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Intel and AMD ally to shrink your next gaming laptop. A lot.
Intel and AMD ally to shrink your next gaming laptop. A lot.
In fall 2017, chipmaking rivals Intel and AMD made a splash when they announced a low(er)-power processor combining Intel's eighth-generation series of Core i H-series CPUs with AMD Radeon RX Vega M discrete graphics. They didn't offer much in the way of details at the time, and at CES 2018 Intel followed up with specifics and more. The new "G" line targets the same gamers and content creators that systems based on Nvidia's Max-Q mobile GeForce GPUs do; people who need smaller, lighter laptops that punch way above their weight, such as supporting VR.
The Gs combine the Core i H-series CPUs with a custom version of the Radeon GPU in much the same way AMD's own Ryzen 2500U and 2700U do. Because Intel doesn't use AMD's Infinity Fabric technology, which allows AMD to mesh its modular die architectures together, Intel developed its own Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) to connect the CPU with the high-bandwidth memory (HBM2) AMD uses with its GPUs. The packages are much smaller than previous offerings and use less power, enabling smaller devices that deliver the same performance as larger predecessors.
Intel initially plans two different tiers of processors, which will come in Core i5 and i7 versions, based on the target power requirements of the systems. The Core processor with RX Vega M GL ("graphics low") is designed for thin and light systems in which the total power draw of the package doesn't exceed 65 watts (we'll see models from Dell and HP at the show). These will be the Core i7-8706G, i7-8705G and i5-8305G and incorporate a 20 compute-unit version of the Vega.
Intel Intel
The other tier is designed for systems that can handle a power draw of 100 watts: compact desktops and all-in-ones, for example, or what Intel refers to as 1.2-liter systems (73 cubic inches). The HP Omen X Compact Desktop, the VR backpack, is about 234 cubic inches in comparison.
They'll be Core i7 only, and use the Vega M GH ("high") graphics which have 24 compute units. Those are the i7-8809G and i7-8709G, and the 8809G is fully unlocked so you can overclock the CPU, GPU and graphics memory. Those are incorporated into Intel's new NUCs, such as the scary compact gaming system above. (The locked version model is NUC8i7HVK and the unlocked model is: NUC8i7HNK.)
The GPUs bring with them all the capabilities of the line, including Freesync 2 support, Display Port 1.4 with HDR and HDMI 2.0b with HDR10 support.
I call out the compute-unit spec, which is sort of analogous to the number of cores a CPU has, because it provides an interesting comparison between the aforementioned AMD Ryzen mobile processors with the Vega GPUs -- those have only 10 CUs. But never fear: The G-series processors will continue to include Intel's HD 630 integrated graphics as well, in case you were worried about that. In total the two graphics engines can drive nine monitors (provided the relevant connectors are all available).
Intel plans for these chips to enable a forthcoming cloud-gaming platform with Gamestream and Artesyn as well, which would put Intel and AMD in competition with Nvidia's still-in-development GeForce Now.
PC preview : What to expect from laptops, desktops and tablets at CES this year.
CES 2018 : CNET's complete coverage of tech's biggest show.
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MTV VMAs: Eminem and Snoop Dogg Perform as Bored Apes in the Metaverse
MTV VMAs: Eminem and Snoop Dogg Perform as Bored Apes in the Metaverse
The Bored Ape Yacht Club has made it to about a dozen celebrity Twitter accounts, a bizarre scene from the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and, now, the MTV VMAs. On Sunday, Eminem and Snoop Dogg, two well-known Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT holders, rapped their latest song literally as their Bored Ape alter egos.
The biggest collection in NFTs, the Bored Ape Yacht Club consists of 10,000 cartoon simeans. Owning a Bored Ape (they go from $150,000 up to over $1 million) grants you commercial rights to the depicted ape. Some have used those IP rights to write books, and celebrity Seth Green is using them to create a TV show.
Eminem and Snoop Dogg became the first major music artists to harness their Bored Apes in a performance. The two rappers starred as their respective NFTs in the video clip to From the D 2 the LBC, their latest collaboration.
The pair's performance at Sunday's MTV VMAs echoed the video clip. It started with Eminem getting super high off Snoop Dogg's secondhand weed smoke -- high enough that they turned into their Bored Apes. Sunday's performance doubled as an advertisement for Otherside, a metaverse game developed by Yuga Labs, the team that created the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection last April. Otherside features little goblin creatures called Kodas, which had a prominent role in the background of Sunday's performance.
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Navigating foreclosure: How to find help, repair your credit and bounce back
Navigating foreclosure: How to find help, repair your credit and bounce back
The COVID-19 pandemic -- and its economic fallout -- have put millions of homeowners at risk of losing their homes. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau industry data in April showed that almost 3 million homeowners are behind on their mortgage payments.
While the CARES Act provided temporary relief for homeowners, its moratorium on foreclosures ended on July 31. Although this means lenders can proceed with the foreclosure process, a moratorium on foreclosure-related evictions has been put in place by the Federal Housing Administration until Sept. 30. The White House has also extended the forbearance enrollment period for federally backed mortgages through Sept. 30, giving homeowners more time to enroll in housing protections that could last for up to 12 months.
That said, some homeowners are still facing the resumption of monthly mortgage payments that have been paused for over a year -- and as a result, a mountain of debt.
If you own a home and are concerned about making mortgage payments, it's important to understand the foreclosure process. We'll walk you through everything you need to know -- from the best practices for avoiding it to surviving the aftermath.
You can find out more information about buying a foreclosure here.
What is a foreclosure?
Foreclosure starts when a homeowner has missed payments for a certain length of time -- usually, 90 to 120 days. At this point, the lender will attempt to recoup what they're owed on a mortgage. Once you're a few months late on your mortgage payment, the lender will put your loan into default.
If you don't make your mortgage payments for, say, three months, your lender can start a legal process to take ownership of your home in order to sell it. This allows them to get some of the money you still owe on your mortgage back.
The steps of the foreclosure process vary from state to state.
The foreclosure process
Foreclosure doesn't happen overnight. Your mortgage lender is required to notify you well in advance of when your home officially enters foreclosure -- also known as preforeclosure.
Preforeclosure
After you miss one mortgage payment, you might enter a preforeclosure period, but you often have another month to pay the balance owed before the bank takes serious action.
"Making your mortgage payment after the 1st of the month won't be considered late," says James McCann, branch manager at Cornerstone First Mortgage. "Most mortgage servicers won't charge a late fee until the 15th of the month and even when they do, it's usually nominal. Mortgage payments aren't reported late until the 30th of the month."
At that point, your lender sends you a notice. Whether you just needed a little extra time or making the payment simply slipped your mind, if you make your missed payment at this time, the preforeclosure process stops. You'll probably need to pay a late fee and your credit score might take a hit, though.
If you miss two mortgage payments, the letters become more serious. At this stage, you'll receive a demand letter requesting the missed payments. You can still stop the foreclosure process at this point by sending in the money you owe right away.
After three to four months of missed payments (varies by lender), you'll get a notice of default. This notice will usually lay out a grace period (often 90 days) during which you can make up the money you owe to avoid foreclosure. This grace period is called the reinstatement period. If you don't take advantage of this final window to get caught up on your missed payments, your lender officially starts foreclosure.
Foreclosure
At this point, your mortgage lender starts the process of taking ownership of your home. This works because mortgages are secured loans, which means they're backed by collateral -- in this case, your home.
When homeowners are unable to continue making mortgage payments, lenders start the foreclosure process to take back their collateral. Foreclosure ends with the lender either selling the home or adding it to their real estate portfolio. This allows the lender to recoup the money the homeowner was unable to pay.
Types of foreclosures
There are three different types of foreclosures, but processes will vary depending on where you live. Most states employ one of the first two types of foreclosures:
Judicial foreclosure
A judicial foreclosure is an option in all states. During this process, the lender files a lawsuit with the court to initiate the foreclosure process. The homeowner then gets a notice of the suit in the mail and has 30 days to pay all of the money they owe. If they don't, the local sheriff's office or the court will sell the house at an auction and give the proceeds to the lender.
Power of sale
Also called a statutory foreclosure, this type of foreclosure is legal in most states, provided your mortgage has a power of sale clause. This clause says that if your mortgage lender demands payment and you continue to fail to pay for the period of time laid out in the clause, the lender can sell the home to recoup their money.
Strict foreclosure
The rarest type of foreclosure, strict foreclosure, is often avoided unless the outstanding mortgage amount is greater than the property's current value. The process is similar to a judicial foreclosure in that the lender files a lawsuit, but rather than selling the property at auction, the property enters the lender's real estate portfolio once the foreclosure is complete.
Avoiding foreclosure
Foreclosures are stressful. But you can often avoid foreclosure, especially if you take steps as soon as you struggle to make your mortgage payments. Here are some tips to help with avoiding foreclosure.
Talk to your lender ASAP
Lenders don't want you to enter into foreclosure. They would much rather have you continue to make your payments (allowing them to make income off your mortgage's interest). If you're struggling to make a payment, reach out to see what support your lender can provide.
"Talk with your current mortgage servicer to see if there's anything they can do to help," McCann says. "Your lender might offer a loan modification or forbearance plan that would allow you to lower or pause your payments."
Consider selling
With real estate property values at notably high levels in many regions, homeowners who think they won't be able to keep up with their mortgage payments can consider selling before they end up in a foreclosure situation. With the proceeds from your home sale, you can pay off the outstanding balance of your mortgage and avoid foreclosure -- and the eviction and major hit to your credit score that comes with it.
You don't necessarily go back to renting, either. McCann recommends working with a realtor to find out if you can downsize to reduce your monthly mortgage payment.
Explore a refinance
With mortgage rates at historic lows right now, refinancing can help you get through a financially challenging season -- and save you money over the life of your loan. Refinancing could allow you to lock in a lower rate, reducing your monthly mortgage payment.
"You can often time your refinance to skip a mortgage payment, which could give you a little time to get back on your feet," McCann says.
You might be able to get a short refinance, which means your lender forgives some of your outstanding balance, then refinances the rest.
Foreclosure assistance programs
There are also assistance programs that can serve as helpful tools in avoiding foreclosure.
Until Sept. 30, you can enroll in a forbearance program if you have a federally held mortgage, e.g., FHA, VA, USDA and some Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae home loans.
While federal programs beyond the COVID-19 forbearance are currently lacking, you can also get help from a housing counselor. You can click your state on their map to find information about foreclosure avoidance counselors near you. It's well worth choosing one approved by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to help avoid foreclosure scams.
Beware of foreclosure assistance scams
Unfortunately, unsavory individuals and organizations often take advantage of people facing financial hardship and foreclosures. And they may do it under the guise of old programs. Be wary of mortgage assistance from groups that recommend expired assistance programs like the FHA Home Affordable Program or the Making Home Affordable program. Although these programs are legitimate, they were established to help after the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 and aren't accepting new applicants.
For a full list of foreclosure assistance scams to avoid, review this guide from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Surviving foreclosure
Avoiding foreclosure isn't always possible -- and it's not a financial death sentence. If none of the above resources can help you avoid foreclosure, your first step should be to find safe housing for yourself and anyone who lives with you.
From there, work on establishing a consistent income stream and building up your savings. Your credit score will take a dive after your foreclosure, but managing your money responsibly -- paying your bills on time and making sure you don't use too much of your other available credit, including credit cards -- will help you to rebuild it. From there, it's a waiting game. After seven years, the foreclosure will fall off your credit report and you'll have a fresh start again.
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Don't buy an Apple Watch 7 until you learn how the trade-in program works
Don't buy an Apple Watch 7 until you learn how the trade-in program works
The Apple Watch Series 7 ($399) is pretty impressive: The device runs WatchOS 8 and has a larger, more durable screen, as well as new workout and fall detection options. If you're planning to upgrade, you might be wondering what to do with your old Apple Watch.
Don't just abandon your old watch in a junk drawer. You can save money on a new watch by trading in the old one. There are deals through Apple and all three major mobile carriers. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are offering deals to persuade people to upgrade to 5G iPhones. For example, AT&T is offering up to $1,000 off the iPhone Pro or Pro Max and $700 off the iPhone 13 and Mini.
We'll break down everything you need to know about trading in your Apple Watch, when you'll get your new one and how much you could save.
How to trade in your Apple Watch for a Series 7
To trade in your watch, you can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in. Scroll down and select Apple Watch out of the product lineup. You can also visit the nearest Apple Store to get the process started at a retail storefront.
You'll need to provide your watch's serial number (Apple has this guide to finding your serial number), model and condition to get a more accurate estimate. From there, you can start shopping for a new watch and apply the credit toward your purchase. You can also opt for an Apple gift card instead of replacing your old product with a different one right away.
The new Apple Watch Series 7 runs on WatchOS 8.
Apple
If you accept the trade-in estimate, Apple will provide a prepaid trade-in kit by mail or at the Apple Store. You don't have to include device accessories like the charger.
When to expect your Apple Watch Series 7 arrive and how to track the delivery
The online trade-in process takes about two to three weeks, according to Apple, and the company must receive your device within two weeks of starting the trade-in process. You can track the trade-in process from your Apple Store account.
If you decide you no longer want to trade in your device, simply keeping it will void the process. If you've already dropped off or shipped your watch, the trade-in can't be canceled.
What to do before trading in your Apple Watch
Before trading in your Apple Watch, make sure to unpair it from your iPhone.
1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 2. Tap the My Watch tab. 3. Choose your watch's name. 4. Tap the Information button. 5. Tap Unpair Apple Watch. If you own a cellular model, tap Remove [Carrier] Plan. 6. Enter your Apple ID password to turn off the activation lock. 7. Tap Confirm.
If you already returned your Apple Watch, you can erase or turn off the activation lock via iCloud.com. Just log in with your Apple ID and select your Apple Watch under All Devices. Click Erase Apple Watch and follow the prompts to complete the process.
The new Apple Watch features a new design and more health features.
Oliver Padilla/CNET
How much money you could get for trading in an old Apple Watch
These are the devices and corresponding estimated trade-in values listed on Apple's website:
Apple Watch SE: Up to $155
Apple Watch Series 5: Up to $145
Apple Watch Series 4: Up to $100
Apple Watch Series 3: Up to $70
Apple Watch Series 2: Up to $25
Keep in mind that these figures come with a few caveats. The credit amount is based on the information you provided about your watch, including condition. If something doesn't match up once Apple receives the trade-in, the amount will be adjusted. In addition, the estimates given online might not be what you get in the store.
The type of credit also depends on what you buy and how you pay for it, according to Apple. If you buy an Apple Watch and pay in full, Apple will credit your original payment method up to the total purchase price. Any remaining amount will go on an Apple Gift Card via email.
Other ways to trade in your Apple Watch
Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint all offer trade-in programs for Apple Watches and other devices. There are also sites like Swappa, eBay, Trademore and BuyBackWorld; since these are third-party sites, we recommend having a read through their Trustpilot ratings before making any decisions.
For more, check out everything announced at the Apple Event and the Apple Watch Series 7's new design.
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Lil Nas X headlines TikTok's new collection of NFTs
Lil Nas X headlines TikTok's new collection of NFTs
TikTok is jumping into the world of NFTs, with a new collection of biddable moments inspired by the trending videos produced by top artists on the platform, including Lil Nas X, the company said on Thursday.
"Building on our commitment to helping creators achieve their goals in the growing creator economy, TikTok NFTs provide a way for creators to be recognized and rewarded for their content, and for fans to own a culturally-significant moment on TikTok," the ByteDance-owned company said in a statement.
TikTok
Short for nonfungible tokens, NFTs offer a blockchain-created certificate of authenticity for a digital asset or piece of art. After recently bursting onto the scene, NFTs for everything from video clips to tweets to pieces of music to memes have triggered bidding wars, and they've attracted attention from corporate entities, too, including Visa and Nike. Now TikTok wants in.
The video-sharing app, which now says it has more than 1 billion users each month, adds that proceeds from the NFT sales will "largely go directly to the creators and NFT artists involved."
Along with Lil Nas X, other artists offering NFTs at launch include Rudy Willingham, Bella Poarch, Curtis Roach, Brittany Broski, FNMeka, Jess Marciante and Gary Vaynerchuk. The first NFT auction goes live Oct. 6, with additional weekly releases planned through the end of the month.
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Save $150 on This Sleek Asus Vivobook Today Only at Best Buy
Save $150 on This Sleek Asus Vivobook Today Only at Best Buy
From work to leisure to staying connected with friends and family, in this day and age your laptop is probably one of the things that you use the most frequently. So it's probably worth it to invest in something a little more powerful and versatile than a Chromebook. But unless you're going to be using it for high-strain tasks like gaming or programming, you don't need to drop thousands on one either. This 15.6-inch Asus Vivobook is a great midrange option even at its original price, and today only at Best Buy, you can pick it up for just $300, a discount of $150. This deal expires tonight at 12:59 a.m. ET, so be sure to act fast.
This Asus Vivobook offers some impressive specs for just $300. The 15.6-inch display boasts HD resolution and an LED backlight system so you can see what you're doing even in bright settings. It comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, as well as an HDMI port, headphone jack, three USB-A ports and one USB-C port. Despite its larger screen size, it weighs less than 4 pounds, and is a sleek 0.78 inches thick, so its perfect for slipping into your bag or backpack and taking care of some work when you're on the go. Plus, it comes with the new Windows 11 installed right out of the box.
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Xiaomi wants to redefine 'made in China'
Xiaomi wants to redefine 'made in China'
If the label "made in China" conjures images of exploding "hoverboards" more often than quality craftsmanship, you're in good company.
China's reputation for inexpensive prices rather than quality manufacturing hurts brands that want to compete in the high end on a global scale, said Xiaomi's senior VP of mobile, Xiang Wang, when we met here in Beijing at the company's headquarters.
Read more of Jessica's tech adventures in Asia!
Mark Hobbs/CNET
"In [the] US, you can find a lot of products made in China," Wang said. "First impression is the price -- you got a good deal -- but not performance or quality."
As a Xiaomi executive, Wang has a stake in the game. During its mere six years of life, Xiaomi has rocketed its phone sales to become, by at least one account, the top-seller in China, the world's most populous country. That alone makes Xiaomi a big deal.
But the electronics-maker has also built a reputation for creating cheap-but-good phones, like the flagship-quality Mi 5, that compete locally against Apple, Samsung and homegrown Huawei.
And as Xiaomi expands beyond China's borders -- first into India and Brazil, and soon into the US and Europe -- its reputation will be everything. It will be the reason why big spenders will consider a Xiaomi phone alongside an Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, rather than see Xiaomi as a "deal," a trade-off buy.
Recipe for success
So how do you break down that negative perception? According to Wang, you keep prices low and quality high, and help others to do the same. To get the ball rolling, Xiaomi has invested in 55 companies that work with Xiaomi on quality control, and sell their own electronics from Xiaomi's Mi.com website, or in Xiaomi's handful of retail stores, either with their own branding or, more commonly, under Xiaomi's.
It's a simple recipe: Xiaomi oversees these third-party designs, tests them for quality, and helps with distribution.
No hardware profit
Clearly, rock-bottom prices are still key to the equation. Xiaomi's mobile VP Wang said that low labor costs paired with "efficiencies" in manufacturing and distribution make Xiaomi's pricing possible. On some products, the company might also curb costs by using last season's still-good parts.
But Xiaomi also saves money with its advertising-free, Internet-first sales model, which help keeps its overheads extremely low.
My taxi driver in Singapore said of his Mi band, "What do you expect from this? It costs SG$19 (about $14). It works."
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
"Our philosophy is we don't intend to make a profit from the hardware," Wang said, emphasizing that Xiaomi's "Mi" ecosystem and software platform is what keeps cash flowing. Instead, Xiaomi wants to focus on attracting customers with products that perform as promised.
Xiaomi is already off to a good start. "The company has been successful in China in establishing its products as good quality for competitive prices," said Gartner analyst Jon Erensen, "especially when compared to high-end international competitors."
For his part, Xiaomi's Wang says he hopes other Chinese brands will follow the company's example. "Our slogan [translated from Mandarin Chinese] means 'new made in China'," he said. "Without a good product, you can't get word of mouth."
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Dell XPS 13 Plus Review: This Slim Premium Laptop Isn't Afraid to Shake Things Up
Dell XPS 13 Plus Review: This Slim Premium Laptop Isn't Afraid to Shake Things Up
When you open up the XPS 13 Plus, three things will immediately strike you as... unusual. Those design choices make the XPS 13 Plus stand out so much visually, but they also make for an unconventional experience. Not necessarily a bad one, but certainly one that fights years of laptop design muscle memory.
First is the touchpad, which sits, disguised, along the edge-to-edge palm rest. It's there, but you can't actually see it. The touch-sensitive part of that front area is indistinguishable from the part you just rest your hands on.
Apple laptops still have a distinct panel for touch, some laptops from Dell's own Alienware line have touchpads that literally glow in different colors, but here it's guesswork. In practice, however, I found the touch-sensitive area relatively easy to use. It runs from the left edge of the spacebar on one side to the right edge of the Alt key on the other. Sure, it would be cool to have the touchpad run the entire length of the body, but that would be a nightmare for palm rejection AI and probably not as useful as you'd think.
Like
Inventive new design
Very slim and light
Excellent performance
Great OLED display
Included USB-C dongles
Don't Like
You might not love the new touchpad, keyboard and function keys
Underwhelming battery life
Heat and fan noise
Low-resolution webcam
No headphone port
But the larger point remains -- people are used to how touchpads work and what they look like, so you mess with that shared experience at your own peril. In this case, the touchpad's overall feel is good for a Windows laptop, but it could also feel either too sensitive or not sensitive enough, depending on what I was doing. The best word for an overall vibe would be "floaty," and it suffers in comparison by landing on my desk immediately after the latest MacBook Air, which is the platonic ideal of touchpad feel and functionality.
Dell makes a big deal of the haptics of the touchpad. It feels like you can click it down, but it's not actually depressing. MacBook touchpads have worked the same way for years. Personally, I'm a tapper, not a clicker, so it didn't make a huge difference to me.
The invisible touchpad.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Next is the keyboard, which ditches the standard island-style keys -- flat with a modest space between each one -- for an edge-to-edge design, where each key brushes up against its neighbor. It's a style that popped up occasionally in the 2010s, but one I haven't seen in a while. It lets you offer a larger top surface for each key and in some cases, helps make a laptop thinner. I got used to it quickly but, again, my muscle memory fought it. It also lacks the satisfying snap of a good island-style keyboard.
The last big change is to the Function key row. It reminds me of the now-deprecated Apple Touch Bar, as it's a backlit row of touch-sensitive icons. The media and system commands are lit by default -- brightness, volume, keyboard backlight and so on. Hold the Fn key and you see the typical F1 to F12 keys. You can swap the behavior the other way if you prefer.
Why do this? Again, I believe it's to shave some thickness from the system and allow for its hinge mechanism. I'm not against the idea in principle, but the MacBook Pro's rough go of it shows that people aren't itching to swap physical buttons for virtual ones. And this isn't a full-color user-assignable OLED screen strip like Apple's version, either. But in the end, the only thing I think you'll miss is having a physical Esc key, which can be important in your day to day use. I liked how clear the icons were and how they were boldly backlit.
Function keys are replaced by a touch strip.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Configuration and performance
Once you put aside those three breaks with laptop design orthodoxy, the rest of the XPS 13 Plus is a conventional and mostly excellent premium 13-inch laptop experience. The XPS 13 line has always been one of my favorite Windows laptops, and this looks and feels like a high-end machine that will be a conversation piece whenever you whip it out.
The XPS 13 Plus starts at $1,299 and the model I tested is currently $1,949. It includes an upgraded CPU, RAM and display. I liked that there are four 13.4-inch screen options, both OLED and LCD, ranging from a 1,920x1,080 non-touch screen to a 3,840x2,400 touchscreen.
Inside, the version here has a 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1280P, and all the engineering to squeeze it into this 15mm-thick body is impressive. That said, the fans spin up audibly, sometimes sounding like a little white noise machine in the background, and even then, the system got very warm, especially on the bottom panel.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Performance with that 12th-gen Core i7 is a highlight, and it's nice to have this much raw horsepower in a high-design, executive-class laptop. I've compared it to Apple's latest mainstream and Pro laptops, as well as comparable Windows systems. It's part of Intel's Evo program, which is a designation for premium slim laptop designs with good performance. If you go with the least expensive configuration, you get a Core i5 from the same generation.
In the preloaded My Dell app, you can switch between performance presets (navigate from My Dell > Power > Thermal). The Performance mode was indeed faster, but also cranked the fans up even more, created a lot of heat, and certainly didn't help the already limp battery life.
Display and webcam
The display is also a highlight. I tested the 3,456x2,160-pixel touchscreen version, which is an impressive-looking OLED panel. Dell calls this 3.5K and you can also get a true 4K version, but that's no OLED panel. Either one is a $300 upgrade from the base non-touch Full HD 1,920x1,080-pixel model. There's also a FHD touch panel for $100 more, and if you're looking to cut costs, it's probably where I'd go. On a relatively small laptop, you can get away with FHD resolution, but adding touch is going to be valuable.
I'm less pleased with the 720p webcam. Premium laptops have made a major switch to FHD cameras in the past couple of years, even dragging long-time holdout Apple in with the latest MacBook Air Dell says the lower-res camera here benefits from image processing help on the software side, but I found it to be merely ok. Jumping into a Zoom meeting in low light, I had a distinct orange hue. Adding a higher-resolution camera would likely mean a thicker lid, so I get that there's a size-versus-functionality tradeoff.
A great webcam, this is not.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
The camera is also used for Dell's presence-detection features, which I find interesting. It can wake from sleep mode when the camera detects your face, or it can lock itself when you walk away. But the feature I liked most was called Look Away Detect, which will dim the screen if it sees you looking away. That's good for both battery life and privacy, and worked so well that I think more laptops should have a feature like that.
It has just two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, which is frankly fine for most people these days, and it matches the most recent 13-inch MacBook Pro. But, Dell kills the headphone jack, which might be rarely used, but is a notable exclusion nonetheless. A USB-C-to-audio dongle is included in the box, as is a USB-C-to-USB-A one. That's a nice bonus, and one that some companies (ahem, Apple...) would probably make you pay extra for. The downside is, if you keep it plugged into power and use the headphone adaptor at the same time, you're out of ports.
Battery life and roadworthiness
Despite focusing on some of the unusual design choices and limitations, there's a lot I love about the XPS 13 Plus. I love a sharp, original design and am willing to trade a little familiarity to push the edges a bit. This level of performance in a slim, light laptop like this is enviable (as long as we're sticking on the non-dedicated GPU side of things), and the hidden performance modes offer more flexibility than I'm used to seeing in similar laptops.
But there's one more wrinkle in the formula. Battery life. In benchmark testing, the XPS 13 Plus ran on the short side, at about 4 hours while streaming online video, which is far from the most strenuous thing you might ask it to do. In hands-on use, it felt a little better depending on what I was doing, but it also dropped from almost 70% to under 30% in less than 2 hours while I was writing this review.
Ports are limited, but dongles are included.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Use the optimized performance preset, turn down the screen brightness, close unused apps and you can likely push the battery life to a better place. But I don't feel confident that I could pick up this laptop in the morning and work on it all day without charging. It helps that there's an express charging preset for powering up part of the battery quickly.
The nearly 4K screen doesn't do the battery any favors, although the fact that it's an OLED panel should help. That's one reason I'm cautious about recommending 4K laptops -- higher-resolution screens are a battery killer.
The XPS 13 Plus has a lot of innovative ideas -- some of which are important, while others seem like change for the sake of change. We may even disagree on which is which. If I were working on the next generation of this laptop, I'd keep the design updates but suggest sacrificing a little thickness for a bigger battery so this could be a more travel-ready companion.
The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments.
The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.
A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page.
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Substack Debuts iOS App for Reading Newsletters
Substack Debuts iOS App for Reading Newsletters
Substack has just unveiled its first mobile app, which operates like an RSS reader for Substack writers.
Launched in 2017, Substack provides a publishing platform for monetizable newsletters covering a variety of topics, including politics, tech, finance, culture, parenting, music, comics and food.
Instead of scrolling through their email inbox, users of the Substack Reader app can access a feed of the newsletters they follow, available in a reader view with comments included.
Users of the Substack app can digest their favorite newsletter in a reader format.
Screenshot/CNET
Followers get notifications when new installments are available, and can tap into an author's related content, including podcasts and videos. They also receive recommendations for new authors.
Substack writers benefit, too, the company said, with reliable delivery and "multiple media formats in a single package."
In a series of tweets Wednesday morning, Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie compared the new app to the dearly departed Google Reader, the RSS reader that shuttered in July 2013.
"I remember how good it felt to be a thinking person who liked to read on the internet," wrote McKenzie, a former journalist. "I remember being able to follow my favorite writers and read them at length, where their arguments could be made calmly, where there was a point in aiming for beauty."
Hearkening back to "the time before we gave up our minds for dopamine hits," McKenzie said the Substack app "makes me feel like a reader again."
The Substack Reader is currently only available in the Apple App Store. A representative told CNET a waiting list is available for those who want to be notified when the Android version launches.
Adjust the blur of portrait mode photos on any iphone with dual sim adjust the blur of portrait mode photos on any iphone with largest adjust the blur of portrait photography adjust the blur of portrait of a lady adjust the blur of portrait of dorian adjust the blur of portrait background adjust the blur of portrait artist
Adjust the blur of portrait mode photos on any iPhone with Google Photos
Adjust the blur of portrait mode photos on any iPhone with Google Photos
One of the big selling points of the iPhone XS, XS Max and iPhone XR is the ability to edit the depth effect in portrait mode photos. These new iPhone models let you edit portrait mode photos to increase or decrease the background blur effect -- aka bokeh -- to your liking. It's certainly a handy feature and gives you much greater control of photos taken in portrait mode. And now you don't need to upgrade to Apple's latest crop of iPhones to get this depth editing, thanks to a recent update to Google Photos.
Google Photos for iOS has a new depth-editing tool for your portrait mode photos. You can also change the focus point and use the new Color Pop filter for portrait mode photos that keep the foreground subject in color while desaturating the background for dramatic effect.
Depth editing with Google Photos
To adjust the background blur, open a portrait mode photo in Google Photos and tap the edit button. You'll see a belt of filters (including the new Color Pop filter, which I'll get to in a minute), but you'll need to tap the edit button again to get to the Depth slider. It sits below the usual sliders for Light and Color. Move the Depth slider to the right to increase the blur effect and to the left to decrease it.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Change the focus point
If you find that the edges between the foreground subject of your portrait and the blurred background aren't quite right, you can tap on the photo to adjust the focus point. A white circle appears to help you find the right spot. You can also tap the background to bring it into focus and blur out the foreground subject for some sort of crazy reverse portrait.
Color Pop filter
The new Color Pop filter isn't offered for regular photos, but it's the first filter you'll see for portrait mode photos. It puts the blurred background in black and white while keeping the foreground subject in full color. After selecting it for a handful of photos, I found I needed to tap a photo to change the focus so that the edges lined up better between the subject in color and the monochrome background. You can also adjust the monochrome effect of the filter. After selecting it, tap the Color Pop filter thumbnail again to use a slider to adjust its intensity and add back a bit of color to your background.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
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Most Annoying iOS 16 Features and How You Can Fix Them
Most Annoying iOS 16 Features and How You Can Fix Them
As with every new release of iOS, there are features and settings that you'll absolutely love, and others that you'll downright hate.
And the same can be said for iOS 16, which won't be available to the general public until sometime in the fall, but which you can try out right now as a public beta on your iPhone.
Read more:The iPhone 14's Future May Be Hidden in iOS 16
Fortunately, there's a way to get rid of or disable some of the more annoying features and settings in iOS 16, like the brand-new search button on the home page that's easy to accidentally tap and the redesigned notifications that now appear at the bottom of your lock screen.
We'll explain how to turn off these irritating settings below. Also, if you want to learn more about what iOS 16 has to offer, check out these hidden features, like password-protected photo albums, and two new features available in Apple Maps.
Stop featured photos and memories from popping up on your iPhone
Apple's artificial intelligence helps surface photos and videos in various places across your iPhone it thinks you might want to see, as a friendly reminder of family vacations, couple photos and holidays -- but you may not always want your personal photos to pop up unexpectedly, especially if they're private, embarrassing or inappropriate.
Fortunately with iOS 16, you can now prevent Featured Photos, as well as curated collections known as Memories, from appearing in photo widgets on your home screen and the Search and For You sections in Photos.
To block these tailored photos, launch the Settings app, go into Photos and toggle off Show Featured Content. All featured content will no longer appear across your device -- instead, it'll only be available in your photo library and albums.
Once Show Featured Content is turned off, featured photos and memories across your device should disappear.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Prevent the side button from accidentally ending your phone calls
The side/power button on the side of your iPhone allows you to quickly sleep and wake up your device, but if you accidentally hit it during a phone call, you'll prematurely end your call. If that's something you've encountered in the past, iOS 16 finally allows you to prevent that from happening.
In Settings, go to Accessibility > Touch and toggle off Lock to End Call to prevent the side button from ending your calls. If you do hit the side button accidentally, your screen will go to sleep, but you'll stay on your phone call, uninterrupted.
This feature is hidden in the Accessibility section of your settings.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Remove the search button from your home screen
The Search feature on your iPhone allows you to quickly find what you're looking for, whether it's a text message, third-party app, file, note and location -- pretty much anything on your device or on the web. And the best thing about the feature is that it's easily accessible from the home screen; all you need to do is swipe down anywhere on the screen, and it appears.
And iOS 16 has added another way to access Search from the home screen, via a small button right above your dock. Unfortunately, it's easy to accidentally trigger, because it's near where your thumb might go when you swipe between your various home pages.
Fortunately, like many new features on iOS 16, this one can be disabled as well. Simply launch the Settings app, go to Home Screen and toggle off Show on Home Screen to remove the search button from your home screen. The Search bubble should disappear, replaced by a few small dots representing your various home screens.
Even if you remove the Search button, you can still access the feature by swiping down from anywhere on your home screen.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Go back to the old lock screen notifications
Apple's latest redesign brings widgets, customizable fonts and colors, a wallpaper gallery and stylized date and time to the lock screen, as well as one overlooked change to notifications. Instead of appearing at the top of your lock screen, notifications now appear at the bottom, which you can then tap on to appear full screen.
However, not everyone may be happy with this change. If you want to go back to the way notifications appeared on iOS 15, launch the Settings application and go to Notifications > Display As. You'll then see three options:
Count: Notifications appear as a numbered count at the bottom of the screen.
Stack: Notifications appear in a stack at the bottom of the screen.
List: Notifications appear fully across your screen.
To go back to the old notification style, choose the List option.
You can also pinch the notifications to switch between the three Display As options.
