Month: August 2020

WhatsApp has started to trial a new feature designed to stop the spread of misinformation on the immensely-popular chat app, which boasts more than two billion users worldwide. From today, you’ll be able to quickly search the contents of a WhatsApp message with a single tap to make sure that you haven’t been duped by a viral text which has been forwarded or copy-pasted between thousands of people worldwide.

The new feature appears in the form of a magnifying glass icon next to the text message. Tapping this will trigger a web search using your default web browser and search engine on the device. Crucially, the magnifying glass symbol will only appear next to messages which have been forwarded more than five times – or passed by five people prior to being sent to you.

WhatsApp has flagged highly-forwarded messages for some time now. Since the messaging service is end-to-end encrypted, the team at WhatsApp are unable to read any of the contents of your texts – something that makes weeding out misinformation a little tougher. According to research by WhatsApp, text messages which have been forwarded to high volumes of people without any tweaks are the most likely to be problematic.

In a screenshot shared by WhatsApp to demonstrate how its latest tool to help combat misinformation works inside the app, it’s possible to read a highly-forwarded text that reads: “Drinking fresh boiled garlic water will cure COVID-19,” followed by a web link. Since the text is flagged as “Forwarded” – denoting that it has been shared with five contacts or more – WhatsApp lets the smartphone owner launch a Google search. In the example, this immediately returns three fact-checking websites that flag this garlic-related claim as nonsense.

When it comes to esports, accuracy and precision are important, and having great audio with an excellent soundstage is a vital part of that. That’s where esports gaming headsets like the Razer BlackShark V2 come in handy.A follow-up to the glossier BlackShark, which has been lauded for its comfort, great sound quality, and cool design, this successor has a more subdued look and not much in the way of frills and thrills. But, that’s only because it’s honed in on the way it lets you experience audio in gaming instead. It’s hitting the shelves with three new technologies either developed or co-developed by Razer and THX. These include the THX Spatial Audio, which essentially offers THX Competitive Mode for some of the most popular games out there, as well as the new Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm drivers, which are made up of three parts – each for the highs, mids and lows.

The result is a terrific gaming headset that sounds great and boasts a soundstage incredible enough to give you an actual competitive edge in gaming.

Design and Features

Light weight and comfort take center stage in the BlackShark V2’s design. Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about this pair of headphones – aside from its Razer green trimmings – is how light it is. At 262g, it’s among the lightest offerings out there, with the HyperX Cloud Stinger following closely at 275g and the SteelSeries Arctis 5 at 280g.

This certainly matters, as being this lightweight considerably reduces the wearer’s fatigue and makes your gaming experience that much more comfortable. If you expect to be playing for hours on end, it makes a huge difference.

That light weight makes it a bit more travel-friendly, too, though the headset itself isn’t exactly designed for travel. It’s not foldable and not exactly compact, though it does have its own travel bag, so its super light weight certainly helps make it easier to tote with you when traveling or commuting.

Don’t take its lightweightness to mean that it isn’t made of quality materials, however. The ear cups look to be made of high quality, albeit light, plastic with a matte finish (a departure from its predecessor’s glossy finish), and they don’t feel like they would crack if a sudden heavy weight was applied. The headband is lined on top with plush leatherette, giving it a sophisticated flair, and the removable mic comes with a super flexible stem that also feels solid.

Finally, the headband and ear cushions are made of memory foam and wrapped in flow knit fabric. These cushions also add to comfort here, as not only is there a generous thickness to them, especially the one on the headband, but that fabric they’re covered in feels soft to touch and really does help to minimize sweat and reduce heat during the most intense moments in the game.

If you’re a fan of RGB lighting, the BlackShark V2 might disappoint as it has none of those frills. Personally, I kind of prefer it that way. The omission helps keep its cost down, and having RGB lighting on your headset on top of your gaming keyboard, your gaming mouse, and your gaming PC is a bit of an overkill for me.

In lieu of RGB lighting, Razer does spruce it up a bit with some green trimmings on the Razer logo and the audio cable connecting the two ear cups. This shade of green isn’t necessarily attractive to me, but I appreciate that it can be appealing to a lot of gamers. It also adds to the headset’s character, especially when coupled with its aviator look, which I actually really like.

As far as other thrills and frills, there’s really not much. The retractable mic is the new Hyperclear Cardioid Mic that Razer has developed and is launching for the first time on the BlackShark V2, but we’ll get to that in detail later. There is a volume control knob and a mic mute button, both of which are on the left ear cup. That’s pretty much it.

Software

Another first that’s launching alongside the Razer BlackShark V2 is THX Spatial Audio, which has its own section in the Razer Synapse software. This new technology essentially helps deliver more accurate sound positioning for a more realistic sound stage and 7.1 digital surround sound effect.

More importantly, it comes with the new THX Game Profiles, which are basically audio profiles custom-tuned to specific games. At the time of my testing, there are Game Profiles for 18 of the most popular games out there, including the four that I used to test the headset – Red Dead Redemption 2, Doom Eternal, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Each Game Profile gives each game its own THX Environmental Mode for a more immersive audio experience, and Game Profiles for competitive games have an additional THX Competitive Mode that’s designed to give you a gaming advantage.

This new addition to the Razer Synapse software, which you’ll find in the Mixer section under Audio and can toggle on/off, is straightforward to use. I’m not sure how downloading the profiles will work post launch, as I was testing them in pre-production, but the controls themselves are pretty easy to figure out.

The software seems to list all the games you have installed on your computer, and the THX Environmental and THX Competitive Modes, if available, appear under each game’s Spatial Output dropdown menu. As far as fine-tuning the surround sound, it allows you to simply drag each of the points and adjust where sounds are coming from to your liking.

On top of these THX Spatial Audio settings and presets, the Razer Synapse software’s EQ has its own general use profiles as well like Music and Game, though each of its 10 bands are also customizable. It also has dedicated controls for Bass Boost, Sound Normalization, and Voice Clarity.
Performance

The sound quality of the Razer BlackShark V2 is surprisingly great. Admittedly, at default, it sounds a bit muffled, like there’s a blanket on top of the sound. High end can be a bit rolled off or muffled, which somewhat reduces clarity and detail. The environmental effects are also more mid-focused, not as articulate or as detailed. In RDR2, for example, I don’t hear the high-end pitter patter when it’s raining, just more of the lower frequency thuds, making the rain sound heavier.

But, I’m really being nitpicky here for the sake of this review. Unless you’re more discerning with audio, or you’re comparing Razer BlackShark V2 with other high-end headphones, this shouldn’t bother you. In fact, you probably won’t notice the difference.

The bass response is very good, giving your gaming experience a lot of rumble even without turning on the Bass Boost, while the mids are present, and don’t sound hollow. In addition, the soundstage is incredible. You’re really getting the full 7.1 experience – even without the THX Spatial Audio features. It’s accurate with great spatial separation, meaning you can hear things move around you and know where they’re coming from.

It’s pretty obvious that this headset has been designed specifically for gaming. You won’t get fatigued from too much high-end information. In fact, you won’t notice that slightly muffled sound when gaming, and the bass obviously offers a lot of rumble.

Sadly, it’s not as good for other media. You want all the details when watching movies and listening to music. Unfortunately, in movies, I notice the muffled sound a little more, making it a bit harder to get the full experience, especially when it comes to the dialogue. Music is the most affected media here, especially when listening to something with a lot of organic sound. Not that it doesn’t sound good. It sounds balanced enough, but again, it’s just a little bit rolled off or muffled.

The Razer BlackShark V2 is the first headset to feature the new Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm drivers. This patented design basically splits a single driver into three parts so that the highs, mids and lows each have their own unit. The idea of this design is to allow for the individual tuning of each frequency range. Also, by separating the highs, mids and lows into three distinct parts, each frequency range should get a purer representation in concept.

Unfortunately, the high end is still a little rolled off. That said, this new design really does seem to allow for better fine-tuning of each frequency range, making these headphones incredibly versatile when it comes to customizing the EQ, as well as boosting the base, adjusting sound normalization, which is a compressor that makes the loud parts quieter and the quieter parts louder, and toggling voice clarity, which is basically a high-end boost.

As for the THX Game Profiles, you’ll certainly notice a difference. While keeping the sound quality the same, both the THX Environmental Mode and THX Competitive Mode essentially offer distinctive EQ profiles for each game for their own purposes.

The THX Environmental Mode, though slightly different for each game, generally offers an expanded surround sound, making things sound just a little wider, as if you’re actually inside the world you’re playing in. That’s pretty great, and certainly adds to your gaming immersion. In addition, environmental effects like rain, fire, footsteps, and people talking in the background are louder while keeping their spatial positioning.

The THX Competitive Mode, on the other hand, essentially takes many of the environmental sounds and mutes them a little. That’s with the exception of the sounds of the players, friendly and otherwise. By doing so, it makes the sounds your enemies make feel a little more present. Spatial positioning is also great, though it doesn’t sound as wide as the THX Environmental Mode. But, the goal here is to give players that competitive edge in audio – by hearing enemies better and knowing where they’re coming from, you don’t have to look around and find them. You’ll know when they’re coming and where exactly they’re coming from.

It is worth noting, however, that the THX Competitive Mode seems only available for competitive games like CS:GO. The non-competitive games only have the THX Environmental Mode. Though again, I was using the pre-production version of the software.

Also launching with the Razer BlackShark V2 is the new Razer HyperClear Cardioid Mic with USB Sound Card. It sounds incredibly clear at default, and may be further customized to your liking via the Razer Synapse software. It does have a mic boost, if you want to be really loud, and boasts a couple of cool features as well.

One of those is Voice Gate, which is very effective. If you’re not familiar, Voice Gate is like a door that opens whenever you’re talking and closes when you’re not. It basically limits the mic from picking up background sounds from your end, especially when someone else is talking or no one is. There’s also Ambient Noise Reduction, which when turned on rejects most of the unnecessary background noise.

Finally, the mic has its own 10-band EQ in the software, with presets like Mic Boost, Broadcast and Conference. Have a shrill voice? This will help tone that down a little.
Purchasing Guide

The Razer BlackShark V2 + USB Sound Card, which is the model I reviewed, retails for $99.99, while the Razer BlackShark V2 X retails for $59.99. Both will be available worldwide on August 6 alongside the THX Game Profiles. Both models only come in black.

Verdict

If you want an esports gaming headset that won’t give you wearer’s fatigue, but will definitely give you that gaming advantage, Razer BlackShark V2 is a headset worth looking into. This affordable pair of cans is lightweight and very comfortable to wear for long hours, delivers great sound quality and excellent soundstage perfect for gaming, and comes with the new THX Spatial Audio and Game Profiles (currently the only headset to support it). Sadly though, if you’re looking for a gaming headset that’s kind of a jack of all trades, the audio experience it offers when it comes to music and movies isn’t as detailed or articulate. But, that isn’t really what it’s designed for. The Razer BlackShark V2 is all about the esports life, and on that, it’s certainly succeeded.

If you’re an Xbox Insider on the Preview Alpha ring, there’s a new version 2008 preview on its way to you today. But unlike the vast majority of Xbox Insider builds, build 19041.4067 actually contains a bunch of new features.

First up is a faster and better Microsoft Store. This was announced earlier this week, and was promised for Xbox Insiders. Not only is it meant to be faster, but it should be easier to use and more secure. Right now, it’s only available to some Insiders, and only in the U.S., UK, Canada (English), and Germany.

Also available to a random subset of users is a new Game Activity tab, which replaces the Achievements tab. The idea is to focus on the game you’re playing or last played, and Achievements stay at the top, although some things have been reworked. There’s a toggle to turn the Achievement Tracker on or off, you can see next Achievements, and more.

Also in the Game Activity tab, you’ll be able to see which of your friends are or have played the game that you’re playing, and you’ll see LFG posts for that game. You’ll be able to see the official Club, and suggested events.

Finally, there’s a new Happening Now feature, which may show up in the People area of the Guide, at the top of your Friends list, or not at all. If you haven’t noticed a theme yet, there’s a lot of A/B testing going on. This will let you find friends that are in joinable games and such.

The new build is rolling out now, and will roll out to the general public this month.

Alder Lake may be one of Intel’s most confusing microarchitectures to date. That’s if the latest coreboot patch (spotted via Twitter user La Frite David) is accurate. Apparently, there will be a plethora of core combinations for the chipmaker’s upcoming Alder Lake-S and Alder Lake-P CPUs; however, we don’t know yet if every configuration will actually make it to market. 

Alder Lake has been expected to leverage a hybrid architecture with large and small CPU cores, a setup that’s similar to Arm’s big.LITTLE technology. Intel first used this design on its 3D Lakefield chips for laptops and dubbed it “Big-Bigger.” Alder Lake will bring the concept to desktop PCs. 

Logically, Alder Lake-S corresponds to the desktop chips. However, Alder Lake-P remains a mystery. There is some speculation going around that Alder Lake-P could be Intel’s Atom P-series.

This radical new design means that Alder Lake-S will command a CPU socket change. Alleged Intel documents suggest that the LGA1700 socket is the designated home for Alder Lake-S. As the name implies, the socket is comprised of 1,700 pins. That’s 500 more pins that the existing LGA1200 socket that houses Comet Lake-S and looming Rocket Lake-S processors.

The coreboot patch also shows Platform Controller Hub (PCH) names for Alder Lake. It seems that Intel will use four PCHs with distinct features to cater to the different market segments. The various tiers appear to be Base, Mainstream, Premium and Super.

Alder Lake-S could debut with 12 different combinations. The listings indicate that Intel might offer Alder Lake-S in two flavors: big and small cores or big cores only. 

The entry-level SKUs stick to a dual-core and quad-core design with no little cores. On the other hand, the chips with six and eight big cores can come with two, four, six or eight small cores. The flagship Alder Lake-S processor features eight big cores and eight small cores, according to the coreboot codes. 

Regardless of the core setup, Alder Lake-S will seemingly be equipped with a single GPU core. The coreboot code lists Alder Lake-S with a GT1 iGPU. It remains to be seen if Alder Lake will exploit Intel’s Gen12 Xe graphics though.

Differing from what we just saw with Alder Lake-S, Intel may keep it simple with Alder Lake-P and just deliver the processors in six unique forms. 

The entry-level Alder Lake-P chip will reportedly come with just two big cores, with the flagship maxing out at six big cores and eight small cores. What’s interesting is that Alder Lake-P is listed with two GPU cores, adding the GT2 iGPU. This suggests that Alder Lake-P will carry more graphical firepower than the standard Alder Lake-S processors.

During Intel’s Q2 2020 earnings call, the chipmaker confirmed that Alder Lake-S will arrive in the second half of 2021. Alder Lake, which will probably debut with the Intel 12th Generation moniker, has a heavy load on its shoulders since it’ll be Intel’s first 10nm desktop processor.

Lenovo has unveiled the second generation of the 100e notebook, the firm’s popular laptop range aimed primarily at the education market.

This aggressively-priced piece of kit is powered by two new processors from AMD, announced at CES earlier this year. The AMD 3015e and the AMD 3020e do not belong to any specific family (e.g. Athlon, Ryzen or Sempron), but feature the smallest (and probably cheapest) Zen-based parts.

Given the 6W TDP, we don’t expect much from these tiny Ryzen-like processors. They have two cores, either two or four threads and a base frequency of 1.2GHz, boosted to either 2.3GHz or 2.6GHz. They also feature a Vega 3 GPU with a clock speed of 0.6GHz.

The new 100e comes with 4GB of DDR4 memory, 64GB eMMC, a 42WHr battery (which Lenovo claims can power the laptop for more than 14 hours), Windows 10, Wi-Fi 6 and an 11.6-inch screen with an anti-glare coating and a disappointing HD+ resolution.

The device also boasts water-resistance, a non-backlit keyboard with touchpad and mechanically-anchored keys, MIL-STD-810G certification (covering falls from 75cm), and a plethora of ports: two USB Type-A, one Type-C, HDMI, card reader and audio jack.

The 100e also comes with AMD Memory Guard, which provides full memory encryption to help protect sensitive data if the device is ever lost or stolen.

The laptop will go on sale for $219, while a second model with the more powerful 3020e and touchscreen capability will sell for $299. Pricing for non-US territories is yet to be confirmed.

More than a year after the disastrous launch of its folding phone, Samsung is back with a range of new devices that it hopes will improve sales in a market hit hard by the pandemic.

Among them is the Galaxy Z Fold 2, a successor to Samsung’s first foldable device, which features a larger 6.2-inch front screen and opens up to reveal a flexible 7.6-inch display inside the device.

The South Korean technology company also unveiled two versions of its oversized smartphone, the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, upgraded tablets called Tab S7 and S7+, a new Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch and its ergonomic wireless earbuds called Galaxy Buds Live.

Samsung’s new portfolio echoes close rival Apple’s by centering a large-screen, high-spec smartphone in an family of devices that includes a smartwatch, true wireless earbuds and a choice of tablets. TM Roh, Samsung’s head of mobile, said: “These devices are powerful tools to help you maximize work and play.”

Having lost the crown of world’s biggest smartphone maker to Huawei earlier this year, the company is betting on a refresh of its entire ecosystem of products to reignite interest.

Galaxy Z Fold 2

The Fold 2 designs by Samsung open and closes like a book with a flexible screen. This means the phone can unfold and be used as a tablet, or be folded up to fit in a pocket, while using a smaller secondary screen as a regular phone.

The original Fold, launched in April last year, received lukewarm reviews, with concerns over its small front screen, vulnerable design and huge price tag.

Early review units of the original device were also prone to breaking, with the screens easily damaged until Samsung re-engineered the devices over the summer.

The new device has a larger front screen, or cover screen, at 6.2-inches, while the unfolded tablet screen comes in at 7.6-inches. The larger front screen is likely to make it easier to use the device as a standard smartphone.

Samsung will be hoping the device can put it on the front foot with the next generation of smartphones, after it lost the top spot to Huawei for the first time in terms of device sales.

Samsung said it had been “listening to user feedback on the most requested upgrades and new feature” when building the new version of its folding phone.

Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra

The event saw the company unveil its new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra 5G phones, which come with the series’ signature S Pen stylus built-in.

The S Pen in the Note 20 series has been updated to be more precise when used onscreen, with increased responsiveness to better mimic using a real pen and paper, Samsung says.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2, meanwhile features a larger 6.2-inch front screen and opens up to reveal a flexible 7.6-inch display inside the device.

The device is Samsung’s third foldable after the original Galaxy Fold released last year and the Galaxy Z Flip launched earlier in 2020. You can read more of the details on the Note 20 here. 

The new phones were part of a wide lineup of new products announced by the firm, which included a new smartwatch – the Galaxy Watch 3, the wireless Galaxy Buds Live earphones and two new tablets, the Tab S7 and S7+ 5G

Galaxy Buds Live

The Galaxy Buds Live headphones come with active noise cancelling and technology to improve voice calls. 

The earbuds also include a charging case, that can be wirelessly charged using Samsung’s Note phone. They come with the capability to connect to Samsung’s Bixby artificial intelligence voice assistant. They will last for 6 hours if you’re playing music, and five and a half hours if you’re talking on the phone. 

The new Buds come in Bronze, White and Black.

Galaxy Watch 3

The Watch 3 is Samsung’s Apple Watch rival. It comes in black, white and bronze colours. T M Roh said Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 3 acted as a “personal health manager.”

The Watch 3 is capable of tracking blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and electrocardiogram measurements, meaning it can monitor the health of an individual’s heart beat. 

Among other features, it includes a fall detector that can send automatic warnings to close contacts if a user experiences an accident. The new Watch 3 also comes with 8GB of internal storage. 

For fitness, the Watch can be used alongside Samsung’s Health app, which features a library of 120 work out videos.

It can also be upgraded with a version that can connect to mobile phone networks for calls.

Roh said: “Wearables are among the fastest-advancing technology sectors, and the pace of progress is only accelerating. In recent months, we’ve seen immense growth in the market as people turn to smartwatches and earbuds to help them thrive in the ‘Next Normal’.” 

Conor Pierce, corporate vice president of Samsung Electronics in the UK and Ireland said the tech giant was keen to show the “ecosystem” it could offer. “Technology has played a vital role in keeping us connected during these unprecedented times,” he said.

“Now more than ever, our customers are looking for products that deliver against this and work seamlessly together.

“Whether it’s through work or play, the ecosystem we have launched today is designed to help you get the most out of life.

“With our Note 20 range and Tab S7+ now powered by 5G, we are not only super-charging the connected experience, but also strengthening Samsung’s 5G leadership in the UK. We can’t wait to hear our customers’ feedback.”

Pricing and availability

Samsung confirmed the new Note 20 would start at £849, while the larger-screened Note20 Ultra 5G will start at £1,179, with both available to pre-order from Wednesday.

The new Galaxy Watch 3 will start at £399, while the Galaxy Buds Live are priced at £179.

The Tab S7 starts at £619 and the S7+ at £799.

Samsung said all the new devices can be pre-ordered from Wednesday and will go on sale on August 21.