours of the night. He disappears for months at a time and returns with suitcases full of loose candy and unmarked pills. It's not that this uncle has ever hurt anyone or done anything illegal -- it's simply clear that really, he could do anything. Valve can do anything. It's unknown just how much money the studio pulls in each year, since it's a private entity and doesn't have to publicly disclose its finances, but estimates of its annual revenue begin at $4 billion. Valve founder Gabe Newell is personally worth $3.5 billion, according to Forbes. The company's main money fountain is Steam, which has been the top PC-gaming platform for more than a decade, with 1 billion registered accounts and an average of 90 million monthly active users.
Facebook reveals launch dates for latest Oculus games
Facebook's Game Developer Showcase is now in full swing, and we've been given a little more info on exactly what we can expect from games arriving on the Oculus Quest and Rift platform. Following yesterday's announcement that rapper Timbaland has created a music pack for Beat Saber, Facebook has revealed launch dates for a number of hotly-anticipated titles, including B-Team, Lies Beneath and Phantom: Covert Ops, as well as what's in store for Pistol Whip's "Full Throttle" update.
Can you really get work done on a tiny laptop?
I have a dream. Or a delusion? I'm not sure. Either way, there is a gadget I have sought for many years and am yet to find: A pocket-sized laptop that I can get real work done on. In my case, "real work" is mostly writing, basic image editing and -- just to make things complicated -- fairly heavyweight music production.
Apple is adding trackpad support to older iPad models
Apple just introduced a new iPad Pro, but older iPads are set to get a major update as well. On March 24th, Apple is releasing iPadOS 13.4 which includes full mouse and trackpad support for the first time. It'll work on all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, the 5th-generation iPad and later, and the iPad mini 4 and later. Basically, if you've bought an iPad in the last four or five years, it should be supported.
Apple's new MacBook Air comes with a Magic Keyboard and costs $999
Apple is upgrading the MacBook Air with better internals, its new more reliable Magic Keyboard and is hacking the price down to $999. The upgraded model also gets double the amount of storage, making it a better machine for folks who want to work on the go. Ever since Apple abandoned its much-derided butterfly keyboard in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, people have wondered when the "Magic Keyboard" would trickle down. The MacBook Air is the second recipient of the new-old scissor switch keyboard, which should remove people's concerns around reliability. The company is using the time to boost the refreshed Air's internals, throwing in new 10th-generation Intel Core chips. The base model will ship with a 1.1GHz dual-core i3 CPU, while an extra $250 will net you a 1.2GHz quad-core i7 chip that, with Turbo Boost, can be pushed to 3.8GHz. Apple says that, numbers aside, the new chip will crank out performance twice as fast as on the previous model. Storage has been doubled, up from 128GB on the base model to 256GB, and users can spec their laptop up to 2TB. That's all solid-state storage, and it will be pricey: The 2TB option will set you back an additional $800 on top of the list price. Thankfully, Apple has finally brought the price of the MacBook Air back below $1,000, with a retail price of $999. That puts some clear water between the lower-power, more portable Air and its more powerful Pro siblings. It's also something that we've argued since 2018, saying that Apple's cluster of similarly-priced machines with wildly different specs was too muddled. Education buyers, meanwhile, can snag the new MacBook Air for $899. It's not just the MacBook Air that's getting some love from the company, but also its oft-forgotten sibling, the Mac Mini. Much like the Air, Apple is doubling the amount of storage on the $799 base model up to 256GB, while the $1,099 configuration now gets 512GB of storage as standard. The new MacBook Air will be available to buy in stores at some point next week, but pre-orders are open today. It's worth saying that, with Apple's stores closed due to coronavirus concerns and issues around the current global crisis, ordering online might be the only way to snag one of these for now.