Varmilo's Moonlight mechanical keyboard is the smoothest I've ever used - CNET

Built with the company's EC Switch V2 linear switches, the keyboard offers an effortless typing experience.

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The best robot vacuum for 2020: Electrolux, Neato, iRobot Roomba, Eufy and more - CNET

From Electrolux, iRobot, Eufy, Ecovacs, Neato and more, we tested lots of leading robot vacuum models to see which are the best.

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The cheapest RTX 2060 laptop we've found even comes with an 8-core AMD CPU

Asus TUF 15.6-inch laptop | $999.99 $899.99 at Best Buy
(roughly £700)
With a GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card and AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor, this Asus is easily the most powerful laptop for under $1000 right now. The 512GB SSD and the $100 discount are just the cherry on the top ahead of Black Friday.
View Deal

If you've been searching for a solid workhorse laptop that can also be used after dark as a gaming powerhouse, then you might want to consider the 15.6-inch Asus TUF FA506IV-BR7N12 - available for just under $800 at Best Buy - that’s $200 off.

With an eight core AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor, a 512GB PCIe SSD and a GeForce RTX 2060 graphics chip (with 6GB GDDR6 memory), this beastly Asus device is probably the most powerful laptop you can buy for under $1000 right now.

You seldom see components this powerful even in machines priced at $999.99, so in terms of bang for your buck, it's definitely up there.

• We've built a list of the best Macs for business right now
• Here's our list of the best mobile workstations around
• Check out our list of the best Linux laptops available

The specs on this machine are so powerful, in fact, that it could even have plenty of applications outside of gaming, such as 4K video editing or CPU intensive music production.

It's also a prime candidate for a cheap VR laptop, as the 60Hz refresh rate display won't matter at all when you're inside your headset and the RTX 2060 will keep frame rates super silky smooth.

This machine comes with 8GB memory (DDR4 3200MHz), which is probably the bare minimum you'd want for gaming. At $800, and with an RTX 2060 and Ryzen 7, this is pretty understandable in our books.

Luckily, RAM is the easiest and cheapest component to upgrade in a laptop, so picking up another stick and installing it won't set you back much, and should yield great results.

It's also worth noting you get a free six-month antivirus package (Webroot Internet Security) for three devices, which itself is worth $29.99.

• Here's our list of the best laptops for programming right now

Bear in mind

• If this product is not available in your region, you may need to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal
• If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

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5 ways Tuesday's election could change the course of a second stimulus check - CNET

Here's the rundown on when a second stimulus check could make its way to you, how to estimate your total payment, and what to do if you didn't receive your first check.

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Iconic James Bond locations in real life: How to travel like 007 - CNET

Exotic locales are a staple of any Bond film. When you can travel again, here's where to find some amazing sights around the world as seen on screen.

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Robot Bores: AI-powered awkward first date

Two chatbots meet and put the world to rights online in battle to see who is most human-like.

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Halloween's here: Weird horror films and TV shows you may have overlooked - CNET

Vengeful witches, angry ghosts, killer cults, evil clowns and body-snatching aliens. Watch these unusual scary films and TV shows, screaming (er, streaming) now.

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The next stimulus check is in limbo. When it comes, will your payment be larger or smaller? - CNET

Until this point, each stimulus bill proposal has included a second check for individuals and families. Here's what we know about your payment size.

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Halloween movies for kids on Netflix, Disney Plus and other streaming services - CNET

Throw on your Halloween costumes and get ready for family-friendly scares with these Disney movies and more.

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SSDI, SSI and stimulus checks: Everything you should know - CNET

If you receive federal benefits such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance and Congress passes another stimulus relief bill, you might qualify for a second payment. Here are all the twists and turns.

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Halloween's here: Weird horror films and TV shows you may have overlooked - CNET

Vengeful witches, angry ghosts, killer cults, evil clowns and body-snatching aliens. Watch these unusual scary films and TV shows, screaming (er, streaming) now.

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Disney+ Hotstar November 2020: Laxmii, IPL Final, Lego Star Wars, and More

Laxmmi Bomb / Laxmii, The Mandalorian season 2, IPL 2020 final, Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Marvel’s 616, Inside Pixar, Grey’s Anatomy season 17, His Dark Materials season 2, A Teacher, Big Sky, Industry HBO — the biggest movies, TV series, and sporting events on Disney+ Hotstar in November 2020.

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The best beer subscription boxes - CNET

Monthly deliveries of rare beers, hoppy beers, brewery merch and more.

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Twitter is no longer restricting the New York Post's account - CNET

The social media platform says it'll retroactively apply its changed policy on hacked materials.

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The best gifts to get healthy in 2021 - CNET

These gifts are sure to please your fitness-minded friends and family.

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Playdate, the tiny handheld with a crank, is delayed to early 2021

You’ll have to wait a bit longer for Panic’s odd little handheld: In an update published today, the company announced that Playdate will slip from its original 2020 window and now ship in early 2021.

The device is the software developer’s first piece of physical hardware, a handheld with a unique crank alongside traditional buttons for controlling the device. Teenage Engineering co-designed the Playdate and it bears many of the company’s minimalistic touches in a bright, playful yellow.

Image: Panic

Playdate with final packaging.

Panic announced in March that its staff was moving to work from home and that the Malaysian factory producing the Playdate had temporarily shut down. The company says adapting to...

Continue reading…

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Best gaming chair to seat yourself in for 2020 - CNET

We tried gaming chairs from DXRacer, Secretlab and more to help you find the size and style that's right for you.

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Stimulus negotiations face a new war of wills: A relief package 'immediately' or in early 2021? - CNET

Will the next COVID-19 relief bill pass before the presidential inauguration in January, or after? The tug of war continues.

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Best prepared-meal delivery services for 2020: Home Chef, Daily Harvest, Veestro and more - CNET

No-fuss prepared meals and oven-ready meal kits to save you time and stress.

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Gifts that give back - CNET

This year -- especially this year -- consider buying presents that help support charitable causes.

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This is the cheapest 4K laptop right now, by a mile

Chuwi AeroBook Plus 4K laptop - $559.99 at Banggood
This laptop from little-known manufacturer Chuwi is the most affordable 4K machine on the market. It certainly looks the part and its specs are decent, but shame about the outdated Intel Core i5-6287U processor. Still, this could be a great option if a super sharp display is your top priority.View Deal

Since its appearance last July, the Chuwi AeroBook Plus is still by far the cheapest 4K laptop on the market, costing hundreds of dollars less than rivals.

You can pick up this new Chuwi machine for just under $560, excluding region-specific coupons and delivery. Banggood, the marketplace where Chuwi sells its gears, ships globally (including the US, UK and Australia).

On paper, the Chuwi Aerobook Plus looks a fantastic piece of kit, especially if you're after a screen with one of the highest pixel densities on the market (making it super sharp), spread over 15.6 inches. 

• These are the best business laptops on the market
• Check out our list of the best rugged laptops
• We've built a list of the best business tablets right now

With a full-metal chassis, the Aerobook Plus doesn't look like a cheap device, but corners have been cut in order to reach this exceptionally low price point. 

It runs on an Intel Core i5-6287U processor - a dual-core processor that was launched five years ago. It's still quite competitive thanks to a very high base clock speed and the onboard Intel Iris Graphics 550 graphics, but we can't see why Chuwi didn't opt for a more recent model (other than the usual stock issues).

The rest of the specification is decent; 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB SATA SSD, Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a 55WHr battery that can power the laptop for an estimated eight hours, a plethora of ports and a weight starting at 1.7kg.

• Here's our choice of the best mobile workstations available

Bear in mind

• If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US, UK or Australia (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
• If you've managed to get your hands on a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

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These are the nastiest cyber threats this Halloween

To avoid falling victim to a malware infection, users first need to be aware of which malware strains are actively being used by cybercriminals in their attacks which is why Webroot releases a list of the nastiest malware each year.

In its third annual nastiest malware list, the cybersecurity firm examined this year's biggest cyber threats and ranked them based on their severity. 

According to Webroot, phishing and remote desktop protocol-related breaches remain the top methods its has observed cybercriminals using to launch their attacks. However, new malware strains and tactics are being deployed each day while others have received upgrades that made them more powerful.

• We've put together a list of the best malware removal software
• These are the best internet security suites on the market
• Also check out our roundup of the best ransomware protection

This year the main trend the firm observed is modularity as cybercriminals have adopted a more modular malware methodology in which they combine attack methods and mix-and-match tactics to ensure their attacks reach their intended targets.

Nastiest malware of 2020

Emotet has once again taken the top spot on Webroot's list of the nastiest malware for the third year in a row. The malware is deployed by cybercriminals in a botnet that is used to spread ransomware and it often appears alongside TrickBot, Dridex, QakBot, Ryuk, BitPaymer and REvil.

Next up on the list is the Gozi trojan, IcedID trojan and Maze ransomware which are often deployed together. In a potential attack scenario, Gozi could end up on a machine through a malicious email, botnet or even TrickBot and then drop the IcedID trojan to help improve an attacker's chances of obtaining the credentials or information they want.

Just like TrickBot, Dridex is another popular banking/info-stealing Trojan that made Webroots's list this year. It has been around for years and is dropped via Emotet or through malicious spam campaigns. Also in a similar manner to TrickBot, Dridex spreads laterally and typically deploys ransomware such as BitPaymer/DoppelPaymer.

While these malware strains were the nastiest this year, they aren't the only ones to make the list. Other notable contenders for the nastiest malware of 2020 including the REvil and Dharma ransomware, the multi-functional malware distribution tool Valak and the info-stealing trojan QakBot.

To prevent falling victim to malware, Webroot recommends organizations lock down RDP, educate their employees about phishing, install a reputable security suite, develop a disaster recovery plan and backup up their important data.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software

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TikTok stars got a judge to block Trump’s TikTok ban

TikTok has won another battle in its fight against the Trump administration’s ban of its video-sharing app in the U.S. — or, more accurately in this case, the TikTok community won a battle. On Friday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania issued an injunction that blocked the restrictions that would have otherwise blocked TikTok from operating in the U.S. on November 12.

This particular lawsuit was not led by TikTok itself, but rather a group of TikTok creators who use the app to engage with their million-plus followers.

According to the court documents, plaintiff Douglas Marland has 2.7 million followers on the app; Alec Chambers has 1.8 million followers; and Cosette Rinab has 2.3 million followers. The creators argued — successfully as it turns out — that they would lose access to their followers in the event of a ban, as well as the “professional opportunities afforded by TikTok.” In other words, they’d lose their brand sponsorships — meaning, their income.

This is not the first time that the U.S. courts have sided with TikTok to block the Trump administration’s proposed ban over the Chinese-owned video sharing app. Last month, a D.C. judge blocked the ban that would have removed the app from being listed in U.S. app stores run by Apple and Google.

That ruling had not, however, stopped the November 12 ban that would have blocked companies from providing internet hosting services that would have allowed TikTok to continue to operate in the U.S.

The Trump administration had moved to block the TikTok app from operating in the U.S. due to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, claiming it was a national security threat. The core argument from the judge in this ruling was the “Government’s own descriptions of the national security threat posed by the TikTok app are phrased in the hypothetical.”

That hypothetical risk was unable to be stated by the government, the judge argued, to be such a risk that it outweighed the public interest. The interest, in this case, was the more than 100 million users of TikTok and the creators like Marland, Chambers and Rinab that utilized it to spread “informational materials,” which allowed the judge to rule that the ban would shut down a platform for expressive activity.

“We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our creators, who have worked to protect their rights to expression, their careers, and to help small businesses, particularly during the pandemic,” said Vanessa Pappas, Interim Global Head of TikTok, in a statement. “We stand behind our community as they share their voices, and we are committed to continuing to provide a home for them to do so,” she added.

The TikTok community coming to the rescue on this one aspect of the overall TikTok picture just elevates this whole story. Though the company has been relatively quiet through this whole process, Pappas has thanked the community several times for its outpouring of support. Though there were some initial waves of “grief” on the app with creators frantically recommending people follow them on other platforms, that has morphed over time into more of a “let’s band together” vibe. This activity coalesced around a big swell in voting advocacy on the platform, where many creators are too young to actually participate but view voting messaging as their way to participate.

TikTok has remained active in the product department through the whole mess, shipping elections guides and trying to ban QAnon conspiracy spread, even as Pakistan banned and then un-banned the app.

Trump administration’s TikTok ban has been delayed

 

 

 

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Cough-scrutinizing AI shows major promise as an early warning system for COVID-19

Asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 is a huge contributor to the pandemic, but of course if there are no symptoms, how can anyone tell they should isolate or get a test? MIT research has found that hidden in the sound of coughs is a pattern that subtly, but reliably, marks a person as likely to be in the early stages of infection. It could make for a much-needed early warning system for the virus.

The sound of one’s cough can be very revealing, as doctors have known for many years. AI models have been built to detect conditions like pneumonia, asthma and even neuromuscular diseases, all of which alter how a person coughs in different ways.

Before the pandemic, researcher Brian Subirana had shown that coughs may even help predict Alzheimer’s — mirroring results from IBM research published just a week ago. More recently, Subirana thought if the AI was capable of telling so much from so little, perhaps COVID-19 might be something it could suss out as well. In fact, he isn’t the first to think so.

NWU researchers develop a throat-worn wearable that could offer early warnings for COVID-19 patients

He and his team set up a site where people could contribute coughs, and ended up assembling “the largest research cough dataset that we know of.” Thousands of samples were used to train up the AI model, which they document in an open access IEEE journal.

The model seems to have detected subtle patterns in vocal strength, sentiment, lung and respiratory performance, and muscular degradation, to the point where it was able to identify 100% of coughs by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers and 98.5% of symptomatic ones, with a specificity of 83% and 94% respectively, meaning it doesn’t have large numbers of false positives or negatives.

“We think this shows that the way you produce sound, changes when you have COVID, even if you’re asymptomatic,” said Subirana of the surprising finding. However, he cautioned that although the system was good at detecting non-healthy coughs, it should not be used as a diagnosis tool for people with symptoms but unsure of the underlying cause.

I asked Subirana for a bit more clarity on this point.

“The tool is detecting features that allow it to discriminate the subjects that have COVID from the ones that don’t,” he wrote in an email. “Previous research has shown you can pick up other conditions too. One could design a system that would discriminate between many conditions but our focus was on picking out COVID from the rest.”

For the statistics-minded out there, the incredibly high success rate may raise some red flags. Machine learning models are great at a lot of things, but 100% isn’t a number you see a lot, and when you do you start thinking of other ways it might have been produced by accident. No doubt the findings will need to be proven on other data sets and verified by other researchers, but it’s also possible that there’s simply a reliable tell in COVID-induced coughs that a computer listening system can hear quite easily.

The team is collaborating with several hospitals to build a more diverse data set, but is also working with a private company to put together an app to distribute the tool for wider use, if it can get FDA approval.

FluSense system tracks sickness trends by autonomously monitoring public spaces

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In its latest confusing decision, Twitter reinstates The New York Post

Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The New York Post is back on Twitter, after Twitter updated its policy on policy changes. This story is going to be confusing, but not as confusing as Twitter’s attempts at moderation.

To recap: On October 14th, The New York Post published a (contested and possibly part of a disinformation campaign, though this is absolutely not the point I am here to tell you about) story about Hunter Biden, the son of presidential candidate Joe Biden. Very little of the contents of the Post story are pertinent to the discussion we are about to have, except this: some of the materials in it, Twitter alleges, seem to be the result of hacking.

Got all that so far? Great, there’s more

Twitter suspended The New York Post’s account...

Continue reading…

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Trump, Biden campaigns slam Facebook after 'technical issues' impact political ads - CNET

The social network stopped accepting new US political ads on Oct. 27, a week before election day.

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How do I track my ballot if I voted by mail? Here's how for every state - CNET

Depending on where you live, you may be able to track your ballot with BallotTrax, or your state's designated service.

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The best Wi-Fi routers of 2020: Nest, Asus, TP-Link and more - CNET

Your Wi-Fi router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6, these are the best we've tested.

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The Queen's Gambit: That ending explained and all your questions answered - CNET

Is the Netflix show based on a true story? Let's go through all those key details and more.

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Jeep brings the affordable off-road Willys trim to the 2021 Gladiator - Roadshow

With a locking rear diff, rock sliders and meaty tires, it should prove capable in the dirt.

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Cloudflare can now show you exactly how many bots are lingering on your website

Cloudflare has announced a new tool to help customers detect and analyse the presence of bots on their website. Called Bot Analytics, the new solution provides more detailed detection, informing users of how many bots are present and whether they can be classified as ‘good bots’ or ‘bad bots.’

Although bots have a bad reputation online, not all of them are malicious. In fact, many helpful services that employ some level of automation use bots. These are completely above board and as long as they are open about the practice, shouldn’t be prevented from visiting any sites.

On the other hand, ‘bad bots’ can be an unwelcome presence. They may be hoarding inventory or scraping content from a particular site. However, because bots represent an estimated 40% of all online traffic, determining which bots to block and which ones to allow isn’t easy. This is where Cloudflare’s Bot Analytics comes in.

• The best CDN providers for your website
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Bad bots

“Beginning today, we are going to show you the bots that reach your website,” Ben Solomon, product manager for Bot Management at Cloudflare, explained. 

“You can see these bots with a new tool called Bot Analytics. It’s fast, accurate, and loaded with information. You can query data up to one month in the past with no noticeable lag. To accomplish this, we exposed the data with GraphQL and paired it with adaptive bitrate (ABR) technology to dynamically load content. If you already have Bot Management added to your Cloudflare account, Bot Analytics is included in your service.”

Boy Analytics can be found under the Firewall tab of the Cloudflare dashboard. Enterprises without Bot Management access will only see a snapshot of their bot traffic, but that should still be enough to determine whether bots are swarming all over a webpage.

Website admins can also set their own bot threshold to determine how much automated traffic they allow. Of course, there’s no sure-fire way of keeping out all bots, but setting the right limit should ensure that more bandwidth is given to genuine website visitors.

• We've also highlighted the best software for SMBs

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Samsung launches device-locating feature to rival Apple's iPhone-finding Find My perk

Samsung Electronics has introduced its own version of Apple’s Find My feature to locate devices – though, naturally, it will only work with Galaxy devices, from smartphones to tablets to smartwatches to individual earbuds.

The feature, called SmartThings Find, locates devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ultra Wideband (UWB) – a WiFi-less tracking method similar to what Apple has been rumored to be developing. SmartThings Find is now available on Samsung's Galaxy devices globally after the service was tested by 6 million users in South Korea, the USA and the UK for about two months, the company said in a press statement.

Sadly, older devices may not be able to run the feature, which is coming in a software update for on Galaxy smartphones and tablets running Android 8 or later, Galaxy Watch smartwatches powered by Tizen 5.5 or above, and Galaxy Buds Plus and Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds.

• Samsung breaks Xiaomi’s three-year streak

The technology behind SmartThings Find

After completing a quick registration process, SmartThings users can easily find their Galaxy devices – from smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, down to each individual earbud. 

While the app uses BLE and UWB technologies to track the devices, it shows their locations in an AR interface to help users see where their Galaxy products actually are.

"With the added advantage of using AR6 in conjunction with maps and sounds to guide you back to your devices, SmartThings Find is a simple and visual solution that will help you easily locate your favorite devices. This is just one example of the new meaningful mobile experiences that UWB technology will bring to people across the world,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.

According to Samsung: Once a device has been offline for 30 minutes, it produces a BLE signal that can be received by other devices "If you report your device as lost via SmartThings Find, any nearby Galaxy smartphone or tablet that has opted into helping find misplaced devices can alert the Samsung server about its location, which will in turn notify you."

The service is also set to offer integrated map directions and sounds for users to quickly find a lost device.

Once you're close to your device, you can choose to either have your device 'ring' or locate it using the augmented reality-based search nearby function, which displays color graphics that increase in intensity when you are getting closer to your device, the company said.

All SmartThings Find user data is encrypted and securely protected, ensuring that the device’s location is not revealed to anyone except its owner.

SmartThings Find is similar to 'Find My App' that are native to Apple devices.

Samsung to add this service to other devices, too

The highlight of the service is it will allow users to find their missing devices even if they are offline.

Samsung said it plans to start expanding such solutions to tracking tags early next year, so that users can locate not only Galaxy devices but also other items.

"We are excited to also be working closely with leading companies in the item-finding space to both expand this experience and enable you to find more of the belongings you care about most," said Jung Jae-yeon.

• Apple iPhone 12: price in India, pre-orders, and best offers
• Best budget phones under Rs 20,000 in India

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Election results could reshape stimulus negotiations over a second check, unemployment aid, more - CNET

With stimulus negotiations at an impasse, a new phase may take cues from the next set of leaders to be sworn into office.

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How to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for free online - CNET

Good grief! Longtime Peanuts fans feel Apple's move was a trick, not a treat.

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The Queen's Gambit: That ending explained and all your questions answered - CNET

Is the Netflix show based on a true story? Let's go through all those key details and more.

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Best smart plugs of 2020: Options for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri - CNET

Bringing devices online is easier than ever, and these smart plugs connect everyday items with a voice assistant.

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NASA secures sample of asteroid Bennu to send home to Earth - CNET

The Osiris-Rex spacecraft grabbed so much space gravel its container started overflowing and the sample had to be put away early.

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Netflix is working on a Vince McMahon documentary with WWE - CNET

It'll be a multi-part docuseries on WWE's famously eccentric chairman.

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Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook rake in profits. Washington is watching - CNET

We've seen this story before.

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Kia is making a rad, production-based light military vehicle too, y'know - Roadshow

It looks like a little HMMWV and it's based on the Borrego SUV.

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Getting too many texts? Blame the election

Every election campaign uses more sophisticated tech, but the text message still cuts through.

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WhatsApp is now delivering roughly 100 billion messages a day

WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app owned by Facebook, is now delivering roughly 100 billion messages a day, the company’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said at the quarterly earnings call Thursday.

For some perspective, users exchanged 100 billion messages on WhatsApp last New Year’s Eve. That is the day when WhatsApp tops its engagement figures, and as many of you may remember, also the time when the service customarily suffered glitches in the past years. (No outage on last New Year’s Eve!)

At this point, WhatsApp is just competing with itself. Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp together were used to exchange 60 billion messages a day as of early 2016. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in May that iMessage and FaceTime were seeing record usage, but did not share specific figures. The last time Apple did share the figure, it was far behind WhatsApp’s then usage (podcast). WeChat, which has also amassed over 1 billion users, is behind in daily volume of messages, too.

WhatsApp hits 2 billion users, up from 1.5 billion 2 years ago

In early 2014, WhatsApp was being used to exchange about 50 billion texts a day, its then chief executive Jan Koum revealed at an event.

At the time, WhatsApp had fewer than 500 million users. WhatsApp now has more than 2 billion users and at least in India, its largest market by users, its popularity surpasses those of every other smartphone app including the big blue app.

“This year we’ve all relied on messaging more than ever to keep up with our loved ones and get business done,” tweeted Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp.

Sadly, that’s all the update the company shared on WhatsApp today. Mystery continues for when WhatsApp expects to resume its payments service in Brazil, and when it plans to launch its payments in India, where it began testing the service in 2018. (It has already shared big plans around financial services in India, though.)

“We are proud that WhatsApp is able to deliver roughly 100B messages every day and we’re excited about the road ahead,” said Cathcart.

WhatsApp to pilot projects to deliver credit, insurance and pension to users in India

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PORTL Hologram raises $3M to put a hologram machine in every home

What does a hologram-obsessed entrepreneur do for a second act after setting up a virtual Ronald Reagan in the Reagan Memorial Library, or beaming Jimmy Kimmel all the way from Hollywood to the Country Music Awards in Nashville?

If that entrepreneur is David Nussbaum, the founder of PORTL Hologram, the next logical step is to build a machine that can bring the joy of hologram-based communication to the masses.

That’s the goal thanks to a new $3 million round that Nussbaum’s company raised from famed venture investor Tim Draper, former Electronic Arts executive Doug Barry and longtime awards-show producer Joe Lewis.

Barry is not only backing the company, he’s also coming on board as its first chief operating officer.

Much of this interest can be traced back to the hologram performance given posthumously by Tupac Shakur back at Coachella about eight years ago.

Nussbaum turned the excitement generated by that event into a business. He bought the patents that powered Tupac’s beyond-the-grave performance, and used the technology to beam Julian Assange out of the Ecuadoran embassy he had been holed up in during his years in London and making dead stars live (and tour) again.

Those visual feats were basically just an updated version of the Pepper’s Ghost technique that stage illusionists and moviemakers have been using since it was invented by John Pepper in the 19th century.

The PORTL is a significant upgrade, according to Nussbaum.

The projector can transmit images any time of the day or night, and using PORTL’s capture studio-in-a-box means that anyone with $60,000 to spend and a white background can beam themselves into any portal anywhere in the world.

The company has sold a hundred devices and already delivered several dozen to shopping malls, airports and movie theater lobbies. “We’ve manufactured and delivered several dozen,” Nussbaum said.

Part of the selling point, beyond just the gimmick of the hologram’s next-level verisimilitude, is its interactivity. Through the studio rig and PORTL hardware, users can hear what people standing around the PORTL are saying and then respond.

For its next trick, PORTL is looking to build a miniaturized version of its system that would be about the size of a desktop computer and could be used to both record and distribute the holograms to anyone with a PORTL device.

“The minis will have all of the features to capture your content and rotoscope you out of our background and have the studio effects that is important in displaying your realistic volumetric like effect and they will beam you to any other device,” Nussbaum said.

To build out the business, the PORTL minis will have more than just communications capabilities, but recorded entertainment as well, Nussbaum said.

“The minis will be bundled with content like Peloton and Mirror bundled with very specific types of content. We are in conversations with a number of extremely well-known content creators where we would bundle a portal but will also have dedicated and exclusive content… [and] bundle that for $39 to $49 per month.”

It’s a vision that Nussbaum admits is far more expansive than his intentions — and the person he has to thank for the more ambitious vision of the business is none other than Draper.

“When I started this I thought it was going to be a novelty company,” he said. “When the pandemic hit he knew we needed to do much more than that.”

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Lil Yachty’s Quibi show is the first to find a life raft

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Remember Quibi, short-lived media company and purveyor of bizarre shows like Murder House Flip and a horror anthology featuring a golden arm? It’s only been a little over a week since the mobile-first, shortform streamer announced it was shuttering, but already the first of its unreleased shows has found a new home: Lil Yachty’s dramedy, Public Figures, is headed to HBO Max. It seems pieces of Quibi might live on — whether you watched it or not.

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman’s efforts to sell Quibi outright to big companies like Apple and WarnerMedia was one of the first indications that things were about to go bottoms up at the young company. The attempts that followed to sell off Quibi’s unreleased content all but confirmed the...

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Google is bringing its own VPN to desktops and phones with $9.99 Google One subscription

There are any number of VPN services you can use to help protect your privacy and security with an encrypted internet connection, and now Google has its own. Well, technically, it already did, but only for Google Fi cellular subscribers on Android smartphones. Now, the company’s announcing it’ll throw in an Android-based VPN free of charge to any 2TB Google One cloud storage subscriber in the US — and will expand to iOS, Windows and Mac and other countries “in the coming months.”

As you can see in the image above, you’ll need to be on the 2TB Google One plan which costs $9.99 a month or $99 per year, so it’s not exactly a free VPN. But if you’re interested, this Google GIF shows you how to turn it on:

A new...

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5 stimulus benefits that go away in 2 months if we don't get a new COVID relief bill - CNET

Unless Congress intervenes, these CARES Act benefits are set to expire at the end of this year.

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Chevy built a Bolt-powered classic K5 Blazer EV for SEMA and it's glorious - Roadshow

The kit can be used to bolt the Bolt's drivetrain into all kinds of classic vehicles.

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Chevrolet built an electric Bolt-powered K5 Blazer for SEMA - Roadshow

It even keeps the Blazer's transfer case and axles.

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Despite virtual school, kids will still get snow days in one district - CNET

Truly, snow days are one of the best things about American education.

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Truth Seekers review: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are surprisingly serious for Halloween - CNET

The Shaun of the Dead pair return to seek the truth behind haunted dwellings in the UK. But the Amazon show's horror and comedy only sometimes work.

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Get three months of cell phone service for up to half off from Tello - CNET

You can get 4GB of data with unlimited talk and text for $15 per month with no contract.

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Halloween and COVID-19: Trick-or-treating and what the CDC says is too risky - CNET

Halloween is going to look different this year.

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Halloween Google Doodle game resurrects Momo the black cat - CNET

Our feline friend has found a new foe to fight -- underwater ghouls!

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Honeywell reveals next-gen quantum computer

Honeywell has introduced its next-generation quantum computer the System Model H1 which features its differentiated quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) and trapped-ion technology with a design ready to be rapidly upgraded throughout its lifetime.

The company's new quantum computer will initially offer 10 fully connected qubits, a proven quantum volume of 128 and unique features such as mid-circuit measurement and qubit reuse. Going forward though, Honeywell has committed to rapidly increase the quantum volume of its quantum computers by at least an order of magnitude annually over the course of the next five years.

Enterprises will be able to directly access its System Model H1 via a cloud API as well as through Microsoft Azure Quantum and channel partners including Zapata Computing and Cambridge Quantum Computing through a subscription-based model.

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President of Honeywell Quantum Solutions Tony Uttley explained how its H1 generation of quantum computers will be continually updated throughout their lifetime in a press release, saying:

"Honeywell's aggressive quantum computing roadmap reflects our commitment to achieving commercial scale for our quantum business. Our subscription-based model provides enterprise customers with access to Honeywell's most advanced system available. Honeywell's unique methodology enables us to systematically and continuously 'upgrade' the H1 generation of systems through increased qubit count, even higher fidelities and unique feature modifications."

System Model H1

In addition to announcing its new System Model H1 quantum computer, Honeywell has also confirmed that it has already begun interaction activities for its future System Model H2 generation as well as development activities supporting its H3 generation and beyond.

Demand for access to the company's quantum computer is already high among enterprise customers according to Uttley, who said:

"The introduction of the System Model H1 is a significant milestone in shaping and accelerating the development of quantum computing and bringing its power to enterprises. We've seen demand skyrocket in 2020 and are thrilled to partner with customers seeking to solve real business problems via quantum computing."

Honeywell also revealed that DHL and Merck are the latest enterprise companies with access to its quantum computer. These organizations have already demonstrated the wide range of quantum computing use cases which include pharmaceuticals and logistics as well as Honeywell's own internal applications in its Aerospace and Performance and Technologies businesses.

We'll likely hear more about the company's System Model H1 quantum computer once enterprise customers begin testing it out for themselves.

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Amazon's Chinese rival has introduced a mind-blowing video feature

AliExpress, an online retail service owned by China’s Alibaba Group, has launched the world’s first real-time livestreaming translation feature. The technology should help e-commerce merchants overcome language barriers and expand into new markets.

Often one of the biggest obstacles facing SME merchants selling through AliExpress, which is active across more than 200 countries, is communication. When native live streamers prove difficult to come by, sellers may advertise their products using silent livestreams or through poorly-worded English. 

With the new translation feature, this should no longer be a problem. Available translations include Chinese to English, Russian, Spanish and French, as well as from English to Russian, Spanish and French.

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“As an industry pioneer, we are dedicated to empowering both content creators and sellers to react fast and to break language barriers by taking advantage of cross-border livestreaming, a testament of our commitment to technological innovation,” Wang Mingqiang, general manager of AliExpress, explained.

Express translations

AliExpress already supported a content translation service but livestreamed audio posed problems with background noise, accents and colloquialisms. 

However, a new speech model pioneered by the Alibaba DAMO academy is not only able to reduce inaudibility but also recognise accented speech. The model is powered by Alibaba’s award-winning AI technology.

The real-time translation service is already proving popular among merchants, with 65% of sellers on the AliExpress platform leveraging the service. What’s more, evidence suggests that the feature is having a major impact on sales figures, with the conversation rate for livestreaming session increasing by 300% when real-time translation is enabled.

AliExpress aims to gradually upgrade its real-time translation solution, adding more languages and improving functionality. In the meantime, the technology should prove useful for merchants taking part in the Global Shopping Festival next month.

• The best cloud computing services for digital transformation

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Scored an Xbox Series X pre-order? Here are the cheapest Aussie prices on launch titles

It's obvious that everyone's eager for the launch of the next generation of gaming consoles, with both the PS5 and Xbox Series X pre-orders selling out in a matter of minutes when they went live.

If you were lucky enough to grab a pre-order of the flagship Microsoft console, or its slimmer sibling the Xbox Series S, then you'll likely want to pair it with one of the awesome titles available on the console at launch.

While the next-gen gaming titles have brought with them a necessary yet unpleasant price hike, there's still a good chance to save on the boosted retail price of Xbox Series X games.

We've had a good hunt around at the current prices on offer in Australia and found the best bet across the board is buying physical copies of the games from Amazon Australia.

Below, we've selected some of the best games and lowest prices, so have a browse so you can stock up in time for the November 10 launch.

• Xbox Series X and Series S unboxing: uncovering Microsoft's next-gen consoles

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War | AU$75 at Amazon (usually AU$109.95)

Nab yourself another generation of Call of Duty to go with your next-gen console. Although this isn't strictly a launch title (it actually releases on November 13), it's close enough for us.View Deal

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla | AU$68 at Amazon (usually AU$99.95)

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is sure to continue the series' tradition of being absolutely sprawling, packing in as much Viking action as you could dream of. It'll also look great on Series X, with 4K Ultra HD support and 60 frames-per second.View Deal

Watch Dogs Legion | AU$68 at Amazon (usually AU$99.95)

Technically, Watch Dogs Legion is already available in Australia, but this is a Series X launch title because it'll enjoy the benefits of its next-gen patch a whole fortnight before PS5. That patch will roll out November 10, adding raytracing, 4K support and more.View Deal

Dirt 5 | AU$69 at Amazon (usually AU$99.95)

For the car enthusiast, racing fan, or person-who-likes-fun among us, this is one of the most hyped Xbox Series X launch titles on offer. It promises to be a graphics showcase: you'll be able to put your TV through the wringer with frame rates of up 120, and it also supports native 4K resolution.
View Deal

NBA 2K21 | AU$88 at Amazon (usually AU$109.95)

Most Xbox games making the transition to Series X are pretty straightforward: they'll just work, some will receive a patch. But if you want the next-gen version 2K21 you can't just buy the current-gen version, which is AU$59. Only the current-gen Mamba Forever Edition version gets a free next-gen upgrade, and that currently costs AU$137.16, so this is still the better deal.View Deal

Yakuza: Like a Dragon | AU$74.99 at Amazon (usually AU$99.95)

The seventh mainline Yakuza game features a new protagonist and a pivot into turn-based combat. In other words: it's a landmark instalment, and it's going to look silky smooth on Xbox Series X.View Deal

• Snagged a PS5 preorder? This is the cheapest place to get launch games in AU

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Realme C15 Qualcomm edition launched in India

Realme has announced a new variant of its budget-oriented Realme C15 smartphone. The only difference in both the variants is the chipset that powers the phone. The latest one comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset compared to the octa-core MediaTek Helio G35 chipset that powered the original phone.

Initially launched in August along with Realme C12 and Realme Buds, the Qualcomm version of Realme C15 retains everything from the MediaTek variant, including the price.

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• Two more Realme C series phones might launch in India soon

Realme C15 Qualcomm edition key specifications

It sports a 6.5- inches HD+ LCD panel and as mentioned above, is powered by a Snapdragon 460 chipset. The Realme C15 comes with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage. Like most budget devices these days, this phone as well comes with a quad rear camera setup with a primary 13-megapixel sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor, and lastly a 2-megapixel retro sensor.  On the front, you get an 8-megapixel selfie shooter housed in a waterdrop notch.

The new Realme C15 retains the massive 6000mAh battery which was seen for the first time on any Realme device with the original C15. To top up this mammoth battery, the phone comes with an 18 W fast charging support via a Micro USB port. The phone runs on Realme UI based on Android 10 and comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The other features onboard include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition pricing and availability in India 

Realme has not changed the pricing of the Qualcomm edition of Realme C15 and the 3GB+ 32GB variant is priced at Rs. 9,999 while the 4GB+32GB variant is priced at Rs. 10,999. As an introductory offer, both the phones can be bought for Rs. 500 less starting October 29 from Flipkart. The Realme C15 Qualcomm edition is available Power Blue and Power Silver colour options.

Checkout the Realme C15 on FlipkartView Deal

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Refresh your Mandalorian memory with this season 1 recap video

As is often the case whenever a brand new season of an awesome show arrives, it can be tricky to remember everything that happened in the previous one.

And, with the second season of The Mandalorian due to land on Disney Plus tomorrow, chances are you might need a refresher course on everything that took place in the action-packed season 1.

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Thankfully, Disney has provided just that, dropping a handy recap video of the first season that should refresh your memory in just a little over a minute and a half.

Apart from offering a quick rundown of The Mandalorian season 1, the recap below quickly brings us up to speed with all the show's main characters, reminding of which side they're on and what their goals are. 

It also gives us a chance to relive some of Baby Yoda's most adorable moments, which we can all agree is definitely welcome.

The Mandalorian season 2 lands on Disney Plus this Friday on October 30, 2020. Not a Disney Plus subscriber yet? Sign up with the handy links below.

• How to watch The Mandalorian season 2 online with Disney Plus

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Marriott International announces partnership with Grab in six Southeast Asian countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the hospitality industry especially hard, and hotels around the world are looking for ways to regain revenue. Today, Marriott International and Grab announced a partnership that will cover the hospitality giant’s dining businesses in six Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Instead of room bookings, Marriott International deal with Grab focuses on about 600 restaurants and bars at its properties in the six Southeast Asian countries, which will start being added to GrabFood’s on-demand delivery platform in November. A joint announcement from the companies said the deal represents Marriott International’s “first extensive integration with a super app platform in Southeast Asia and Grab’s most comprehensive agreement with a hospitality group to date.”

Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company. During the second quarter, as the pandemic curtailed travel and in-person events, it reported a loss of $234 million, compared to the profit of $232 million it had recorded a year earlier. Chief executive Arne Sorenson called it “the worst quarter we have ever seen,” even though business is gradually recovering in China.

Ride-hailing was hit hard by COVID-19 — Grab’s Russell Cohen on how the company adapted

The Marriott-Grab integration means the two companies will link their loyalty programs, so GrabRewards points can be converted to Marriott Bonvoy points, or vice versa. Marriott International’s restaurants and bars that accept GrabPay will also have access to Grab’s Merchant Discovery platform, which will allow them to ping users about local deals and includes a marketing campaign platform called GrabAds.

Other hospitality businesses that Grab already partners with include Booking.com and Klook. Klook is among several travel-related companies that have recalibrated to focus on “staycations,” or services for people who can’t travel during the pandemic, but still want a break from their regular routines.

COVID-19 pivot: Travel unicorn Klook sees jump in staycations

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Andhra CM Wants to Block EA.com and 131 More Sites in AP to Combat 'Online Gambling'

Online gaming websites could be banned by the government next, including EA.com, MiniClip, and Zapak. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked Union Minister RS Prasad to ban 132 websites owing to the dangers posed by online gambling. However, in the letter sent by the CM to the IT minister, which Gadgets 360 has accessed, there are several sites that have no...

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2022 Genesis GV70 SUV debuts with spectacular looks - Roadshow

Genesis' latest model is a crossover that slots under the GV80, and it looks like nothing else on the road.

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Samsung posts highest-ever quarterly revenue as demand roars back - CNET

While the pandemic continues to rage, consumers are buying phones and other electronics again.

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Best Android VPNs for 2020 - CNET

These are the best virtual private networks for protecting your privacy on your Android mobile device.

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Astronomers probe black hole origins after 39 new cosmic collisions detected - CNET

An extreme merger motherlode gives astronomers a fresh view of the universe's most mysterious objects.

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2021 Jaguar E-Pace: The new gateway to going home with a Jag - Roadshow

The XE is out after this year, which makes the E-Pace more important than ever.

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Facebook, Twitter and Google face Congress over free speech video - CNET

The CEOs of three of the world's biggest online platforms faced a litany of questions from US senators over how they police content online.

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Animal Crossing: 'My sister lives on in a video game'

Tending to her sister's virtual town in Animal Crossing helps Meredith Myers keep her memory alive and cope with her grief.

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Halo Infinite loses director after being delayed to 2021 - CNET

Halo Infinite's development is looking increasingly beleaguered.

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The best phone to buy for 2020 - CNET

Hand-picked by CNET editors, find the phone you need right now.

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Best smart lights of 2020 (LED bulbs, switches, light strips, accessories and more) - CNET

I've spent six years testing out smart lights for a living. Here's the stuff I'd buy.

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FCA CEO Mike Manley confirms plans for electric Ram truck - Roadshow

Let's hope they don't let the same team that came up with "Stellantis" name this thing.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor ending explained, and all your questions answered - CNET

Dani's beautifully haunting love story has a few complicated knots. Here are some answers to everything that happened in the Netflix horror.

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The 31 best movies to see on Netflix - CNET

Not sure what to watch tonight? Here are some of the best movies Netflix has to offer.

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Happiness during coronavirus: 'Less about pleasure and more about wisdom' - CNET

Happiness during the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19 can seem elusive. Here's how scientists, writers, comedians, a yoga teacher and others are finding glimmers of it.

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Cisco wants to radically simplify IT operations through hybrid cloud

Cisco has unveiled a number of new software-delivered solutions aimed at simplifying IT operations across on-premise data centers and multicloud environments.

As applications have become more distributed, workforces more mobile and the demands on organizations' systems are greater than ever, IT teams require greater insights and automation in order to deliver true technology agility. With its new agile IT platforms, Cisco will help IT teams and businesses better respond to these market transitions.

SVP and GM of Cisco Enterprise Networking and Cloud, Todd Nightingale explained how its new solutions can help IT become more agile in a press release, saying:

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"Complexity can paralyze our teams. Our systems can no longer be powerful, but brittle. For IT to be as agile as their businesses require, they need solutions obsessed with simplicity. This year, technology groups around the globe were tested by unprecedented change. This fundamental shift in how businesses, schools and governments operate requires IT teams to transform how they function. Today, Cisco is announcing IT platforms for multicloud operations that provide advanced insights and automation to help organizations transform faster."

New platforms and services

Cisco's first new solution is Cisco Intersight which aims to become the world's simplest hybrid cloud platform to connect private data centers to private clouds. With the company's new Intersight Kubernetes Service, infrastructure teams can automate the lifecycle management of Kubernetes and containerized applications across any environment. At the same time, Intersight Workload Optimizer simplifies application resource management to provide organizations with real-time, full stack visibility and insights.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard is a single insights and automation platform that organizations can use to operate multicloud data center networks spanning on-premise, virtual edge and cloud sites. The platform brings together the company's orchestration, insights and assurance services along with critical third party services.

Finally, the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) allows employees to work from home by simplifying secure network access across all domains by extending the zero-trust workplace to any device at any time. Customers will be able to use the company's ISE to identify a variety of IoT endpoints to enforce consistent policies from the cloud.

Cisco ISE is available now while Cisco Intersight innovations and the Cisco Nexus Dashboard will be available by the end of the year. The company's Intersight Kubernetes Service will be made available during the first half of next year.

• We've also highlighted the best cloud storage services

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Major improvement for Windows gaming on Linux expected next year

Gaming on Linux systems could be about to get a lot more inclusive thanks to the work of one open-source company.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Collabora specializes in open source consultancy and development. The company has been working to improve the Linux kernel to better support gaming on the behest of Valve, who has been sponsoring the work. 

While gaming on Linux has made major positive strides in the last few years, a vast majority of games still continue to be developed exclusively for Windows. Valve’s approach to bring this Windows-only gaming ecosystem to Linux is through emulation.

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To that end it has developed an open source tool called Proton (forked from the open source Wine compatibility layer), which allows Windows-only games to run atop Linux, without any noticeable performance penalties.

Major milestone

Speaking at the recent Open Source Summit, Europe 2020, being held virtually for the first time, Gabriel Krisman Bertazi from Collabora talked about the "State of Linux Gaming". 

During his presentation Gabriel talked about all the work Collabora has been doing to fulfill Valve's requirements to further improve support for Windows games on Linux with Steam Play (via Proton). 

One of the big missing pieces of the puzzle is support for anti-cheat mechanisms, which causes quite a lot of Windows games to fail to load on Linux. Gabriel discussed the various strategies Collabora employed to remove this hurdle and how he expects their work in this regard to make its way into Linux Kernel 5.11.

While Gabriel’s talk was aimed at developers it shows Valve’s positive intentions when it comes to improving gaming on Linux. In addition to Collabora, the popular game developer and distributor is also working with CodeWeavers and other developers to improve the Linux graphics stack. 

• We think these are the best games you can play on Steam

Via: Phoronix

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