Thursday, 30 September 2021

Windows 11 launches Oct. 5. Here's a sneak peek at the new desktop customization tricks - CNET

Windows 11 is days away for Windows Insider program members.

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Best streaming devices to give for the holidays 2021 - CNET

A streamer makes the perfect gift for the TV fan on your list and we've rounded up choices for every budget.

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Ford recalls 354,000 cars over camera and suspension problems - Roadshow

A few Ford and Lincoln SUVs are affected by the camera recall, while the suspension issue is specific to the Explorer.

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The best cheap Amazon Echo deals and sales for September 2021

Our best Amazon Echo deals roundup is here to sort you out with one of the best voice-controlled smart speakers money can buy. These great little devices have been responsible for bringing smart home functionality into millions of homes, and it's easy to see why they are so popular.

There's an Echo speaker for every occasion now, thanks to Amazon's ever-increasing lineup of releases adding new additions every few years. We're also seeing some great updates to older models, which bring a range of speaker upgrades as well as new software. As always, though, the diminutive Amazon Echo Dot deals start the list at the cheaper end today, offering a great starting point to any smart home. If you're looking for pure Alexa functionality, we've also got the best Echo Flex prices going as well.

We've also got prices for the larger versions too including the Amazon Echo, Echo Studio, and more. If you want a visual element too, then we've got you covered with all three sizes of the Amazon Echo Show or the bedside table-friendly Echo Spot, all of which include a screen.

Although Amazon designed and built these smart devices, they're actually on sale at a large number of stores, which means they're never far away from a discount. We'll also list the standard price of each of these Amazon Alexa-powered speakers so you can get a better idea of how good the latest discounts in the comparison charts are. 

The best Amazon Echo deals

Amazon Echo Dot deals

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen)

A little bigger than before, but still tiny

Speaker size: 1.6-inch | Dimensions: 100 x 100 x 89 mm | Weight: 341 g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79

New voice recognition for kids
New spherical design
Fairly iterative features

Equally spherical, but much smaller, is the endearingly cute new Echo Dot – the fourth generation in the long line of excellent budget smart speakers from Amazon. Launching at just $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79, it's remaining one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on a voice assistant this year, but almost disappointingly, aside from its new eye-catching spherical design, improvements are mostly iterative.

That said, the new inclusion of Alexa Voice Profiles for Kid is a fantastic little feature if you've got kids in the house. This new child-friendly tech can recognize when a younger person is giving voice commands and tailors it's reception accordingly. So, if the child asks Alexa a question, they'll get an appropriate response, animal sound alarms, and even help with their homework should they need it. Read our Amazon Echo Dot review for more info.

cheap Amazon Echo prices, deals and sales

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo (4th gen)

Brand new, and rather circular

Speaker size: 3-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters | Dimensions: 144 x 144 x 133 mm | Weight: 970 g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149

New Zigbee + Sidewalk
Upgraded speaker
Same launch price as previous iteration
Still no clock display

The 2020 Amazon Echo is the fourth generation in the long line of excellent smart speakers from the tech giant. No, your eyes don't deceive you, it is indeed much, much more spherical than the 2019 iteration, but luckily all that extra space around the waist has been put to good use with some upgraded internals.

A new speaker array looks to provide an all-around much higher fidelity experience for music lovers, while the inclusion of the new Amazon Sidewalk and Zigbee support should help with smart home device compatibility across the board. You're also getting a new 'AZ1 Neural edge' processor onboard, which Amazon claims helps speed up voice-command recognition by double - not bad considering this latest iteration is retailing for the same price as last year's release.

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen deals

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)

The most popular smart speaker in the world

Speaker size: 1.6-inch | Dimensions: 4.3 x 9.9 x 9.9cm | Weight: 300g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or Bluetooth | Launch price: $49.99/£49.99/AU$79

Low price
Improved audio
Alexa's getting smarter all the time

The older, standard 3rd iteration of the Echo Dot comes in three colors - charcoal, heather grey, and sandstone (that'll be black, grey, or white to the rest of us). The hockey-puck-shaped speaker has a more refined look thanks to the fabric finish - far better than the older all-plastic version. The speaker driver is much larger too, going from 1.1-inches in diameter to 1.6-inches. It's 70% louder than the previous version and keeps the aux 3.5mm connection for a secondary speaker. You can also connect it wirelessly to external speakers via Bluetooth.

Amazon Echo Show 10 deals

Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)

Amazon's latest and most powerful Echo Show

Speaker size: 1.65 x 4W | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Dimensions: 14.8 x 8.6 x 7.3cm | Weight: 2560g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or bluetooth | Built-in smart home hub: Yes | Launch price: $249.99/£239.99/AU$399.99

A large 10-inch HD display
360-degree rotating display
Impressive camera
Expensive

The Echo Show 10 was released in February of this year and is Amazon's latest and most powerful smart display with a starting price of $249.99/£239.99. The 3rd generation Echo Show features a 10-inch HD display that automatically turns to face you. The 13MP camera will follow you around, so whether you're making a video call, watching a movie, or following a recipe, the Echo Show 10 is always within your gaze. The smart display also features auto-framing, so you'll stay front and center on video calls, and features a new design with a floating touchscreen above a cylindrical base.

Amazon Echo deals: Echo Show 5 (2021)

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)

Improved video calling at an affordable price

Speaker size: 1.65 x 4W | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Dimensions: 14.8 x 8.6 x 7.3cm | Weight: 410g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or bluetooth | Built-in smart home hub: No | Launch price: $84.99/£74.99/AU$119

Improved video calls
New home security features
Sustainable build
Same design as 2019 model

The all-new Amazon Echo Show 5 is now available to order with a retail price of $84.99 / £74.99/ AU$119, which is actually cheaper than the starting price of the 2019 model. The 5.5-inch display works with Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice to ask questions, play music and videos, and control other compatible smart home devices.

The 2nd Generation Echo Show has an upgraded HD 2MP camera with twice as many pixels as the previous version. You're also getting new home security features with Alexa Guard, so you can keep an eye on your home from the display and get alerts to your phone when motion or sound is detected. The 2021 Echo Show 5 is now made entirely of post-consumer recycled fabric and comes in charcoal, glacier white, and a new deep sea blue color.

Amazon Echo deals: Echo Show 8

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)

The best value Alexa smart display

Speaker size: 2 x 2.0-inch @ 10W | Screen size: 8-inch | Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.6 x 9.9cm | Weight: 1037g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or bluetooth | Built-in smart home hub: No | Launch price: $129.99/£119.99/AU$199

Updated processor
 Improved camera
Impressive sound

The 2021 Echo Show 8 is now available to purchase and will set you back $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199, which is the same starting price as the 2019 version. The all-new Echo Show features an 8-inch HD touchscreen display and works with Amazon Alexa to play movies, stream music, view photos, and control compatible smart home devices completely hands-free.

The new and improved Echo Show 5 comes with an updated 13MP camera that automatically pans, zooms, and frames for improved video calling. The smart display also has a new processor resulting in faster performance and is available in two colors, Charcoal and Glacier White.

Amazon Echo Show 8

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2019)

A decent screen size at a sensible price

Speaker size: 2 x 2.0-inch @ 10W | Screen size: 8-inch | Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.6 x 9.9cm | Weight: 1037g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or bluetooth | Built-in smart home hub: No | Launch price: $129.99/£119.99/AU$TBC

Better Suited to larger rooms than the Show 5
Way cheaper than the larger model
Louder than the Show 5
Nothing 'new'

Not long after the release of the Show 5, Amazon came along with the Amazon Echo Show 8 and a larger screen. So while you may prefer the smaller Echo Show 5 for a bedside table, the new Show 8 works better in larger spaces.

If you're looking for some hands-free recipe guidance in the form of kitchen video tutorials, then this is ideal. The Echo Show second-generation does offer a larger screen, but that 10-inch display comes at a significant price jump. This 8-inch screen is perfect for larger use than you'd need from a bedside table, without offering a hefty price tag to match. 

You're also getting the superior display and audio quality of the Echo Show (2nd Gen) with all the privacy and app benefits that came with the Show 5. It's an amalgamation of the best bits of the last two models that comes out with a price tag sitting closer to the cheaper end than the premium 2nd Generation.

amazon echo show 5 prices deals

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019)

The cheapest Echo Show display

Speaker size: 1.65 x 4W | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Dimensions: 14.8 x 8.6 x 7.3cm | Weight: 410g | Line out: 3.5mm audio or bluetooth | Built-in smart home hub: No | Launch price: $89.99/£79.99/AU$129

Way cheaper than the other Echo Shows
Decent alternative to the Google Home hub
Bedside table-friendly...
But a bit small otherwise?

This is the cheapest Amazon Echo Show you'll find out in the wild right now. It comes with a smaller five-inch screen than the other Echo Show deals in this list, but if you're after something for a bedside table display, or you simply don't need another intrusive screen in your living room, the Echo Show 5 sit perfectly.

Compared to its bigger siblings, or Google's rival offerings, you might find the screen a little small depending on where you're going to be seeing it from after requesting something via the Alexa voice commands. Plus, you'll be missing out on the improved display and audio quality of the more recent Show 8 as well. The huge selection of how-to videos are super handy though if you can plug it in close by, especially in the kitchen. Check out our full Amazon Echo Show 5 review if you want to learn more about this budget-friendly smart speaker display. 

cheap Amazon Echo deals sales price

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Echo Studio

2019's latest Echo means business

Speaker size: Three 2-inch midrange speakers, 1-inch tweeter, 5.25-inch woofer | Dimensions: 20.6cm x 17.5cm | Weight: 3,500g | Line in: 3.5mm or optical line in | Launch price: $199/£189/AU$329

Excellent audio quality
Easy home cinema set up
Great price
3D audio hit and miss

If you've been watching the Echo Sub for a while wishing you could just add the smart speaker into the fantastic sound for a complete package, you'll want to check out 2019's Echo Studio. The massive Echo smart speaker works as a complete high quality audio solution that not only offers impressive sound quality for its price tag but can also easily create a home cinema with a Fire stick. 

Amazon have pitched their Echo Studio as low as possible in price - excellent times for all the bargain hunters out there. Don't be fooled by that relatively low price either, this is a powerful speaker. While the 3D audio can be hit and miss, we found that the Echo Studio offered fantastic value for money with powerful sound and a wealth of features. 

See more bargains with our roundup of the best Amazon deals that are happening right now.



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Best website builder for musicians in 2021

The best website builder for musicians will make it easy to not just showcase your band but especially present your music and track listings.

Best musicians' website builders

1. Bandzoogle

2. Wix

3. Music Glue

4. Difyd2c

5. Tumblr

Read on for our detailed analysis of each service

A host of different services will now let you put a website online, quickly and easily, no coding skills required – but if you're looking for something to show off your talents as a musician then you need a more specific set of features.

Primarily, a way of uploading and sharing your tunes in a simple and secure way, even if it's just snippets of songs rather than whole tracks or indeed albums.

If you're a musician for hire then it can be useful to have some kind of booking system in place as well, or at least a contact form. On top of that, there are all the extras you might be interested in, like support for your own domain name or gallery pages to show just how many people came to your last gig.

Here are our picks for the best website builder for musicians to create a presence online.

Top 3 website builder services

1. Wix - a top-notch website builder that's great value
Wix is top dog when it comes to free website builders, but it also offers some powerful paid plans. These start from as little as $8.50 per month for the Combo plan (over three years) which removes the adverts from your site, as well as giving you 3GB of storage space, a free domain and free SSL certificate.

2. Gator is a great website builder service
Gator Site Builder from Hostgator has a superbly cheap Starter package which comes with free hosting and a domain name included, plus a free SSL certificate. You get constantly available customer support, too, and the benefit of website analytics to boot: all with 55% off meaning you pay just $3.46 per month.

3. Zyro - a serious, high-quality site builder
Hostinger-owned Zyro offers a website builder that is very easy-to-use and ideal for novices, allowing anyone to get their site up swiftly. You’ll pay very little for the privilege too and even the premium "Unleashed" plan costs just $3.90 monthly.

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Bandzoogle (Image credit: Future)

1. Bandzoogle

Website builder designed specifically for musicians

Sell music, tickets and merch
Plug in all your social accounts
Not the most flexible theme editor

You won't find too many website builder services aimed specifically at musicians, but Bandzoogle gleefully jumps in to provide a bespoke service specifically for bands and artists. While it lacks some of the polish of the big names, because it focuses on the musician niche in particular, it has everything you should need.

That includes, of course, the ability to upload your own tracks and let visitors stream them from your website. You can get tracks organized into entire albums if you really want to go to town, or just share (or even sell) single tracks. And then, as well as that, you've got simple ways to post gig dates, blog updates, and so on.

Whether you need to build a contact form or a video diary, Bandzoogle makes it easy, no coding required – you can really make a site that's as simple or as complex as you like, and the end result is something that looks like you hired a specialist.

You've got over 100 themes to choose from (there is even one for crowdfunding), they're all straightforward to edit and tweak, and connecting up social accounts (including the likes of SoundCloud and Bandcamp) only takes a few clicks as well. As an added bonus, you can sell fan subscription, merchandise and tickets right through Bandzoogle as well.

This all makes, in our opinion, Bandzoogle the best overall website builder for musicians.

Read our Bandzoogle review here.

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Wix (Image credit: Future)

2. Wix

A great choice whatever the site

Upload your own music and videos
Supports plenty of music plug-ins
Can get pricey on higher tiers

Check out any list of website builders for any purpose and Wix is likely to feature on it, but not only does this service earn that high reputation, it also has some useful tools for musicians – not least the ability to upload your own tracks so visitors to your website can listen to them without any extra software or browser extensions.

Platforms that you're probably already using, like Bandsintown and Songkick, can plug directly into your Wix site: you can set up integrations like these in just a few clicks. What's more, you can add on an e-commerce portal to your site, for the purposes of shifting albums, T-shirts, or whatever else you need to sell.

Wix has a very solid selection of templates, with more than 500 to choose from, and if you delve into the music section you'll see there are options for solo artists, bands, DJs, producers, or anyone else connected to the industry. Have a click around these templates to see the kind of sites it's possible to create.

After that you've got all the features Wix has become known for: a site editor that's a breeze to use whether or not you know what CSS stands for, custom domain name support, easy blogging and simple social media support, and a free tier that lets you work out whether Wix is for you before you part with any cash.

Overall, Wix offers a great website builder, and especially a website builder for musicians.

Read our Wix review here.

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Music Glue (Image credit: Future)

3. Music Glue

Merchandise, tickets and much more

Professional, effortless e-commerce
Used by some of big names
Not so strong on site building

Music Glue is a little different to the other website builder services we've featured here: it focuses first and foremost on the merchandise and ticketing aspects of the music business, and indeed powers the online stores for some of the biggest names in the industry. Its pricing system is unusual too, taking a 10% cut of whatever you sell rather than a flat fee.

That does at least mean you won't be out of pocket if your online marketplace doesn't attract much attention to begin with. There are no additional fees for payment processing, and customers can rock up with debit or credit cards, or PayPal.

Music Glue is less impressive on the website building side, although you do get the basics – a choice of themes for the site attached to your online shop, the option to bring over your own custom domain name, tools for tweaking the code and layout of your site, and so on. It's possible to plug in social media accounts and even set up a mailing list.

If your priority is the mechanics of selling music and tickets to your audience, then Music Glue is a good bet, and has some very famous clients on its books, as we mentioned. If you don't really have anything to sell right now and want to spend more time fiddling with a site design and layout, then maybe look elsewhere.

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Difymusic (Image credit: Future)

4. Difyd2c

Focus on the music

One of the best for simple setup
Add social channels in a few clicks
Basic set of themes and editing options

French website Difyd2c isn't the most well-known website builder for musicians out there, and it doesn't have the same breadth of tools and features as some of the big names – but where it really comes into its own is in getting your music online quickly and easily.

If you'd rather just get your stuff up quickly with a few pictures and links, rather than spend ages choosing a theme and editing HTML, Difymusic could be for you. It relies on plug-ins – like Spotify or SoundCloud for getting your music up, for example – but it supports an awful lot of them, so you're bound to find something that works.

If you want to sell merch and tickets, then you can pay to add that on your main site, with a one-time €9.99 setup fee (about £9 or $12) and then 5% commission based on sales, but the basics are free. Connect up your Facebook page and your YouTube channel and you're good to go in just a few minutes.

Admittedly the choice of templates and editing options aren't very strong, but the designs you can play around with are decent enough, and certainly won't put anyone off your music. Difyd2c lets you get started quickly, and scale up as required.

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Tumblr (Image credit: Future)

5. Tumblr

Blogging with extras

Very simple and intuitive
Free to use (some paid extras)
No fully featured site editor

Tumblr isn't a website builder in the conventional sense – it's more of a half blogging, half social media platform – but if you take a longer look at what Tumblr has to offer, it's actual very appealing for musicians. For one thing, it's completely free to use, plus it already attracts a busy community of creatives.

You can post up to one 10MB MP3 file every day, as well as links, text posts, videos, photos and more. Those MP3s appear as streamable files for visitors to your site – they can listen to the tunes in their browser, no plug-ins or extra software required, so it's a great way of showcasing your talents without paying anything.

If Tumblr was simply a blogging platform and that was it, we probably wouldn't recommend the service, but it also supports pages alongside your blog (for a gallery or a contact form), custom domain names (so you can pay extra for whatever URL name you like), and posting from mobile apps too.

On top of all that there are a host of themes to choose from, some of which cost money, but many are free, and a lot of them would suit a musician's portfolio. If the theme isn't exactly to your liking, you can tweak it with the integrated options or your own CSS, and switching between themes whenever you like is simple, too.



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Best premium WordPress themes of 2021

Best premium WordPress themes

1. Avada

2. BeTheme

3. Kallyas

4. Monstroid2

5. Oshine

Read on for our detailed analysis of each theme

The website builder and web hosting solution that is WordPress is renowned for its customisability and versatility. You can design your site using free themes, but if you want the best, most up to date and intricate site, you need to venture into the Premium aisle. To help speed up your selection process, we’ve gathered five very interesting themes for you to check out.

(Image credit: Theme Fusion)

1. Avada

An excellent and extremely popular theme,with a vast number of templates and huge customisability

Versatile
Easy to use
Affordable

Avada is the number one bestselling WordPress theme on ThemeForest, with over 732,000 sales and an almost 5-star rating based on more than 24,000 reviews, as of this writing. And the reason for that is simple: it’s quite simply one of the best premium themes out there. Thanks to the bundled Avada Builder plugin, it allows you to build a layout fast, with impressive customisability. As you’d expect, not only is it responsive, adapting itself to the screen its viewed on, but it’s also Translation ready, with support for RTL (Right to Left).

Avada comes with 80 website templates, enabling you to have a site designed and uploaded in next to no time. It also has numerous pre-built layouts, all of which can be altered to suit your needs if you’re not happy with the standard configuration, or if you just want your site to look more unique. You can for instance, completely alter the pages’ header and footer to match your requirements, all with drag and drop ease. It’s also fully compatible with WooCommerce, should you wish to set up an online store.

The price of admission is only $60, which includes updates for life, and six months of tech support. There’s an option to extend that support by an additional six months for $18.

(Image credit: BeTheme)

2. BeTheme

A fantastic and highly versatile theme with loads of features and vast customization

Very flexible
Huge customization
Drag and drop ease

BeTheme is another popular premium WordPress theme. It comes with over 600 pre-built websites to help you hit the ground running, as you can draw inspiration from work that’s already been done, customising it with ease, to give it that unique look and feel that will draw your visitors and customers in. Those templates are subdivided into various categories, making it easy for you to find just the style that’s right for you. The theme is also flexible enough to be used for any type of site you’d care to create.

BeTheme comes with Muffin Builder, which lets you build and customise your site and pages using containers. You can also set the changes globally, which is an immense time saver, and of course, just like all advanced themes, you don’t need to know coding in order to transform the templates. This theme has many of the modern features you’ve come to expect, such as being responsive and compatible with retina displays, translation and RTL ready, and allows you to include parallax effects and video backgrounds, to name but three.

Like Avada, you can purchase BeTheme through ThemeForest for $59, which includes all future updates and six months of support (and a further six months of support can be got for $17.63).

(Image credit: Kallyas)

3. Kallyas

A good theme with many options and a great drag and drop interface

Great drag and drop features
Lots of flexibility
Good number of templates

Yet another drag and drop theme is Kallyas. It doesn’t have as many templates as BeTheme - only around 70 compared to more than 600 - but frankly, how many do you really need, as long as you find the one that appeals to you? It’s worth mentioning that, as with the others, the theme is fully responsive and retina-ready, and it supports all the latest features including being translation-ready, and includes support for RTL. Kallyas comes with a live page builder which allows you to build you site and its pages with drag and drop simplicity, and can be integrated with WooCommerce so you can design your own online store with ease. Integration with MailChimp is also standard.

It comes with multiple layouts for blogs and portfolios, includes a wide variety of sliders, and offers a lifetime of free updates such as all future page designs and features as they get released. All of this can be yours for $69.

(Image credit: Zemez)

4. Monstroid2

An extensively customisable layout with a wide (and growing) number of website templates

Great customization tools
WooCommerce Integration
Included Jet plugins

Monstroid2 comes with over 50 pre-built websites, and claims to release a new one every week, so that collection will continue to grow. It comes with a good selection of animation effects, to keep your page feeling more visually interesting than just static text, images and buttons. The customisation features are pretty extensive, and you can apply different layouts to different parts of your website, making for interesting creations. The theme comes with WooCommerce integration, and includes a series of Jet plugins as well, making the price more acceptable.

Monstroid2 will set you back $95, and the price tag also includes a lifetime of updates and support.

(Image credit: Oshine)

5. Oshine

A great versatile theme with a particular focus on photography

Great for image-heavy sites
Good layouts and customization

Oshine is a WordPress theme that’s great for photographers, with a focus on creating striking portfolios. But obviously that isn’t all this theme has on offer. It’s able to be integrated with the popular WooCommerce plugin to help you set up your own online business, has six different blog styles, and has support for parallax, and video backgrounds. It comes with numerous header and menu styles, including making them transparent and/or sticky, among other options. There are galleries dedicated to showcasing your Instagram and Flickr collections, and we quite liked the simple but effective black and white hover effect.

You can own Oshine for $59, and like the other themes being sold through ThemeForest, this includes a lifetime of updates and six months of support, with a further six months for an additional $17.63.



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Transform your network and scale to new heights with Aruba

COVID-19 didn’t change the workplace as much as you might think. 

The transition to distributed work was inevitable, and businesses were looking at making the shift long before the pandemic. The virus only moved up the timeline. 

The reality is that even then, we were living in a connected world. The quality of a business’s network was foundational to its success. And the Internet of Things was gradually reshaping both the role of technology in the workplace and our relationship to it.

Businesses of all sizes use sensor technology to collect valuable data from customers and staff alike, analyzing that data for potential opportunities and improvements through cloud software. Organizations support greater collaboration and productivity through digital tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. And leadership has long considered how remote staff could securely access the systems and resources necessary to work from anywhere. 

Woman on video call in office

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Most companies were, in other words, already digitizing the workplace, perhaps without even realizing what that meant. 

And in doing so, many made an exciting discovery. Modern technology has leveled the playing field - the gulf between major corporations and smaller organizations has never been smaller, and in many cases, the fact that a start-up can adapt more effectively to market trends actually gives it a considerable edge over its larger competitors. 

Of course, all this is often dependent on the strength and reliability of a business’s network. Connectivity, after all, is the lifeblood of a modern business regardless of size, and in the absence of connectivity, the business simply cannot grow. 

And therein lies the problem. Small businesses (SMBs) in particular often face a long list of challenges from a network management perspective, including: 

  • Talent shortages. It’s no secret that the technology sector is in the throes of an ongoing skills shortage. Experienced network administrators are, like other IT professionals, in short supply and high demand.
  • Network scale. Many small businesses do not initially build networks with scalability in mind. As a business's size, endpoints and resource demands grow, infrastructure often struggles to keep up. Performance suffers, and everything becomes increasingly complex, cumbersome, and unreliable.
  • Management and configuration. Modern computing demands are often simply too intensive for manual management, especially with a smaller IT team. Your personnel may find themselves forced to choose between troubleshooting and security, risk management and lifecycle management.
  • Security. Today’s IT personnel cannot simply focus on what’s within their organization. They must be capable of securing data wherever it resides, whether on a corporate server or an employee’s home PC.
  • Bandwidth. The proliferation of connected devices, cloud software, and smartphones have created an exponential surge in demand for network resources, and your network must be capable of scaling to meet this demand.
  • Vendor lock-in. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of less-than-reputable vendors that would like nothing more than to lock a business into a restrictive contract. And that, in turn, can limit the devices, software, or systems that business can use, restricting growth in the process.
  • Cost. An SMB's IT budget is often comparatively limited, and network management is frequently an unexpected cost associated with digital technology. Some businesses may find themselves unable to keep pace.t

It is apparent why the type of networking tools found within your SMB can be among the most significant barriers to its growth. It’s a seemingly impossible scenario. On the one hand, you need your network to be capable of scaling, both with surges in demand and overall growth.

Overworked tech professional sitting in front of multiple monitors

(Image credit: Getty Images)

On the other, your IT department is simply underequipped — and likely too understaffed — to make this happen. 

The good news is that you don’t need to deal with any of this on your own. Aruba is here to help you take your business to the big leagues, without breaking your budget, meaning you can ensure your infrastructure works for you, rather than against you. 

Aruba’s smart, scalable, intuitive networking hardware will keep your business in the fast lane, supporting all your digital, cloud, and IoT needs. With full support for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, Aruba Wi-Fi and multi-gigabit switching empowers you and your employees to effortlessly deploy, scale, and manage your network through a single pane of glass. More importantly, it does so while protecting your people and assets with enterprise-grade security. 

Man standing in front of manufacturing machinery with laptop

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In short, with Aruba, you’ll enjoy enhanced performance, better security, and simpler network management. You’ll free up your IT department to focus on matters beyond troubleshooting. And that, in turn, will allow you to support new, more varied business initiatives and ultimately set your business up for growth and success. 

Networking technology shouldn’t be complicated - it should enable business growth rather than restrict it, and entrepreneurs should be able to focus on driving their passion rather than struggling with their network. Find out more here.



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Google is making it easier to search when shopping from home

Over the past year and a half, consumers have started shopping online more than ever before and many of their searches begin on Google which is why the search giant has announced that it's adding new ways to find shopping inspiration across its products.

Since inspiration can strike at any time from an image you see online to a photo saved on your smartphone or even from something in the real world that catches your eye, the company is adding new features to Google Lens that make products users see instantly shoppable.

Beginning soon, iOS users will see a new button in the Google app that makes all of the images on a page searchable through Google Lens. This will make finding a product you see online in a picture, just a tap away. 

Google is also making it easier to shop for products from photos on your computer by bringing Lens to Chrome on your desktop. Users will soon be able to select images, video and text content on a website with Lens to quickly see search results in the same tab without having to leave the page they're currently on.

Window shopping and in-store inventory

Beginning today, Google is making it easier to browse for clothing, shoes and accessories on mobile right from its search results.

Now when a user searches for “jean jackets”, the company's search engine will show a visual feed of jackets in various colors and styles alongside other helpful information such as local shops, style guides and videos. Users will also be able to filter their search by style, department, brand and more and when they find something they like, they can check out ratings, reviews and even compare prices to get the best deal. This new experience is powered by Google's Shopping Graph which is a comprehensive, real-time dataset of products, inventory and merchants with more than 24bn listings.

As shoppers are increasingly beginning their in-person shopping experiences online, Google is also adding a new feature that allows them to find local stores that carry the products they want right from Google Search. Beginning today, when users look for products online even from a specific brand, they can select the “in stock” filter to see only the nearby stores that have them on their shelves. This feature will likely benefit small businesses as it can help them attract new local customers.

Google's new shopping features will make it even easier for users to find what they're looking for both online and in-person ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.



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FCC aims to crack down on SIM card swapping scams - CNET

Identity thieves can use your personal info to convince a wireless carrier to transfer your service to a new device. Now, the FCC is taking action.

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Road-tripping to the Long Beach Grand Prix in a Lexus IS 500 F Sport - Roadshow

I took a scenic route to the races in Lexus' new performance sedan.

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Best car battery chargers for 2021 - Roadshow

Car batteries can lose their charge because of weather, age or simply because the lights were left on. These will get your vehicle started and back on the road.

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COVID vaccine mandate: Today's update, who's required to show proof of vaccination - CNET

Federal and local vaccine mandates are in place to help to curb the surge of COVID-19 cases, but they're getting a bit of blowback.

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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: How to get a free Manaphy at launch - CNET

Buy the upcoming Pokemon remakes before Feb. 21 and you can receive a free Manaphy egg as an early purchase bonus.

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New World is still bricking Nvidia graphics cards with no fix on the horizon

Amazon Games’ latest MMO New World is a hot commodity, with queues as long as up to 469 hours. But there’s trouble brewing in this New World, as the title is still frying graphics cards –  and this time it’s not just EVGA RTX 3090 cards

According to multiple online reports on the game’s subreddit, it seems other GPU models have been suffering the same fate. Some examples include the RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 3060 Ti, and the RTX 3000 laptop GPU. Even some AMD users have been complaining of overheating and crashing issues with their Sapphire 5700 XT models, though there doesn’t seem to be any reports of them fully breaking down like their Nvidia counterparts.

These GPU breakdowns were first attributed to a soldering issue found with Nvidia’s most powerful model, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, as complications such as the framerate skyrocketing in the main menu and extremely long wait times both resulting in massive overheating. EVGA even conducted its own investigation and verified them to be victims of “poor workmanship,” and replaced any models broken by New World.

Amazon Games so far hasn’t commented on the issues at this time. Originally the company suggested players troubleshoot the initial problem by using an FPS limiter in the game’s menu. Now that the situation has been exacerbated, Reddit users have suggested players use their own FPS limiter tools such as the Rivatuner Statistics Server, which is a part of MSI Afterburner.

Currently, the only way to remedy an already broken GPU is to contact the manufacturer and arrange for a replacement. We’ve reached out to Amazon and Nvidia for comment on this issue, and we’ll update this story if and when we hear anything.



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Best blogging platforms of 2021

Best blogging platforms

1. Blogger

2. WordPress

3. Jekyll

4. Tumblr

5. Typepad

Read on for our detailed analysis of each platform

The popularity of blogging (which originally derives from ‘personal web log’) continues, whether for profit, or just to have a voice on the web, since over a decade ago when it first captured the internet as the ‘next big thing’. Some blogs are standalone sites, but others are a more personal section that fits into a larger, corporate website.

In order to blog, a blogging platform is required, which takes care of formatting the content in the form of text and images, and provides a framework for getting it onto a website. The blogging platform also makes it easier for a search engine to categorize the blog entries, and to be able to take advantage of marketing and advertising opportunities.

So before you start cranking out posts, and welcoming your virtual visitors from around the world, you need to choose the best blogging platform to suit your needs. Check out these great options.

Blogger

1. Blogger

The old master of blogging soldiers on

Free
Automatic Google Search indexing
Difficult to transition to other platforms

Ask any old-time blogger about what platform they started their blog with, and chances are they'll answer that it was Blogger. To this day, Google’s offering in the blogging space still retains several advantages, including that your existing Google account already means you have a Blogger account.

A broke startup blog will appreciate that it is free to use, and it will even provide the blogspot.com domain name, as well as the option for a custom domain name. It is also one of the easier platforms to use, and provides a choice of templates that can be flexibly modified.

As it is a Google offering, it easily integrates with other Google products, including Google Analytics that can provide information about your website’s visitors that should be used to help grow traffic. Also, your blog can be integrated with Google’s Adsense, that will analyze your content, and display relevant ads to monetize your blog, so you can pay for the coffee as you sit in Starbucks and blog into the night.

With all that going for it, is there any reason not to use Blogger? Well, the problem is that as your blog grows, its simplicity means that you may outgrow Blogger at some point. In addition, it can be difficult to transition from Blogger to another platform. 

WordPress

2. WordPress

Merging ease of use with flexibility and power

Turnkey blogging solution
Integrated credit card module
Expert support
Free tier has no way to monetize

WordPress is a popular blogging platform which is used on a claimed 41% of web sites, that offers an excellent balance between ease of use, and more powerful options.

They can handle all the details, and take care of the domain name, the security and the hosting for a one stop shopping option. WordPress offers hundreds of themes, with flexibility in fonts and options for a custom look. They also offer expert support, and credit card payments can be accepted via an available plugin.

Pricing starts at the Personal plan for $4 (€3.6, £3.1) monthly billed annually, which removes all WordPress advertising. There is also a free tier available, which is suitable for a non-commercial blog as there is WordPress advertising and no way you can monetize it. 

Jekyll

3. Jekyll

The Ruby-based blog generator with tons of advanced features

Free cost
Advanced feature set
Not user friendly
Requires knowledge of Ruby

The latest version of Jekyll (4.2.1) is a “simple, blog-aware, static site generator.” Content gets created in TXT files, which get placed into folders. Then you build your site via Liquid language templates. Jekyll then merges the content and the template together, and voila, a website is generated that can be uploaded to a server. For those that need a host, there is integration with Jekyll to host the website for free on GitHub.

While there is a comprehensive ‘quick-start guide’ on the Jekyll website, it hardly offers the simplicity of some competing blogging platforms that can do this all from a web interface. However, the benefits that Jekyll offers are the advanced features, which include options for paginating posts, available plugins, excerpt rendering, templates, and community maintained themes. It also supports blog migration from other platforms.  

The plus here is that there is no cost to the platform, but the downside is that there is only community support, and the work takes place in the Ruby development environment, so many newbies will be put off. 

Tumblr

4. Tumblr

Microblogging meets simplicity

Ideal for a mobile platform
Childlike simplicity
Content remains in Tumblr ecosystem
No option for monetization

While some blogs are well developed, and blur the line between a blog, and a full fledged website, at the other end of things we have Tumblr. It seems to be doing something right as it claims a staggering 500+ million different blogs.

It focuses on the more concise end of the spectrum, with an emphasis on shorter content, like just an image, or link, that can appear as more of an alternate social media platform. Content is definitely more short-form, with posts consisting of a variety of material, for example, pics, jokes, quips, Spotify tracks, and video (just remember that adult content is no longer welcome). Like a social media platform, you can also follow other blogs, and republish posts you like to your own blog.

The pro is that Tumblr is quite simple to use, costs nothing, and is ideal for use on a mobile device. However, this is not ideal for a more developed blog, as the content remains in the Tumblr ecosystem, and there is no way to monetize it.  

Typepad

5. Typepad

The professional blogging platform

Free trial
Endless customization options
Fully hosted
No free tier

Typepad is a fully developed blogging platform, designed for the professional blogger. It offers a ton of flexibility, including the ability to publish from email, a web browser, or mobile. It also easily integrates with Google Analytics, and has its own affiliate plan.

Typepad supports design customization with a Theme Builder for a custom look, and the option for creating your own custom template or modifying a theme with custom CSS. Typepad is also fully hosted, and has support available. 

After the initial 14-day trial, plans start at $8.95 (£8) per month for up to four blogs with unlimited storage. 

Currently, Typepad is not accepting new users. Instead the company refers new users to Bluehost.



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Best budget gaming PC 2021: top gaming desktops for less

The best budget gaming PCs are not only significantly cheaper than more expensive builds out there, they're more than capable of getting great gaming performance for the vast majority of the best PC games out there, even if they might not be able to crank every setting all the way up to 11.

Some even come with some of the best cheap processors and best budget graphics cards, which saves a ton of money while still giving you a solid amount of performance for both everyday computing needs as well as serious PC gaming.

And with the best processors and best graphics cards currently being almost impossible to get your hands on right now thanks to a host of ongoing issues, getting the best budget gaming PC now could be a great choice that can let you upgrade later when better components become more available on the market.

That upgradability definitely gives a budget gaming PC a step up above even the best all-in-one computers that you can't build upon once the components start to age and the system's performance starts to become obsolete in the future.

Most importantly, most users – and even most PC gamers – don't actually need the absolute best gaming PC money can buy to enjoy PC gaming, since even the latest AAA games on PC will have a host of performance settings that can dial things back to what your PC might be capable of. 

And sure, something like Cyberpunk 2077 isn't going to look as good as possible on even the best budget gaming PC, but honestly, it probably doesn't have to for you to enjoy the game. What's more, some of the best Steam games aren't as resource-intensive as they were in the past, so you can still enjoy the latest titles along with everyone else, as well as all the best cheap PC games out there from indie studios.

We definitely understand that you'll want to make the right choice when making your purchase though, since getting a gaming PC for cheap is only a smart decision if that PC is actually good enough to use. Buying a crappy system that can't run anything isn't a good purchase no matter how much money you save. Don't worry though, we're here to help you find the best budget gaming PC for your needs and budget so you don't have to stress about whether you're buying a lemon. 

Our Top Picks for Best Budget Gaming PC of 2021

Best Budget Gaming PCs of 2021

Acer Predator Orion 3000 against a white background

(Image credit: Acer)

1. Acer Predator Orion 3000

Affordable gaming at its best

CPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 | Graphics: 10th-gen Inte Core i5 | RAM: 12GB | Storage: 512GB SSD

Cool gamer aesthetic
Great cooling solution
Higher configurations are pricey

Although the Acer Predator Orion 3000’s higher configurations are out of most budget gamers’ price range, its base configuration is very much accessible, sitting at under $1,000. There’s still very much to love here, however, that GTX 1660 graphics card is still an excellent 1080p gaming contender even in the RTX 3000 world. Its RGB lighting and cooling solution only add to its value.

HP Omen 25L against a white background

(Image credit: HP)

2. Omen 25L

For AMD fans

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500, 7 3700X or 9 3900 | Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5500 – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super | RAM: 16GB – 32B DDR4 | Storage: 256GB SSD – 1TB + 2TB + 2TB

Pretty cheap
Toolless access
Great cooling
Unimaginative design

The Omen 25L’s rectangular black metal design isn’t going to turn heads anytime soon. That’s at least offset by its glass panel, but only barely. However, if you’re not too concerned about looks, this is among the best budget gaming PCs to hit the shelves in 2021 that won’t make a sizable dent in your bank account. With AMD configurations on hand, it’s perfect for AMD-leaning gamers. But, those that are loyal to Nvidia’s RTX line can partake as well, as you can configure it to have up to an RTX 2070 Super GPU. Still, it’s the price we can’t get over here – kitted out, the Omen 25L costs as much as many of the premium gaming PCs in their mid-range configuration. Only, this one’s got more memory and a lot more storage capacity.

MSI Trident 3 9th against a white background

(Image credit: MSI)

3. MSI Trident 3 9th

A great performer

CPU: up to 9th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super | RAM: up to 16GB | Storage: up to 1TB

Lots of power
Compact
Come with bloated software

If looking good matters to you as much as power, then you might love the MSI Trident 3 9th, especially if you’re partial to a gaming-leaning aesthetic. It’s not all looks either. This small gaming PC touts plenty of power under the hood for less than its rivals, with 9th-generation Intel Core processors and the best Nvidia RTX and GTX graphics. It’s even cheaper than many of the gaming PCs on this list, with its Intel Core i7 + RTX 2060 Super +16GB RAM configuration setting you back much less than a HP Omen 25L with equivalent specs. If you’re trying to maximize your limited space and budget, this is the best budget gaming PC for you.

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop against a white background

(Image credit: HP)

4. HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop

Great for work and play

CPU: up to AMD Ryzen 7 | Graphics: up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Super | RAM: up to 16GB | Storage: up to 1TB HDD + 512GB SSD

Excellent value
Productivity-friendly aesthetic
Specs aren’t future-proof

Trimming that gamer aesthetic look to the barest minimum, the HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop fits just at home in any office as it does in someone’s game room. So, if you’re looking for a machine on which you can both play and work, this is just the ticket – giving you even more savings. It isn’t going to be a kitted out machine, although if you shell out a little more for the higher configurations, you can score one with an RTX 3060. However, its lower configurations should be capable enough to see you through 1080p gaming.

Dell G5 Gaming Desktop against a white background

(Image credit: Dell)

5. Dell G5

Budget PC gaming at its best

CPU: 9th Gen Intel Core i3-9100 – i9 9900K | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 – RTX 2070 | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Storage: 1TBSSD – 1TB SSD + 2TB HDD

Very affordable
VR-ready configurations
Base models won’t get you through the most demanding games

A unique chassis coupled with a price to beat, Dell’s latest in its G series gaming PCs is a solid contender as among the best budget gaming PCs out there. The Dell G5 boasts 9th-generation Intel chips as well as Nvidia’s most powerful gaming GTX and RTX graphics cards, starting with an i3 processor and the GTX 1650 to handle many powerful games without burning a whole in your pocket. Of course, if you’ve got more case to spare, its VR ready configurations are also on hand, though even those are absolutely affordable.

Intel Ghost Canyon NUC against a white background

(Image credit: Intel)

6. Intel Ghost Canyon NUC

Small, but dangerous

CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i5 – i9 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 8GB – 64B DDR4 | Storage: 128GB SSD – 2TB + 2TB

Affordable at its low configurations
Highly upgradeable
Great performance
Can get pretty pricey at the highest configurations

Intel’s NUC has come a long way from its humble beginnings. For example, while the previous Hades Canyon didn’t come with a RAM or storage, the newer Ghost Canyon has both. In fact, not only does it have more offerings now in terms of specs, but it’s also highly configurable so you can personalize it to your liking before hitting that buy button. With 9th-generation Intel Core chips, up to 64GB of memory and up to 4TB dual storage, we’re all for it. The only catch is that it's pricier now as well. The lower configurations are still quite affordable, however, and among the best budget gaming PCs for the budget-conscious. 

How to Buy the Best Budget Gaming PC

Is it cheaper to build or buy PC?

It is always going to be more expensive to build a budget gaming PC than it will be to buy one, since manufacturers will get OEM pricing on components, which will really make a difference on the lower end of the price scale. 

But pre-built PCs are often built with the careful mix of components to maximize performance at that price point. This often means that if you want to upgrade one component, you might need to upgrade other components along with it, which can make upgrading the PC a more expensive proposition down the road.

Is a $500 gaming PC worth it?

It depends on what you mean by "worth it." What you want to play and at what kind of performance and quality settings is going to make a major difference on whether a $500 gaming PC is up to the task.

If your primary goal is to play modern AAA titles at 1080p at reasonable settings at a reasonable frames per second (averaging 30 or more fps), then a $500 gaming PC can probably give you that and possibly a bit more, depending on the game.

If you want to play something at 4K with 60 fps, then no, you're probably better off buying a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, assuming you can find one at MSRP.

Today's Best Budget Gaming PC Deals



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